Section B: Exam Question

How far does the platform on which they are consumed determine the construction of media products in your cross-media study? Support your answer with reference to a range of products from THREE media platforms.

I have been studying the film industry. The three case studies I have been researching are Ill Manors, A Field in England and Suffragette.The film is targeted at the youth demographic which is consumed from three media platforms; e-media, broadcast and print.

In terms of E-media, Ill Manors created the Tag London Campaign  which helped the audience get involved through the use of user-generated content.  It influenced fans to tweet using the hashtag #illmanorsalbum to help raise awareness towards the album and through doing this it also helped raise awareness towards Plan B's twitter account because fans began to mention him in their tweets (@4planb). Additionally, fans were then prompted to tweet the tag London twitter account itself by using the hashtag #illmanors in order to express their feelings and views towards Britain's current state. The campaign inspired fans to tweet by selecting tweets that would then be tagged by graffiti artists and projected around iconic London sites. The tweets on these sites were then photographed and put onto social media to encourage more fans to tweet. Also, the use of social media helps promote film. The two step flow model is used in this instance as opinion leaders are able to promote the film. The fact that Plan B is a rapper also would help the fan base and audience to consume both his soundtrack and film through synergy and through social media. There is a link between the campaign and the broadcast platform because through both of them the fans get an insight into Plan B's ideas and beliefs. This then encourages them to see his work and state their own opinions. Furthermore, the campaign and twitter account itself can help promote the interviews and encourage fans to watch them in order to get a clearer understanding of the inspiration behind his work.

Moving on to broadcast, a short documentary helps us understand Plan B's initial thoughts behind the film Ill Manors. Plan B's intentions behind making the film was to help explain the irrational behaviour that we witness from youths and to explain their culture. He also says how he wants to challenge the stereotypes of them and get rid of the misunderstandings. Plan B originally made the film that had a script of 20 pages, however, he was told to reduce it down to only 5 pages as they had only one night to film. This then inspired him to make it almost like a music video, with Plan B himself rapping the narrative.This film was created near to the time that the London riots took place. Therefore, as well as targeting its core target audience of youths aged 16-25, it targeted the alternative audience in order to provide insight to them as to why the riots took place and explain why the youths behaved the way they did.The film does successfully do what Plan B wanted to achieve due to the fact that the cinematographer said that the film aims to show that there is 'hope in a hopeless situation'.

Regarding the print platform, Plan B did a interview with The Guardian. The target audience for the Guardian would be aimed at the younger generation, as the newspaper states that their main readers are "urban consumers with a keen sense of adventure when it comes to trying new products and experiences."  The Guardian is mainly left wing and it's a broadsheet newspaper, and would focus on socialist ideologies rather than conservatives. Furthermore, in terms of  psychographic groups, the Guardian would appeal to explorers. The interview informs them about Plan B's life and the difficulties he faced when he was growing up. This allows the reader to identify with Plan B and feel some sort of emotional connection with him. The fact that every paragraph tells a different story of his life helps the reader understand Plan B as Ben Drew rather than an artist and a director. The fact that he uses this as a tool to promote his film is a clear promotional technique which causes the reader to sympathise with him, understand him, and therefore want to watch his film. Furthermore, Plan B gives the audience a insight of the reasons behind his actions which helps the audience the purpose behind both his music and his film. There is synergy between this interview and the Radio Interview with Fearne Cotton, they both focus on Plan B as a person and his life rather than the music and his film career. This means that Ill Manors is exposed to different/alternate audiences, which creates more coverage for Ill Manors.

On the other hand, A Field In England's distribution strategy was a simultaneous release. It was released on 5th July 2013 across cinema, DVD/Blu-ray, TV and VoD at once. This would allow the younger generation to  come across the film more easily and be exposed to it and maybe watch it as they are consumed by the media. The advantages to releasing the film across all platforms on the same day is that it could create a hype about the film and all the publicity is geared towards one month and that leads to people wanting to watch it straight away and it might also help it be around longer in cinema. This would allow people to come to it without having that panic of watching it within a week before its gone.  However, the disadvantages to this approach is that the audience might resort to the cheaper option to watch the film, e.g. on demand or on the TV in comparison to spending more money by buying the DVD or a cinema ticket. This will then lead to less revenue being made because majority of the audience will prefer the cheaper option and only a minority will be willing to spend the money when there is a cheaper option in place.

Another example of how the platform on which they are consumed determine the construction of media products, is the film Suffragette, a historical period drama, who also used e-media in their campaign. The film ran a competition where audiences could post an image of their mum with the hashtag #InspiringMothers on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and they will be entered into a price draw to win a £250 Outfit gift voucher plus some exclusive Suffragette goodies. This creates interest in the film as audiences are able to interact and share personal opinions on something that is inspirational to them. Also, in terms of print, the film uses various posters to help promote the film. One specific poster consists of pull out quotes. This  helps the audience get an insight into the film by opinions based because they are by well known associations therefore it will encourage people to watch the film. 

Moreover, the broadcast platform shows a range of interviews, one of which is with the main star Carey Mulligan. This interview with the main character from the film helps the audience understand the reasons behind the making of the film. Carey Mulligan briefly explains the dynamics behind the film and we also learn that she herself wasn't aware of the events that took place during the feminist movement until she became a part of this film. Furthermore, the interviewer also talks about the empowerment of women through the making of this film due to the fact that the director, producer and writer were all women. Carey Mulligan hopes that the film will help young people acknowledge what women had to go through to get basic civil rights. This interview will help to promote the film through Carey Mulligan's existing fan base.

To conclude, I think that the platform on which they are consumed determines the construction of media products in Ill Manors, A Field in England and Suffragette to a large extent.

Case study research tasks

The basics

1) What is the name of the film, the director and notable stars?
The name of the film is Suffragette and it is directed by Sarah Gavron. Some of the notable stars within the film are Carey Mulligan who plays the lead role, Merly Streep who plays the role of the British Suffragette leader and Helena Bonham Carter.

2) When was it released?
It was released on October 12, 2015 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. However, it was given a limited release on October 23, 2015 in The United States. The film received its European Premiere on October 7, 2015. 

3) What genre is the film? What are the generic conventions that tell you the film belongs to this genre?

The genre is drama/historical. The generic conventions that tell me that the film belongs to these genres is the fact that the film is based around the feminist movement in 1912 and the main storyline in the film was about getting women the right to vote and have a say in making the law. Furthermore, the storyline of the movie reveals that there is going to be disagreements which therefore suggests the film is within drama genre.  

4) What was the critical reception? What is the film rated on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes?

IMDb: 6.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 73%

Critic reviews


Given the message, grit and misery portrayed in the film, criticizing it for such lapses seems churlish. Especially when there are so many other things to criticize. 
John Anderson·Time
Scant minutes in, the film is already calling its shots, telling the audience what’s so important about itself, rather than trusting them to understand it. 
Jesse Hassenger·A.V. Club
The film makes a series of arguments about the workings of patriarchal power, the complexities of political resistance and the economic implications of the right to vote. 
A. O. Scott·New York Times
Gavron has clearly done her homework in bringing the dramatically stratified world of “Suffragette” to life. 
Ann Hornaday·Washington Post

Broadcast

1) Write a close-textual analysis of the trailer using the MIGRAIN key concepts of Media Studies.

Media Language:
In terms of sound the video has music playing in the background which is non-diegetic however it is parallel to the footage being shown because it intensifies the moral behind the film. Additionally, along with the non-diegetic music there is also voice-overs of dialogue and sounds such as explosions heard which is diegetic sound as it goes along with the footage shown.

Editing:
The type of editing in the trailer is montage as it doesn't follow a chronological order. Furthermore, the pace at the start is normal but towards the middle the music begins to become louder and so does the editing- it becomes fast-paced. The transitions used are mainly jump cuts however whenever text is shown the transition used is fade.

Cinematography:
The video begins with establishing shots of the main characters work place which is then followed by a medium close-up of Carey Mulligan who is playing the main character. After that there are various shots of the setting of the film and the main characters home life. The use of the shots of the women standing together fighting acts as an enigma code which will make the audience think of unity. Also, there are low angle shots which indicate power.

Mis-en-scene:
The film is set in 1914, Britain. The characters wear clothing which is recognisable as an attire worn in the 20th century.

Institution:
Film4, BFI, Ingenious Media Canal, Ruby Films
Dyer's Lines Of Appeal: Art, culture + history and self-importance/pride.

Genre:
Historical period drama.

Audience:
Young and Rubicam's psychographic groups; this film would appeal to aspires and reformers as they seek success and control and also want to try and change the world for the greater good, which these women are doing in the film. It would also appeal to struggles as the women in the film are fit into this group themselves therefore there is a common interest.

Narrative:
Supports Todorov's narrative theory that suggests all narratives follow a three part structure.
1. Equilibrium 
2. Disequilibrium 
3. New Equilibrium 

2) Find examples of television promotion on YouTube and post them to your blog along with an explanation of how these promote the film.

Suffragette: Carey Mulligan Official Movie Interview
This interview with the main character from the film helps the audience understand the reasons behind the making of the film. Carey Mulligan briefly explains the dynamics behind the film and we also learn that she herself wasn't aware of the events that took place during the feminist movement until she became a part of this film. Furthermore, the interviewer also talks about the empowerment of women through the making of this film also due to the fact that the director, producer and writer were women. Carey Mulligan hopes that this film helps young people acknowledge what women had to go through to get basic civil rights such as the right to vote. and this interview will help to promote the film through her fan base.

Filmmaker + Cast Interviews For Feminist Hit 'Suffragette'
This clip begins with an interview with the director of the film and this helps to promote the film because she explains her thoughts and inspiration behind the making of the film. Furthermore, the writer elaborates on how difficult it was to find the right research because it was crucial to write the exact things that occurred. This film would appeal to working-class people because the interview helps us as an audience understand that the main purpose behind the film was to highlight the movement of all women and not just one.

Meryl Streep Interview Suffragette PremiereMeryl Streep  is one of Hollywood's most successful actors and this means that she has a big fan base. This helps to promote the film because her fans would recognise her from the film which will lead to them watching it.

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

Yes, most of the clips I found included the main character which is played by Carey Mulligan, this helped promote the film by encouraging her fans to watch the clips and spread awareness of the film. Furthermore, a few clips even included the famous Meryl Streep and this would help gain fans from the older generation due to the fact that she is widely recognised amongst them. Therefore, they would be interested into watching a film she's in. 

Print

1) Read at least THREE reviews of the film and provide a quote from each one.

"Never mind the respectable cast and period costumes- Sarah Gavron's fiery film about the fight for women's suffrage is far from genteel." - The Telegraph

"I'm convinced that the legacy of the film is not just that people will remember and honour the past, but they will demand more of the future."- The Guardian

"A wonderfully involving, moving Carey Mulligan and the spirited ensemble around her flesh out a handsomely crafted, timely look at why and how far people are willing to go for a cause."- Empire

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.

This helps to promote the film by making the central images of the three main characters. This helps fans recognise who is in the film and that may even encourage them to watch it. Furthermore, the the slogan 'MOTHERS. DAUGHTERS REBELS.' also gives audience a sense of what the film narrative is.

This poster once again shows the three main characters as the central imagine but along with that the image of the women rioting at the bottom helps the audience understand the narrative of the film.

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

The pull out quotes help the audience get an insight into the film by opinions based because they are by well known associations therefore it will encourage people to watch the film. Furthermore, the names of the stars at the top will also catch the eyes of fans.

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 brand connotes a very strong and inspiring image, which is reflected in the film. The film itself has a strong underlining meaning to it, that being the importance of the vote and the importance of equal rights, which therefore has to reflect in the brands image. Similar films to this would be The Kings Speech, as again it has a strong message that having a voice and concurring obstacles is important in life.

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?

The films social media helps promote the film because it helps keeps the fans updated about release dates or any other important information. 
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 consists of a tab called 'social' which helps create synergy between the media platforms and the website because fans can go and follow them to gain regular updates regarding the film. Furthermore, the the synopsis and videos help give the audience a better feel of what to expect from the film.
3) Did the film run any kind of e-media based campaign to generate interest in the film?

The film ran a competition whereby audiences could post an image of their mum with the hashtag #InspiringMothers on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and they will be entered into a price draw to win a £250 Outfit gift voucher plus some exclusive Suffragette goodies. This creates interest in the film as audiences are able to interact and share personal opinions on something that is inspirational to them.

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?

The director Sarah Gavon twitted about the film such as awards that the film was nominated for and reviews that journalists have made about the film. This promotes the film as it allows her followers to see and learn more about the film and hopefully because they are interested in her work, would want to then go watch the film and maybe tweet about the film themselves.

Audience

1) Who is the target audience for this film? Demographics and psychographics.

The target audience for this film would be mainly women aged 15-50+ , however, it can appeal to men as well. I would say that the audience would be mainly working-class as it is about working class women. In terms of psychographics it would appeal to strugglers as the women in the film are fit into this group themselves therefore there is a common interest. Also, this film would appeal to aspires and reformers as they seek success and control and also want to try and change the world for the greater good, which these women are doing in the film. 

2) How does the cross-media promotional campaign target this audience?

The younger generation will tend to use social media in comaprison to the older generation who will prefer to use articles/newspapers.
3) What audience pleasures does the film provide? Think about the BFI lecture on audience pleasures in British film.

The film provides the theme of patriotism - pride for Britain which encourages the audience to embrace British culture and tradition. 

4) What similar films would the target audience enjoy? Justify your suggestions.

The Kings Speech and The Danish Girl as both appeal to audiences like reformers as both films want to challenge preconceptions and ideologies.

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?

Film4, BFI, Ingenious Media, Canal+, Ciné+, and Ruby Films are the studios that produced the film. Who have produced films like Elizabeth and 12 Years of Slave, which are both films that are about important times in history, just like Suffragette.   

2) Which company distributed the film in the UK? What other films have they distributed? 

Pathé distributed the film, which also distributed films such as Slumdog Millionaire, Adulthood, LOL, Bride and Prejudice. 

3) Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?

Yes, as the films listed above are mostly British dramas.

4) What was the budget for the film?

The budget for the film was $14 million.

5) How successful was the film financially? Why do you think this was?

Box office= $30 million. The film was successful as it has  made a profit.

6) Was this film more successful in the UK or worldwide/USA? Why do you think this is?

Suffragette has grossed $4.7 million in North America and $25.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $30 million, against a budget of $14 million. I think this is because the film is set in Britain and therefore will appeal to more of a British audience. 

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 age rating of 12 as it contains frequent strong language, moderate violence, a scene of force-feeding. This fits in with its target audience as young teens would be interested in the subject matter.

Representation

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

Women have a strong representation as they act independent and strong. Whereas men are presented in a negative way because they try to challenge the women.
2) What representation of ‘Britishness’ does the film contain?

The film is set in 1914 Britain, which was a time where women were protesting for womens rights. This paints a picture of what it would actually be like back then. Britain was represented as a place of anarchy and and a place controlled by men. 

3) How does the representation of Britain differ to Ill Manors? 

Ill Manors portrays Britains current state and targets a much younger audience. However, they are quite negative representations of Britain as Ill Manors portrays youths in a negative way and Suffragette portrays the government in a negative way.

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

Suffragette takes a feminist approach and believes in equality and standing up for what you believe in. It believes that women should have a right to vote and have a say in the law. 
Case study comparison

1) What similarities and differences can you find between Ill Manors, A Field In England and your chosen case study film? List all that apply.

Similirites

• Both Ill Manors and Suffragette have a strong message to audiences
• Both A Filed in England and Suffragette are set in the past
• Both Ill Manors and Suffragette used synergy to promote their film, having links to different media platforms. 
• Suffragette appeared on TV shows such as The Graham Norton Show and  Plan B himself appeared on BBC Radio and The Jonathan Ross show to raise awareness for the film.
• Both Ill Manors and Suffragette used stars like Meryl Streep and the director Plan B to promote the film.
• Both Ill Manors and Suffragette used an e-media campaign to interact with audiences

Differences 

• All three films are set in different time periods 
• Suffragette is a high budget film, unlike the other two which are low-budget
• Ill Manors and A Field in England have a much lower-budget and no main stars, although Ill Manors has a cameo appearance of Plan B at the end.
• A Field in England was released on multiple platforms on the same day, ultimately this created excitement as people could physically go to the theatre and watch it or simply stay at home and stream is online. Whereas Ill Manors and Suffragette had a staggered release.  
• A.F.I.E doesn't have many broadcast aspects, such as radio/TV interviews. 

March PPE: learner response task 

WWW: Fairly fluent writing with some media theory/terminology

EBI: Very limited on Q3/4- re-do these. Also, you need to include more specific examples from the text to gain more marks. 

Q1: 3/9 points 

Q2: 5/9 points 

Q3: 2/9 points 

Q4: 1/9 points

Q2 was my strongest question because I personally think it was the easiest question. It was a straight forward question and allowed me to go in depth and use media terminology/theories efficiently. 

Q4 was my weakest question because I didn't have enough time and mainly because I wasn't sure what to write about due to my lack of understanding of the question itself. 

Overall, my most successful questions were Q1/2 because i managed to achieve average/top marks however Q3/4 were very unsuccessful because I got low band marks. 

Question 3: Media Forms 

Identify the key narrative techniques used in the trailer. 

The clip is made using montage editing. This means that according to Todorov's theory, the equilibrium at the start shows the preparations for the paralympic games and then through the use of flashbacks we see an example of disequilibrium by showing us the tragic events that led to the participants getting those disabilities. After that we see how despite the drawbacks they face the participants have abilities that even some regular people would be unable to perform which is an example of new equilibrium. 

Additionally, the use of flashbacks gives an almost cinematic effect because it appears as a short film into the lives of these players. This will encourage viewers to watch the programme because through the trailer they see snippets of the past however they may wish to gain an insight into the full story. 

Furthermore, the use of enigma codes helps build up suspense because the viewers are continuously intrigued and want to see what happens after the accidents. For example, when they see the missing limbs or the players on wheelchairs they will want to know how despite these drawbacks they still manage to participate in sport.

 In addition to that, we can identify the disabilities acting as the villain whereas the the paralympics act as the hero because they give these people a purpose in life by helping them recognise their abilities which means that they could also act as the helper. 

On the other hand, the climax of events is put together by starting the clip with the use of slow-paced editing and then going into fast-paced editing which again keeps the viewer interested. Throughout the clip there has also been the use of slow motion to highlight key events. Also, the use of titles to narrate is another key technique. 

Question 4: Media Representations

How are the Paralympic Games represented in the trailer as a much anticipated sporting event?

The paralympic games are presented as a much anticipated sporting event by making it appear as enjoyable as the olympics through shots of the crowd celebrating their success and cheering them on which would be the same atmosphere as the olympic games. This helps viewers decide to watch the show because it shows a great example to an enjoyable event. Throughout the clip you see a clear demonstration of enthusiasm and dedication behind the whole event. We see the participants engaging in both training and the actual sport which would happen in a regualr sporting event. 

Additionally, the players engage in training which is what would the participants of the Olympic games would do. Also, we witness the preparations of the actual games through shots of the stadium getting prepared and people arriving to watch the games. This all helps the Paralympic games appear as a much anticipated sporting event.

Furthermore, the use of fast paced editing creates excitement and despite the slow paced editing at the beginning the build up along with the music intrigues the audience and creates a exciting atmosphere. The soundtrack being played is non-diegetic and parallel to what is being shown. However, when the disequilibrium takes place the soundtrack stops and the viewers hear a sudden explosion which adds to the suspense. 

On the other hand, in terms of mis-en-scene the facial expression of the participants is serious due to their dedication while training and their focus while playing the sport. Also, at the end of the clip the final shot shows all the British players standing united with a proud expression and their posture helps us recognise how powerful they are.