A blockbuster film usually has a massive budget and income. They are produced by big companies such a Disney and are mostly Hollywood produced. They are shown in cinemas first then released onto DVD. An example of a blockbuster film is Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park was produced by the company universal which is a massive film company that has also produced films such as ET, The Mummy and Fast and Furious. They had a really clever idea for the promotion of this film before the film the were released they didn’t show anyone the dinosaurs they aren’t even in trailer completely – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bim7RtKXv90 this is because when the audience were coming into the cinemas to watch the films they would have no idea what to expect and would therefore be more impressed by the dinosaurs. It would also encourage people to come and see the film as they are going to be more intrigued by the dinosaurs if the only way they can see them is by going to see the film.
An independent film, sometimes known as an indie film is a production that has created either mainly or completely outside a mainstream film studio. They have a much smaller budget and team compared to a blockbuster film.
Pulp fiction is one of my favourite films and i personally think it is the best independent film made. It forever changed Hollywood and was part of a cultural movement. It went from an $8 million picture to a $100 million box office success when it hit theatres 20 years ago.Bob and Harvey Weinstein had a touch for finding young people and turning their film ideas into masterpieces which was important as at that time things like Netflix didn’t exist so it was the only way indie films could get a wide audience. The Weinstein Company still puts out incredible films, including Tarantino’s.
The appeal to this film was mainly to do with the cast, it starred Bruce Willis, John Travolta, and Eric Stoltz. The other actors Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson were quite unheard of before Pulp Fiction. Nowadays stars are happy to appear in independent films hoping to find themselves in the next Pulp Fiction.
I think that the main difference between Blockbuster and Independent films is the budget making them for example Jurassic Park is full of special effects and technology to create things such as the dinosaurs in the films where as Pulp Fiction doesn’t have anything like that. Even though an independent film has a smaller budget i think it can still be just as good as a blockbuster film if it has a good story line, director and actors.
Sian Rees 