BRITISH FILM REPORT: NOWHERE BOY

Nowhere Boy is British biographical film about John Lennon's adolescence years (1955-1960)  before he became famous. It is based on a biography written by John's half-sister Julia Bird. The audience learns about his relationship with his guardian Aunt Meme, his absentee mother Julia and about his band before The Beatles, The Quarrymen. The film stars Aaron Johnson (John Lennon), Kristin Scott Thomas (Aunt Mimi), Anne-Marie Duff (Julia), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Paul McCartney) and many more. The film was directed by Sam Taylor Wood as was released in the UK on the 26th December 2009.


Audience
Nowhere Boy was certificated 15 due to its violent and sexual scenes. Therefore the films target audience is young and older adults of both genders. This film would also appeal to Beatles fans as the film is about one of its lead singers and the very early start of the Beatles.

Production
This film was given a budget of £1,235,500 by the National Lottery and the UK Film Council to produce the film. This is a small budget compared to other films of the same genre which can cost up £100 million. This is because no special effects like explosions were required as well as the actors/actress were not majorly famous within the film industry. It was shot in Liverpool as this is where Lennon was born and raised, as well as being shot at Ealing Studios in West London. The producers and production companies include Robert Bernstein, Douglas Rae, Film 4, UK film council, HanWay films and Ecosse Films.

Distribution
In order for everyone to know about the film's release promotion is key. This includes film trailers, posters, billboards, bus advertisement, magazines, newspapers, television and cinema adverts.



Synergy
Synergy within media is when two different products are released at the same time and work together to promote each other. In this case the Nowhere Boy DVD and Soundtrack CD were released at the same time in order to boost each others sales.



The impact of new technology
The extreme growth of technology is very beneficial for the film industry. Social media plays a big part in promoting films and getting people talking about it. Even though in this film no major special effects were used, technology has helped other films to create even more extraordinary effects especially on a computer. Due to technology the way we watch films has changed, now we stream films online instead of renting a DVD from a shop. We are also seeing the rise of 4D cinemas where you watch the film in 3D whilst experiencing physical effects that are synchronized with the film. This includes blowing winds, rain drops, seat movements and special smells.