CSP - Blinded By The Light

 


Background reading and production research

Read the following interviews and features on Blinded By The Light:

1) What is the story behind the production of the film?

Blinded by the Light is a film inspired by Sarfraz Manzoor’s teenage years in Luton back in 1987, drawn from his memoir, Greetings from Bury Park. At the age of 16, he felt the pressure to stick to a conventional path. Everything changed when his friend Amolak introduced him to the music of Bruce Springsteen. This music sparked a passion in him to chase his dream of becoming a writer.

Directed by Gurinder Chadha, the movie brings to life real moments and places from Manzoor’s past, including his first encounter with Amolak and their beloved café, Greenfields. Manzoor took part in the film’s creation and found it amazing to see actors reflect his experiences on screen.


2) What was the audience reaction to the film?
One of the most common reactions is that people say they were touched by the depiction of the friendship of Javed and Roops, to the extent that people now tweet me to tell of the friend who was “their Roops” – the one who introduced them to a life-changing musician or band.

3) Why is the Sundance Film Festival such an important part of the film industry - particularly for lower budget films? 
the juries who pick the prizes at Sundance seem to be most independent in their choices



Funding and industry contexts

1) What was the budget for Blinded By The Light and which companies contributed to the production budget?
The budget was $15 million 
Companies involved: Bend it Networks, New Line Cinema 

2) Research the Bend It Networks website. What other films and projects has the company been involved with?
They have been involved with: 
Blinded by the light, Beecham house, Viceroys house, BILB musicals, Desi rascals, Wonderful afterlife, Angus thongs, Mistress of spices, Bride and prejudice, Bend it like Beckham, What's cooking, Bhaji on the beach, I'm British but

3) Research Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema on the Warners website here. Summarise the history of New Line Cinema in a short paragraph.
New Line Cinema, founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye, initially operated as a distributor of independent films. It gained fame in the 1980s with hits like A Nightmare on Elm Street, which helped establish its reputation in horror cinema. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, New Line expanded its reach with successful franchises such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Conjuring universe. In 2008, New Line became a subsidiary of Warner Bros, marking a shift to more mainstream productions while continuing to cultivate a diverse portfolio of genres.

4) Read this Variety interview with director Gurinder Chadha explaining how the project came about - including budget details. What attracted Gurinder Chadha to the project and how did she manage to get the film made? 

Gurinder Chadha was drawn to Blinded by the Light because it reflected her own experience as part of the immigrant community. The story of a Pakistani teenager in 1980s England finding hope in Bruce Springsteen’s music resonated with her personal connection to themes of struggle and identity. To get the film made, Chadha met Bruce Springsteen in 2010 and gained his approval for the project. Even though the budget was small, Springsteen’s team supported her and helped secure the rights to his music. Chadha worked with people from Springsteen’s camp and trusted that they could make the project work. The film’s success at Sundance led to a bidding war, and Warner Bros. eventually backed the film. Her ability to work with limited resources and Springsteen’s support were key to making the film happen.



Distribution

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

1) Which company won the distribution rights after the all-night auction and for how much?

New Line and Warner Bros are acquiring for $15 million for worldwide rights, minus a few territories, the Gurinder Chada-directed Blinded By the Light. 


2) Which other companies were rumoured to be bidding for the distribution rights?

Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate and others


3) According to the article, what was the 'allure' of Blinded By The Light?
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.

4) UK distribution was secured by eOne Entertainment. In 2023 eOne was bought by Lionsgate. Read this press release on Lionsgate acquiring eOne Entertainment and write one reason for the deal. 

One will be a valuable and highly accretive addition to our business.



Marketing, promotion and reception

Watch the following clips to learn about the marketing and promotion of the film. 

Watch the trailer for Blinded By The Light:



Watch the film being promoted on The One Show (BBC1): 



Watch writer Sarfraz Manzoor talking about 1980s nostalgia and British-Asian identity:


Watch this 'fans dream' featurette produced by Bend It Networks:



1) What does the trailer suggest regarding genre and the potential audience pleasures of Blinded By The Light?
It suggests that the movie is going to be aimed at coming of age teenagers and possibly adults and those of south Asian descent. This is because the main character is an Asian teenage boy who is coming of age which will encourage those types of people to watch the movie as they may feel as if they might relate to it.

2) What TV shows and websites did interviews with writer, director and stars of Blinded By The Light? Why are interviews a good way to promote a new film release? 

TV Shows: BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, The Graham Norton Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Websites: The Guardian, Entertainment Weekly, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and YouTube channels like Warner Bros. 

Interviews are a great way to promote a film because they connect audiences with the cast and crew, share behind-the-scenes stories, and generate excitement.


3) What did film posters for Blinded By The Light feature and where did they appear? You may need to research this on Google Images. 
They all featured the main character Javed. They appeared in countries such as England, USA and France

4) What social media accounts did Blinded By The Light use to promote the film? Note: some sites may be blocked if you are working in school - you will need to use your phone or complete your research at home.
The instagram account called @blindedbythelightmovie

5) Select three posts from the Blinded By The Light Instagram page and explain how they promote the film.

The posts have review quotes on them which describe the movie well and allow the audience to get an idea of what the movie will be like. They also show the main characters which can promote those who think they may relate such as south Asians as the main character is from Pakistan and is Muslim. 


6) Go to the Bend It Networks YouTube channel. How does Gurinder Chadha introduce the channel?  What other content is on the Bend It Networks YouTube channel?
She introduces the channel as a platform for audiences to connect with her work and journey.
The channel has: interviews, vlogs and content that relate to events she has done or been to

7) Look at the box office figures for Blinded By The Light from The Numbers website. How much did it make at the box office and why do you think it was largely unsuccessful?
It made around $19 million at box office. 
I think seeing as the budget was $15 million it only made back $4 million profit therefore it wasn't too big of a success.

8) Click on the tabs with further information (such as 'News', 'Box Office' and 'Video Sales'). Copy and paste some more statistics or sales figures to add to your understanding of the film's financial performance.








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