1. DISNEY: LEGAL & ETHICAL, REGULATORYBODIES
FORM COMPLETED BY: Elliot Power
A) POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF FILM UPON AN AUDIENCE
THEORY/EFFECT EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS CAN THIS BE AN EFFECT
THAT THE FORCE
AWAKENS HAS ON AN
AUDIENCE? HOW?
HYPODERMIC NEEDLE
THEORY
Frankfurt school,
propaganda ww1 study
passive audience reacted
by believing everything
they have been told
No this doesn’t apply to
star wars. Disney want the
audience to engage and
buy the products and not
be passive. Goes against
all Star Wars fans; they go
to the cinema in costumes,
buy lightsabers and other
Star Wars merchandise.
TWO STEP FLOW You don’t get the message
from the actual source but
from an opinion leader;
people talking about it on
social media, friends and
family, celebrity’s, film
critics.
This theory does effect star
wars as you listen to
opinion leaders and follow
the crowd which helped
Star Wars get to £2 billion
at the box office.
USES AND
GRATIFICATIONS
Uses and gratifications are
4 reasons people use the
media. 1 diversion, this is
to escape everyday
problems and get away
from everything. 2 personal
relationships, this is
creating bonds with
characters and having an
emotional connection. 3
personal identity, this is
reflecting yourself in media
and connecting yourselves
to characters you are like.
4 surveillance, this is the
useful information that
helps you live such as the
news.
This could be an effect on
the audience as people will
have bonds with the
characters (mainly older
ones as they’ve known
them for longer) so will like
watching it. They may also
connect themselves with
characters and their
personalities. However
they could also watch it to
get away from the normal
life as star wars is so
completely different.
DESENSITISATION The desensitisation theory
is the idea that the more we
are exposed to something
our reactions grow weaker,
such as violence, death
and sex.
I think this could affect the
audience as there is lots of
fighting and killing in star
wars but we don’t really
react unless it is a main
character.
2. WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE FORCE AWAKENS ON AN AUDIENCE?
There are a few positive effects on the audience. One is equality, I believe this as there are
many foreign and female lead parts in this film for the first time in a Star Wars and I think that
this is showing equality and having a positive effect on the audience. This also boosts the
self-esteem of those represented as they feel like they have a voice. Another positive effect is
the audience having role models in these characters.
WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE FORCE AWAKENS ON AN AUDIENCE?
A negative effect of force awakens is the fighting. This can affect the younger audiences as
they may see It that fighting is acceptable.
B) ISSUES OF REPRESENTATION
WHO/WHAT IS BEING
REPRESENTED
WHY HAS THE
INSTITUTION
REPRESENTED THEM IN
THAT WAY
WOULD THIS BE
CONSIDERED A POSITIVE
OR NEGATIVE
REPRESENTATION-
EXPLAIN
Race The institution has
represented race by having
many different race main
characters to show equality.
This is a positive
representation as it is
showing that they are equal
to everyone else.
Gender The institution has
represented male and
females by having both male
and female main characters
to be equal
This is a positive
representation as it shows
that males and females are
equal.
3. Age The film is popular to a wide
range of ages, so they have
to appeal to all of the
different ages. They use the
younger characters and the
fast pace to entice the
younger generation and use
the older characters and
story line to entice the older
generations.
This would give a positive
effect on the film as it will
rack in more viewers from all
ages and shows that the film
is for everyone.
Sexuality In the film only one sexuality
is explored (heterosexuality)
This has a negative effect as
it only explores one sexuality
so it looks like the film is
favouring it and not agreeing
with the other sexualitys.
Does the film provide typical mainstream representations or does it offer something that
challenges society?
I believe that the fact the film has both genders and different races as main characters is
something that challenges society as not many films does this.
What are the current debates in society regarding representation that could be related to
the film?
The current debates are that female and males are equal and also all races are equal and
this film is related to that heavily.
4. C) LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES
LEGAL Explain the issue: Example in relation to THE
FORCE AWAKENS
Discrimination: Discrimination is “the
unjust or prejudicial
treatment of different
categories of people,
especially on the grounds
of race, age, or sex”
In real life people
discriminate against different
races and genders so Star
Wars has made different
genders and races main
characters to get rid of
discrimination
Copyright: Copyright is “the exclusive
and assignable legal right,
given to the originator for a
fixed number of years, to
print, publish, perform,
film, or record literary,
artistic, or musical
material.”
Force awakens and Star
Wars would be copyrighted
so people can’t steal ideas
or make money from it.
ETHICAL –Offensive material Explain the issue: Example in relation to THE
FORCE AWAKENS
Violence/sex/language: There is an issue about
violence sex and rude
language that it is
offensive to people and
makes people more likely
to do it.
In star wars there is a lot of
fighting and violence.
Children:
HOW DO THE LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS HAVE AN EFFECT UPON THE MAKING OF THE
FORCE AWAKENS?
The film has to be within the legal considerations or it won’t be loud to be published.
HOW DO THE LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS HAVE AN EFFECT UPON THE MAKING OF THE
FORCE AWAKENS?
5. D) REGULATORY BODIES
BBFC
Who are the BBFC?
British Board of Film Classification
What role does the BBFC perform?
They censor and give age ratings for films
Why does the BBFC exist?
So only people old enough can watch the films.
What rules does the BBFC set that have to be followed by film institutions?
No work may promote drugs
No discrimination to race gender religion disability or sexuality
HOW DO THESE RULES HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT UPON HOW A FILM IS MADE?
EXAMPLE 1: (LEGAL)
The film has to be within the legal guidelines or it will not be aloud to be published e.g.
not allowed to promote drugs
EXAMPLE 2: (ETHICAL)
The film has to be ethical e.g not much violence or the film will have a higher age rating
meaning only older people can watch it.
