Ill manors: music video

How is it typical of a music video?

The music video is a hip-hop protest song which stars Plan B and was released by Atlantic Records. The music video uses some codes and conventions which a typical music video uses, this is shown by the use of camera work-use of close-ups and using a montage to show lots of different aspects of things related to the movie. The music video uses fast-paced cuts to match the rhythm of the song which is very electric and upbeat. The cuts are edited quickly to reinforce the rhythm of the song, also footage from the London riots which took place in 2011 is used. This creates a montage and like other music videos this promotes a message about how the working class are not seen as significant is society and ultimately they resort to violence.

Plan B's music video is significant is embracing the idea of spectacle and using 'direct mode of address.' This is important because Plan B is using direct mode of address to help educate the youth about how society should involve everyone, yet lecture the youth about standing up for their position in society but in the right approach. The music video visually represents how Plan B is standing up for the working class, as he himself comes from the same background, and wants an end to the working class not being provided enough opportunities. In the song itself one lyric states: "Who closed the community centre? I used to kill time there." The lyric suggests how the government are closing down opportunities which may encourage the youth to stay off the streets and avoid being in trouble. By the government taking these opportunities down the youth have nothing to resort to but violence. The use of this is to help Plan B justify the actions of why the youth get into trouble, especially with the London Riots.

Also, the soundtrack is a form of promotion for the movie "Ill Manors" and gives the audience insight on the themes involved in the movie, the main theme being violence. The song itself incorporates many ideas from typical music videos, particularly using camera work. Close-ups are used of Plan B to help enhance his star image and inform the viewer about his success, even though Plan B may have previously faced legal trouble he uses the Ill Manors music videos to express his thoughts on society (typically the government). However, this music video challenges typical music videos because this song was written as a protest, as well as for entertainment purposes. It presents how the working class are seen as damaged and corrupt. Typically, hip-hop music videos promote the ideal lifestyle through the use of flashy cars, women and alcohol but because this is a protest song it focuses on how the working class are portrayed not so much the lifestyle they want to carry out. 

How does it represent the London riots/rioters?

The media in general present the rioters as negative and as a result their image of being corrupt is reinforced through the music video especially when it shows people fighting each other and Plan B is in front of them still rapping. It also shows how there are no role models in society as the youth are easily influenced. However, because this song is a protest song which demands for immediate change it demonstrates how society will adapt to the working class because the music video is very confrontational. This links to the theorist Medhurst who argued about stereotypes being short-hand and as a result of the video glamorizing violence it's expected that society makes changes before the working oppose a bigger threat to society.

In addition, the music video represents males more to be associated with violence. There are very few females in this video, Plan B intended to represent males more to advocate how males are the focal gender who are associated with violence, especially in the London riots. Ethnicity also plays a huge role, along with age, because the music video focuses on white, black and mix people who are between the ages 16-24. Plan B used this target audience as the film is based upon the London riots.

Plan B's main aim is to show the perception of "society's failure to nurture to disadvantaged youth" and ultimately the music video employs this message by showing how the working class are disregarded in society as politicians in particular focus on the upper/middle classes. It could be argued that Plan B was justifying the actions of the rioters because the "disadvantaged youth" who appear to be from a working class background have no voice in society. The rioters appear to be making an attack on politicians in particular. This demonstrates how this song is a reaction to the 2011 riots and it sarcastically attacks the media's view of the working class, especially the ring-wing tabloids such as 'The Sun' and 'Daily Mail' who present the rioters as a threat to society when in reality violence is the only thing they can resort to because there are not a wide variety of  opportunities.

What audience pleasures does it offer?

The key theme used throughout this music video is violence, along with the video promoting a sense of freedom. Generally, hip-hop songs are a way to express one's feelings through rhyming words and this song perfectly demonstrates Plan B expressing his feelings about the London riots.The chorus in particular is a chant with the lyrics: "Oi! I said oi!
What you looking at, you little rich boy!" This suggests how the song takes pleasure in attacking the upper classes. People from the working classes and who live in the suburban areas of London may find a voyeur and enjoy looking at those upper classes as important.

Moreover, the video shows the characters as breaking the rules and going against many norms of society.Politics is the main topic mentioned throughout and David Cameron and Nick Clegg, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, both feature in the video, despite not being mentioned in the lyrics. However, Cameron's "Hug a Hoodie" campaign is alluded to. This ultimately would attract teenagers making it appear that they can talk about anything as freely as they would like to. Although Plan B's intentions were to help the working class's voices be heard, this music video appears that the characters are only reinforcing their negative stereotype in society rather than making th appear as protesters. 

The demographic for the music video focuses along the D and E group as this relates to the young, unemployed teenagers in the music video. The video presents these teenagers acting violent and established in a council estate area making the audience interpret the actors are from the struggler and reformer categories. This video appeals to strugglers because they are the ones being represented and reformers are attracted to this because the video itself is a protest from class equality and ultimately reformers would agree with the song because teenagers need opportunities to prevent them from rioting. 

How does the video help promote the film? 

The music video was created to help raise awareness about the voices not being heard in society. The upper classes are describes as living luxurious lifestyles with good jobs whereas the D/E demographic are usually associated with thugs, violence and badly behaved people. Plan B himself grew up in a council estate before he rose to fame so it's only natural that he wants change for those who are discriminated. The concept for both the movie and video are the same as they both indulge in the theme of violence. They both use a narrative to describe real-life situations.

Also, synergy is created because Plan B is associated with releasing both the music video and the film. The music video was released by Plan B's record company Atlantic Records and Plan B also directed the movie himself. This helps Plan B to enhance his brand identity because of his forms to promote and market the film. Plan B is the main star focus in the music video were he makes his presence known, whereas in the film he only makes a short cameo appearance which helps the audience know that's his mark of success.

.Learner response question 4

WWW- good response on narrative with media theory too 

EBI- Answer the question! lack of focus on the Question, holds you back elsewhere

LR- re-write Q4 on your blog

The Paralympic games are represented as much anticipated through shots of training/discipline and build-up. The build-up shows the athletes working out and this presents their determination to succeed. The use of titles such as "Meet the.." and "it's time" reinforces the excitement and ultimately people look forward to the event. In the beginning of the clip there is a quiet observation from the athletes who seem to remember many memories of their life. For instance, there is one case were the athlete is sitting there next to a wrecked car an thinks back to the time when he was in a car crash. The whole purpose of this is to show how the athlete is willing not to let his past stop him from chasing his dream and it shows how capable he is to have the willingness participate in challenging sports and makes it appear as thrilling and adventurous.

In the trailer the use of team names is important and this is because it represents many different countries.The trailer makes the event a very exiting event to look forward to because it has many similarities than the normal Olympics. The Olympics already has a wide established fan base, ultimately the paralympics will gain loads of fans because it is involved with loads of different countries. 

The shots of the crowd and their cheering make the paralympics seem like an exciting event. The image of the crowd cheering makes the event appealing, in further detail the sounds coming from the crowd cheering makes the audience feel on edge because there is so much action about to take place. It makes it seem like a huge celebration and the paralympics event is an event that all of society should embrace. Channel four is a well-recognised TV channel established many years ago and usually previews documentaries and dramas, the paralympics being previewed on channel four means that it is attracting a whole new audience and as a result more people are looking forward to the event because it's new. Along with the excited crowd are many establishing shots of the stadium, the use of this is to demonstrate how the sporting event is big and the echoes of the cheers are well heard. The effect of this is that the cheering appears with more excitement and therefore the paralympics are a much anticipated event.

Also, the editing in this clip is  because it uses a montage of shots to present the wide variety of sports involved. This is crucial and attracts a wide fan base because many sports are represented such as: swimming and basketball which are really challenging sports. The montage effects shows many different random shots of the athletes playing different sports and creates a fascinating feeling.

Finally, the anticipation is largely built up on at the end of the trailer when they are all lined up ready to take on their challenging sports. The athletes are standing in a formation that almost connotes 'gladiators', which enhances the popularity of the games.

MEST2 print brief

Title of publication: The title of publication is placed in the top third  of the magazine cover and is easily visible to the audience due to the bold font and position. The BBC is printed above the main title, this is important as this becomes establishes as the magazines logo. When the magazine is stacked with other magazines in limited shelf space, it will be easier for people to see it if the title is bold and visible on the top of the cover.

Slogan: The slogan which is ' The day of the doctor' is a short and catchy phrase which is placed beneath the central image, this sums up the magazines image as the main character who is the newest doctor is in focus while the old doctors are placed behind and aren't as in focus as the image in the middle, the fact that all the doctors in the past and present are on the cover and the slogan helps the audience figure out that they will be going back to show the audience the history of all the doctors.  

Central image:The central image in most magazines tend to show a single, strong central image, however this doctor who cover shows three images where one of the images stands out the most as it is more in focus, while the other two are placed behind the main image. There is low key lighting used in the central images which intensifies the characters features and makes them look more serious and mysterious. 

'Flash'/ Cover line/ Sell line: The 'flash'/cover line of the magazine   is 'The doctors past comes to haunt him' this text is above the slogan and placed around central image, this is strategically placed around there so it can advertise the contents of the magazine . So it gives the audience an insight of the content, in this case it lets the audience know that there will be the doctors past involved.

Free offer: Some magazines usually come with small gifts or product 'promotions' attached, this doctor who magazine includes a bumper 116 page souvenir issue of doctor who magazine as well as 12 collectors anniversary art cards. These small gifts  and offers are effective as they target doctor who fans who would enjoy receiving these little offers.   

Colour scheme: There are two main colours (blue and grey) which are the colours associated with doctor who as the tardis is blue outside and the inside is grey. These also tend to be dark and mysterious relating with the genre of the magazine being science fiction.

Target audience: Doctor Who fans, aged between 16 - 40 years old, around 70% male and 30% female. ABC1 demographic, people who live in the city and travel a lot. People who have a main interest in science fiction and watch a lot of movies.

'Genius ways to rock jeans'

'A-list celebs guests turn on the wedding of the year!'

'Obsessed with each other'

 

'What happened behind the scenes'

'Mila Kunis Hollywood Bombshell'

TV souvenir magazine cover:

Review

Ill manors, directed by the rapper and songwriter Plan B (Ben Drew). The movie is a really interesting movie which gave me a sense of reality and the truth behind some peoples lives. The film itself revolves around sex, drugs, violence and weapons. The movie was made to reflect what Ben Drew has seen in his life and how drugs have affected certain people. The movie itself was a dramatic, intriguing and versatile movie. 
It was horrific seeing the destruction of the characters as well as the way they were treated. This movie made me realise that a child's life is dependant on their owner meaning their parent, and if they are abandoned then it is unlikely they will learn the norms and values of society and grow up to be something they never thought they would. However the movie also shows how parents struggle and how they have no choice but to abandon their child. This movie made me realise that the ‘road’ life will get you fame but will not take you anywhere in life until you take the right decision to life which is to change their behaviour . The main character in this film was Riz Ahmed whom is a Wembly rapper. This is really ironic as the whole movie is told by rap, and the main character is a rapper. In addition, he from west London which makes it typical as most of west Londons based on the life shown in the movie.
I believe Plan B – Ben Drew was successful in directing this film as this movie was reviewed by people to be a teaching a lesson which made the audience realise reality and life. I believe that the film is about the life of teenagers/adults who have struggled their whole life due to being abandoned by their parents and then following the steps of the ‘road life’ as they don’t have the parents to be taught discipline and manners to. In my opinion the main characters were Aaron and Chris. Chris in my opinion was the main character as the story built up from his childhood.

The soundtrack fitted in well with the emotion behind each individual story. It brought each character’s thoughts and feelings into music. We don’t hear what they are thinking but the music helps put it forward.  The soundtrack fitted right in the film helping to create dramatic element to the movie.  The soundtrack helps promote Plan B’s music, we see shots were Plan B’s narrating while drugs are being dealt with and some characters are intrigued. It promotes his music as people will probably listen to the songs after watching the movie.The audience who would enjoy this movie would be aged (18-40), personally the movie requires a mature audience, it has some gory scenes.  Personally the audience would begin to see the reality of Britain and more importantly some of the stereotypes created in the movie. It also informs the audience about today’s society and what drives people to do certain things in today’s society.The reason why the movie may have been aimed at men is due to the high visuals of violence and props such as guns, drugs and weapons. It also may have been aimed at men as the entire drug dealers were men making the movie full of male dominants, however, there were characters who weren't as significant as the others who were female and had a part in the play where they were also part of the gangs. The female in the character was presented as a sex show as she was shown in many sexual scenes however were forced to which may emphasise on the position of women when it comes to situations such as drug dealers. The lady portrayed where she was used into sexual labour emphasised on the life of a women when she gets into such habits and how it can ruin her future. Towards the end of the film, the police were significant as in the end who ever didn't decide to take the right decision were hand cuffed teaching the audience a moral.

Also another character from the film is also a rapper, an English rapper. Ben Drew focused his characters to have a similar background which makes it easier for the characters to adapt to their role as it’s their reality. They are both rappers making them more confident and reliable for the movie. The plot for Ill manors is a multi-character story set over the course of seven days, a scenario where everyone is fighting for respect, he film focuses on eight core characters and their circles of violence, as they struggle to survive on the streets. Each story weaves into one another, painting an ultra-realistic gritty picture of the world which is on the brink of self-destruction. Each story is also represented by a different rap song performed by Plan B. The aim of the movie seemed to be aimed at men or children who live in a care home, as the movie started off with a debate on children who live at care homes

Ill manors trailer analysis

What are the typical codes and conventions of film trailers - what information is usually provided?
The typical codes and conventions in film trailers include voice overs which create a movie like atmosphere, as well as music which is essential for a trailer, the music can either be parallel or contrapuntal, e.g in the trailer of ill manors the sound is parallel as it matches that urban gritty feel. 

 How are trailers distributed?
Trailers are distributed through television and the internet on sites such as you tube. They can also be distributed through cinema as before a movie there are many trailers shown. They can also be distributed through social networking sites such as twitter, facebook and instagram.  

  

How does the Ill Manors trailer use trailer conventions?
There are many conventions in this trailer such as actors, music, text-on-screen, ratings from a variety of magazines etc. The music in this trailer is parallel as it is mostly rap music which reflects on the violent, urban feel. All of these conventions match the genre of this trailer which is thriller/violence/urban. 

Who is the target audience? Does it have a unique selling point or use particular techniques to appeal to the audience? Consider the way the scenes are edited together – does the trailer give away any clues about the narrative? Are the main stars visible in the trailer? Is there information about the director of the film? Is there information about the release date? Is a narrator’s voice over used? Why?
The target audience would mainly be young adults aged 16+. The unique selling point is that there is a montage in this trailer, it doesn't flow like a normal trailer where it is in chronological order, but the ill manors trailer has different parts of the movie jumbled together, which creates curiosity and builds up the storyline in a divergent way.

 The main stars are visible in the trailer as most of the scenes that are edited into this show them. The narrators voice is in music form as the story is being told by someone rapping.

How has the genre of the film been represented through characters, settings, lighting, colour, music/dialogue, camera shots/movements/angles and editing?

The film genre is a British drama/crime/thriller, this genre has been reinforced by many conventions such as the soundtrack, dialogue, setting, lighting and editing.The setting is important  as it promotes the urban lifestyle British teens/young adults lead and the film is filmed in London. 

Story board

Index

September 2014 > Media language > Media consumption

September 2014> Media language >  Reebok advert analysis

 September 2014 > Media Language > Mise En Scene

September 2014 > Media Language > parallel and contrapuntal sounds

October 2014 > Media Language >  Lighting

October 2014 > Institution > Institution feedback

October 2014 > Institution > Institution facts

October 2014 > Media Language > Cinematography

October 2014 > Media Language > Brand values

November 2014 > Institution >  Cool brands

November 2014 >  Narrative >  Narrative

December 2014 > Audience > Uses and Gratification

December 2014 > Audience > dependency theory
 
December 2014 > Audience > audience theory

December 2014 > Representation > Representation collage

December 2014 > Representation >  Representation collage 2

Mest2 status update

Finalised Group:
Samsam and Harmony

Plan:
Our plan is to go with the urban narrative which involves issues such as drinking, drugs etc. However our group will present this from a females perspective which will be different. Our group will film in central London to focus on youth.

Research blog post: 

E4 channel history:
E4 was first launched a '18th January 2001' it became part of top up tv until '27th may 2005' then the channel became available on free-view. On 16 December 2004, Channel 4 announced that the subscription channel would return to digital terrestrial television. From its launch until the closure of ITV Digital it was available as a bonus subscription channel. E4 acquired the rights to several new US comedies throughout 2011 and 2012, a few of which were New Girl, Suburgatory, 2 Broke Girls, The New Normal, and The Mindy project.

Notable success

• The inbetweeners
• The big bag theory
• Big brother
• Friends- The American sitcom was proved to be very popular amongst the UK audience.

Target audience

E4 target teenagers and young adults from the ages 16-35. E4 mostly do teen drama appealing teenagers. However they are well known for their late night comedy such as '2 broke girls' and 'inbetweeners' appealing to their target audience of 16-34 years olds. over 50% of E4s audience are 16-34 year olds and 61% of their audience are female suggesting that E4 appears more to female then males.

Demographic

Demographic:
AGE Under 18s (63%)  18-24 (29%) 25-34 (5%) 35-44 (2%) 45-54 (1%) 55+ (0%) 

GENDER Female (59%) • Male (41%)

Demographic breakdown - ABC1  

Demographic is the information that the media uses to divide there audience into gender, age, race and other categories it also pinpoints potential audience. Every media product is targeted to certain audiences E4 viewers are predominantly young and between the ages 16-24 and dominantly females. They target this demographic because they broadcast good quality drama, comedy, features and having diverse entertainment formats making E4 and E4 +1's both have a very strong impact on16-34s. This demographic is mindful, sociable, connected, heavy internet users, they love going out and tend to use advertising as one of their many information sources.

BBC 3

History:

The channel launched on the 9th February 2003. BBC Three was always on free view because it comes under the BBC family this logo has been used since January 2008. It was known for their comedy and drama and an alternative for E4. 

Notable success:

Doctor who and Gavin and Stacey are their very popular shows.

The channel airs various dramas and comedies; one of its most popular sitcoms was Gavin & Stacey, which first aired in May 2007.The sitcom was an instant hit, with subsequent series being moved to other BBC channels and the show being granted a Christmas special. Another example is Being Human, a drama in which a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf share a flat, which has become a success and heralded several new series. American programming also features, with American Dad! and Family Guy being the notable examples.

Target audience:

BBC threes target audience is 16-35 year old. The late night comedy shows make it not suitable for anyone younger to watch or understand. BBC three is mostly male then females because of the type of humor involves however they may shows that may appeal to females such as 'dont tell the bride'.

Demographic:

Demographic breakdown - ABC1  

MEST 2 research and planning

The inbetweeners

Camera- The camera shots that are in this clip are smooth. There are panning shots, below shots, close-ups, long shots, medium shots, over the shoulder shots and birds eye view. There are good camera shots being shown which is good as they can get all of the right aspects in place. The birds eye view is being shown in the beginning as when the characters are getting out of the car one by one. This is a good technique that is not often shown in programmes.There was a below shot when a character was throwing an egg at the main character towards the end of the clip. This is a an another technique that would make the viewer want to watch more.
Lighting- The lighting in this clip has got more natural light to it so not much artificial light is being shown in the clip. As this is set at a school they had to show whats going on at normal school times and set it at the right times of day.
Actors- The actors in this are the main characters There is a group of 4 and they are all good friends. They are all similar to one another and have known each other throughout their high school years.The characters are all dressed in school uniform so younger people would be interested in watching this programme as its a comedy and they are teens.
Make-up- As these are male characters they wouldn't wear much makeup, even though make-up is important when on-screen. The makeup they are wearing must be very subtle and natural.
Setting- The setting here is set a high school/sixth form. This is meant to be set at a school as they are wearing school uniform and need to be shown at their school. They have to make sure that they show this as their audience need to be able to relate to them and be able to see where they attend.

                                                           
                                                                          Top boy

Editing: In this clip there is fast-paced editing when the two kids are running away after shoplifting. This creates tension and it represents how young kids are influenced by crime and are getting into gangs at very young ages.
Characters: The characters include young kids, teenagers and adults who are all part of a London gang. The clip also shows how each of the types of characters contribute to the group and how their roles are played. The ages of the characters is vital because it portrays how young kids/teens main focus is to do with crime and the younger generation as the main ones who are associated with gangs.

Narrative: The narrative focuses on dodgy deals or committing crimes. For example, two young kids are in trouble for shoplifting.
Setting:
The setting of the whole clip is shot in London where crime levels are the most. The urban atmosphere shows how the youth who live in this part live their lies and how majority of the youth are influenced by gangs. 

Sound: The opening of the clip uses diegetic sound when the conversation between the men take place. However, when the clip moves onto the clips in the store running away, non-diegetic sound it used. The music is an upbeat, urban instrumental to reinforce the pace the kids are running away at. This creates an adrenaline rush.


                                                                   Youngers

Sound:

Throughout the clip an urban instrumental is played to highlight how the programme is targeted at teenagers who are used to this genre of mainstream music. 

Mise-en-scene:

During this clip there are props such as the music equipment in the studio to reflect how the teenagers are ambitious about making music. In this day and age many young teens have pursued an interest with music and this clip reflects this well. 

Characters: 

The characters in this clip are introduced as typical enthusiastic teens who are ready to work; the males are more aggressive, in a subtle way, in comparison to all of the females. The males introduced at the beginning of the clip are presented as being mischievous while working.

Setting: 

Most of the clip takes place in a professional photography studio to present how a photo shoot is taking place, then it is transferred to a music studio. The settings show the work ethic of the characters who are pursuing their ultimate dream which is to be recognised in the music industry.