Media Sector: Televison
Broadcast/publication: The series premiered on October 5, 2011, and is broadcast on the cable television channel FX, in the United States. In November 2011, it premiered internationally on the respective countries' Fox International Channels. The second season premiered on October 17, 2012 and concluded January 23, 2013.
Producer: Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.
Key Personnel:
Connie Britton
Dylan McDermott
Evan Peters
Taissa Farmiga
Denis O'Hare
Jessica Lange
Zachary Quinto
Joseph Fiennes
Sarah Paulson
Lily Rabe
Lizzie Brocheré
James Cromwell
Frances Conroy
Emma Roberts
Kathy Bates
Michael Chiklis
Finn Wittrock
Angela Bassett
Executive Producers:
Dante Di Loreto
Ryan Murphy
Brad Falchuk
Tim Minear
James Wong
Jennifer Salt
Bradley Buecker
Producers:
Alexis Martin Woodall
Patrick McKee
Robert M. Williams Jr.
Editors:
Bradley Buecker
Doc Crotzer
Adam Penn
Cinematography:
Christopher Baffa
Michael Goi
Production Companies:
20th Century Fox Television
Ryan Murphy Productions
Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision
Genre:
Horror
Drama
Fantasy
Content, form & style - A general description
The first season, subsequently subtitled Murder House, takes place in Los Angeles, California during the year 2011 and centers on a family that moves into a house haunted by its former deceased occupants. The second season, subtitled Asylum, takes place in Massachusetts during the year 1964 and follows the stories of the inhabitants of an institution for the criminally insane. The third season, subtitled Coven, takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana during the year 2013 and follows a coven of witches who face off against those who wish to destroy them. The fourth season, subtitled Freak Show, takes place in Jupiter, Florida during the year 1952 and centers around one of the few remaining American freak shows. The series is broadcast on the cable television channel FX in the United States. The first season premiered on October 5, 2011, and concluded on December 21, 2011. The second season premiered on October 17, 2012 and concluded on January 23, 2013. The third season premiered on October 9, 2013, and concluded on January 29, 2014. On November 6, 2013, FX renewed American Horror Story for a fourth season of 13 episodes, which began on October 8, 2014. American Horror Story has been well received by television critics. The repertory cast have been critically acclaimed, particularly Jessica Lange, who received the Emmy Award, the Golden Globe Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance. The series draws consistently high ratings for the FX network, with its first season being the biggest new cable series of 2011.
Season 1: Murder House (2011)
American Horror Story: Murder House
The first season, retroactively titled American Horror Story: Murder House, is about infidelity. The story takes place in 2011 and follows the Harmon family: psychiatrist Ben (Dylan McDermott), his wife Vivien (Connie Britton), and their teenage daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga), who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair. The Harmons move into a restored mansion and soon encounter the home's former residents, the Langdons – Constance (Jessica Lange) and her two children, Tate (Evan Peters) and Addie (Jamie Brewer) – and the disfigured Larry Harvey (Denis O'Hare). Ben and Vivien try to rekindle their relationship, as Violet, suffering from depression, finds comfort with Tate. The Langdons and Larry frequently influence the Harmons' lives, as the family discovers that the home is haunted by the ghosts of anyone who has ever died on the property.
Season 2: Asylum (2012–13)
American Horror Story: Asylum
The second season, titled American Horror Story: Asylum, is about sanity. The story takes place in 1964 and follows the patients, doctors and nuns who occupy the Briarcliff Mental Institution, founded to treat and house the criminally insane. The wardens who run the institution include the stern Sister Jude (Jessica Lange), her protégé Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe) and the founder of the institution, Monsignor Timothy Howard (Joseph Fiennes). The doctors charged with treating the patients at the asylum include psychiatrist Dr. Oliver Thredson (Zachary Quinto) and the sadistic scientist Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell). The patients, many of whom claim to be unjustly institutionalized, include lesbian journalist Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson), accused serial killer Kit Walker (Evan Peters), nymphomaniac Shelley (Chloe Sevigny) and alleged murderer Grace Bertrand (Lizzie Brocheré). Briarcliff's inhabitants are routinely subject to supernatural and scientific influences, including demonic possession and extraterrestrial abduction.
Season 3: Coven (2013–14)
American Horror Story: Coven
The third season, titled American Horror Story: Coven, is about oppression; specifically, the oppression of marginalized groups and female empowerment. After the Salem witch trials, descendants of the witches who survived are nearly extinct and are in danger once again. Those who share this unique bloodline are being subjected to strange and violent attacks. A mysterious all-girls boarding school has opened in New Orleans to protect and house young women who carry this genetic affliction, and keep them from the dangers of the outside world. The long-absent Supreme, and most powerful witch of her generation, Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange), arrives to ensure the safety of the coven, but also to fulfill her own hidden agenda. Fiona's daughter, Cordelia (Sarah Paulson), teaches at the school and welcomes its newest student, Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga), who harbors her own harrowing secret. Events reveal a long-held rivalry between the witches of Salem and the Voodoo practitioners of New Orleans, as well as a historic grudge between Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) and socialite serial killer Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates). Other themes include witchcraft, Voodoo, racism, and family, such as the relationships between mothers and daughters. The season is set primarily in the modern day and includes flashbacks to the early 1970s and the 1830s.
Audience Definition
The target audience for American Horror Story are male and female adults 18-49.
Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a film series consisting of three epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson. They are based on the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are subtitled The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003). They were distributed by New Line Cinema.Media Sector:
film
Broadcast/publication:
18 December 2001
(The Fellowship of the Ring)
19 December 2002
(The Two Towers)
17 December 2003
(The Return of the King)
Producer:
Peter Jackson
Barrie M. Osborne
Fran Walsh
Mark Ordesky
Key Personnel:
Elijah Wood
Ian McKellen
Liv Tyler
Viggo Mortensen
Sean Astin
Cate Blanchett
John Rhys-Davies
Bernard Hill
Billy Boyd
Dominic Monaghan
Orlando Bloom
Christopher Lee
Hugo Weaving
Miranda Otto
David Wenham
Brad Dourif
Karl Urban
John Noble
Sean Bean
Ian Holm
Andy Serkis
Screenplay by:
Fran Walsh
Philippa Boyens
Peter Jackson
Stephen Sinclair
Based on:
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Music by:
Howard Shore
Cinematography:
Andrew Lesnie
Edited by:
John Gilbert (The Fellowship of the Ring)
Michael J. Horton, Jabez Olssen (The Two Towers)
Jamie Selkirk (The Return of the King)
Production company:
WingNut Films and The Saul Zaentz Company.
Distributed by:
New Line Cinema
Genre:
Epic ,fantasy, adventure
Content, form & style - A general description
Considered to be one of the biggest and most ambitious film projects ever undertaken, with an overall budget of $281 million (some sources say $310 million-$330 million), the entire project took eight years, with the filming for all three films done simultaneously and entirely in New Zealand, Jackson's native country. Each film in the series also had special extended editions released on DVD a year after their respective theatrical releases. While the films follow the book's general story-line, they do omit some of the novel's plot elements and include some additions to and deviations from the source material.
Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, the films follow the hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) as he and a Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, and thus ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron. The Fellowship becomes divided and Frodo continues the quest together with his loyal companion Sam (Sean Astin) and the treacherous Gollum (Andy Serkis). Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), heir in exile to the throne of Gondor, and the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) unite and rally the Free Peoples of Middle-earth in the War of the Ring.
The series was a major financial success, with the films collectively being among the highest-grossing film series of all time. The films were critically acclaimed and heavily awarded, winning 17 out of 30 total Academy Award nominations. The final film in the series, The Return of the King, won all of its 11 Academy Awards nominations, tying it with Ben-Hur and Titanic for most Academy Awards received for a film. The series received wide praise for its innovative special and visual effects.
Audience Definition
The target audience for Lord Of The Rings are male and female adults 15-65.
