Case Study - Oblivion

Oblivion is an American post-apocalyptic science fiction film starring Tom Cruise (playing Jack Harper) who plays one of the few remaining drone repairmen assigned to earth after its surface was destroyed after a war between the humans and an alien group known as the ‘Scavs’. He lives with his team partner and lover Andrea Riseborough (playing Victoria) whose job is to keep an eye on her partner and receive mission objectives from Melissa Leo (playing Sally). She is the mission commander of the Tet, a spaceship which orbits around the earth. Being one of the two remaining humans on Earth, Jack is startled when he comes across a downed spacecraft with other humans in it, which are killed, apart from one. He recognises her face from dreams he keeps having from his previous life (before the war, he was married to her). Once a friendship is made between the both of them, a chain of events begin, one of them being surrounded by Scavs. The leader of the Scavs (who actually turn out to be humans with alien masks on), Morgan Freeman (playing Beech), explains to Jack that they've been told a lie about who they are and why they have the jobs they are assigned to, and need their help to get earth back to the way Earth was. Victoria discovers that Jack is keeping secrets and being unfaithful, so tells Sally they are no longer ‘an effective team’, so kills Victoria then attempts to kill Jack but Olga Kuryleno (playing Juila, the surviving women from the spacecraft) shoots the drone which killed Victoria. Jack then plans to help Beech by sending the nuclear bomb to blow up the Tet (which is then found to be Sally, who is just a triangular stoned ship with a red laser eye in the centre, known as the alien technology) to save the earth. They detonate the bomb which blows up Sally. Although Jack and Beech do not survive, a clone of Jack then takes on the role of being Julia’s life partner, with their child.




Genre
The genre of Oblivion is most definitely science fiction due to its relation to aliens, clones, and modern technology. The sort of people who would want to watch this film is if they have great interest in the modern world or just enjoy films about science and the way it can be portrayed. The film is rated a certificate 12A, so is suitable for anyone who want to watch it over the ages of 12.

I think this film is suitable for both genders as it has romantic gestures in it between Jack, Victoria and Julia and has action gestures too for example when Jack and Beech go to the Tet to destroy it.

Budget
Oblivion cost $120 million to make. It soared the box office with an overall $286,168,572.

Director
Oblivion was directed by Joseph Kosinski, a film director, film producer and a screenwriter. Oblivion is typical of Kosinski’s work as he has also been the director for the Disney science fiction film the Tron: Legacy.

Cast

• Tom Cruise (playing Commander Jack Harper) is a major star and very well known for being the main role in many films including this one. Cruise star’s in many films, so he doesn't really have a particular genre he sticks to. He’s well known for being Joel Goodson (a comedy) in ‘Risky Business’ which launched him into his stardom; Ethan Hunt (action film) in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ films; Jerry Maguire (a romantic comedy) in ‘Jerry Maguire’; Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (drama) in ‘A Few Good Men’; Captain Nathan Algren (war) in ‘The Last Samurai’ and Jack Reacher (thriller) in ‘Jack Reacher’. There are many other films he has been the main role in but these are a good example of the variety of genre’s he stars in. 
• Morgan Freeman (playing Malcolm Beech) is a major star too and very well known for not only being an actor, a film director and narrator too. Freeman star’s in many films too. He also varies between all genres’ as well. He’s known for being Thaddeus Bradley (thriller) in ‘Now You See Me’; Allan Trumbull (thriller) in ‘Olympus Has Fallen’; Keith Ripley (crime) in ‘Thick as Thieves’; God (comedy) in ‘Bruce Almighty’; Ellis Boyd Redding (drama) in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and many others. 
• Olga Kurylenko (playing Julia Rusakova) is known however mainly in France as she is a French actress and model. Her acting life started in Television series’. The only other heard of film she has been in is ‘Quantum of Solace’ (a James Bond action film).
• Andrea Riseborough (playing Victoria Olsen) is relatively unknown in her acting life however has been in some recent films including playing Nina Dunham (thriller) in ‘Disconnect’ which came out in 2013 and Sarah Hawks (thriller) in ‘Welcome to the Punch’ which came out in 2013. I believe Andrea is an upcoming actress who enjoys being a part of serious films.
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (playing Skyes) is relatively unknown until recent films. He varies genre’s but looking at his filmography he enjoys being in action/thriller films. He’s known for being in ‘Game of Thrones’, although it’s a television series it’s quite known, where he plays the role of Ser Jaime Lannister (fantasy drama) and plays Lucas/ Jeffrey in ‘Mama’ (horror).
• Melissa Leo (playing Sally) is an American actress and is relatively known for being in lots of films, however not greatly known ones. She starred in ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ (thriller) playing the role of Ruth McMillan; ‘Flight’ (drama) playing Ellen Block; ‘Red State’ (horror) playing Sarah Cooper, ‘The Fighter’ (drama) playing Alice Ward and ‘Frozen River’ (drama) playing Ray Eddy. From my research I can gather that she enjoys playing roles in serious films.
• Zoe Bell (playing Kara) is not only an actress but a stuntwoman too. She has been in many well-known films including ‘Django Unchained’ (western) playing the role of Tracker; ‘The Proposal’ (romantic comedy) playing Margaret; ‘Inglorious Basterds’ (war) playing Shosanna and Bridget von Hammersmark; 'Catwoman’ (superhero) playing Laurel; ‘Kill Bill’ (thriller) playing The Bride and ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ (fantasy) playing Xena.

Producing
The film was produced by studios Relativity Media (owned by founder Ryan Kavanaugh, who’s studio has produced many successful films including ‘The Fast and Furious’, ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’, ‘Evan Almighty’, ‘Hancock’, ‘Hellboy’, ‘Mamma Mia!’, ‘Seven Pounds’, ‘Little Fockers’, ‘Paul’, ‘Limitless’, and ‘The Bourne Legacy’), Chernin Entertainment (owned by founder Peter Chernin, who’s studio has not produced many films, however has produced ‘The Heat’, TV series’ ‘New Girl’ and ‘Outnumbered’), Monolith Pictures and Radical Studios (owned by founder Jesse Berger and Barry Levine, who’s studio helped produce ‘Hercules: The Thracian Wars’, ‘Last Days of American Crime’, ‘Abattoir’ and ‘Freedom Formula: Ghost of the Wasteland’).

Technology
They use very little digital technology in ‘Oblivion’ as you may think. Most of the scenes were performed on land, mainly in Iceland. All of the guns, drones and transportation used in the film were made especially for it; they’re as realistic as they look in the film. Also, the landscapes (e.g. sunset) captured in the film are real, filmers went onto a high inactive volcano in Hawaii for a week to get the best shots they could. Concept art was created to vision the film. To create the ‘out of the sky’ house, they created the house themselves and then used the landscape they filmed on the volcano to project it around the house, giving it a realistic look. The landscape lighting used for the room is the actual lighting used to highlight the actors/actress’ faces rather than using extra lighting to make it look unrealistic. By using little technology in this film and actually creating it visually allowed the actors/actress’ to believe they were actually in the film rather than having to visually pretend the scene was there. The bubbleship used was actually created. A bubbleship was built for the driveway on the house, and a cockpit of the ship was built on a motion built wall so when characters were being in action, this allowed them to be able to move around in the ship. Some visual effects were used for when things needed to be there and they weren't for example, Jack remembers a football game which happened, and he pretends he’s a part of the game, and there’s billboards and crowds of people behind him. CGI was used for the control panel Victoria control’s to help Jack on his journeys and to keep track of where he is, his latitude and to track down broken drones. It is also used a hologram on Jack’s bubbleship to diagnose problems with it and a hologram on the drones to diagnose humans or objects.

Distribution
The studio which distributed ‘Oblivion’ is Universal Studios, an American motion picture studio, founded by Carl Laemmle, Pat Powers, Mark Dintenfass, William Swanson, David Horsley, Charles Baumann, Adam Kessel and Jules Brulator. This studio has created many successful films since the 1910’s onwards, including ‘The Flintstones’, ‘Nutty Professor’, ‘Meet the Parents’, ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’, ‘About a Boy’, ‘Bruce Almighty’, ‘Fast and Furious’, ‘Love Actually’, ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Hot Fuzz’, ‘’Kick Ass’ and many more.

UK and US release dates
‘Oblivion’ was released in the UK on the 10th April 2013 and in the US on the 19th April 2013.

Screening
The film was delivered on IMAX screenings over 323 theatres. The domestic box office made $89,107,235 and the international box office made $197,062,741 making a grand total of $286,169,976.

Marketing
‘Oblivion’ was promoted in a variety of ways including premiers, autograph signings, trailers, posters and interviews.
By using posters to promote the film allowed the public to notice the film anywhere in a public place like in shops or bus windows. This makes people more aware of something so could possibly gain an interest in going to see it.
By holding premiers to promote the film allows the target audience to interact with whoever created the film and the actors or actress’ to discuss the film with them. As a lot of premiers are broadcasted on TV, this also allows the film to get a lot more people interested in it and to potentially get more people to go and see it.
Autograph signings help promote films as it allows the public to go and meet their favourite actors/actress’ to discuss the film with them.
Trailers do a similar thing to what posters do- make you gain an interest in the film. However, trailers give you a glimpse of the film, persuading you to go and see it if you enjoy those particular actors, actresses or genres.
Lastly, interviews are a great way of getting the public to go and watch the film you’re promoting. You get to hear a director, producers, actors or actress’ perspective on the film, and they always use persuasive techniques to gain your interest. Interviews also allow you to get to know some of the characters before you go and see the film.