Independent case study: peer assessment

Name of student whose blog you are assessing: 

Tejas

Name of film they have researched:

Skyfall

Have they covered all three platforms?

Yes

Examples they have provided from print platform: 

2 posters and a billboard poster

Examples they have provided from broadcast platform: 
Unlock the 007 in you. You have 70 seconds!
Heineken Commercial with Daniel CraigSony SKYFALL AdvertTomFord SKYFALL AdvertOmega James Bond 007 SKYFALL TV Advert

Examples they have provided from e-media platform:

Twitter, Facebook and Google+

What institutional information did they find out about the film? 

Who produced and distributed Skyfall, the budget of the film, its success and what it is rated.

What issues did they find in terms of representation in the film they studied? 

Sky fall portrays people in the working class.

What links or comparisons can you find between this case study and Ill Manors?

Both set in and around the area of London however they have a different ideologies and representations behind people and places

Is there anything you can learn from this case study? What could you add to your own case study after looking at someone else's work? 

That Skyfall along with my case study and A Field In England have similarities especially when observing their settings.

Section B exam question

Consider how imaginative technique are used by media from your cross-media study to attract and maintain audience. Support your answers with reference a range of examples from three media platforms [32 marks]

Through careful examination and analysis of the films Ill Manors, A field In England and Belle, I was able to see their difference and similarities. For example, all industries used imaginative techniques to attract and maintain their audiences.

Ben Drew’s film ill Manors used a variety of imaginative techniques on the e-media platform to attract and maintain his audience. One of the ways to promote Ill Manors besides attract a bigger fan base was the tag London campaign. In synergy with the film’s soundtrack album, Ben Drew’s (also known as Plan B) fans tweeted their opinions on modern Britain along with the hashtag #illmanors. Some of these tweets were recreated by graffiti artist which were projected on London landmarks such as the Tate Britain and the House of Parliament. As Plan B portrayed that the government, especially David Cameron, do not aid young people or those who are less fortunate, projecting the tweets on the House of Parliament was significant. This helped to emphasise the political aspect of the film’s narrative besides draw attention to the film and soundtrack album. The fact that the audience was involved in promoting ill Manors by helping with the campaign made it quite successful. The website that offered links to the audience to buy, watch listen to ill Manors-related products. The graffiti and references to ‘broken Britain’ would appeal to the target audience of ill Manors of young, disaffected, urban people. Although, ‘lines of appeal’ (Dyer) might be ‘art’ (linking to the graffiti) and ‘glamorous locations’ (the ionic London landmarks). This would perhaps attract and maintain the interest of a middle class, left win, intellectual audience. Also the DVD release helped to maintain the audience as ill Manors came out in June but the DVD was released in September. The time gap enabled the audience to still look forward to a release from ill Manors. Another key aspect of the Ill Manors e-media promotion was the use of celebrity endorsement. Ben Drew asked celebrities to tweet and re-tweet references to the film to generate interest around the premiere of the film and the cinema release date. Later, is a great example of the two-step flow theory with ‘opinion leaders’ (celebrities) being use to promote the film to a wider audience which will attract people.

The print for ill Manors was another imaginative technique used to attract and maintain its audience. For example, the audience was attracted by the strong ill Manors brand. On every print platform, whether it was a billboard, poster or a DVD cover, the same font was used on ill Manors which made it recognizable for the audience. The font portrays estate buildings which links with the narrative for the film. In order to maintain but also attract the audience, Ben Drew went on interviews and magazine cover photo shoots. On the Men’s Health front cover magazine, he was photographed with a £1000 jacket. The medium shot of him differed from his usual look and attitude. His old fans who listens to his soundtracks would be surprised at this as his songs are towards the urban side however, Men’s Health magazine is directed towards the higher class social group and overall is a formal magazine. He was interviewed about how he had to lose weight for ill Manors which enabled the target audience to find personal identification (Blumler and Katz) in the article as they would be able to relate to his situation especially seeing is the demographics for the magazine is men aged 20-40 and the magazine promotes how they can lose weight. To attract a larger audience, Plan B was also on the front cover of the NME magazine. This picture was greatly effective but most importantly different from the Men’s Health magazine because he was photographed with his middle finger up and it said “…David Cameron be very afraid”. This depicts Plan B’s whole point about ill Manors and his soundtracks because he targets the government for the reason why there is a ‘broken Britain’. The magazine mostly targets reformers and people in the lower class group, D or E who would be interested to see why there is a threat towards David Cameron. The picture would send enigma codes to the audience and would draw attention to ill Manors as, in the article where Plan B was interviewed, in synergy, he mentions his soundtrack album. These imaginative print platforms helped attract audiences but also maintain as people would have been intrigued to find out Ben Drew’s personal opinion for ill Manors through the magazines.

Another way Ben Drew was able to attract and maintain audiences for ill manors through an imaginative manner was through the broadcast platform. He went on numerous TV chat show, interviews for instance the Tedx Lecture where he explained thoroughly his beliefs and values and why he wanted to create Ill Manors. Plan B explained that ill Manors is an oppositional reading (Hall) because he wanted to contradict the dominant ideology for young people as the media always convey young people as dangerous and as CHAVS (Council House And Violent). Young people in the media are continually associated with moral panic (Cohen) and Plan B wants to contradict this which would appeal to the eyes of reformers and strugglers. Plan B was also interviewed in a different way on the SBTV. Whilst he was editing for ill Manors, one of his unknown actors interviewed him. Even though the interview was informal, it would have help attract and perhaps maintain the audience for ill Manors because everyone is able to see him at work. Plan B is portrayed as a hard worker in this interview because he explains how the editing is going. The comedy of the interview would appeal to the core audience for ill Manors which would be young people as there is also a sense of rebellion in the beginning of the interview. A way in which Ben Drew was able to really maintain his audience was through the music video. His old fans would want to listen and find out how this links with the film but also it would attract new listeners. The music video is in synergy with the film ill Manors because the narrative is similar. However, the music video portrays a more powerful as well as meaningful message which would have been able to spread through YouTube and it was also on the Ill Manors official website. Through e-media, print and broadcast Ben Drew was able to attract and maintain his audience.

A Field in England used distribution as their main imaginative technique to attract audiences. A Field in England is an art house film which differs from a typical Hollywood movie and was made for £300K. The film was known for its imaginative distribution as they released all their platforms on the same day. They simultaneously released the film in VOD, free broadcast TV, DVD/Blu Ray and cinema. Field in England’s audacious approach to distribution certainly generated media interest and debate about the future of the current Hollywood model as it became the number one trending topic on Twitter in the UK. The advantage of doing so was that it attracted a lot of people and many were curious to find out why this film decided on doing such a unique distribution. The only problem that arose was that advertising and promoting the film would only be for a short period seeing how every platform had already been released. However, they film did get people talking and because it was a British film, it attracted the American audience as well as the British.

Lastly, the independent case study I chose was Belle. An imaginative way Bell attracted and maintained audiences is through print work. The main character Gugu Mbatha-Raw was on front covers of magazines such as ‘Rolling Out’ and was on most of all the print platforms used to promote the film. The brand used was effective as it was constructed around the font of Belle as it is a recognizable way to recognize the film. Also the main when shown on print works is in the costume for the film and is posing in a sophisticated and powerful manner. The brand connotes strength and power to the ones who are looked down on but also it connotes the 1700s and how racial opinions were much different than how they are today. Overall, it connotes the settings of the film which brings the powerful meaning behind Belle. This can be said to be similar to Ill manors because the ill Manors brand was also the font of ill Manors and how they conveyed the setting of the film which was estate buildings which then gives more information on the meaning behind the film. The fact that the film’s mise-en-scene was in 1700s Britain and the actors had British accents, which would appeal to the American audience. Another imaginative way in which Belle attracted and maintained their audience was through the e-media platform. On Instagram and Twitter hashtags of #bellefilm was going around and people were linking the hashtag with #12yearsaslave as both movies had a similar narrative. Also on Facebook, Oprah Winfrey stated how much she loved the film Belle and advised her fans to go watch the film. She then uploaded a picture of her with the stars of Belle. This is an example of the two-step flow theory because, as a famous person who has millions of fans that look up to her and listen to her advice besides opinion. Oprah has shown her fan base that she loves the movie. This promotes the film because her fans would be interested to watch the movie and perhaps even love it because Oprah did. Also the picture she uploaded helps to promote the film and the stars as people would recognize them after seeing the picture. Through the print platform, Bell attracted a bigger audience however through the e-media platform, Belle maintained audiences due to the continuous use of hashtags and uploads on social media.



To conclude, all three cross-media studies was able to attract and maintain audience by using imaginative techniques through the e-media, print and broadcast platforms.

MEST1 Section B: Independent case study

Case study research tasks

Belle ($11m budget)

The basics

1) What is the name of the film, the director and notable stars?

Name of the film: Belle

Director: Amma Asante

Notable stars: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, Matthew Goode, Emily Watson. 

2) When was it released?

Release date: 2 May 2014 (United States) 13 June 2014(United Kingdom)

3) What genre is the film? What are the generic conventions that tell you the film belongs to this genre?

Genre: Drama film

You can tell that the film belongs to this genre because of the in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Also the theme of racial prejudice is portrayed throughout the film which is a dramatic theme.  

4) What was the critical reception? What is the film rated on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes?

The film received a great reception and was rated 7.4 out of 10 on IMDB.

Broadcast

1) Write a close-textual analysis of the trailer using the MIGRAIN key concepts of Media Studies.

The trailer for Belle clearly shows the audience the time the movie was set due to the costumes that were worn. It was set in England in the late 1700s were racial attitudes has not completely changed compared today. This would attract the American audience as the film portrays the British culture back in the days. The non-diegetic sound helps to create the setting of an old-fashion British lifestyle. The trailer itself helps to promote the film as it would be distributed around social media but also on the trailer, they reveal comments and ratings on the film. The trailer also shows the meaning behind the film, which is to do with racism and it includes the words "I have no idea she would be so black".

2) Find examples of television promotion on YouTube (adverts, chat shows, ‘red carpet’ interviews etc.) and post them to your blog along with an explanation of how these promote the film.

This red carpet interview promotes the film because it helps create a buzz about the film Belle. This would be posted on YouTube which would interest people and help bring more interest to Belle. 

This interview for the main character Gugu Mbatha-Raw and the director Amma Asante, allows the audience to see the true identity of the main character and the ambitions of the director. This helps maintain the audiences attention toward the film as they would be intrigued to find out more about the Belle. 

The chat show between most of the characters from Belle gives the audience some behind the scenes information about Belle. This helps promote the film because it keeps everyone interested and it helps increase the audience for the film as people would pay more attention to it. 

3) Does the broadcast promotion use stars to create interest in the film?

Yes, especially the main star as she is not a known actress and it was her first time doing a period drama therefore people are able to develop a personal relationship with her. People were amazed with the way she portrayed her character and so she was in most of the interviews and chat shows. 

Print

1) Read at least THREE reviews of the film and provide a quote from each one.

Rotten Tomatoes- "a spirited, good-natured and crowd-pleasing costume drama"
Time Out- "a good-looking and exceedingly polite film"
IMDb- "worth traveling to see"

2) Find examples of print promotion (e.g. film poster, billboard adverts etc.) on Google images and post them to your blog along with an explanation of how these promote the film.

This print promotion is a billboard poster which promotes the film to people on the streets by informing them when the film comes and who are the main characters. 

This DVD cover promotes Belle as this would be the cover that people see at DVD shops. The print has a close-up of the main character posing sophisticatedly which can be seen amongst the majority of the print promotion so it is almost like the film's Brand. 

This magazine cover promotes the film also because the main character is once again posing in a sophisticated manner. The font used to write the title of the film "Belle" is also similar to the font used for the DVD cover. 

3) Choose ONE print advert and write a textual analysis of what it communicates to the audience.

Rolling Out is a magazine provides black celebrity news, entertainment, business and politics. Therefore it helps to increase the film Belle's fan base due to the relatable theme and narrative that Belle provides.

Gugu is portrayed in this magazine as a strong representation of women and as someone that all women should follow. This is because the posture that Gugu is posing conveys power and strength. The sell line also states the word "empower" which is definitely the theme that the magazine is trying to depict. The pose and the setting around her is usually how important royal people were asked to pose when having their painting drawn. Since she is in olden time costumer, the magazine might bring enigma codes as people will be confused why a mixed race women would be allowed to pose like that especially if the movie was set in the 1700's. This also gives hints about the narrative of the film because it is a true story all based around a picture where two women were drawn with equal standards despite being different races. 

4) How is the film’s brand constructed? What does the brand connote? Does it remind you of any other brands or similar films?

The film brand is constructed around the font of Belle as it is a recognizable way to recognize the film. Also the main character is a big part to the brand because she is always shown on chat shows or print promotions and when she is shown on these print works she is in the costume for the film and is posing in a sophisticated and powerful manner. 
The brand connotes strength and power to the ones who are looked down on but also it connotes the 1700s and how racial opinions were much different then then how they are today. Overall, it connotes the settings of the film which brings the powerful meaning behind Belle.
This can be said to be similar to Ill manors because the ill Manors brand was also the font of ill Manors and how they conveyed the setting of the film which was estate buildings which then gives more information on the meaning behind the film. 

E-media

1) Research the film’s presence on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. How does the film’s social media presence help promote the film?

On Twitter, there were a lot of hashtags used for the film such as #bellemovie. This helps promote the film because the more hashtags being used and seen the more people will want to know and see Belle which could make the hashtag go trending. 
On Facebook, the Bell page has a lot of people who follow the page and therefore, in order to promote the film and maintain the interest of the readers, videos and pictures as well as statuses about Belle was constantly uploaded so that the audience can gain knowledge about the film. 
On Instagram, there wasn't a page for promoting Belle, however, numerous amounts of hashtags of users who enjoyed the film was to be seen. This helps promote the film because more and more people will see the hashtag as well as a picture of or from the movie. This can help expand the fan base for the film.

2) Analyse the official website for the film. How does it use the film’s brand? What examples of synergy can you find with the other platforms?

http://www.belle-themovie.com/#/

The website has a big picture of Gugu, the main character on the website. There are many details that are on the website. The trailer besides other videos are on the website along with pictures from the movie. Links to social media is seen on the website, which is an example of synergy, as well as film review quotes from The New York Times and the Screen Daily. The website uses the film's brand as Gugu is seen in her usual 1700's costume but also the font of Belle is clearly seen at the top. 

3) Did the film run any kind of e-media based campaign to generate interest in the film?

There was synergy shown during the campaign on twitter where people would hashtag #belle along side with#12yearsaslave which is a popular movie to do with racism. This would have helped promote the film and make it more known.

4) Can you find any examples of the two-step flow theory online – did celebrities or journalists tweet or post about the film in order to promote it to their followers?

On Facebook, Oprah Winfrey stated: I loved the #BelleMovie so much I invited cast to lunch at my house. GuGu Mbatha-Raw is a rising star! Watch tonite on Entertainment Tonight.
She then uploaded a picture of her with the stars of Belle. 
This is an example of the two-step flow theory because, as a famous person who has millions of fans that look up to her and listen to her advice besides opinion. Oprah has shown her fan base that she loves the movie. This promotes the film because her fans would be interested to watch the movie and perhaps even love it because Oprah did. Also the picture she uploaded helps to promote the film and the stars as people would recognize them after seeing the picture. 

Audience

1) Who is the target audience for this film? Demographics and psychographics.

The target audience for Belle would be people of the age 24-50 who are reformers and strugglers. They would be in the demographic group of B and C1 so in the middle of the social class group as they would be interested in the setting of the film. 

2) How does the cross-media promotional campaign target this audience?

It target the audience through social media and synergy between broadcast and e-media especially with relating the film with 12 years a slave which shares a similar narrative.

3) What audience pleasures does the film provide? Think about the BFI lecture on audience pleasures in British film.

Due to the use of British accents and olden time costumes that was worn in the 1700s, this would appeal to the British audience but also the American audience as they usually enjoy watching films that provide a historical background on Britain. There is also a sense of personal relationship in the film as the audience would feel sympathy for Dido and would taker her side and view her as the protagonist. 

4) What similar films would the target audience enjoy? Justify your suggestions.

Films with a story behind it would greatly appeal to the target audience for example 12 years a slave. Other films would be those who send a positive message or a film that displays the change form our generation to the earlier generations.

Institution

1) Which film studio produced the film? What other films have they produced? Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?

DJ Films

Isle of Man Film
Pinewood Pictures
BFI
2) Which company distributed the film in the UK? What other films have they distributed?

Fox Searchlight Pictures
Slumdog Millionaire , 12 Years a Slave , and Birdman

3) Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?

The films that they produce can be similar and the target audience is also similar but that is not the case for all the films.

4)What was the budget for the film?

$10.9m
5) How successful was the film financially? Why do you think this was?

Financially, the film was successful as at box office, it made $15,500,793. This was due to the narrative of Belle. However, Belle's e-media and print campaign helped promote the film and make it more known. 
6) Was this film more successful in the UK or worldwide/USA? Why do you think this is?



7) What certificate was the film given (12A, 18 etc.)? What was the reason for this certificate? Is the certification important for this film in terms of targeting its audience? Why?

12A because the film has some parts of the film may be too much for people under the age of 12. 

Representation

1) What representations of people, places or groups can be found in this film?

Representation of black people and white rich people is made here which brings us to what Dyer suggested about people with power stereotype those with less power. Their was representations of the places as their were many big houses and mansions shown which represents wealth and riches. 

2) What representation of ‘Britishness’ does the film contain?

The film overall contains a lot of 'Britishness'. You can see this through the british accents used and the costumes that people in Britain would wear in the 1700's. This also applies to the setting of the film as it is set in the late British times.

3) How does the representation of Britain differ to Ill Manors?

Ill Manors represents Britain as 'broken britain' and shows all the drugs and violence that happens on the streets. However, Belle showed the posh and rich side that Britain had. 

4) What values and ideologies can you find in your chosen film? (E.g. The King’s Speech is extremely patriotic, pro-monarchy etc.)

The main ideology and value shown here is about going against the ideology of everyone not being equal. Also the factor of strength and difference is applied to the film.

Case study comparison

1) What similarities and differences can you find between Ill Manors, A Field In England and your chosen case study film? List all that apply.

All the films are filmed and show some sort of British side. They all show some sort of reality  and Belle and Ill Manors are both based on some sort of true story but Ill Manors focuses more on social realism.

Section B exam question plan

Consider how imaginative techniques are used by media products from your cross-media study to attract and maintain audiences. Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms

 [32 marks]

Introduction

Introduce industry (film), case studies : Ill Manors, A field In England & Belle

Imaginative techniques are used by media products by...

(one sentence to answer question)

Par 1

Ill Manors e-media (what it was)

• Tag london, the publicity that Ill Manors got from it + the websites {brand}
• celebrities [=two step flow theory], twitter. The tweeted there opinions which their fans would support which got people talking 
• Maintain - social network, continuously updating, hashtag . keeping people interested with new uploads and details 
• June- September (DVD release)

Par 2

Ill Manors Print

• Audience attracted by strong brand. The "Ill Manors" font portraying the estate buildings became familiar
• Magazine interviews/ Men's health £1,000 jacket. Displayed a different side of Plan B which is a different approach to the audience
• NME magazine- political angle. Directed towards David Cameron which attracted the audience due to its imaginative technique. 

Par 3

Ill Manors Broadcast

• Tedx talk with Plan B. Audience is able to learn about Ill Manors and Plan B himself
• Radio 1 or SBTV or TV chat show. shows the reality of Ill Manors and the actors especially the director plan b. Once again audience is attracted because they want to know more about Ill Manors
• Music video...(maintain) there would be old fans who listened to plan B who would continue to support him. The music video links well to the film ..

Par 4

A Field In England

• Imaginative distribution- all platforms on same day. Attracts the audience and is an imaginative technique as no one has ever done that before due to the risk of the popularity rate not being long. 
• Arthouse film -typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience.
• little money used compared to other hollywood films like Skyfall

Par 5

Independant case study- Belle

• mis-en-scene of Belle. Costumes... Lighting... Actors/Actress... Make-up...Props...Setting
• Oprah Winfrey- America- two step flow theory
• the red carpet interviews 
• Americans love watching British films- (British accents used)

Conclusion

Summarise all points considered and reach a logical conclusion/ answer

Production Targets 18/03/2015

-Mise-en-scene- what's in the background?
-Use over the shoulder shots (shots reverse) for dialogue
-Avoid zooms
-Tighter focus after each edit; medium shot to close up
-Sitting down instead of EBlock scene
-Reduce volume during dialogue
-Instrumental music
-Re-shoot blurred shot of Alison then add surveillance filler/text,etc
-All shots the same frame size
-Opening, more dialogue
-Titles

Turtorial Targets 18/03/2015

Front Cover

-fewer fonts& fewer straplines
-sale? move circle
-move strap lines right
-most prominent strapline; image
- avoid overlapping image
-make masthead recognizable 
-New Fun?

Double Page Spread

-'the scenes'; loose shadow? 

-standfirst; reword + justifying 

-quotes; same font

-second image; edit?

-paragraphing spacing

MEST1 Section B: index

January 2015 > Ill Manors > ill manors film review

January 2015 > Ill Manors > ill manors trailer analysis
January 2015 > Ill Manors > ill manors tedx lecture
January 2015 > Ill Manors > ill manors music video

February 2015 > Ill Manors > ill manors broadcast platform concluded

February 2015 > Ill Manors > ill manors print platform initial tasks

February 2015 > Ill Manors > print platform branding

March 2015 > Ill Manors > ill manors e-media tag london campaign

March 2015 > Ill Manors > social media research questions

March 2015 > Ill Manors > ill manors official website

March 2015 > Ill Manors > ill manors institution research

March 2015 > A Field In England > mest1 section b field in england.html

MEST1 Section B: A Field In England

100 word summary of the Media Magazine article on A Field In England

The article on A Field In England explains the distribution of the film and film distribution is a high-risk battle for revenue, with the major Hollywood studios packing the biggest punches. A distributor’s campaign strategy is therefore complex and it costs a lot, due to the thorough research and creativity.The industry’s costly model for distribution is, dominated by Hollywood. For example, the average Hollywood movie costs approximately $100 million to make, and a further $50 million to distribute. Whereas A Field in England was made for £300K. A Field in England’s audacious approach to distribution certainly generated media interest and debate about the future of the current Hollywood model as it became the number one trending topic on Twitter in the UK. It has shown that certain films can now benefit from a more diverse release strategy.

Questions

How was A Field In England’s release different to typical film releases?

A Field In England is an art house film which differs from a typical Hollywood movie. But also it was the first film in the UK to launch simultaneously across all platforms; VOD, free broadcast TV, DVD/Blu Ray and cinema.

What are the advantages to releasing the film across all platforms on the same day?

An advantage of releasing the film across all platforms on the same day is that it attracts attention. Since it is something that is not normally done, people would be curious to find out what is going on which can get people talking about the film. 

What are the disadvantages to this approach?

Advertising and promoting the film would only be in a short period due to all the platforms being released on the same day. This would mean people would only be talking about the film for a couple of weeks as there would be no need to promote anything else about the film.

What target audience would A Field In England be aimed at? Demographics and Psychographics.

The target audience for A Field In England would be people aged 18-35. This is because to understand the film, you would need to really think about the concept and narrative therefore it would attract the older age group. The psychographics of the film would be explorers and perhaps the resigned which are people who would be interested in with an intriguing narrative as they would enjoy figuring out the plot. 

Do you think all films in future will be released across all platforms simultaneously?

Personally, I don't think all films in the future will be released across all platforms simultaneously. Maybe art house films would try this method on numerous occasions in order to gain publicity, however, an average Hollywood movie would try to increase their profit expanding the time in which they release the films in the different platforms. There would be a decrease in profit if Hollywood movies decided to release a film across all platforms simultaneously as more people would save money by watching it on free broadcast TV.

Ill Manors: institution research

Distribution research

Research film distribution using this guide from the UK Film Distributors' Association. It's called Launching Film and takes you through the whole process of distributing a movie.
Read the whole step-by-step guide (warning: this is LONG and will take you around an hour)

Summarise the 10 steps of film distribution in a list using your own words.


Scene 1: Film sharing experiences and escapism are the main focus of film distributors.
Scene 2: Lord Putnam- movies are capable of enriching as they influence the games and music we play and listen to. The task of distributors is to identify and deliver the largest possible audience for every film. Most cinema goers know what they want to see in advance; mainly due to competing distributors efforts to promote .
Scene 3: What distributors do: launch and sustain films in the market place.
Scene 4: The UK have six major distributors who are all affiliated to Hollywood studios.
Scene 5: How distributors get their films - sources usually a third party sales agent or a studio/production company.
Scene 6: Distribution deal- sign formal contract with the producer specifying the rights they hold in respect of the title- the right to release in UK cinemas and promote across all media.
Scene 7: Planning the release- distributor is either heavily involved in the production or is briefly involved.
Scene 8: When and how to release the film to optimise it's chances, who the film is aimed at and who the audience is.
Scene 9: Job of distributors to raise awareness and interest in a film to persuade a potential audience to buy tickets.
scene 10: Where the film should play- theoretical release is effectively a joint venture between the distributor and exhibitor.

Ill Manors: Funding and production budget

What was the estimated budget for Ill Manors?

£100,000

Where did the money come from? List the different organisations and companies that contributed funding to Ill Manors.

Film London Microwave
BBC Film

How did the Ill Manors budget compare to a Hollywood blockbuster such as Skyfall?

Compared to a Hollywood movie such as Skyfall, the Ill Manors budget was really small as the budget for Skyfall was  $210 million (which Sony helped fund) whereas Ill Manors was only £100,00.

Film London and Microwave Film

What is Film London and why does it exist?

Film London is the capital's film and media agency - discovering and promoting film making talent in London. This includes all the screen industries based in London - film, television, video, commercials and new interactive media. Film London aims to ensure the capital is a thriving centre for creative industries sector that enrich the city's businesses and its people

What is the purpose of Microwave Film?

Microwave is Film London's micro-budget feature film-making scheme which aims to commission the next generation of film-making talent in the capital and offers fledgling talent an avenue into feature production. 

List three other films funded by Microwave Film and embed their trailers in your blog.

Shifty

Strawberry Fields

Freestyle

Choose one film funded by Microwave film and explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences)

Shifty
Similarities: Not only do Shifty and Ill Manors have a similar target audience, but they have the same social realism genre. They are both crime/drama films that are set in London. They both have similar settings of estates and they have similar narratives which includes the illegal use of drugs. Ill Manors and Shifty both use the same actor for their main character. Also they have used similar soundtracks which is by Plan B. 

Difference: In the narrative for Shifty, there was no story of prostitution. Also there was less characters used therefore the way the story is told in Shifty would be different to the way it is told in Ill Manors. Another thing is, in Shifty there is an element of humour in the film whereas in Ill Manors things are realistic besides serious. 

Distributor: Revolver Entertainment

When was Revolver Entertainment created?

In 1997

Revolver Entertainment enjoyed a lot of success with the UK urban drama genre. Find three Revolver films that fit that genre, embed the trailers from YouTube and write about why they were successful.

The film Shank was successful in its distribution as it received great publicity and advertisement from celebrities. Also, the shocking scenes in the trailer would make their target audience what to go see the film with urgency.  

Sket was successful due to the different narrative. It was a urban crime/drama that appealed more to the female audience. 

Kidulthood was successful as it was a a sequel to Adulthood (2008). People were curious to see how the link between the two films which got people talking. 

Choose one film distributed by Revolver Entertainment and explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences).

Anuvahood 
Similarities: Anuvahood and Ill Manors both include the concept of drugs and violence and both share the genre of a crime/drama and the setting of estates.

Differences: In terms of the context, Anuvahood is seen as more of a comedy based film rather than what Ill Manors convey, a realistic view on society.

Why did Revolver Entertainment go out of business in 2013?

Most sales companies and producers who had films set to be released by Revolver have now renegotiated deals or are in discussions with new distributors. AV were the first to announce a restructured deal on their thriller The Liability. Also, Revolver Entertainment has been suffering financially causing problems with staff's payments. 

How is new technology changing the way films are being distributed?

An online streaming for launching a film is now starting to be introduced.

Gunslinger

Visit the Gunslinger website and list the three films currently in development (click on theSlate tab).
Research the Gunslinger/Revolver film Shank. Embed the trailer in your blog and explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences).

Similarities: In both Shank and Ill Manors there is the sense of violence and crime. They both fit the urban British crime/drama genre due to both having similar estate settings. 

Differences: However, it seems that Shank aims more to get the audience thrilled over the action due to the amount of violence shown in the trailer. Ill manors focuses more on the devastation that has been caused in Britain.

List other Gunslinger films that fit the UK urban drama genre. Why does Gunslinger focus on this genre in particular?

Kidulthood
Adulthood
They are showing the urban side of London and how teenagers are portrayed. They speak directly to fans of this burgeoning genre.

Research the British social realism genre. How do Gunslinger films fit into the social realism genre?

Social Realism, an international art movement who draw attention to the everyday conditions of the working classes and the poor, and who are critical of the social structures that maintain these conditions.

Gunslinger films fit into the social realism genre as it differs from the typical Hollywood films due to the realistic narrative which usually portrays the devastating side of Britain.
Why does the UK urban drama genre appeal to an audience?

For those who live in the UK, they are able to relate to the narrative as they too may be living in a similar situation and therefore they can find personal identification in the UK urban drama genre. For an audience who are abroad, they would be interested in observing the British lifestyle and would enjoy seeing the settings in London. 

Certification

One final aspect of institution is the certificate the film was awarded for exhibition. This is decided by the British Board of Film Classification.

How does the certification process work at the BBFC?

The law suggested that scenes that could include, sex, violence, drugs or horror must be considered. It has a statutory requirement to classify videos, DVDs and, to a lesser extent, some video games under the Video Recordings Act 2010.

Think about the certificate of Ill Manors (18 certificate). What is deemed acceptable for an 18 certificate? What is the difference between a 15 certificate and an 18 certificate?

Films under this category do not have limitation on the foul language that is used. Hard drugs are generally allowed, and explicit sex references along with detailed sexual activity are also allowed. Scenes of strong real sex may be permitted if justified by the context. Very strong, gory, and/or sadistic violence is usually permitted. Strong sexual violence is permitted unless it is eroticized or excessively graphic.A 15 certificate is only for people of the age of 15 and over. Films under this category can contain adult themes, hard drugs, regular use of foul language and limited use of very strong language, strong violence and strong sex references, and nudity without graphic detail. Sexual activity may be portrayed but without any strong detail. Sexual violence may be shown if discreet and justified by context.

What are the advantages and disadvantages for a film in being given an 18 certificate?

ADVANTAGE

It gives parents a clear idea of how and why films have been rated and what issues the films contain. BBFCinsight helps parents, carers and other viewers make informed choices about what they watch.

DISADVANTAGE

The target audience will not be as big due to certain age restrictions.

Tutorial Targets 11/03/15

Front Cover

No comic sans
smaller straplines
change fonts (da fonts)
loose page reference
tagline
price/date by barcode

Double Page

stand first paragrapgh

3 images on first page

change quoye font

smaller paragraphs

make subheading more snappy 

MEST1 mock exam: learner response

Question 4) Media Audiences

The program, to a certain degree, informs, educates and entertains the audience. Throughout the sequence, there were some educational references for the target audience. For example, some people might not have known that penguins were famous for the belly flop but by watching the sequences, they would have learned. Also, the use of technology was another great way to help educate the audience as the quality of the filming gave the audience the ability to see the extreme beauty of the environment 

This clearly links to inform. The programme informed the audience certain things such as the difficulty of capturing the penguin doing the belly flop in action. 

Also, the programme was able to entertain. There were many humorous moments in the programme such as when one of the crew/team was getting run over by the penguins.Throughout the sequence, humour references were made to make Frozen Planet more entertaining for the audience. 

The target audience is from the age of 25-50 and by watching the programme and being educated, the category of surveillance comes to mind as they are observing nature. They may also find personal identification by being informed and educated about the situation. They would be succeeders, resigned and explorers,so people who usually find interest in nature. Therefore, they would fall into the upper section on the social class, perhaps A or B.  The majority of the audience would find this programme educative, informative and entertaining.  

Social media research questions

Ill Manors Facebook page

How many 'likes' has the Ill Manors film page had?

31,561 likes

What is the top of the page promoting?

They are promoting Ben Drew and the Ill Manors film.

Choose five of the posts on the page's wall, screengrab them and explain how they appeal to the Ill Manor's target audience.

The Brit Awards attracts the Ill Manor's target audience because their audiences may already listen to some of Plan B's soundtracks so they would be interested in the music industry.

This could be a personal identity for the target audience and because they are asking for 16-19 it relates to Ill Manors target audience which consists of mostly young people. Since they would be strugglers, this opportunity would appeal to them

Since the target audience consist of reformers, the subject of change would interest them.

This post is about meeting Plan B and the cast of Ill Manors so this could be for those who developed a  personal relationship with the Ill Manors group 

In general, the target audience would be interested to know where they can get a copy of the Ill Manors film. 

Find three examples of synergy with other platforms (links to broadcast clips or newspaper/magazine articles). Explain how each one promotes the film.

The song itself links to the film 

Revolver Entertainment helped promote the film

The fact that Plan B is nominated helps promote the film as people will wonder what film has gave him this opportunity

Find three examples on the Facebook wall of opportunities for user generated content or audience interaction (e.g. a question that invites people to comment or a competition to enter).

A question that allows the audience to leave a comment

A competition for the audience

A question that allows the audience to answer to

Find three examples of the Facebook page cross-promoting the soundtrack or DVD release.

Find the Twitter graffiti campaign link on the Facebook wall and screengrab it.

How did the institution use the Facebook page to promote the film's release in May/June 2012?

The Facebook page continuously posted things about Ill Manors and the trailer and synergies that linked to the Film.

Ill Manors Twitter feed

How does the Ill Manors Twitter feed use the Ill Manors brand to promote the film?

The Ill Manors Twitter feed has pictures and tweets that promote the film

What hashtags are used on the Ill Manors Twitter feed?

#IllManors #10 #Brilliant #BenDrew #Promote

Find three celebrities the Ill Manors Twitter feed re-tweeted to promote the film and explain how they appeal to the Ill Manors target audience.

@MicRighteous-  famous uk rapper therefore his big audience would want to watch what he promotes. 

@joshmeatsix -  famous singer from a band so if he promotes ill manors his fans would go see it.

@MicRighteous-  famous uk rapper so his audience is likely to go and watch the film if he promotes it.
How has the Ill Manors Twitter feed used pictures to help promote the film?

There was pictures shown of people buying the film and the film being advertised which leaves other people questioning what is Ill Manors all about.

Find examples of the Ill Manors Tag London campaign in the Ill Manors Twitter feed and explain how they help to target the right audience for the film.

This helped target the right audience as it is in the form of graffiti which gets peoples attention especially those who are interested in what is going on around them. 

How was the Ill Manors Twitter feed used to specifically promote the release of the film (May/June 2012) and the release on DVD (October 2012)? Choose three tweets for each and explain how they effectively promote the film.


-The #illManors album gets 5 Stars in @Metro_Ents today!"
-#illManors, the album, is OUT NOW! Can't wait? Download it from itunes now: smarturl.it/illmanors.albm "
-Take it out now! http://smarturl.it/illmanors.albm <<< Your #illMANORS DELUXE ALBUM is ready to download from @iTunesMusic" 

These tweets effectively promote the film because they advertise them film, say the films ratings and explain where you can get the soundtrack for the film.

Ill Manors on Instagram

How has Ill Manors used the Instagram platform to promote Ill Manors?

The images were posted as vital to watch with tags that could potentially start trending.

Choose three particular images/posts and explain why they are effective in promoting the film.

They all display the Ill Manors brand very clearly

What hashtags are used on Instagram to promote the film? Is there consistency in branding/hashtags across social media? Why is this important?

#ILLMANORS #PLANB #RIZAHMED #MASTERPIECE #SAVETHEKIDS all the hashtags  mention the film, the actors or PlanB. The consistent mention of this helps the audience to recognise and remember the tags & this way more people are more likely to notice Ill Manors which leads to more attention to the film.

Find three images on Instagram tagged with Ill Manors that relate to other texts you have studied across the three platforms (such as the music video, TEDx lecture or a print interview). Explain the synergy between the texts.

All 3 of these images promote the soundtrack and movie & they all have the mention of Ill Manors in them . 

YouTube - planbuk channel

How was the planbuk YouTube channel used to promote the Ill Manors film?

Clips to promote Ill Manors have been uploaded on the planbuk YouTube channel. 

Find examples of synergy or cross-promotion between the planbuk YouTube channel and other media texts you have studied as part of the case study. Explain how they both promote the film and appeal to the Ill Manors target audience.

When Plan B did the TEDx talk, he showed his music video from his youtube channel. The TEDX talk and the music video promotes the film as it shows how young people can loose control if they don't gain aid by people who are in the position to help them

What links to other social networking sites can you find on the planbuk channel homepage?

itunes

Facebook

soundclound

twitter