I,Daniel Blake

Question 1

What’s the product context?

Answer 1

• Independent Social Realist film
• Directed by renowned filmmaker Ken Loach.
• Received funding from the BFI and BBC (low budget film)

Question 2

What does the film address?

Answer 2

• Contemporary British social issues such as poverty, the welfare system and work capability assessment.
• The film itself portrays traditionally under represented characters in NewCastle.

Question 3

How can you identify that it’s low budget and what is the effect of this?

Answer 3

• Who it’s funded through
• The fact that it features lesser known actors and doesn’t rely on special effects
• It’s filmed largely on location (hospital, job centre etc)
• This makes the film more realistic and is true to the topic of poverty showing ‘true footage’

Question 4

What is the impact of Ken Loach being the producer?

Answer 4

• Ken Loach has repeatedly secured funding for social realist films
• He’s a well known and successful figure in the UK and can be considered to challenge mainstream and capitalist values
• There’s a potential pre-sold audience, eager to watch his film.

Question 5

How do media organisations maintain audiences through marketing nationally and globally?

Answer 5

• Marketing establishes the status and reputation of the film.
• There’s been positive critical comments on the poster and a reference to the Palme D’Or award in the trailer.
• The genre of the film being social realist and having Ken Loach as director are important factors of maintaining audiences.

Question 6

How is the target audience recognised?

Answer 6

• The trailer: BBC, BFI and the Palme d’Or award suggests education of the audience.
• It explores specific government policy so audiences have to be aware of political and social UK issues.
• Loach’s fans are pre-sold audience.

Question 7

How could you apply Curran and Seaton say in terms of Power and Media industries?

Answer 7

• The trailer offers an experience that sits outside the logic of profit and power.
• It also demonstrates a level of variety and creativity that doesn’t reflect their ideas about the impact of media concentration.