Ill Manors - Music Video

Info about the video...

"Ill Manors" is a hip hop protest song by English singer and songwriter Plan B. The track was released in the United Kingdom in March 2012 through the American company Atlantic Records (a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group conglomerate) as the lead single from the Ill Manors soundtrack, a low budget film which Plan B also directed. The song was written in reaction to the 2011 riots across England, and specifically Plan B's perception of "society's failure to nurture its disadvantaged youth." The song deals with both the causes and the consequences of the riots, concentrating on society's attitude towards the disadvantaged youth population. Drawing upon Plan B's own experiences of being expelled from school the song sarcastically attacks the media view of working class children: "Keep on believing what you read in the papers / Council estate kids—scum of the earth." 

Writing in The Independent, Tim Walker called it "an all-time great protest song." However, Samuel Breen, also writing for The Independent, describes the song as "a cliché riddled attack on politics" and suggests that Plan B is justifying the action taken by the rioters, something Plan B denies.

The music video for "Ill Manors" expands upon the themes of the song, and uses footage from the 2011 riots. 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.

Plan B - ill Manors.

Answer the following questions...

• Forms

How is it typical of a music video? 

(Use the key conventions of music videos PowerPoint to help you).

• Representation

How does it represent the London riots/rioters?

• Audience

What audience pleasures does it offer?

• Institutions

How does the music video help to promote the film?

Homework

Research the Ill Manors track and soundtrack album - Record companies? Sales? Music reviewers' response? Post the research on your blog - minimum of 350 words.

Ill Manors: TEDx Lecture

Create a new blogpost called Ill Manors: TEDx lecture and complete the following tasks: 




1) Embed the above video in your blogpost and read this Guardian article that accompanied the original event. Remember to also look at the comments below - these can give you a variety of different perspectives and criticisms to the original lecture.

2) Make notes on the lecture: focus on Plan B/Ben Drew's views on the opportunities for young people in London and how these inspired Ill Manors.

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

4) 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?

5) 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.


Complete these questions for homework if you don't get them done in the lesson - due for your next Media lesson.

Year 12 Learner Response - MEST1 C4 Paralympics clip

Your learner response for the January assessment will be to type up your feedback and then re-write your weakest question on the blog. The following links may be useful:

The C4 Meet The Superhumans trailer is currently on YouTube here.

The question paper you took on is available here.

The mark scheme - with suggested content for each answer - is available here.

If you don't finish this in the lesson make sure it is completed for homework - due Monday.

Year 12 Media Summer School with Sussex University

We've been given details of an amazing all-expenses paid opportunity to attend a Media/Journalism Summer School at the University of Sussex in Brighton. It's aimed at students who will be the first of their family to attend university and involves a stay on campus with all meals and accommodation paid for in August 2015.

There are more details on the Sussex University website or I've got some printed material with further details in DF07. This is the promotional video that Sussex use to advertise their Summer School:




It's a brilliant opportunity at a superb university in a beautiful part of the country (I know this for a fact as Sussex Uni is next door to the Amex Stadium where I saw Brentford win 1-0 against Brighton last week). 

So apply!

12C Cover Work/Homework: Wed. 21/1/15, p3/4

Remember the basic rules first:

• Arrive on time - make sure you register with the cover teacher/Mr Halsey/Mr Qureshi;
• Stay in the classroom until the end of the lesson;
• Work responsibly on the task set...

'Ill Manors' Trailer Analysis

Please complete all of this (including your 'Ill Manors' film review if you haven't done it yet) by Friday 23/1.

MEST2 Print brief

Your MEST2 Print brief is as important as the video work you are currently filming. It is crucial that you research, plan and design print work that could comfortably holds its own alongside professional examples. Our AQA MEST2 brief is here, with the key task as follows:

Print
Create a front cover and two further pages from a specialist souvenir magazine that will be produced to promote the broadcast production at the time of broadcast.

Now complete the following tasks to plan and prepare your print work:

Research

1) Key conventions. Look over the magazine cover key conventions notes sheet and ensure you can confidently identify the key aspects that are found on a magazine cover.

2) Write a detailed analysis of this Doctor Who magazine front cover using the 12 key conventions from the notes. For each one, explain the purpose of the convention and the effect or impact it has on the audience.

3) Find at least 5 magazine covers aimed at a similar target audience to E4 and embed them on your blog. For each one, pick out one cover line that is similar to one you could use in your own magazine cover (e.g. an interview with a celebrity that also appeals to your target audience).

4) Find at least one TV souvenir magazine cover and embed it on your blog - Doctor Who magazine is always a good option (don't use the example above).

Planning and sketching

1) Create a spider diagram or bullet point list of all the things your target audience might be interested in. How can you use this information to create a main cover story and smaller cover lines that will appeal to your E4 target audience?

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.

4) Produce an A4 landscape sketch of your double page spread design now you have chosen the subject matter.

Photoshoot

1) Which of your main characters will appear on the front cover of your magazine?

2) What image or images will you use for the double-page spread?

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.

4) What costume, props or make-up will you require for the photoshoot?

5) How will you make sure you have everything prepared for the photoshoot on Monday 26 January?

Use the lesson to complete these planning tasks but you'll need to finish for homework - due Monday 26 January.



Homework for next week
In Microsoft Word, write the text for your double page spread feature. Plan it out carefully then write a headline, sub-heading and at least 500 words for the main article.

Due: next week

Ill Manors film trailer analysis

Homework

A reminder of your homework - write a 750 word review of Ill Manors. All the details and compulsory planning sheet are on this blogpost.

Ill Manors trailer analysis



Consider the discussion points from analysing the Ill Manors film trailer in class - then watch it again and answer the questions below on your blog:

1. What are the typical codes and conventions of film trailers - what information is usually provided?
2. How are trailers distributed? 
3. How does the Ill Manors trailer use trailer conventions?
4. Who is the target audience? 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?
5. How has the genre of the film been represented through characters, settings, lighting, colour, music/dialogue, camera shots/movements/angles and editing?

The final questions (4 and 5) require you to carry out a detailed analysis like you would for a Section A exam question so make sure you include specific examples from the clip and use correct media terminology. If you are looking for an A grade, try and apply some media theory too. 

If you don't finish in class, finish for homework.

Ill Manors Film Review

12C - please complete for Wed 21/1...

1. Use the above to write a plan for a film review of ''Ill Manors". Post the notes on your blog.

2. After planning, write a review of the film of at least 750 words (posted on your blog).

You should refer to the best film review sites to help you...

IMDB

Rotten Tomatoes

Metacritic

...but DO NOT plagiarise anything. Your review MUST be entirely in your own words.

Happy New Year!

Welcome back to A Level Media - we hope you had a brilliant holiday and are refreshed and ready for a very busy term ahead.

You'll be making your two-minute TV opening scenes, carrying out a professional photoshoot for your print work then designing a magazine front cover and two-page inside spread on Adobe Photoshop. Throw in a 1,500 word evaluation and that's plenty to do in a short, sharp 12-week term.

On the exam side, you'll be doing an in-depth case study on the blistering low-budget British urban film Ill Manors as part of your work studying the wider film industry. We've got a brilliant conference at the BFI on the British film industry coming up in a few weeks' time and you'll also be doing an in-depth independent case study on a big-budget Hollywood film of your choice.

Remember: you've got a MEST1 Section A assessment on Friday so make sure you are revising EVERYTHING you've learned in Media so far.

There's an A grade waiting for you if you're willing to put the work in - good luck!