A Level Media Studies – approaches to the new set films
26 March 2024
Dave Soltysik, Head of Media Studies and A Level Examiner
In this blog, I will explore the two new set films and offer approaches to teaching this as a case study to understand the film industry. It’s always beneficial to provide students with a comprehensive ‘macro’ perspective on the industry before narrowing down to the specific case study films.
Students study two set films as part of the Media Industries and Audiences topic in A Level Media Studies. For students starting their course from September 2023 onwards, the set films are Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).
The new set films allow students to explore the evolution of the film industry from the 1930s to the present day. The films give students the opportunity to consider Disney’s development into one of the dominant media conglomerates in the industry.
Historical and economic contexts
The 1930s, often referred to as the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’, operated under the principles of free market capitalism with one primary focus – to make money. This objective was made easier to achieve as many studios were vertically integrated, with the ‘Big Five’ studios, Paramount Pictures, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Warner Brothers Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and RKO dominating the market. Most cinemas were owned by the ‘Big Five’ studios, ensuring that their films secured prime spots on opening weekends.
By 1948 the United States v Paramount Pictures Supreme Court case had taken place and the American film industry had undergone fundamental changes. The ‘Big Five’ could no longer practise block-booking and many major studios decided to sell off their theatre chains to focus on production and distribution. The ‘Big Five’ faced increasing competition from the ‘Little Three’ – Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and United Artists, and although the ‘Big Five’ retained their influence, the industry began to see the emergence of smaller studios, including Disney.
Walt Disney Studios
Disney has always been innovative in its approaches to technology and where many studios struggled to break through in the system of block-booking, Disney found their niche in producing animated shorts. The development of the first Mickey Mouse cartoon Steamboat Willie (1928) came as a direct response to the industry’s shift towards use of synchronised sound. This YouTube video from Toons Mag, an online cartoons magazine, offers some interesting insights into Disney’s working practices.
In the 21st century, the film industry is still dominated by a handful of major studios (Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros, Walt Disney Studios, and Sony Pictures) which continue to operate within the principles of free market capitalism, maintaining Hollywood's oligopolistic market structure. Today the film industry is more global than ever before. International markets play a crucial role in a film’s box office success.
Disney as a studio has also experienced exponential growth. From a humble animation studio in the 1930s, it has since diversified into owning theme parks, television channels, and has made significant acquisitions including Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and, most recently, 21st Century Fox. The proliferation of technology and competition from streaming giants like Netflix has meant that Disney needed to diversify further to remain at the forefront. The launch of Disney+ exemplifies this shift and suggests a potential move back towards vertical integration.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White was produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by RKO. It comprised 1.5 million individual illustrations which were composited into over 350,000 frames. The film, which had a budget of $1.5 million, made $7.8 million at the box office, setting a record as the top-grossing animated film in the industry at the time of its release. The film represented a huge advancement in the use of technology and story development in animation.
Groundbreaking production
The 1937 release of Snow White stands as a groundbreaking production and it was the feature film upon which Walt Disney built his empire. It was the first full-length cel animation to incorporate both colour and sound. Advertising and promotion highlighted its use of Technicolor which was often seen as a hallmark of a high quality film.
Many film critics were sceptical about its potential success, given the limited popularity of animated films at the time. Walt Disney needed to carefully balance realism and fantasy to ensure that the characters were both relatable and magical. For some sequences, actors were hired to perform live-action sequences which were either directly rotoscoped by animators or served as reference material for character design. This video from the Axel Malibu YouTube channel features some live action references from Snow White.
Sound and animation firsts
The realistic approach to animation marked a significant advancement from the previous Silly Symphony shorts. Settings and locations like the Evil Queen’s castle and the Dwarfs’ cottage echoed the style of early European fairy tale illustrations.
To enhance this sense of realism, Disney incorporated filming techniques and camera movements typically used in live-action films to really immerse the viewer into the reality of the fairy tale world. The multiplane camera was a significant invention which allowed animators to create a sense of depth and a more three-dimensional feel by moving different layers of illustrations at different speeds and in different directions. This video from the Ohio Rick YouTube channel demonstrates the multiplane camera in action.
The success of Snow White was also partly due to its pioneering use of synchronised sound and dialogue. While Disney had previously experimented with this in Steamboat Willie, it was the feature film where the potential of sound was truly realised and maximised.
Distribution
Snow White premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles on December 21, 1937. The distributor RKO opted for an initial limited release in select US cities, including New York and Miami before the film saw a broader release nationwide and eventually internationally. The film made more than $7.8 million at the box office during its initial release. Following Disney’s strategy of ‘vaulting’, the film was then subsequently re-released in theatres several times before being made available on VHS for home-viewing in the early 1990s.
In the 1930s word of mouth promotion was key to a film’s success. Given Disney’s size at the time, they cleverly began building anticipation for the film almost a year in advance. Merchandise such as toys and figurines played a pivotal role in drumming up excitement. This strategy ensured that Snow White was already a household name even before its cinematic release.
This documentary posted on the Diz Avenue YouTube channel explores Disney’s history and specifically the making of Snow White, and is great for students to watch to understand the processes involved.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi serves as an interesting comparison to Snow White as it not only highlights the economic evolution of Disney as a studio but also demonstrates a shift in cultural values and attitudes. Shang-Chi is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a franchise of interconnected films organised into ‘phases’. The MCU began as a series of comics but evolved into a franchise of films when it was acquired by Disney in 2009 for $4 billion. Shang-Chi itself grossed just over $432.2 million at the box office.
This video from the David Gluhaich YouTube channel offers an interesting insight into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you have access to Disney+, there is a ‘Making of Shang-Chi’ documentary which you could show to your students.
Production
Shang-Chi marked a significant step for Asian representation in the MCU both in terms of casting and behind the camera roles. Destin Daniel Cretton directed, while Dave Callaham wrote the screenplay, and both worked to try to create an authentic representation of the Asian-American experience. The film came on the back of the critical and financial success of Black Panther, a film with a largely Black cast.
Shang-Chi used a range of computer generated imagery (CGI) techniques which makes it an interesting contrast with Snow White. Digital Domain was the main VFX studio and produced close to 275 visual effects shots for the film. The opening sequence introducing Wenwu’s compound, for example, was entirely digitally rendered. A remote region in New Zealand was captured using LiDAR technology and then further digitally expanded using 3D modelling technology. This video from the Digital Domain YouTube channel shows the process.
Shang-Chi also used blue and green screen technology to capture and refine the environments where the action takes place. Many scenes were rotoscoped to create a more distinctive environment.
The film featured other interesting animation technology like rigging and key frame animation to bring the Great Protector and Morris characters to life. This video posted on Corridor Crew YouTube channel offers more insight into the VFX processes used in the film.
Distribution and marketing
Shang-Chi had a theatrical-only release for the first 45 days, before being made available on Disney+ which added value to its overall revenue stream, perhaps attracting and retaining subscribers.
The release of the film was put back several times because of the Covid pandemic but its eventual saturation release in 4,300 cinemas in the US guaranteed a degree of success. The Marvel brand has a large pre-sold audience so relies less on star marketing.
Much of the marketing for the film was traditional, for example the 2019 Comic-Con event, teaser and promotional trailers on Disney’s television channel ESPN. As well as this, the marketing campaign included press junkets with cast interviews. There were also several promotional partnerships including BMW, which involved product placement in the film and BMW adverts featuring the film.
In summary
I hope this blog offers you some further approaches to the new pair of set films. A factsheet to support teaching of the films is available on Teach Cambridge (login required: talk with your Exams Officer). For more information about the changes to set products for A Level Media Studies, and resources to support you, visit the Media Studies set products page located on our public website.
Stay connected
Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any questions, you can email us at media@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or message us on X (formerly Twitter) @OCR_Media_Film. You can also sign up to subject updates to keep up-to-date with the latest news, updates and resources.
About the author
Dave Soltysik is Head of Media Studies in a large comprehensive secondary school and sixth form in Hertfordshire. He is an A Level and GCSE examiner and moderator. Dave is passionate about exploring innovative, fresh and relevant approaches to teaching Media Studies and ensuring that it remains a vital part of the curriculum.
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