Case study research tasks- skyfall ($200m budget)

The basics

1) What is the name of the film, the director and notable stars?
The name of the film is Skyfall and is directed by Sam Mendes, the main stars in the film are Daniel craig, Judi Dench, Bérénice Marlohe, Javier Bardem and Naomi Harris

2) When was it released?
The film was released on the 23rd of October 2012 in London

3) What genre is the film? What are the generic conventions that tell you the film belongs to this genre?
The film is a crime fiction, thriller, spy film and adventure film 

4) What was the critical reception? What is the film rated on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes?
On IMBD the film was given a rate of 7.8 out of 10.

Broadcast

1) Write a close-textual analysis of the trailer using the MIGRAIN key concepts of Media Studies.
The skyfall trailer is full of action and drama, as it is part of a very well known action based franchise 'James Bond'. The trailer starts with the main protagonist being shot, which immediately draws in the audience as they would want to know what happens next. The film is set in many different countries and locations, however the main location is London as most of the characters have british accents, and flags of the UK are shown in one scene. Considering there is a lot of action in the film, this may have more of a larger male audience, however there is some romance shown in the trailer which may attract the females.

2) Find examples of television promotion on YouTube (adverts, chat shows, ‘red carpet’ interviews etc.) and post them to your blog along with an explanation of how these promote the film.

This red carpet interview helps promote the film as the main stars talk about why they think the movie is successful and they describe their characters, and how they tried to deliver all the best things in the film.

This is an advert of an aston martin, however this is also promoting skyfall as the James Bond of the film, Daniel Craig is driving the car with the Skyflall theme song in the background, which almost makes this advert all about skyfall. 

This interview included most of the main characters, and it promotes the film as the cast is revealing secrets and saying what they think are the best parts of the film, and how they think this is the best possible way they could have made the film.

                                                 

3) Does the broadcast promotion use stars to create interest in the film?

Yes, the broadcast promotion does use starts to create interest in the film, as the audience gets a fondness of the character and they talk about all the things they loved about the film, and what their characters are like. The stars let the audience know a few things about the film before they see it, which encourages the audience to want to watch it even more. 

Print

1) Read at least THREE reviews of the film and provide a quote from each one.
Empire: ' 50 years old, still going strong'
The guardian:  'Despite the title, he is a hero who just keeps on defying gravity.'
Telegraph: 'For better or worse we live in the age of the superhero, and so Mendes’s film is less hardboiled spy saga than blistering comic-book escapade.'

2) Find examples of print promotion (e.g. film poster, billboard adverts etc.) on Google images and post them to your blog along with an explanation of how these promote the film.

These posters are all very similar, as they all almost black and white, which may seem dull, but for a film like this, which is part of the James Bond franchise, these seem perfect as they have that mysterious feel which James Bond has as a character, and this helps them promote the film in the best way.

3) Choose ONE print advert and write a textual analysis of what it communicates to the audience.

This film poster is black and white, which may seem dull, but for a film like this, which is part of the James Bond franchise, these seem perfect as they have that mysterious feel which James Bond has as a character. The character are all lined in a position where it may show their order of importance in the film, and they are in front of  the famous '007' which is almost shaped like a gun, which creates that action feel for the audience. Their isn't much text on this poster, which highlights the stars of the film more.

4) How is the film’s brand constructed? What does the brand connote? Does it remind you of any other brands or similar films?

The film belong to the franchise James Bond, so it is linked to all the previous bond films, the brand is very well known around the world, as most people know what '007' refers to. The brand does remind me of the Aston Martin cars, as Daniel Craig did an Advert as James Bond for those cars.

E-media

1) Research the film’s presence on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. How does the film’s social media presence help promote the film?
As this is a blockbuster film, social media sights such as Twitter, facebook and Instagram, will have promotional trailers or posters of the film, behind the scenes footage, interviews as millions of people use social networking sights, and they are good ways of promoting films. Celebrities also tweet or Instagram things about the film to engage more of an audience. 

2) Analyse the official website for the film. How does it use the film’s brand? What examples of synergy can you find with the other platforms?
The website includes awards, about the film, the gallery, videos, extras, downloads and partners. These are all ways in which the film can be promoted. There is also adverts for the soundtrack on i tunes, which is another good promotional method for the film.

4) Can you find any examples of the two-step flow theory online – did celebrities or journalists tweet or post about the film in order to promote it to their followers?

Audience

1) Who is the target audience for this film? Demographics and psychographics.
Considering there is a lot of action in the film, this may have more of a larger male audience, however there is some romance shown in the trailer which may attract the females. This would attract ages 16-40+ and the demographics would be B/C1/C2/D/E. This would attract main streamers as they like to catch up on whatevers new, so they would definitely watch Skyfall. 

2)What audience pleasures does the film provide? Think about the BFI lecture on audience pleasures in British film.

3)What similar films would the target audience enjoy? Justify your suggestions.
The target audience may enjoy action films, such as the previous James Bond Franchise, and film such as Die hard, The bourne identity. Also superhero films such as superman, batman and spider man.

Institution

1) Which film studio produced the film? What other films have they produced? Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?
The film  was produced by EON productions, a British film production company known for producing the James Bond film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom. They haven't produced any other films other than all the previous Bond movies, so they have a track record for the James Bond audience. 

2) Which company distributed the film in the UK? What other films have they distributed? 
This was distributed by columbia pictures

3) Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?
They do have a track record of releasing previous Bond films, and other action movies similar to this 

4)What was the budget for the film?
The budget for the film was $200 million

5) How successful was the film financially? Why do you think this was?
The film was financially successful bond film as it topped $1 billion in the box office. I think the film was successful as it had high production values and it is a big budget movie.

6) Was this film more successful in the UK or worldwide/USA? Why do you think this is?
The film was more successful in the UK as it was released here before it was released in the US. The cast in this is also mostly all British

7) What certificate was the film given (12A, 18 etc.)? What was the reason for this certificate? Is the certification important for this film in terms of targeting its audience? Why?
The film was given a 12A certificate

Representation

1) What representations of people, places or groups can be found in this film?

2) What representation of ‘Britishness’ does the film contain?
Most of the character in the film are british in this fim

3) How does the representation of Britain differ to Ill Manors? 
Ill Manors is about the ghetto side of London

4) What values and ideologies can you find in your chosen film? (E.g. The King’s Speech is extremely patriotic, pro-monarchy etc.) 

Tutorial targets

Double page spread 
- Standard columns
- Smaller font - text only on P.1
- Bigger margin
- Page numbers
- Q's in bold
- Subheading
- Title not on head
- More visually appealing

Front cover 
- Apostrophe on title
- Move E4
- Free With..?
- Date
- Issue No
- Tagline ' E4's new teen drama'
- More strap lines about the show

Ill Manors - Institution

Distribution research

1. Research film distribution using this guide from the UK Film Distributors' Association. It's called Launching Film and takes you through the whole process of distributing a movie.
2. Read the whole step-by-step guide (warning: this is LONG and will take you around an hour)
3. Summarise the 10 steps of film distribution in a list using your own words.

Summary:

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

Ill Manors: Funding and production budget

1. What was the estimated budget for Ill Manors? £100,000
2. Where did the money come from? List the different organisations and companies that contributed funding to Ill Manors. BBC Films, Revolver Entertainment, Film London Microwave.
3. How did the Ill Manors budget compare to a Hollywood blockbuster such as Skyfall? There is a vast difference between the budget of Skyfall ($200m) and Ill Manors, due to the action packed stunts and equipment needed to produce high-quality videography for a franchise that is globally known. 

Film London and Microwave Film

1. What is Film London and why does it exist? Brand identity: Film London discovers and champions filmmaking talent through short and feature film production — building and growing the city’s imagination and creativity. It is a not-for-profit organisation and is supported by the BFI and Mayor of London. 
2. What is the purpose of Microwave Film? Microwave is Film London's feature filmmaking scheme and it helps produce films. 
3. List three other films funded by Microwave Film and embed their trailers in your blog.

Lilting

Shifty

Mum and dad 

1. Choose one film funded by Microwave film and explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences) 

Shifty compares similarly to the narrative of Ill Manors. Both films focus on crime/drama, in addition both films contain actor Riz Ahmed who portrays the protagonist in Shifty as well as in Ill Manors. The difference between the productions however is that Shifty follows only the life of Riz Ahmed and his actions/consequences whereas Ill Manors focuses on a group of people in a society, following the lives of each of the characters and how their actions causes them to cross paths with each other.

Distributor: Revolver Entertainment

1. When was Revolver Entertainment created? It was founded in 1997 in the UK. 
2. Revolver Entertainment enjoyed a lot of success with the UK urban drama genre. Find three Revolver films that fit that genre, embed the trailers from YouTube and write about why they were successful. 

Kidulthood

Kidulthood was one of the first major urban crime dramas that followed the lives of youth in London, because of this the film was extremely successful as it appealed to a wide target audience and in addition the target audience understood the predicaments and situations the characters found themselves in and therefore understood the narrative in great detail. 

Offender 

Offender is one of the more recent films produced by Revolver Entertainment. It followed an unusual yet creative narrative, with many actors from the UK Grime scene the narrative effectively used the lyrical talents of the actors and thus created a large appeal for the production. 

Anuvahood

Another one of the Revolvers' more recent productions, Anuvahood was successful due to its comedic trailer and effective promotional methods which generated much hype amongst the teenage audiences already in contact with previous crime/drama productions.

Choose one film distributed by Revolver Entertainment and explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences).

Anuvahood and Ill Manors are similar in the idea that both follow struggling characters living in council estate area's, the difference between the productions is that Anuvahood briefly touches on the seriousness of the issues involved in people growing up in these locations, instead it focuses more heavily on creating a comedic atmosphere for the audience. On the other hand, Ill Manors is evidently more serious in portraying the social issues of modern day Britain

Why did Revolver Entertainment go out of business in 2013? Revolver Entertainment struggled particularly due to the lack of staff as many key members left for other production companies. In addition, the company began to have financial issues which inevitably forced the insolvency of the business. 

How is new technology changing the way films are being distributed? Films are now available on-demand/online by providers such as Netflix and Amazon Prime via paid-for subscriptions, these technological advancements are changing the way films are being distributed. 

Gunslinger

1. Visit the Gunslinger website and list the three films currently in development (click on theSlate tab). The London Syndrome, Electric and Booknecks.  
2. Research the Gunslinger/Revolver film Shank. Embed the trailer in your blog and explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences).

Both films are similar in the sense that they portray crime and violence in similar locations. The difference however is that Shank looks more at the entertainment aspect of film-making through glamourising 'gang' lifestyle. On the other hand, Ill Manors seeks more to educate its audience as to why such terrible things are occurring in our society. 

List other Gunslinger films that fit the UK urban drama genre. Why does Gunslinger focus on this genre in particular? Kidulthood, Adulthood and Anuvahood are all Gunslinger films, the fact that Gunslinger focuses on this genre is so that they have a particular brand identity which focuses on what the teenagers want to see today. Also, a distinct contrast is created with the stereotypical London which gives another outlook on life in the UK. 

Why does the UK urban drama genre appeal to an audience? The UK urban genre appeals to an audience simply due to the fact that many people can empathise with the stereotypes depicted by the narratives. This allows them to understand narratives in more detail and therefore makes the story-line more interesting for audiences which is why audiences are so engaged with the urban drama genre. 

Certification

One final aspect of institution is the certificate the film was awarded for exhibition. This is decided by the British Board of Film Classification.

How does the certification process work at the BBFC? The BBFC examine each film in depth, looking at the extent of which nudity, sex, drugs, violence etc are presented in the production. Through this they determine the age certificate of the film.

What are the advantages and disadvantages for a film in being given an 18 certificate? The advantages are that a mature audience would be viewing the film and as younger audiences would not be allowed to watch it , films would avoid negatively influencing them. It also may reach a larger audience as older audience members may be convinced that the film is definitely one that is aimed at adults. However having an 18 certificate will greatly hinder the target audience and may make the film lose out on potential profit. 

MEST1 section B - A field in England

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

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

draft

YouTube

How was the planbuk YouTube channel used to promote the Ill Manors film? The ill manors YouTube channel prompts the ill manor film because it dhow the different type of trailers, the sound track aswell as interviews and behind the scenes footage.

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. The film has a synergy with PlanBs album which has the same title therefore using the film to promote himself too. the target audience for PlanB and his film are similar because the people who would enjoy the film are most likely the people who enjoyed his album because he discusses the same issues in his music as the video.  What links to other social networking sites can you find on the planbuk channel homepage?

There is a link to all the social media in the about section, a link to their facebook, twitter, intagram and google page.

Facebook Page 

1) The Facebook page has 30,096 likes.

2) The top of the page promotes the film ill Manors

3) The first post I have chosen is the music video of Ill Manors. This post appeals to the target audience as it links into Plan B’s fan base, as they like his music and are most likely to follow Plans B’s movements. The second post that appeals to the Ill Manor’s target audience as it is the promotion of the trailer, thus increases the curiosity of watching both the trailer and actual film when it comes. The third Facebook post would appeal to the Ill Manors target audience as it presents its success at the box office, as well as being nominated for an award. The fourth post that appeals to the target audience of Ill Manors are glimpses of certain parts of the film, where a lot of enigma codes are present; this is appealing as it generates questions and creates intrigue in the audiences mind. The fifth post appeals to the target audience as it is an interview about one of the characters and gives his real side, this appeals to the Ill Manors target audience as it generates interest in to the Ed’s character.

4) An example of synergy would be ill Manors advertisement which is also shown in the SBTV interview with Plan B. The two products differ in terms of promotion as Facebook is highlighting the DVD prospective, where as the broadcast interview was more recent in relation to the screening of the film as they do discus cinema showings.

5) An example of an opportunity for user generated content is the fact that the consumers can like posts, comment on them as well as sharing them around which will promote them.

6) An example of the DVD release is through the central image of the protagonist, followed by the use of "own it now, on Blu-ray, DVD.." Also, in order to promote the soundtrack the link is given there as well to buy it.

8) The page promoted the films release by posting events, pictures of the cast in action and backstage as well as it titles the release date beneath each  pne of them. 

Twitter

1) The ill Manors logo and background images are used from the DVD cover on the twitter page promoting the film.

2) The hash tags are used: #illmanors, #legaldownloads, #vod, #mustbuy, #support, #brilliant, #loveit, #mustbuy.

3) Anouska Mond tweeted 'Anyone watch #illmanors this weekend? Watcha think? Hope you enjoyed it!' This appeals to the Ill Manors audience as Anouska starred in the film as one of the main characters. Plan B also tweeted 'Big thanx all the peeps who came out to HMV tonite! Enjoy the movie!! #illmanors'. Plan B is the director of the film, also appealing to the Ill Manors audience as he is the main face of the brand. Chris tweeted 'HMV Ill Manors DVD signing was great!! Thanks to all Ill Manors fans who came down!!! Good to c @iLLmanors family!!'. Chris also plays a main role in the film so targets Ill Manors fans.

4) The twitter page includes pictures of the Ill Manors DVD cover, HMV signings with the cast of the film and behind the scenes images. All of these are related to Ill Manors, whether it is the characters or DVD cover, as a result promoting the film.

5)  The Tag London campaign in the Ill Manors twitter feed tweeted 'Olympics gonna leave us with #taglondon', '#illmanors look around, what do you see? #taglondon' and '#illmanors simple word... life!!! #taglondon'. This does not target a particular audience, however targets those who want to make their views on London and life clear and spread to everyone.

6) In-between May/June 2012 posts such as 'Excited about the release of the film next week? Make sure you check out the album Ill Manors, out July 16th' were tweeted. This tweet is straight forward and to the point, it clearly promotes the film release and gives a specific time period of the release along with a date for the album release. Another tweet is '5 days to go: Ill Manors is out in cinemas next Wednesday and booking is now open. Find your nearest cinema.' This promotes the film effectively by telling followers when the film is out and what day in cinema. In October, the tweet 'Have you pre-ordered your copy yet' was tweeted, with the relevant links e.g. Amazon. This provides links for fans to be able to easily access and buy the merchandise.