Audience Research

British Social Realism Vox-Pop

We conducted a Vox-Pop to find out research on the different types of ideas for a British Social Realism film that people would find more interesting and appealing to their liking.

 


Data Presentation

     1) Have you watched a BSR (British Social Realist) film? Which one? What did you think of it?

•  4/10 people claimed that they have watched “This Is England” for a British Social Realist film.
• 4/10 people claimed that they have watched “Kidulthood” as a BSR film. Due to          ”Kidulthood” and “This Is England” being such famous successful films in the British Social Realist film industry, this causes them to be better well known. This further explains the reason to why the majority of the people asked within the vox-pop answered back with those two films mostly.
• The other films that people answered back with were “Fish Tank” and “Four Lions”. Now, you would most likely expect that these two films would be mentioned more. Maybe the reason for this low number of presence of these films is probably due to the fact that they consist in metaphorical titles conveying a more in depth meaning reflecting upon what the film is all about. 

2) Have you experienced any stories which you are inspired by whilst watching a BSR film?

• All 10 people interviewed within the vox-pop all said that they hadn’t experienced any stories which they have experience. 
• About 4/10 of them mentioned that that they were inspired by News stories which come on television/newspaper/online. These stories highlight strong negative events such as Rape, Gangs, Guns, Drugs, and Domestic Abuse etc. This is a strong inspiration to be taken as a BSR film is being viewed due to the fact it relates to real life events that occur in Britain.

  3) The story-line for my film will be: A girl being abused for her boyfriend in a council estate building whilst being put on drugs and she is trying to find an escape.

What are your thoughts on this?

• 4/10 people stated that this is a good storyline due to the fact that it relates strongly to what British Social Realism is all about due to the fact that people in Britain may be going through similar situations and they are therefore able to relate to it through watching the film.
• 2/10 stated that if it is created in a strong BSR way like “Kidulthood” etc, then it will become a very successful film.

  4)  What could I change or add to that?

• A majority of people said that the storyline for the film should have some sort of twist within it so that it is created as a unique British Social Realism film of its kind.
• An idea given by one of the interviewees was that there should be some sort of age difference between the girl and the boyfriend so that the issue of domestic abuse is portrayed more strongly whilst being witnessed by the audience watching it.

      5) What kind of things would you expect to be viewing in a BSR film?

•  4/10 people claimed that “Violence” is most expected when highlighting the elements of a British Social Realism film due to the fact of giving that rough edge to the film.
• Events that are most likely to happen in real British life in the news etc is what people would most likely expect when watching a film of this genre.

     6) What type of issues would you prefer to be happening within a genre of this type?

• Gang Crime and Poverty would be preferred to watch within a BSR film due to the fact that it helps to create more verisimilitude whilst watching the film.
• 1/10 stated that they would prefer to view ALL issues. This would include Drugs, Sex, Poverty, Sex, Gangs, etc.

 7) Do you feel it is important to relate to a BSR film?

• 4/10 people stated that it is important to relate to a BSR film due to the fact that some people get the chance to be able to relate to whatever story-line that may be occurring within the film.
• 2/10 people stated that when unfortunate British people view this film, they will feel better due to the fact of knowing that they are “not alone” and that someone else in the world maybe going through the same as they are.

Meet My Audience
I created a slide to connote who my targeted audience is by conducting an complete profile of one of those people. This character then is reflected upon the representation of the whole targeted audience.

Qualitative Data Analysis

• Overall, after conducting with all my audience research on how a British Social Realist film should be represented, I have been given many ideas and advice on how to make my story-line more successful as a realist film. From my Vox-Pop interview, one of of the people that replied to what i should add/change said that i needed to make sure that my story-line is created in a unique way. In order to do this, i am considering to create a 'twist' within the story-line so that people's minds are changed regarding the typical representation of men's power over women.  

• I may also consider creating an adult figure character within the story-line. Maybe there are parents who constantly have aggressive fights with one another and the daughter has to witness it all the time which then could maybe result in her upbringing and influence for anger. Creating an adult figure in a BSR film would create a very effective atmosphere to the film due to that strong fact of adults being the ones who are supposed to set good examples for others; especially if they are younger. Although within my film, the parents would be setting a bad one.

• Due to terrible negative related stories appearing on British news, it is crucial that the conventions used within all British Social Realism films are used to its best standard and to its best effectiveness. "Abuse" as a topic for this genre is a very common one to be reflecting upon within a story-line for this BSR genre. It is always good to be using due to there being so many people in Britain that go through the same issues in their own homes and it thereby important that they are able to relate to their problems whilst watching a film like my own. 

• During my work, i will also consider the way i layout and position my camera work to be. If  it is used to be of a creative way, then people are able to familiarize themselves more effectively to how unique the film will be as they watch its outcome. For instance, i will consider maybe doing it hand-held or just on a Tri-pod. The more rougher the appearance of the film is laid out, the more verisimilitude there will be that is created causing the genre of the film to stand out more towards the audience who are viewing it. 

• Most people in the vox-pop claimed that my story-line was not as original as it could have been. From this being said, I will be sure to think of many more ideas that will help my film to be of a more successful and unique piece of work as a British Social Realist film. One of the comments regarding my story-line was to maybe add a age difference between the man and the women so that "abuse" as a topic in BSR is connoted more strongly upon as audience watch and establish the film. 

Analyzing Sound in BSR

Kes (1969) - Analyzing Sound in a British Social Realist opening sequence. 

Production Log 4

Within this week, I have learnt a lot regarding the audience that i should be aiming towards for my BSR opening sequence. In relation to this topic, the typical targeted audience that i have learnt out to be aimed towards for a British film is definitely obviously going to be from Britain. With my target audience, i have learnt that there are going to be certain groups of people in britain who are interested in their own preferred conventions/themes likely to occur. These would include: Gangs, Corrupt Families, Violence, Sex, Racism, Smoking, Escapism, Social Groups etc. So in order to be assured of what my targeted audience will be, i will become certain of the storyline that i aim to produce within my production and whatever conventions and themes involved within the sequence, i will base that upon my audience are their likings and interests. 
I have also learnt about all the institutions involved in the production of social realist films. The companies tend to aim their  BSR films towards niche audiences due to the gritty unvarnished atmosphere they tend to present within their productions. I did some research on this representation of BSR on a film called Adulthood which didn't really tend to reveal much about their institutions elements but revealed a lot highlighting the typically negative gritty themes and real time british events that are likely to be shown.
From this, i feel that with my production, i will make sure that it contains the same gritty unvarnished aspect that other BSR films will find a similarity to; making sure that the mise-en-scene is targeted strongly to the typical representation that a typical BSR film would aim towards. The audience will be familiarised to the British social realist feel whilst watching my production and being notified immediately as soon as they are introduced to the opening sequence and this will cause my work to become very successful being a Social Realist film in the British media industry.

BSR Visual Style

Production Log 3

Within this week, we have been looking at a range of different opening sequences so that we get a basic idea of how a normal opening sequence is presented and how title devices are shown. An opening sequence mainly tends to reveal the mise-en-scene of which the film is based within. An opening sequence is created to represent the theme in a particular style or genre.

For instance, within this week, we analyzed the opening sequence to a film called ''The Panic Room'' and looked at the way that they set out the credits. While doing this, i learnt about the order in which each individual credit for the film is set in a certain way or in a chosen way to reveal authority. For instance, ''Jodie Foster'' (actor) was the first actor shown within the credits of the opening sequence to ''The Panic Room''. This reveals that this actor must be one of the very main actors to star in the film. Actors that are shown together like ''Anne Magnuson, Ian Buchanan'', this reveals that these two actors are payed the same for the film. I have also learnt that the Production logo is always shown at the beginning of a opening sequence. With all of this in mind, i will make sure that i use these techniques within my opening sequence and make sure that my actors and other credits are ordered in a correct way making sure that elements such as a Production company logo is shown at the very beginning of my opening sequence.

I've also learnt that not all films tend to show any credits within the beginning of a film. In ''London to Brighton'', they dont reveal any credits at the beginning of the film. But in my work, i will definitely make sure that i include some of the most important credits to be shown. This would consist in the Director, Production company, Editor, Music, and most importantly, the names of the main actors who will be starring in the film. One of the methods i will definitely use in my opening would be to always most certainly reveal the mise-en-scene/location which the film will be set in. This is very important when being shown in a British Social Realist film because after looking over the location which the film will be set in, the audience would relate to the fact of that area being in Britain and this would then further help to connote the genre of the film strongly.

How British Social Realism Themes Are Used?

1) Domestic Violence - Nil By Mouth



In this scene of Nil by Mouth (made in the 1990's), a strong theme of Domestic violence is portrayed. The audience denotes a husband beating up his wife whilst their child is having to witness this terrible crime sitting nervously at the top of a staircase within the home. While this action is being taken place by the husband, we only see his actions against the women whilst kicking her on the floor. What makes this theme so effective is that we as the audience are not able to denote the women's image and her injuries taken place. The camera chooses to deliberately hide her away from the shot and only focus on the husband and his negative actions. This causes the audience to have a sense of mystery on their minds to how the women may be coping or maybe looking like. Questions begin to swarm the audiences' minds to how bad the injuries may be from the cause of her uncontrollable husband.
If i were to use this theme in my own work, then i would establish it in the same way so that my film would be able to give the same strong effect towards the audience as they view it so that they are able to connote the strong realisation of the situation occurring.

2) Racism - This is England




In this scene from ''This Is England'' (2006), the theme of Racism is portrayed in the most effective way. As the boy enters the shop, the audience witness him approaching the asian man behind the counter and calls him a ''paki bastard''. After this insult was expressed from the little boy, a big white man approaching the asian man with a large blade threatening him and mugging him for his stores merchandise. This theme of racism is established very strongly in this scene due to the use of overpowering and authority that the white ethnicity 'Skin Heads' claimed they stood within the British hierarchy. If i were to use this theme within my own work, i would use the same use of effectivity and style that they portrayed powerfully within this scene in This Is England and that would help to convey one of the main strong conventions of British Social Realism.

3) Smoking/Drugs - Trainspotting


Within the opening sequence for Trainspotting (), at 0.30, we witness him smoking drugs. We are able to denote this due to the strong effect that occurs within the dizziness and language of his body after smoking one puff of smoke. At 1.12, the camera uses a cross cut to represent the effect taking place with the drugs and the effect of the football smashing onto the mans face. Both shots denote him falling backwards onto the floor. With the cross-cut taken place to represent him falling, it foreshadows along with the fact of his life being downgraded whilst being a british citizen. I think if i were to use this camera work and theme in my work, then it would really help to give that strong 'kitchen sink' effect to how negative british life really is in our everyday world.

4) Dysfunctional families - London to Brighton


With the beginning scene of ''London to Brighton'', we witness family issue between a mother and a daughter. By looking at the mise-en-scene, they both appear to be inside a toilet. Due to the fact of the mothers eye being swollen up and blood being cleaned off the daughter, it connotes their struggle in life to the idea of violence being acted upon towards them. Also, the daughter is seen crying which helps to connote her worries about the struggle she may be sharing with her beaten mother. Whilst being approached by the theme of Dysfunctional families, the mother at one point also comes across the theme of prostitution in order to retrieve money for her and her child which then related back to the orignal theme of the struggle of their family. If i were to use this theme in my work, i would take the similar idea of relating two themes together causing them to work together and give a greater effect to the serious atmosphere of the situation.

5) Poverty - Looking for Eric



Within this scene from Looking for Eric, we are able to portray the theme of poverty from analysing the mise-en-scene which Eric is positioned in. Within his home, we are able to connote that there is a theme of poverty from looking at the dried up paint and dirt contained within his home. It shows he is struggling to provide which is helped by the dull colours used in the scene and the unvarnished atmosphere given within the kitchen. This would be very inspiring if i were to use this theme idea in my work and i would use the idea of my location being within a working class standard so that whatever theme i am trying to come across maybe regarding poverty, my audience would be able to denote it when watching.

Possible Location for BSR film

For my film, i have considered different locations in which would best suit the representation of a normal everyday negative british lifestyle. These locations would have to include the right conventions within the place which the audience would straight away be able to denote the relation to BSR. For instance, one location often used to represent BSR would have bad weather, dull colours, unhappy moods on people, and just a boring atmosphere around it all.

Locations i have considered:

Dagenham

Dagenham would be a good place for a BSR film to be set in due to:

• Unvarnished streets/atmosphere
• It is seen as a rough area to be in. 
• Most of its ethnicity is white which would be good for representing Britain.
• There are many council estates in Dagenham which would be good for representing the struggle of british peoples homes. 

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Barking, Greater London

Barking is known as a very unvarnished british area.

• For one thing, people in barking are always predicted to be getting involved in fights of any sort.
• There are people in barking who consist in very short tempers so they are most likely known to be getting upset over small occurrences that may occur in their lives. 
• Every day in Barking is the same so its people and their days never change in a sense for happiness. They always choose to deal with life in a struggled way.

Ilford Lane

Ilford lane would be a prime location to use for BSR. This is due to:

• There are many gangs that come together around street corners
• Many teenagers skip school and hang around 'Chicken Shops' for example.
• Ilford lane gives a very gritty unvarnished atmosphere. 

These conventions could help to strongly connote british life and its downgrades.

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Forest Gate

Forest Gate would be a good location to use for a British Social Realist film.

• It consists in other ethnicities apart from white so rasism could kick in within the area which is a strong negative convention of British Realist life. 
• The streets are dirty in some sense. Not really clean which could represent working class situations that people cope with.
• There are council states which are very common for working class British people to be living in when they are in the situation of struggle.

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Production Log 2

During this week, i have been looking at different typical conventions that are likely to occur in British Social Realist films. For instance, the use of violence, bad language, and conventions to do with poverty are most likely to be denoted from the audience. During this week, i conducted a timeline to how British Social Realist films have changed over time. As time has passed, the conventions and themes established in these films are expressed more effectively in a way which the audience are felt more with the situation of the film. For instance, in KidultHood which was released in the 2000's, the story line contained more gritty grimy violence and language which related strongly to the situations that occur in Britain with its negative appearance. This will help with my production and it will help me in creating my story line in the similar style and appearance. I have also studied News stories of Britain and have realized the similar relation between British Social Realist films and the News. BSR films tend to relate very strongly with the reality coinsurance during Britain life. With this being put to thought, the audience are able to relate to the film whilst being already notified of the real situations that occur in their real world.

A text that i found was very influential to me was ''Nil by Mouth'' (1997). This involved a scene which revealed the corrupt domestic violence being acted upon a wife by her husband. This thing that caused this to be so effective was that when the women was getting abused by her husband, the us, the audience were unable to view the injuries being made as what she claimed to be on the floor.  This caused the audience to connote what the wife may be looking like as the abuse continued. Also, the scene was filmed in dark lighting   which caused the scene to be even more crucial to the audiences minds. Putting into consideration the BSR story line i have in thought, this scene from Nil by Mouth will help to create my production in more of a effective way so that it can reach out further upon its British targeted audience.

 For my production, in order to create my production is such a way of being represented as a British Social Realist opening sequence, i will try and put as many conventions as possible including the strong depth of British domestic violence being reflected upon and the use of strong bad language being expressed through the characters' words.

Opening Sequence Timeline

The Crying Game