Plan B Print Texts: Interviews Analysis

For each text, identify the target audience (demographics/psychographics). How is it attracted?

Then answer the following questions...

1. Why is this platform being used?
2. Do the articles do more than entertain? How?
3. Does this platform allow the audience to participate/contribute?
4. What codes/conventions of print interviews are apparent in the examples?
5. How is narrative used to tell a story in each text?

Target Audiences:
Men's Health:
Men's Health Magasine: http://www.menshealth.co.uk/living/men/plan-b-interview

The target audience for this interview would be 16-35 males.A demographic of A-C2, maybe as far a D would read this text. Also, a psycographic of aspirer's would read this text as they aspire to be in better health.

Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jun/07/plan-b-love-directing-art-lives

I think an older age range is targeted here. A demographic of A-C1 is targeted.

Shortlist:
http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/music/plan-b-my-songs-are-all-about-real-life

An age range of 15-28 is targeted here. a demographic of B-D is targeted as well as mainstreamers.

1. This platform is being used because it allows the writer to convey a message different to most other platforms. Also, more questions are asked about Drew's background which suggests a different take on interviews.

2. These articles do more than entertain, they also inform a great deal. For example, Men's Health may have asked Drew for an interview as he had to lose a lot of weight for one of his films (The Sweeney). This allowed the magasine to ask mainly about his motivation and regime. These article entertain as well because of the way speech is worded. The articles show what Drew said, word for word, how he said it. This included swear word at points which may entertain the audience.

3. These articles don't allow much participation or contribution in their paper forms. However, if the article is read online through e-media, then the audience can comment on the articles.

4. There are many codes and conventions of print interviews. The ones apparent in these examples are: At the top there is a short few line with a very summarised background of Drew. There is also a short review of his new film iLL Manors. He is then asked about some specific background. Next, a question about his music/ album is asked and what kind of hard work went into that. He is then asked about what is was like to work with certain famous actors. I also found that Drew is asked/talks about the turning point in his life.

5. In Men's Health, narrative is used to tell the story of Drew;s success in losing weight for his role. This hooks in and persuades the reader as they want to know what they can do to lose weight. In the Guardian article, Drew almost tells the reader a story of how he grew up and how he came to success and the turning point in his life. In the Shortlist interview, a more mainstream take is shown. With answers about fans and collaborations.

Plan B Radio 1 Interview

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pvgb9

In this radio interview many topics are discussed. Many aspects of Plan B's life and his music, new album and film (iLL MANORS) are discussed. Also, what Drew plans to do later on in his career is discussed.

First, Plan B discusses how he is still putting the finishing touches on his film, Ill Manors. He talks about some of the technical side of things, such as the colour grading and sound design. He also talks about before the film was made and when he was trying to raise finance for the film to be made. He goes on the talk about how he loves directing and telling 'stories' and how it allows him to 'Play God, but in a positive way'. This links back to his TEDx lecture about how society, and specifically, the youth are demonised; and how Drew wants to the show the real side of things.

Next, Fearne Cotton plays a snippet of Plan B's new single: Ill Manors from the album of the same name. After this, they discuss how Drew took inspiration from German hip-hop artist Peter Fox. It heavily samples "Alles neu" by Peter Fox, which itself uses elements from the fourth movement of Dmitri Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony. I think the target audience for this interview is an age range of 16-34 more predominantly the youth. A demographic of B-E may be targeted. Also, a psycographic of mainstreamers may also be targeted. Synergy is achieved through many platforms. Cotton regularly says that this is her 'big' track and that she has been playing it everyday. This promotes Plan B himself which, in turn, promotes the film and album.

MEST2 Progress Report - 6th February

Individual:

WWW: Edited about half of production
EBI: Do print work
Next Steps: Do photo-shoot during half-term

Group:

WWW: Filmed most of production
EBI: Do photo-shoot
Next Steps: Do the photo-shoot in half-term

Filming Dates:
Previous: 28/01/14 and 30/01/14
Next: 12/02/14 and a date in the half term (preferably 16th-18th Feb)

iLL MANORS Website and chatshow analysis

http://www.illmanors.com/#scene-0

The key features of the website include: the trailer, synopsis, about Ben Drew, stills from the movie, videos, the DVD to buy now, social media links, quotes labelled 'reactions' and links to buy the album. All of these features are included to add another dimension to the whole film experience. Each feature of the website is designed to persuade the audience into going to the cinema to watch the film or buy the DVD. The website makes use of synergy through many methods. This can be through the social networking websites (Twitter and Facebook); or through links to Ben Drew's own website and vice-versa; through the trailers, videos, stills, etc.

The Jonathan Ross show targets mainly main-streamers. These are people who want to 'go-with-the-flow' and not stand out. I think the demographic for this show is from B to E. The Jonathan Ross show used to be broadcast on BBC1 on Fridays at 10:35. Now it is broadcast ITV on Saturdays varying between 10pm and 10:35pm. This show appeals to a much wider audience as many ranges of celebrities appear on the show.

Soccer AM targets mainly main-streamers, but aspirer's aswell. This is because fans of football aspire to be like the footballer. This may just mean being rich and famous, but may mean actually being a successful footballer. I think a demographic of mainly B to E watches this show. Soccer AM is broadcast on Sky1 on Saturday mornings. It used to be broadcast from 9am to 12pm, but now is broadcast from 10am to 12pm. The main audience appeal comes from the football aspect of the show, however, some watch for the celebrities which appear on the show.

Drew talks mainly about politics and society on the Jonathan Ross show. I think he did this because he wanted to get his message out as this show has a much larger audience than other shows. On Soccer AM, Drew talks more about his music and album. I think this is because this show is more laid back with a smaller audience and Drew feels more comfortable here. On The Jonathan Ross show Drew comes across as a bit more serious but humble at the same time. On Soccer AM, Drew is seen with a more comedic approach with more jokes and 'banter'. On both shows, he tries to get his message across even though it may not be the same message.

Letter to Plan B

To Ben Drew,

For our AS-Level Media Studies exam, at Greenford High School, we've been studying your film iLL MANORS. In addition to this, we've also been studying your music videos, TEDx lecture and your general life. It's really moving to see how you changed your life for the better and how you continue to try and change the lives of underprivileged kids in London. and because of this it would be an absolute honour if you could come to our school to talk to the media students to teach them and us a bit more about your life and what it was like to make and produce your film.

Kind Regards,
Danyaal Bashir

iLL MANORS FIlm Research

Research all the Institutions involved in the production of Ill Manors. List them with a summary of what their contribution to the film was.
The institutions involved were Film London Microwave, BBC Films and Amimage. Its not clear on which institution had the most contribution but production was greenlit as part of the Film London Microwave Scheme. Also, BBC Films are involved in lots of other low-budget films such as Ill Manors.

How much Ill Manors cost to produce (its budget)

The budget was £100,000 and made £453,570 at the box office after a total of 8 weeks.

How was Ill Manors funded?
iLL MANORS was funded by the lottery and also some of Drew's own funding as he had to go on tour to get the funding started.

What is the target audience for Ill Manors?
I think the target audience for iLL MANORS is 16-30 year old's. This is because people of these ages can still relate to parts of the storyline(s).

Who is the main distributor of Ill Manors?
The main distributor of ill manors is revolver entertainment as the rights to the film were sold to them in April 2005.

How was Ill Manors promoted?
iLL MANORS was promoted through Revolver Entertainment but also through the use of Plan B's music videos and such promotions as his TEDx lecture allows different audiences to be informed of the film.

Compare this with a big budget blockbuster. What are the main similarities and differences?
There are many similarities and differences when comparing iLL MANORS to a big budget film. One similarity is that the the main protagonist is the inly one to survive and go on to lead a normal life. A difference is that iLL MANORS is a low budget film. Another difference can be that iLL MANORS used non-professional actors aswell as professional, whereas a big budget film would use only professional actors.
How does the trailer for Ill Manors hook audiences into the narrative and pose questions that the film will answer? Identify 3 ways/techniques.
The trailer is set in the form of a music video. this helps to hook in the lower age demographic as this audience is more likely to watch music videos more often. Another technique is using Ben Drew to rap as narration to the trailer. This helps to hook the audience as a lot can be said in this short amount of time to which questions can be answered in the film itself.

How does the trailer for Ill Manors balance plot and spectacle?
8 different stories and narratives are shown. Each narrative weaves and connects with each other throughout the movie. In each story, there is a fair amount of spectacle, so I would say the balance is quite fair.

Think about the certificate of Ill Manors (18 certificate). Research film certification and outline what is deemed acceptable for this certificate. What is the difference between a 15 certificate and an 18 certificate?
A 15 certificate includes such things as strong language, a lot of scene consisting of violence, strong indications of sexual content as well as discrimination, regular use of drugs, nudity and sexual scenes.
A 18 certificate on the other hand is similar but at a more severe level. It includes such things as extreme strong language and regularity of swear words. A vast use of sexual language as well as sexual intercourse,  blood and gore and much references to ethnicities and discriminatory language.

iLL MANORS Music Video MEST1 Section A style questions

Media Representations: How is gender/ethnicity/age represented in the video?
Gender is represented in many ways. Males are mainly seen as the ones with the power. This can be connoted through the use of violence and guns and rioting. Females are mainly seen as objects who are on the sidelines watching the action happen, but may join in, in the end. This is seen when a young female is filming someone being beaten up by a group of hoodlums, but a few seconds later she joins in on the action. Many stereotypes of different ethnicities are reinforced throughout the music video. One stereotype reinforced is the stereotype of blacks being drug-dealers and overall 'hoodies'. The word 'hoodie' comes with a reputation of being a disturbance to the peace, someone who wants to scare people by mugging them or stabbing them. This links back to the theory of Medhurst. This is when a stereotype is a type of short-hand for the audience. It also links back to the theory of Perkins, who says that some stereotypes can be based off the truth. This has a common theme to what Drew said in his TEDx Lecture about how "Every person is who they are because of how people have treated them and what has happened to them throughout their life". Age is represented quite negatively in the music video. The youth are seen as very negative, but Drew says that the "Media has demonised them".

Media Institutions: In what ways is the video typical of music videos and what values does it promote?

Many aspects of this music video are typical of music videos. One aspect is using low angle shots. This provides a feeling of power upon the subject or person as they are looking down into the camera. The use of lyrics "Keep on believing what you read in the papers / Council estate kids - scum of the earth." This relates back to the hypodermic needle theory. This theory suggests that the mass media has a direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audiences and society. Drew, however, is against this as he explains that the media twists and turns the word of the truth to show what they want us to see.

Media Audiences: Who does this text/artist appeal to and why?
This text appeals to a couple of types of audience. The principal being the youth. Or maybe, more specifically, the misguided youth. Drew explains in his TEDx lecture that his feature length film 'iLL MANORS' and any other text to do with this film portrays a message of what can happen if you dont manage you life successfully. This text will appeal to the socio-demographic of: C1, C2, D and E. This is because the music video may portray aspects of these audiences lives. However, The psycographic of 'Aspirer's' may be part of the wider audience. This is because aspirer's want to be educated about aspects of life foreign to heir own. In this case; the misguided youth.