The basics
1) What is the name of the film, the director and notable stars?
The name of the film is Belle and the director was Amma Asante. Notable stars include Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, Matthew Goode and Emily Watson.
2) When was it released?
Release date: 2 May 2014 (United States) 13 June 2014(United Kingdom)
3) What genre is the film? What are the generic conventions that tell you the film belongs to this genre?
It would be a Period Drama film because of the in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Also the theme of racial prejudice is portrayed throughout the film which is a dramatic theme. The character are dressed in period clothing and the scene are held in old rustic looking castles and manors which would is to make the film more realistic in portraying a certain time period.
4) What was the critical reception? What is the film rated on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes?
The film got a great reception of 7.4 out of 10 and on Rotten Tomatoes 83% (Critics 7/1- Audience 4.1/5). The film received recognition for creating an important involvement in the discussion of silence of race, slavery and black people in the construct of British history.
Broadcast
1) Write a close-textual analysis of the trailer using the MIGRAIN key concepts of Media Studies.
The trailer for Belle clearly shows the audience the time the movie was set due to the costumes that were worn. It was set in England in the late 1700s were racial attitudes has not completely changed compared today. This would attract the American audience as the film portrays the British culture back in the days and is a more glamorised version of period dramas which would attract a wider audiences other than that of a Britiish one.
The lighting varies throughout the trailer to give different senses of the atmosphere during different parts. The non-diegetic sound helps to create the setting of an old-fashion British lifestyle and with the diegetic dialogues used accentuates the time period and allows the audience to feel engaged with the film.
The trailer itself helps to promote the film as it would be distributed around social media but also on the trailer, they reveal comments and ratings on the film. The trailer also shows the meaning behind the film, which is to do with racism and it includes the words "I have no idea she would be so black".
2) Find examples of television promotion on YouTube (adverts, chat shows, ‘red carpet’ interviews etc.) and post them to your blog along with an explanation of how these promote the film.
Shows Amma Asante, the producer's artistic views and goals along with exploring the main actress' perspective on her role in the film. This helps maintain the audiences attention toward the film as they would be intrigued to find out more about the Belle.
This red carpet interview promotes the film because it helps create a buzz about the film Belle and gives the audience an overview of his character and what it was like on and off set.. This would be posted on YouTube which would interest people and help bring more interest to Belle.
3) Does the broadcast promotion use stars to create interest in the film?
The broadcast promotion includes a variety of well known actors such as Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson and Penelope Wilton who have filmed many different period films and TV shows. Tom Felton who may be the most well known in the film due to his role as Draco Malfoy in the popular Harry Potter films, is also included in the cast. The female protagonist of Belle, Gugu Mbatha-Raw also sparked a lot of interest as she had never filmed a period film or TV show unlike the other actors, therefore creating curiosity and personal relationship within the audience as they were interested in finding out how her performance would be.
Print
Screen Daily: 'We are constantly aware that this is a world in which appearances and propriety are everything and where a woman’s status is measured by the fortune and title she might bring to a marriage.'
The Guardian:'Describing her film as a hybrid of "the Jane Austen elements we know so well – the marriage market, the lives of girls growing up into society ladies, the romantic longing – combined with a story about the end of slavery", Asante paints an enthralling portrait of a woman struggling to define her identity, caught between stairs in terms of social custom and protocol.'
The Independent: 'Perhaps today's British film industry has the same closed-minded attitudes about gender and race as the 18th-century high-society London recreated here.'
2) Find examples of print promotion (e.g. film poster, billboard adverts etc.) on Google images and post them to your blog along with an explanation of how these promote the film.
This DVD cover promotes Belle as this would be the cover that people see at DVD shops. The print has a close-up of the main character posing sophisticated which can be seen amongst the majority of the print promotion so it is almost like the film's Brand. The use of a thin cursive writing used to suit the time period but also for the audience to have brand identification of the film as the same font appears frequently when the film is being promoted.
This print promotion is a billboard poster which promotes the film to people on the streets by informing them when the film comes and who are the main characters. Also, it shows that people have already watched it and have given a review for the movie which is what the quotes and the different stars represent at the top of the poster.
This magazine cover promotes the film also because the main character is once again posing in a sophisticated manner. The font used to write the title of the film "Belle" is also similar to the font used for the DVD cover.
As the poster is in a train station, it would reach a wide audience and convey the key points of the film through the poster. The face is takes up most of the left side to show how she is the main character and the other cast placed next to each other at the bottom, the mansion is seen at the back to appeal to the audience, as many people fell a sense of patriotism when seeing old historic British buildings and shows the era of the film. We can see the same text being used in the DVD cover and posters when promoting the film.
3) Choose ONE print advert and write a textual analysis of what it communicates to the audience.
Rolling Out is a magazine provides black celebrity news, entertainment, business and politics. Therefore it helps to increase the film Belle's fan base due to the relatable theme and narrative that Belle provides in the film itself.
Gugu is seen in the magazine as a strong representation of women and as someone that all women should follow. This is because the posture that Gugu is posing conveys power and strength. The sell line also states the word "empower" which is definitely the theme that the magazine is trying to depict. The pose and the setting around her is usually how important royal people were asked to pose when having their painting drawn. Since she is in olden time costumer, the magazine might bring enigma codes as people will be confused why a mixed race women would be allowed to pose like that especially if the movie was set in the 1700's. This also gives hints about the narrative of the film because it is a true story all based around a picture where two women were drawn with equal standards despite being different races.
4) How is the film’s brand constructed? What does the brand connote? Does it remind you of any other brands or similar films?
The film brand is constructed around the font of Belle as it is a recognisably way to recognise the film. Also the main character is a big part to the brand because she is always shown on chat shows or print promotions and when she is shown on these print works she is in the costume for the film and is posing in a sophisticated and powerful manner.
Furthermore, The brand is constructed by giving a black woman positive attributes despite the way they were viewed during that time period; dirty and unworthy of respect. The name 'Belle' has strong connotations of beauty and refinement which Gugu Mbatha-Raw portrays with her acting. Along with her beauty, she also shows the knowledge a black woman can have which overall gives a very positive perspective to them.
E-media
1) Research the film’s presence on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. How does the film’s social media presence help promote the film?
Twitter: No official Twitter but promotes the film through Amma Asante, the prodeucer's twitter account.
Facebook: Constant updates of the film along with displaying the awards they are nominated for
Instagram: Page for promoting Belle, however, numerous hashtags of users who enjoyed the film was to be seen. Helps promote the film b/c many people will see the hashtag as well as a picture of or from the movie. Expands the fan base for the film.
2) Analyse the official website for the film. How does it use the film’s brand? What examples of synergy can you find with the other platforms?
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3) Did the film run any kind of e-media based campaign to generate interest in the film?
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4) Can you find any examples of the two-step flow theory online – did celebrities or journalists tweet or post about the film in order to promote it to their followers?
OPRAH-On Facebook, Oprah Winfrey stated: I loved the #BelleMovie so much I invited cast to lunch at my house. GuGu Mbatha-Raw is a rising star! Watch tonite on Entertainment Tonight. She then uploaded a picture of her with the stars of Belle.
This is an example of the two-step flow theory because, as a famous person who has millions of fans that look up to her and listen to her advice besides opinion. Oprah has shown her fan base that she loves the movie. This promotes the film because her fans would be interested to watch the movie and perhaps even love it because Oprah did. Also the picture she uploaded helps to promote the film and the stars as people would recognise them after seeing the picture.
Audience
1) Who is the target audience for this film? Demographics and psychographics.
The target audience for the film is primarily the demographic of ABC1 with target audience ranging from 20 - 50 year olds. This is due to the period drama genre being more popular within older audiences however it might of had a certain extent of popularity within the younger audiences as Amma Asante particularly wanted to focus on the romance aspect rather than making the film a history lesson.
2) How does the cross-media promotional campaign target this audience?
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3) What audience pleasures does the film provide? Think about the BFI lecture on audience pleasures in British film.
Due to the use of British accents and olden time costumes that was worn in the 1700s, this would appeal to the British audience but also the American audience as they usually enjoy watching films that provide a historical background on Britain. There is also a sense of personal relationship in the film as the audience would feel sympathy for Dido and would taker her side and view her as the protagonist. It provides a sense of self identity for those who may have been discriminated due to their race. It also creates personal relationships with a few of the characters.
4) What similar films would the target audience enjoy? Justify your suggestions.
Films with a story behind it would greatly appeal to the target audience for example 12 years a slave as they both hold the theme of slavery and the protagonist fighting for their peoples rights . Other films would be those who send a positive message or a film that displays the change form our generation to the earlier generations.
Institution
1) Which film studio produced the film? What other films have they produced? Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?
DJ Films
Isle of Man Film
BFI
Pinewood PicturesBFI
*Pinewood Pictures- Casino Royale
Sky Fall
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2
Sherlock Holmes
Pinewood Pictures does not have a track record with period films for the aimed target audience that Belle has, however, they have a lot of experience with big budget British films, the most well known being some of the James Bond films, therefore, they would try and help Belle reach the success rates that other movies have achieved.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Slumdog Millionaire , 12 Years a Slave, Black Nativity and Birdman
3) Do they have a track record with this kind of film and this target audience?
They have a track record of similar period films that include black people such as 12 years a slave, which was a particular global success.4) What was the budget for the film?
$10.9m
5) How successful was the film financially? Why do you think this was?
The film was not very successful due to the narrative of Belle, despite it making around million dollars worldwide, The budget for the film was roughly 11million as well, meaning there wasn't much profit made. However, Belle's e-media and print campaign helped promote the film and make it more known.
6) Was this film more successful in the UK or worldwide/USA? Why do you think this is?
The film was more successful in USA more than the UK and the rest of the world. This is probably due to the topic of racism being very much relevant in America audience more than a UK audience. Also, Americans enjoy watching British heritage films as it gives them a perspective of how Britain was and how modern Britain may be very similar.
7) What certificate was the film given (12A, 18 etc.)? What was the reason for this certificate? Is the certification important for this film in terms of targeting its audience? Why?
The certificate belle recieved for the film was a 12 A. this is due to the small strong language used in the film. Other than that, it is very family friendly and suitable for all ages.
Representation
1) What representations of people, places or groups can be found in this film?
The representation of black people in the society is very apparent as they are stereotyped to be low and dirty. Also with the representation of white british people is very negative as they have a deep representation of being racist against people of other colours even if they are blood relatives. The representation of black people and white rich people is made here which brings us to what Dyer suggested about people with power stereotype those with less power. Their was representations of the places as their were many big houses and mansions shown which represents wealth and riches.
2) What representation of ‘Britishness’ does the film contain?
The film has a great representation of British heritage to be very sophisticated with class and status.You can see this through the british accents used and the costumes that people in Britain would wear in the 1700's. This also applies to the setting of the film as it is set in the late British times. However it also gives the representation that Britain had and may even still have racist opinions, similarly to the film, on coloured people.
3) How does the representation of Britain differ to Ill Manors?
Ill Manors represents Britain as 'broken britain' and shows all the drugs and violence that happens on the streets. Their dressing is different as they were worn out, dark casual clothing to show their status as poor people living in Britain. However, Belle showed the posh and rich side that Britain had with colourful gowns and 'sophisticated' way of speech than that of Ill Manors slang terms.
4) What values and ideologies can you find in your chosen film? (E.g. The King’s Speech is extremely patriotic, pro-monarchy etc.)
The main ideology and value shown here is about going against the ideology of everyone not being equal. Also the factor of strength and difference is applied to the film.
Case study comparison
1) What similarities and differences can you find between Ill Manors, A Field In England and your chosen case study film? List all that apply.
The similarities the film holds with Ill Manors and A Field in England is that all the films are filmed and show some sort of British side and also all three films show different representations of Britain during different time periods. Despite being British films, all the films have vastly different genres that give different portrayals of Britain. They all show some sort of reality and Belle and Ill Manors are both based on some sort of true story but Ill Manors focuses more on social realism.
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