Paranormal Activity and Schindler's List Movies Essay

Part 1: The Movie Paranormal Activity

With the evolution in technology, film producers have numerous means of marketing their products. Initially, the print advertising was the only primary promotional tool; however, thanks to the different social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and twitter, film marketing has drastically changed (Kim, Park, & Park, 2013). Through the internet, movies that would have never gained popularity to gain exceptional fame; one such movie is Paranormal Activity, which became the most profitable film after its production, thanks to social media.

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Through social media, Paranormal Activity was written, co-produced, and directed by Oren Peli. It gained its notoriety due to promotions on different television stations and the Paramount website. For it to be released nationally, the film had to attain one million hits on the internet to show that it was a viewers' demand. Through their interactive website and other internet tools like reddit.com, digg.com, Facebook, and Twitter, Paranormal Activity gathered huge numbers that could not have been achieved without these platforms. The demand for the movie was significantly influenced by a theatrical trailer which became a viral hit that instilled curiosity and encouraged more people to demand it. For such a film, even with a poor review, it still gained a massive audience because of social media.

With social media invention such as Netflix, the methods of appreciating and consuming films have drastically changed. For most people, especially the younger generation, theatres are no longer important because they can easily access their favorite films through the internet while at the same time, interacting with other viewers (Kim, Park, & Park, 2013). Also, with the instant modes of communication like Twitter, for a film to be well appreciated, it has to appeal internet viewers first. The technological development greatly threatens the future viewing of movies. With the current trend, the chances are that theatres will be done away with due to the instant loading of films onto the internet. A film's lifespan would greatly depend on the number of views and likes it gets.

Part 2: The Movie Schindler's List

In most cases, films are primarily meant for entertainment purposes. However, to have a lasting impact on the society, filmmakers also incorporate the social aspects by addressing various social concerns, like culture, religion, peace, and health ( Kaul, 2014). Films have the power to enlighten, inspire and also invoke strong emotions. Therefore, films such as Schindler's List provide a platform to engage social issues and inform viewers on the impact of such issues.

The Schindler's List is an American historical period drama film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg in 1993. It addresses societal issues like oppression, social conflicts and the need to accept others regardless of their culture, religion, skin color, abilities or sexual orientation. The story is based on World War II, where discrimination was based on an individual's race. The countless deaths of civilians and soldiers in the film show the effects of ethnic conflicts in the society. The director also creates a wider awareness of the holocaust and how overwhelming it would be to make a true connection with the victims because of the vast numbers. The holocaust horror can only be felt by the victims; Schindler's List, however, tries to replace the huge numbers with names and faces with the belief that connections at a personal level are easier than an abstract level. This movie shows how ethical conflicts and oppression by color is still taking place in the society and the possible effects.

References

Kaul, V. (2014). Representation of social issues in films. Madhya Pradesh Journal of Social Sciences, 19(1), 139-158.

Kim, S. H., Park, N., & Park, S. H. (2013). Exploring the effects of online word of mouth and expert reviews on theatrical movies' box office success. Journal of Media Economics, 26(2), 98-114.