Blinded By The Light: case study blog tasks

Background reading and production research

1) What is the story behind the production of the film?

Amolak had shared his music taste with Sarfraz Manzoor which was Bruce Springsteen. The music had changed his life as well as turning him into a Bruce Springsteen fan.This then inspired him to follow his dreams and become a writer and now he is a screenwriter of a film adaptation of the book.

2) What was the audience reaction to the film?

The most common responses to the film were in the ways that audiences found personal connections to the story

3) Why is the Sun dance Film Festival such an important part of the film industry - particularly for lower budget films? 

The 2019 lineup may have been light on stone cold masterpieces, but the overall quality was so high, audiences can expect to see many of these directors and actors directing studio projects, if not Marvel movies, in the near future.

Funding and industry contexts

1) What was the budget for Blinded By The Light and which companies contributed to the production budget?

Blinded by the light cost around $15m to make.

2) Research the Bend It Networks website. What other films and projects has the company been involved with?

"Beecham house", "viceroys house","BILB musical", "Desi rascals","its a wonderful afterlife","Angus thongs","mistress of spices", "bride and prejudice","bend it like Beckham","what's cooking","Bhaji on the beach" and "I'm british but".

3) Research Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema on the Warners website here. Summarise the history of New Line Cinema in a short paragraph

Building on more than 50 years of innovation and creativity, the new line cinema continues its long and successful history of producing critically acclaimed hit films that resonate with both mainstream and niche audiences around the world. Part of Warner Bros. Entertainment since 2008, New Line coordinates its development, production, marketing, distribution and business affairs activities with Warner Bros. Pictures Group to maximise film performance and operating efficiencies. In 2023, New Line will release “House Party,” “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” “Evil Dead Rise” and “The Nun 2.”.

4) Read this Variety interview with director Gurinder Chadha explaining how the project came about - including budget details. What attracted Gurinder Chadha to the project and how did she manage to get the film made? 

Gurinder Chadha resonated with the feeling of being an outsider, as well as this she was also a Bruce Springsteen fan. Chadha was encouraged by the Springsteen camp to begin writing the screenplay and ‘something would be figured out,’ given the film’s modest budget. When Springsteen came back from reading the treatment with the simple response, “I’m all good with this,” Blinded by the Light went in front of the cameras, and wowed the audience at Sun dance.

Distribution

1) Which company won the distribution rights after the all-night auction and for how much?
The new line and Warner bros for $15m

2) Which other companies were rumoured to be bidding for the distribution rights?

 Fox Searchlight, Lions gate and others.

3) According to the article, what was the 'allure' of Blinded By The Light?

Some of the allure of Blinded by the Light had to do with the surprisingly universal appeal of Springsteen’s coming-of-age tunes, which tell honest stories about a hardscrabble upbringing, ambition and the fight to break free of all shackles to do something worthwhile with one’s life. 

4) UK distribution was secured by eOne Entertainment. Visit the eOne About Us page on their website - what do they claim to offer under the heading 'Passion meets possibility?'

They offer bold stories with audiences around the world.

Marketing, promotion and reception

1) What does the trailer suggest regarding genre and the potential audience pleasures of Blinded By The Light?

It is a coming of age move bout a young boy wanting to fulfil his dreams

2) What TV shows and websites did interviews with writer, director and stars of Blinded By The Light? Why are interviews a good way to promote a new film release? 

BBC ONE, Hey U guys,Bend It Network: promoting it like this gives us a well rounded view of the creator and their intentions/ideas behind the film.

3) What did film posters for Blinded By The Light feature and where did they appear? You may need to research this on Google Images. 

A poster had blue,white and red in the background which was targeted at the USA audience as it represents their flag

There was another poster that had a white and orange striped background with Javed jumping in the air which seemed to be in the UK

4) What social media accounts did Blinded By The Light use to promote the film? Note: some sites may be blocked if you are working in school - you will need to use your phone or complete your research at home.

Twitter ,Youtube, Facebook and Instagram

6) Go to the Bend It Networks YouTube channel. How does Gurinder Chadha introduce the channel?  What other content is on the Bend It Networks YouTube channel?

She introduces the channel about herself and the channel contains trailers and interviews

7) Look at the box office figures for Blinded By The Light from The Numbers website. How much did it make at the box office and why do you think it was largely unsuccessful?

Just $18.1 m box office against a $15m budget which means the film almost certainly lost money. This may be due to the fact that rival studios argued that Warner Bros. should have begun with a limited release to build audience interest

8) Click on the tabs with further information (such as 'News', 'Box Office' and 'Video Sales'). Copy and paste some more statistics or sales figures to add to your understanding of the film's financial performance.