Tuesday 22 April 2014

Case study peer assessment-Vijay

I am assessing Vijay Sahota's blog, he has chosen to research Thor the Dark World. He has covered all three media platforms: Print, Broadcast and E-Media. He has particularly looked at billboards, magazines and reviews for print and analysed them. For broadcast, Vijay has focused on Thor's DVD release, radio interviews with the cast and television promotion on channels such as Sky. For E-Media he has looked at social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The promotional techniques for Thor and Ill Manors are the same in terms of E-Media. Both films use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This is because it creates word of mouth and the internet is used on a mass scale, therefore targets a wide, specific audience.

Vijay has looked at all three platforms in depth and picked out various promotional techniques. After looking at his blog work, I could look at more examples of the different media platforms in more depth.

Monday 14 April 2014

MEST 1 Cross Media Study-Toy Story 3

5) What institutional issues are raised in the case study?

The key instituions involved in promoting and producing Toy Story 3 are Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar animations. Walt Disney Company bought Pixar in 2006 at $7.4 million. Pixar produced Toy Story 3, along with the first and second edition of the film. The institutions funded the film and produced it using CGI (computer generated imagery) as it is an animated film. The other insitutions involved in Toy Story 3 are Walt Disney Studios and Motion Pictures, as they were the distributors. This means that they were responsible for marketing the film. They were involved in promoting as they set the release date for Toy Story 3, cinema release and when the film will be available on DVD, or whether it can be viewed online, in cinema and on DVD at the same time. In this case however, the cinema release was first (IMAX 3D, Disney Digital 3-D and Real D), the DVD released soon followed and then the film was aired on television and available online e.g Netflix.

Print media:
The official Toy Story 3 magazine is used to target children, whereas newspaper and magazine reviews and interviews with cast target an older audience. Billboards are publicly displayed, targeting children, adults, families. As the institutions involved in Toy Story 3 are well established and successful, they did not face any economic issues in this platform, funding was fully available within the budget for the film.

Broadcast media:
Radio interviews with the cast target a teenage/adult audience. TV advertisements target children, adults and families. The DVD includes the film and extras such as behind the scenes footage, targeting families again. As 3D televisions are now available, it provides audiences with new experiences as they can watch the film as if they are on set. Cinemas also provide 3D experiences. As the institutions involved in Toy Story 3 are well established and successful, they did not face any economic issues in this platform, funding was fully available within the budget for the film.

E-Media:
Social networking sites are used to target a teenage/adult audience. YouTube trailers of the film aim to target both children and adults, as both are aware of technology. The official Toy Story 3 website is dedicated to its younger fans (children) and includes video clips, pictures, games and quizzes for interactivity. Social networking sites such as Twitter allow audiences and fans to directly tweet the cast from Toy Story 3, allowing new experiences as this would not have been possible 10 years ago (founded in 2006). As the institutions involved in Toy Story 3 are well established and successful, they did not face any economic issues in this platform, funding was fully available within the budget for the film. Internet piracy did not have a harmful impact on the selling of the official Toy Story 3 DVD's. The film successfully sold 3,859,736 units (equal to $73,096,452) on its first week of release, on November 2nd-7th 2010, North America. 

Overall, all of the institutions involved in the production and release of Toy Story 3 worked well together successfully. Each company did their part in producing and marketing the film across all three platforms: Print, Broadcast and E-Media. Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar animations took the main responsibility of making the film, while Walt Disney Studios and Motion Pictures focused on distribution and marketing. Disney Interactive Studios also produced a video game based on the film, for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PSP and Nintendo DS on June 15th 2010. This helped to reach the technology aware audience of children and teenagers. 

MEST 1 Cross Media Case Study-Toy Story 3

4) How are representations constructed across the three platforms?

Print:

The Telegraph newspaper held an interview with cast member John Ratzenberger who plays 'Hamm' in Toy Story 3. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/7898867/Toy-Story-3-John-Ratzenberger-interview.html)

One way in which this print platform meets the key conventions of print media is by having a 'question and answer' style interview with Toy Story star John Ratzenberger. Although this is commonly used in magazines, the newspaper is still effective on those who are particularly interested in the film's release as the newspaper is widely available and distributed. John Ratzenberger is presented as a down to earth guy in this interview. As he speaks about Pixar movies in a positive light, readers can see his real passion and enthusiasm for Toy Story 3 and being a part of it through his character Hamm. I believe John is likable in this interview and it creates awareness for himself as an actor as well as the upcoming movie. John is represented in a positive way in order to make his character more likable. If he is liked by audiences then they will be more likely to want to watch his films and especially Toy Story 3 as this article features on it. This then leads to a larger fan base for the film and audiences will be willing to purchase DVD's and watch the film in the cinema. Audiences can represent themselves by writing in to the official Toy Story 3 magazine for example, where their comments a photos can be displayed in the last page of the magazine.

Broadcast:

The official Toy Story 3 DVD is available in Blu-Ray and can be purchased in stores and online. It includes the movie itself with exciting extras such as behind the scenes and deleted scenes.
The front cover of the DVD itself is immediately attractive for audiences. As all the characters look as though they are running towards the audience, it means the audience can feel as though they can connect with the image. The content of the DVD includes the film, deleted scenes and behind the scenes (making of Toy Story 3). This allows viewers to be able to gain a first hand insight of the characters both on and off set. The behind the scenes allows viewers to see the actors playing the roles of the characters when rehearsing their lines for example. This shows audiences about the actors personalities as we can see who takes the role seriously and which actors laugh every now and then. The deleted scenes may include extras that did not get added into the movie or funny scenes where the actors/characters were humorous. The representation however of all the actors/characters is positive as they all get on well with each other. I believe that a positive representation of the characters is used to make the actors more likable for audiences. If this is the case, Toy Story 3 are likely to gain more fans. This could then lead to fans watching the film in cinema, buying the DVD etc and creating a larger fan base as well as revenue for the film.

E-Media:

The online interview with the Toy Story 3 cast allows viewers to gain access to the actors with a question and answer style interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bive50EsTT).

The actors in the movie face a question and answer style interview, which gives viewers an insight to the roles they play in Toy Story 3 and the experiences they faced when playing their characters. The interview shows clips of the characters the actors play while speaking to them about their roles. The stars of Toy Story 3 face a positive representation as they talk about how they enjoyed their roles and working with the other actors. The producer and director are also spoken to towards the end of the interview and they discuss how they wanted to make Toy Story 3 different and unique. The main purpose/idea of this interview was to be able to discuss how characters in the film found their role to be for them and whether it was challenging. This is presented to the audience because it shows the build up of the film and the challenges characters had to face in order to make a perfect film. The older audience for the film get a chance to represent themselves through social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Across all three media platforms, the actors of Toy Story 3 always are presented in a positive light and reinforce their enthusiasm about the film and their enjoyable experience of working with Pixar and the rest of the cast. The actors star personas come across as genuine and likable towards audiences of Toy Story 3. The print newspaper article with John is more likely to target an older audience as it features in The Telegraph, whereas the Toy Story 3 DVD, as that is more appealing for children as shows the visual side of the making of the film. I believe all three platforms purpose is to entertain and create awareness of Toy Story 3. 

Thursday 3 April 2014

MEST 1 Cross Media Study-Toy Story 3

3) How do audiences access the text across all three platforms?

Toy Story 3 is a children's animation film and targets an audience of children aged between 3-12. However, as this is the third follow on film, teens/young adults have been following the film from 1995, when Toy Story 1 was released.

Print:

Toy Story 3 is promoted through billboards, the official Toy Story 3 magazine and magazine interviews with the cast and director. Young audience who read the Toy Story 3 magazine experience a psychological experience as their interest in the magazine means that if they see anything related to the film such as the DVD they are likely to want it. The print platform reaches everyone as billboards and Toy Story 3 posters are put up publicly. Official magazines are sold in shops, therefore reach a wide audience of all ages. The producers target kids through the magazine by making it colourful, attractive and full of fun activities to interest them. The Toy Story 3 magazine allows kids to enter competitions and includes quizzes and interactive activities. The audience rewards and enjoyment include the chance to win competitions from the magazine.

Broadcast:

Toy Story 3 trailers were shown on television channels such as BBC One and BBC One HD. The film was also shown on these channels and viewers also have the chance to catch up with the film on BBC iPlayer, available online and on Sky catch up TV. The official DVD allows fans to purchase the disc. There was also a radio interview with the director on BBC 1Xtra. The audience faces an instant interaction with this platform as they witness trailers on TV or listen to radio interviews. Broadcast reaches a wide audience of all ages as it is on television and radio. Trailers for the film however may be prominently advertised on children channels more as that is the primary target audience. The producer Darla Anderson uses broadcast media to appeal to families by showing the trailer on family channels such as BBC One. The Toy Story 3 trailer includes the official website at the end of the trailer, by giving viewers additional information it gives them the opportunity to interact. The producer widens the audience appeal as they mainly attract families as to children only.

E-Media:

Facebook and Twitter social media is used in order for fans to interact with the film, therefore is used as a promotional material. The official Toy Story website (http://toystory.disney.com/) allows fans to purchase items, play games, watch videos, view the gallery and buy the movie, therefore they gain a deeper insight adn interest into the film. The world wide web allows people to view as much information as they want on the film, Youtube shows the official trailer and online sites such as Netflix also allows audiences to watch Toy Story 3 online. The audience using e-media experience an emotional connection as they have the chance to tweet and get in touch with stars from the film personally. E-Media mainly target an older target audience due to social networking sites. However, the Toy Story 3 website targets children as it includes games and activities specifically for young kids. The producers aim to appeal to both children and adults through e-media and more particularly the website and social networking sites. Social networking sites allows audiences to interact by leaving comments. The website allows children to enter competitions and includes activities. Audiences play a role in social networking sites as they help to build fan pages and spread the work of Toy Story 3. As social networking sites have on going competitions, it gives audiences the chance to win Toy Story 3 goodies. The producer widens the audience appeal as they mainly attract an older audience as to children.

Using uses and gratifications, Toy Story 3 targets Mainstreamers as it promotes the film on a wide scale to audiences consisting of children, adults and families. All the three media platforms target an A-E working and middle class social demographic. This is because although the film was a big budget blockbuster ($200 million), it still appeals to people of different status'. Although a D/E audience may not go to cinema to watch the film they can still view promotions on the interent (e-media) e.g. trailer or on free view TV channels (broadcast) such as BBC One or even read cast interviews in free newspapers (print). Moreover, print magazines for Toy Story 3 narrowcast a niche market of children as they are especially designed to appeal to them. Also, using mode of address, the producer would assume the magazine targets both male and female children, therefore uses multi colours to appeal to this audience.

Thursday 27 March 2014

MEST 1 Cross Media Study-Toy Story 3

2) How are texts in the three platforms constructed?

Disney Pixar promote Toy Story 3 through print, broadcast and e-media. Print media such as colourful billboards and magazines are used to attract a young audience. Broadcast media such as trailers and cinema release dates are available online (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435761/releaseinfo). E-media such as Facebook and Twitter have Toy Story 3 sites which allow fans to interact.

Print:

The official Toy Story 3 magazine has easy to read formal language. This is because its targeted for children and specialises for their needs e.g. games, puzzles, interactive quizzes. The codes and conventions of a magazine is to inform as well as entertain children in particular. Empire magazine also conducted an interviw with Tom Hanks who plays Woody in Toy Story 3 (http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=24621). Reviews of the film also contain formal language as it targets adults more than children, examples are The Guardian (broadsheet newspaper) where information about the cast, certificate, narrative and ratings are given (http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jul/18/toy-story-3-film-review). Within print, the official magazine is obviously promoted differently from the Empire magazine as they target different audiences. The Toy Story 3 magazine targets children and Empire targets an older C1-D audience.

Broadcast:

Talk radio interviews with director Lee Unkrich and producer Darla Anderson have taken place on BBC Radio 1Xtra (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00923z4). This is in the form of a question and answer interview, where exclusive information about the film can be revealed. Television also offers exclusive interviews with the cast along with behind the scenes on BBC One. Radio interviews tend to target an older aydience whereas children would be more interested in watching exclusive scenes on television.

E-Media:

YouTube offers several cast interviews and behind the scene exclusive footage. The Toy Story 3 website offers instant interaction with audiences e.g. games, competitions, video clips and quizzes. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter also offer interaction with an older audience as they have the chance to like pictures, videos and leave comments.  Reviews of the film also contain formal language as it targets adults more than children, examples are Rotten Tomatoes where information about the cast, certificate, narrative and ratings are given (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/toy_story_3/). The Toy Story 3 website targets children as it offers interactivity relevant for them e.g. games and competitions, whereas social networking sites target an older audience as they have the opportunity to leave comments and their thoughts on the film.

The similarities of the three broadcasts are that they all offer useful information to audiences related to Toy Story 3, e.g. TV and the internet show trailers and the official magazine offers information of the official website where the trailer can be watched. The differences between the broadcasts are the audiences that they target. For example online social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter reach a 15 and over audience, however the Toy Story 3 print magazine is made to target children. E-Media is better at reaching audiences rather than print as it is usually free, and widely/easily consumed.

Monday 24 March 2014

MEST 1 Cross Media Study - Toy Story 3

1) Film Media in context

Toy Story 3 is promoted to audiences through print, broadcast and E-Media. This means that hand copies of the film's promotion are available e.g. magazines. Broadcast is where promotion is done through television, e.g. advertisements and film trailers. E-Media uses the internet for promotion e.g. the official Toy Story 3 website.

Print Media:

As print media is costly due to producing official magazines and billboards for advertisement and promotion materials, it means that Disney's budget of $200 million had to go towards print media. Below are examples of billboards and the Toy Story 3 official magazine.














Broadcast media:

When Toy Story 3 is scheduled on television channels such as BBC One and BBC One HD, viewing may not always be taken into account and counted as Sky Plus allows viewers to record the film and watch later and also showed the Toy Story 3 trailer before the movie release. Viewers also have the chance to catch up with the film on BBC iPlayer, available online and on Sky catch up TV. The official DVD allows fans to purchase the disc.



E-Media

Facebook and Twitter social media is used in order for fans to interact with the film. The official Toy Story website (http://toystory.disney.com/) allows fans to purchase items, play games, watch videos, view the gallery and buy the movie. As there is alot of piracy on the internet, it is hard to police Toy Story 3 films posted on the internet as most are not legit. The world wide web allows people to view as much information as they want on the film, which could be overwhelming.  Youtube and online sites such as Netflix also allows audiences to watch Toy Story 3 online.



Changing technologies:

As technology is increasing for both adults and children, print media such as billboards used for promotion along with TV guides are also used with e-media in order to promote to an audience on a large scale. For example, print media such as billboards offer film release dates and so do the Toy Story 3 social networking sites e.g. Facebook and Twitter. Due to audiences preferring e-media, it is used on a much larger scale, whereas print media was preferred before. E-media is free for audiences to use as they would not have to pay to follow the twitter fan page, however they would have to pay for prints such as the Toy Story 3 magazine.

Tuesday 18 March 2014

Ill Manors e-media questions

Facebook:

1) The Facebook page has 30,096 likes.

2) The top of the page is promoting the film Ill Manors.

3) The photos available on the page for Ben Drew's appearance at the Brit Awards 2013 promotes the film as it states 'It caps off a great 2012 for Ben who released his debut film Ill Manors, which is out now: http://bit.ly/iLLManorsDVD', providing the link and opportunity for fans to purchase and watch the film. The British Independent Film awards also promotes the film as it mentions Ben Drew is again nominated for awards. While promoting Anuvahood and Offender, Revolver Entertainment give the chance to celebrate Total Film's 200th issue, and have goodies to giveaway. People who want to win should dead over to have the chacne to win Ill Manors, Anuvahood and Offender Signed Merchandise and Blu-rays! At: http://bit.ly/Sc3LxU

4) Revolver Entertainment give fans a chance to win a copy of Ill Manors as a celebration of their 15 year anniversary. Also, a question saying 'Is Ill Manors your anthem of the year' with the video link attached below is asked to fans, encouraging them to watch the music video. Another question asked is 'Aged 16-19 years old and want a chance to make a short film? We've partnered with the BFI Film Academy to give you that chance. ' This gives fans the opportunity to win. 

5) The top image of the page shows the DVD cover of Ill Manors, below it in the information section it includes the 'buy now' DVD links for the film. The album is promoted through a video link and the opportunity for fans to leave their comments/reviews. Also, the DVD is promoted as a post says 'Pick up the Limited Edition Lenticular cover on Blu-Ray or DVD at Amazon UK or Download it on iTunes (UK) today', providing relevant links to purchase. 

6) 

7) In May it released the film trailer, the coming in cinema date, film review links, win a chance to attend the world premiere of Ill Manors, exclusive previews etc. 


Twitter:

1)  The Ill Manors logo and background image is used from the DVD cover on the Twitter page, promoting the film.

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

3) Anouska Mond tweeted 'Anyone watch #illmanors this weekend? Watcha think? Hope you enjoyed it!' This obviously 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 mian role in the film so targets Ill Manors target audience/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, therefore 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) During 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 followers to be able to easily access and buy the DVD.

Instagram:

1) The instagram page '4planb' focuses on the Ill Manors film. The film is promoted through images posted on the page such as the DVD cover and posters with release dates.

2) The image of the DVD cover promotes the film by showing followers it is out for them on Blu-ray and DVD and available for them to buy. Another post of an Ill Manors poster shows the release date of the film, encouraging viewers to look out for it and watch it. Finally an image of several signed copies of Ill Manor posters has been posted. This promotes the film along with Ben Drew the director himself as his autograph is on them.

3) The hashtag #illmanors is used on the instagram page, as well as other social networking sites such as twitter. Therefore there is a consistency, this is used to establish the brand name itself. Therefore everything that has this specific hashtag is related to Ill Manors film.

4) The DVD cover of Ill Manors has the hashtag #illmanors. On the e-media sites, when promoting the DVD through twitter and facebook this hashtag is also used. The DVD helps to promote the Ill Manors branding. Another image with #illmanors is a canvas that looks like the billboard (print) of Ill Manors. This image is instantly recognised as it is the Ill Manors background image constantly used in platforms. Audiences can easily recognise this and relate back to the film. Finally, images with Ben Drew at awards on stage are also tagged with #illmanors and #britawards. This shows he was at the awards for his nominations for his film Ill Manors. This broadcast platform allows a mass audience to watch Ben Drew on television and virally and discuss Ill Manors, also promoting it.

YouTube:

1) The planbuk channel promotes the Ill Manors album along with the film which has the same title. It includes reviews and ratings from newspapers and maagzines. The page includes video links which contain related information to the Ill Manors film that Plan B has published. For example, the 'I am the narrator video' and the official Ill Manors trailer.

2) The YouTube channel also the Ill Manors album by showing that it is available to buy on iTunes and also provides a link. This is also seen on media platforms such as social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter), billboards and magazine print ads. All of these promote the film as Ill Manors is both the title of the film as well as the album. Therefore by seeing the title 'Ill Manors', it would remind an audience of film which is why the album is so widely promoted. These platforms appeal to the Ill Manors target audience as they usually allow interaction (e-media). The target audience is generally young and therefore more technology aware.

3) Links to social networking sites such as, Facebook, Twitter, Google plus, Soundcloud are available on the YouTube page.

Tag London Campaign

1) The Ill Manors Tag London campaign partnered with the creative agency, Powster, where fans were then prompted to tweet the new account @TagLondon and hashtag #illmanors. Fans were asked to write about their feelings on the current state of Britain. The campaign received over 5,000 responses and 300 tweets were selected. The chosen messages were projected in areas of iconic London sites. This was the absolute peak of the #illmanors hashtag as it received over 1.3k tweets that day, compared to the average daily 220 tweets per day. In order to promote, Atlantic Records partnered with a live stream production company, LoveLive. This allowed them to produce a live stream for the campaign and the stream of the launch party was put onto YouTube.

2) The campaign helps to promote the film as it spread the hashtag and branding of Ill Manors. This helped to create further awareness for the film and the narrative of the film as it represents people who suffer and do not have a say. However, this campaign gave people in Britain the chance to speak out as their messages were heard and broadcasted.

3) The Tag London campaign was promoted virally, with the help of YouTube. Other opportunities for fans such as 'a chance to win' an Ill Manors DVD for example, have also been promoted on the internet on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

4) This campaign is successful because it allows interaction for Ill Manors fans. Other media campaigns could involve protests, however these are usually in one specific area and the Ill Manors video has been streamed on many online links. Therefore, by gaining more views and awareness the campaign has been successful in achieving their initial goal, to get voices of Britain heard.

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

This tweet could appeal to a C1/C2 demographic audience who are in their middle ages as it is directing this generation to support and encourage young people, rather than doing the opposite. It appeals to mainstreamers, using psychographics as the tweet is targeting a wide mass audience, as kids feel ignored on a wide scale. This tweet links to Plan B's TedX lecture as he speaks about inspiration as one of his main topics and that children who are more deprived than others are in need, and parents/teachers/society should do something to help young people rather than ignoring them. In the film Ill Manors, young people are represented in this way.

'#ILLMANORS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CAMERON'S BROKEN BRITIAN'

This tweet is appeals to a D/E demographic audience and the strugglers group from the psychographics theory. This is because these groups are likely to feel negativity towards the parties in control Britain as they do not help the poor. This links to the Ill Manors music video. David Cameron is presented in a negative manor in the video, showing the reality of people being against him. In the Ill Manors film, characters are shown to disrespect authority such as the police, by the way they communicate with them. Therefore it relates to the lack of respect authority are gaining from certain young groups of people.

'#ILLMANORS INCLUSION NOT EXCLUSION'

This tweet appeals to a A-E demographic audience and mainstreamers, using psychographics. This is because exclusion can be a feeling everyone feels, therefore targeting everyone and anyone. This can link to Plan B's Jonathan Ross Interview as he speaks about the exclusion people (especially young people) and uses examples from characters in the film.

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

This tweets appeals to a D/E demographic audience and strugglers using psychographics. This is because it targets the rich and sheds them in a negative light, going against them. This relates to Plan B's Ill Manors music video as it is very against the rich, e.g. David Cameron. This is made obvious in the video, and again in the film disrespect is shown to authorities such as the police.

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

This targets a A-E demographic and mainstream psychographics audience. This is because it appeals to a wide audience and tries to get a message across to everyone, those who look at young looters negatively and those who look at politicians stealing negatively. This relates to Plan B's TedX lecture as he speaks about the state of young people in Britain and reputations. His Ill Manors music video was based on the London Riots and looting is what took place during this event.

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Section B learner response

Ill Manors uses the same white font style in all three media platforms: broadcast, print and e-media. The connotations of the colour white represent innocence and purity. During Plan B's broadcast interview on the Jonathan Ross show, he speaks about characters in the film being mistreated, representing the vast majority of people who face the similar situations in reality. He also discusses this in his radio one interview with Fearne Cotton and numerous print ads such as magazine interviews and newspaper articles e.g. the guardian. The white font uses on DVD covers, billboards, social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter) etc and all media platforms represent the fact that characters were pure and innocent before they were involved in certain/negative situations, as shown in the film. The font helps audiences recognise the Ill Manors branding through font and colour scheme uses repeatedly. The differences in the platforms are that e-media provides interaction with audiences e.g. tweets and comments. Print provides website links in order for interaction along with information. Broadcasts also provide links. The uses and gratifications theory of diversion can be used as audiences use the e-media and media platforms to diverse from their every day life and interact with others.

Thursday 6 March 2014

Ill Manors social network analysis


The technique used to promote Ill Manors on Facebook and Twitter is by allowing readers to win a copy of the film. This gets audiences involved with Ill Manors and also promotes the distributors Revolver Entertainment as their 15 year anniversary is celebrated. 


The fact that Plan B has been nominated for BRIT awards, shows the recognition he has gained as a brand representation for his film Ill Manors. As audiences know that famous celebrities and artists attend the BRIT awards, for Plan B to be nominated for awards helps to promote the film along with his achievements.


Although this Facebook post and Twitter feed advertises the chance for audiences to get involved with BFI Film Academy, essentially by mentioning Revolver Entertainments as Ill Manor's distributors it is promoting the film also. The posts assume that audiences aged 16-19 know what Ill Manors is, and if not they can research it in order to find out and see whether this opportunity interests them or not. 




The exclusive clip that has been revealed from the film includes John Cooper Clarke. The famous poet and performer is used as a celebrity endorsement for those who recognise him in order to attract more audiences to the film.



The Facebook and Twitter feed clearly advertises and promotes Ill Manors as it includes links of where people can buy the film on either DVD, Blu-Ray or iTunes. By using the word 'Limited Edition' it makes audiences feel as though it is a rare opportunity, therefore encouraging them to purchase the film.

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Print platforms: Advertising


1) The key conventions help the audience identity the print text. The billboard uses a central image of Plan B, helping us identify who the billboard is about. It also uses large bold text to clearly represent the title, Ill Manors. It provides relevant information as a text usually would of the title and release date.

2) The central image shows Plan B holding a cigarette, implying he is smoking. This gives an immediate negative stereotype of Plan B and would make people who are older than him not in his favour. Whereas a group of people similar to his age may also participate in similar activities. Plan B as a Brand is therefore being presented in a negative manor. The white text saying 'Ill Manors' contrasts to the image as white has the connotations of purity and innocence. Finally, the billboard has a background image of Plan B at a council house/estate area. This could help identify the target audience for Ill Manors.

3) The Ill Manors movie billboard also promotes the album and soundtrack as it includes a release date.


1) On this DVD cover, the central image is placed in the middle of the main character (protagonist) in the film. Ill manors is clearly presented on the central image in big bold white writing. This could connote a sense of purity about the character. It also includes a cover line 'an absolute must see', in order to encourage audiences to watch the film. 

2) The background image is of buildings that very much look like estate buildings. However, they are slightly glamourised by having flash lighting added to them. The character on the DVD cover is holding a gun, suggesting Ill Manors contains violence, and therefore targeting a specific audience. For example, it is more likely to appeal to a younger audience rather than elderly people who have no interest in watching in crime and violence. The fact that the characters head is surrounded by stars and reviews is giving a positive representation of Ill Manors, in the sense that it is well recognised. The cover also clearly states that Ill Manors is made for those 18 and over, meaning that it will contain violence and possible sex scenes.

3) Essentially, by showing all the names of newspapers/magazines/websites where Ill Manors have gained positive reviews, the DVD cover is advertising them along with Ill Manors. 


1) This poster has a clear title below the main image. The white text and red background contrast to good vs evil. The main image includes most main characters in the film, which is unusual as print texts usually focus on one or two main characters when advertising a film. The cover line at the of the poster 'a raw and exciting directorial debut' is used to encourage audiences to watch the film.

2) The fact that the main colours used on this poster are red, black and white, it suggests a very violent feel. The red connotes blood and murder, and Ill Manors contains various scenes of violence. The white background suggests that all characters could have a pure past or future, depending on their actions. As all of the characters are placed together, it shows they have connections to one another in some way or form. 

3) The poster includes information of the Ill Manors soundtrack and album and the bottom of the poster, essentially advertising the song along with the film to audiences. 

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Road Safety mock-24/02/14

Grade A

WWW: Excellent, concise application of theories/theorists.

EBI: Question 1 needs more specific reference to the techniques in the text.

LR: Write an additional paragraph (slow-motion, lighting etc.)

The road safety advert uses slow motion throughout the whole video from beginning to end. This is an original and effective approach to road safety as it emphasises the impact the car crash has on the family. Slow motion also allows the audience to focus on the facial expressions of the characters and also the actions of the male character, the driving is made apparent to us. The facial expressions enhance the equilibrium-Todorov's theory, as the audience are allowed to focus on the characters happy and smiling to shocked and worried and finally happy again when the male character is saved. The use of slow motion also has an emotional effect on the audience as we almost feel what the characters are going through.

The high-key lighting used emphasises the positive nuclear family. It represents and has the connotations of hope. Therefore when the daughter is dressed in wings and looks like an angel, she saves her father and represents hope and survival for the family. Essentially, high-key lighting suggests positivity and shows the family in a positive light.      

Monday 24 February 2014

GTA 5 Trailer mock exam






Plan B Print Texts: Interviews

Men's Health interview
The target audience for this article using a demographic scale would be a C1-D audience as the language is mostly slang therefore would relate to this audience. Using psychographics the target audience would be reformers and aspirers as it targets people who seek freedom and aspire to have a good physic. The Men's Health magazine is being used to reach a wide specific audience. The article does more than entertain, as well as being humorous it also informs by giving details of information of Plan B's nutrition regime and workout. This magazine allows audiences to view magazine articles which are also connected to Plan B. It also includes articles at the bottom which are similar and audiences 'might like.' The print interview uses quotes given by Plan B to show the realism of the interview with him. The narrative is used to tell audiences about Plan B's weight loss story and his inspiration.

Q Magazine
This interview targets a C2-E demographic audience as it uses informal and possibly offensive language to some audiences. Using psychographics the target audience would be Mainstreamers as Q music targets a wide stream audience with similar interests. The platform is being used in order to reach a wide audience and target specific people. The article entertains as well as showing the audience Plan B's live reaction to his music award through a video interview. The page allows viewers to post a comment at the bottom of the page, therefore participating and sharing thoughts on the subject. The video shows an interviewee who is standing on the left hand side with a mic and Plan B standing on the right who is being interviewed and asked questions. This makes it apparent to the audience that it is an interview. The narrative tells the audience about Plan B's reaction to his music award as well as showing footage live from the event.

Guardian interview
The demographic target audience for this interview is a C1-A audience as it uses formal language and The Guardian newspaper targets this specific audience. It targets Mainstreamers in terms of psychographics as The Guardian is a widely read newspaper by a mass audience. The Guardian is used for the Plan B interview to target audiences that it might not always appeal to. The newspaper usually targets a middle class older audience, however Plan B himself appeals to a younger audience. Therefore by appealing to a new audience, Plan B is possibly gaining more fans by making people aware of what he is doing and is used as a form of promotion for Ill Manors. The article entertains as well as informs as it gives information of Plan B's Ill Manors and includes names of the cast members and the running time etc. The bottom of the page allows readers to leave and share comments of their thoughts on the article. The interview includes quotes from Plan B and also information on his film. The journalist also writes about Plan B's background history, which is expected in a print interview. Narrative is used to describe background information on Plan B and also tells the story of how he came about making his film, Ill Manors.

Shortlist interview
This interview targets a C2-E demographic audience as it uses informal and possibly offensive language to some audiences. Using psychographics the target audience would be Mainstreamers as shortlist.com targets a wide stream audience with similar interests. This platform is being used to reach a wide and specific target audience who have an interest in Plan B. The article entertains and lets the reader know more about Plan B as a person as his answers reveal his type of personality. There is a place for audiences to comment on the article at the bottom of the page where it clearly states 'add a comment', encouraging people to interact with the article. The article is set out as a question and answer layout, making the print apparent that it is an interview. Narrative is used to tell the story behind Plan B's reasoning to make his song, Ill Manors and his intentions behind it.

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Plan B on Radio One

Radio link-http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pvgb9

Plan B had a radio one interview with Fearne Cotton on 7th March 2012. The interview focused on Plan's B career and upcoming Ill Manors movie along with his previously released Ill Manors soundtrack, rather than his celebrity image. Plan B spoke about his creative process when writing for the movie and that he cannot write a good script unless he is feeling creative and passionate about his words. He also mentioned his release dates for his album and movie several times with host Fearne. The fact that his Ill Manors single has made the radio one playlist means that his song is able to target a specific audience. The audience that listen to radio one would be an age from 16-34 and youthful. The radio channel also targets Mainstreamers as the music is quite modern and widely available, rather than music genres that are not played on most popular radio stations. As BBC are public broadcasters, their aim is to entertain, inform and educate. Therefore Plan B's appearance on radio one let listeners learn about Plan B more as person, rather than seeing him as a director/song writer/rapper. There were also opportunities to interact with the star himself and call/text into radio one and ask questions or leave comments.

Thursday 6 February 2014

MEST2 Progress report-30th January

Individual-
WWW: I have completed my drafts for my print cover and double page spread and also started the front cover on Photoshop.
EBI: Finish my front cover.
Next steps: I need to finish my front cover on Photoshop and start my double page spread.

Group-
WWW: Planner to film last weekend, however forgot tripod.
EBI: Make sure we are fully equip for next filming.
Next steps: Filming this weekend.

Filming dates-
Previous: 1st February
Upcoming dates: 8th February

Print research

1) Below are magazine covers that I have picked out that target an E4 audience and have cover lines that could be used for my own magazine as they relate to the serial killer theme.

The cover line 'He's got a way with murder' is a play on words about the character and a similar cover line could be used for my magazine.


The celebrity appeal of Sherlock Holmes targets an E4 audience as it has an interview with him inside. The detective/murder theme is also in my productions narrative. 

                                                           
The 'killer good looks' cover line could be used on my magazine cover as a play on words, which interests the audience.
                                                            
Although Doctor who is broadcasted on BBC, it would be popular with an targets an E4 audience due to the narrative. The interview with David Tennant could go on my magazine as Doctor who has similar themes to my narrative in some aspects. 
                                                             
The cover line 'find that perfect cut' could be used for my magazine. This magazine targets a female E4 audience. 

                                                             
2) This Supernatural souvenir magazine is a special collectors edition and can be purchased online. It celebrates six seasons of the show and contains 148 pages, packed with highlights from seasons, interviews with main stars, the shows creators and behind the scene specials.  

3) This Doctor who magazine cover has several key conventions:
                                                              
                                                         
1) The title of publication is Doctor who. It is written in bold in grey/white writing and blends in with the background.

2) The slogan is 'celebrating 50 years of adventures in space and time'. The '50 years' is emphasised as it is in a larger font and a different colour to the white writing. This slogan catches the readers eye and sums up the magazine by hinting clues of what could be inside e.g. history from the show to now.

3) The central image is the main star of Doctor who. However it also includes two other characters on the side. The fact that Matt Smith is in the middle suggests his importance is greater than the characters beside him and as he is more well known in the show, it catches readers attention more.

4) The main flash/cover line is 'the day of the doctor'. This is written in large white bold writing on the main characters chest, making it more eye catching for the reader. Another line above it is 'the doctor's past comes back to haunt him'. This could relate to the slogan of celebrating 50 years of Doctor who and shows the magazine will include history related context of the show.

5) This Doctor who magazine includes 12 collectors anniversary art cards, 9 downloads of Doctor who audio adventures and a chance to win Doctor who blu-ray ray dvds, books and cds.   

6) The main colour scheme for this magazine cover is white, black, gold and red. The white writing emphasises the boldness of the writing and helps it stand out. The red and gold colours are eye catching together and red connotes the detective theme. The black/grey background creates mystery for the main character as his facial expression looks mysterious too.

7) Along the right side of the magazine, the name checks show what is included inside the magazine and what prizes readers have the opportunity to win.  

8) The language on the cover has a lot of repetition of the word 'doctor'. Although the show is called Doctor who, the main star is a doctor also, therefore the show Doctor who is more likely to stick in the readers mind. The language is short and snappy and easy to understand.

9) The font is mainly bold for the title of publication and flash/cover line. These are the most important pieces of information for the reader as it tells them which magazine it is, and the cover line hints what is going to be inside the magazine. The font is small for other information which is not as important e.g. competition chances. 

10) Competition opportunities are listed on the right side of the magazine where a chance to win Doctor who dvds, books and cds are available inside the magazine. This is important as it gives readers an opportunity to interact with the magazine.

11) This magazine cover does not directly state 'you' to the reader when showing a message to them, however the competition inside shows readers they have a chance to win.

12) The barcode is placed at the bottom right side of the magazine and shows a clear price and issue number for readers information.

13) The real target audience for this magazine is everyone from the ages of 13 and above of as it is a pre watershed show which is suitable for families. I believe that children from the age of 15 however would read this magazine up to the age of late 20's. 

Ill Manors synergy

1) Ill Manors website-http://www.illmanors.com/#scene-0

The key features of the website are the different sections available to look at. This includes: the trailer, synopsis, Ben Drew, stills, videos, buy now, links, reactions and album.

The trailer allows viewers to gain an insight of the film and engages audiences with the storyline of the film as they gain a glimpse of it. If they find it interesting, they will be more likely to see the film when it is released. The trailer benefits audiences because they can see whether they actually would be interested in seeing the film, if they did not watch it an paid to see the film in cinema and ended up not enjoying it, then it would be a waste of time and money.

The synopsis is a brief overview of the films narrative. It mentions main characters and themes in the film. These are included to hook the attention of audiences, as they gain a deeper understanding of the characters in the story line.

The Ben Drew section gives viewers of the website background information of the director himself. It includes past history of his career and mentions his main stars in the film. It also mentions his Ill Manors song which was released after the 2011 London riots. This gives viewers more of a backbone about Ill Manors and Ben Drew as a director as well as a person as it tells his story and the reason for what he did, this interests viewers.

The still images show shots of characters from the film. Most of them look as though they were taken when shooting the film as characters are shown in relevant scenes, costume and make up. This is making clear most of the main characters and most others in the film. If viewers recognise an actor and are a fan, then they are more likely to be interested in the film and would want to find out more about it/watch it.

The video section allows viewers to have a short, yet further insight on the two main characters Ed and Aaron. As we hear from the characters ourselves, the interaction is more interesting rather than reading about them and they tell us more about the character personalities in the film and the reasons for the way they are.

The buy now, links, reaction and album are all used as synergy for Ill Manors. The buy now lets viewers know the dvd is available on blu-ray, download and on demand. The social media links to Twitter and Facebook allows audiences to see other peoples views and comments on the film. The reaction section is slightly bias as it shows positive reviews from famous singers such as Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys and newspapers such as The Sun. These reviewers all interest different ages of audiences. Finally the album provides links to iTunes, amazon, play and HMV. This is a quick and easy way for viewers to access purchases and support the film and Ill Manors album. The website makes use of synergy in order to attract and almost convince viewers of the website to support the film. This is through watching the film, buying and downloading soundtracks and joining the relevant Ill Manors social media.

2) Jonathan Ross interview


The target audience for the Jonathan Ross and Plan B interview using a demographic scale would from C1-A. This is because the show tends to appeal to a higher demographic audience and has guest celebrities starring on the show for talk show interviews. Using psychographics, the audience would be Mainsteamers as The Jonathan Ross show has a large, wide audience and appeals to everyone as it is humorous. The Jonathan Ross show broadcasts on ITV on Saturdays at 9:35pm. This means that it is post watershed as it contains adult humour and strong language, unsuitable for children. Saturday nights are usually spent with family relaxing. In the interviews, Jonathan Ross talks about celebrities lives, careers and what they are currently doing. Audiences with an interest in these celebrities will be interested in knowing the answers to his questions to find out more about Plan B.

3) Soccer AM interview


Using a demographic scale, the target audience for this clip is a C2-D audience. The show appeals to sport fans and audiences from a lower scale would be more likely to have the time to watch the show. Using psychographics, I believe Soccer AM targets reformers as a lower demographic group would be anti-materialistic, but aware of good taste as reformers are. Soccer AM broadcasts on Sky Sports 1 on Saturdays at 10am. In the interview they speak about Plan B's chosen career path and his past history. Also his achievements and where he plans to head next in terms of his music career.

In both interviews, Plan B is presented as quite laid back and easy to have a conversation with. In both he takes jokes light heartedly and makes jokes himself, so does not take the interviews and formally and serious. More of the fun side of Plan B was shown in the Soccer AM interview as clips of him were shown from Adulthood which gave them something to talk and laugh about. The Jonathan Ross interview was quite short and mostly formal.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Ill Manors Film Research

1) The institutions involved in the production of Ill Manors was BBC Films-main production company for film, Film  London Microwave-in partnership with BBC and supported by Skillset, this unique programme offers opportunities for production and Aimimage-schedule and budget management, negotiated all deals with cast, crew and suppliers, arranged financing of the tax credit in advance of production.

2) The budget was £100,000 (£453, 570 in box office).

3) To raise finance, the distribution right to Ill Manors was sold to Revolver Entertainment in April 2011. It was also funded by the three institution companies involved, BBC Films, Film London Microwave and Aimimage.

4) The target audience for Ill Manors is teenagers/young adults who face similar issues and problems that characters in the film do. This is because they can relate to the situation and therefore the film is aimed at them as they face similar day to day struggles. 

5) The main distributor of Ill Manors is Revolver Entertainments. In order to raise funds for the film Ben Drew sold rights to the company in April 2011. Revolver Entertainments was founded in 1997 and has releases independent films and documentaries since.  

6) Ill Manors was promoted on The Guardian's website on 3rd May 2012 for it's trailer and revealed by Empire magazine's website on 8th May 2012 for the Ill Manors poster. Digital Spy promoted Ill Manors by two other film posters on 18th May and 7th June 2012. Also, the premiere of the film was on 30th May 2012 in London and released to 191 cinemas in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

7) I will be comparing Ill Manors with the big budget blockbuster Taken 2. I will first talk about the main similarities. Both films were released in the year of 2012. Ill Manors starred already famous Plan B and Keith Coggins, while Taken starred stars Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace. Both films include similar scenes of drugs, sex and violence and have background stories that involve prostitution. This is interesting because Taken represents prostitution on a larger scale where it is accepted and people do it for fun, whereas Ill Manors shows it as something that has to be done rather than an option or choice. The main difference is obviously the budgets for the films. Ill Manors budget was £100,000, but raised £453, 570 in box office. Taken 2 production budget was $45 million, a massive difference. The Ill Manors distributor was Revolver Entertainments, Taken 2 was Fox. Ill Manors genre was British drama, Taken 2 was Action. The total running time for Ill Manors is 121 minutes, Taken 2 is 91 minutes.      

8) The trailer for Ill Manors contains enigma codes that hooks audiences into the narrative. During the trailer it asks 'But what influences..the choices you make?'. This is indirectly talking to the audience as it is trying to engage them into the trailer. At the start of the trailer Kirby says that he has kept Chris in business every since he was small. This diegetic sound hooks the audience in and makes us want to find out more. The non-diegetic sound of the narrator (Plan B) is played and engages the audience as he is talking directly to us and introduces himself as the narrator.

9) The trailer for Ill Manors shows scenes of the film therefore reveal some of the plot and give the audience an idea of some of the themes for the scenes.

10) A 15 certificate involves strong language and violence, however not a huge majority is shown. Drug use is allowed, although it must not be encouraged to be taken. Sexual content is allowed but if sexual violence is shown, then it must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification. An 18 certificate involves very strong language and violence which is likely to be continued throughout the entire film. Sexual activity/context is also shown. Blood, gruesomeness and explicit sex scenes are shown. Ill Manors is an 18 certificate and contains context from an 18 certificate such as strong language, violence and real  sex scenes therefore is suitable for ages 18 and above. 

Ill Manors music video


The Ill Manors soundtrack album was released by Atlantic Records.  The track was released in the UK on the 25th March 2012, directed by Plan B. It hit number six on the UK singles chart in October 2012 as the song won the Q Award for best track. The response from critics was mostly positive.

MEST1 Questions

1. Media Forms: What techniques does the video use to establish the setting and engage the audience?
The camera movement is very fast paced and shows several panning and tracking shots. This is used to show the story of the video as it moves in chronological order. The fast paced movement adds to the feel of  the video as it has an aggressive feel and strong/angry message. There is a range of establishing shots, medium shots and close ups used to help establish the setting as well as the characters in the music video. The characters are especially important in this video as it shows people like David Cameron and Nick Clegg (Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister) but in a negative representation. This video is clearly therefore against them. As this is shown at the start, it helps the audience establish what the video may be about. The sound is both diegetic and non-diegetic which engages the audience as we can see Plan B rapping his own original piece of music while others in his video are dancing to it.

2. Media Representations: How is gender/ethnicity/age represented in the video?
The Ill Manors video presents a lot of male dominance as it shows a higher ratio of males than females. It shows males in a 'remake' of the London riots which gives a message that they were the main gender to lead the London riots, not females. This therefore gives them a negative representation. Females are still shown in the background causing disruption/violence/smoking, buy are not at the forefront of the video. Both white and blacks are strongly represented and shown throughout this video. This again creates a negative representation of both ethical backgrounds, as the violence and terror is caused by them in the video. They are also shown outside council flats, showing where they live which represents Council House and Violence (CHAV). The Ill Manors video shows a typical teenage stereotype, as the teenagers are the rioters and the police are the defenders. It represents the young to be clueless and disruptive while elders try to stop it. Medhurst's theory of stereotypes said that they are a shorthand for identification, they can carry judgement and therefore can be negative. In this case, teenagers are a shorthand for violence and negative representation which are shown in the Ill Manors music video. Dyer's theory of stereotypes can also be applied. Dyer said that those with power stereotype those with less power. In this video we can see the police targeting and attacking youths, who have less power than the,. enforcing the stereotype.

3. Media Institutions: In what ways is the video typical of music videos and what values does it promote?
The Ill Manors music video is typical to those of regular existing music videos as it promotes angry lyrics of those who are have harder lives than others. In a way it shows Experiencers from Audience profiling-Values,attitudes and lifestyles as they are a median age of 25 and pour into physical exercise and social activities. The people in the video are seen smoking and socially hanging out together. The video is promoting the negative image of teenagers that everyone see's, foe example the 2011 London riots. However, the deeper meaning to the song and lyrics is that there is a reason behind what these youths are doing and what they have done. The video was made not for stereotypes to reinforce their view on youths but to see and have an understanding on the feelings of these youths and most are often misunderstood.

4. Media Audiences: Who does this text/ artist appeal to and why?
Ill Manors and Plan B largely appeals to youths and teenagers who are interested in this type of rap music and understand and agree with the lyrics of the song. This would relate to an audience of a C2, D and E socio demographic. This is because it is set in a low class area and presents those particular types of characters, therefore audiences can relate to it. Using Young and Rubicams Psychographics, this would mainly appeal to Strugglers as there are in the D/E demographic and buy alcohol and junk food. They have few skills. These are the type of people represented in the music video, therefore I believe this is the target audience that can relate to the song. 

Plan B Letter

To Plan B,

Your film Ill Manors has been extremely inspirational to study for A Level Media and really changing to watch. At Greenford High school we have been studying your film, watching your music video's, Tedx lectures and learning more about you and your success story and it has been moving to see how you not only changed your own life but helped so many others. Therefore it would be an honour if you could come into our school and talk to some of our students about your story in person as we are big fans!

Kind Regards
Vandna

Thursday 30 January 2014

MEST2 Progress Report-30th January

Individual- 
WWW: Started the mock up for my magazine cover.
 EBI: Start the actual magazine cover.
 Next steps: Need to start the magazine cover this week and double page spread.

Group-      
WWW: We have started filming last weekend and have our first few shots.
EBI: We speed up the pace during the week, make use of the time after school instead of                           waiting for weekends.
Next steps: We will be filming this Sunday for the next scenes.

Filming dates- Previous and upcoming dates: Last film date: Sunday 26th Jan. Next film date: Sunday 2nd Feb.

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Plan B Tedx talk



1) Plan B strongly believes in giving young people the opportunity to make something of themselves. He believes in equal chances, depending on ones talent rather than their background whether it be working class or middle class. He doesn't judge someone on their grades or how well they do at school but instead the knowledge they have gained through learning. Plan B particularly focuses on his story of how he got kicked out of school in Year 10 at the start of his talk. He uses his success story as inspiration today for youths who feel they cannot achieve something or feel they are an outcast from society. He inspires kids like this because he has been in that position and knows how it feels to feel as though you are worth nothing. However from trial and improvement he was given the opportunity to pursue a music career and the film directing career he has today. He also understands that lower class families do not always give maternal love to children and most are single parents or drug/alcohol addicts. Therefore instead of pushing these kids away they should be loved and encouraged by others to go forward and have a bright future as they have not been shown otherwise.

2) In my opinion the Tedx lecture is not only targeted at those who can benefit from inspiration and motivation from his lecture, but also those who do not understand the reasons for the way some youths are and behave. Using a socio demographic scale the target audience for inspiration would be a C2-E group. This is the working and lower class who are underprivileged in terms of backgrounds and living. However i would also argue that this lecture targets a A-C1 socio demographic group as they tend to misunderstand youths. This lecture therefore allows them to have an incite of real life stories of youths that have pushed them to end up in the situations they are in today. Using the uses and gratifications model, upper and middle class people can use this lecture as escapism from their own luxury lives. They tend not to be used to having such an intimate talk with someone who has come from a poor background to the success they are today. Moving on to psychographics, this lecture targets strugglers. Strugglers are typically lower demographics and seek escape. They feel alienated in which youths similarly do as some feel an outcast from society. This lecture also targets reformers as they seek enlightenment and freedom from restrictions. Most youths end up in trouble with authorities, simply because they seek freedom. Although the main target audience for this lecture is lower class youths who relate to Plan B's past situations, it also targets those who do not have an understanding of why youths were involved in the riot's for example. Most feel a restriction and in order to break boundaries they do not follow the rules and mostly laws. Plan B's lecture and film relates to all audiences, whether they can relate and have an understanding already or learn something new.

3) Plan B believes that the media encourage moral panic on youths. Stanley Cohen established a theory of moral panics where feelings and ideologies are expressed in a society which causes a disturbance to social order. There are 3 stages to moral panic: occurrence and signification, wider social implications and social control. For example during the London riots, stage 1 was the actual event where youths were stealing and creating social disorder by breaking laws and unnecessary violence. Stage 2 consisted on the mass media spreading the news through newspapers, television, radio etc. Stage 3 is where youths were all given a bad name and certain groups were stereotyped. This mainly consisted of lower class boys and girls who were targeted for participating and causing the London riots. Plan B does not appreciate the fact that youths are seen as an outcast as it limits their chances of success and future opportunities.

Thursday 23 January 2014

Progress report - 23rd January

Work completed in last 7 days:
We have done a photo shoot for the cover of our print work. A few good shots have been taken of Vinesh (main character) that I can choose from for my magazine front cover and possibly double page spread.

Next steps:
I now need to get started on my print work and figure out the design. As well as starting filming which will start this coming week.

Responsibilities:
We will all be filming next week.