Blinded By The Light case study

 Funding and industry contexts

The budget for Blinded By The Light was $15 million. Bend It Filmsdeveloped the film with support from Levantine Films and Ingenious Media.

• Beecham House
• Bend It Like Beckham (also the musical)
• Bride and Prejudice
• Desi Rascals 
• Wonderful Afterlife
• Angus Thongs & Snogging 

New Line Cinema wa founded in 1967, the company has produced very successful and recognisable film such as Lord of the Rings and Final Destination, along with the Annabelle/Conjouring franchise. The Studio is credited with revitalizing the genre of the R-rated comedy with the success of movies such as Elf and Friday. 

Levantine films have been involved with films such as: 

• Hidden Figures
• Blinded By The Light
• The Fundamentals of Caring Beasts Of No Nation

The director Gurinder Chadha resonated heavily with Manzoor’s story as she grew up part of the Indian/Asian diaspora. She also had musical icons that went with her through the years 


Production and distribution

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

New Line and Warner Bros won the distribution rights after the all-night auction for for $15 million 

It’s was rumoured that companies such as Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate along with  others were bidding for the distribution rights.

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. 

Landing the rights to use that many songs from an artist as major as Springsteen is a blockbuster proposition. But Springsteen has been in a very introspective mode with his autobiography and Broadway show, and the filmmakers met Springsteen and charmed him enough to bless the project and make it possible to feature his songs.

eOne enables every step in the entertainment value chain from development and production to marketing and distribution. With the reach of a studio and the flexibility of an indie, we share bold stories with audiences around the world.

Promotion and reception

The trailer suggests that movie is a coming of age film drama with certain elements of comedy. The audience pleasure that could potentially be experienced could be nostalgia. Audiences could hear the music of Springsteen ad be reminded of the time that they first encountered his music. 

The film posters of Blinded By The Light featured the main protagonist wearing converses and a denim outfit, additionally, he is also wearing big headphones. These elements in combination make it clear to the audience the time period that this film is set in. 

TV shows and websites that did interview with the director and/or characters in blinded by the light:

• The one show
• Lorraine 
• The Rolling stone 
• CNN 
• The Times 

Interviews on TV shows and in newspapers are an effective way to promote film releases aa they create exposure for the movie and they can also incorporate star power to help bring new audiences to the film. 

The blinded by the light twitter account creates and maintains interest in the film by tweeting their trailer and also asking fans opinions on the movie. Questions like “ What was your favourite memory of the 80's? Let us know in the comments below” helps raise engagement to the account and brings attention to the film. 

Their facebook page uses video content to promote it being shown in theatres  which acts as an incentive to go and buy tickets. Majority of the video content used I snippets from the film itself 
7) Why do you think the Blinded By The Light Facebook page contains posts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement?

These three pots contain a ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ certified stamp. One contains a quote from a film critic. Both of thee element elevate the incentive for audiences to watch the film as the sources are deemed as reliable.