STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

A2 Media Studies

Film Case Study

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

• Thinking caps on.

• •Genre – it’s a sci-fi movie. What are the generic conventions of this genre? What conventions does this film adopt, and which does it challenge?

• •Narrative – Can you identify the 5 narrative stages? The narrative pathway? Narrative features? Narrative roles?

• •Representations – Are the characters presented to us as traditional binary stereotypes? Or are we looking at morally ambiguous post-modern types? Or inversions of traditional stereotypes?

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

• AUDIENCE – Who? How targeted? Successful?

• INSTITUTIONS – What do you know about the media institutions behind the production of this film?

• MARKETING – Do you remember the marketing as the film came out? Was there any hype? What advantages did this film have due to the institutions that produced & marketed it?

• Why was this film a success?

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

Getting the Backstory out there

• Does a 40 year cult film franchise help establish a fan base?

• Having waited 10 years since the last of the Prequel films, for the first of the Sequels, expectation was high.

• Last Jedi is the follow-on from Force Awakens which came out in 2015, which helps build up a new generation of fans.

• In between was the stand alone film, Rogue One – a Star Wars Story which helps keep the brand awareness high.

• From April 2017 until December 2017 the marketing campaign ran.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

• Has it been a success?

• Rian Johnson’s second installment in the third “Star Wars” trilogy rocketed to a debut of $220 million at the North American box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. That gives “The Last Jedi” the second-best opening ever, slotting in behind only its predecessor, “The Force Awakens.”

• The Disney blockbuster became just the fourth film to open above $200 million domestically. Aside from “The Force Awakens” ($248.8 million), the others are “The Avengers” ($207.4 million) and “Jurassic World” ($208.8 million).

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

Background and context.• The Star Wars franchise is arguably the first of the blockbuster

franchises. Whilst the James Bond franchise predates it by 25 years, the Star Wars films were the ones that were massive hits, getting queues of fans around the block, getting multiple repeat views, selling masses of merchandise and spawning sequels, prequels novels, comics and life-long fans.

• The original Star Wars film came out in 1977 and was later named Episode 4: A New Hope after the creator George Lucas decided he wanted to release the entire saga of 9 films. He later decided to make the first 3 prequels and sold the franchise to Disney in 2012 for $4 billion, letting them complete the saga and make spin-off movies.

STAR WARS - THE LAST JEDI : GENRE• Star Wars is firmly rooted in the Science Fiction genre. It has all the tropes one

would expect of the Space Opera sub-genre.

• Space Opera refers to works set in a spacefaring civilization, usually, though not always, set in the future, specifically the far future. Technology is ubiquitous and secondary to the story.

• Space opera has an epic character to it: the universe is big, there are usually many sprawling civilizations and empires, there are political conflicts and intrigue. The action will range across a solar system or even a whole galaxy.

• It has a romantic element which distinguishes it from most Hard Science Fiction: big love stories, epic space battles, oversized heroes and villains, awe-inspiring scenery, and insanely gorgeous men and women.

• Space Opera covers the Action / Adventure elements quite comprehensively. IMDB’s use of the genre Fantasy refers to the quasi-magic aspects of the Force.

IMDB Genres: Sci-Fi | Action | Adventure | Fantasy

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI : NARRATIVE• Last Jedi is the 8th part in the Star Wars 9 film Saga and the middle film of a

trilogy. As such it helps to know some of the back story and narrative arcs established in previous films…

• The Star Wars universe contains thousands of populated planets. At the centre of the galaxy is the civilised core where the rule of law, set up by the democratic Republic is in place. The outer edges of the galaxy are a bit lawless. The Republic keeps the peace with its Jedi Knights who use the Force to help them do good.

• A small group of evil Force users called the Dark lords of the Sith stir up unrest and start a civil war. (Films 1,2,3). The Republic creates an army which are turned against them, the Jedi are betrayed by Vader, a Jedi gone bad. The Sith win. Few Jedi live.

• 20 years later Luke, the lost son of the rogue Jedi rescues a princess who discovers a way to help defeat the Sith, who have turned the Republic into an evil Empire. A band of Rebels defeats the Empire and the Sith are defeated. (Films 4,5,6)

• 30 years after that the remnants of the Empire (now the First Order) return from the Outer Rim and attack the complacent Republic. The Republic look to Luke & the Jedi to help but they are all but dead. The grandson of Vader looks set to destroy the Republic, but a new force user Rey tries to stop him. (Films 7&8)

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: NARRATIVE• Exposition – The First Order find the Resistance base, blow it up and chase the Resistance Fleet,

which is on its last legs.

• Development – Rey finds Jedi Master Luke Skywalker on backwater planet Ahch-To.

• Complication – Poe Dameron and the Resistance destroy a Dreadnought and escape but lose half their fighters doing it.

• Complication – The Resistance Fleet cant escape the First Order. They need a code-breaker to get on the enemy flagship, disable some tech and escape.

• Complication -Luke, wracked with guilt about villain Kylo Ren refuse to join the Resistance but gives Rey some basic Jedi training. Rey encounters the Dark Side. She leaves.

• Complication – The First Order kill most of the Resistance Leaders and a new plan to run splits the Heroes. Ex Storm-trooper Finn and engineer Rose jump to corrupt party planet Canto Bight and meet DJ a code breaker who gets them on the First Order flagship and betrays them.

• Complication – Rey is captured by evil Kylo Ren who takes her to Supreme Leader Snoke. Rey and Ren kill Snoke just as the Resistance Admiral rams her ship into the enemy flagship causing chaos.

• Climax – The Resistance make a last stand on the planet Crait, ready to die when Luke Skywalker appears and stalls the enemy long enough for the last handful of Rebels to escape with Rey.

• Resolution – The First Order have killed all but a handful of Rebels who have escaped. The last shot of the film shows a small boy on Crait apparently using the Force suggesting hope.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: NARRATIVE

BINARY OPPOSITONS

GOOD VERSUS EVIL

RESISTANCE / REPUBLIC VERSUS FIRST ORDER

REGULAR TROOPS VERSUS FACELESS STORMTROOPERS

MULTI-ETHNIC HEROES VERSUS WHITE ANTAGONISTS

LIGHT JEDI VERSUS DARK SIDE

OLD WAYS VERSUS NEW ORDER

HOPE VERSUS FEAR

LOVE VERSUS HATE

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: REPRESENTATION

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: REPRESENTATION

Female Representation in STAR WARS:

THE LAST JEDI • What The Last Jedi does—amongst many other things—is present its audience with more than one mode of female power.

• We have Rey, strong in the Force, dangerous and necessary and emerging from nowhere to be the center of this story; we have Rose, a mechanic and a patriot, willing to make sacrifices and willing to know when sacrifice is not necessary; we have Leia Organa, the pivot on which the Resistance turns.

• And we have Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo, who looks like none of what we expect. Who is nevertheless what the Resistance needs, and worth Poe’s respect, and worth ours.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

•Who is the primary target audience?

•Fans of Star Wars – a well established fan base of the franchise. Having launched in the 1977, the upper age may be 60? The fan base is cross-generational.

•The stereotypical sci-fi geek may well be 15-25 and nerdy, as epitomised by shows like The Big Bang Theory, but Star Wars has tapped into the cool geek chic and mainstreamers are also targeted.

•With the noted pull of pester power, the younger demographic have been appealed to with masses of merchandising (and the inclusion of cute Porgs and Crystal Foxes!)

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI- AUDIENCE

• Massively divisive

• Initially critics praised it and it had record breaking first week sales. Then a lot of criticism from middle aged fans on social media slowed down its box office impetus. Currently #10 highest grossing film ever.

• 7.5 IMDB

• 85 METACRITIC

• 91% ROTTEN TOMATOES

• $1.26 BILLION DOLARS (& RISING)

The Last Jedi - the most divisive Star Wars movie

TOP TEN HIGHEST GROSSING

MOVES OF ALL TIME

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI- INSTITUTION

• LUCASARTS (cost $4 billion)

• DISNEY (Recoup expenditure)

• BIG MARKETING CAMPAIGN

• HIGH PRODUCTION VALUES

• BUDGET $200 MILLION

• MASSIVE PROFIT FOR STUDIO

• BOX OFFICE TAKINGS $1.2 BILLION

• PLUS ANCILLARY SALES

MARKETING MIX

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI-IMDB BANNER TAKE OVER

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI- website

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI- TRAILERS

• The first Star Wars: The Last Jedi teaser debuted at April’s Star Wars Celebration convention in Orlando.

• A full-length Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer rolled out during the Oct. 9 Monday Night Football game.

• A brief TV spot for The Last Jedi debuted during a major American Football game.

• Finally, with the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi fast approaching, an additional three teasers titled “Heroes,” “Tempt” and “Back” dropped near the end of November.

• All of these circulated quickly online.

Comment on these elements ofSTAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI- Marketing Campaign

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI- THE STUDIO

Produced by LUCASFILM

Which is owned by THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

The BBFC gave it a 12A rating without the need for any cuts. Some violence may not be suitable for young children.

Walt Disney’s Movie Empire!!

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Disney have 5 Major Companies in the top 20 Production Companies!!

Own the following film studios: (Which tend to be aimed at a much younger audience)

They also own the following media companies:

They make other media products such as: cable television, publishing, theme parks, broadcasting, radio, and web portals meaning they can use synergy to mass market films.

(80%) (27%)

And they are finalizing a takeover of media giant Fox

Sample Question (50 minutes)

• Qu. Explore the different ways your three main texts target their audiences. [30]

• Please use specific examples from the texts. Suggested points may include references to:

• Narrative • Genre • Characters • Stars/celebrities • Language and mode of address • Visual, technical and audio codes • Links to websites

Homework Question (Typed response)

Q.1 To what extent are the key representations in your three main texts stereotypical? [30]

Make detailed reference to the texts. Points covered may include reference to:

• Gender –traditional / stereotypical & modern roles

• Ethnicity

• Nationality

• Events (political allegories) & Issues (coming of age)

• Places

& use Theoretical perspectives – e.g. Mulvey- Male Gaze, Dyer-Stereotypes, Hall - Reception

Please hand in for Thursday 1st February