- May replace station location with bus stop, this still gives it that sense of realism - Will finish during half-term, cutting it fine but just do-able Print - Photo shoot Wednesday after school 3-4 pm for front cover and double-page spread - Double page spread needs more planning urgently
Research - Harmony+Jasmine check folders folders for 12 pages
Plan B wanted to set out to change the perspective of the youth by giving a justification for their actions and sets out to provide many opportunities. When filming 'Ill Manors' Plan B gave many inexperienced actors the chance to take part in the film. He sets out to provide opportunities to those kids who are disadvantaged and by shutting down community centres and summer projects this results in the youth being a problem and threat to society, he states: "We've got a generation of youths out there on the streets. The weather is hot, it's nice. They ain't got nothing to do because all the community centres have been shut down. And all the money that was put into summer projects to keep these kids monitored and occupied [has gone]. Their parents ain't going to take them out of the country on holiday. You've got a whole generation of kids that do not feel that they're part of this society and they start rioting and looting."
What are Plan B's beliefs/politics? What are his values/ideologies? Explain your answers.
Plan B's beliefs and ideologies comes from the fact that society ignores these working class kids and takes away their opportunities, ultimately growing up this led to Plan B himself having no respect for the authorities. Plan B is somebody who believes that each individual should stand up for themselves and an example of when Plan B himself stood his ground was when he was shooting 'Ill Manors' and a gang demanded that Plan B wasn't allowed to film on that turf because it belonged to the gang but as a result Plan B refused to move and then he was allowed to film. Plan B also discusses how the youth are "demonized" by the media because the media are always releasing negative stories. The use of the word "demonized" suggests how the youth are seen as threatening and a major problem to sort out in order to have society in order.
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?
Plan B's methods of approaching the youth is by talking about violence and swearing as this is will get their attention. The target audience is most definitely the youth between the ages of 13 - 20 years, more males with the demographic of D/E. The main target audience for the film is the same for the TEDx lecture. It could be argued that the lecture carries a secondary audience who are from a middle-class background, ABC1 demographic and more professional. This is due to the fact that the lecture helps educate the upper-classes about why the youth tend to act out and a main justification for the riots which took place a few years ago. In terms of psychographics, this would appeal to reformers, those who have an understanding and can relate to the issues the youth face in today's society e.g. closing down community centres,
What does Plan B say about the media? Explain how this can be linked to Cohen's media theory of moral panics?
Plan B states how society judges what's in the papers and states there is a "vicious circle" ere labelling the youth badly pushes them out of society and therefore they become careless and this leads to events such as the riots. When shooting 'Ill Manors' the media never mentioned the positive view that Plan B himself provided opportunities for many inexperienced actors.
DVD EXTRAS 1) What does this tell us about Plan B's intentions in making the film? Plan B's intentions in making the film are associated with portraying the lifestyle the youth lead. He specifically focuses on 'chavs' and hood-rats in general and wants to show the audience the style of life these young adults carry out and a justification for the actions in events such as the London riots. He wanted to present how the youth a misunderstood but didn't want to glamorise violence at the same time. When making the film he wanted to present how taking away opportunities for the youth will lead them to take part in drugs and violence as that is there only way out. Plan B gained a "clear sense" of what he wanted to promote and this was a clarification as to why the youth are seen as negative and this is down to the fact that society tends to alienate this group (by taking away opportunities). The photographer himself stated how Plan B himself wanted to provide two hours of "entertainment" as long as educating the youth. Plan B decided to film in East London where he originally grew up to show the experiences he faced when growing up. Also, he wanted to create a low-budget film to help promote the grim reality the youth live up to in the suburban areas of London. 2) What do we learn about the production process for Ill Manors? During the production process Plan B wanted to present life in a different context by promoting the realism of the suburban areas which are not highly regarded in society. In the film, he used some experienced actors such as Riz Ahmed, however the rest of the cast were not experienced and this helps to uplift the realism of street life. Plan B decided to film in East London in order to help the reader understand the background he came from and the society which helped shape his experiences. In 2008 Plan B released a short-film beforehand to help him gain experience as a director. The film he released in 2008 was initially a 20-page script and he was told overnight he had to reduce his script to five pages. As a result he made a rap song and because rap is an element of hip-hop this was useful for Plan B to demonstrate the realism of growing up in the ghetto. This experience ultimately helped him to be a better director, especially with the credit crunch which took place in 2009 and so Plan B released the short-film on a low-budget. The film was released on Channel 4 and as a result of the short-film it led Plan B to become inspired to make a film incorporated with music. The soundtrack for 'Ill Manors' is a narrative for the film and Plan B wisely embedded rap music in the film to help make his dreams to become a reality. When filming 'Ill Manors' the cast and crew ran into the police many times. 'Ill Manors' was filmed at locations which were real (not in a studio) such as crack dens and ultimately the police would show up and would search members of the cast and crew. Also, at one point when filming outside a train station a gang approached Plan B and the cast and crew demanding that Plan B had to find elsewhere to film because the gang owned that particular turf and Plan B decided not to move and another gang which was scarier came by and said it was okay for Plan B to film. Plan B stood his ground as that is what he's grown up to be like. 3) What can you tell about the possible target audience from this short documentary? The target audience must be initially aimed at those who were involved in the riots and those who feel like an outcast in society (working class especially). The C/D/E demographic in particular and those who are reformers because they can understand a justification for why the youth act a type of way. Although it could be argued that the target audience is the ABC1 demographic to change their view on the youth and understand why they also act negatively and therefore the will have the power to help change the youth.
4) Does the film successfully do what director Ben Drew (Plan B) set out to achieve? Explain your answer with reference to both the film and the making of documentary. The film is successful is showing why the youth act negatively and this is because they are ignored in society. From the film, Plan B wanted to show the audience what the youth will result in (drugs and violence) if they have no place in a society and society is mainly concerned about politics rather than their individual lives. Also, in the film the soundtrack is significant because it is a narrative and it talks about how community centres are shut down. In society, if the youth are not occupied it's bound for them to result to violence if their opportunities are taken away from them. The film in particular gives the audience an insight to the grim reality teenagers have to live through and the only escape is through either living through it or to completely make a change, change can only happen if somebody like Plan B is educating the youth about the consequences of the lifestyle they choose. BROADCAST/ONLINE 1) What is SBTV? Research the channel and explain how it became successful. Identify the target audience for this interview (demographics/psychographics) and say why. SBTV is a multi-faceted company run by a small team of young people who work on web-based viral content at different music-based events.SB.TV was founded in 2006 by a teenager Jamal Edwards, for the first three years Edwards acted alone to provide amateur footage regarding many British grime artists, such as Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Chipmunk and Tinchy Stryder. As the channel began to attract more attention, it also began offering lifestyle interviews and event coverage, and a production team of ten people was established as a result. Recently, the company has cited its aim to become a more "diverse youth lifestyle broadcaster", incorporating more genres of music. This has been seen in the inclusion of acoustic artists such as Ed Sheeran and other popular artists such as Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, The Wanted and Pixie Lott. In February 2011, SB.TV launched their own music label Just Jam (an imprint of Sony RCA) and recently announced their first signing as east London MC, Maxsta. In March 2011 it had been suggested that the company are expected to go into business with restaurant chain Nando's. The SB.TV website subsequently crashed as close to a million people searched "Jamal Edwards."T On 10 April 2012, SB.TV released a cypher with grime collective Boy Better Know, to celebrate reaching 100 million views across all videos. The target audience are mainly teenagers who have an interest in grime music, but the age range is between 14 - 25 years, 70% males and 30% females. Demographics would fall between the C/D/E range as the company focus on mostly underground and undiscovered artists. Also, this would attract this demographic because the channel itself isn't high-budget. The psychographics would be mainly fall into the mainstreamers category and people who like to keep up-to--date with new trends and upcoming artists in the music industry. 2) What is the audience appeal for an interview like this? How does the opening of the clip emphasise this appeal? The opening of the clip shows one of the actors from the 'Ill Manors' movie trying to sneakily get an interview with Plan B. This would appeal to the target audience 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. 3) How is Plan B (the brand) represented in this text? Plan B is presented as hard-working as he's aiming to get the best footage together as possible. He states in the interview how he sleeps with his shoes on which enhances his gangster image. In addition, Plan B is seen as laid-back and relaxed as well as serious because he's working non-stop. TELEVISION
1) What is the history of the Jonathan Ross show? What channels has it appeared on? Why has Jonathan Ross been a controversial media figure in the past? The Jonathan Ross Show is a British talk show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2011 and airs on Saturday evenings following the conclusion of Ross' BBC One chat show, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, in July 2010. Following a guest appearance by Ross on The Russell Brand Show broadcast on 18 October 2008, Ross was suspended for 12 weeks without pay by the BBC on 29 October, after a series of lewd answer phone messages were left for then 78-year-old actor Andrew Sach regarding Sachs' granddaughter by Russell Brand and Ross, which were broadcast on the pre-recorded show.A media story about the calls generated a high number of complaints. Brand resigned from the BBC, while Ross was suspended without pay.
2) Identify the target audience for this interview (demographics/psychographics) and say why. The target audience would be between the ages of 16 - 40 years, the teenagers are most likely to be attracted to this interview because the show itself interviews famous artists and actors such as Jay-Z and Rihanna. The older generation are likely to watch this interview as a result of wanting answers for the riots. So it could be aimed at mainstreamers who watch the show to keep updated on celebrities as well as reformers who have an understanding of why the youth act out. 3) What is the audience appeal for a programme like the Jonathan Ross show? The Jonathan Ross show interviews many famous celebrities, such as Rihanna, Jay-Z and Beyonce and this would be likely to attract teenagers who have an interest in urban culture. The show is on a prime-time every Saturday night and this means it will have many viewers. The show has also had many old actors and politicians and this would attract more middle-aged/middle-class people who have an interest in politics and the economy. 4) How is Plan B (the brand) represented in this text? Plan B is seen as a successful person because he's being interviewed on the Jonathan Ross show were many high-key people have been interviewed. Plan B is seen as defending hip-hop as genre and the youth who are often ignored by society. RADIO 1) How popular is BBC Radio 1? Find average listening figures for the station. How has the BBC Radio 1 audience declined over recent years? Why might this have happened? BBC Radio 1 is a British radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in modern and current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00 pm, including electronic dance, hip hop, rock, indie or interviews. It's estimated that Radio 1 has an estimate of 10.26 million listeners and it can also be digitally distributed in many other countries. 2) Who is the target audience for BBC Radio 1? It is aimed primarily at the 15–29 age group, although the average age of the UK audience in 2008 was 33. 3) How does Plan B promote Ill Manors in this interview? Plan B promotes 'Ill Manors as a film which shows what happens with the youth growing up in East London. He also stated that if this film was successful he would go on to produce more films. He describes his role in 'Ill Manors' in terms of the production process and this helps to enhance his star image. Plan B plays many parts in terms of the production such as directing, filming and editing. His involvement with the film is likely to attract many of his fans. 4) What representation of Plan B can we find in this interview? Plan B describes how he's been sleeping off a sofa in his studio because of the fact that he is putting in hard effort and time to edit 'Ill Manors'. Also, Plan B is described to have changed his look in terms of appearance and occupation (experiencing more with film than music at this point).
Planning and sketching 1) Target audience might be interested in -
Target audience between the ages of 16- 30 years old
Targeted at a C/D demographic - strugglers and reformers: people who want change and learn from their mistakes
Interested in shows such as: Topboy and Youngers. Movies: Ill Manors, Kidulthood and Adulthood because the show is to do with educating the youth of today's society
Mainstreamers: love for popular brands such as Nike, Adidas etc..
How can you use this information to create a main cover story and smaller cover lines that will appeal to your E4 target audience? Using similar tag lines which many previous shows have used 2) Produce an A4 sketch of your front cover including the key conventions you have studied in existing magazines and then planned in planning task 1 above.
3) Create a spider diagram or bullet point list of ideas for your double-page spread article. Write a list of potential headlines and sub-headings for the article you choose to go with. POTENTIAL HEADLINES:
The main image - actors from show "follow me" - headline will be focused on the actors "meet the actors"
Photoshoot 1) Which of your main characters will appear on the front cover of your magazine? Charlotte - the main character from the trailer to help promote the new show 2) What image or images will you use for the double-page spread? Images will be used from the trailer to give an insight into what is to be expected
3) Write a shot list for the photoshoot. Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture - medium shots, close-ups etc. For the photoshoot many medium shoots will be used as Charlotte is the main focus and central image. 4) What costume, props or make-up will you require for the photoshoot? No props/costume, just presenting Charlotte as a normal innocent school girl
Ill Manors is a hip-hop protest song written by English
rapper ‘Plan B’ and was first played on BBC Radio 1 on 27 February 2012. It was
written as a reaction to the 2011 London riots. It is the lead single from the
Ill Manors soundtrack and was written to also get Plan B’s perception of “society’s
failure to nurture its disadvantage youth” across. Ill Manors received mostly
positive reviews from the music critics and peaked at number six on the UK
Singles Chart. In October 2012, the song won the Q Award for Best Track. The soundtrack, is a
thematically sound album which represents the life of the U.K.'s lower-class
youth. The first line is inviting which states: "Let's all go on an urban
safari/ We might see some illegal migrants" as cellos and dirty beats lay
underneath, because this is not only a full-bodied, string-instrument
soundtrack, but a grimy soundtrack too.Plan
B has been described by critics as adapting an “Eminem style” through his
shocking punchlines which could be an attack on politicians. In further detail,
Plan B’s metaphors are targeted towards Nick Clegg and David Cameron, he also
makes reference to the ‘hug-a-hoodie’ campaign. The song itself presents how
the working class in society (the D/E demographic) have no opportunities,
especially when Plan B describe community centres being shut down. The beat
itself is upbeat and electrifying which magnifies the anger and frustration the
working class overall have towards not being heard in society. The Guardian describes:
“Frankly, the listener knows how
he feels: still, it's hard not to be hugely impressed that he went there.”
This shows how Plan B was clever in getting his
point across for justifying why the London riots went on. Ultimately, some may
argue that this song is significant is reinforcing the stereotypes the upper
classes have towards “estate” kids. As it’s a protest song it’s bound to
highlight the weaknesses of the youth, showing how damaged and corrupt they are
and their only way out is by restoring to violence and staying out on the
streets. From Plan B’s perspective he’s trying to clarify why the youth act out
and he was successful by demonstrating this through his lyrics and his opinions
from a political view.
The "Ill Manors" music video is a hip-hop protest song which stars Plan B and was released by Atlantic Records (a record label part of the Warner Bros. conglomerate). The music video uses many codes and conventions which a typical music video uses, this is demonstrated by the use of fast-paced cuts, camera work (the use of close-ups) and using a montage. The music video uses fast-paced cuts to match the rhythm of the song which is very electric and upbeat. The cuts are edited quickly to reinforce the rhythm of the song, also footage from the London riots which took place in 2011 is used. This creates a montage and like other music videos this promotes a message about how the working class are not seen as significant is society and ultimately they resort to violence. Also, the soundtrack is a form of promotion for the movie "Ill Manors" and gives the audience insight on the themes involved in the movie, the main theme being violence. The song itself incorporates many ideas from typical music videos, particularly using camera work. Close-ups are used of Plan B to help enhance his star image and inform the viewer about his success, even though Plan B may have previously faced legal trouble he uses the Ill Manors music videos to express his thoughts on society (typically the government). However, this music video challenges typical music videos because this song was written as a protest, as well as for entertainment purposes. It presents how the working class are seen as damaged and corrupt. Typically, hip-hop music videos promote the ideal lifestyle through the use of flashy cars, women and alcohol but because this is a protest song it focuses on how the working class are portrayed not so much the lifestyle they want to carry out.
Plan B's music video is significant is embracing the idea of spectacle and using 'direct mode of address.' This is important because Plan B is using direct mode of address to help educate the youth about how society should involve everyone, yet lecture the youth about standing up for their position in society but in the right approach. The music video visually represents how Plan B is standing up for the working class, as he himself comes from the same background, and wants an end to the working class not being provided enough opportunities. In the song itself one lyric states: "Who closed the community centre? I used to kill time there." The lyric suggests how the government are closing down opportunities which may encourage the youth to stay off the streets and avoid being in trouble. By the government taking these opportunities down the youth have nothing to resort to but violence. The use of this is to help Plan B justify the actions of why the youth get into trouble, especially with the London Riots.
Representation
How does it represent the London riots/rioters?
Plan B's main aim is to show the perception of "society's failure to nurture to disadvantaged youth" and ultimately the music video employs this message by showing how the working class are disregarded in society as politicians in particular focus on the upper/middle classes. It could be argued that Plan B was justifying the actions of the rioters because the "disadvantaged youth" who appear to be from a working class background have no voice in society. The rioters appear to be making an attack on politicians in particular. This demonstrates how this song is a reaction to the 2011 riots and it sarcastically attacks the media's view of the working class, especially the ring-wing tabloids such as 'The Sun' and 'Daily Mail' who present the rioters as a threat to society when in reality violence is the only thing they can resort to because there are not a wide variety of opportunities. The media in general present the rioters as negative and as a result their image of being corrupt is reinforced through the music video especially when it shows people fighting each other and Plan B is in front of them still rapping. It also shows how there are no role models in society as the youth are easily influenced. However, because this song is a protest song which demands for immediate change it demonstrates how society will adapt to the working class because the music video is very confrontational. This links to the theorist Medhurst who argued about stereotypes being short-hand and as a result of the video glamorizing violence it's expected that society makes changes before the working oppose a bigger threat to society. In addition, the music video represents males more to be associated with violence. There are very few females in this video, Plan B intended to represent males more to advocate how males are the focal gender who are associated with violence, especially in the London riots. Ethnicity also plays a huge role, along with age, because the music video focuses on white, black and mix people who are between the ages 16-24. Plan B used this target audience as the film is based upon the London riots.
Audience
What audience pleasures does it offer?
The key theme used throughout this music video is violence, along with the video promoting a sense of freedom. Generally, hip-hop songs are a way to express one's feelings through rhyming words and this song perfectly demonstrates Plan B expressing his feelings about the London riots.The chorus in particular is a chant with the lyrics: "Oi! I said oi! What you looking at, you little rich boy!" This suggests how the song takes pleasure in attacking the upper classes. People from the working classes and who live in the suburban areas of London may find a voyeur and enjoy looking at those upper classes as important.
The demographic for the music video focuses along the D and E group as this relates to the young, unemployed teenagers in the music video. The video presents these teenagers acting violent and established in a council estate area making the audience interpret the actors are from the struggler and reformer categories. This video appeals to strugglers because they are the ones being represented and reformers are attracted to this because the video itself is a protest from class equality and ultimately reformers would agree with the song because teenagers need opportunities to prevent them from rioting.
Moreover, the video shows the characters as breaking the rules and going against many norms of society.Politics is the main topic mentioned throughout and David Cameron and Nick Clegg, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, both feature in the video, despite not being mentioned in the lyrics. However, Cameron's "Hug a Hoodie" campaign is alluded to. This ultimately would attract teenagers making it appear that they can talk about anything as freely as they would like to. Although Plan B's intentions were to help the working class's voices be heard, this music video appears that the characters are only reinforcing their negative sterertpe in society rather than making them appear as protesters.
Institutions
How does the video help promote the film? The music video was created to help raise awareness about the voices not being heard in society. The upper classes are describes as living luxurious lifestyles with good jobs whereas the D/E demographic are usually associated with thugs, violence and badly behaved people. Plan B himself grew up in a council estate before he rose to fame so it's only natural that he wants change for those who are discriminated. The concept for both the movie and video are the same as they both indulge in the theme of violence. They both use a narrative to describe real-life situations. Also, synergy is created because Plan B is associated with releasing both the music video and the film. The music video was released by Plan B's record company Atlantic Records and Plan B also directed the movie himself. This helps Plan B to enhance his brand identity because of his forms to promote and market the film. Plan B is the main star focus in the music video were he makes his presence known, whereas in the film he only makes a short cameo appearance which helps the audience know that's his mark of success.
