MEST1 Section B: A Field In England

A Field In England is a low-budget arthouse film by award-winning director Ben Wheatley. It was released on 5th July 2013 across cinema, DVD/Blu-ray, TV and VoD.

It is described as a psychedelic trip into Civil War era rural England and attracted attention due to both the director and the highly creative release and distribution method.

A Field In England is an excellent second case study because the official website contains a huge amount of information about the film from initial idea and financing to filming, editing and its remarkable release strategy.

The more you read, the more confidently you will be able to use the film in your exam answer, comparing it to the Ill Manors release strategy and target audience.

Complete the following tasks on your blog:

First, 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.

Now read the following pages on the official website that provide 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.  
Screening/radical release: Commissioning Executive Anna Higgs on the groundbreaking release plans for A Field In England.
Audience: Anna Higgs discusses where A Field In England sits within British cinema and how it will reach its intended audience for the film.

Finally, answer the following questions on your blog:

1. How was A Field In England’s release different to typical film releases?
2. What are the advantages to releasing the film across all platforms on the same day?
3. What are the disadvantages to this approach?
4. What target audience would A Field In England be aimed at? Demographics and Psychographics.
5. Do you think all films in future will be released across all platforms simultaneously in future?

Extension work: read the rest of the official website's digital masterclass – there is a huge amount of information about the film from initial idea and financing to filming, editing and release.

Homework: Ensure the reading, summary and five questions are completed and on your blog - due Monday 7 March.

Ill Manors e-media: website analysis

Increasingly, social media is overtaking official websites in terms of importance on the e-media platform.

The Ill Manors official website has now been taken down (the film is over three years old) but look at the screenshot below and think about how it promotes the film in synergy with other texts/platforms you have studied. 

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?
2. How does the website encourage the audience to buy or interact with Ill Manors products?
3. Look at Plan B's official website. How does it use social media in terms of content and design? 
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? 
5. Why do you think social media is overtaking official websites in terms of film promotion?

Complete this for homework alongside the rest of the Ill Manors e-media platform work. This includes the Tag London campaign and the social media research questions. 

In total, you need the following blogposts to cover the e-media platform:

1. Ill Manors Tag London campaign
2. Social media research questions
3. Official website analysis

Due: confirmed by your teacher (12C due Friday 4 March)

MEST2 film rough cut deadline

Your deadline for a rough cut of your three-minute film extract is Wednesday 2 March.

This means you need to have a rough edit of the whole production ready for viewing and feedback. 

If you're editing in school, you don't need to export the production as we can watch it at your PC on Premiere Pro. If you're editing at home, you will need to export the rough cut and bring it in to school for screening to your teacher.

This is an absolutely crucial aspect of the project as feedback now can still leave time for last-minute improvements that can raise your final coursework mark.

Make sure you meet the deadline!

MEST2 Print brief: inspiration for final drafts

You should now be putting the finishing touches to your MEST2 print work - a front cover, contents page and double-page spread from the programme for the Little Picturehouse screening.

This Curzon Cinema magazine may provide inspiration for your final design, particularly in how it uses still images from films alongside text.

If you can get final drafts printed this week that leaves you free to focus on editing the three minute film extract.

Remember, this half-term is just 4.5 weeks long!

Ill Manors: e-media off-site research

Answer the following questions in a detailed blogpost. Use screengrabs and examples. 

Note: due to the school's firewall you will need to complete these questions off-site.

Ill Manors Facebook page

1. How many 'likes' has the Ill Manors film page had?
2. What is the top of the page promoting?
3. Choose five of the posts on the page's wall, screengrab them and explain how they appeal to the Ill Manor's target audience.
4. Find three examples of synergy with other platforms (links to broadcast clips or newspaper/magazine articles). Explain how each one promotes the film.
5. 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).
6. Find three examples of the Facebook page cross-promoting the soundtrack or DVD release.
7. Find the Twitter graffiti campaign link on the Facebook wall and screengrab it.
8. How did the institution use the Facebook page to promote the film's release in May/June 2012?

Ill Manors Twitter feed

1. How does the Ill Manors Twitter feed use the Ill Manors brand to promote the film?
2. What hashtags are used on the Ill Manors Twitter feed?
3. 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.
4. How has the Ill Manors Twitter feed used pictures to help promote the film?
5. Find examples of the Ill Manors Tag London campaign in the Ill Manors Twitter feed and explain how they help to target the right audience for the film.
6. 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.

Ill Manors on Instagram

1. How has Ill Manors used the Instagram platform to promote Ill Manors?
2. Choose three particular images/posts and explain why they are effective in promoting the film.
3. What hashtags are used on Instagram to promote the film? Is there consistency in branding/hashtags across social media? Why is this important?
4. Find three images on Instagram tagged with Ill Manors that relate to other texts you have studied across the three platforms (such as the music video, TEDx lecture or a print interview). Explain the synergy between the texts.

YouTube - planbuk channel

1. How was the planbuk YouTube channel used to promote the Ill Manors film?
2. Find examples of synergy or cross-promotion between the planbuk YouTube channel and other media texts you have studied as part of the case study. Explain how they both promote the film and appeal to the Ill Manors target audience.
3. What links to other social networking sites can you find on the planbuk channel homepage?

Homework due: confirm date with your teacher

Exam revision: AS Media March PPE

Your AS Media mock exam is on Wednesday 9 March at 8.30am.

This will be a MEST1 Section A exam paper similar to your January assessment. You will NOT be tested on Section B (British film industry and Ill Manors) as we have not completed teaching this topic. A reminder of what Section A involves:

Section A: 15 minutes to study the material/watch clip/make notes and then 60 minutes to answer FOUR compulsory questions.

You need to revise the following for this exam:

• ALL media theories and concepts we have studied since the start of Year 12.
• Your Film Language unit, paying particular attention to media terminology and detailed textual analysis.
• Finally, look closely at your MEST1 Section A January assessment - what were the specific aspects you needed to improve? You are looking for significant progress in the upcoming exam - an absolute minimum of 5 marks higher in Section A overall.

Do the work and make sure you are confident going into this exam - you have learned a HUGE amount about the media already this year and now have the opportunity to demonstrate that progress.

Good luck!

Ill Manors e-media: Tag London campaign

The Ill Manors Tag London campaign is a brilliant example of the power of the e-media platform.

The synergy with other aspects of the promotional campaign and the links to the political aspect of the film make it a vital part of our Ill Manors case study.




Ill Manors Tag London campaign: tasks

Read about the Ill Manors Tag London campaign on Musically - a music industry website - and the Think With Google Creative Sandbox page. The original website for the campaign is here. (You may not be able to access all of these pages in school but read all the links either in lesson or at home).

A selection of the tweets that were beamed across London include:

#ILLMANORS #IGNORINGTHEPROBLEM DOES NOT SOLVE IT? #INSPIREKIDS DON'T PUT THEM DOWN? #SOCIALCHANGECOMESTHROUGHACTION NOT INACTION? @4PLANB

#ILLMANORS THE WORSHIP AND MONEY MERGED ALL COLOURS AND CREED, INTO ONE TRUE RELIGION THAT WAS DRIVEN BY GREED @4PLANB

@ILLMANORS #ILLMANORS OLYMPICS GONNA LEAVE US WITH A LARGE BILL A LARGE VENUE THAT WILL CLOSE BY THE NXT PROJECT AND IS A TERRORISTS WISH,

#ILLMANORS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CAMERON'S BROKEN BRITAIN

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

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

#ILLMANORS INCLUSION NOT EXCLUSION.

THE RECESSION IS A WORLD SCHEME TO KEEP THE POOR, POOR. THE RICH OF THIS WORD HAVE NEVER BEING RICHER. #ILLMANORS

SOUNDS LIKE THE TRUTH #ILLMANORS

@4PLANB MONEY & LOVE CAN LIFT A PEOPLE UP. IT’S NOT A RACE, WHEN WE’RE ALL FROM ONE PLACE. HOW WILL YOU APPLY YOURSELF? #ILLMANORS #ITSDEEP

AND BY THAT I MEAN, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING TO CHANGE YOU HAVE TO START WITH THE MORAL HIGH GROUND AND NEVER GIVE IN. #ILLMANORS

ON PRINCIPLE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TEENAGER LOOTING TRAINERS AND A POLITICIAN STEALING THOUSANDS IN EXPENSES? #ILLMANORS

LONDON IS CALLING, THE CITY IS CRUMBLING #ILLMANORS.

PLAN B'S #ILLMANORS MOVEMENT IS SICK, GET INVOLVED

#ILLMANORS YOU CAN'T EAT MONEY...BUT YOU CAN EAT THE RICH


Now answer the following questions on your blog:

1. Summarise the Ill Manors Tag London campaign in 100 of your own words.
2. How does the Ill Manors Tag London campaign help to promote 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?
4. Why might user-generated campaigns like this be more successful than traditional media 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.

Finish for homework anything you don't complete in the lesson - due next lesson.

Ill Manors print: branding

Print platform: branding

Find at least three different print examples (adverts, DVD packaging etc.) for Ill Manors. Post the images up on your blog and answer the following questions for each text:

1. What are the key conventions that help you identify the print text (e.g. title, central image, review quotes etc.)?
2. What design features help identify the Ill Manors brand?
3. What examples of synergy can you find with the broadcast platform or other print examples?

Homework

Finish these tasks for homework - due after half-term.

The Wednesday screening: United 93

The Wednesday screenings are continuing today with United 93 (2006) - 3.10pm in DF07.

This remarkable documentary-style drama from British director Paul Greengrass recreates the events that took place on September 11, 2001 when four planes were hijacked with the intention of flying them into major American landmarks. Three hit their targets in New York and Washington but United 93 crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane.

Shot entirely using handheld camera to emphasise the documentary feel, Paul Greengrass (along with his main Editor Christopher Rouse) has been credited with "re-writing the rules for action editing" with his ultra-realistic style. As Variety magazine states:

"Over the span of 10 years, Greengrass and Rouse have rewritten the rules for action editing, bringing an illusion of spontaneous immediacy to carefully choreographed set pieces.

Certainly, Greengrass’ impact can be detected in films as diverse as “The Hunger Games” (with its jittery handheld lensing and skittish cutting) and “Short Term 12” (which applies restless multi-cam coverage to a low-budget indie drama).

But the director’s immersive eyewitness aesthetic shouldn’t be reduced to so-called “shaky cam” shooting and editing that intensifies the action onscreen with quick cuts and dynamic cross-axis jumps between angles.

As Rouse suggests, these strategies work in service of a new way of telling stories, one that relies just as much on recreating factual events (“United 93,” “Green Zone” and “Captain Phillips”) as it does heightening the impact of Hollywood thrillers (the “Bourne” sequels).

The film also raises interesting questions in terms of the representation of Muslims and fits perfectly with A2 theoretical work we will cover next year in terms of post-9/11 and the media and post-colonial theory.

Ill Manors: Print platform

It is essential that we discuss all three media platforms when writing a MEST1 Section B essay response. The next platform we are studying is print.


What different aspects should make up our study of the print platform for Ill Manors?

• Newspaper/magazine Ill Manors reviews
• Newspaper/magazine Plan B interviews
• Newspaper/magazine features/profiles/ opinion pieces (columns)
• Print adverts
• Billboard adverts
• DVD/CD soundtrack packaging

Key word: synergy
The process through which a series of media products derived from the same text is promoted in and through each other.

(Easy way to remember synergy: LINKS between different platforms/texts.)


How can we find examples of synergy in the promotion of Ill Manors?


Ill Manors offers an excellent example of synergy because the film is cross-promoted by the soundtrack album of the same name. 

Marketing and advertising promotes both the film and the album – while the political element of both is highlighted through interviews, TEDx lectures and more.

Print platform: blog tasks

Read the following print articles:

• Men’s Health interview
• NME Magazine interview
• Guardian interview
• Daily Mail review of Ill Manors

For EACH of the four interviews, embed an image or screengrab from that magazine's brand and work through the following questions and tasks:

1) Identify the target audience (demographics/psychographics) for this magazine. How is that particular audience attracted?
2) Does the article do more than just entertain? How? (Think of Uses and Gratifications theory) What audience pleasures does the article offer?
3) What codes/conventions of print interviews can you find in the article? 
4) How is narrative used to tell a story in each interview? Clue: what is it that keeps the reader interested in the article to the very end?
5) What synergy can you find between this text and the broadcast examples we have studied so far?

Finish for homework if you don't complete these in the lesson - deadline set by your exam class teacher.

BFI Trip - Tuesday 9 February

Our BFI Study Day on UK Cinema, Audiences and Institutions is Tuesday 9 February. It fits in perfectly with our MEST1 Section B case study on Ill Manors and the UK film industry. More details about the day can be found on the BFI website here.

You will have received a trip briefing in your Year 12 Media lessons this week but it's here if you need an electronic copy. 

Remember, we are meeting at 10am at BFI Southbank near Waterloo. We need to be registered and seated by 10.15am so it's essential you arrive on time.

See you in the main foyer of BFI Southbank at 10am on Tuesday!

Ill Manors: Broadcast platform concluded

We have already studied the Ill Manors trailer, music video and TEDx lecture. Now, we need to explore some further broadcast texts to conclude our work on the broadcast platform. 

Watch and listen to the following clips/links, embed them where possible on a new blogpost called 'Ill Manors: Broadcast platform concluded' and answer the questions below each clip.

DVD extras
Watch the Making Of Ill Manors from the DVD extras. (Watch in class - unavailable online).

1) What does this tell us about Plan B's intentions in making the film?
2) What do we learn about the production process for Ill Manors?
3) What can you tell about the possible target audience from this short documentary?
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.


Broadcast/online
Watch Plan B interviewed by SBTV while he was editing Ill Manors.



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.
2) What is the audience appeal for an interview like this? How does the opening of the clip emphasise this appeal?
3) How is Plan B (the brand) represented in this text?


Television
Watch Plan B interviewed on the Jonathan Ross show.




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?
2) Identify the target audience for this interview (demographics/psychographics) and say why.
3) What is the audience appeal for a programme like the Jonathan Ross show?
4) How is Plan B (the brand) represented in this text?


Radio
Listen to this interview with Plan B on Fearne Cotton's BBC Radio 1 show.

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?
2) Who is the target audience for BBC Radio 1?
3) How does Plan B promote Ill Manors in this interview?
4) What representation of Plan B can we find in this interview?

You will have a single lesson to work on this but will need to finish for homework - deadline confirmed by your exam class teacher.

Year 12 screening: Attack the Block

The Wednesday screenings are continuing today with Attack the Block (2011) - 3.10pm in DF07.

This urban sci-fi comedy hybrid is something of a departure from our recent arthouse screenings but it does match the category of low-budget independent British film. In fact, this will be useful not only for your coursework but also your MEST1 Section B case study as it continues the trend of London-based urban British films such as Kidulthood, Ill Manors and more.

The film also raises interesting questions in terms of representation and has been criticised for the one-dimensional portrayal of London teenagers living on housing estates, particularly young black males.

Ill Manors broadcast: TEDx lecture

Ill Manors raises important questions in terms of ideology, moral panic and the representation of class and youth in mainstream media.

Key notes

What is an ideology?

An ideology is a world view, a system of values, attitudes and beliefs which an individual, group or society holds to be true or important; these are shared by a culture or society about how that society should function.

What is a dominant ideology?
Dominant ideologies are views and beliefs that are accepted by most people in society without thinking – they are seen as common sense.


A good example would be that the characters in Ill Manors are bad – they are criminals or drug users and deserve punishment.

Dominant ideology and moral panic
One key aspect of ideology and the media is that certain issues that might challenge the dominant view become major concerns for society.


Sociologist Stanley Cohen coined the phrase ‘moral panic’ to describe this situation.

Examples of moral panic:

• Violent movies/videogames
• Gangs
• Paedophilia
• Terrorism
• Pornography

Ill Manors: TEDx lecture blog task

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.