Marxism & hegemony: blog tasks

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?

Capital features a left-wing ideology via the Kamaal family - Illustrate love and affection towards each other. Also through times such as when Roger, Lother and Mark were having a meeting, Mark was explaining the issues of the company, Roger and Lother had no idea of what he was talking about, which suggests bankers and the super rich are being seen as incompetent and clueless - essentially demonising the wealthy.

2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

"It started with such a brilliant display, but by the finish we were left staring at the proverbial damp squib" - I don't agree with this as the don't take into account how the different narratives strands have their own representations and pleasures.

"But that concept went nowhere. The residents were bemused, but not scared." - this shows that the article misses out how Capital reinforces left-wing views as this shows how the different societies don;t get along with each other in a capitalist community.

"Capital was as stuffed full with fashionable causes as Jeremy Corbyn’s function diary." - I agree with this as it shows how Capital presents strong left-wing views through the Kamal family.

3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?

The scene where the Kamaal family are eating together and were showing love and affectation to each other can be seen as left-wing, also when Mr Kamaal had 'spared some coriander for a customer' (customer being Arabella).4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?

The aerial shots of London demonstrates power and dominance (power and dominance of London being the status quo - normalised) , which essentially supports hegemony (how the elite class maintain control. We also see through Roger and his wife how an upper-middle class family deals with living amongst refugees and immigrant families. This inevitably displays the divide between right and left wing ideologies in Capital.


1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?

In terms of representation of power in society, Marxism deals with social and economic power relationships and have been influential in economics, politics and sociology. Marxism tells us that power is contained by only a select right-wing few.

2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?

3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)


The Sun - targets immigrants
Labour ad campaigns - celebrates working class
Bob the Builder - childrens show makes the life of a builder seem magical, in reality - it's not.

4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the factsheet:

When making a Marxist reading of a text, look out for representations that:

• show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
• show queries or challenges to the base as meaningless, foolish or anti-social via ‘failed revolt’
• show the subdominant position of the masses as a naturalised idea
• show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
• show that being a member of the mass is a good thing
• show the masses accepting the values of the power elite
• show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses’ (even when unpleasant)

Now try applying those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.

Capital, in my opinion, perfectly show how left wing and right wing ideologies can co-exist in one society. On one road you have a banker who things £30k is disgusting for a bonus and Qwentina puts in a lot more effort in her job than Roger and gets very little money and gets harrassed. Through the Kamal family the happy side of socialism is shown through a left-wing tinted pair of glasses however we are yet to understand that their business, their butter and bread is run on the simple ideas of capitalism.

1) Why did the Daily Mail suggest The Casual Vacancy promoted a left-wing ideology?

Rowling heavily promotes left-wing values by ridiculing the wealthier residents and shaming them for their
plot to sell off the local food bank and rehab centre Sweet love House. 

2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?

the article states: "the characters are cut from plywood. the plot is nonsense and the left wing breast-beating in unbearable"

3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?

The Mail research shows that the BBC Director of Television is a member of Rowlings charity, Lumos. This creates a sense of bias as they are basing friendship over talent and success in a 'risky business'

4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?

Dominant ideologies are ideologies or beliefs that we live by in our day-to-day lives + often do not question them. - they have become natural, common sense. This could therefore be easily applied to the Daily Mail or the BBC as they are superior and have a high level of control amongst persuading audiences of media.

Capital Case Study

1) What positive points do the reviews pick out about Capital? What criticisms are made - either of the TV drama or the original novel?

It shows how asylum seekers like Quentina Mkfesi are represented as hard-working and resilient and never give up and this is also shown on the other end of the spectrum with the bankers wife, who represents how money can corrupt Londoners.

The book explores issues that others are not wanting to talk about such as the rising house rices and horrible state of the nation that the book is set in.

2) In the Telegraph 'behind the scenes' article, what does the writer say about the London housing market?

*this article required a subscription*

3) What references can you find in these reviews and features to the idea Capital is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama? How does it capture modern-day London?

It's a state of the nation drama due to the diverse social conditions the cast act out to be in. The period the book is set in is still disappointingly relevant - says the Evening Standard article.

The ES article also states that Capital speaks out to Londoners and evokes them to make a personal connection to one of the characters in the drama. Even the sweaty commute armpit shot depicts how this is a typical state-of-the-nation drama. 


1) How does the drama use camerawork to capture London life?

The trailer starts with a top crane shot of a lot of houses which shows how packed tight London is and not an open and relaxed city. 

The tracking shot with all these characters beong introduced is a key example of hoe Capital treinforces that London is very diverse with people of all socio-economic backgrounds.

2) How does the trailer use mise-en-scene to capture the family element of the drama?

In the Kamal family, the idea of togetherness is represented by having dinner together - highlighting that immigrants rely on being together to be happy whereas the Yount family show how sometimes money doesn't make you happy - with a lack of clothes and some dark lighting whereas the Kamal family are still in the dark but are happy with what little they have.

3) How does the trailer introduce narrative strands suggesting tension or enigma in the 40-second running time?

It suggests that Roger and his wife do not get on that well and could suggest there could be further tension between the two. The enigma codes come in the form of the postcards and who and why they were talong pictures - this leads the audience to wonder if those events are connected or not.

Another enigma code could be Gwen getting locked up as we do not find out that she is an asylum worker so we are intrigued to find out more about her.


1) What does this preview clip suggest about the potential sub-genres for Capital?

It definitely shows that it's a drama but it could be seen as a crime-drama or the most pertinent one - a state-of-the-nation drama.

2) What elements of the clip might suggest this is a 'state-of-the-nation' drama?

It shows the obvious divide in beliefs and racial tension between white people and Muslims as they mention Islamophobia. This tackles a heavy topic in a way that shows that even at the top of the law, some racial beliefs may still be held.

3) Analyse the mise-en-scene in this clip. How does this provide realism and familiarity for audiences?

The policeman is  wearing an official jacket and has a badge which reassures us in some way that there will be a safety element to the resolution of this film. The policeman is also white and has a soft voice and is not too intimidating making the hallmarks of a typical friendly officer.

The Kamal family are wearing casual clothes which is common in the suburbs of London and that they are wearing sweaters and look and feel relaxed so they come across quite trustworthy.

4) What audience pleasures are provided by this scene?

One audience pleasure of this scene could be having a personal relationship. This is shown by sympathising with the Kamal family along with their children that they may not be safe. Personal identity may be evident here as immigrants or families such as the Kamals could be watching - creating a personal connection.

5) How is the audience positioned to respond to the different characters in this particular sequence?

The audience is positioned to respond positively to the Kamal family as they seem friendly and helpless but the racial views that are present within this time in London could be reinforced by the policeman as he doesn't arrive as soon as the postcards are an issue and inly comes after the 'white people' have complained.


1) How does this clip represent upper-middle-class family life?

This shows that the family is rich enough to have a nanny and that Roger is clearly trying to get with her. This is supported when Rogers wife comes in and ruins the fun the kids have been having - representing upper-middle class lives as miserable without cheating.

2) What narrative strands are suggested in this sequence?

The kids are oblivious to the fact that Roger and his wife's relationship are deteriorating and that Roger is trying to woo the nanny.

3) How is the audience positioned to respond to Roger Yount, the main character (banker and father to the two boys)?

The audience is supposed to either agree or disagree with Rogers POV on his relationship. He gets treated badly by his wife who is only there because of the money and that the kids are supposed to receive a special type of sympathy as it's not their fault.


1) Write an analysis of the representations in each of the key scenes from episode 1 we studied in class:

Scene 1: opening sequence 00:30 – 4.49

This reinforces Capital is a state-of-the-nation drama. It presents a positive multicultural aspect of London.It represents the classical Londoners as a 'north of the river' joke is made. Typical British families are represented as having mostly white-collar jobs and having a flashback scene with the old lady.

Scene 2: work in the City 6.28 – 8.10

It starts with an armpit shot which shows the gruelling feeling of a London city-centre commute. Ariel shot of Canary Wharf shows the power of a metropolitan city and how powerful our CBD is. The long shot in the train station shows human insignificance to the buildings.

Scene 3: “Which of those isn’t absolutely essential?” 14.00 – 15.35

Inequality of London represented perfectly here. Uses typical stereotypes such as 'German Efficiency' - showing English arrogance. 'Frock Money' implies a heavily patriarchal society and how they waste money everywhere. 

Scene 4: asylum 18.03 – 19.42 AND 31.10 – 32.40

Typical sexism with the forced kiss. Abuse of power and subverts feminist stereotypes.Minority groups get less pay than white people so this shows the racial divide here in London. Capital criticises political correctness through illegal work. Inequality between Roger and Quentina as Roger wants to leave and has a chance whereas Quentina wants to stay and is forced to leave London. 

Scene 5: “What use is 30 grand?” 36.40 – 39.00 

Shows how spoilt upper-middle class families are. Luther, German boss, cannot remember children's names. "fundamentally unfair" applies to most narrative strands. Quentina barely earns enough to keep alive and Roger vomits at the 30k which shows the parallel lives they live.

Scene 6: life at the corner shop 40.10 – 42.55

This depicts how working class shopkeepers, as well as immigrants, have a content life while n=having the stresses of feeding a large family and rising house prices. There are huge alternative representations that immigrants do contribute to the local economy and how they are very friendly and are willing to do kind things like give Rogers wife free coriander.

You can choose which aspects to focus on for each scene: e.g. London, family, gender, ethnicity, religion, immigration, asylum, inequality, wealth, aging etc.

2) How does Capital use stereotypes? Do the characters and issues represented in Capital reinforce or subvert the stereotypes we typically see in the media?

Capital reinforces the dominant stereotypes of Rogers (Bankers family) being a well off family. With a hot room, summer house and two cars show how Roger and his family are living in luxury despite their dwindling relationship bond between husband and wife.

We see an alternative stereotype with the Kamal family and how they are supposed to be immigrants and 2nd generation immigrants who are seen as a bit of an enemy in some racist parts.



1) Who is the parent company for Kudos?

Endemol Shine Group

2) What was the breakthrough show for Kudos in 2002?

Spooks



3) Watch the showreel on the Kudos website. What other TV dramas have Kudos produced? What awards have they won?

Apple Tree Yard- this got critical acclaim from the Telegraoh
Broadchurch
Gunpowder
Tin Star - Hollywood reporter loves this
Troy - partnership with Netflix


4) What audience pleasures does the showreel suggest Kudos productions offer? 

They create a lot of Personal relationship and identity ones such as the romance and the detectives one. There is also a lot of diversion with Troy and the 'orange shirt'
1) How does the programme information on page 3 make Capital sound interesting to audiences?

 there are stories bursting with piercing and funny observations on modern life and urban existence, of ordinary people who find themselves caught and changed by a city at a time of extraordinary flux. 

2) Why does the programme information mention the other shows that the director and producer have worked on?

Directed by Euros Lyn (Happy Valley, Last Tango In Halifax), Capital is a 3x60 produced by Kudos for BBC One. Executive producers are Derek Wax (The Hour, From There To Here) and Peter Bowker (Marvellous, From There To Here) for Kudos and Lucy Richer (Marvellous, The Casual Vacancy) for the BBC. It is produced by Matt Strevens (Cucumber, An Adventure In Space And Time). 

3) Who commissioned Capital for BBC?

Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC One and Ben Stephenson, Controller of BBC Drama.

4) Read the interview with Toby Jones. What does he say about the character of Roger?

What really attracted him to the part was that he’s a very well educated, functioning human being on one level, who has obeyed the rules and earned a lot of money, but on another level something is happening to him internally that he doesn’t have the language to articulate. 

5) Read the interview with Adeel Akhtar (page 10). What does he suggest Capital says about the fictional Pepys Road and the sense of community (or lack of it) in London?

Some people feel ostracized from the society. They feel like they don’t belong and are on the outside looking in. Capital looks at that concept and also that they are all part of something bigger than themselves.

6) Read the interview with Shabana Azmi (page 12). What does she say about Asian representations in Britain? 

The street is like a 'global village;. There is so much diversity in one small part of the word that she feels like the world is shrinking.

7) Read the interview with Peter Bowker (who adapted Capital - page 14). What are his favourite scenes in the drama and why?

 Christmas morning where Roger has been abandoned and left to look after his two 15 children is one that Euros (Director) has done brilliantly. Roger realises that his life is changing but it’s done with such comedy! It is one of those glorious Basil Fawlty moments where the farce is working at one level and the emotional farce is working at another. I also love the Kamals’ chaotic family meals. They are quintessentially archetypal family scenes that everybody lives through, but played with great comedic panache. And when Bogdan the Polish builder talks to Matya the Hungarian nanny about the affluent Londoners they are working for, it’s fascinating. Capital has a wonderful scale but is all about the minute observations of human nature

8) Read the interview with Derek Wax, the Executive Producer for Kudos (page 16). Why did he produce Capital and what does it say about the way we live now?

He says that the obsession with property, the fact that London house prices have risen extraordinarily, has only intensified the sense of a society of haves and have-nots. Your home becomes the thing by which you are defined at some level, and in Capital we go from Bogdan's bedsit to Petunia's home untouched for 60 years, to Roger and Arabella with their multiple homes and constant refurbishment, which is a fascinating way of entering the psychology of these characters
1) How does the packaging use other critically acclaimed TV dramas to promote Capital?

You have the boxes of other characters which is like EastEnders?? (Never watched it) 

The critical comments present Capital as a drama that is worth watching through things like 'compelling portrait of modern Britain'

2) What does the use of design and images suggest to the audience about the drama?

They use 'someone wants what you have' which shows how the tagline can hook the audience. The skyline of London cements that this is a state-of-the-nation drama.

3) How are review quotes used on the cover and what do they suggest to the audience about sub-genre, narrative and audience pleasures?

This suggests that it's a state-of-the-nation drama as well as a crime inspired drama. The box suggests that this will be a multi strand narrative as there are a lot of people on the cover and they are separated by these black boxes - symbolising division.

4) What representation of London does the DVD packaging offer?

As I mentioned before, the silhouette of the skyline of London shows how the city is quite a bleak place - thus reinforcing Capital being a state-of-the-nation drama. The black and yellow colour scheme reminds me of a black cab which is a staple of classic London imagery.

Introduction to TV drama

1) What is serial television drama? Write your own definition.

A TV show containing certain dramatic signifiers that make it both tense and a mix of emotions for the viewers.
2) List five of the TV dramas discussed in the history of the genre on page 1 of the factsheet. How has the genre evolved over time?

Doctor Who, Hill Street Blues, Dallas, Knots and Landing. These changed the shape of TV drama as they introduced series and episodes, which is now a standard feature of TV dramas.

3) List the sub-genres of TV drama featured in the factsheet. Come up with your own example of an existing TV dramas to fit each category.

Deutschland 83 - costume drama
Call the midwife - period drama
science fiction - Doctor Who
Family - Suite life on deck


4) Why is setting so important for TV drama?

It establishes a sense of identity for the series and we are usually known to associate the time period and the background of the identity of the main characters.
5) How do TV dramas typically use character? What audience pleasures can be linked to character in TV drama? (Hint: Uses & Gratifications theory!)

They use characters to provide personal identity and relationships, this theory, from Blumler and Katz, lets us know if we are supposed to make a positive or negative connection with the characters.
6) What is a multi-strand narrative? Give an example of a TV drama that features a multi-strand narrative.

A multi strand narrative is a media text where there are smaller individual narratives within the drama itself, an example of this is The Wire, where we get an insight to a lot of peoples experiences.
7) What is a cold opening?

A cold opening is when the film starts playing before the credits are shown - around two minutes into the film. This is very popular in TV drama.
8) How can Todorov's theory of equilibrium be applied to TV drama serials?

At the start, it could be a disequilibrium or a equilibrium and then a problem would occur or would be solved so that it could restore to a new equilibrium at the end of the series or episode.
9) What is the typical form for TV dramas and how are the programmes typically distributed to an audience?

They are usually in one hour episodes and they are distributed in weekly or daily allotments.
10) How have subscription channels (such as HBO) and streaming services (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime) changed the form and content of TV dramas?

They make it less accessible for a wider majority of viewers to see a big range of shows, leaving specialised channels in a position to make more money as they get more exclusive deals and opportunities.

11) Choose a TV drama and do your own analysis of it using the SETTING / CHARACTERS / NARRATIVE / FORM headings as featured on page 3 of the factsheet.

Deutschland 83

Setting- 
As this is set in a fictionalised version of 1980s East and West Berlin - this is extremely vital to the plot and context of the drama.

Characters - 
The characters are in the form of a costume drama style. They all wear time specific clothing and the non-digetic songs are of that period. They also speak the language of that country.
Narrative
This, I think, has a multi-strand narrative as there are two or more stories that are going on at the same time. This is also and example of an arc narrative - where the last episodes ties all the last 7 episodes. Episodic narratives are a small part that makes up this arc.

Form

This film was distributed in 2015 where it didn't take off in Germany as expected. This, however, was an absolute hit in the UK and US. It took off in 2016 and 2017 where it was premiered on the PSB Channel 4 and was then available on Amazon Prime in 2018.

12) How might the TV drama genre evolve in future?

I think there will continue to be more and more sub-genres. We can apply Schatz's genre theory to this as there will be a time where some dramas are parodied and then reconstructed to start again or to make another genre. This will happen in around 30-40 years time.

Film Industry Assessment LR

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

16/18 = A 
This is a superb assessment: literally perfect for Q1+2 and showing excellent knowledge of the CSP and wider industry throughout

EBI; Q3 needs a little more organisation in the way you construct your argument. Paragraphs will help you with this! You do cover both sides of the arguement but it's not always easy to follow.
2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the number of marks you achieved for the three questions: _/3; _/6; _/9. If you didn't achieve full marks in a question, write a bullet point on what you may have missed.

3/3
6/6
7/9 - structure in paragraphs, include BOTH a for and against argument for the question, include Hesmondhalgh for both sides of the argument.


3) For Question 2 on the promotion of Chicken, use the mark scheme to identify at least one strategy used to promote Chicken to an audience that you didn't mention in your answer and why it was used. The key lesson from this question was to make specific reference to the CSP in your answer.

4) Now look at Question 3. Using the mark scheme as a guide, write a paragraph arguing that it is NOT important for the British film industry to make social-realist films like Chicken and that it should concentrate on making bigger-budget movies funded by Hollywood studios. If your mark for this question was already top-level, revise David Hesmondhalgh's work on the cultural industries and try to build an aspect of his theory into your paragraph.

Typically, the biggest British films have been made using Hollywood money and have sometimes taken centre stage in the world of cinema. Films like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Skyfall and Love Actually show how Hollywood funded British movies make a lot of profit and therefore, according to Hesmondhalgh, mitigate the risky factor in the cultural industry. 

I think that if they make more films like Chicken - the art house genre will get more coverage but not enough to be safe to make many movies. Producers cement their success on genre, star power and sequels so microbudget films like Chicken shouldn't exist due to the much less risky factor if making Hollywood/British movies with known stars and a well explored genres.

5) Finally, cover the other side of the debate. Write a paragraph arguing that it IS important for the British film industry to make social-realist films like Chicken and that such films contribute strongly to the social and cultural influence of the industry. You may also consider how they should be funded here. Use the mark scheme to help you with this. Again, if your mark for question 3 was already top-level, use Hesmondhalgh's theory in your paragraph.

Again Hesmondlagh comes into this as it is important to have social realist films such as Chicken. He argues that there is a huge border when making British films - budgets. Usually, the directors would be inherently rich or have good contacts to finance a film budget however this means that, without things like the BFI Film Fund, the British film industry will be all rich people and people who know the right people. This creates less diversity within the industry and creates more of the same genre and actors - making the appeal of British film significantly less.

Film Index

1. British Film Industry factsheets #132 & #100

2. Chicken case study research

3. Regulation - BBFC research and tasks 

Film regulation and the BBFC - blog tasks:

1) Research the BBFC in more detail: what is the institution responsible for? How is it funded? What link does it have to government?

The BBFC has to regulate the British film industry and is responsible for the certification of films. It is an independent, non-governmental body funded through charged fees. This means film distributors have always paid a fee to have their works rated. The BBFC is a not for profit organisation. It does however, have to apply certain age certifications depending on what the government and the general public think.

2) Read this BBFC guide to how films are rated. Summarise the process in 50 words.

Their Compliance Officers are the people who watch the DVD's and perform a 'solo view', this can be something like a childrens DVD. Distributors can ask for a set age certificate but is is ultimately up to the CO to decide what rating should be given. If a Compliance Officer is unsure about anything or if the content seems to fall between two age ratings, it will be referred to the Compliance Manager or Head of Compliance. 


3) Read this BBFC outline of the issues faced when classifying a film. Summarise the debate in 50 words.

They make sure that viewers are not accepting the idea and having a 'moral harm' which dehumanises ajy actions they see after that film.Violence in childrens films is taken seriously as it could effect social and moral development which distorts the viewers moral compass.

CO's need to make sure that the context in an issue sucessfuly sends a meaningful message for it's targeted audience demographic.

4) Read this BBFC section on controversial decisions. Why did The Dark Knight generate a large amount of media coverage regarding its certificate? Do you agree with the 12A certificate The Dark Knight was awarded?

The violence was too detailed ans strong to be classified as a 12A and questioned whether it should have been 15. However,  it is almost entirely lacking in any blood or injury details. As per the BBFC report.

5) What are the guidelines for a 15 certificate?

Dangerous and explicit behaviour, such as self harm and suicide, should not be shown in detail like it is in an 18 certificate. They state that "The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language."

Drug use may be shown but it should not endorse taking them.

There may be some strong language and very strong depending on context. Nudity can be shown and including 'brief detail'. Sex can also be portrayed but not in 'strong detail'. 

There can also be a strong threat and horror but not sadistic threats. Violence can occur but should not focus on the infliction or the injury. Strong sadistic violence is unlikely to show up.

6) The BBFC website offers an explanation of every classification it makes and detailed case studies on selected titles. Look at the rating for Chicken and explain why it was given a 15 certificate.

Some of the scenes are understandably able to move it to an 18 certificate but since this is a microbudget, art house film, the BBFC didn't want the 15-17 year olds (the audience more likely to enjoy Chicken) to be denied access to the unique experiences of a multi layered art house film. 

The film does include violence and does focus on injuries which opposes the 15 guidelines however, the message of Joe Stephenson would be missed by many young adults simply because of a violent scene. 

When Fiona is shown as killed by a fox, the guts are all over the screen. This also is  borderline 18 but then again the context in which an issue (such as sex, language or violence) is presented is central to the question of its acceptability. The work's target audience - who is likely to want to watch this film, and to whom does it 'speak' – is also taken into account. This is vital to the 15 certificate decision. 

Chicken: case study blog task

Funding

1) What was the budget for Chicken?

£110,000

2) How did Joe Stephenson end up raising the money to make the film?

Asking for money from family members and the rich friends of his parents

3) How does the Chicken budget compare to a Hollywood-funded British blockbuster such as Spectre or Paddington 2?

Chicken is a microbudget funded British film whereas Spectre is a blockbuster film with lots of Hollywood funded money.

4) Joe Stephenson tried to secure funding from organisations that help low-budget filmmakers. What is the BFI Film Fund and how does it contribute to the British film industry?

This helps up and coming film producers to fund their projects that are unable to find sufficient funds for their film.

5) Why do you think Chicken failed to secure funding from the BFI Film Fund?

Because it was an abstract film, the debate over art vs commerce came into full effect. 


Production

1) What difficulties did the film run into during production?

Difficulties with weather (rain)

2) How many days did the film take to shoot?

19

3) What scenes were particularly difficult for Joe Stephenson to film?

Outdoor scenes, lighting issues were prominent.
Distribution

1) Why did the film fail to secure a distribution deal when first made in 2014?

Small producer, no stars to market the film, artistic value dominating over profit goals.

2) What film festivals did Chicken feature at between 2014-2016?


New Hampshire, Edinburgh, Giffoni 


3) Why are film festivals an effective way for a low-budget film to secure a distribution deal?

Lots of critics see the film and are more likely to develop a positive opinion on it.

4) When was Chicken released in cinemas in the UK?

May 2016

5) Why do you think film subscription service MUBI chose the film to feature on the service?

MUBI agrees with the art-house aspect of Chicken

6) Why was Film4 a good choice to give the film its UK television premiere?

Film4 premieres a lot of new and artistic movies, it is also an alternative broadcaster and not someone like Sky or ITV, these companies take a lot of money and give very little back.

7) When will the film be released on iTunes and other video-on-demand services in the USA and Canada?


Early 2018


Promotion

Note: some of these pages will be blocked in school - you will need to complete those particular questions at home.

1) What does the trailer suggest regarding genre and the potential audience pleasures of Chicken?

The genre could be seen as art-house and the audience could be a niche and specialised audience. The audience would value art over a film's ability to make profit.

The audience seems to be a sort of art-house appreciating and mature/niche audience. 

2) What synergy can you find between the trailer and other traditional marketing methods such as the film poster?

The film was a micro budget film and the marketing strategy was not heavily funded so they needed to get a film festival circuit to make sure they had critical acclaim - this simple and cheap market approach enforces the view that this is meant for an art-house audience.

3) Why are reviews from industry figures such as Mark Kermode so important to a film's success?

He is highly revered by the film world as he is the best and most well known BBC film critic, he has influence and the ability to make small films well known in a bigger and more profitable field.

It ensures audiences that this is a film that is highly revered. This encompasses the use of star power to market the film.

4) How does the Chicken Twitter account create and maintain interest in the film?

It is a free social media account which is good due to a tight budget. The account gets a lot of reach as Twitter has the most reach of any social platform.

5) Who does the Twitter account re-tweet? How does this help to promote the film?

The account retweets critical reviews and expert opinions that praise the film, this creates a synthetic sense of star power. The account retweets accounts such as BFI, Amazon Prime and various esteemed film critics.

6) How does the Chicken Facebook page use images and video content to promote the film?

They post little videos of the film and also screenshots from certain, gripping scenes. The account also posted an interview with Sir Ian Mckellen ahead of the Film4 premiere in 2017, this creates hype and interest in the film.

7) What pages are liked by the Chicken Facebook page? What does this tell you about the film and potential target audience?

They are liked by many film critics, this shows that this filom is well liked among those who value art over commercial potential.

8) Go to the website of the B Good Picture Company. What does the homepage say and what other films have they produced or are in production currently?

"Films that get people talking, make people think, make people care." They have made: In Love With, Chicken, Random Acts; The Castle and Mckellen: Playing the part.

9) Now go to the B Good Picture Company's website page for Chicken. How does this page promote Chicken specifically?

It describes Chicken as 'critically acclaimed' and that makes the 'art house' target audience think that thisis THE film for them. It includes ideas and clues that this is also an art house film which makes the reader switch from passive to active.

10) Go to the B Good Picture Company YouTube channel. What videos feature on the channel? How do they help to promote Chicken?

They release little snippets of Chicken to get the reader to invest their interest. This comes with titles such as 'I Was Happy' to get the audience to emotionally connect with Richard.


Final reading: Media Magazine - the appeal of arthouse cinema

Complete the following tasks to improve your understanding of arthouse film and the possible audience pleasures that the genre offers:

Read Beyond Hollywood: Reading Arthouse Cinema. This is in MM45 on page 24 - go to our Media Magazine archive to find the article. 

1) Summarise the article in 50 words.

This article is explaining the effect, purpose and origin of art house. It describes art house as artistic rather than commercial in character. 4.4% of the British film revenue in 2011 came from foreign language films, otherwise known as 'art house'.they are films that are purposelydifficult to understand or ‘read’. 

2) What are some of the suggested audience pleasures for arthouse film?

It comes from the film being difficult to understand or having many different and difficult meanings.

3) Why do some audiences struggle with arthouse film? Refer to some media theory here (there are some important media theories discussed in the article itself).

People who are passive viewers and fall under the 'hypodermic needle' model think that films are just for enjoyment and bear no complexity with them. Passive viewers are unlikely to enjoy art house films as they are there simply for entertainment. 

4) To what extent is arthouse film only for the middle classes and older audiences? Why might this be the case?

C1 or C2 citizens may be only suited to films that entertain them and have a relatively simple plot-line or just doesn't have any complexity what so ever. People that are middle class and have an expanded and active viewing mindset are more liley to understand the various grave topics art house can sometimes deal with.


5) What type of audience would be interested in Chicken?

An active audience with a capacity to sympathise with a protagonist should be good. They need to be able to comprehend the unfair treatment that Richard receives but should be able to see the development in character in ways of increasing violence.