I, Daniel Blake

Who directed?

Ken Loach

What company does Ken Loach run and partly produced the film?

Sixteen Films

Who else did Sixteen Films partner to produce the film?

Why Not Films (french)

why could both companies not distribute the film?

They weren’t vertically integrated so could only produce

Who distributed the film?

eOne productions

Who helped fund the film?

The BBC and the BFI

had to be classed as a british film : cast, director, filmed there

What is Ken Loach’s USP?

Social realism

Due to the funding, what did the film have to have?

• Innately british

• Niche/alternative

• Culturally significant

• Educational

• Shows British culture

What did the low budget mean?

No famous actors or big sets

Used alot of the public and actual job centres

Very few ‘New Technologies’

Natural lighting

Grass roots marketing techniques

What is the BBC?

PSB

What is the BBC’s remit?

Have to inform, educate and entertain

Showcase diversity and new talent

How does the film educate?

Highlights the difficulties of the UK welfare system, job centres and foodbanks

What is Ken Loach’s political stance?

Anti-conservative and very left wing

Regional British Films

Very niche

Hard to sell to a global audience

Accents meant that many countries couldn’t understand the film

However was distributed through dubbing.

Target audience

a mature, politically engaged

predominantly working-class audience (demographic groups D and E)

interested in social issues, particularly within the UK

45+

Marketing style

More traditional forms of distribution, possibly due to the older target audience

The Daily Mirror

• Advertorial as if it was about Daniel Blake

• Key marketing for a left wing audience

• Ideologies fit audience, film and director

Posters and trailers

• Heavily feature Ken Loach’s name

• Aim to attract a pre-sold audience

• From other social-realism films

Palme D’or

Highly regarded award from Cannes Film Festival

Shows cultural significance

Shows high quality

Guerilla Marketing

Wild, on the streets, could be controversial or sometimes even illegal

Example of Guerilla Marketing

• eOne projected quotes of the film onto buildings like the HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT and near the LONDON EYE

• Easily grabs peoples attention online and went viral

• Can target a global audience through tourism and being shared online.

• Clear political message

Regional Marketing Offices

Used in Northern Countries to drum up publicity for the film in low budget ways in local communities

Organised free screenings and talks in community centres for the film

Examples of work by Regional Marketing Officers (Grassroots marketing)

• Contacted regional people, workplaces, buildings, schools, hospitals and council offices.

• Talked about the film with real people.

• Protested outside screenings.

• Put up posters

How did Grassroots marketing help target an audience?

Low budget techniques that wanted to target a regional audience

Palme D’or nicheness

Helps connote nicheness as they mostly award less mainstream films

Northern poverty

Northern audiences were more likely to be in poverty and more likely to be anti-conservative due to the political issues of the 80s.

CURRAN AND SEATON- Media Industries: Applied

Independent ownership may have resulted in a more creative, less mainstream product.

Might not have been all about profit and power, rather about political/ educational purposes.

Premiere: Newcastle

• Wanted to target a Northern audience and shows more alternative nature.

Jeremy Corbyn

Targeted the anti-conservative audience and gained popularity because of his status.

Articles and tweets about him extends publicity for the film.

Spoke on Question Time about the welfare system

When was the film released?

2016

What was the age rating?

15

Many younger audiences wouldn’t understand the mature themes.

Emotional and disturbing scenes, heart attack + prostitution

Twitter and Facebook

Social media pages used, however most of the marketing was in more traditional ways

How was it distributed to keep?

Downloadable and on DVD

Livingstone and Lunt: Applied

Due to the film being downloadable and on DVD, it makes regulation harder to protect a younger audience.

Criticisms of regulation

Some wanted a lower age rating so it could educate younge audiences.

Why do film companies want lower certificate ratings?

To target a wider audience.

Hesmondhalgh; Applied

• risky due to political critique of welfare system, limited commercial appeal

• However, social realism genre provides cultural value over profit

• Demonstrates balance between economic risk and cultural capital

However could say having Ken Loach as a director, maximised profit due to trusted social realism director.

Bandura – media effects

• Could influence audience attitudes towards welfare system

• May increase empathy for working-class individuals

• Social realism encourages emotional identification and moral response

Jenkins – participatory culture

• Film promoted through activism, screenings, word-of-mouth

• Encourages audience discussion of social issues

• Links to grassroots marketing strategies (community engagement)

Who regulates the film industry in the UK?

the BBFC

Funded by charging companies to classify their films

How much did the film cost to produce ?

£3.5 million