Blinded By The Light: case study blog tasks

 Background reading and production research

Read the following interviews and features on Blinded By The Light:

Writer Sarfraz Manzoor on the story behind the film - Guardian
Manzoor again on the promotion of the film and audience reaction
Variety feature on the best films from the 2019 Sundance Film Festival 

1) What is the story behind the production of the film? The film  is based on Sarfraz Manzoor book  bury park which talks about his discovers Bruce Springsteen  and his music. The film  was directed by Gurinder Chadha and they  wanted to  have Bruce Springsteen music but they had to get his permission so they went to his concert and asked him a to uses the music and he said yes 

2) What was the audience reaction to the film? 

that audiences found personal connections to the story. he said that " I could not have predicted that Israeli women in Jerusalem, white teenage American boys in Omaha, Nebraska and older white women in Australia who had seen the film would all contact me on social media and thank me for telling their story. I had not expected to be approached, at screenings from Glasgow to Seattle"

3) Why is the Sundance Film Festival such an important part of the film industry - particularly for lower budget films?  This is because it can bring attention to many  independent films to gain  funding from many company's and get story's from different  news outlets  

Funding and industry contexts

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

15Million 

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

Beckham house, Viceroy house ,Desi rascal, wonderful after life, Mistress of spices, Bend it like Beckham 

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.

New line cinema was founded in 1967 and In 1994, Turner Broadcasting System acquired New Line Cinema.

In 1996, Turner merged with Time Warner, which later became Warner Bros. Discovery. In 2008, New Line Cinema merged with Warner Bros. Pictures. they have made films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which won 17 Academy Awards and grossed over $2.9 billion worldwide and  A Nightmare on Elm Street film series, which gave the studio its nickname "The House that Freddy Built"  Building on 57 years of innovation and creativity, New Line Cinema continues its long and successful history of producing critically acclaimed hit films that resonate with audiences around the world. A pioneer in the horror genre, New Line is known for compelling storytelling and producing groundbreaking entertainment. 

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? 

 Was the bond for Springsteen and relating to the story  

“Turned out ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ was one of [Bruce’s wife] Patti Scialfa’s  favorite films,” says Chadha. “I think Bruce was touched that we approached his music from a unique cultural point-of-view.” 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 Sundance earlier this year, setting up a spirited bidding war won by Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema, who acquired it for the $15 million it cost to make.  Offers were being texted to Chadha as she sat in the audience watching her own film.

Distribution

Read this Deadline feature on the distribution deal for Blinded By The Light and answer the following questions: 

1) Which company won the distribution rights after the all-night auction and for how much? New line cinema 

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

Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate and others

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

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. In 2023 eOne was bought by Lionsgate. Read this press release on Lionsgate acquiring eOne Entertainment and write one reason for the deal. 

 extends its portfolio of brands and franchises and expands its presence in Canada and the UK


Marketing, promotion and reception

Watch the following clips to learn about the marketing and promotion of the film. 

Watch the trailer for Blinded By The Light:

Watch the film being promoted on The One Show (BBC1): 

Watch writer Sarfraz Manzoor talking about 1980s nostalgia and British-Asian identity:

Watch this 'fans dream' featurette produced by Bend It Networks:

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

Trailer suggest that it's a coming of age story  and is aimed at  Bruce Springsteen  music.

2) What TV shows and websites did interviews with writer, director an d stars of Blinded By The Light? Why are interviews a good way to promote a new film release?  eOne, BBC one  as they are watched by a lot of people and generate a lot of interest from a lot of people  as they watch interviews from these countries.

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.  The film poster said that it was the best film of the year and was shown in  Luton, new jersey

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.

 Instagram Stories and the @blindedbythelightmovie

5) Select three posts from the Blinded By The Light Instagram page and explain how they promote the film.

https://www.instagram.com/blindedbythelightmovie/p/B-m1U_OFkzO/?hl=en- 

https://www.instagram.com/blindedbythelightmovie/reel/B5DijawlDEU/?hl=en- refers to the film as coming of age film 

https://www.instagram.com/blindedbythelightmovie/p/B45ZYtVlh0j/?hl=en- emotional roll coaster 
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?

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?

19,529,914 and I think was largely unsuccessful because their was largely no fanbase as  they went for a big cinema release  but had no fans who really cared about the film.

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.

Theatrical Performance

Domestic Box Office $11,901,145

International Box Office $7,628,769

Worldwide Box Office $19,529,914

Home Market Performance

Est. Domestic DVD Sales $599,761

Est. Domestic Blu-ray Sales $551,394

Total Est. Domestic Video Sales $1,151,155