Ill Manors broadcast: music video analysis

Media Forms
How is it typical of a music video? 

The conventions included in Plan B's music video all include the ones that we would naturally associate with an average music video. These include things like fast pace editing and beat matching, which create audience interest. The fast pace also enhances the fast judgement that society have on these young individuals. In this particular video, a real life situation takes place which is very symbolic as the same thing happens in his music video. Despite this, the acting isn't fooling around as they also use the London Riots to accentuate their points.The artist being the main protagonist is also another typical feature of a music video, in this case Plan B, who we see most of in the video. Some of the characters in the movie also appear and make cameos in the movie, which in turn promotes the movie even further. The music video is used to give out a strong message about youths that live on council estates, which is shown by the potent lyrics that are said in the video. This almost gives it an element of a someone, Plan B in this case, telling the audience a story through his words and how they link with in what is going on in the video. The use of direct address is very powerful within this video, as a viewer, we are more engaged within a video if we feel as though we are directly spoken to, which makes the video all the more powerful and all the more captivating. The scenes which are featured in the video match the representations that are made by the lyrics of the song. London is shown as being very dark and sometimes cruel, which represents people that live in London in a alternative stereotype. It does not show London as being a rich, capitalist city, which is normally represented. This may have been done intentionally, to maybe emphasise Plan B's feelings and views towards the lower-classes.

Media Representations
How does it represent the London riots/rioters?

It represents the London Rioters as troubled and excessively threatening which consequently may cause the image of Londoners to be of the same representation. This negative representation of London challenges the typical representation of London being a cultured wealthy city. It also shows an alternative representation of the police as they are seen as violent and aggressive and shows the London police to be corrupted and therefore supports Perkins idea that stereotypes can be changed. However you could say that because the rioters are all seen as young people, which again produces a negative representation of young people and therefore confirms the stereotype that young people are rebels and violent. This therefore reinforces the stereotype that young people are dangerous. This also supports Medhursts' theory as the audience can immediately link the idea of youths to the riots. The mise-en-scene shows most of the people wearing tracsuits and hoodies which therefore represents costume in a negative way as audience members would confirm the stereotype that young people in a hood are dangerous.  The way in which the rioters act was intentionally in order to make a point and to fight for what they believed in. the damaging of cars, the smoking and the fires show that they have no 'manors', and therefore holds a connection with the name of the song: 'Ill Manors'. It also conveys the fright that that Britain's citizens felt when they saw what was occurring, as innocent people were being endangered due to the misjudgements of the politicians and British government.


Media Audiences
What audience pleasures does the music video offer?


The video may offer audience pleasures in the scenes where the police are conveyed to be inferior and less powerful than the youth. As the basic idea of teenagers disliking police and the immense hatred towards them for many factors such as stereotyping and racism; there are scenes in which the police are outnumbered and are seen less dominant. These scenes would be entertaining to the younger audiences of the video as it shows some sort of pattern towards similar ages and youth hating on the local authority. The scenes in which the police are attacked would play a large role in offering audience pleasure and humour in the audience's perspective. Some audiences, in particular the older generation or people from much wealthier backgrounds, would use it for educational purposes as this acts as poverty tourism and teaches people what is really like to be part of the youth culture that is in deprived areas of London. However, some audience members would watch the video simply because they like Plan B as an artist and like the way his music sounds and would therefore use it for pleasure rather than for educational purposes. 


Media Institutions
How does the music video help to promote the film?

The video helps promote the film through the same name. Likewise, the shorthand for identification (Medhurst) accentuates the scenes that may occur in the film. This promotes the film as for the people who have been through the riots would want to see how they have been represented as, and whether their stereotype is being subverted or reinforced. Also, the fact that the characters make appearances/cameos in the music video promotes the film as well. The fact that the soundtrack is used both in the film and in the trailer helps it promote each other, which links with the idea of synergy and cross promotion.  Moreover the fact that Plan B himself is directing the film and appears in both the trailer and the film, which he plays the soundtrack to in both, again cross promotes itself as fans of Plan Bs music, once hearing his album, would then go watch the movie. This would be the same for film lovers as audience members may see the film first being promoted on Twitter, Instagram and other social networking platforms and would therefore find about the music video.



iLL Manors Track and Soundtrack Album Research:

iLL Manors (album) is a soundtrack recorded by Ben Drew, also known as the music persona: Ben Drew. The album was released in 2012, under the label Warner Bros UK. The album was produced by Plan B himself and Al Shux, a songwriter from London who has worked with artists such as Jay Z and Lana Del Ray. The album is mainly a hip-hop and rap styled genre, but features a collection of grime and electronica, which ultimately adds variation and flair to Plan B's song style.

iLL Manors reached number on the UK album charts and was also nominated for the Mercury Prize. The iLL Manors track was the most popular track on the album; it sold nearly 38,000 copies in the first week of release. The iLL Manors track was released under 679 Records and Atlantic Records. The single is based on the 2011 London Riots and was hugely successful in comparison to the film and the accompanying songs on the rest of the iLL Manors album. The single received many positive reviews and reached number 6 on the UK Singles chart.

Both the iLL Manors album and the single received many positive reviews from a variety of critics.

MetaCritic, an online website which reviews forms of entertainment such as TV, films and games gave the iLL Manors album a rating of 84/100. It was highly positive from their listeners and was an enjoyable and a brilliant album which conveys deep though and passionate opinions.

Ill Manors broadcast platform: trailer analysis

What are the typical codes and conventions of film trailers - what information is usually provided?

• equilibrium/disequilibrium shown
• most interesting points shown 
• faced pace editing 
• non-diegetic sound (little dialogue)
• title shown at the end 
• release date shown at the end
• enigma codes
• action codes
• institutional  information; producers, distributors, director, star ratings, release date, quotes from reviews

 How are trailers distributed?

Trailers can be distributed in many different ways depending on budget. For example a low budget film would have a less well known distributor, while a big blockbuster would have a well known distributor as they have more money to spend on these things

How does the Ill Manors trailer use trailer conventions?

It first starts off with the classic establishing shot and a time laps of the city, showing parts of London, some wealthy and then the inner city council estates. The use of fast pace ending is something that is very pronounced in the trailer, however, there is use of slow motion in the beginning. Something that also stuck me was the use of colour as some clips were shot in black and white and some in super eight which represented the past and times the main characters were in a children's home. The use of non-diegetic sound is also interesting as it is the voice of the rapper of the soundtrack, who is also the director of the film, which gives an element of a voice over, however it is the soundtrack playing. This is used to tell the story of the narrative. Also the second soundtrack was released by Plan B therefore the synergy acts as a promotional field for the whole movie as it helps advertise it. Moreover, Plan B makes a cameo both in the trailer and the film, which also helps promote the movie.

Who is the target audience? Does it have a unique selling point or use particular techniques to appeal to the audience?


The core target audience for the movie would be young adults ranging to 15-25 year olds, predominantly male- 70% and female- 30%. This film is aimed at a dominant male target audience and we can tell this from the trailer due to the use of the reviews from 'Men's Health magazine' and 'FHM.' Furthermore, the subject matters that are addressed throughout the film seem to be aimed at the male demographic. The unique selling point of this trailer is of course the director himself being a music artist and the fact that his music is being played throughout the trailer as a story, which again helps promote the movie the to the young youth culture.

ill Manors Film Review

Director
The director of the film 'Ill Manors' is Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew, also known by his stage name Plan B. Plan B is an English rapper, singer-songwriter, actor and film director from Forest Gate, London. This was his first low budget, art house directed film. Plan B has directed music videos, which established his career. Besides the film being outstanding, Plan B being a well-known rapper already almost helped the film to get on that platform. Plan B also released an album called ill manors.

Main Stars
Some of the main stars include Riz Ahmed as Aaron, Ed Skrein as Ed Keith and Keith Coggins as Kirby. These actors, specifically Riz Ahmed are all known for films that consist of the same genre. For example, Riz Ahmed plays Omar in 'Four Lions', and is also known for his nomination at the British Independent Film Awards for the Best Actor. However, as they all sprout from low budget films, they have not yet been fully established actors in the film industry.  This could be one of the reasons why Plan B wanted to use actors that were not well known, to almost give an element of realism as they are not big Hollywood actors. However, Ed Skrein plays Daario Naharis in ' Game of Thrones', an American series.


Plot 
The plot of the film 'Ill Manors' revolves around several characters and their problems, all being interlinked. The main protagonist is a drug dealer in London, who sees his life quickly spiral out of control. As a result of the drug dealing, he begins to get stalked by a customer desperate to gain some form of drug, and falls into the trap of pressure, violence and crime. As a young boy who grew up with no parents, he realises that there is an ongoing relationship and cycle with children who are abandoned at a young age, and for this reason, he changes his lifestyle for the better. 

Characters
The actors in 'Ill Manors' all play a significant part, as it portrays that life on an estate is not easy and can be cruel and very dangerous. The main actors include Aaron, Ed and Kirby. The acting of Kirby in particular shone through, as he is the older character, with more experience, which ultimately reflected in his acting. A scene that this is conveyed is when he is threatening Marcel and makes him run home naked. The audience get this sense of masculinity within his character, despite how small he is. In addition, when he is let out of prison in the beginning moments of the film, we are introduced to a character of whom we know so little about, yet get the sense that he is already a protagonist in the story. Likewise, the acting of younger character Aaron is substantial as we gain almost a personal relationship with him when he learn about his past and the neglect he faced when younger. These characters represented society's stereotypes of council bred teenagers, who are always associated with crime or danger, which I think Plan B attempted to divert through the utilisation of the stereotypes. 

Genre
'Ill Manors' fits into the crime, drama genre. This is because as well as the dramatic scenes, it also includes sexual and criminal activity, therefore associating it with this genre. Personally,the film fits the genre perfectly as it stood for everything that is mentioned in the genre label. Drama was definitely prominent in the scenes of 'Ill Manors', which was also reflected through the lyrics of the songs, written by Plan B. I expected the film to have more emphasis on the British law enforcement, as we saw the police in the trailer. However Plan B's attempt at binary opposition worked in persuading the audience that there will be things in the film, that weren't physically there. The mood in the majority of the film is intense, deep and unsettling. Significantly, the mood in the final moment of the narrative become increasingly intense as Ed saves the baby, at the consequence of his life. 

Soundtrack
One specific thing I noticed with the soundtrack was that most of the songs, reflected the narrative that was occurring. For instance, when the Russian woman was leaving her baby on the train, the song represented her history with her abusive boyfriend/husband. These were very effective, as not only did they tell a story, but they also allowed the audience to become more engaged with the concept through the music. The use of narrative and music linking in one sequence, was effective as I could understand the problems in the film and in society nowadays. The atmosphere the songs created, in particular the song 'Ill Manors', was very sensitive, as we knew there would always be a segregation between the council bred children and the 'rich boys', as said in the song.

Audience
I think the target audience is mainly for the younger generation aged 15-25 who may be facing these issues in their communities.The film is also aimed at the working class as it is a low budget film yet acts as a powerful film with a strong message of urban life and the rapid downfall of infamously superior individuals. I would definitely recommend this film to others as it is a great film; in terms of cinematography it has been filmed very cleverly and the narrative structure is interesting due to the use of the flashbacks and the editing used. Plan B perhaps aimed it at this kind of audience in order to portray that there is always a way out, through the character of Aaron and perhaps Ed.

The British film industry: institutional context

What is the 'cultural test' to see if a film counts as British?

The cultural test is a test that the BFI have produced in order for a film to be defined as British. It is divided into four sections and a film must score at least 16 out of 31 in order for the film to be classified as British. The four sections are; cultural context, cultural contribution, cultural hubs and cultural practitioners. 

Sweeney

Financing:£3 million 

Cultural Test: Set in UK = 4 points 

                       Lead characters are British = 4 points 

                       Based on British subject matter = 4 points 

                       English dialogue = 6 points 

                       British creativity/ diversity = 4 points 

                       Cultural Hubs = 2 

                       Cultural practitioners = 7

                       Total= 31/31

Attack the Block

Financing: Budget £8 million

Cultural Test: Set in UK = 4 points 

                       Lead characters are British = 4 points 

                        English dialogue = 6 points 

                       British creativity/ diversity = 4 points 

                       Cultural Hubs = 2 

                       Cultural practitioners = 7

                       Total= 27/31 

The King's Speech 

Financing: Budget $15 million

Cultural Test: Set in UK= 4 points

                       Based on British subject matter = 4 points 

                       English dialogue = 6 point

                       British creativity/ diversity = 4 points 

                       Cultural Hubs = 2 

                       Cultural practitioners = 7

                       Total= 27/31 

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Financing: Budget $7 million 

Cultural Test: English dialogue = 6 points 

                       Cultural Hubs = 2 

                       Cultural practitioners = 2

                       Total= 10/31 

Skyfall 

Financing: $150 - 200 million

Cultural Test: Set inUK = 4 points 

                       Lead characters are British = 4 points 

                       Film based on British subject matter = 4 points 

                       English dialogue = 6 points 

                       British heritage = 4 points 

                       Cultural practitioners = 5 points 

                       Total= 27/31

What is the main problem for the British film industry?

UK films are made but, in order to get the film exhibited, the filmmakers have to sacrifice the distribution rights by selling the film to a distribution company. All revenue from cinema screenings etc are lost, once sold. American actors are seen as more glamorous than their UK counterparts so a big, Hollywood name is often drafted into the lead role of a film in order to encourage the audience to see it. Despite Britain having many talented production personnel, the lure of better pay and conditions in Hollywood is often too great for them to remain in Britain.

What are three of the strengths of the British film industry?

Richard Curtis, who made Love Actually, grossed billions of dollars worldwide. Also the famous author  J.K Rowling articulated Harry Potter sequels which permitted the BFI to involve themselves in the production of the films which was very successful financially. Love actually produced by Richard Curtis had made much profit worldwide. There are also fine facilities ranging from studios to camera companies which appeal investment from filmmakers worldwide. The British film industry too takes 5% of world box-office takings, which is a large amount of for such a small nation. 

What are the two options for the future of the British film industry?

British film makers could rely upon co-productions with American studios to keep the industry going strong. However, the essence the film being 'British' may be lost. 

The second option is to make low budget films which are targeted at a niche, British audience. This would mean that the film will be able to remain a 'British' film, however the cost of the film would be lower.

In your opinion, which of these two options would best safeguard the future of the British film industry?

In my opinion, it would be better for the British film industry to co-produce with an American film industry to make more successful films and to keep the industry going strong. 

MEST1 Section B: The British film industry

What makes a film British?

It could be said that if a film is made in Britain then it is a British film, or people making the film are British or it funded from within Britain, the cast are British, the film’s subject matter is about Britain or British culture.

What is the difference between a Hollywood production context and production context of a British film?

The British film production context does not have as many clearly defined characteristics. British films can be large budget, high concept films such as Harry Potter. Whereas the Hollywood production context means that most films made by Hollywood studios have high budgets, a heavy reliance on celebrities both in the cast and crew and spectacle driven stories. 

When did the James Bond franchise start?

The 1960s brought about the start of the James Bond franchise as well as a greater involvement of American money and talent.

In terms of film censorship and graphic content, what began to change in British film in the 1970s and 1980s?

The British film industry in the 1970s was dominated by the subject of censorship that continued into the video nasties banning of the 1980s. The 1980s also saw a dramatic decline in American investment in British film that did not increase again until the 1990s.

 What groups are often represented in British film? Give examples of films these groups feature in?
Many of the representations of different groups within British film focus and change according to these issues, for instance if we take the representation of youth in British films. For example if we look at the way youth is portrayed in a very singular way in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange the focus is on violence, anti-establishment and a compulsion to act in an anarchic way.

What does the Factsheet suggest might be the audience appeal of British film?

British culture makes the films appealing to audiences. The focus on class, social strife and education are also appealing. A socially conscious narrative also appeals to audiences as they address current social and political concerns. There is also a dose of humour which is within a British film, into even the most rigorous of social realism films so it appeals to the British sensibility of the stiff upper lip. 

January assessment: learner response

WWW: some clear, concise writing, using some terminology
EBI: more detailed, developed answers needed, add a paragraph for each question on theory/evidence.

Media institution

The techniques used in this short film also add to the original approach to road safety. The use of slow motion makes the actions of each person in the film even more pronounced, which in turn has a much more powerful affect on the audience. The use high-key lighting creates a very natural effect, instead of making it dark and use low-key lighting to make a dramatic effect. The use of classical music also adds to the originality of this film as normally you would hear either voice over or some sort of dramatic music.

Media forms

Again, the use of high-key lighting creates a very natural and realistic effect, which therefore creates more of a impact on audiences as this could happen to anyone. The use of consume design is also interesting as it portrays the little girl as the 'hero' or a guardian angel almost as she is dressed in a fairy costume. Moreover, Barthes action codes are applied, through the use of facial expression, which builds up the suspension as the audience know something is going to happen.

Media representations

According to Perkins, the family shown in this film is a positive representation of the family as it shows a very close nit nuclear family. Also, according to Dyers theory, this is a dominant representation of the family as it reinforces the image of a typical middle-class nuclear family. However, you could argue that this is an alternative representation of men as he is the one who is being saved and is represented as the submissive, passive one in the family.

Media audiences

The use of no dialogue makes it appeal to mass audiences, which has a global appeal as many people across the whole world can understand it. There is a simple direct message to the audience, which makes it clear and easy to understand. This has resulted to, according to the psychographic groups, the film appealing to more of a mainstream audience. 

MIGRAIN index update

1) Media consumption audit
2) Reading an image: RBK advert analysis & own choice advert analysis
3) Institution: major media institution research and presentation
4) Institution: brand values
5) Institution: CoolBrands research
6) Narrative: narrative theory YouTube clip analysis
7) Audience: psychographics
8) Audience: audience theory blog tasks/questions
9) Audience: audience theory - dependency 
10) Representation: clip analysis - dominant and alternative representations
11) Representation theory: 500 word analysis on blog
12) Representation: Media Magazine articles and questions
13) Ideology: BBQ QT analysis and binary opposition
14) Ideology: Media Magazine reading