Ill Manors - Institution Research

Distribution research

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