MEST1 Section B: Independent case study

Case study research tasks
The basics

1) What is the name of the film, the director and notable stars? 
Film: Spectre
Director: Sam Mendes
Notable stars: James Bond


2) When was it released? 26 October 2015

3) What genre is the film? What are the generic conventions that tell you the film belongs to this genre?Action, adventure and thriller

4) What was the critical reception? What is the film rated on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes?
On IMDB the film is rated 6.9 out of 10 and on Rotten tomatoes it has a rating of 64%.

Broadcast

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

The trailer portrays to the audience that James Bond is a solid character this is because we see him experience and put himself in dangerous situations. James is also portrayed as a strong minded person when he participates in his stunts and car chase scenes at some parts of the movie. This is also shown in the trailer in order to attract the audience and give them a glimpse of what will take place in the movie.
The movie's producers of Spectre are Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.The production company for this film is Eon Productions and it was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Colombia pictures. Spectre was released on 26 October 2015 in the United Kingdom which was on the same night as the world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London which was then followed by a worldwide release. It was released in the United states 6 November 2015. The budget for this film was $245–250 million and altogether they made a total of $880.7 million from box offices.



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.

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



Print

1)
At times clunky, Spectre is still utterly gorgeous, always compelling and the ultimate proof that Daniel Craig is the best James Bond of all time- Cinema blend

Full marks to Mendes, Craig, Waltz, Fiennes and the location finder. But could we please get a hummable song next time?- Empire

hristopher Nolan’s influence shows in this excellent 007 caper, where Daniel Craig meets his match in Léa Seydoux - The guardian


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.

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?



E-media

1) The films social media helps to promote the film because their official pages e.g facebook , twitter etc will have a number of images of the cast and films locations. It will also have a lot of information for the audience e.g the release date etc.

2) The synergy between the official website and social media sites is that the official website has links to its social media sites. This is good because of the young target audience they may prefer getting sources of information about the film from other sites e.g facebook.

3) Spectre had a campaign with Heinekan. This allowed fans to have exlcusive access to behind the scenes content and a number of other things.

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?



Audience

1) I think the target audience is for both male and females in the ratio 50:50. These male and females are aged around 15-35.

2)  The cross media platform target this audience as this audience would be fans of the action that would be in Spectre as it has been shown in many trailers. As they know this audience are quite young people they use well known social media sites and apps such as snap-chat to engage with them.

3) The film pleasures in this film are the many different locations, the audience will wish they were in those places.

4) My target audience would like films like 22 jump street and other James bond films because of all of the action , drama and comedy involved in all of them.



Institution

1) Eon Productions, other films they have produced are Call Me Bwana and Dr.No. 

2) Columbia Pictures , they have also produced films like the vow and 21 jump street.

3)Eon has always been apart of the Bon Franchise I I believe that it would be one of their most well known brands to handle. 

4) $245,000,000

5) I think this film is very successful financially due to the big profit they made from the sales at box offices.

6) I think it was more successful in the UK and this may be due to the fact that it was released there first. It is also a British film so it may be more relevant to UK audiences.

7) 12A, this is because it contains a lot of violence so it can not be viewed by younger audiences.

Representation

1)The representation of the antagonists are quite typical as they are foreigners. The protagonist whereas is from a 'first world' country hence his intelligence and skills. London is represented as a wealthy and powerful city

2) The location of the film is the biggest aspect of Britishness and it is the location than theme that makes this film stand out. Most films that are released are from America and are often set in America, however one of the biggest soy films is British and it is the location and type of character that makes British people want to watch it. It makes British people proud that they have a successful film franchise like James Bond.

3) Both films portray Britain is a different way. The slogan of Ill Manors even states their portrayal of Britain. First of all, Ill Manors, basing it off of them, tone and style of the film the audience can see a negative view point of Britain. There is very little colour and if there was, it would be dull and grey colours. In addition to this, the people are portrayed very differently. In James Bond the characters are presented as strong and loyal to their peers whereas Ill Manors have their character speaking slang and dressed like criminals.

4) The most well known  ideology seen in the film is that Britain is proud of its historical state. There are many scene through out the film which take place in famous landmarks around Britain. The film makers are trying to make the audience realise this by setting certain scenes in historical places known to Britain.

Another value and ideology is that Britain can make as good films as America.This film is to counter the American films and show how Britain can still create fine films such as this. The film is seen to represent the country. Furthermore, another film that represents Britain in an equal state is Harry Potter. The film is set around London and is themed around the country. This franchise represents Britain as holding the most amazing franchises as well as authors.


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-
Ill Manors and Spectre both take place in the same country/location- Britain. Even though they are both created and set around these locations, it doesn't mean that their portrayals of these locations is going to be the same. Both Ill Manors and Spectre are themed and are known to be set around Britain/London. Their characters are also there to reflect their environments. This is clearly evident as both characters from both films seem to be different due to the different take/portrayal of their environment.

Both films consider and relate to justice in a way. Ill Manors is about, how young teenagers need to watch themselves from the police as they may be seen doing criminal related things. The idea of justice is also the main motive for the director Ben Drew to make the film Ill Manors. This is because he wants to create justice for the youth and how they are being ill treated by society, and by him creating this film he is trying to create a message to society to change their view of the youth. Spectre on the other hand, is about a man who is trying to bring the bad guys to justice due to them harming James and his country.

Differences-

Ill Manors is more accurately based on truth and true event that have occurred whereas Spectre is mostly made up and is not based around reality. Ill Manors isn't a films for just entertainment purposes. It is also their to inform and educate the consumer/viewer of the content. Ben Drew wanted the viewers to understand the problems that the youth face due to the changes made by the government. Spectre on the other hand, is primarily there to entertain audiences and those who are fans of this franchise. Spectre has generated this big fan base that goes back to 70 years worth of James Bond related content. The current James Bond films link with one another and therefore, it is needed for another movie to come about to finish off the story line or perhaps continue a new one.

MEST1 Section B: A Field In England

100 word summary

1. How was A Field In England’s release different to typical film releases? It was different as it used a simultaneous release – in cinemas, on DVD and all the rest- instead of a staggered release. 
2. What are the advantages to releasing the film across all platforms on the same day?The advantages is that it creates controversy and hypes up the films release as it is different to the mainstream/typical way of releasing a film. This means that audiences will find this interesting and either watch it at the cinema or buy it on DVD or Blu-ray or even on TV.
3. What are the disadvantages to this approach?The disadvantages is that the audience wont react to its controversial release as planned and resort to a cheaper way of watching the film, such as TV, therefore the film wont make as much profit/revenue as people wont go and watch it at the cinema or buy it on dvd etc.
4. What target audience would A Field In England be aimed at? Demographics and Psychographics.The target audience would be mainly middle-class as it is an independent art house film which attracts an ABC1 type of audience. In terms of psychographics groups succeeder's would be attracted to this film as they are part of a higher management. 
5. Do you think all films in future will be released across all platforms simultaneously in future?Yes, I think it is more effective as people download illegal copies anyway therefore the company will make more profit this way.

MEST1 Section B: Institution research

Ill Manors: Funding and production budget

1. What was the estimated budget for Ill Manors?
2. Where did the money come from? List the different organisations and companies that contributed funding to Ill Manors.
3. How did the Ill Manors budget compare to a Hollywood blockbuster such as Skyfall?

A Field In England: Funding and production budget

1. What was the estimated budget for A Field In England?
2. Why did A Field In England manage to secure a higher budget than Ill Manors?
3. Where did the money come from?  

Film London and Microwave Film
Ill Manors was created partly thanks to Film London and Microwave Film. Revise the key details from your MEST2 research by answering the following questions:

1. What is Film London and why does it exist? Film London is London's film and media agency it sustains, promotes and develops London as a major international film-making and film cultural capital.
2. What is the purpose of Microwave Film?
3. Choose one film funded by Microwave film and explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences)

Vertigo Films and Warp Films
Your BFI Study Day on UK cinema focused on two important production companies in the British film industry: Vertigo Films and Warp Films. Revise what you learned on the trip by answering the following questions:

1. What are the most successful films Vertigo Films has been involved in?
2. Why do you think those films were successful with their audience?
3. What different film genres has Vertigo Films worked with?
4. Where did Warp Films start out?
5. What are the most successful films produced by Warp Films?
6. How have Warp Films helped to develop new talent in the film industry?
7. What titles have Vertigo and Warp Films produced that are similar to Ill Manors? Explainthe similarities - it could be in terms of audience, location, content or genre.

Certification: BBFC

One final aspect of institution is the certificate a film is awarded for exhibition. This is decided by the British Board of Film Classification. Revise the key details regarding the BBFC from your MEST2 research by answering the following questions:

1. How does the certification process work at the BBFC?
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? 
3. Why was Ill Manors given an 18 certificate? How might this have affected the Ill Manors target audience and commercial success?
4. What was the certificate for A Field In England? Why was this certificate awarded?
5. What are the advantages and disadvantages for a film in being given an 18 certificate?

Ill Manors e-media: website analysis

Ill Manors blog task

Answer the following questions on your blog:

1. What examples can you find of the Ill Manors brand on the Ill Manors website homepage screengrab above? The Ill Manors logo is being used as a brand rather than a film name. I think this because the screenbag above from the Ill Manors' website its logo in big and bold for the viewer to recognise first despite its positioning. The name is being used as a hashtag which is a clever idea because it is free advertisement. Plus, its target audience uses social media and would be updated with the latest facts about the brand if their account shows any history of liking any of the Ill Manors content. In addition, we see the dark and dangerous estate of London in the background with thugs blocking any trespassers. Also, at the bottom of the image it includes a blade which has consistently been used in several other Ill Manors' advertisements. It must connote death and chaos as it is a weapon which can do significant damage. With the cold hearts of these criminals, viewers are left to believe they will show no mercy when handling the weapon as portrayed in the film.

2. How does the website encourage the audience to buy or interact with Ill Manors products?

On the top of the page in capitals it notes 'on blu-ray, dvd, download and on-demand now' which instantly attracts the readers attention. 

3. Look at Plan B's official website. How does it use social media in terms of content and design? 

There are links to their social networking account at the top of the website which allows users to get closer to Ill Manors and Plan B. They can take an interest in debates and campaigns which can take them off the streets and possibly reduce crimes. Also, for Plan B it is another method of advertising his productions. The website expresses music with links to concerts, music channels and performances.

4. Scroll back through the wall to look at posts from around the release date of Ill Manors. How does this statement on Ill Manors link to other texts we have studied as part of this case study? Do you agree with his claim that he "won't justify" the riots? 

As weather can present the characters' mood, the overcast weather shows how they are angry. This links to Plan B's ted lecture because he talks about youth reacting in violence because of their anger to the government. This violence could also be seen with the use of props as one of the characters is holding gun, thus showing violence.

5. Why do you think social media is overtaking official websites in terms of film promotion?

  Twitter and Facebook. The links to social media are important because of the target audience of this film. As the target audience of this film are youth, social media would be vital because majority of users online are youth.  

Ill Manors: e-media off-site research

Ill Manors e-media: Tag London campaign

1.Summarise the Ill Manors Tag London campaign in 100 of your own words.

Fans were encouraged to tweet the hash-tag and say what they think about the current state of Britain to receive an exclusive sink peek of the tracks in ill manors before it was fully released. Nearly 300 of the 5,000 tweets revived within the 5 days were tagged by graffiti artists and projected around the city of London. The locations and images of these messages were then broadcast via the micro-site and Twitter users whose tweets had been tagged were messaged directly. With over 1.3k tweets on the day of realise compared to the previous week’s daily average of 220 tweets per day. To promote the album, Atlantic Records partnered with live stream production company LoveLive to deliver a live stream event of the album launch party to YouTube. The key objective of the campaign was to reflect the true nature of the album and mainly to connect with the fans. Twitter was the ideal platform to use for this campaign as it connected with the audience not just socially but politicly as well as they were able to voice their opinions about Britain today. 

2. How does the Ill Manors Tag London campaign help to promote the film?
The campaign helps to promote the film as it connected with the fans socially and politicly. Twitter users that follow Plan B or see it trending will read about it and may decide to take part, which therefore makes them want to listen to the album and watch the film. The fact that you get an excursive link to the tracks used in ill manors incises the audience and once they listen to the tracks they will then hopefully go onto watch the film. 

3. What synergy (links) can you find between the Tag London campaign and other texts you have studied as part of the Ill Manors case study?
There is a link between the campaign and the broadcast platform, which both gives us an insight to Plan B's ideologies and beliefs. Also, there is a link between the print side and the campaign as there are social media links  on the for example posters and billboards, which takes you to the twitter campaign and therefore promotes the album and the film.

4. Why might user-generated campaigns like this be more successful than traditional media campaigns?

The audience are the people who pay to watch the film or listen to the album there this can be more effective then traditional campaigns. This is good because it allows us to have a base which isn't biased, and therefore we do not get false information.  Also, for low budget films like this it is cost effective as it is cheaper than traditional campaigns.  

5. Choose FIVE of the tweets above and for each one write what target audience the tweet could appeal to (demographics/psychographics) and then link the tweet to one other media text you have studied as part of the Ill Manors case study (TEDx lecture, music video etc.) Justify your link for each tweet using examples from the film/promotional material.


SOUNDS LIKE THE TRUTH #ILLMANORS

This tweet would target urban youth demographic as it sounds like it has been written by someone that likes Plan Bs music and believes in what he stands for. This would appeal to reformers as it condemns the actions that the government outline in the UK, as they don't believe they speak the truth.

#ILLMANORS INCLUSION NOT EXCLUSION.

This tweet would target mainly the urban youth demographic as it is aiming to voice their feelings to the people higher up in the social system. This is particular with the word inclusion, which shows how they feel as part of their society, which is basically excluded. This is very similar to the Radio campaign we saw as Plan B explained how he was excluded in his past experiences. 

#ILLMANORS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CAMERON'S BROKEN BRITAIN.

This tweet would target again the urban youth demographic as it allows the audience to voice their opinions surrounding the government. It would apeal to reforms and struggers as they would mainly be against the conservative government. 

#ILLMANORS, SOCIETY REBELLING BACK AT BROKEN BRITAIN, @4PLANB.

Again, this would target urban youth culture and in terms of psychographics would appeal to the aspirers, main streamers and resigned as they want everybody who has this stereotypical impression of the youth to understand that they are not all evil.

WHY ARE THE RICH GETTING RICHER AND THE POOR GETTING POORER. PFFT TO THE GOVERNMENT.THE OLYMPICS WILL DESTROY LONDON #ILLMANORS.

This tweet would appeal to strugglers and reformers and again the youth demographic or people that are struggling generally. This tweet suggests that the government is all to blame as it states 'The Olympics will destroy London'.

Ill Manors print: branding

1. The title is in front of the character which would attract the audience. This is useful as the audience would be able to spot the title first. Therefore, the brand can become a brand for the film which can be used to promote the films in other ways. Also, the gun connotes something dangerous and thrilling about the film. I believe the use of the gun and council estates also connotes Plan B's ideologies will probably be displayed in the film. We can use Perkin's theory to suggest stereotypes about youth from estates are dangerous. Also, the use of the star ratings would be able to attract an audience as there are quotes below from film reviewers assuring people the film is worth watching. 

2. The font is the same throughout all promotions of the film including the cross promotion between the music video and film. It uses a distinctive font which appears similar to blocks from an estate. This is important as it would be able to construct a link between the film and album with the title. The text at the top of the print image cross promotes another film Plan B is in which people may have seen and enjoyed because of Plan B's acting (may be a fan through 'Sweeny').
3. As mentioned before, synergy is used at the top of the DVD cover which mentions Plan B acting in the Sweeny. This means that audiences who watched Sweeny and liked Plan B's acting may want to watch his new film because they are a fan. Furthermore, the use of the same font/name 'Ill Manors' is that it creates synergy between the music video and the film. Therefore, a brand can be formed quicker as people will acknowledge the producer of both productions.

1. The use of the font being enlarged, having the same font and colour as other print promotion is that the audience will be able to associate it to the producer and music video. This means that the title becomes a brand for the film. In addition, the blade is used to connote something deadly about the narrative of the film. As it's a large image, it would catch the audiences attention and they could be able to put the costume Plan B is wearing and his attitude with the dangerous weapon.
2. The background of where this billboard is positioned doesn't look pleasant which could be deliberate to suggest the narrative is going to be similar to the setting of the billboard.Furthermore, the background of the print image includes council estates which an audience interested in the film will realise is significantly emphasised in several other print media.
3. The font of the title is similar to the font of his album which also has the same name 'Ill Manors'.   

1. The title again is the same as other print adverts. This is done deliberately to create a brand. The audience would associate the brand with the film/music. The colour of the image is dull and implies a negative and deadly narrative of the film. The use of the house with graffiti suggests youth destruction to the environment and there carelessness to society. It reinforces the stereotype of young people being heavily linked with crime. 

2. Again, the title would allow the viewer to identity the producer of the content because they probably would have seen it before from other print adverts or Plan B's album.

3. The synergy is used between the film and music video promotion. Also, the use of social media links (hashtag) would allow the audience to get closer to the film and see their associates.