Male British Social Realism Director
Ken Loach
(Born 17th June 1936)
Ken Loach has never succumbed to the siren call of Hollywood, and it's virtually impossible to imagine his particular brand of British socialist realism translating well to that context.
 |
| 'Kes' one of Ken Loachs' well known films starred David Bradley who was founded in a local school and acted on the basis of improvisation (more realistic). |
Loach's film work is characterised by a particular view of realism; he strives in every area of filmmaking to emphasise genuine interplay between actors, to the point where some scenes in his films appear unscripted. All scenes are carefully scripted, around which some improvisation can occur. The final script and the final film are actually very close.
_________________________
Female British Social Realism Director
Andrea Arnold
_________________________
Andrea Arnold
best live action Short film with 'wasp'- a short film about a single Mother (2005). Her film 'Red Road' is set on a housing estate in Glasgow based on a CCTV operator becoming obsessed with someone she is observing. Arnold won the BAFTA Award in 2007 for Best Newcomer for 'Red Road'. In 2009 she created 'Fish Tank', a British Social Realist film based around a 15-year old girl who lives with her single mother.
Andrea Arnold is a Film maker and former actress who made her feature length directional debut in 2006 with 'Red Road'. Andrea Arnold was awarded an OBE for her services to film. Arnold won an Academy Award for the
 |
| 'Wasp' tackles the issue of single parenting |
1945- this era had to tackle the issue of the war. A film reflecting this view and including middle class families was Brief encounter.
__________________________________Development of Social Realism Films in Britain
Main Theme: Issues reflect the time in which the film is made
Timeline of British Social Realism films:
 |
| A king of loving (1962) |
1950's/1960's- this was the angry young man era. A film which reflected this era and household roles was A kind of loving (1962).
1980's- this era tackled change in communities and people finding their own identity. An example of the is My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) which was produced by Working Title Films.
 |
| Brassed Off (1996) |
 |
| My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) |
______________________________________
Barthes' Codes:
 |
| Roland Barthes suggests narrative is a ball of tangled threads which needs unravelling which we separate as individuals. You can have different viewpoints on the narratives and pull different meanings from the narrative and create one meaning for that text. Texts can either be: 'open' (unravelled in a lot of different ways), 'closed' (there is only one obvious thread to be pulled). |
The Enigma Code- leads the viewer to ask questions about the narrative and raise questions on the part of the reader of a text or the viewer of a film.
The Action Code- the plot events that simply lead to yet other actions. Suspense can be created by action rather than by a reader's or a viewer's wish to have mysteries explained.
APPLYING BARTHES' CODE:
Fish Tank (2006)
opening two minutes:
opening two minutes:
Enigma Codes
Whilst watching the first two minutes of Fish Tank I wrote down some enigmas that crossed my mind:
Whilst watching the first two minutes of Fish Tank I wrote down some enigmas that crossed my mind:
 |
| - Why is she out of breathe? - Why is she on a higher level building? - Why is she ringing? - Why is she calling people names? - Why is she sorry? - Why does her Mom swear at her? - Why is there a horse in an industrial wasteland? - Why did she start a fight one someone she didn't know? - Why are the young girls sunbathing? |
All of these questions asked establish her character for the rest of the film. In the first two minutes the audience might ask these questions and this will then establish her character and her personality.
 |
Action Codes: - Head butting another girl - Rescuing a horse - Dancing on the street - Sunbathing on the grass outside a flat - Throwing a stone at the window to get some ones attention |
Theses action codes also develop her character within the first two minutes and the community behind her and the ways in which she lives.
I can apply this to my production of the opening two minutes by creating enigmas about my character e.g. why is trying to get hold of her boyfriend on the phone? this will hook the audience and create the narrative.
I can apply this to my production of the opening two minutes by creating enigmas about my character e.g. why is trying to get hold of her boyfriend on the phone? this will hook the audience and create the narrative.
__________________________________
Todorov's Theory:
Todorov developed a theory based on the basic structure for all narratives. he suggested films begin with an EQUILIBRIUM, followed by a CALM PERIOD, later followed by disruption causing a DISEQUILIBRIUM (unsettlement/ disquiet) and finallly reduced calmly by a new EQUILIBRIUM. this is the simplest form of narrative usually presented in Hollywood films.
Todorov argues that narrative involves transformation- the characters or the situations are transformed through the progress of the disruption.
________________________________________
Who Finances British Realism films?
 |
| The UK Film Councils film fund is the production and development heart of the UK Film Council. They support filmmakers in the UK who are emerging or world class and capable of creating distinctive and creative work. There are three funds offering around £17 million Lottery funding per year for the production and development of films. |
Films which have been funded by the UK Film Council which tackle British Social Realism:
 |
| Fish Tank- Production Companies include: UK Film Council and BBC Film |
 |
| This is England- Production Company: Film4 and UK Film Council |
 |
| The British Broadcasting Corporation Films is firmly established at the forefront of British independent film-making and co-produces approximately eight films a year. Working with major international film distributors, BBC Films aims to make strong British films with range and ambition. |
 |
| Film4 develops and co-finances films and is known for working with the most innovative talent in the UK, whether new or established. Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel 4. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The company's first production was Walter, directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982. Before 1998, the company was identified as Channel Four Films or FilmFour International. Later, the outfit was re-branded as FilmFour, to coincide with the launch of a new Digital TV channel of the same name. |
 |
| Trainspotting- Production company: Channel Four Films which is now called Film4 productions |
Distribution
 |
| Vertigo Films is a UK Media company founded in 2002 to create and distribute commercially driven independent cinema. In 2002, Vertigo Films was created by producers Allan Niblo (producer of Human Traffic and South West 9), James Richardson (producer of Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang)), director Nick Love (screenwriter and, prior to company formation, director of Goodbye Charlie Bright and The Football Factory), distributor Rupert Preston(distributor of Chopper, Chasing Amy and Bride of Chucky, among others), and entrepreneur Rob Morgan. The company was formed for the express purpose of distributing and producing two films, The Football Factory and It's All Gone Pete Tong; its current stated goal is to produce and distribute four films per year. |
 |
| Summer (2008) was distributed by Vertigo Films |
 |
| Verve Pictures is an independent UK specialist film distributor, with particular emphasis on British and independent films. As an off-shoot of Verve, Drakes Avenue Pictures distributes independent films on DVD, with a special interest in contemporary arthouse and foreign films. |
 |
| 'Bullet Boy' was distributed by Verve Pictures |
__________________________________
Codes and Conventions of British Social Realism Films
As part of my AS Media Coursework I am going to make an opening two minutes of a British Social Realism Film. Before producing my film I have undertaken some research to understand the topic I am filming and understand the codes and conventions of British Social Realism.
I have found some Codes and Conventions of British Social Realism:
 |
| Katie Jarvis- Mia from Fish Tank 1) The use of unknown Actors- The actors can be anyone making the film more realistic and closer to British Social Realism. |
 |
| Working Class area shown in the film This is England 2) Working Class- The majority of films show working class areas for example: 24/7, Yasmin, Kes and This is England. |
 |
| Twenty Four Seven is set on an estate where the community is trying to pull together through boxing. 3) Location- The location is usually a run down area or a council estate with a sense of community which is established in the most British Social Realism films. |
 |
| 18 year old Ricky (right) and his 12 year old brother Curtis (left both feature in the film Bullet Boy and tackle gun crime. 4) Age of Characters- The age is usually teenagers or young adults attracting this age group to watch the film. |
 |
| Yasmin tackled the issue of racism towards her religion after the 9/11 bombings in America 5) Political and Religious views- often British Realism Films make a political or religious point and that characters' lives somehow illustrate the point e.g. racism in 'Yasmin; the effect of unemployment in 'Brassed off'; social deprivation in 'Kes'. |
Contemporary British Realism Films show issues of today: Drugs, Knife Crime (e.g. Bullet Boy), Money, Teenage Pregnancy, Racism (e.g. Yasmin), Recession, Education, Abuse and Sexuality.
_____________________________________
First two minutes of British Realism Films
As part of my research into British Realism as a genre I watched the first two minutes of six films within this genre. Whilst Watching I recorded the amount of edits, characters, locations and titles within the first two minutes:
The average number of edits is 13
The average number of Characters is 3
The average number of locations is 3
The average number of titles is 6
By conducting this research it has helped me understand how I can structure my opening two minutes of a British Realism Film.
_____________________________________
Case Study:Kes (1969)
Directed by Ken Loach
Directed by Ken Loach
'Kes' is a good example of a British Social Realism Film, tackling issues such as: Working class backgrounds/ families, youth and social deprivation. Within the film the main character is a young boy like the majority of British Social Realism Films.
The Director of the film is Ken Loach and the way he worked was to script the whole film but allow for improvisation around the script. this adds to the interplay between characters and can greater a sense of realism.
The film is set in Northern England (Yorkshire) which relates back to a key convention of a British Social Realism film. The film uses unknown British actors including the lead who was selected from a school which makes the acting more realistic within the film.
Opening Two Minutes of Kes
Opening Two Minutes of Kes
 |
| 19 secs: Film Studio Company |
 |
| 22 secs: For the rest of the two minutes the camera shot shows a bed where two brothers are lying in it. The lighting is very dark and the characters speak with a regional accent. The camera shot is a mid shot which shows the whole bed where the two brothers are asleep. |
______________________________________
Case Study:Twenty Four Seven (1997)
Directed by Shane Meadows
Directed by Shane Meadows
This is another example of a British Realism Film. The film uses conventions such as: Youth, Gangs and Working class areas.
The film was Directed by Shane Meadows and was set in Northern England (Cheshire) like many other British Social Realism films. The film is based on youths in a deprived English setting having nothing to do so they become involved in gangs and gang crime.
Throughout the film the characters (youth) are given a sense of purpose and they build group ties through boxing. This shows the audience realistic relationships between the characters.
____________________________________
____________________________________
Case Study: Yasmin (2004)
Directed by Kenneth Glenaan
Directed by Kenneth Glenaan
This British Social Realism film is about a Muslim community in Britain. The film tackles how a Muslim woman lives in a British Northern community. Within the film they contrast between her religious beliefs and how England treats these beliefs when a significant part of history commences.
The film tackles conventions such as: Racism, Deprived areas and Religion.
In this clip you can see the contrast between the characters, the contrast between the settings and characters and the two lives the woman is trying to face in Britain:
Opening two minutes of Yasmin:
 |
| The titles are shown for 14 seconds. The Titles include: - Scottish Screen and Channel 4 present - in association with Screen Yorkshire and EuroArts - A Parallax Independent Production in co-production with EuroArts Medien AG |
 |
| This shot shows the deprived area in which the characters live in. The opening shot shows the community around the characters: cobblestone buildings, litter on the road and pillars that appear to have been damaged. The characters shown within this shot are Muslim but with the different clothing worn by the two characters there is a contrast with old and modern generations. |
 |
| The following shot shows the discrimination against the characters religion in their community. The issue of racism is portrayed throughout the film. |
 |
| This long shot shows the contrast between the British streets and buildings and the religious clothing of the Muslim community. This shows the audience how the British community has become more diverse and it'll be a strong story line throughout the film. The Mise en scene (cobblestone buildings) is an example of British Social Realism. |
 |
| This long of shot of the main character Yasmin shows her getting changed from her Islamic clothing into her British work clothes. This represents the way in which the character is trying to fit into the community but still holding on to her religious views. |
