Independent v Mainstream

1. Independent vs
Mainstream
-
“Clerks” (1994) &
“Spectre” (2015)

2.  Independent films (often referred to as simply “indie films”) are films produced
mostly or completely without interference from the major film studio system. This
also includes the distribution process, where they are usually distributed by
independent entertainment agencies.
 Independent films are usually distinguishable by there style and themes, which are
sometimes affected by the low budget most independent films start with. Other
than “Clerks”, some notable independent films include “Trainspotting” & “Reservoir
Dogs”.
 On the other hand, mainstream films are films produced by a major film studio,
usually one of the “Big 6”. They are produced with significantly larger budgets and
are usually aimed at the general public as a whole, often with the goal of making
large profit.
 Other than “Spectre”, some notable mainstream films include “Avatar”, “Star Wars:
The Force Awakens” & “The Avengers”.
What’s the difference?

3.  For the majority of the film, “Clerks” is set within a convenience store, meaning the
mise-en-scene remains similar throughout the film.
 Common locations where conversation takes place between the characters include
the shop counter & shop floor, and common props include cigarette packets and
newspapers to match the setting.
 Characters wear everyday
clothing to seem relatable to the
audience.
 Although the film is shot in black
and white, lighting seems natural
without the use of studio lights,
which were likely out of budget.
Mise-en-scene – “Clerks”

4. Mise-en-scene – “Spectre”
 “Spectre”, being part of the James Bond
franchise, is set in multiple locations around
the world including Mexico and Austria,
meaning the location is constantly
changing with the plot.
 Staying true to the James Bond franchise,
costumes include mostly black-tie attire for
male characters – especially Bond himself –
and dresses for female characters.
 Similarly to costumes, many props instantly related to the Bond franchise appear,
such as guns and of course, Bond’s Aston Martin.
 Lighting is a mix of natural and studio lighting to achieve the best cinematography
possible.

5. Editing – “Clerks”
 Based on the tiny budget the film had, the editing phase was rough, and was
completed by the film’s director and writer Kevin Smith.
 Simple, contemporary editing style not just due to the budget, but also to
compliment the film’s pacing – which is maintained throughout most of the film.
 Cuts in the film can sometimes be infrequent – particularly when Dante and Randall
are talking behind the counter – in order to save film reel.
 Humorous use of cut-aways to emphasise character points, such as when Dante
and Randall are complaining about specific customers.

6. Editing – “Spectre”
 Unlike “Clerks”, “Spectre” has varying degrees of pacing throughout the film due to
a mix of action & drama, so cuts range from frequent to rare depending on the
scene.
 Use of colour grading at times to create the right atmosphere for the right scenes,
such as a orange/red tint for the train conversation between Bond & Madeleine.
 Unlike “Clerks”, “Spectre” had a large enough budget to hire its own editor for the
film - like many high budget films do – instead of having its director Sam Mendes
edit the film himself.

7. Sound – “Clerks”
 Mostly diegetic sound is used to make the convenience store the film is set in seem
more realistic.
 Little use of non-diegetic sounds such as background music, but the film uses pre-
existing songs as a soundtrack instead of an original score, which it obviously lacks
due to budget.
Diegetic sounds are appropriate to the setting , including
the opening of tills, the turning of newspapers, and the
ringing of the doorbell every time a customer walks in.
Non-diegetic soundtrack is also genre and era
appropriate.

8. Sound – “Spectre”
 Obviously due to a bigger budget allowing for a bigger scale, “Spectre” has a
higher limit in terms of diegetic sound, allowing for the use of practical explosions
on set from which to record sound.
 To continue the line of quality, unlike “Clerks”, “Spectre” has its own musical score
written and produced by Thomas Newman, along with an Oscar winning Bond
theme in “Writings On The Wall” by
Sam Smith.
 Use of higher-end equipment also allows for
capture of crisper audio, for both dialogue and
diegetic sound.

9. Cinematography – “Clerks”
 As the film is shot in black-and-white film with a lower end camera, majority of
shots look contemporary and feature no revolutionary filming techniques.
 As mentioned in Editing, there is a
common use of the “two-shot”
camera angle, particularly with
the characters of Dante and
Randal behind the counter
chit-chatting. This could be to
save film by cutting between
shots less.
 Shots however range from close-ups of character reactions, to long shots e.g. when
Dante first opens up shop.

10. Cinematography – “Spectre”
 Yet another benefit of having a higher budget, “Spectre” uses the latest in camera
technology, including cranes and rigs, to capture crisp stunning shots from a larger
range of angles.
 Use of shots from moving cars for the
Austrian car chase scene showcase
the capability and steadiness of the
higher end equipment.
 Shot angles are appropriate to the
scene, such as the use of close-ups
in dramatic character one-on-ones,
then long shots during action scenes
to emphasise the scale of what is being filmed.

11. Budget – “Clerks”
 Notorious for its low budget production phase, “Clerks” was filmed on a budget of
an estimated $27,000, with that figure rising to an estimated $230,000 following
post-production.
 Director and writer Kevin Smith recently revealed where his $27,000 was spent, with
the majority of the budget being spent on sound mixing ($7280) and equipment
rental such as the camera
($3400) & the sound and lighting kits ($1165).
 Large amounts were also spent on film
processing ($3295) and screening print ($3120),
whilst cheaper aspects included stock for
audio ($200) & camera expendables (£125),
as well as the cast who were barely paid.

12. Budget – “Spectre”
 Unsurprisingly, “Spectre” was produced on a much larger budget given the film
universe in which it exists. Estimates show the budget of “Spectre” to be anywhere
between $300 - $350 million – approximately 12,000x higher than “Clerks”.
 A number of factors contribute to this, including the use of higher-end equipment;
large practical effects;
computer generated special
effects; spectacular filming
locations & of course, actor
salaries.
 This monumental budget places
“Spectre” as the 11th most
expensive ever produced,
beating out “Avatar”, “The
Avengers” & previous Bond outing
“Skyfall”.

13. Stardom – “Clerks”
 As “Clerks” was produced by a then shop-worker Kevin Smith on a tiny budget in a
convenience store, the chances of bigger names coming forward expressing their
interest in the project was always unlikely.
 The cast and crew of “Clerks” were for the majority friends & colleagues of Smith,
including Smith himself as quite man Silent Bob.
 Although “Clerks” didn’t attract the bigger names towards the project, its success
did pave the way for Smith to produce bigger productions in the future, allowing
him to work with more notorious names in the industry.

14. Stardom – “Spectre”
 On the other end of the spectrum, “Spectre” was able to attract much attention
from bigger names mainly due to where it sits in the movie universe – as a Bond
film.
 Joining Daniel Craig – his 4th movie as Bond – included names such as Christoph
Waltz (Django Unchained)& Monica Bellucci (“The Matrix” franchise) amongst
others reprising their roles from “Skyfall”: Ralph Fiennes (M), Ben Wishaw (Q) &
Naomie
Harris (Moneypenny).
 As is the case with western cinema,
audiences are usually drawn to a
movie if it contains familiar/their favourite actors, giving “Spectre” a huge
advantage in terms of audience
appeal.

15. Marketing – “Clerks”
 “Clerks” – being made by an amateur filmmaker for little to no money – wasn’t
given much in terms of marketing the movie.
 It wasn’t until film production and distribution company Miramax picked the film
up before the film started receiving some major recognition. Despite the fact it was
never playing on more than 50 screens, it became a surprising success, resulting in
a gross of over $3 million.
 This surprise success meant the film was a hit when released on VHS and DVD in
1995.

16. Marketing – “Spectre”
 “Spectre” on the other hand had a much larger marketing campaign, spreading
across multiple media platform including print (official movie posters), television
(teaser and official trailers) & social media (Facebook and Twitter pages).
 Another advantage “Spectre” had in terms of marketing was the fact that stars such
as Daniel Craig and Christoph Waltz would become guests on popular chat shows
in order to promote the movie, such as their
appearance on “The Graham Norton Show”
just weeks prior to the film’s release.
Being produced by one of the Big 6 allowed
“Spectre” to broaden its audience appeal unlike
“Clerks”, and the film has – as a result – grossed
upwards of $870 million.

17. Themes – “Clerks”
 Independent films often tackle more privatised and relatable subject matters to
appeal more to the general audience, and “Clerks” is no different.
 Throughout the film, we see the theme of relationships play a strong part in the life
of main protagonist Dante, as he struggles with trying to maintain one with his
girlfriend Veronica – particularly when former flame Caitlyn shows interest in Dante
again.
 As well as relationships, the theme of
responsibility is emphasised through
both Dante’s actions as a shop
keeper, and clever dialogue. These
two themes in particular relate strongly
to the audience members, making
them feel more involved with the
characters on screen.

18. Themes – “Spectre”
 As “Spectre” for the majority was produced firstly as the next film in the Bond
franchise, it primarily acts as an action blockbuster before a dramatic relatable
story.
 Despite this, multiple themes are played around with in “Spectre”, and similarly to
“Clerks”, one of them is relationships. Although Bond has never been one to enter a
serious relationship, his fondness for both Monica Bellucci’s Lucia & Lea Seydoux’s
Madeleine are represented by his determination to see them safe.
 Similar to “Clerks” again, the theme of
responsibility is a key element to the plot
of “Spectre”, with Bond taking his role as
007 seriously throughout the movie.