Question 2

'To be successful films rely on marketing to help them achieve this'

The Fault in Our Stars is the sixth novel by author John Green, published in January 2012. The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-old cancer patient named Hazel Grace Lancaster, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee. It is a heart warming romance story with hints of comedy that tackle life and death as being bitter sweet. 

Development of The Fault in Our Stars began in January 2012 when Fox 2000, a division of 20th Century Fox, optioned the rights to adapt the novel into a feature film. Principal photography began on August 26, 2013, in Pittsburgh, United States, with a few additional days in Amsterdam, Netherlands, before concluding on October 16, 2013.

The Fault in Our Stars was released on June 6, 2014, in the United States. The film received a positive reception from critics, with praise going to Woodley's performance as well as the script. The film was also a huge box office hit, becoming number one at the box office during its opening weekend and grossed over US$304 million worldwide against its budget of $12 million. It was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on September 16, 2014.

The first trailer was released on January 29, 2014. The trailer had over three million views in fewer than 24 hours, and more than 15 million views in its first seven days. A video clip was shown before the show at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards on April 13, 2014. An extended trailer was released on April 28, 2014, and Fox released more clips via YouTube as part of the film's pre-release promotion. On April 2, 2014, the studio announced the launch of a promotional tour program named "Demand Our Stars", in which Green, Woodley, Elgort, and Wolff would visit the states that got most votes from fans re-blogging their states' map outlines.

Making the fans feel involved is the mission of Twentieth Century Fox’s marketing campaign, which has borrowed the elements that are now standard in the promotion of wildly popular YA-inspired cinema (embracing the book's fans, providing early sneak peeks, hosting cast Q&As) and taken them to an even more social media-obsessed level. The Fault In Our Stars is a very personal book to the millions of people who wept when they read this bittersweet terminal love story, and wept anew every time they reread it. They're protective of the film, and by keeping them intimately updated on its progress, the studio has made them not only feel nurtured and listened to, but also turned them into proselytizers for the major release.

Even though he says, "In general, treating fans as part of the campaign as opposed to the audience for the campaign is the future of how movies will market." Dewey also notes, "I don't know that we'll ever get to this type of level [again.]"

The Fault in Our Stars earned US$124,872,350 in North America and $178,412,919 in other countries for a worldwide total of $303,285,269.

Representation of Sexuality

The clip begins with a two shot of women, both dressed in victorian styled dresses. One is holding an item of clothing against the women opposite her, as she breathes slightly heavily to perhaps portray the sexual tension between these two characters. As the girl shifts behind her, she turns her head slightly but not fully, avoiding intimate eye contact. The woman holding the piece of attire against the other female couldn't take her hands off of her. She held the top of her shoulders a little tighter as they both looked into the mirror (evident through the switching camera shot). A narrator is then heard, beginning with "she looked so beautiful" which could perhaps demonstrate her subtle interest in this woman. As they both look into the mirror, soft non diegetic piano music begins to play which could be heard by the audience as an upsetting tune down to the "miss" having to say all of this in her head (as a narrator) rather than out loud. Having a narrator convey the ladies opinion suggests that what she is saying could never be heard by other ears; only the audience can know. This may lead them onto assuming that her sexuality is a secret. 

This shot slowly fades into one of her at a desk, starring at a book. The camera spins around her gently, always keeping her near the centre to assure that she is continuously the main focus of the shot. It then fades again into a different shot, one of two women in bed together. So far throughout the clip it has established women and their thoughts/feelings, which could mean this is centralised around the sexuality of ladies. 

In this new shot, a woman is peacefully sleeping as the relaxing music in the background continues playing. The soundtrack helps ease the audience into the story as it plays softly and calmly. The other lady in the bed is sitting up, hesitant of placing her hands upon the other woman. She hovers her hand over and down her body instead, admiring it's tranquil state. She's wearing white gloves in bed. This prop could perhaps be a symbol of how she is unable to touch the woman lying next to her, even though she may be struggling to hold back the urge. This shot fades out and again, into a new one. 

The lady from the beginning, who the audience would assume to be the narrator, is sitting outside paiting a picture. She has a large hat on that spreads out from her head with her hair neatly behind her in a plait. This costume and hairstyle conforms to the audiences belief of this clip being set years ago. A cut is used when she looks up, demonstrating what it is she's looking at, and of course that is a lady. She continues her painting of this female, her reaction portrayed through a close up holding a look of determination to master the beauty of what's infront of her.

An establishing shot exposes how there is a smartly dressed man standing close by her surroundings, shortly followed by a pan of him walking behind the woman that's painting and standing over her. This could be seen as male dominance and also represent how men withhold the power. Whilst she has a man close by she will never be able to comfortably admit her sexuality of perhaps being a lesbian. He says in an intimidating tone "she must think we love one another". At this point the themetune increased and continued to rise and fall, paiting a layer of suspense over the atmosphere. Furthermore, enigma code has been included here as the audience are unaware of who it is the man's talking about and why. We find out her name as being "Maud" during this scene aswell.

A couple of cuts between shots conveys the area of the woman that Maud is mainly focusing on. She studies her paintings subject (the sleeping lady) and then a close up shot of the ladies breasts are seen as what it is Maud's looking at. She then studies her hands neatly resting in her lap, Maud's facial expression blank throughout her admiring session. The music spookily becomes tense and horror like, as if something was about to jump out. It may be that the tense music fits the feelings of Maud as she can look at this lady, and continue looking at her, but never be able to touch her, therefore building up tension inside her of not being able to embrace her sexuality. The man looks at Maud confused, as she looks at the ladies face. A few shots quickly changed throughout this as the tense music continued to play, and then a drop of red paint fell onto her dress from her paintbrush. The red paint could resemble her sexuality as ruining her white dress; ruining her purity. She may believe she isn't pure for having sexual desires towards fellow females. More drops fall, this time ruining her painting. Maud is in some sort of daydream. After nearly a full minute she eventually decides to look up at the man and hurridely takes off her apron and attempts to make a run for it. Unfortunately the man holds her mouth shut and forces her in the direction of a tree which is portrayed through a tracking shot. This shot was fast paced and could represent the dominance a man has and how fast a man is able to change a current situation by using strength to his advantage. Enigma code is running high at this point.

Maud being a lesbian is confirmed during this scene. He says "she'd laugh at your face if she knew" but she pleads that he "musn't". The dialogue shared between these two characters is bitter and spiteful. The man is patronising whilst Maud is helpless. Fast paced breaths are taken by Maud as she struggles under his grasp. This sound emphasises her discomfort at being held by a man without permission, but also most likely at how she tries her best to keep her sexuality a secret. He harshly says "appear to love me, marry me". Her not being a heterosexual is considered as a sin in this clip. She has to keep it a secret and lie to make others happy. This could maybe be because she comes from an upper class famility which is supported through her costume and lifestyle so far introduced in the clip. She wears night gowns to bed, elegant and non-sexually provocating dresses and likes to paint beautiful pictures surrounded by fresh green scenery. She perhaps has a reputation to keep at bay. 

Maud says she "can't" marry him, and before anymore dialogue is shared, the subject of the painting has woken up. She interrupts this scene which could be viewed by the audience as her being the reason Maud can't marry the man as she came into shot as soon as Maud admitted this. Maud ignores the lady as she calls her name, clueless of where she has gotten to. The sound of the wind is exaggerated and clearly heard here, whilst the man slowly leans down to kiss Maud. She swerves her head, and so the man bends down (shown through a tilt shot) and pulls out her hand, gently removes part of her gloves to expose more of her palm and licks it, kisses it and breathes heavily whilst doing so. This is not the kind of aspect of a woman's body that you'd think would lead a man to become attracted to so intensely that he breathes in a way someone would whilst sharing a passionate kiss. It's strange and creates discomfort for an audience. A few quick shots of Maud's facial expression and the man's kiss are exchanged as the soundtrack evolves into the sound of slicing knives; this is not an appropriate of pleasant atmosphere for the female. 

The sound of knives eases and a fade shot is then used yet again leading onto another scene. The camera is behind a different woman as she strips from her clothes, the lightig in the room dimly lit as the fire goes crackling away. It's quite a romantic atmosphere. A cut is used to establish the next shot of Maud tilting her head up slowly and of course admiring this woman's bare back. A close up shot is then inserted of Maud's facial expression of holding back. She has her hand by her mouth holding some sort of cloth as she scratches away at it. It's evident that she's struggling with her situation and could perhaps leave the audience feeling pity towards her not being able to openly accept her sexuality and live life as a lesbian.

Representation of Ethnicity - Hotel Babylon

Ethnicity is represented in Hotel Babylon by many aspects such as dialect/accent, charisma and skin colour There are separate scenes throughout this 4 minute and 22 second clip, all in which portray a different ethnicity.

The clip begins with a jolly black man dressed in formal attire being helpful towards people at a swimming pool (he clearly works there). 

He stumbles across someone who climbs out of the pool to greet him with loud dialogue. The audience find out this jolly man's name to be "Benjamin Truman" along with this loud man being called "Tel" short for Terry. 

Terry uses words such as "bro", "blud" and "man" which are all stereotypically associated with black people and how they communicate. Shot reverse shot is used to portray their conversation, also portraying both of their costume. Benjamin is looking "slick" in a suit whilst Terry is topless with a chain around his neck and a large silver earring in one ear. He also has dreadlocks tied back; these are all elements of costume and hairstyle that portray his cultural background. 

Terry. 

Benjamin.

Terry is dismissive towards having a party that the other guy is eager for, he's more relaxed, laid back and formal whereas Terry is outgoing, confident and bubbly. Benjamin also speaks in a more sophisticated and formal manner compared to Terry who uses slang terms and shortened words. This separates the two of them as black men because Terry is the more stereotypical black man who's care free where as Benjamin takes himself a bit more seriously. 

Benjamin hesitantly agrees to the party and Terry says "That's the old Benjamin right there man" as the camera zooms in to Ben's face. This could represent how the audience need to study his facial expression towards Terry's comment as there's something perhaps bad about the "old Benjamin".

Throughout this whole clip already a mysterious tune has been playing in the background. Just a repetitive tune with slight raised notes at certain points in the soundtrack. It makes the audience question the scenes that are happening.

A simple cut is used to introduce the next scene. The music continues but becomes a lot more sneaky and the type of music you'd hear on a film where a mission is taking place. A tracking shot is used to follow the movement of two females dressed in white collared formal dresses in ownership of two trolleys containing cleaning products. The older woman verbally introduces the younger lady to a door pass that lets them enter the room with the man on the other side of the door. 

She has a French accent which supports her ethnicity as being European. As they enter the room, the sound of the music increases and a cut is used to instantly show the audience what they're seeing; an asian man sat promptly on his bed looking excited. 

A two shot of the ladies followed by a close up shot of the money on the table automatically makes the audience assume the situation occuring here. 

So far the scene has been tense and mysterious, but is quickly exchanged for a humerous one when the man plays the song "Lady Marmalade" by All Saints. It's not everyday you expect a fully grown asian man to play a song of this style. The two women begin to strip from their maid outfits as the man sits there eagerly anticipating the view. Close ups of his reactions are used to aware the audience of his excitement.

 Ethnicity is perhaps shown here to be a negative because these two women will perform naughty antics for a man that is willing to pay them. They could both perhaps be on a low paid job and therefore willing to expose themselves to men for money. The younger woman unfortunately can't do it and runs out of the room. She too has an accent which is different to the French lady's, demonstrating how she has never done something like this before.

Another cut is used to display the next scene, the previous tense mission like music playing in the background as Lady Marmalade cuts off. Another asian woman come into play with two toilet rolls in her hand. She speaks in a clear English accent which separates her ethnicity from her physical appearance. A tracking shot is used to follow her movements as she communicates with someone through a toilet door. 

So far this clip has introduced pretty much all of the workers at Hotel Babylon. They're all of different ethnicities and come from different backgrounds so this show evidently explores a variety of different races. The audience are next introduced to a white man and woman both dressed in formal and glam clothing with clear posh accents as the communicate. 

The two of these characters enter the kitchen of the Hotel, both with confident posture. A variety of different shots are used to confirm the busy atmosphere in the kitchen. The lady approaches an Italian man who welcomes "Madamme" with a cheerful tone and enthusiastic smile. 

This character is very over the top with his charisma and slightly loud compared to the white English man that he pretends to be friends with.

 The italian does that traditional "bellissima" with his fingers and lips which all round conveys his Italian roots. 

Unfortunately, when the two posh white people exit the scene he insults the English man by calling him an "English pleb!". He's actually rude and inconsiderate; this demonstrates the conflict shared between two people of different ethnicity's.

The clip finishes with the asian woman from the toilet roll scene spying on the Asian man's door, where she notices the French lady exiting his room. During the duration of this clip the French lady has been in his room all of this time, working hard to earn as much money as possible.

Overall, a range of ethnicity's were portrayed in this clip. A variety of stereotypes stood out along with a few things that wouldn't normally be associated with an enthic region e.g. French women being sexually provocative for money.