Media Studies - Film Industry (Blinded by The Light)

Blinded by the Light - Summary

Set in a dreary and intolerant 1987. “Blinded by the Light” (2019) tells the story of Javed Khan who is inspired by the music and lyrics of Bruce Springsteen to discover his own voice and follow his dreams of becoming a writer.

Blinded by the Light - General History

-inspired by a book called “Greetings from Bary Park” by Sarfaz Manzoor, a memoir

-co-written and directed by Gurinder Chadha, who also did “Bend It Like Beckham”

Blinded by the Light - Release Date

9th August 2019

Blinded by the Light - Budget

$15 million

Blinded by the Light - Studio Produced

Bend It Films

Blinded by the Light - Money made at the box office

$18.1 million

Blinded by the Light - How the film was promoted

Posters, trailer, social media and film festivals

Media Synergy

The impact of using a cross-media approach to engage the target audience

6 Stages of Film-Making - Stage 1: Aquisition

Ideas are created or bought, screenplay is written and financing is sought

6 Stages of Film-Making - Stage 2: Pre-Production

Cast and crew are found, locations chosen and sets are built. This is also the point where budgets are decided and funding is found (if required)

6 Stages of Film-Making - Stage 3: Production

The film is shot and filmed

6 Stages of Film-Making - Stage 4: Post-Production

The recorded film is edited

6 Stages of Film-Making - Stage 5: Distribution

Film distributed and marketing strategies are employed

6 Stages of Film-Making - Stage 6: Exhibition

Films are screened in cinemas across the globe

Blinded by the Light - Production - Bend It Films

-Based in the UK

-Director, Gurinder Chadha and screenwriter, Paul Mayeda Berges

-Aim: “moving, inspired and commercial” “new perspective” “characterisation are normally on the margins”

Blinded by the Light - Production - Levantine Films

-Based in the USA

-Independent motion picture company

-Develops, produces and finances projects

-Aim: “character-driven, socially relevant and commercially viable”

Blinded by the Light - Funding - Ingenious Media

-One of the largest independent investors in the UK's creative sector

-Secures loans and provides money

Blinded by the Light - Funding - BFI Film Fund

-Money from The National Lottery to support UK companies

Blinded by the Light - Distribution - New Line Cinema

-Based in the USA

-Owned by Warner Brothers (conglomerate)

-At Sundance in 2019, it won a bidding war for the global distribution rights of Blinded by the Light

Blinded by the Light - Distribution - Entertainment One

-Based in Canada

-UK distribution

Blinded by the Light - Distribution - Paramount

-Owned by Paramount Skydance (conglomerate)

-Did the DVD release

Blinded by the Light - Distribution - Streaming

Netflix: 2019

Amazon Prime: 2020

The film is on neither platform now

Blinded by the Light - Context: 2019

-Post-Brexit

-Lots of anti-immigrant sentiments

-Xenophobia

Blinded by the Light - Context: 1987

-Conservative government

-Margaret Thatcher as prime minister

-Luton as a working town

-Rise of Far Right Groups

Blinded by the Light - Context: How is it shown in the film

-General Motors Redundancy and general unemployment

-Javed's dad working in a car factory

-Neo-Nazi (part of NF) character spits at Javad

Blinded by the Light - Context: The ways in which the film appeals and impacts

-Identity (U+G) - teen angst

-Nostalgic feeling

-Feel good movie

Blinded by the Light - Context: Use of Springsteen songs

The songs allow Javed to express his emotions

Blinded by the Light - Context: Evidence of low budget film-making

On-location filming mainly

Blinded by the Light - Context: Evidence of social realism

-Set in Luton

-Neo-Nazi character spits in Javed's face

-Politics is important to the narrative

-Door mat sequence

Blinded by the Light - Context: Chadha Auteur trademarks

-Double consciousness, Gilroy

-Importance of identity and fitting in