When promoting a film it is usually done through three main ways. These ways are print, e-media, broadcast. I'll compare the different ways that iLL Manors, A Field in England do it and The Inbetweeners Movie do this.
One example of print in iLL Manors is the main poster of the the film. It is similar to most posters as it has the stars to show the rating of the film. This is done so that the audience can decide if they want to watch the film or not. On the other hand, the poster is different as it promotes Ben Drew as a director but also himself as a rapper (Plan B). This isn't usual of film posters as they usually only promote the director and the main start but the director himself is the main selling point of the film. The poster itself would appeal to those who are going to the cinema and would being able to see it before the film is released. They are more likely to be working class and of a younger age. The main protagonist on the cover is portrayed as being a villain as he is holding a gun which is also Propps theory on characters. The fish-bowl effect that is used is done so that there seems to be no escape from the dull urban background that we can see.
A field in England was also very similar when creating their film poster as they had reviews from critics to help promote the film, the film mainly promotes an older audience who are into history or historic events. This is also identifiable from the text that is used on the poster. The poster of the film is different to most film posters as it is in black and white, this is how we can identify that the film is there to target a older audience. The black and white also represents the historic event that the film is about so the audience know the film is set in the past. The auteur is also promoting the film which is rare of films to have. This is a good way to promote the film as other films use the main character to promote the film but in this case we have the auteur. This is different to iLL Manors as Ben Drew as the director promotes himself as Plan B.
iLL Manors also promotes the film through social media, one of the main ways that they did this was through their Facebook page. The page was set up so that the fans of the film could keep up to date with what's going on with the latests on the film or to see when the DVD is going to released. This is common for most films now as most people are active on social media is would make sense to promote the film on social media so it would grab more attention and social awareness which is an effective method to promote the film. Besides the Facebook page iLL Manors also promoted their film through Twitter. This is so that people can share their thoughts and views as well as getting the latest information. The way they promoted the film on Twitter was an alternative way which other films haven't done in the past to promote their film. They started a campaign called tag London which was a way for people to share their views and comments all over Twitter and they would be projected on famous landmarks around London and posted back onto Twitter; this is done to gain social awareness of what is happening in Britain but also for people to understand what the film was originally set out to do. There was tweets used such as ''Broken Britain'' or simply just using #iLLManors. This was effective for people to engage with the film and the Twitter page which would help promote the film.
A field in England also had a similar way to promoting their film just like any other film; they had a Facebook and Twitter page to promote their film before the release of it and to keep up to date with the latest news. This is usually done so that the audience can engage with film and feel like they're contributing to the film. After doing this the audience will go and promote the film on their Facebook page or Twitter by liking it or re-tweeting it. Promoting a film through social media is usually a more effective way to target or attract a wider audience as most people are active on Twitter and Facebook, it allows everyone to engage and interact. The way the film was released was unusual as it was released on all platforms during the same time so it would generate more revenue than releasing the film in cinemas first then on DVD later. This is because of streaming so they made it easier for the film to be seen rather than losing money through private copies of the film. The simultaneous release is effective as people who want to watch it on TV could stay home and pay for it on box office could do that, they could stream it, buy their own DVD copy or even go to the cinema for a day out with their family.
Although the film iLL Manors was set to target a working class they also targeted a middle class audience through a TED Ex lecture which isn't common as the film is about drugs and violence rather than the positive things that happen or are seen in London. These lectures are usually talking about more intellectual things rather than a film even though Plan B was talking about his lifestyle, helping out children in the community and the film but also the main reason why he produced the film. The lecture would be a good way to promote the film as it is also seen online which links back to social media as they have a home page and would've been seen on the iLL Manors home page. The other way it was promoted which is common of most films is on the radio. This would help promote the soundtrack of the film and the soundtrack would help promote the film which is synergy. This is effective as those who are listening can identify that there is a soundtrack to the film and those who are Plan B fans will be listening are more engaged therefore will watch the film. On the other hand if they are a fan of Ben Drew and his acting career such as him being in Adulthood they may be more inclined to listen to his album as well. This is a good way to interest the audience as they are able to hear the radio wherever they go but mainly in the car.
One way The Inbetweeners promoted their film was through print, the main poster that they used for their film was similar to both iLL Manors and A Field in England. The poster has the name of the characters on their which are the main selling point of the film as the film was a series before. This is a good technique to promote the film as the main poster has all the key information but also if the audience want to see the cast they can see them through the central image but also know them from the series if they had watched that. The core target audience would be those who have watched the series before. A poster is always an effective way to produce the film so the audience know the release of the film and have an understanding of what the film is about. There isn't anything different that they did with the film poster itself to promote the film in an alternative way.
There was a Facebook page that was created for the film which is always a good way to promote the film as people are more active on social media than anywhere else, there would be a decline in the amount of news articles read so people who are active on social media can access information about the film quicker and also if there are any news articles they are most likely to be seen online. This is similar to iLL Manors Facebook page as it had the release of the DVD and competitions to win the film and information about it. This shows that this is the most effective way to promote a film as there is a wider audience to promote on social media rather than any other platform.
The final way that the film was promoted was through interviews, this can be seen on YouTube which is a cross promotion with social media and other websites. This is a good method as people can see the characters and grow more attached to them. This is effective as they will be more inclined to watch the film and after watching the series the film was promoted on E4 and so were the interviews on E4. This is synergy between the TV series and the film itself. The series would help promote the film as people who enjoyed the series would find the film more appealing and the interviews also account for the promotion of the film.
In conclusion the best platform to promote a film would be on e media which is the most effective way as you can target a wider audience through a short amount of time where as everyone else would be less likely to use any other platform such as print.
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