Avatar had a high budget of $200 million, extensive advertising, and was directed by a well-known director, characteristics of a mainstream film. In contrast, The Blair Witch Project had an extremely low budget of only $60,000, minimal equipment like handheld camcorders, and unknown actors improvising lines, marking it as an independent film. Niche films like Piranha have a specific target audience, higher budgets than independent films but lower than mainstream, and focus on unique concepts that have endured over time.

1. FILM INDUSTRIES

2. Characteristics of mainstream products
 Usually mainstream film productions include high budgets, In Avatar the budget
was 200,000,000 this illustrates that the film is very mainstream as the distributer
is from the “20th Century Fox” which is a very well known film distributer. This
means they will have high budgets included towards the production and film it
self.
 Avatar had exclusive advertising rights such as advertisements all over TV,
posters were shown, official trailers were shown on channels
 Mainstream films usually have well known directors, James Cameron directed not
only Avatar, he also direct the Titanic, Terminator etc.
 The equipment used for the Avatar is very impressive as they use more up to
date technology compared to the ‘Blair Witch project’

3. Characteristics of independent products
 Independent films usually have a lower production value, this consists of an low budget such as the ‘Blair witch project’ film made in
1999
 Budget
 $60,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend
 $29,207,381 (USA) (1 August 1999) (1,101 Screens) (wide release)
$1,512,054 (USA) (18 July 1999) (27 Screens)
£750,822 (UK) (24 October 1999) (36 Screens) The budget for this independent film is very low compared to mainstream films such as
Spider Man, Avatar etc in the end they made profit considering how many screens were open worldwide
 There are various reports detailing the amount the movie cost to make, but Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, who co-wrote and
produced the film, confirmed the original budget was somewhere between $20,000 and $25,000. It was shot on handheld cameras,
one of which was returned after use for a refund to keep costs down. The three main actors did most of the filming, and their lines
were entirely improvised – they only had a general outline to follow and had to react to situations unprepared. It took eight days to
shoot, and a further eight months to edit. The end result was all the more terrifying as audiences didn’t know whether it was real or not.
 Low production also includes an decrease of equipment compared to an mainstream film, The ‘Blair witch project’ only used a
camcorder the actors and actresses improvised
 Independent films have a selective set of screens due to the budget

4. Characteristic of niche products
• Niche products usually have a specific target audience
• They are also different and unique
Budget
• $600,000 (estimated)
Gross
$6,000,000 (USA)
$16,000,000 (worldwide)
$10,000,000 (Non-USA)
SEK 1,585,673 (Sweden)
The budget compared to ‘Blair witch project’ is a massive difference
as Piranha had a higher budget towards the film itself
• Piranha has made various films, and has been popular ever
since, it is a niche product as it is well known and has been
around for a while
• It also is a classic film