MEST1 Section B: essay 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]

Write up a detailed plan with examples from your Ill Manors case study on your blog.

This should include all three media platforms and at least FIVE paragraphs.#

Intro- Introduce case study (iLL Manors), industry(British Film Industry) and texts (A Field in England, 71 and/or one other film).  

Para 1 - E- Media (ILL Manors)
Tag London Campaign- promotional campaign linked to soundtrack- projecting tweets.
original, imaginative & attract audiences, controversial, engaging, political
Maintain - UGC (User Generated Content)

Para 2 - Broadcast
Music Video- Visuals &political content/ news footage, actors-synergy/identification, uses and gratifications (personal identity)   
Trailer- Narrative structure- main characters are not particularly important in the film- makes the audience think that its just an urban London film.Traditional/conventional (Todorov)- seems more accessible. 

Para 3- Broadcast/ E-media 
TEDx Lecture- imaginative- contextualises the film, characters and motivations
Plan B/ Revolver Ent going beyond his typical fan base (middle class) ''Guardian reader'' - social/politics, social class (how inequalities in society can be addressed).- this helps attract and maintain different types of audiences. 

Para 4- Print
Branding- how its constructed- mise en scene- costume/font/image/setting/ colour scheme
CD Packaging/DVD/ Film Posters/ Billboards (add website later)

A Field In England - Issue 47 and website

1) Read the Media Magazine article on A Field In England in Issue 47 and write a 100 word summary of the article on your blog. You'll find the article in our Media Magazine archive - click on MM47 and go to page 19.

A Field in England is a low budget, art- house film ,directed by Ben Wheatley, which was released on the 5th of July 2013 across all platforms- Vod (4OD and iTunes), free broadcast  (Film4), DVD/Blu-ray and in cinemas (17 picturehouse venues). It became the first film int he UK to launch simultaneously on all platforms , and broke the ''Hollywood'' model of distribution. 

The distributor has to do several things before releasing a film e.g identify the film's audience and estimate the potential revenue across all platforms. Also they need to persuade exhibitors to present the film as well as spark interest amongst audiences. Therefore a distributor's campaign strategy is ''complex and costly work''. However a Field in England managed to sell out ''crowds at some inner city venues'' and make £21,399, over its opening weekend. The distributors were able to recognise its audiences, and predicted that they would go to see the film in cinemas, due to the cinematic experience. The DVD/Blu-ray  sold more as a result of additional content (extras) along with the film. 

The successful distribution strategy of A Field In England therefore has ''changed the basic model of film distribution'' and could possibly influence films that might benefit from a ''more diverse release strategy''. 


2) Read the following pages on the official website for A Field In England and write a one-sentence summary of each. Each page provides explanations of the unique release strategy that the institutions behind the film chose: 

Industrial Evolution: Producer Andy Starke on the music industry influences informing A Field In England’s release strategy.  

Starke suggests that art-house films challenge the typical methods of Hollywood film distribution, as they spark interest by embracing new technologies and creating films that are different( that will attract all types of audiences). 

Screening/radical release: Commissioning Executive Anna Higgs on the groundbreaking release plans for A Field In England.

Higgs knew that it was an extraordinary film that required a creative distribution strategy,and therefore created a lot of buzz to attract audiences that were harder to connect with.

Audience: Anna Higgs discusses where A Field In England sits within British cinema and how it will reach its intended audience for the film.


Higgs explains that audiences want to see films they really love (and that challenge them ) as soon as possible; this allows them to watch the film repeatedly and access it whenever they want - that is the key to powerful cinema.  


3) How was A Field In England’s release different to typical film releases?
A typical film would be released in cinemas first, then be accessible on DVD/Blu-ray, a couple months later. However A Field in England was released on all platforms on one day.

4) What are the advantages to releasing the film across all platforms on the same day?
The film would attract more attention as audiences can access it anywhere. This will increase the film's popularity. 

5) What are the disadvantages to this approach?
The film may not make enough profit, since people can just watch it for free on TV. 

6) What target audience would A Field In England be aimed at? Demographics and Psychographics.
It would be aimed at a young male audience aged between 18-34, who are mostly middle class and have some sort of higher education. In terms of psychographics, they would be reformers, explorers and aspirers . 

7) Do you think all films in future will be released across all platforms simultaneously in future? Why? What role will technology play in film distribution? 
Yes because people should be able to access a film they want to watch on all platforms. This would attract large audiences and create interest in that genre of film. I think technology plays a big role now in film distribution as people usually find out about films through social media- which allows them to decide whether or not they want to watch the film. 

Ill Manors broadcast platform: TEDx lecture

1) What are Plan B's beliefs/politics? What are his values/ideologies? Explain your answers.

Plan B beliefs that ''troubled'' youths are ignored by society and feel that they have no sense of belonging. This is the main reason why they act hostile when confronted by authority, whether it be teachers or the police. This leads to them listening to rappers -who although, recite lyrics that can be quite explicit-empower them and enables them to believe they can change their life. This form of music (called conscious hip hop) doesn't necessarily ''glamorize gang culture'' but exposes it for what it really is. By presenting the ''grim reality'', we are able to understand what they go through.

Plan B also believes, that this sector of society, is also convinced that they ''cant make it'', in other words, be successful or achieve their goals, as they come from dysfunctional families. Therefore he states that this could change if there is someone who can help them. 



2) Who is the target audience of the TEDx lecture? Demographics? Psychographics? How do you know? How does this compare to the audience for his music/films? Is there more than one audience for this talk?
I believe that the target audience is the upper/middle class as he refers to issues that would usually be initiated and discussed by this particular group. For example, the comments made about music (that appeals to the youth) and how it ''glamorizes gang culture'', would usually be made by those who see them as a threat to society. This belief was reinforced during the London Riots in 2011,as business owners and those who had been affected by the riots, believed that this reckless ''subculture'' was destroying society. 

Therefore the audience would mostly consist of white middle class/upper class people (who are mostly male) aged 30-50. In terms of psychographics they would belong in the ABC1 social bracket and would either be succeeders, or resigned (Young and Rubican model). This is because these groups are more educated and likely to have these opinions as they are more concerned about their security and status. This target audience is completely different to his target audience for his music/films, who usually target the ''troubled youths''. However, there is a possibility that the TED Talk is aimed at this group as well. It could possibly encourage them to ignore the ''demonisation of the youth'' in the media and strive for success. 

3) What does Plan B say about the media? Explain how this can be linked to Cohen's media theory of moral panics? Read this summary of moral panics and the definition from Wikipedia and use them in your answer.

Plan B explains that the media often use ''labels'' as a way of representing a certain social group. His example, referred to the word ''chav'', which came from the Romani word ''chavvy'', meaning child. However, in 2002, when Michael Carroll won the lottery, the local newspapers ''labelled'' him as a ''chav''. This derogatory word then spread across media and is now a way of referencing the ''less educated members of society'', who live in council estates and act in a violent manner.  

He also says that newspapers and the public openly ''ridicule the poor and less fortunate'', by using these derogatory terms, but would be outraged if a similar word/phrase was mentioned about race or gender. An example of this is when Plan B encountered a street gang during the production of ''Ill Manors''. He states that he ''stood his ground'' when confronted by them, and soon ended up being ''saved'' by another group nearby (that allowed him to continue with the production). However, when the newspapers referred to this they excluded the part where another group of youths helped him. He therefore states that the media purposely leaves out this type of information, as it doesn't suit the rest of the content - which refers to these youths as antisocial, and violent.  Ultimately,  he encourages the audience to ignore these disparaging remarks and not judge those who are unfortunate and restricted in terms of education and upbringing.

These two examples link to Cohen's media theory of moral panic, as the public fear that these ''violent youths'' are terrorizing society, due to the stories they have read in the media. Both, Wikipedia and Mediaknowall suggest that moral panic occurs in stages. The first stage being an event or a group that is targeted and pose as a threat to the community. This then goes onto the second stage, whereby connections are made between the group/event and other stories in the media (''the public attention is focused on the issues''). Finally, these issues lead up to the third stage- social control- which reassures the public that the issue is resolved (ultimately removing the feeling of ''moral panic''). 

Ill Manors: film review

''Ill Manors'', which was released in 2012, is a gritty urban crime drama, directed by Ben Drew (who is better known for his stage name, Plan B), that revolves around the lives of a group of young adults, in East London. Plan B is known for his valuable contribution to London's underground rap scene and has made many songs about the lives of ''troubled individuals'' which he recites in his official soundtrack album for the film. His success from the album – which peaked at number 1 on the charts-, could arguably be due to his exceptional ability to deliver such a captivating and gruesome film.

Its main stars, Riz Ahmed (who plays Aaron) and Ed Skrein (Ed), deliver outstanding performances, to say the least, as they are able to manipulate their conflicted personalities, in a way that reinforces the idea that not all youths that are reckless and unforgiving. The two characters were brought up in care homes and are involved in the local drug dealing business together. Throughout most of the film, Ed is seen as a strict, aggressive figure that is willing to go to extremes measures to earn his money- this includes various events such as forcing a drug addicted woman, ‘Michelle’’ (played by Anouska Mond) to work as a prostitute and selling a baby. Similarly, the troubled, unapologetic Aaron, gets wrapped up in the ‘’spirals of violence’’ that arise, and manages to deal with them through various unlawful acts. However, although these traits are typical to that of a disturbed individual, the characters surprise us towards the end of the film, and allow us to understand that through various experiences they can sympathize with those that have also had a troubled life. It just goes to show that Ill Manors is able to capture the conflicting moods of members of the ‘’alienated sector ‘’of society, and spark debates on how an individual can succumb to such extreme circumstances.

Many audiences would say the film's violence is detestable; however Ben Drew manages to capture the ''extreme reality'' of these explicit scenes, in a way that allows such audiences to realize that the lives of these troubled young people are affected by their upbringing and views on society. I would say that ''Ill Manors'' (although having a low budget - of only £100,000) deserves to be credited, as it manages to capture the essence of urban British film by exploring ''social realism''. This idea was envisaged throughout the production, especially when it came to casting and storytelling. Ben Drew claims that some of the events in the film were based on real life stories that had either happened to him or people that he knew. Furthermore, the roles of the younger characters in the film such as ‘’Jake’’ played by Ryan de la Cruz, were casted by Plan B, from schools. By doing this, Drew has managed to achieve the purpose of his film, which is to be a representative of the faction of youths that have come from rough upbringings and allow them to ‘’tell their story’’ and explore reasons why they act that way. It is right to say that the title ‘’Ill Manors’’ is the perfect title as it plays with the words ''manor''- which means landed estate or territorial unit, and the also ''manners''- a way in which you behave. 

iLL Manors music video analysis

Media Forms
How is it typical of a music video? 
It contains elements of both narrative and performance that allow the audience to understand the overall message that Plan B is trying to deliver. This is done through fast paced editing and also several camera shots and movements , (MS, LS, panning ), that further build up the meaning behind the music video. There are several closeups of the artist/characters , especially in terms of clothing and props. This is shown to attract the target audience. Also, the performer is looking directly at the viewer to interact with them.  

The basic structure is typical to that of a music video as it within the 3-4 minute time frame, and combines a range of visual imagery such as animation and live performance by the rapper himself. The video also uses symbolism to support the lyrics and add meaning to the narrative- Plan B uses a montage of real life news clips to help communicate his ideas. 


Media Representations
How does it represent the London riots/rioters?
The music video uses news clips from the event to emphasize the point Plan B is trying. It presents them as reckless and violent as there are many scenes in the video where they vandalize cars and shops. By doing this, he suggests that, the rioters are to blame for their unlawful behavior, whereas in fact, they are meant to show us that riots occur due to the fact that these sections of society (especially youths )are neglected and ''unwelcome''. In a way, Plan B mocks those who believe that the riots are to be blamed on the reckless youth, and purposely shows the events at the riots to make his point clear. 


Media Audiences
What audience pleasures does the music video offer?
The actors from the film (or their characters) appear in the music video, which could excite the audience as they have a sense of recognition. Also the visual imagery ties on with the pace/tempo of the song. For example during the bits where Plan B takes the audience on an ''urban safari'' the pace of editing is quite slow, wheres during the chorus, Plan B performs in an aggressive and expressive manner. The visuals are therefore quite satisfying in terms of mirroring the tempo of the song. Another example of this is when the beat drops when Plan B throws the bottle (which has a piece of cloth in it which is ignited), into the car and it explodes. 

The video is a form of entertainment and distraction (Uses and Gratifications theory) as the visuals are aesthetically pleasing throughout (with the use of interesting graphics and effects). This allows the audience to be submerged into the media. 


Media Institutions
How does the music video help to promote the film of the same name?
The music video features the characters/ actors from which gives the audience a sense of recognition. The song is also featured in the beginning of the film where the narrator, Plan B himself, is introduced. The music video also includes social media links at the end to promote the film aswell. This is an example of synergy - which allows the viewers to interact with the film and find out about exclusive info e.g behind the scenes, release dates etc 

Ill Manors soundtrack research task

• The Ill Manors soundtrack album was recorded in 2011-12 in two studios: ''The Sanctuary''(London, UK) and ''Edge Recording Studio''(Alderley edge, UK). It was released on the ''Warner Bros Records and Atlantic records'' label and was produced by various artists which include, Al Shux, David McEwan, and Labrinth. 
• The singles from the album include: Ill Manors, Playing with Fire, Lost My Way and Deepest Shame
• The Metacritic website gave the album an average score of 83 out of 10. The album was also shortlisted for a Mercury Prize in 2012. 
• It peaked at Number 1 on the UK music charts in August 2012.  
• The Telegraph claims the album is ''cutting- edge and on a lyrical level, is brutally brilliant''
• Fans such as ''Forest90'' claim the album ''was an incredible experience from start to finish''. 

Ill Manors broadcast platform: film trailer analysis

1) What are the typical codes and conventions of film trailers - what information is usually provided?

• short clips from film- fast paced editing and action/dramatic scenes/ set pieces
• text on screen
• social media/ website link
• music/ audio 
• release date 
• enigma and action codes 
• cast/ director 
• film review quotes 
• title 
• tagline
• narrative
• action codes 
• institutional info/logo 
• age certification

2) How are trailers usually distributed?

They are usually posted online on sites such as YouTube or IMDb.  

3) How does the Ill Manors trailer use film trailer conventions?

It contains short clips from the film that revolve around the characters ''Kirby'' and ''Chris''. There is fast paced editing and a soundtrack made by the director of the film, Ben Drew (Plan B). There is text on screen - film reviews from popular magazines like ''Time out'' and ''Q'', taglines, age certifications and social media links. 

4) Watch the trailer carefully and discuss how it might attract an audience. Firstly, think about who the target audience for Ill Manors might include. Does it have a unique selling point or use particular techniques to appeal to the audience? Consider the way the scenes are edited together – does the trailer give away any clues about the narrative? Are the main stars visible in the trailer? Is there information about the director of the film? Is there information about the release date? Is a narrator’s voice-over used? Why?

The target audience for the film is 15-25 year olds (even though the age restriction is 18) , who are mostly male. This allows the audience to identify with the characters as they also fall into this age group and the narrative explores the problems and challenges that teenagers/young adults face. It also uses a soundtrack that was made by Plan B, to appeal to this particular audience. Plan B is known for ability to tell stories (of troubled individuals) through his grime/ rap music. The trailer uses narration to guide the audience through the narrative - Plan B acts like a mentor/ philosopher in a way to help the audience recognise that criminal activities such as drug dealing cannot be avoided sometimes due to the circumstances of someones life e.g Chris' character has been involved in the drug dealing business with Kirby, since he was a kid. This is also supported by the text on screen- in the beginning it reads ''we are all products of our environment.''  The trailer uses fast paced editing to mimic the feeling of an adrenaline rush. The trailer only reveals some aspects of the narrative- Chris and Kirby's stories- to attract the audience and encourage them to come and see the film just for its drug abuse/ dealing scenes. The main stars, Riz Ahmed and Ed Skrien are only seen in a few shots in the trailer. The trailer shows Chris and Kirby instead of the two main characters (Ed and Aaron) as their story is much easier to explain to audiences, in a small space of time. The name of Plan B's production company is displayed- ''PLAN B Enterprises''. 

5) How has the genre of the film been represented through characters, settings, lighting, colour, 

music/dialogue, camera shots/movements/angles and editing?
The film is a hybrid as belongs in the crime/drama genre. This is represented through the characters as there are several shots of them involved in criminal activities such as drug dealing/abuse and kidnapping. The fast paced editing also mimics the feeling of an adrenaline rush. 

January assessment: learner response

Feedback

WWW: In each question you pick out some relevant aspects from the clip - there is clearly a lot to build on here. However...

EBI: ... In each question you also drift away from the question focus and this means you can't move beyond the lower levels. e.g vast majority of Q2 is not earning you any marks. Beware of drifting to audience in each question. Representation is another area to revise...you start well but need to offer a lot more.

Learner response- Improved Answer
Q2- How does mise-en-scène contribute to the impact of the film? (12 marks)

The mise en scene allows the audience to suture the narrative of the advert and understand what the advert is trying to tell us. The setting is in a ''safe home'', where we see a typical family playing a game of ''charades''. This contributes to the impact of the film as it allows the audience to identity with the characters - as it shows a typical middle-class family, which helps them understand the importance of wearing a seat belt when driving.  The fact that the ''car crash'' occurs in the ''safe'' living room, suggests that a car crash can be unexpected and can occur within the safest of environments. This therefore increases the impact as the audience are surprised when the car crash occurs.

The use of physical theater is not commonly used in typical road safety adverts- as they usually show explicit car crash scenes- this therefore makes the advert unique and  intriguing to a large audience. The game of ''charades'' increases the impact of the film as it also appeals to, and concerns children who could have parents that drive on a regular basis. This emotional response, therefore allows both children and parents to relate to the advert and think about the consequences of driving.

The use of costume e.g the daughters pink fairy dress, could possibly connote happiness - which is then taken away from the family after the father is involved in a car crash. Additionally, the use of facial expressions and gestures helps the audience understand this, as the sudden change of moods in the advert, makes the advert more dramatic and ''alarming''.

The use of bright colours and high key lighting completely contrasts typical road safety adverts (as they tend to be very dark and disturbing), which again creates greater impact.  The overall image of a ''typical nuclear family'' warns audiences of the consequences of unsafe driving.