This document compares two media institutions, Hammer Films and Columbia Pictures, for producing a film or film sequence. Hammer Films would be suitable for producing the actual sequence due to its focus on independent, low-budget films targeting a similar audience. Columbia Pictures would be better for producing the whole film idea, as it has larger budgets and resources to invest in new films, and its marketing team could promote the film more widely to sell more theater tickets.

1. WHICH MEDIA
INSTITUTION WOULD
MAKE OUR FILM
Both full film, and actual produced sequence.

2. INTRODUCTION
In the following presentation I will be
giving a updated version of which media
institution would make our film, and also
which media institution would make our
sequence.
Different media institutions make different
types of film, for example; Warner Bros.
make films that are of the super hero
genera, Paramount Pictures make films
like star trek, and mission impossible,
whilst Walt Disney make films that are
suited for a family/child audience.

3. ACTUAL
SEQUENCE
Which Media Institution?

4. HAMMER FILMS-UK

5. HISTORY OF HAMMER
➤ Hammer Films had a rough start, and was nearly forgotten about as a company
until recently when they have produced many successful low budget films.
➤ Founded 1934-released several small films before the war, but did not return to
making films until 1947.
➤ Its output consisted mainly of ‘B’ grade pictures (thrillers, and comedy)
➤ Released The Quatermass Xperiment in 1955, it was a huge success. Started
making more films of the genre including; Quatermass II, The Abominable
Snowman, and The Curse Of Frankenstein. These films helped make Hammer a
household name.
➤ They found a lucrative niche in capitalising on existing horror legends in the
late 1950s.
➤ Hammer started to decline in profit after the 1680s-But rejuvenated after 2010
when a great deal of cash was invested, and they produced larger scale films.

6. HAMMER TARGET AUDIENCE
➤ Hammer Films targets upper classed men
aged 18-40.
➤ The previous films have featured genres
like thriller, horror, and seldom mild
comedy.

7. WHY WOULD HAMMER MAKE MY FILM
➤ Hammer’s films all have this antiquated aesthetic to them,
our thriller looks like it is set a while ago, and this would tie
in perfectly.
➤ Hammer has recently introduced films with a larger budgets
than previously, but they still roll out some low budget films;
our thriller would be a low budget one.
➤ Hammer is situated in the UK which is good because it would
be both cheaper for transport, and easier logistical wise to
base it somewhere closer to home. Our opening sequence is
based in the UK meaning that traveling to location would not
be too hard.

8. OTHER FILMS THAT COLUMBIA HAVE MADE
➤ The Women In Black
➤ The Resident
➤ Let Me In
➤ Wake Wood
➤ Dracula
➤ Abominable Snow Man
➤ 2001: A Space Odyssey

9. ETHOS OF HAMMER
➤ Hammer has always has always produced films with this
antiquated aesthetic to them, for example The Women In
Black is set many years ago, this is done so that it can have a
sense of authenticity to it.
➤ Often Hammer takes the story from old books and reproduces
it in the median of film.
➤ Most of the films that they produce have this mild horror/
creepy look to them, they specialise in horror thrillers.

10. MARKETING
“Hammer’s marketing campaigns were very aggressive and, unlike many
of their contemporaries in the British film industry, were aimed at an
international audience. This aligns them more closely with the James Bond
films than the Carry Ons or the Ealing comedies.”
“There is no market for films that everybody liked a little”
Overall hammer makes very targeted films that match the stye of our
opening sequence, and we feel that there international marketing strategy
is good because it will attract 3X as many customers to watch the film.

11. WHOLE FILM
Which Media Institution?

12. COLUMBIA PICTURES (US)

13. HISTORY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES
➤ Columbia Pictures is in the division of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which
is a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.
➤ 1924 CBC film sales is incorporated as Columbia Pictures Corp. In 1925 brought 2
sound stages in Hollywood.
➤ In 1934 its first big hit ‘IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT’ was released winning five
Academy Awards‚ including Best Picture giving Columbia Pictures its first Oscar.
➤ In 1974 changes name to Columbia Pictures Television.
➤ In 1982 Coca-Cola buys Columbia, but Sony buys it in 1989, investing a large amount,
and allowing much more finance to be available increasing the budgets in the films.
➤ In 1991 the conglomerate which owns the subsidiary Columbia Pictures, called
Columbia Pictures Ent. changed its name to Sony Pictures Entertainment to reflect its
owners.
➤ In 1997 released Men In Black which was the biggest selling film of the time.
➤ 2014 Columbia releases The Interview online through special distribution channels.

14. COLUMBIA TARGET AUDIENCE
➤ Columbia seems to have two distinctive target markets;
➤ Under12-This is because of there clear market for animated
children films, such as Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs,
and the surfs which all seem to be suiting to a immature
audience.
➤ Over 18-Columbia have released several more mature films
with a rating of 18 such as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
➤ I can conclude that they have two definite target audiences
one of children animated films, and another with thriller films
for mature audiences (this fits our film).

15. WHY WOULD COLUMBIA MAKE MY FILM
➤ Columbia specialises in films that are similar to ours, meaning that it
falls within their ethos and style.
➤ Columbia target market is a audience who is over 18, and large scale,
this would benefit us, and matches our proposal.
➤ Columbia often makes films with a weird idea, and then draws it up
into a simple yet beautifully complex idea that translates seamlessly
into film.
➤ I think that columbia would make my film because the horror thriller
aspect of it, this fits in with there ethos, and style of film.
➤ They use a tentpole strategy, they take existing franchises, such as
books, and produces a film, this works because it has a built in fan-
base, and then they use the revenue to invest in new ideas, this is were
our film comes into play.

16. FAMOUS FILMS THAT COLUMBIA HAVE MADE WITHIN THE LAST 7 YEARS
➤ The Bounty Hunter
➤ The Karate Kid
➤ Grown Ups
➤ The Social Network
➤ The Tourist
➤ Bad Teacher
➤ Anonymous
➤ The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
➤ Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn
➤ 21 Jump street
➤ Skyfall
➤ White House Down
➤ The Monuments Men
➤ RoboCop
➤ Sex Tape
➤ Fury
➤ The Interview
➤ Mall Cop
➤ Pixels
➤ Spectre

17. ETHOS OF COLUMBIA
➤ Columbia makes a large variety of films, and is open to new
ideas, I can see this from the fact that they have make films
like Spectre, Mall Cop, and The Interview. All of these films
contrast each other.
➤ Columbia is dynamic and rapidly changes to consumer trends.
➤ Columbia only makes films that would appeal to a large
audience, this means that they can make films more
profitable, and means that the media institution will be more
willing to invest larger amounts of cash when needed into a
film.

18. MARKETING
➤ Columbia Pictures has a team of highly skilled, and professional
marketers who can effectively create awareness, and a hype around a film.
➤ Columbia is known to use unusual, but effective marketing campaigns;
Columbia was trying to market The Interview, but failed, there was very
little awareness or hype surrounding the film, Columbia decided that
they needed to up the game, they did this by staging a hack of there
system from North Korea (DPRK), this made the media start reporting
this story, and because cinemas withdrew from showing the film it was
seen as very exclusive, this subsequently rated awareness and created a
huge amount of demand. The second columbia announced that it would
be selling the film though ‘approved online digital vendors’ sales went
through the roof because it seemed that there was a lot of political
disputation behind it, this made the audience feel as if it was a ‘guilty
pleasure’ watching this ‘exclusive’ film. Source Seth Rogen’s friend.

19. SUMMERY
➤ Hammer would be perfect for producing the actual sequence
that was made, because it specialises in independent films,
with the same target audience that was have.
➤ Columbia Pictures would be perfect for creating our whole
film idea, because they have a large amount of cash available
to invest into new films that they produce, there facilities and
staff would make the film more popular, helping to sell more
seats at the box office.