1. How does the industry promote the film to audiences using:
- Print media?
- Broadcast media (TV/Radio/DVD)?
- E-Media?
Print Media…
The film ill Manors promotes to film audiences through the industry by using examples of print media's. The industry try’s to promote the film by placing prints of ill manors in busy locations where there are many people passing by and can see the advertisement.
The advertisement above was placed in a busy place in London due to the fact that many people would see this daily. The industry promoting ill Manors was paid and run by Revolver Entertainment and therefore they decided to place this form of print media advertising in a busy mainstream area. The Billboard itself consists of the general conventions of print advertisements such as the fact that it has the name of Album and artist along with when its release date is. This particular billboard is to promote ill Manors (the album) but not the ill Manors film, however the film came out about a month before this on June 6th and the album’s release date is to be release date is set to come out on the 23rd. By this coming out over a month after the film, this is promoting the film and the album as people who saw the film before may want to buy the soundtrack.
The advertisement is placed in a busy area in order to attract a big audience and for it to get a huge amount of exposure in terms of views and buyers of the album/soundtrack.
The advertisement is placed in a busy area in order to attract a big audience and for it to get a huge amount of exposure in terms of views and buyers of the album/soundtrack.
The magazine page from above is based on ill Manors (the film) and the making of it and how Plan B became this movie director. In the article, they talk about how ill Manors was made and what Plan B/Ben Drew's idea’s were when making this film. This is a good form of print media advertising as the film was just recently released therefore meaning that this exposure into the making of it would be also advertising it through it’s key concepts and thoughts.
The main article on these pages are ill Manors therefore it has enough of the page in order to get noticed by viewers. Also, the use of images helps to get across to the reader what ill Manors may be about.
However, these prints such as posters and advertisement boards are expensive to create, especially in terms of ill Manors as they had a low budget in terms of promoting the film. Also, it very much depends upon the types of people (types of demographic groups) who read a certain magazine. For example, if ill Manors was advertised in a girls magazine, this wouldn't be an effective type of advertising and promotion for the film due to the limited target audience who read that type of magazine. At the same time it's the same for if it was promoted in a guys magazine such as FMH due to the fact that the promotion industry does not want to rule out the fact that girls may watch the film as well.
As people become more and more computer literate, promotional advertising will increase on the internet and decrease in terms of print promotion. This will be the case for low budget film companies as they do not have a lot of money for promotion and therefore advertising on certain websites and creating social networking pages are free.
Broadcast Media (TV/Radio/DVD)…
The industry also promotes ill Manors through the use of Broadcast Media by means such as TV, Radio and DVD releases. Ben Drew appeared on many TV shows for interviews such as on the Jonathan Ross show. This interview took place in 2012 on the 1st of September after the release of his film and just before the release of the DVD.
In the interview, he talk about his idea's and how the media dominants peoples views and opinions through the stories which they show. He doesn't talk about his film however this is publicity as people would find out more about him and he's getting more exposure therefore people who like his views would want to find out more about him and this would be promoting his film and his DVD release; which is about a month away. This is gaining a larger demographic audience. Also, because of the fact that he is singing at the end of the interview, this may make people who like this song and his voice, download his music and find out about his ill Manors film. The industry has helped for promotion in this interview as they are exposing Ben Drew's personality to the world and also they get to hear him sing therefore resulting in new fans to download his music and find out more about him, which means that they find out about his ill Manors album and film.
Plan B went on the Radio 1 Live Lounge on the 13th of June (2012) which was about a month after the release of ill Manors (the film). This is also before the release of the album/soundtrack for ill Manors and by this song; named ill Manors; to be performed before the release, it's allowing people to hear his main song and form an opinion. This also allows fans to become excited about the release of the soundtrack and keep up-to-date with when it's to be released.
This is also a good place for Plan B to get some new fans as loads of people who listen to mainstream music go to this channel in order to find new music and therefore this is helping to promote his film and soundtrack due to the large audience.
Mainstreamers (the psychographics) group tend to listen to this kind of music therefore attracting them as an audience.
E-media...
A form of E-media promotion for ill Manors is the ill Manors Facebook page which is where people can find out information based on ill Manors and can keep up-to-date with the latest up-dates in terms of Plan B.
The ill Manors Facebook page allows followers; such as fans of the film or album; to stay connected with the latest information. Also, fans views and opinions based on both the film and album are on the page where others can see and be convinced/persuaded to watch/listen to ill Manors. On this page, there are many links such as ones to the film trailer and links to the album in itunes. Itunes is a popular website where many people such as mainstreamers and explorers (in terms of psychographic groups) visit to download music. There's also information and the DVD release and what it's about. Along with this, there are also photos on the page which are from the Brit Awards 2013 and other songs and albums made by Plan B.
E-media is a very effective way of advertising and promoting ill Manors due to the simple fact that many millions of people visit websites such as social networking ones like Facebook and Twitter. Advertising ill Manors on a website like this would definitely get it some publicity and acknowledgement. Also, creating a fan page on the film is also great for advertising ill Manors as fans of the film can leave their opinions based on the film and soundtrack which would persuade others into going and watching it. The biggest advantage of this is that promoting on social networking sites is free and therefore not cutting into ill Manors' budget.
However, despite E-Media's advantages, there are also disadvantages to it such as piracy. Piracy is a huge problems in terms of the total income and profits of ill Manors. The film could have at least doubled it's profits if piracy wasn't a issue but due to this, many people are able to download/stream the film for free over the internet. This is becoming increasingly more and more of a problem for film companies, especially the low budget film industries as they are making a small amount of profit. If this continues to go forth, film companies like these will barely break even and will be forced to not produce films no longer.
It's hard for anyone to patrol the internet and get rid of all piracy and file sharing sites as there is a huge network of webpages containing content which allows others to download illegally hence why this is a huge problem.
Websites such as the Piratebay have been blocked and founders are to be taken to court by the British Music Industry. More and more of these P2P sharing sites are being shut down however as this takes place, others are put up and created so that people can carry on sharing files with one another.
2. How are texts in the three platforms constructed?
How is the film promoted through:
- Print?
- Broadcasting (TV/Radio/DVD)?
- E-Media?
Print Media…
The film ill Manors promotes to film audiences by using examples of print media's. The film poster try’s to promote the film by placing prints of ill manors in busy locations where there are many people passing by and can see the advertisement. Print media posters are everywhere in society and therefore is not a big deal. In fact, due to the normal approach of this, people tend not to look at poster advertisements no longer because industries keep on advertising products and content to them.
The prints above based upon ill Manors is to inform people about ill Manors the film and when it's to be released in the cinema. The poster contains typical conventions of film posters such as having the title of the production, the producer of the film, a short bit of writing to draw in viewers, ratings and short reviews from popular magazines and information about it's release.
However, both prints are also quite different in terms of what it tells people. For example, the first print poster is more about informing others (audiences) about ill Manors and the little ins and outs of it such as the producer and when it's to be released. The second poster is more of a poster to just get publicity and awareness for ill Manors so that people become interested and find out about the release dates and other information on their own. This can be more of an effective way of advertising to the public due to the fact that they'd be finding out the release dates and other information on their own therefore they'd also find out other information and would be more likely to watch the film.
The audience would also find out about the ill Manors album due to this as they would be searching up ill Manors in general. The cross production also known as synergy comes into play here because as they search up ill Manors, they'd get searches for both the film and the soundtrack.
On a whole, both print images are quite hard hitting in terms of the background images used to portray the film.
On the poster, the media language used consists of persuasive writing used in order to draw in an audience. This poster is to be placed in a busy area in order to attract an audience. Also, they may be attracted due to the fact that it's a production produced by Plan B and therefore people who listen to his music may find out about this film due to the advertisements.
Ill Manors is promoted through certain advertising aspects, such as print promotional posters. The poster shown above is an example of an Ill Manors poster which was placed up in order to gain a large audience to watch the film. It consists of images of the main characters, release date, actors names, a quote from a popular magazine along with stars (ratings).
The print in terms of advertising can be important due to the fact that; if put in the right place; can attract loads of attention and exposure for the production. By the advertising poster for ill manors being quite bright however sticking to a colour scheme of red and black, it sort of stands out as red juxtaposes the black. On the other hand, this could not be that case as it may be too less colour and therefore may not grab a viewers attention at all.
Ill Manors is promoted through certain advertising aspects, such as print promotional posters. The poster shown above is an example of an Ill Manors poster which was placed up in order to gain a large audience to watch the film. It consists of images of the main characters, release date, actors names, a quote from a popular magazine along with stars (ratings).
The print in terms of advertising can be important due to the fact that; if put in the right place; can attract loads of attention and exposure for the production. By the advertising poster for ill manors being quite bright however sticking to a colour scheme of red and black, it sort of stands out as red juxtaposes the black. On the other hand, this could not be that case as it may be too less colour and therefore may not grab a viewers attention at all.
Broadcasting (TV/Radio/DVD)...
Ill Manors is also promoted through broadcasting media's such as TV, Radio and DVD. Ill Manors got exposure into what its all about through broadcasting via the television. Popular programs aired on TV are great places for a person to get audiences and publicity for themselves. Plan B (Ben Drew) appeared on Soccer Am on the 9th of January to talk to the presenters about his life.
The link above is to the youtube video for the interview with Plan B on Soccer Am. This was aired January 9th 2010 which has no correlation between him and his film or ill Manors in general. nonetheless this does not matter as he is still getting publicity. On Soccer Am Ben Drew talks about his life and how he grew up. He talks about how the media represents youths in the papers. Also, he talks about his previous albums as well as the albums which he would like to make and the instruments he's played in the past.
Also, the fact that he mentions he's thinking about producing a film in the future allows the audiences/fans who like Plan B to look forward and stay up-to-date with the latest news from him as they'd be excited about him producing a film.
The video is just for Plan B to gain publicity and fans so that others who haven't heard of him can start to listen to his content.
Ben Drew also mentions the fact that he's still trying to find his voice and the right sound for him to produce albums. As he's trying to find his right sound, he's getting a larger and larger fan base as he's trying new and different genres which attract a different fan base. However despite this, his message in all of his album produced are similar; whether it'd be the rap album or the soul album. He says he wants to produce a reggae album and a soul album( which he goes on the make the defamation of Strickland banks).
The link above is similar to Plan B on Soccer Am however is all about Plan B getting publicity in terms of the media and telling everyone what he's doing with his life now. This interview took place in Tennessee on the 19th of October 2011. In this interview on Holy Moly, Ben Drew talks about his life so far and what he's done. He talks about his future in terms of producing music and his albums produced and to come. When he first started in the industry of music, he only had a few fans who liked what he was producing however as his publicity has increased over the years, he's gained a lot more fans.
In the interview, he talks a lot about his youth experiences and the fact that not many people liked him growing up. He explains that others not in the same position as him looked down upon him and did not like him very much. Others in society didn't think much of youths; especially those who lived in council estates; hence why now he wants to make a difference and change the way in which others in society look upon youths.
The point of the interview was to gain exposure into what Plan B intends to do in the future and what his idea's and concepts are all about so that others who agree with him may want to search up further about what he intends to do.
This video above is from Ben Drew at the TEDxObserver lecture and in the lecture, Ben Drew talks above a topic quite close to his heart; which is the fact that the media demonies youths due to how they are born into a dysfunctional family with not a lot of money. He also talks about how society believes certain things that they read in the newspaper and the fact that despite their own personal views, they just believe the ideologies stated by the media. This topic is quite close to Plan B because he grew up in the same conditions as the poor youths. He grew up in a council estate with his mum and was not given any opportunity to do what he wanted due to how others treated him. He wasn't given any chances and was kicked out of numerous schools and therefore he knows how youths who live in similar conditions feel.
Ben Drew was targeting the elder demographic; in the TEDxObserver lecture as the audience; due to the fact that he feels they would benefit more from a lecture like this. Its in order to show people that youths should not be stereotyped the way in which they are by the media. Ben Drew is also making an important statement which is that people should not believe everything they read in newspapers as they do tend to exaggerate points and leave things out in order to make dominant ideologies, stay dominant.
Plan B also talks about moral panic in the lecture and how whatever the media say, everyone believes. This moral panic theory was started by Stanley Cohen. In terms of ill Manors and Plan B, he talks about how the media demonizes youths on a large therefore people in society scale scared of them and are afraid to approach them due to this panic.
Plan B does not like the way that the media portrays these kids who live on council estates as they have been born into a world where they have been living in bad conditions with dysfunctional families and then on top of this are being stereotyped with a bad name. "council house and violent". This is what Plan B thinks 'chav' now means due to the stereotypical ideologies of youths living in council estates. The media use this stereotype in order to create moral panics so that they read their newspapers. This therefore makes this opinion not really theirs however as they are kept on told this, it starts to make an impression on them therefore beginning to believe it.
E-media...
A form of E-media promotion for ill Manors is the ill Manors Facebook page which is where people can find out information based on ill Manors and can keep up-to-date with the latest up-dates in terms of Plan B. The ill Manors Facebook page allows followers; such as fans of the film or album; to stay connected with the latest information. Also, fans views and opinions based on both the film and album are on the page where others can see and be convinced/persuaded to watch/listen to ill Manors. On this page, there are many links such as ones to the films trailer and links to the album in itunes. There's also information and the DVD release and what it's about. Along with this, there are also photos on the page which are from the Brit Awards 2013 and other songs and albums made by Plan B.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnNu1EQvvMA&safe=active
The interview above comes under the platform e-media due to the fact that this is a youtube channel and is not broadcasted anywhere apart from on the internet.
3. How do audiences access the text across the 3 platforms?...Who are the film's target audience(s) and how do you know?
How is the film promoted to it's target audiences through:
- Print?
- Broadcasting?
- E-Media?
Print...
Audiences access the text across Print due to how ill Manors is promoted to certain audiences. For example, if an ill Manors advertisement was placed in a magazine which older citizens predominantly read, the advertising would be irrelevant due to the fact that it'd be promoted to the wrong kind of audience which the film is aimed at.
The point of the poster is that the media language used consists of persuasive writing used in order to draw in an audience. This poster is to be placed in a busy area in order to attract an audience. Also, they may be attracted due to the fact that it's a production produced by Plan B and therefore people who listen to his music may find out about this film due to the advertisements.
E-media...
This video below is of an interview for Plan B and comes under the platform of E-media as it was shown on SBTV which is a channel; on the internet; where people go to to listen to upcoming singers/artists.
E-Media as a whole/in general attracts a younger target audience as the younger generation these days are constantly on websites such as social networking sites and talking to one another. Also, this makes the internet a great way to attract a younger audience such as the target audience for ill Manors.
This is a great place in order to attract an audience for ill Manors as the target audience for ill Manors is similar to the type of audience who go on this channel.
E-Media advertising to audiences is a good way to promote a production like ill Manors due to the fact that advertising on certain web-sites; such as social networking sites; is free therefore meaning that a company can promote their film if they are a low budget production company.
However, despite E-Media's advantages, there are also disadvantages to it such as piracy. Piracy is a huge problems in terms of the total income and profits of ill Manors. The film could have at least doubled it's profits if piracy wasn't a issue but due to this, many people are able to download/stream the film for free over the internet. This is becoming increasingly more and more of a problem for film companies, especially the low budget film industries as they are making a small amount of profit. If this continues to go forth, film companies like these will barely break even and will be forced to not produce films no longer.
It's hard for anyone to patrol the internet and get rid of all piracy and file sharing sites as there is a huge network of webpages containing content which allows other to download illegally hence why this is a huge problem.
4. How are representations constructed across the 3 platforms?
How are characters/stars in the film represented in:
- Print media?
- Broadcast media (TV/Radio/DVD)?
- E-Media?
- Select some examples from each platform and perform some textual analysis (trailers, magazine articles, adverts, tweets, radio interviews etc)
Now look at what values and ideologies are communicated within these representations
- Think about the people/places/ideas that are used/communicated
- How and why they are presented to the audience in this way?
- How is the audience represented? Do they get a chance to represent themselves? E.g. Twitter.
Now think of how the film communicates with audiences across the 3 platforms:
- Are there any differences or similarities in the representations of:
- The actors/stars (their star persona)
- People (race, gender, age etc)
- Places (countries, regions, etc)
- Values and ideologies (class, politics, religion, lifestyle, beliefs etc)
Representations constructed across the three different platforms vary depending upon the film and content of it. Characters and/or the stars of the films are represented in these platforms in different ways from different views.
Audiences access the text across Print due to how ill Manors is promoted to certain audiences. For example, if an ill Manors advertisement was placed in a magazine which older citizens predominantly read, the advertising would be irrelevant due to the fact that it'd be promoted to the wrong kind of audience which the film is aimed at.
The point of the poster is that the media language used consists of persuasive writing used in order to draw in an audience. This poster is to be placed in a busy area in order to attract an audience. Also, they may be attracted due to the fact that it's a production produced by Plan B and therefore people who listen to his music may find out about this film due to the advertisements.
Characters/stars in the film ill Manors are represented in Broadcast media and E-Media differently due to the way that they're portrayed.
4. What institutional issues are raised in the case study?
Who are the key institutions involved in promoting the film and how are they involved?
- Film London Microwave
- BBC
- Other collaborators (distributors - Revolver, exhibitors – multiplex cinema chains, DVD sales/rental companies, film download sites, e.g. LoveFilm).
How do they use each platform to reach their target audience (now fragmented)?
- Print media
- Broadcast media (TV/Radio/DVD)
- E-Media
Are the institutions affected by economic issues within each media platform?
Has internet piracy impacted on the construction/distribution of the film/DVD?
Now think of how the institutions behind the film are working across the 3 platforms:
- Analyse how the platforms interact
- Do some work better together than others?
There are many issues raised upon the institution in the case study: ill Manors. The main institutions involved in promoting ill Manors were Film London Microwave, BBC and distributing companies such as Revolver entertainment and the exhibitors such as DVD sales/rental companies, film download sites such as LoveFilm or Netflix.
Film London Microwave is a media agency which is trying to improve the growth of the film industry in London and promote London through the world of film. They are also trying to sustain the film culture in London so that they can increase investment and boost employment in London. They are put into place in order to develop talent in the film arts and maximise opportunities for youths and film directors.
Film London Microwave were involved in ill Manors as they allowed the film to be shot in there studio
On the Film London Microwave website, they talk about ill Manors and explain to readers what the film is about to gain their attention. They inform the readers about who the main characters are and what they do while stressing the fact that the film is a "unique British crime thriller". They are therefore promoting ill Manors through there website as they have an image of this along with text to promote and advertise ill Manors.
"iLL Manors, the highly anticipated directorial debut by pioneering British music artist Ben Drew (aka Plan B) was released by Revolver Entertainment this summer. A unique crime thriller set on the unforgiving streets of London, iLL Manors follows six disparate lives, all struggling to survive the circles of violence that engulf them.
There is ex-dealer Kirby, who has just been released from prison, thug Ed who will stop at nothing to find his missing phone, troubled Michelle who is just looking for her next hit, young Jake who finds himself drawn to the local gang, Chris, who seeks revenge, Katya, who is desperately trying to escape this foreign land, and Aaron, our main protagonist who is just trying to do the right thing.
Narratively linked through original music from Plan B, the film is a visually stunning and emotionally impactful experience, laced with street-wise humour. Ground-breaking in it’s approach, iLL Manors has gone from strength to strength, screening at Toronto International Film Festival, Rio International Film Festival and picking up a number of international sales along the way. The album has been equally successful, hitting number one in the charts and gaining Ben Drew a Mercury Music Nomination.
Both films are available to pre-order on Amazon and iTunes."
The BBC are like Film London Microwave in a sense that they are also a British film company that helps film directors in promoting and making Low Budget films. They make around 8 films a year and are quite successful in making films. On the BBC Films website, they are helping to promote ill Manors as they have a ill Manors page where they have the synopsis of the film as well as images from the production of it. They don't have as much as Film London Microwave have in terms of promoting ill Manors, however on the website; there is the trailer of the film. They also have a form of E-Media promoting on the website due to the Twitter bar in the corner of the site which allows visitors of the site to the the tweets which BBC films has tweeted.
/////////////////////////screenshot of BBC films website ////////////////////////////
DVD rental/sales companies selling ill Manors were involved in the promoting of the film; in a low key form of advertising; as they were selling the film to the public.
Print Media...
Forms of print media which help to promote ill Manors are good however are starting to be less successful as they once did due to E-Media. Also, because there are a lot of different advertising billboards and posters, people don't really take the time to look at them unless it's a popular franchise which they've seen before or been recommended about/heard of. Ill Manors is not a popular franchise, but instead a low budget British film therefore meaning that it's not really going to be noticed as much in terms of print advertising these days.
This example piece of print media promotes ill Manors to it's target audience through certain codes and conventions used to attract them. For example, the poster consists of little writing which is a typical convention for a film poster aimed at youths as they do not want to spend a lot of time reading the film poster. The more information and writing placed on the poster, the less likely it is to draw in a large audience in terms of the target audience of youths.
Another convention used in this poster is that it has 2 main colours which juxtapose each other. The colours black and yellow are opposite colours as one is quite a dark, dull colour and the other is a bright one. The contrast between the 2 allow the poster to stand out than a poster with many colours as this is unusual and not typical.
By the poster having little writing on it, this creates a sense of mystery in terms of the narrative for ill Manors. The mystery means that the target audience is able to find out the information on their own.
Broadcast Media (TV/Radio/DVD)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFKpEoJete8&safe=active
............................................
E-Media...
The ill Manors Facebook page attracts ill Manors' target audience as it's youths and youths constantly are on social networking sites therefore this being the perfect place in order to attract the audience for ill Manors. This allows users of the Facebook page to become connected with ill Manors which is also known as interactivity. Fans of the film/soundtrack are able to stay connected with the makers and other fans of ill Manors. This platform of advertising also benefits the promotional company behind ill Manors due to the fact that creating a Facebook or social networking page is free to set up hence why companies promoting a film would want to do this.
However, despite it's benefits there are also cons to this because it's not as good as the traditional advertising methods/techniques such as the print forms of advertisements.
How do they use technological developments to provide new audience experiences?
There are many technological developments across each platform which help to provide new audience experiences and enhance the viewing of content. An example of how technological developments have enhanced viewing experiences for new audiences is in cinema's. Cinema's now provide viewing in 3D were audiences are able to watch a film and the characters look more real and makes the viewing more interesting. However, ill Manors does not have this feature due to the fact that it's a low budget British film.
Enhanced sound systems like speakers improve the viewing experiences for the audience watching ill Manors. Going back to the cinema example, cinema's now have high quality speakers to ensure that the viewing audience get the best possible experience when watching a film.
quality of film
size of screen
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