MEST1 Section B: Independent case study

The basics
1. The name of the film is 'The Inbetweeners Movie', the director of the film is Ben Palmer. The main stars of the film are Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas.

2. The film was released on the 17th of August in 2011.

3. The genre of the film comes under comedy and we can also identify this by the cast of the film; with there being 4 boys in schools as the main protagonists we know that the film is going to have humour and laddish behaviour throughout the film as they are going to up to mischievous behaviour. The audience will also be able to see this in the trailer when they Plan to go on a 'lads holidays' and when they arrive they can see others around similar ages to themselves behaving in a drunken manner. 

4. On IMBD the film is given a rating of 6.8 out of 10, most of the people who went to watch the film previously watched the TV series which was aired on E4 an example of this is on the IMBD page " If you are like me and you love the inbetweeners television show, then the movie will have been much anticipated".On Rotten Tomatoes the average rating of the film was 5.4 out of 10. The audience score was 3.7 out of 5 giving it a rating of 70%. In comparison the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were a lot more negative "Basically just another bawdy spring break movie - with an accent".

Broadcast
1. The Inbetweeners Movie is about a group of teenage boys who go on holiday, they are set to finish school and from there go on a holiday. The film represents British teenage boys going on a holiday to Greece for them to have a lads holiday and get drunk. It also represents a group of female British girls who appear later through the film and the lifestyle and culture of Greece. The genre of the film because of these events is most likely to fall under the category of comedy. The audience is most likely to be aimed at a younger audience around the ages of 14-45 and more likely to be male than female (60:40 split male to female). The dominant ideology is that young people are always there to get drunk and have a good time and only thinking of themselves.

2. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PngeCiQJNyQ3. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s4ZHdq1AbjQ

These clips help promote the film as they are interviews with the cast who were in the TV series. Having an interview with them would help promote it as they recognise the cast and as a result they will be more inclined to watch it. 

3. The film used stars on the posters to promote the film with a rating out of 5.

Print

1. "If you are like me and you love the inbetweeners television show, then the movie will have been much anticipated." 9/10

"I can't believe the rating this thing has! I was totally disappointed from the first minute on."1/10

"I am a fan of the TV show and this movie was the swan song to the four main characters." 9/10
2.
 


These help promote the film as we have an idea about what the film is about and who the cast of the film are. It also promotes the film by giving away the directors name which would interest people and also there is the release date of the film itself.

3.
 

This helps communicate to the audience that the film is about a group of boys who are going on holiday which we can see from the words surf sun and shagging. There is also the use of the beach and females which are surrounding the boys which the audience can connote that they are going on holiday and the film is going to be set there, this is also identifiable from the clothes that they are wearing which are normally worn during weathers where it is hot.
4. The films brand is constructed through being fun and entertaining, it is set out to promote a younger audience. It connotes being alternative and promoting another style of films.

E-media

1. The film has a Facebook page where people can share their thoughts on the film and upcoming events, it also shows the release of the film on DVD and picture for people to see. On Twitter people would be able to share their thoughts in 140 characters and would be able to ask questions and get updates on the film and the latest upcoming news and events.

2. There is synergy with other media platforms like Twitter and Facebook and there is also a soundtrack with the film which can be bought. 

3. The film didn't run any e-media campaigns.

4. Couldn't find any two step flow models that celebrities or followers had used.

Audience

1. The target audience of the film will be aimed at those who are in school or are currently in the process of leaving school having similar experiences to those who are in the film. The age of the film will be around 12-50 and will be split more in favour of males 60:40. The psychographics of the film will be aimed at explorers as they are the ones who are usually at a younger age exploring different things that may be of interest to them, with the film having such a high rating it will make it harder for those under 18 to watch the film.

2. The cross promotion with 'The Inbetweeners Movie' was with the TV series which was previously seen on E4; those who have watched the series would have seen the advertisement on E4 and as a result it would promote the film as well as the film promoting the series. The soundtrack of the film would also cross promote the film as those who can identify the songs which are in the film will be more inclined to watch it as their favourite artist or song could be in the film. This also works the opposite way with the film promoting the soundtrack; after people watch the film they may go out and buy the soundtrack of the film.  

3. One of the pleasures the audience receives from this is that they can see the lifestyle and culture of British teenage boys on holiday. It is also presenting another culture as the boys are on holiday but it also promotes the teenage lifestyle of British boys on holiday. This would interest the audience as they may want to see how people act when they're on holiday but not just a group of adult males but a group of teenage British boys and how their morals and values transfers to the new culture and surroundings when they are on holiday.

4. Similar films that the audience would be interested in would be 'Kevin and Perry go large', 'Hangover', 'Last Vegas' and more. These films base the storyline on a friendship between male protagonists and them having to go on a night out or holiday and are inebriated with alcohol. All films have the common theme of Summer, friends, alcohol, drugs and sex. It is similar to 'The Inbetweeners Movie' as they also base the storyline of friends bonding together after having a life changing moment such as being apart for an extended period of time, having to go away for a long period of time therefore going on holiday to embrace their wild personality.  

Institution

1. The film was produced by Film 4 and they've had similar films which target the same audience which have been films such as The 4 lions. The target audience is a young teenage young adult audience around the ages of 15-45 and mainly boys, 60:40 split male to female.

2. The film was distributed by Entertainment Film Distributors. They've also distributed Rush Hour 3, deception and over her dead body.

3. They do have a track record with producing these kind of films which target a young orientated audience through comedy films one of them which happen to be Rush Hour 3 which is very successful.

4. The budget for the film was £3.5 million

5. I think the film was successful as it achieved a rating of 6.8 on IMBD and made $88 million on box office.

6. The film was more successful in the USA as it was a way for them to see what British teenage culture was like and an insight of Britain and the culture which fascinates them. 

7. The film got rated 15 because of the excessive use of alcohol that was present in the film, there was also some sex scenes in the film and language that would be inappropriate for the ages below. It wasn't rated 18 as the film didn't have strong sex scenes or violence in there.

Representation

1. There are representations of young British teenagers in the film and how they would behave on holiday and in school. It is also a representation of British life and culture and how the schools are also run in the country. There is a representation of Britain in some aspects of the film but also the country that they go on holiday to (Greece). It also has a representation of how boys and girls would behave differently as there are two main groups that the film focuses on. 

2. The 'britishness' that the film has is not very much as the film does focus on a group of teenage boys from England the film is based in another country for most of it so you're exposed more to another culture.

3. The representation differs from iLL Manors as that is more to do with urban life in London and the film is also based in England for all of the film. On the other hand, we have the inbetweeners which represents young teenage boys who are white British and not from an ethnic minority background and how they are exposed to another culture rather than being in Britain.

4. The ideology that we can find in this film is that young people just care about sex and alcohol which is a dominant ideology in society and how they are always doing things which are wild and stupid. 

Case study comparison

1. One similarity between the films 'iLL Manors', 'A Field in England' and 'The Inbetweeners Movie' is that they are set in England although there is a change in location through the film 'The Inbetweeners Movie' as the film progresses. There is also the use of drugs in all 3 films regardless of the drug being legal or illegal. The difference between the films is that 'A Field in England' is more historical and in black and white whereas the other films are in colour. 'iLL Manors' is more of a musical with the songs in the film to enhance the story of the film for the audience and 'The Inbetweeners Movie' is more of a friendship film with a group of teenage boys going on holiday to Malia.

MEST1 Section B: index

1) The British film industry: Media Factsheet questions
2) Institutional context of the British film industry: Factsheet questions
3) Ill Manors: film review
4) Ill Manors: trailer analysis
5) Ill Manors: music video
6) Ill Manors: TEDx lecture
7) Ill Manors: broadcast platform concluded
8) Ill Manors: print platform (newspaper interviews)
9) Ill Manors: print branding
10) Ill Manors: e-media Tag London campaign
11) Ill Manors: e-media social networking research
12) Ill Manors: official website analysis
13) A Field In England: reading, research and questions
14) Ill Manors & A Field In England: institution research

MEST1 Section B: Institution research

Ill Manors: Funding and production budget

1. The estimated budget for the film iLL Manors was estimated around 100,000 GBP.

2. The funding for the film as received by BBC Films, Film London and Microwave Films.

3. The budget for the film Skyfall is estimated to be around $200,000,000 which is a lot larger than the budget for the film iLL Manors when comparing both of these films together.

A Field In England: Funding and production budget

1. The estimated budget for the film A Field In England is around £316,000.

2. A Field In England received more money than iLL Manors did due to it having P&A support from the BFI.

3. Shifty is another film which is similar to the film iLL Manors, they are both based in run down urban areas and the common theme which seems to appear is drugs and violence. The main character of the film Shifty is also in iLL Manors. The main difference between both of these films is that with iLL Manors there is more of a individual and his life whereas with Shifty the film is to do with two friends and the storyline is based on both of them.

Film London and Microwave Film

1. Film London is a non profitable association which is supported by the national and regional government. It's aim is to support those who are making low budget films.

2. Microwave Films is there to help talented film makers who are staring to make a name for themselves and supporting them.

3. One film that is also funded by Microwave Films is Shifty, it is similar to the film iLL Manors as both films are drug related and the main character for the film Shifty also plays the leading role in iLL Manors. The main difference between the two films is that iLL Manors is more to do with the life of one main character whereas Shifty is a film based on two friends who take on an adventure which happens to have the involvement of drugs.

Vertigo Films and Warp Films

1. Vertigo Films have made The Football Factory, Sweeney, Monsters, Step Up 2 and more.

2. I think these films were successful with their audience as they targeted a wide audience but also had a core target audience. The films had a clear narrative but also had an alternative storyline to other big Hollywood blockbuster films and these films being an alternative during the release of them made them for successful as they are different.

3. They have worked with genres such as horror, dance, drama, thriller, comedy and more.

4. Warp films first started out as Warp Records (the first version of itself) It was created by NESTA who also gave financial support, and had the remit to produce short films. It had set-up head quarters in Sheffield and in London

5. This is England, 4 Lions and 71

6. They develop new talent by getting new film makers who have the talent to produce a film and make a bigger name for themselves.

7. One film that is similar to iLL Manors is the film 71 which is similar as they are both to do with a young character and this is also seen with the film The Football factory. The difference between iLL Manors and 71 is that it is more historical and a difference with The Football Factory is that it is more sports based.

Certification: BBFC

1. The BBFC certification process works through identifying the content of the film and deciding what the rating should be depending on what it is that is being shown and then the age is decided.

2. An 18 rating films has a lot more explicit content than a film that is aged for the audience of 15 year olds. An 18 certificate film has more strong language, the violence is not hidden from the audience and will have more use of drugs and sexual content. A 15 rated film may have some of these but will not be as explicit.

3. iLL Manors was given an 18 certificate as it showed the use of hardcore drugs that were being used and also a lot of gore and violence. There was a lot of sexual content in the film such as prostitution and people having sex. This would have affected the success of the film as those who are younger won't be able to see the film as Plan B wanted to show the realistic feel the film had to offer.

4. The film is rated 15 and this is because the film doesn't have content that could be too explicit for a younger audience, it has references to the use of drugs in the film as the film is based on a psychedelic trip.

5. The advantage of this is that those of a younger age won't be exposed to explicit content but the disadvantage is that the target audience will not be as wide as it could be if the film was 15 or even 12.

A Field In England: the appeal of arthouse film

1. One of the audience pleasures of watching an arthouse film is that it is different to your usual Hollywood film, there is a difference with the narrative of the film as a Hollywood film will always be predictable. The arthouse genre usually moves away from this and goes for something that is creative and different to the audience.

Another audience pleasure is the way that the film is told, it is seen to come across in a completely different way which challenges the mindset of the audience as the films that are usually seen to be simplistic and repetitive throughout Hollywood films.

2. One struggle with arthouse films is that sometimes the films are in other languages and there are subtitles at the bottom of the screen which draws the audiences attention to the subtitles rather than the film itself meaning they miss what's happening in the film or what's been said.

Another struggle is that the arthouse theme doesn't fit in with Todorovs equilibrium theory which is there is a equilibrium, the equilibrium is then distrusted causing something to happen but at the end there is a new equilibrium which has been created. This is a struggle as those watching the film won't know what's going on or may even struggle to figure out what the film is about.

3. Arthouse films are seen to be those who are elderly but also those who are of a middle class status. This is because of the films being in other languages or the fact that it requires more intelligence and more thinking in order to understand what is going on in the film and what exactly it's about. Films such as 'Donnie Darko' which has a more psychological theme to it requires another point of view to understand the film rather than Hollywood films just giving away the whole narrative.

4. I think that 'A Field In England' would appeal to a more elderly middle class audience as they respect more historical films. Also, the film being in black and white would discourage a younger audience as they want to see more modern films but also films that are in colour. Those who are of a younger age won't be appreciative of the cultural view that the film has to offer but rather find it to be more boring and dull than films that are more likely to interest them.

MEST1 Section B: A Field In England

1. The magazine was talking about how the film was released and why they used this specific way of releasing the film on more than one platform. It was done for promotional purposes and to generate as much profit as the film could make as it targeted a niche A, B, C1 audience who would go out and spend the money on the film for cultural purposes.  The film is set out to cause an effect on  the way Hollywood films are also released out to the public and that in the future they would benefit from doing it the same way ‘A Field In England’ did as they claim that films which are seen in the cinema aren’t there for a longer period of time would benefit from releasing it on different platforms for both those who produce the film and the audience.

2. A field in England was released on the fifth of July 2013, it was released not only in the cinema but on more than one platform in the same day. It was released in the cinema, DVD, TV and VoD. 

3. The advantage of releasing the film on the same day on more than one platform is that people would be more inclined to be the first ones to buy the film on DVD as it could be a limited edition copy or even the first ones to go and watch it in cinema and after watching it in cinema buy it on DVD to keep their own copy rather than waiting a year and this would also lead to them generating more profit because of this.

4. The disadvantage of this is that people may not want to go out and spend the money on buying the film on DVD or even going to the cinema and watching it. As the film was also released on TV if it was on a channel such as BBC One which is available to everyone they would watch it on that rather than paying money. Also, those who have a membership with Sky or any other brand which lets them record films will be able to record it and as a result watch it whenever they want free of charge.

5. The target audience for this film would be a niche mainly middle class audience who are ABC1, they are more likely to be this target audience due to the film being set in a historic setting. Also, the black and white theme which is used throughout the film would be more appealing to an older audience. They are more likely to be succeeders as those who are middle class have a job in society which is of a high social status, they would value films like this as it gives them a sense of British history and culture but also admiring the arthouse films that are being produced as they are usually for those who are educated.

6. I think films in the future won't be released in this way as it was a good way for an Arthouse film to maximise profit this way but also had a lot of disadvantages. Hollywood films will be generating more money as the film would have been promoted more and for a longer time than Arthouse films so even in the future when the DVD of the film does come out people are still more likely to buy it as it is a big Hollywood film which as been produced rather than it being a small Arthouse film which doesn't have that same hype or money spent on publicity of the film.