Research film distribution using this guide from the UK Film
Distributors' Association. It's called Launching Film and takes you through the
whole process of distributing a movie.
Read the whole step-by-step guide (warning: this is LONG and will take you around
an hour)
Summarise the 10 steps of film distribution in a list
using your own words.
Ill Manors: Funding and production budget
What was the estimated budget for Ill Manors?
£100,000
Where did the money come from? List the different organisations and
companies that contributed funding to Ill Manors.
Film London Microwave
BBC Film
How did the Ill Manors budget compare to a Hollywood blockbuster such as
Skyfall? Compared to a Hollywood movie such as Skyfall, the Ill Manors
budget was really small as the budget for Skyfall was $210 million (which
Sony helped fund) whereas Ill Manors was only £100,00.
Film London and Microwave Film
What is Film London and why does it exist?
Film London is the capital's film and media agency - discovering and promoting
film making talent in London. This includes all the screen industries based in
London - film, television, video, commercials and new interactive
media. Film London aims to ensure the capital is a thriving centre for
creative industries sector that enrich the city's businesses and its people
What is the purpose of Microwave Film?
Microwave is Film London's micro-budget feature film-making
scheme which aims to commission the next generation of film-making
talent in the capital and offers fledgling talent an avenue into feature
production.
List three other films funded by Microwave Film and embed their trailers
in your blog.
Shifty
Strawberry Fields
Freestyle
Choose one film funded by Microwave film and explain how it compares to Ill
Manors (similarities and differences)
Shifty
Similarities: Not only do Shifty and Ill Manors have a similar
target audience, but they have the same social realism genre. They
are both crime/drama films that are set in London. They both have similar
settings of estates and they have similar narratives which includes the illegal
use of drugs. Ill Manors and Shifty both use the same actor for their main
character. Also they have used similar soundtracks which is by Plan B.
Difference: In the narrative for Shifty, there was no story of
prostitution. Also there was less characters used therefore the way the story
is told in Shifty would be different to the way it is told in Ill Manors.
Another thing is, in Shifty there is an element of humour in the film whereas
in Ill Manors things are realistic besides serious.
Distributor: Revolver Entertainment
When was Revolver Entertainment created? In 1997
Revolver Entertainment enjoyed a lot of success with the UK urban drama genre.
Find three Revolver films that fit that genre, embed the trailers from YouTube
and write about why they were successful.
The film Shank was successful in its distribution as
it received great publicity and advertisement from celebrities. Also,
the shocking scenes in the trailer would make their target audience what to go
see the film with urgency.
Sket was successful due to the different narrative. It was a
urban crime/drama that appealed more to the female audience.
Kidulthood was successful as it was a a sequel to Adulthood
(2008). People were curious to see how the link between the two films which got
people talking.
Choose one film distributed by Revolver Entertainment
and explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences). Anuvahood
Similarities: Anuvahood and Ill Manors both include the concept of
drugs and violence and both share the genre of a crime/drama and the setting of
estates.
Differences: In terms of the context, Anuvahood is seen as more of
a comedy based film rather than what Ill Manors convey, a realistic view on
society.
Why did Revolver Entertainment go out of business in 2013? Most sales companies and producers who had films set to be released by
Revolver have now renegotiated deals or are in discussions with new
distributors. AV were the first to announce a restructured deal on their
thriller The Liability. Also, Revolver Entertainment has been
suffering financially causing problems with staff's payments.
How is new technology changing the way films are being distributed? An online streaming for launching a film is now starting to be
introduced.
Gunslinger
Visit the Gunslinger website and list the three films currently in
development (click on theSlate tab).
Research the Gunslinger/Revolver film Shank. Embed the trailer in your blog and
explain how it compares to Ill Manors (similarities and differences).
Similarities: In both Shank and Ill Manors there is the sense of
violence and crime. They both fit the urban British crime/drama genre due to
both having similar estate settings.
Differences: However, it seems that Shank aims more to get the
audience thrilled over the action due to the amount of violence shown in the
trailer. Ill manors focuses more on the devastation that has been caused in
Britain.
List other Gunslinger films that fit the UK urban drama genre. Why does
Gunslinger focus on this genre in particular? Kidulthood
Adulthood
They are showing the urban side of London and how teenagers are portrayed. They
speak directly to fans of this burgeoning genre.
Research the British social realism genre. How do Gunslinger films fit into the
social realism genre? Social Realism, an international art movement who draw attention to the
everyday conditions of the working classes and the poor, and who are critical
of the social structures that maintain these conditions. Gunslinger films fit into the social realism genre as
it differs from the typical Hollywood films due to the realistic narrative
which usually portrays the devastating side of Britain.
Why does the UK urban drama genre appeal to an audience? For those who live in the UK, they are able to relate to the narrative
as they too may be living in a similar situation and therefore they can find
personal identification in the UK urban drama genre. For an audience who are
abroad, they would be interested in observing the British lifestyle and would
enjoy seeing the settings in London.
Certification
One final aspect of institution is the certificate
the film was awarded for exhibition. This is decided by the British Board of
Film Classification.
How does the certification process work at the BBFC? The law suggested that scenes that could include, sex, violence, drugs
or horror must be considered. It has a statutory requirement to classify
videos, DVDs and, to a lesser extent, some video games under the Video
Recordings Act 2010.
Think about the certificate of Ill Manors (18 certificate). What is deemed
acceptable for an 18 certificate? What is the difference between a 15
certificate and an 18 certificate? Films under this category do not have limitation on the foul language
that is used. Hard drugs are generally allowed, and explicit sex references
along with detailed sexual activity are also allowed. Scenes of strong real sex
may be permitted if justified by the context. Very strong, gory, and/or
sadistic violence is usually permitted. Strong sexual violence is permitted
unless it is eroticized or excessively graphic.A 15 certificate is only for
people of the age of 15 and over. Films under this category can contain
adult themes, hard drugs, regular use of foul language and limited use of very
strong language, strong violence and strong sex references, and nudity without
graphic detail. Sexual activity may be portrayed but without any strong detail.
Sexual violence may be shown if discreet and justified by context.
What are the advantages and disadvantages for a film in being given an 18
certificate? Advantage:
It gives parents a clear idea of how and why films have been rated and what
issues the films contain. BBFCinsight helps parents, carers and other
viewers make informed choices about what they watch.
Dis-Advantage:
The target audience will not be as big due to certain age
restrictions
Ben Wheatley wanted to try and distribute the film ‘A Field
in England’ across all the platforms in order for the audience to get easy
access to it. The film was launched on VOD (4OD and iTunes), free broadcast TV
(Film4), DVD, Blu-ray and cinema (17 picture house cinema’s). Through this they
are expanding their audiences which will equal to higher revenue. Some people
might not go to cinema and illegally stream the movie online; however the word
will get around really quickly through family and friends. If the film is
desired by the audience watching it, it will be promoted and more people will
want to watch it.
How was A Field In England’s release different to typical
film releases?
The films release was different to other films as they
released it on many different platforms. this is usually not carried
out by film distributors, however they have done this in order
to expand the films audiences. This type of films are not promoted in cinema's
or online long enough for audiences to franchise.
What are the advantages to releasing the film across all
platforms on the same day?
The advantage of releasing this kind of film across
different platforms is that audiences will be able to view it through on of the
platforms. An independent film does not usually produce
its film n a lot of different platforms and usually show at Arthouse cinema's.
These cinema's are not very common as regular cinemas such as Vue and
are not very local where as others are. Releasing it on a number of platforms
enables this film to be promoted into a number of audiences.
What are the disadvantages to this approach?
The disadvantages to this is that the film may not receive
the audience it may desire. It may not gain a high box-office as well. The film
received a different reception as it was the first film to release on all the
different platforms.
What target audience would A Field In England be aimed
at? Demographics and Psychographics.
I think that this filmed would be aimed at an audience aged
21-35 and for the audience to be a majority of males. This is because the story
line is quite moderate and it is during an older period of time (based in the
17th Century).
Do you think all films in future will be released across
all platforms simultaneously in future?
I think that if a film had a high level of promotion of it's
franchise, it can help a film be more successful when releasing it on many
different platforms. I think some producers may do this, however due to the
success rate of 'A Field in England', they may not carry out that this kind of
method of distribution.
2) The top of the page promotes the film ill Manors
3) The first post I have chosen is the music video of Ill
Manors. This post appeals to the target audience as it links into Plan B’s fan
base, as they like his music and are most likely to follow Plans B’s movements.
The second post that appeals to the Ill Manor’s target audience as it is the
promotion of the trailer, thus increases the curiosity of watching both the trailer
and actual film when it comes. The third Facebook post would appeal to the Ill
Manors target audience as it presents its success at the box office, as well as
being nominated for an award. The fourth post that appeals to the target
audience of Ill Manors are glimpses of certain parts of the film, where a lot
of enigma codes are present; this is appealing as it generates questions and
creates intrigue in the audiences mind. The fifth post appeals to the target
audience as it is an interview about one of the characters and gives his real
side, this appeals to the Ill Manors target audience as it generates interest
in to the Ed’s character.
4) An example of synergy would be ill Manors advertisement which is also shown in the SBTV interview with Plan B. The two products differ in terms of promotion as Facebook is highlighting the DVD prospective, where as the broadcast interview was more recent in relation to the screening of the film as they do discus cinema showings.
5) An example of an opportunity for user generated content is the fact that the consumers can like posts, comment on them as well as sharing them around which will promote them.
6) An example of the DVD release is through the central image of the protagonist, followed by the use of "own it now, on Blu-ray, DVD.." Also, in order to promote the soundtrack the link is given there as well to buy it.
7)
8) The page promoted the films release by posting events, pictures of the cast in action and backstage as well as it titles the release date beneath each pne of them.
Twitter
1) The ill Manors logo and background images are used from the DVD cover on the twitter page promoting the film.
2) The hash tags are used: #illmanors, #legaldownloads, #vod, #mustbuy, #support, #brilliant, #loveit, #mustbuy.
3) Anouska Mond tweeted 'Anyone watch #illmanors this weekend?
Watcha think? Hope you enjoyed it!' This 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 main role in
the film so targets Ill Manors 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, as a result
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) In-between 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
fans to be able to easily access and buy the merchandise.
YouTube
1) The planbuk channel promotes the ill Manors film as well as the album which have the same title. it includesreviews and ratings from newspapers and magazines. the page also includes video links which contain relatable information to the ill Manors film. for example the "I am the narrator" video and the ill Manors Official Trailer.
2) The YouTube channel also promotes the ill Manors album by showing that it is now available on iTunes and provides a link to verify it. this is also seen on different media platforms such as social networking sites for example Facebook, Twitter, billboards and magazine print adverts. All of these promote the film as illManors is both the tittle of the film as well as the album title. therefore by seeing the title 'Ill Manors' it would remind the audience about the film which is why the brand image is so widely promoted. these platforms appeal to the ill Manors target audience as that usually allow interaction (e-media). the target audience is generally young and as a result more aware of technologyaround them.
3) links to social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Sound cloud are available on the YouTube Page.
How does the Ill Manors official website promote the
film?
The ill Manors website promotes the film through the use of
synergy. For example it uses the same cover and actors.
The colour scheme is very similar as well. in addition they
have tabs on the side with different columns about the film and
the actor.
What examples can you find of the Ill Manors brand on the website homepage?
One of the examples for ill Manors brand image is the logo
of the movie on the top left corner of the website. It shows the title as well
as the name of the director and producer.
What links does the website offer?
The website offer a various number of links. For example it
has a link for still images of the actors in the film, there's a link
to the ill Manors trailer for new viewers, it has information about
Plan B and his career as well.
What examples of synergy can you find between the website homepage and the
print/broadcast platforms?
There is a lot of synergy between the website homepage and
the print platforms such as the colour scheme, the actors, and
the brand image. This promotes the film more as the title of the movie gets
repeated wherever there is element of the film ill Manors.
List the links to social media on the website homepage. Why are these
important?
There's only two links to social networks on the ill Manors
website. One of them is Facebook and the second one is Twitter. These social
media links are very important because they also promote the film with the
website.
