MEST1 Section B: A Field In England

Summary:

A Field in England

‘A Field in England’ is a low budget, black and white, art-house film produced by Ben Wheatley. It is the first film in the UK to be distributed across all platforms, including: DVD, broadcast, blue-ray and cinema. Each platform release for the film had a special identity to add value to its purchase, for instance there was a live Q & A event followed by the Ritzy Picturehouse screening in Brixton, ultimately this adds value to the cinematic experience On TV, the film combined over 288,000 viewers, the movie was a trending topic on Twitter when it came down to its release and over 1000 purchases of the film from HMV and Amazon were made. 

1. How was A Field In England’s release different to typical film releases? The film itself was distributed across all platforms on the same day, this is a unique approach and creates excitement for fans because some may prefer to go to the cinema to watch the film whereas others may prefer to stay at home and watch the film to same day on DVD or simply by VoD (streaming). This creates a buzz as well because fans are likely to voice their perception of the film on social media sites, especially Twitter where they may choose to use a hashtag such as #AFieldInEngland, ultimately this will lead the hashtag to become a trending topic as many people are watching the film at the same time. It also helps to promote the film through word-of-mouth, the unique distribution technique will appeal to many viewers who want to watch the film but in a different type of way such as: physically going to the cinema or streaming it online. 
2. What are the advantages to releasing the film across all platforms on the same day? Everyone will have a different approach to access the film: going to the cinema, buying the DVD or streaming it. It creates a buzz for one particular day and the build-up will help thoroughly appeal to fans and will reduce the risk of piracy. 
3. What are the disadvantages to this approach? The main disadvantage is that once the film is released there will be no excitement left such as watching it a few months later till the DVD's release of streaming it online. The film's longevity will be shorter.  
4. What target audience would A Field In England be aimed at? Demographics and Psychographics. The primary audience is between the ages of 25-35+, constant cinemagoers (go at least once a month) who are aware of Ben Wheatley's other films and fall into the ABC1 demographic - educated, professional jobs so they can afford to go to the cinema every month, uni students who stream films online. In terms of psychographics the prime category this film would appeal to is explorers because they set out to seek discovery and love finding out new things. They tend to have a lot of energy, individualized and experienced. They value difference and adventure than the standard trend. The first kinds of people to try out new brands and is usually the younger demographic students (uni students). This may also appeal to succeeders who seek control and have strong goals. They a also very confident people in terms of their work business and social life and tend to be in higher management jobs and professions in a certain field/area (they could afford to go cinema often!)
5. Do you think all films in future will be released across all platforms simultaneously in future? This could be possible because social media sites, especially Twitter, help contribute to the promotion side of the film helping to creating buzz for an earlier distribution of the film because fans may want to view the film as the same time as others, even if they have different approaches such as: streaming in online, buying the DVD or actually going to the cinema. Also, it helps reduce the risk of piracy because there are many sites which may have the option to illegally download/watch the film earlier to its release. 

Ill Manors: Institution Research

Distribution research

• When launching a movie it's vital:

• identifying its audience
• considering why they'd go and see it
• estimating the revenue potential across all the formats of its release
• persuading exhibitors (cinema operators) to play the film
• developing plans and partnerships to build awareness of and interest in the film
• aiming to convert as much interest as possible into cinema visits
• Distributors sign a formal contract with the producer, sales agent or studio, specifying the rights they hold in respect of the title. These normally include the right to release it in UK cinemas and promote it in all media before and during its release.
• Digital transformation - The DCP (digital cinema printer) is ingested into a powerful server at the cinema and played out through a state-of-the-art digital projector.
• The job of a distributor is to create visibility and to raise enough awareness and interest in a film to persuade potential audiences to buy tickets to go and see it
• 'Quotes posters' are produced and disseminated to cinemas. These highlight a selection of glowing comments by critics or bloggers

Ill Manors: Funding and production budget

What was the estimated budget for Ill Manors? £100,000
Where did the money come from? Film London Microwave, Revolver Entertainment and BBC Films
How did the Ill Manors budget compare to a Hollywood blockbuster such as Skyfall? Skyfall's budget was estimated between $150-200 million dollars, this is because the film uses many prime locations (such as London and Turkey), features Daniel Craig who carried out the sequel to the well-established "James Bond" movies. 'Ill Manors' is an independent movie set in the suburban areas of London. 

Film London and Microwave Film

What is Film London and why does it exist?  Film London is the capital's film and media agency - sustaining, promoting and developing London as a major international film-making and film cultural capital. This includes all the screen industries based inLondon - film, television, video, commercials and new interactive media.
What is the purpose of Microwave Film? To fund films and to get a marketing campaign up and running.

Lilting 

Borrowed Time

Shifty 

'Shifty' is a film similar to 'Ill Manors' in many ways, for instance both films feature the actor Riz Ahmed, they're both low-budget films and both narratives are devised through the themes of violence and drugs. This film focuses more on cocaine more than anything, whereas 'Ill Manors' subtly uses this factor and includes more things such as drinking and murders.

Distributor: Revolver Entertainment

When was Revolver Entertainment created? Justin Marciano founded it in 1997 in the UK

The Imposter

This movie was successful because it's from an American-Gothic genre and is a documentary. It gained a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 95% and UK-based film magazine Total Film gave the film a five-star review (denoting 'outstanding'): "Creepier than Catfish and as cinematic as Man On Wire, this is an unnerving story immaculately told and a strong contender for doc of the year."


Offender

Offender is a 2012 English action film which follows a hard grafting, 20-year-old working-class man, Tommy Nix, who while avoiding getting mixed up in the wrong crowd sees his girlfriend fall victim to a brutal attack. The film received a 4/5 rating from Heat Magazine stating "this bloody borstal drama makes quiet political points alongside a powerful revenge storyline" and a 4/5 rating from Sky Movies calling it an "admirably crafted a compelling drama."


Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts received mixed to positive reviews and has a rating of 70% on Rotten tomatoes based on 104 reviews with an average score of 6.6 out of 10.

'Offender' is the most similar movie to 'Ill Manors' because it uses the theme of violence, the setting is roughly the same (suburban areas of London) to develop that gritty feel.

Why did Revolver Entertainment go out of business in 2013? There was a few "cash-flow" problems and many off the staff were quitting
How is new technology changing the way films are being distributed? Piracy has always been the key issue, however newer developments in technology means that people can illegally view/download new releases of films online from 3rd-party websites such as PutLocker who provide links to many websites which have a copy available. In most cases, people may record films in the cinema and upload in to sites such as YouTube.

Gunslinger

Research the Gunslinger/Revolver film Shank. Embed the trailer in your blog and explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences).

Shank

This movie is filmed in a similar setting to 'Ill Manors', there are many fast-paced shots to uplift the urban feel and the soundtrack is upbeat just like 'Ill Manors' itself. 

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

• Offender - this demonstrates the youth from a working class background and how certain events such as targeted attacks may lead to violent situations. This film could be a justification as to why certain people could be interpreted as targets in society.

Research the British social realism genre. How do Gunslinger films fit into the social realism genre?
Why does the UK urban drama genre appeal to an audience?

Social realism roots from raw attention to the everyday conditions of the working classes and the poor, and who are critical of the social structures that maintain these conditions. Guunslinger films accurately illustrates the working class as targets in society, this would appeal to the D/E demgraphic - unemployed/ uneducated people. Gunslinger films present how the working class are isolated from society and how violence/drugs drive the working classes to lead their lives and provide for themselves as well as their families.

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?  BBFC - responsible for the national classification and censorship of films within the United Kingdom, all films rated by the BBFC receive a certificate, along with "consumer advice" detailing references to sex, violence and coarse language. If a certificate specifies that a film or video game is only suitable for someone over a certain age, then only those over that age may buy it.
Think about the certificate of Ill Manors (18 certificate). What is deemed acceptable for 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.

What is the difference between a 15 certificate and an 18 certificate? For a 15 film there is 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?
The advantages of an 18 film is that there is no limit on strong language/violence or sex scenes, however a disadvantage could be that the freedom to illustrate explicit content with no limit could be uncomfortable for some viewers. Also, if an 18 films uses strong language for instance freely and a 15 year old cannot view the film because swearing is used a couple of times this is unfortunate and the film could lose mass profits from young viewers who are most likely to be the ones going cinema more often than 18+ adults.

MEST1 mock exam: learner response

Q1: What is the BBC hoping to achieve by including behind the scenes footage?
The BBC's first aim is to create a positive brand image for the BBC. This is due to the fact that the BBC are exceeding society's expectations by embracing nature and the natural world, this interlinks with Dyer's lines of appeal. The BBC are presented as a welcoming and friendly brand. There are many close-ups of the penguins to illustrate how an emotional connection is formed with the audience because there are fascinated, this entices the reader.

In addition, there comedic aspect is highlighted through humor and dedication of the crew. Furthermore, the crew have exchange in dialogue, for instance one quotation is "if you can't beat them join them" and this indicates how the crew use banter to resolve their equilibrium (Todorov's theory). The audience are able to enjoy this humor and creates a source of diversion, an escape from routine, were the audience can relax and embrace the comedy.

Moreover, there is promotion with association with technology which highlights how the BBC have high production values. The use of high-tech equipment promote how the BBC are up-to-date and educates them about the Empire penguin too through the panning shots and facts given by the voice over. 

Q4: Does the programme 'inform, educate and entertain' its audience?
Overall, the programme has successfully employed the public service values of the BBC, especially through informing and educating. The programme itself gives a visual representation of the penguins and their environment/living standards. The voice over states many facts along the way which helps the reader to understand more detail about the Empire penguin, such as their location. This links to the 'Uses and Gratifications' theory that the programme is a source of surveillance by giving away information on nature and is good for general interest. Also the beauty of the penguins is massively embraced. 

In addition, the programme is used as a high source of entertainment through the humorous element. The dialogue used from the voice over is not typical for a nature programme and uses more sarcasm which generates comedy. This reiterates that sense of diversion and is used for pleasure for the audience to enjoy and laugh along with.

Furthermore, entertainment creates an emotional bond between the audience and the camera crew. The use of personal relationships is vital to uplift the connection created because the audience may feel a high amount of appreciation towards the camera crew for being brave. There is mass identification with the crew because the audience gain insight into their circumstances. 

Draft

Magazine Cover

Double-Page Spread

Ill Manors: official website

ILL MANORS WEBSITE

How does the Ill Manors official website promote the film?

The website helps give a visual representation of what the film may be about, in terms of an urban drama. A dull colour scheme has been used to help promote that gritty feel, overall the film is low-budget and fits perfectly with the film's genre. The website displays the characters in different states, for instance one character is holding a gun, one character is tied onto a pole and another character looks fiercely and directly into the reader's eyes - all these representations of the characters relate to situations they come across in the actual film, this creates synergy. 

What examples can you find of the Ill Manors brand on the website homepage?

The title at the side of the website is the same font used in the film, this shows consistency and encourages the reader to become more familiar with the brand. Also, there is a billboard in the background of the DVD packaging and this forms a promotion element alongside making the brand more familiar. In addition, on top of the title states "Plan B Presents" like the film does, this enhances Plan B/Ben Drew's star image. 

What links does the website offer?

The links are connected to social media pages that 'Ill Manors' has, such as Twitter and Facebook. This may help the pages gain more followers/friend requests and help them stay updated on the film and the projects linked to it. What examples of synergy can you find between the website homepage and the print/broadcast platforms?

The font of the title is the same on the website and posters/DVD packaging, a bold and basic font to uplift the fact the film is low-budget and urban, the title is in white to connote an element of seriousness which reflects the depth of the problems the actors have to face in the film. In addition, the same actors are used especially Riz Ahmed who heavily devises the plot and to make the audience aware and to remind them that he is the prominent figure in the film. Also, in the broadcast interview with SBTV Plan B highlights the film by portraying people who are trying to be adventurous and sort of breaking the rules. The interview is informal and uses mature language (such as swearing) which would also attract the target audience. The website illustrates the characters as careless about their image and this interlinks with the SBTV interview.

List the links to social media on the website homepage. Why are these important?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illmanors

Twitter: https://twitter.com/illmanors

These website are seen as a source of surveillance for the 'Ill Manors' fans who want to stay updated with the film's progress, this includes any PA events/conferences along with red-carpet award shows such as The Brits. It also always viewers to see pictures which actors from the film may upload themselves and enable the hashtag #ILLMANORS to trend worldwide each time. Actors have also answered questions from fans, this generates a huge buzz for the film. 

Ill Manors: E-Media

Ill Manors Facebook page

• How many 'likes' has the Ill Manors film page had? 31,597
• What is the top of the page promoting? The DVD packaging, stating the film is available on DVD and Blu-Ray
• The Facebook page for Ill Manors shows a post of the brand providing job opportunities in the film industry for teens. The second post is a promotion for the Brit Awards.

   

• 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).

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

• How did the institution use the Facebook page to promote the film's release in May/June 2012? In June, the page promoted the film by allowing fans to watch it before its release at certain cinemas.

Ill Manors Twitter feed

• How does the Ill Manors Twitter feed use the Ill Manors brand to promote the film? Giving away fre copies of the film through competitions. 
• What hashtags are used on the Ill Manors Twitter feed? #IllManors
• 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. All actors from the film tweeted about it, such as Riz Ahmed, Nick Sagar and Plan B himself who directed it all. This creates a buzz.
• How has the Ill Manors Twitter feed used pictures to help promote the film? It shows fans taking pictures with Plan B
• 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.

There is a retweet from Plan B, the other tweets are from fans, this creates excitement for the film.

Ill Manors on Instagram

• How has Ill Manors used the Instagram platform to promote Ill Manors? Used images from the film itself and the DVD packaging as a source of promotion.
• What hashtags are used on Instagram to promote the film? Is there consistency in branding/hashtags across social media? Why is this important? #Ill Manors is the hashtag used everywhere from brand identity, it displays consistency and the audience can identify the brand easily.

YouTube - planbuk channel

• How was the planbuk YouTube channel used to promote the Ill Manors film? It shows preview clips and performances from Plan B's album 'Ill Manors'
• What links to other social networking sites can you find on the planbuk channel homepage? Instagram and Twitter