Mock exam: learner reponse

Feedback

WWW: 
Good application of ideas. 
Theories in place.

EBI:
Shorter paragraphs - focus on one platform at a time.
Focus on the question. 
Add two more paragraphs on narrative.

I succeeded in meeting my target grade. 

As an overall, I think I answered each question successfully. However, I didn't cover as many points as I could've. I need to improve on both question 2 and 4 as I didn't cover as many points. I didn't write much for question 4 as I was running out of time, and lost out on quite a few marks. So I therefore need to work on my time management in order to secure as many marks as possible.  My strongest question that I answered was question 1 and in my opinion, it was the easiest question. 

How is gun violence represented in the trailer?

Throughout the trailer, gun violence is portrayed as fun, yet dangerous. It's seen as fun, as all four characters seem to be having fun whilst they're fighting. This can also be reinforced with the use of the soundtrack as it's quite upbeat and exciting. This therefore can help the audience infer the game itself is fun and almost and escape or diversion from reality. 
Furthermore, the trailer conveys a challenge in the dominant stereotype of guns only being used by men. Perkins theory of stereotypes can be applied here as the dominant stereotype of men only using guns and being the ones fighting is challenged.  The trailer shows that guns can also be used by women through Megan Fox.
 In addition, gun violence is presented as something without consequence as the characters show no remorse whilst fighting. Also, seeing as the games aim is to kill more people to gain more points, reinforces this idea of gun violence being seen as meaningless.
Gun violence is also presented as something glamorous as well as dangerous. It can also be presented as something that can easily execute things, as throughout the trailer all four characters are the ones killing things and not the ones being killed. Lastly, it conveys to the audience that gun violence is quite modern, as they look quite technical and there's more than one different gun being used.


For section B, I managed to cover all three platforms . However, I needed to focus more on the question in terms of narrative. 

LR:

Plan B did a TEDx lecture expressing his views and opinions about the British government and British society. Through the broadcast platform, Plan B managed to create a synergy through his media products and managing to create a narrative for his audience. Furthermore, through this he manages to also promote his music platform. His music also manages to create a narrative as his music tells a story and he uses in throughout his film.
This creates a synergy as it creates enjoyment for both audiences that love his music and want to watch his film. In addition, the film has a multi-strand narrative and subverts Todorovs narrative theory as the majority of the film as a disequilibrium and ends with a new equilibrium. Moreover, Propps stock characters can be applied to this film, as there's the villain seen as society itself and then we have the hero, Riz Ahmed. There's also other characters seen throughout the film, such as the Princess etc. In Plan B's TEDx lecture he talks about these characters. This helps the audience understand the narrative structure behind the film. 

Furthermore, Ben Drew did a documentary explaining his ideologies and actions behind the making of iLL Manors. The auteur theory can be applied here, as the director himself has been used in order to promote the film. This ensures the audiences enjoyment as they get a clearer idea of Ben Drew's reasons of the making of the film. Moreover, in terms of Propps lines of appeals the audience get a rough idea that the film follows the ideal narrative story line involving a main protagonist, with all the other characters. 

1. I'm going to go over all theories in detail.
2. Work on my time management.
3. Work on my paragraph structure.

How far does the platform on which they are consumed determine the construction of media products in your cross-media study? Support your answer with reference to a range of products from THREE media platforms.

How far does the platform on which they are consumed determine the construction of media products in your cross-media study? 

Support your answer with reference to a range of products from THREE media platforms.

I have been studying three case studies, which are of iLL Manors, A Field In England and The Suffragettes. Codes and Conventions are used to promote media products, which can be seen in iLL Manors. The target audience for this would be of the younger generation. Furthermore, in terms of promotion iLL Manors can be promoted through; print, broadcast and e-media.

In terms of print iLL Manors have used a variety of different things in order to promote the film. For example, they've promoted using newspaper articles, magazines, posters etc. Furthermore, Ben Drew himself is used to promote the film. As he's a well-known artist, he already has an existing fan base. This therefore creates a cross promotion, through both his music and the film. In addition, he appeared on the cover of the NME magazine. The genre of this magazine is rock and therefore the target audience for this would age around 16-30. Regarding psychographic groups, this magazine would appeal to explorers as it mainly focuses on individualism. The picture is of him in a hoodie smoking a cigarette which would appeal more so to the reckless youth. However, there's another picture of Ben Drew which differs to the first, as he's all suited up and looks more professional. This therefore conveys to the audience that change is possible. This therefore creates a synergy as Ben Drew himself is used to promote his own film. This can be conveyed in A Field In England as Ben Wheatley promotes his film through being a well known director.

Furthermore, Ben Drew did an interview with Mens Health Magazine. The target audience for this would mainly appeal to males, aged around 30-50, which doesn't mirror the target audience for the film. Therefore, as it differs from the dominant audience type for the film this conveys that Ben Drew is appealing to other audiences. Throughout the interview the focus on Ben Drew's weight loss, this intrigues the audience as it's the main topic of what interests the audience. In terms of pyschographic this would appeal to aspirers as they would want to maintain a perfect body. Moreover, there's a synergy between the interview and the radio interview, with Fearne Cotton. Both interviews have the main focus of Ben Drew as a person. Rather than a focus on his music and career. Therefore, in both of these interviews we can see that Ben Drew as an appeal to a wider audience. This can then give iLL Manors a higher chance of being more successful as Ben Drew is promoting it towards more than one type of audience. 

Using e-media was vital in order to promote iLL Manors. During the promotion of iLL Manors they used e-media in order to expand the promotion. iLL Manors created a  Twitter related campaign  ( Tag London ). This was a campaign in which fans of Ben Drew were allowed to tweet a message about British society and the government. The company would project these tweets onto well known buildings around London, such as the London Eye, Parliament, Big Ben, etc. By doing this, this creates user generated content. Furthermore, by using social media and engaging their target audience, this manages to create more promotion and more awareness of the film. Also, by doing this it allows the audience to feel more involved with what Ben Drew is doing, and allows them to have a voice and opinion. In addition, the two step flow model can be used. It fits in as opinion leaders are the ones promoting the film. Lastly, as Ben Drew is also a rapper (Plan B) helps create more of a fan base. It also creates a synergy through his music and film. 

The film A Field In England had a different distribution release to most films. They released the film simultaneously on all platforms. This meant the film being released online as well. By doing this it allowed the younger generation to come across the film more easily. It would also create a higher chance of them watching it as it's been consumed through the media. Furthermore, another example of how the platform determines the construction of the media products can be seen in the film Suffragette. This is a historical, British drama. They also used e-media in their campaign. They ran a competition in which the audience could post a picture of their mum with the hashtag #InspiringMothers on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and they will be entered into a price draw to win a £250 Outfit gift voucher plus some exclusive Suffragette goodies. This creates more interest in the film as it allows the audience to be involved. Furthermore, the films website creates the brands image as inspiring, as it contains clips from the film that are seen as emotional/inspiring. In addition, on the website there's a tab called 'social' which allows the audience to be taken to different social media platforms. This then creates a synergy as it allows the audience to be updated with whats going on with the film. 

In terms of the broadcast platform, Plan B did a TEDx lecture expressing his opinions and views regarding political affairs. The target audience for the TEDx lecture is mostly middle aged adults that are from a middle class background and people who are willing to help the outcasts. In terms of psychographic groups this would appeal to reformers as they would want to be educated about this topic so they can help youths in deprived situations. However, this target audience would differ greatly to the target audience for the film and his music. He appeared on SBTV, and would've appealed greatly to the younger generation, as he uses a lot of colloquial language. Through his swearing and slang language the youth would feel as if they could connect more with him and feel like they're in their natural environment. This therefore, allows them to connect and build a better relationship with the celebrity. This leads to creating a synergy through his soundtrack and allows the audiences to explore more of his media products. 

However, as A Field In England released the film simultaneously, meaning the audience could access the film from any media platform, had the risk of the film failing. In terms of the film Suffragette there was an interview with the protagonist, like Ill Manors, also showing the films ideological beliefs. The interview with the main character Carey Mulligan helps the audience understand the reasons behind the meaning of this film. She spoke about the narrative of the film along with the character she played. Through this interview this manages to give the audience a better audience of what the film is about, and could intrigue them more into watching it. Moreover, they used a well know celebrity ' Meryl Streep ' to help promote the film, just like iLL Manors as they used Ben Drew himself. By doing this, it manages to engage with a larger audience as they're already familiar with the celebrities. 

To conclude, I agree with the statement of the platform on which they are consumed determines the construction of media products in Ill Manors, A Field in England and Suffragette.

Learner Response

WWW:

 Very consistent across all questions, good timing.

EBI:

 Revise all theories. 

Q2- How are viewers encouraged by the trailer to see disability?

Viewers are encouraged to see disability as a positive thing, as the trainers in the clip are seen as hard working, determined and fierce. By portraying a positive image of the trainers this gives the audience a chance to be inspired by them, as they're seen training in hard conditions, which therefore adds to the sense of determination. In addition, this links with Perkins theory of not all stereotypes are negative as this trailer portrays having a disability in a positive way. By showing disability as a positive thing, this allows the audience to gain a sense of hope and determination in believing themselves. Which results in them being a more successful and powerful person. 

MEST1 Section B: Independent case study

The basics

1) What is the name of the film, the director and notable stars?
Suffragette is a 2015 British historical period drama film directed by Sarah Gavron and written by Abi Morgan. Some notable actors that are in this film are; Carey Mulligan, Helen Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep. The film is based upon  women's rights in the 1912's and the riots they carried out in order to be heard by everyone else. The film conveys the struggles women had to face both during the riots and before. 

2) When was it released?
The filming for this film started on the 24th February 2014 and the film was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 12 October 2015. On 27 March 2015, Focus Features set the film for an 23 October 2015 limited release in the United States. 

3) What genre is the film? What are the generic conventions that tell you the film belongs to this genre?
The genre of this film is a British historical period drama. Some of the generic conventions that portray the film to be a historical period drama is the year it was set in (1912). Furthermore, the type of clothing they wear in the film emphasises the time period.  We can also tell that this is an historical period drama, as the buildings look quite old and not so modern. In addition, there isn't much use of technology seen throughout the film and not many cars or modern transportation are conveyed, which better shows the time period of this film. 

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

The reviews that this film had received were quite positive, for example the website 'No Spoiler Reviews' said the film was well told and the actors played a significant role in telling the story, "That “Suffragette” accomplishes this is due to its performances, its beautiful re-creations, and its lovely direction."

Furthermore, critics from 'Rotten Tomatoes' have said the film is almost like a history lesson, "this is an urgent, persuasive, if cloyingly conventional history lesson with a story that Hollywood's barely touched on before." Therefore, the film is seen to be both educational and entertaining. However, the film did receive some negative reviews. For example, some viewers felt as if the film was 'cliché' within it's narrative,  "it is too conventional and marred by some clichés and silly plot devices to create suspense - like someone conveniently finding a newspaper with an information that he needs."

Therefore, the film received both positive and negative reviews from the public. 

Broadcast

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

Throughout the entire trailer, there's a use of non-diegetic music, which is parallel to the trailer itself. This is used to create more suspense and emotion to keep the audience engaged. Furthermore, the lighting throughout the trailer remains quite dim and from this we can infer that the film may be emotional and sad. During the trailer In addition, as the film was set in 1912, the director has used props and costumes to make this evident in the film. Also, the way some of the characters speak isn't of the modern language that we speak today, which adds to the fact of the film being set in the 1912's. 
From the trailer we can tell this film is a British historical period drama. It would mainly appeal to a older audience (18-30), also, it might appeal to mainly women, as the film is about women trying to gain the right to vote. The film could also appeal to people who don't have a clear understanding of who the Suffragettes were. This films goes against the dominant representation of what women were supposed to act like. Considering this movie is about women being less inferior and men having all the power, Mulvey's theory can be applied here, as she states that the dominant view in the media is masculine.  

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.

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This interview from the Graham Norton show helps promote the film as the actresses from the film speak about the film itself, and the history of women trying to get rights. 
This helps in promoting the film, as the audience gain a better understanding of what the film is about. In addition, both Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman talk about how most people don't actually know the difficulties women had to face in order to just have a say in what went on, or even have the right to vote.
Therefore, this interview helps greatly in promoting the film as it gives the audience a clearer understanding of what the movie is actually about. 

This is an interview from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. This helps in promoting the film as Carey Mulligan talks about the history of the Suffragettes and what they had to face and overcome to gain a vote, as well as having a say in anything else. Furthermore, she talks about her character and what her character comes across and the things she has to do. She also gives the audience a rough idea of what the film is about.
This therefore might persuade the audience or viewers at home into watching the film. 

This interview with Carey Mulligan is a good way in promoting the film, as Carey gives a background of what the film was based upon. She admits not knowing a lot about the Sufragette movement, and from working on this film, she learnt a lot about the movement of which she did not before. This manages to give viewers a rough idea about what the film is about. Also, the fact that Carey Mulligan, one of the main characters in the film is talking about the history of what the film was based upon may draw the audience into watching the film.

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

• Reviews from the website Rotten Tomatoes claim the film was beautifully told, "This is a beautiful film, not just in its narrative but also in its astounding cinematography and production design."
• Another review from The New York Times claim the film was once again, well told. However one critic said they wished there was more emotion in the film. Also, the critic believes everything shown in the film was done properly, "I loved the movie. Did I wish that it had more emotion? Sometimes, but I chalked it up to this being a British movement. Things were done properly even the bombings." 
• Lastly, a critic from a website called Metacritic spoke about the acting in the film, and loved it. He/She said that they brought a lot emotion to the camera. Also, they said the film gave them a better understanding of the history of the film, "One of the best movies I've watched. The acting of all the actresses was outstanding. It brought tears to my eyes on many occasions and it also made me understand an important and serious part of history which later led me to further investigation."

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 is a good example of print promotion, as it stands out with it's bright colours. The title is boldly conveyed on the poster and can be easily caught by the audiences eye. Furthermore, the use of positive reviews shown on the poster helps with promotion, as it would influence the audience in watching the film, as there reading positive reviews and not negative ones. Furthermore, this would also promote the film as it has three of the main characters on the front cover, and therefore if the audience are familiar with them, they'd be more drawn to watching the film. In addition, it conveys important details such as the release date of the film, etc. 

This film poster of the film is quite similar to the previous. The title title is boldly portrayed in the centre of the poster, along with the release date of the film. Furthermore, at the top there actresses names are clearly shown with their character names from the film. The use of using both names may help the audience get a better idea of who is starring in the film. Also, using a picture of one of the main characters adds to this. Bright colours are used, which is a good example of print production as the poster will be easily caught by the audiences eye. 
Furthermore, these colours used on the poster were used back in the 1912's as a key symbol of the Suffragettes. 

This poster isn't as bold as the other two, however it's still quite similar. The title stands out and is easily noticeable. The use of the main characters is once again useful in promoting the film, as it gives the audience a clearer idea of who is starring in the film. A slogan from the film is also used which is a good way of promoting the film. Furthermore, the poster portrays the release date of the film, which is a key factor in promoting a film.

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

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 brands image is constructed to portray an inspiring and positive image of the women, which is shown in the film itself. The film has an extremely strong meaning to it as it shows the importance of women trying to gain a right to vote. This is quite similar to the film The Kings Speech as it also contains the message of having a voice and being equal in life.

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?

Having a Facebook account helps in promoting the film, as it's used by many people. Therefore, as Facebook is used by many, if the managers/directors wanted to share something to their audience they would be able to. Also, promoting things on Facebook is efficient and quick. In addition, using a social media website in order to promote a film is good, as the directors are able to keep the audience informed of when the release date is, and can spread the word about the film quicker. Furthermore, as there is a comments section on the website, people/fans can post their opinions of what they think about the film and therefore give other viewers a better understanding of what the film is like, and could even influence them into watching it. This is the same for both Instagram and Twitter, they allow the audience to be informed and updated with release dates, and any other important events that revolve around the film. In addition, uploading posts on these social media websites can give the audience a quick sneak peak of they can expect from the movie itself. Therefore, by using all these social medias, there's a higher chance of the film becoming even more known by the public, which then adds to more viewers and more profit. 

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?

The main page of the website has the trailer automatically playing, this allows the audience to be instantly engaged.7 The website for the film is quite efficient, it has a section about the film so it allows the audience to get a better insight of what the film is about. Also, it has a gallery section, which allows the audience to view pictures from the film. Viewers can also view the full trailer from the website, they can also get tickets from the website in order to watch the full film. The website also contains the links for the films Facebook, Instagram and Twitter page which allows the audience to automatically view the official pages. 

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

The film ran a competition in which the audience were able to post an image of their mums with the hashtag #InspiringMothers on social media like, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They were then entered for a price draw with a win of £250 gift voucher for Outfit. This creates interest and promotion as it allows the audience to interact and express personal opinions.



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?

The director tweeted about the film winning awards, and nominations that it had gotten. This allows the directors followers to see what is happening with the film, and allows them to keep updated. Also, on Twitter you're able to retweet, which would allow more people to become aware of the film.


Audience


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

I think the target audience for this film would mainly appeal to an elder audience, aged 18-35. In terms of psychographic groups I think this would appeal to successers as successers are self-confident and have a strong goal orientation and as the film is about women trying to gain a vote and being successful this would appeal to extremely well to successers. Also, I think the film would appeal to Aspirers as they are people who are driven by others’ perceptions of them rather than by their own values. This film is mainly about women trying to have the right to vote, therefore, these two psychographic groups would be extremely interested in the film. In terms of Demographic groups, I think this will appeal to working middle class people, as the characters in the film aren't of the upper class and still have to work to make a profit. 

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

The cross-media campaign manages to target it's audience because as the film targets an older audience as well as a younger audience having different media platforms allows the film to appeal to a wider audience. For example, the younger generation are the ones who use social media and the older generation would read articles. 

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

The film provides many audience pleasures. One of these main pleasures is that this film it provides historical information through a film. Furthermore, not does it provide a historical lesson, it gives off pure entertainment for the viewers.A UK audience would enjoy the film, as it's based in Britain and has British culture throughout, as well as having a historical plot. In addition, the film is quite mainstream itself, and can be seen as a 'crowd pleaser' as its won numerous awards. 

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

Another film the target audience would enjoy is 'The King's Speech' - This particular audience would enjoy this film, as it's similar to the Suffragettes in the sense that it's set in Britain and it was set in a similar time period. Also, like the Suffragettes the audience would consist of an older age.
The film 'The Iron Lady' as it's also set in Britain and would appeal to a UK audience. Also, like the Suffragettes and the Kings Speech, the Iron Lady is about British politics and so, therefore, this would also appeal to an elder audience, as the younger generation aren't as interested in politics. 
Lastly, the film Iron Jawed Angels, released in 2004, is extremely similar to the Suffragettes, and therefore share the same target audience. 



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

In April 2001, it was announced that Film4 Productions, Focus Features and Ruby Films were developing a history drama film about the British women's suffrage movement. However Focus Features took over the distribution rights for the film. 
Some other films Focus Features have produced are; 
- The Danish Girl
- The Theory Of Everything
- Hyde Park On Hudson
- Paranorman

This company does have a track record with a similar target audience to The Suffragettes, however, this only applies to certain movies. The company releases films that have a target audience which completely differs to the Suffragettes. 
The films the release vary between young children, teenagers and elder people.   

2) Which company distributed the film in the UK? What other films have they distributed? 

The company that distributed the film in the UK was CANAL+. 
Some of the films this company have distributed are: 
- Jurrassic World 
- Mustang
- Five 
- Taken 3 

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

The company doesn't have a track record with this type of audience. The company have released mainly action films, such as Jurrasic World, Taken 3 and the Transporter films. Therefore, the target audience for these films completely differ to the the target audience for the film Suffragettes. 

4) What was the budget for the film?

The budget for this film was 14 million USD. 

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

As of March 7, 2016, Suffragette has grossed $4.7 million in North America and $25.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $30 million. I think financially the film was very successful, due to it being based upon real life events. Also, due to in having well known characters such as Meryl Streep. As she's such a well known actress. Furthermore, the fact that it was set in Britain this would appeal to a wide variety of the UK as well people nationally. Also, it was released by a well known company and therefore, the film would have been able to have a bigger promotion and more people would've been aware of it.


6) Was this film more successful in the UK or worldwide/USA? Why do you think this is?

In my opinion, I think that the film was more successful in the UK. I think it was more successful due to the film being based in Britain. Also, most of the characters from the film are British themselves, which would've managed to attract more of a British audience. 

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?

The film was given a certificate of a 12. It was given this certificate as even though the film didn't contain much violence or bad language, it still had a bit of strong language which wouldn't have been suitable for children to view. Furthermore, it had scenes of moderate violence, which also wouldn't have been suitable for children. In my opinion, I think the certification for the film was very important, as it did contain violence and strong language. Therefore, having a certificate manages to restrict a younger audience from viewing this. Regardless of it having a certificate it still manages to reach it's target audience. 


Representation

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

There are many representations of people that can be seen in this film. Firstly, the representation of the women being rebels can be portrayed, as the rebel against the law in order to get a vote. Also, there's a representation of the people in Britain being of lower working class. Furthermore, there's a representation of Britain. It isn't seen as so wealthy, as most of the people are working. In addition, there's also a representation of men, they're conveyed as being the dominant ones over the women. 

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

This film contains quite a lot of 'Britishness'. For example, the way all the characters dress can help us infer that it's based in Britain. Also, the accents play a key part in this. Furthermore, the settings show a lot of Britishness, as the Big Ben is portrayed in one of the scene, also the name 'Oxford Street' is shown. Lastly, in one of the scenes, the women are seen at a horse racing game, which is commonly known as a British game.

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

This representation of Britain differs greatly, in comparison to the representation of Britain in iLL Manors. iLL Manors is an Urban British film which conveys the harsh reality of what life on the streets is like. The representation of Britain in iLL Manors is seen as a run-down and it conveys the life on the streets as a kid. Furthermore, there's a more modern representation of Britain in the film iLL Manors. In addition, it shows what really happens on the streets, e.g, drugs, prostitution, violence, etc. Whereas the film Suffragette has a more old fashioned representation of what Britain was like. 


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

One main ideology that can be seen in the film Suffragette is that the Suffragettes take charge in trying to gain equality. Therefore, there's the ideology of standing up for what you believe in.  

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.

Similarities :

- A Field In England and Suffragette are both set in the past.
- iLL Manors and Suffragette used famous/well known people to promote the film.
-A Field In England and iLL Manors have a use of drugs.
-A Field In England and iLL Manors are low budget films.
iLL Manors and Suffragette were shown on TV shows.




Differences :

-Suffragette was high budget film
-AFIE and iLL Manors didn't have any well known people starring in the film.
-AFIE was the only one that released the film on all platforms on the same day.
-iLL Manors and Suffragette had a staggered release.
-AFIE didn't have much broadcast aspects. 

MEST1 Section B: Institution research

Ill Manors: Funding and production budget

1) What was the estimated budget for Ill Manors?
The estimated budget for the film was £100,000

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

Ben Drew refused funding for the film iLL Manors as he was an inexperienced director and wanted to gain the necessary experience. 

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

The ill Manors budget differs quite a lot in comparison to a Hollywood film such as Skyfall as the budget for ill Manors was £100,000 and the budget for Skyfall was ‎$150–200 million.

A Field In England: Funding and production budget

1)What was the estimated budget for A Field In England?

The estimated budget for the film A Field In England was £300,000

2)Why did A Field In England manage to secure a higher budget than Ill Manors?

It managed to secure a higher budget as Ben Wheatley was already an established director, which therefore made companies more confident with the film. Whereas, Ben Drew was inexperienced.
3) Where did the money come from? 

The film was funded by Film4 Productions and Drafthouse Films. 

Film London and Microwave Film

1)What is Film London and why does it exist?

Film London is a non-for-profit agency primarily supported by the national and regional government. A major part of Film London’s remit is working to sustain, promote and develop London as a global content production hub. Much of this involves attracting major inward investment film and television productions. 

2)What is the purpose of Microwave Film?

Microwave does more than fund films; they give development and mentoring support to all of the shortlisted projects, as well as production finance and distribution support to the final commissioned films. 

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

Another film that was funded by Microwave film is Freestyle, it compares to iLL Manors as it's also a low-budget British film. One similarity is that Plan B's music features in both iLL Manors and Freestyle. Furthermore, both films convey the lifestyle of the working class in Britain, and convey the society of the youth. However, in iLL Manors the subject of outcasts in Britain is portrayed/highlighted more. One similarity is that both films have a use of drugs, however, the story lines are completely different. A difference between both films is the director of Freestyle put out a nationwide casting audition process, whereas the director for iLL Manors didn't make it as big.

Vertigo Films and Warp Films


1)What are the most successful films Vertigo Films has been involved in?

A couple of successful films Vertigo Films have been involved in are:

The Sweeney, Spring Breakers, Street Dance 2 and Top Cat. 

2)Why do you think those films were successful with their audience?

I think these films were successful with their audiences because they appeal to a wide audience. For example, Street Dance 2 appeals to a wide audience, it would appeal to both families and young teens. The Sweeney was successful as it was a remake of a classic film and therefore would appeal to both a younger and older audience. Furthermore, Top Cat would appeal to a younger generation however, it would appeal to families as well which makes it successful. 

3)What different film genres has Vertigo Films worked with?

Vertigo Films have worked with a wide range of genres, it's worked with Drama's, Thrillers, Horrors, Comedies etc. 

4)Where did Warp Films start out?

Warp Films is an independent film and television production company based in Sheffield & London, UK. It was established by Warp Records partners Rob Mitchell and Steve Beckett. It was created with the financial help of NESTA. 

5)What are the most successful films produced by Warp Films?

Some successful films produced by Warp Films are:

Four Lions, This Is England, Exhibit A. 

6)How have Warp Films helped to develop new talent in the film industry?

Warp Films were working quickly and spontaneously with low-budgets to help talented and innovated artists. Warp have played a massive part in keeping vibrant and successful films in the British cinema, they brought what wasn't seen as "mainstream" to the public's eye and helped these films become well known and successful. 

7)What titles have Vertigo and Warp Films produced that are similar to Ill Manors? Explain the similarities - it could be in terms of audience, location, content or genre.

Some films both Vertigo and Warp Films have produced that are similar to iLL Manors is: Spring Breakers, this has a similar target audience as it would appeal to the younger generation (16-25). Another is, The Sweeney as it's a British Film. Also, both films are Drama's/Thrillers. 

Certification: BBFC

1)How does the certification process work at the BBFC?

The certification process works by them watching the whole film till the end and awarding and age rate and insight to each one. Normally, two examiners view a film for theatrical release and  In most cases a Senior Examiner will confirm the examiners’ recommendation. The same happens in terms of  DVDs and Blu-rays though generally these are seen by one Examiner. They consider issues such as  discrimination, drugs, horror, dangerous and easily imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, and violence when making decisions.

2)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?

The difference between a 15 certificate and 18 certificate is that, a 15 certificate No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a 15 rated video. 15 rated works are not suitable for children under 15 years of age.

What you might see in a 15 certificated film:

•   strong violence
•  frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***').
•   portrayals of sexual activity
•   strong verbal references to sex
•   sexual nudity
•   brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
•   discriminatory language or behaviour
•   drug taking

However, films that are rated 18 are aimed for adults, and no-one under 18 is allowed to view them or purchase a 18 rated DVD. 

What you might see in a 18 certificated film:

•   very strong violence
•   frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***') and / or very strong language (e.g. ‘c***’)
•   strong portrayals of sexual activity
•   scenes of sexual violence
•   strong horror
•   strong blood and gore
•   real sex (in some circumstances)
•   discriminatory language and behaviour

3)Why was Ill Manors given an 18 certificate? How might this have affected the Ill Manors target audience and commercial success?

iLL Manors was given a 18 certificate due to the amount of strong language and the portrayal of sexual activity. This may have affected the iLL Manors target audience as it may have appealed to younger kids starting from the age of 16 and they wouldn't have been able to view the film as it has a 18 certificate. This therefore, could lower the commercial success due to fewer people seeing the film. 

4)What was the certificate for A Field In England? Why was this certificate awarded?
The film A Field In England has a certificate of 15. It may have been awarded this award due to the use of drugs in the film. However, it doesn't have a high age rating as it doesn't contain a lot of sexual activity/horror.

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

The advantages of a film being given a 18 certificate is that it prevents younger viewers from watching the film or purchasing the film. This is an advantage as some films that have a rating of 18 aren't suitable for younger viewers, due to the amount of sexual activity and strong language shown. Also, the amount of violence portrayed may have a influence on the younger viewers and therefore, the use of a 18 certificate comes to an advantage as it prevents this from happening.

Some disadvantages to having an 18 certificate put on films is that some younger viewers may be mature enough to watch these films, but can't due to the certificate and can't watch it in cinemas or purchase the film. This would decrease the commercial success for the film and therefore, is a disadvantage. Putting a certificate on a film also may conflict due to some viewers accepting the rating and some viewers disagreeing to what the certificate is.