I, Daniel Blake

Production Background

o   Director = Ken Loach

o   Stars = Dave Johns, Hayley Squires

o   Production value = low budget

o   Production companies = BBC films, BFI, EOne productions

o   Funders = BFI, several French companies and National Lottery

o   Release Date = May 2016

o   Genre = Social Realistic Drama

Ken Loach makes films that follows a storyline of social issues around the world. He has directed films such as; Cathy Care Home and Sorry we missed you.

The film is low budget as it features stars that have had no or very little previous acting experience before.

The BFI and other companies that funded I Daniel Blake because it is a social realistic drama that enforces the reality on the benefit system and shows the lifestyle of two families that are struggling.

BBC must educate, inform and entertain!

Marketing Campaign

The stars have no or very little experience they were seen as ordinary people which links to the realistic atmosphere/sense.

Audience = highbrow (niche & middle class)

The first shot showed a medical setting in a hospital, showing some sort of heart scan. This indicates that the main character is unwell.

The editing is slow and it fades into scenes, the audio is atmospheric, slow and the piano is playing. The trailer does speed up which suggests and creates a dramatic tense mood which portrays the storyline.

The text at the end displays “I, Daniel Blake” portrays death as it looks like the gravestone writing. At the same time, the text is being displayed a heartbeat sound is being played. This links to the ongoing heart problem that Daniel is suffering from.

Straight Outta Compton Exam Question

How do mainstream films target and maximise their audience ?

  Refer to Straight Outta Compton to support your points ( 10 marks)

 You should refer to the content and purpose of the  film's marketing campaign, the production history and making of the film, use of stars , links to other media industries and products , some mention of  the film's content and demonstrate that you understand how this is typical of mainstream film production and promotion 

Mainstream films feature well-known famous actors/actresses, they have a popular production company. Mainstream films normally have a bigger budget and can be seen as entertaining. It’s a film that can be widely available the general public, this’ll maximise views and audiences. 

Straight Outta Compton was released on 28^th August 2015 and was produced by Universal Pictures. It was budgeted at $50 million but Straight Outta Compton made $201.6 million. Straight Outta Compton is seen to be a mainstream film as it has a bigger budget and was produced by Universal Pictures, which is known to be a big production company which has produced several big films. 
The members of NWA were involved in the marketing, they produced a marketing campaign to help maximise the views. The campaign was called 'Straight Outta Somewhere', all different stars used this campaign by changing the word 'somewhere' to suit their location. The campaign uses different locations and celebrities, to spread the awareness of the film and the context behind the film. The marketing campaign made a lot of money as it featured over the news and social media. The film had an eye-catching genre of crime, music, biopic film as it focuses on the LA riots and the music of N.W.A.  The cast and producers were famous and well-known, this helps the publicity of the film. 

In Straight Outta Compton the ending is happy for Dre, this maximises their audience so the audience is satisfied.

Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton

Mainstream & Independent films

Mainstream films feature well-known famous actors/actresses, they have a popular production company. Mainstream films normally have a bigger budget and can be seen as entertaining. It’s a film that can be widely available the general public, this’ll maximise views and audiences.

Independent films are produced by smaller production companies and normally have a smaller budget and often is shown at independent movie theatre. Independent films are often filmed or screened locally.

Production

Straight Outta Compton was released on 28^th August 2015 and was produced by Universal Pictures. It was budgeted at $50 million but Straight Outta Compton made $201.6 million. Straight Outta Compton is seen to be a mainstream film as it has a bigger budget and was produced by Universal Pictures, which is known to be a big production company which has produced several big films.

Marketing

The members of NWA were involved in the marketing, they produced a marketing campaign to help maximise the views. The campaign was called 'Straight Outta Somewhere', all different stars used this campaign by changing the word 'somewhere' to suit their location. The campaign uses different locations and celebrities, to spread the awareness of the film and the context behind the film.

It promotes families struggling and being treated unfairly until a group of boys go to a studio and start producing music. It uses different camera shots and angles to engage the target audience, it helps portray the location and setting in LA. It shows the dangerous lifestyle with violence and drugs involved. The lighting suggests a dark dangerous lifestyle, as it shows flashing blue sirens portraying violence and danger. It shows dark settings and locations e.g. in the streets driving.

The editing in the trailer has non-diegetic sound of music which is tense which portrays the film itself. 

Straight Outta Compton was inspired by the LA riots and ethnic minorities being treated differently by the LAPD.

Summary

Straight Outta Compton made $201.6 million it was very successfully. I believe the genre and storyline was very effective and it connected with the audiences easily as so many people could relate to being treated unfairly or even the LA riots. The marketing campaign made a lot of money as it featured over the news and social media. The film had an eye-catching genre of crime, music, biopic film as it focuses on the LA riots and the music of N.W.A.  The cast and producers were famous and well-known, this helps the publicity of the film. 

Regulation and Certification

Did the Directors Cut receive a different rating ? If so, why ?Are there any politically sensitive or controversial themes or content in the film ?

Straight Outta Compton received a 15 rating, as it has some gang related violence, drug use and strong language...

Kiss of the vampire analysis

Kiss of The Vampire (1963)

GENRE: Horror

SUB-GENRE: Gothic & Vampire


Layout/Images

This poster can easily be identified as a film poster due to the credits at the bottom of the poster. The main image is featuring two vampires and two victims and several bats appearing in the background. The colour “red” connotes blood and blood sucking. This deepens the thought of killing, murdering and alternately death. The pathetic fallacy in the poster (dark clouds), suggests the mood and atmosphere to be dark and evil which describes the vampires.


Conventions

The conventions of a vampire have been repeated throughout the years, as when I think of a vampire, I think back to centuries ago. To this day, the image of vampires has differed but remained original.


Conventions of a vampire include:

o   

    Sucking blood

o   Seductive romantic figure

o   Pale and Tall

o   Fangs

o   Black cloak

Within in the film poster, the conventions include:

o   Moonlight

o   The colour “red”

o   Blood

o   Castle

o   Bats

o   Black & Red

o   Cloaks/ Capes

o   Fangs

However, this poster challenges conventions as there is a male victim normally, the females would be the victims as a down stressed. This is where in a film a male hero would appear to save the female. This poster also has a female vampire featured which challenges representation of females in that decade. As men were the powerful dominant ones and the females were seen to be weak and sensitive. But vampires were sometimes shown to be a duet and featured as a husband wife or a couple working together as a team to kill.


Theory

Zoonen’s theory that men and women are represented differently in the media, as the female in the poster is seen to be distressed and the male is shown to be powerful as he’s sucked his victims’ blood. The power of the media has created stereotypes and certain representations of both genders that we now associate with their genders. The audience would be disturbed, by the fact there is a female vampire as normally the females ae being killed.


Neale’s theory that everything is made up of repetition and difference e.g. horror = darkness. Throughout the decades in media, the image and conventions on vampires have been repeated but differed as well for example: vampires are supposed to hate sunlight however, in ‘twilight’ the vampire’s glow in the sunlight. Some conventions have been altered so the audience is pleasured, and suspense occurs as it’s not what they originally thought.

TIDE advertisement

TIDE Advertisement

Layout/ Images

The main image is in the direct eye line of the printed text. There is a main image of a female hugging soap powder, the audience would easily identify the soap powder as the product. There is also other images like in the bottom right corner, it shows that these two females had no struggles with the highly-boosted soap powder.

 The main image is of a 1950’s housewife. The female is seen ‘hugging’ the soap powder box and the heart animation connotes she’s in love with it.

Text and language

The triplet used helps promote “Tide” as ‘the world’s CLEANEST wash!’  etc. There are several exclamation marks to exaggerate the soap powder of how much this housewife loves it and that this is the best soap powder in the market.

 The skyline shows the advert is directly aimed at women “No wonder you women buy more TIDE than any other washday product!”

This advert is clearly directed to women the direct mode of address of “you women”.

Colour

 The colour used is red, this colour is bold and bright to grab the reader's eyes. The colour corresponds with the soap powder’s packaging colour and the female’s lipstick.

Representation of women

Women are represented to be 1950’s housewives due to the costume, makeup and hairstyle in the advert. The female has glamorous makeup on, a polka dotted dress and a sleek clean hairstyle.

Context/Theory

Zoonen’s theory of that men and women are described differently in the media, this links with stereotypes in the current world and era in the 50’s as women were meant to look after the kids, cook and clean whereas, the men were meant to work to earn money so they could pay for the bills.

Barthe’s theory that all media texts have codes that need to be read. Within this advert, the audience will de code this advert as some text/images have different messages.

Gauntlett states in his theory, that we use all the internet and other media texts to help us create an identify.

Save the children

Save The Children Advertisement


Narrative: 'Most shocking second a day' - it shows the highlight of each day.

Audience: Middle aged working class -it targets the middle age working class as they have kids and this could emotionally effect more.


Media Language

Close ups: The whole advertisement is a close up of her face - some close ups in Water Aid and had long/wide shots. The close ups show her emotions and feelings  as it's based on her story whereas Claudia's story was about her and the community. Towards the end, the solider was puling her cheek and she did't seem happy, her facial expressions displayed the problem still wasn't solved. That action is seen to be done stereotypically by your Grandma (related family) the irony is that she doesn't have any family left. The solider isn't represented in a positive light as her facial expressions don't connote happiness or joy.

Camera Lighting: Throughout the advertisement, the lighting gradually gets darker and colder (linked to binary oppositions)

Editing: The camera shots/movements hit you every second of her day. You can easily notice the cuts in between shots which can suggest a rocky tense mood/feeling.

Sound effects/audio: The audio gives a sense of reality (sirens, sneezing, bombs, gun shots). It mentally affects the audience.

Setting: Establishing shot: The opening shot shows a white British 'happy' family singing happy birthday to her young daughter. It shows homely modern home with a bookcase and radio. In the background of some her shots - there was signs displaying danger "DANGER, WRONG WAY, TURN BACK".


Theory

Binary oppositions: Light vs. Dark

WaterAid

WaterAid Advert - Claudia : Sunshine on a rainy day


The advert is seen as unconventional as normally the advert would use negative images and messages to make the audience feel guilt. Whereas, this advert uses positive images and uses the motif of sunlight which connotes positivity. The main message of the advert is to appreciate what you have as others, may not have it and may still need your help.
Africa is represented at the start of the advert to be poor but throughout the advert, it shows the community have been helped and are happy that they have clean water. However, Britain is shown to be ungrateful as the stereotype of the UK is that it rains all the time and we take it for granted but Africa doesn't receive much water as they go through drought normally.




Media language

 Camera shots/movements: The use a wide shot in a corn, helps highlight her loneliness as she’s seen in an isolated location. The use of a close up as she’s singing, helps show her emotions to make the audience feel a connection with Claudia.

Lighting/The use of colour: The lighting is a warm yellow which links to the thought of sun and positively. The use of colour creates positivity with bright – pastel coloured water buckets.

Sound: The female ‘Claudia’ is singing “Sunshine on a rainy day” this suggest her and her community are happy as they have received help and shows she is grateful for her clean water.

Props/costume: Her costume is quite ragged but it is expected by the audience as they’re African and they have stereotypes because from the start of the advert it connotes poverty as Claudia is seen going to collect some water.

Techniques

Information: “Text SUNNY to 70555 to give £3 today to help reach more people like Claudia”

“650 million people still don’t have access to clean drinking water”

The use of negative language “still don’t” contradicts the advert as more people still needs help. It shows how they could be happy and that’s where guilt comes in as they aren’t all like Claudia. 

Target audience: middle aged people

We know this by the establishing shot of a radio in a kitchen.

The iconography of the audience is seen as they have plants, books and a radio playing the weather, this shows the audience takes it for granted and doesn’t appreciate it.

Binary oppositions

Britain vs. Africa

They are two contrasting countries as Britain takes water for granted whereas in Africa they don’t receive enough of it.

 It is similar to wet vs. dry as it shows the establishing shot of rain in Britain vs. the dry crops in Africa.