SSC Film Studies

Film franchising has become increasingly popular with film lovers, this has resulted in many new movies to take the take the approach of setting up a franchise. A franchise is basically many different elements which are all connected to make one, this is usually portrayed through a run of films in which all the films are connected usually in chronological order but not always. Film franchises can be very important for produces for many reasons, however there are positives and negatives to a franchise, such that huge profits can be made from a franchise however the risks involved in setting one up are also huge. Franchising can be very important for produces because it can haul in large sums of money not just from the film itself, many produces will go on to create merchandise which will be associated wit the films, such as toys and games, this can be a huge way for produces to make money elsewhere from the film. Merchandise comes under the term synergy; synergy is the interaction of multiple elements to produce a greater effort, such that the merchandise used to take more money a side from the film itself. Synergy however does not just benefit film makes, it benefits the audiences greatly, audiences are now able to connect with their favourite films on all levels, whether it be the film or theme parks with film characters walking round or just simply a toy of their favourite character. Franchises have to follow a strict flow of elements that connect, one of the main elements used is film stars which are consistently used and do not die out of the film, Franchises almost have a direct relationship with their audiences in which they expect a certain level of similarities when they see a new part to the franchise. This can create fan bases which usually stay loyal throughout the franchise, however by adjusting the films slightly can affect the fan bases hugely, such that if a romance film suddenly became an action/romance, it would attract more variety of viewers which can sometimes pay off or sometimes result in fan bases dying off. There are several key feature to a franchise being a success, such as, continuing a storyline, offering new experiences, meeting audiences expectations and sometimes repetition. These elements are what usually dictates whether a franchise will be a hit, providing the first film is a hit and has a good storyline. At the end of the day film produces are simply there to make money, this is usually achieved mainly through vast promoting and marketing, many produces will go to huge lengths and sped huge sums of money to make sure that the public are aware of new films coming out. Without promotions many films would not make it to the box office and would not pull in anywhere near the sums of money they expect.