Researching Sing Street

Sing Street is a low budget British indie film directed by John Carne. It was released on the 20th May 2016 but was first premiered at Sundance Film Festival on the 24th January 2016. It was distributed in the UK by Lionsgate and was produced by a number of companies; FilmNation Entertainment own the rights to the film - they have worked on larger films like The Intimation Game (2014), The King's Speech (2010) and Arrival, as well as smaller films like Under The Skin (2013). It features music from Duran Duran, The Clash and The Jam - as well as music by the in-film band Sing Street.

Audience

Sing Street is an indie film and therefore applies towards a niche market/audience. The fact that it is rated a 12A means that a younger audience can also engage with the film - perhaps allowing for the younger demographic to become part of its market. Despite this, the film certainy isn't a 4 quadrant film. 

Cast

John Carne decided to cast fairly "unknown" actors for the film:

Lucy Boynton

Ferdia Walsh-Peelo

Maria Doyle Kennedy

Jack Reynor

Box Office and Budget

In the UK, the film earned a total of $1,649,512. It's worldwide Box Office gross was $10,029,082. It was difficult to find the official budget for the film, however I assume it was fairly small (between $2 million and $4 million). 

Technology

Since Sing Street had a small budget, the use of technology was fairly limited. However, green screen/CGI technology is used towards the end of the film - but not in large amounts. The film was shot on a 35mm film format, on an Arricam LT camera.  

Location

One factor that may have allowed the film to save money is the fact that it was filmed entirely in Ireland - specifically in the city of Dublin.

One particular filming location was Dalkey Island - in which Conor and Raphina have a romantic picnic:

Marketing 

The marketing for Sing Street wasn't as extensive as Star Wars: The Force Awakens due to its much smaller budget. However, the film still had posters and trailers to market it - as well as some interviews! I was somewhat surprised at the amount of marketing, because of the size of the film.

Posters

There are a variety of different posters for the film that all have a particular style - the bottom one is a Korean poster!

Trailer

Interviews

Lucy even appeared on Jimmy Kimmel which is fairly impressive - considering the size of the film.

As well as this, the film was premiered at Sundance Film Festival - actors Ferdia-Walsh Peelo and Mark McKenna performed live!

Products

There was a small variety of products available - including the film itself, available on both DVD and Blu Ray:

However, audiences could also access the film's soundtrack via iTunes. The in-film band Sing Street has its own VEVO channel on YouTube - featuring music videos from the film:

Marketing Ex_Machina

Marketing for Ex_Machina contrasts dramatically to Star Wars: The Force Awakens as there was far less of it. Methods of marketing still involved posters, social media, and trailers - but it wasn't as extensive and "big".

Social Media/Website

Ex_Machina took a different approach to social media marketing by having an innovative publicity stunt: it was decided to give Ava a tinder account, which links nicely with the Turing test element of the film. 

This publicity was started in SXSW and quickly gained media attention: essentially publicising the film for free!

As well as this, a website was created called Ava Sessions - https://ava-sessions.com
This website allows the consumer to "interact" with Ava and draws an image of what the user desires:

The marketing of Ex_MAchina is certainly impressive and innovative, especially when compared to Star Wars, and is certainly BTL marketing.

Yet another impressive marketing feature is the Bluebook Website:

Bluebook was Nathan's company from the film and so it's super cool to see it's own website (featuring ambient music)!

Posters

These are two official Ex_Machina film posters. However, there were also a number of fan made posters - as shown below:

Trailers

Unlike Star Wars: The Force Awakens,  Ex_Machina only had a single trailer for its release:

Questions on: DNA Films

When was DNA Films founded and who were the co-founders of it?
DNA Fims was founded by both Duncan Kenworthy and Andrew Macdonal, two of Britain's most successful producers, in 1983.

Where is DNA based?
DNA is a British company that is based in London, England.

How many films has DNA produced?
DNA films has produced a total of 26 films including:

• Trainspotting (1996)
• 28 Days Later (2002)
• Sunshine (2007)
• Dredd (2012)
• Sunshine on Leith (2013)
• Ex_Machina (2015)
• T2 Trainspotting (2017)

What awards have DNA Films won?
DNA have received a number of awards for several films:

• Academy Award for Ex_Machina (Best Visual Effects)
• BAFTA Awards for The Last King of Scotland (Best British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor)
• Empire Award for Love Actually (Best British Film)

DNA Films box-office hits:

1. Trainspotting (1996)
2. Ex_Machina (2015)
3. 28 Days Later (2002)
4. Love Actually (2003)
5. The Last King of Scotland 

DNA Films flops:

1. Sunshine (2007)
2. Dredd (2012)
3. Never Let Me Go (2010)
4. Amelia (2009)
5. Strictly Sinatra (2001)

What is Danny Boyle's relationship with DNA Films?
Danny Boyle directed 28 Days Later and Trainspotting - both being largely successful films for the company. It was rumoured that he owned the company, however this was later discovered to be false.

List 3 famous directors who have worked for DNA Films:

• Danny Boyle
• Richard Curtis
• Mark Romanek

Famous actors who have starred in films made by DNA Films:

1. Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting)
2. Domhnall Gleeson (Ex_Machina)
3. Christopher Eccleston (28 Days Later)
4. Hugh Grant (Love Actually)
5. Liam Neeson (Love Actually)

What has been DNA Films' highest grossing film?
DNA Film's highest grossing film was Love Actually (starring Liam Neeson) as it grossed a total of $46.9 million.

What Hollywood studios have DNA Films worked with?

List 2 of DNA Films' big blockbuster films and find out their budgets:

• Sunshine ($45 million)
• Dredd ($40 million)

What film is DNA Films most famous for?
This question seems to be open to opinion, and so it is arguable that DNA Films are most famous for Trainspotting.

What other genres do DNA Films like to make?
DNA Films are known for making smaller, indie films with genres including: sic-fi, thriller, romance and drama.

Marketing Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The marketing campaign for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was extensive and used a large proportion of the film's budget.

Marketing areas included:

• Tie-in products
• Social media
• Magazines
• Posters
• Trailers
• Television - e.g. chat shows
• Toys

Tie-in products 

Star Wars has an influence in both Western and Eastern cultures - in terms of products - as exhibited with these food items. As with the cereal, many tie-in products are branded as being "limited edition" which entices consumers to buy them.

Social Media

The film was prominent on many different social media sites and had its own social media pages on Twitter, Facebook etc. 

As a marketing ploy, a 360 degree video, that placed the audience into Rey's POV, was posted on Facebook:

The diagram below highlights the areas in which Star Wars: The Force Awakens was most active:

Magazines

A large variety of popular magazines had Star Wars: The Force Awakens features, including:

• Time Magazine
• Empire 
• Rolling Stone
• Vanity Fair

Posters

It is common for film posters to vary in different countries and cultures.

In China for example, storm troopers are featured far more in the poster:

However, the German poster has a significant lack of storm troopers (possibly dude to their connotations with Hitler and the Nazi Party).

Trailers

The first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released a year before the final film was released:

Since then, a number of different trailers were released throughout social media and cinemas, up until the film's release date on the 17th December 2015 - including this really cool unofficial trailer made by fans in the style of Wes Anderson!

Television

Disney is a conglomerate that owns a number of companies, including ABC Entertainment Group. Therefore, it was natural that ABC would market the film and the cast appeared on live TV:

Toys

Disney partnered with the toy company Sphero to produce a smartphone operated BB8.

Star Wars Lego was massively popular - there were a number of different sets for The Force Awakens. 

The Big Six

A major film studio is a film producer, and production company, that releases a substantial number of films annually.

The Big Six film studios are as follows:

Warner Bros. Pictures:

Comprising a whopping 19.7 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Warner Bros. Pictures is the biggest player in the film industry. Securing the rights to major films like Harry Potter, Superman, Batman, The Matrix and Star Wars have made Warner Bros. the No. 1 name in the business.

Paramount Pictures:

With 15.5 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Paramount Pictures continues to be one of the most successful film production companies in the world. Star Trek, War of the Worlds, the Mission Impossible series, Transformers and Tropic Thunder are just a few of the popular films produced by Paramount Pictures.

Walt Disney:

One of the most renowned film production companies in the history of the business, Walt Disney now holds 15.3 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). With highly successful movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted, there's no doubt that Disney will continue to play a key role in the industry for years to come.

Columbia Pictures:

Comprising 12.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Columbia Pictures remains a big player in the business. Some of this company's recent successes include Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, the Spider-Man series and Step Brothers.

Universal Studios:

12.2 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures) belongs to Universal Studios, which continues to make millions for the film industry. With major hits like the Bourne series (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum), The American Pie series, Knocked Up, American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk, it's very clear that Universal Studios knows what it takes to make money in this industry.

20th Century Fox:

Also known as "Twentieth Century Fox," this highly successful movie production company makes up 11.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). Some of the biggest and most successful movies from this empire include the X-Men series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Star Wars Episodes II and III, and the Fantastic Four.

Ex_Machina Review

Released on the 21st January 2015, Ex_Machina is a British psychological sic-fi film by debut director Alex Garland. Caleb Smith (Domnhall Gleeson), a programmer at the large technological company BlueBook, has won a prize to meet the company's CEO Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac) at his house in  Norway. Caleb seemingly suspects that this week-long visit will consist of bonding, and could result in a promotion. This takes a dramatic turn when Nathan reveals to Caleb that he is involved in testing a new AI called Ava (Alicia Vikander); built by Nathan himself. As an audience we are plunged into a dramatic story of ethics, deception and questioning: we find ourselves confused with who to trust, just as Caleb is himself. For a smaller budget film ($15million) the visual effects are incredibly impressive and, as the film progresses, they become unobservable to the audience.

I would consider Ava to be my favourite character and this is partly due to Vikander's acting talent: she succeeded in giving life to a synthetic character, whilst retaining a feeling that Ava is not quite perfect. Vikander is trained in ballet, and it is the control she has over her body that aids her in performing her role so well; the slightest of movements created a sense of innocence and intrigue - even in the way Alicia made Ava walk or tilt her head.

There is certainly a question of morals and ethics concerning the film; full frontal nudity is present throughout and it is argued that this is merely for the audience's pleasure. However, I think Garland has used this to express two things: it highlights Nathan's bullish and dominant character and, most importantly, it suggests how human these non-human robots are. Perhaps the inclusion of full nude shots is to express the moral conscience of the film; these creations shouldn't be used as effective "slaves" for simple pleasure. I found the decision to place Caleb in a viewing "box" interesting because it's reminiscent of a zoo - Ava is the tiger prowling in her enclosure and Caleb is the visitor.

Overall, I found Ex_Machina truly awesome: after finishing it, I was immediately left with questions regarding the plot and the meanings of the film. The superb twist made the film even better than it previously was and, for such a small budget film, the sound design and visual effects were mesmerising and crafted into the film effortlessly - not to mention the incredible cast.

Researching Ex_Machina

Ex_Machina is a British psychological sci-fi film, directed by first-time director Alex Garland and produced by Andrew Macdonald and Allen Reich. The film was produced by smaller production companies Film4 and DNA Films, but was distributed by the renowned Universal Pictures. 

Cast

Domnhall Gleeson - Caleb

Oscar Isaac - Nathan

Alicia Vikander - Ava

Budget and Box Office figures

Since this film isn't a Hollywood Blockbuster, its budget was a modestly small $15 million. However, the film was a big success and totalled a figure of $36.9 million worldwide. 

Screening numbers

Ex_Machina was shown on a total of 1,255 screens on its opening weekend, which is a fairly large amount. In total, the peak number amount of screens in the USA was 2,004.

Technology 

A number of different cameras were used in the film, including a GoPro. The film was shot digitally at a 4K resolution on Sony CineAlta F65 and Sony CineAlta PMW-F55 cameras (£22,000 each). Surprisingly, no motion capture was used during filming and effects were added in post production by Double Negative:

Locations

The film was located in the UK (Pinewood Studios) and in various places in Norway. For example, Nathan's house is actually the Juvet Landscape Hotel (pictured below).

Critical reaction

The film received good reviews and was widely accepted by the public, despite its slower pace and smaller scale: it was rated 7.7 on IMDB, 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 78% on Metacritic. These scores are all fairly high and certainly suggest that the film has left a lasting impact. 

Writing an essay: Doc Martin

Regional identity is constructed within the extract to highlight the stereotypical binary opposite between those who live in the city (intelligent, stressed, impatient) and people who live in the countryside (ignorant, calm, unconcerned) positioning the audience to find humour, rather than challenge traditional representations, in the differences between Doc Martin and the local residence.

The establishing shot is of a doctors surgery that is outdated, lacking in modern features that one would expect to see - this positions the audience to believe that the countryside is 'behind' when regarding technological advancement, especially in contrast to the city. This is a common stereotype of the countryside that is often presented in television drama. With the use of a wide angle shot, the audience can see a dramatic contrast between Doc Martin who represents the city (dressed in a suit and tie) and the two men dressed in boiler suits (representing the countryside). In this frame, Doc Martin is positioned higher than the two men, which could connate authority, whereas one of the two men appears lackadaisical; he is sitting down, eating and overweight. The room appears to be uncared for though the use of mise en scene: there are boxes stacked in the background and the two men are repairing the broken tap.

Holding the wide angle shot for a prolonged amount of time, as well as the lack of editing, connotes to the common stereotype that the countryside is passive and sleepy - linking to the overweight character who is depicted being lazy on the job. It also compares to the fast lifestyle of the city (Doc Martin) because the action is forced to slow down. The amount of hard editing begins to increase, however, once the water pipe is broken and stress levels begin to rise: the audience is positioned to feel Dr Martin's current stress, as the other characters are being somewhat useless and are refusing to aid in the situation - this could refer to the common stereotype that those in the countryside are unconcerned and relaxed. A high angled camera shot is used when focusing on the dog, to position the audience to think that Dr Martin is going to hurt it and we are left with a sense of pity and fear - we infer that people from the city are angry, and pose a threat. Non-diegetic sound is used when Doc Martin is threatening the dog, to create a greater foreboding atmosphere.

A medium long shot, with a wide angle, is used to depict Dr Martin walking to the police station: this suggests that, unlike the city, the countryside is much quieter. There is a significant lack of cars on his journey which suggests that the countryside is clean and free from pollution. More non-diegetic sound is used on his journey, to create a light hearted atmosphere that positions the audience to think that the countryside "plods along" slowly - highly contrasted to the erratic nature of city life. Once Dr Martin has reached the police station, the mise en scene is similar to that of the doctors surgery; this could be referencing to the lack of crime in the countryside, as there is little need for technological advancement: the computer in the background of the frame appears antiquated. The policeman's dialect is different to Dr Martin's, and we as the reader assume that he is quiescent and "dim" - especially when compared to Martin's loud voice.

The "oner" used to present the engagement between the older woman and Dr Martin is used to reinforce that there is little action in the countryside. With the use of mine en scene, the audience is positioned to think that the older woman is rich, as she is the only character in the extract to own a car. This suggests that, in the countryside, only those who are richer can afford to drive a car and thus links with the stereotype that the countryside is "backwards". 

When Dr Martin notices the younger woman in the school, a close up reaction shot is used between the two characters to suggest that both of them will interact with each other eventually - a POV shot also highlights Dr Martin's interest in the woman. This engagement between two characters is ended quickly through a cut to a wider shot that depicts an old woman with freshly grown cabbages - this mise en scene positions the audience to believe that most people in rural areas are farmers, even those who are old.

Questions on Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Who owns Lucasfilm?

Lucasflm is owned by Disney, possibly the largest film company in the world. Disney paid $4.05 billion on October 30, 2012.

Who formed Lucasfilm and when was it formed?

George Lucas formed Lucasfilm in 1971.


Who is the president of Lucasfilm?

Kathleen Kennedy is the president of Lucasfilm. She became president after George Lucas offered her the position.


What films has Kathleen Kennedy worked on?

She is well known for Schindler's list and Back to the Future, and she also worked on the Disney/Studio Ghibli film Ponyo.


Who wrote Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

Star Wars: The force Awakens was written by JJ Abrams (who also directed the film), Laurence Kasdan and Michael Arndt.


Who directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

The film was directed by JJ Abrams, who has previously directed other sic-fi films like Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness.

How many Star Wars films have there been?

Star Wars (1977)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

What is the total amount of money that they have all made globally?

The franchise has made a total of $6,553,571,883.


What does ILM stand for?

Industrial Light and Magic.


What do ILM do?

ILM focuses on visual effects and was once considered a leading company in the industry of computer graphics.


Who created ILM and why was it created?

ILM was founded by George Lucas himself, in 1975. He decided to create the company to aid in the production of the Star Wars films - many of them featured impressive visual effects.


What do casting directors do?

Casting directors are involved in the selection of actors for a particular film. They discuss with the director/producers to decide if the actor is right for the role and so they have a lot of responsibility.

Where were the first scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens filmed? 

The opening scenes were filmed in the Rub’al Khali desert, close to Abu Dhabi:

What format was Star Wars: The Force Awakens shot on?

The film was shot on a film format, which would contribute to the large budget of the movie - film is unfortunately quite expensive.


What types of camera were used to film Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

The predominant type of camera used to film the movie was a film-format IMAX camera - pretty f***ing expensive!

What is IMAX?

IMAX is a technique of widescreen cinematography which produces an image approximately ten times larger than that from standard 35 mm film.

How many IMAX screens was the film available on?

Although there were just under a thousand IMAX screens worldwide, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was shown on less than 400 hundred of them.

What studio was used to film a large proportion of the film?

Pinewood studios, located in Buckinghamshire (England), was used to film a large amount of sense in the movie. The James Bond franchise was also filmed in this location, which is a coincidence as Daniel Craig (the most recent James Bond) secretly featured as a Stormtrooper.

Who was the inspiration for the character of Maz Kanata?

Abrams got the idea for Maz Kanata after being inspired by a previous school teacher Rose Gilbert.

Who played Maz Kanata and what technology was used to "create" Maz?

Lupita Nyong'o (who also starred in 12 Years a Slave) played the character of Maz and, instead of just voice acting, she actually played and acted the role thanks to motion capture and CGI technology.

Who played General Snoke?

Andy Serkis played the role of Snoke, using motion capture technology once again. As he is renowned for playing characters thatneed motion capture, he provided Lupita with tips on how to get into role when covered in tiny white dots and large headgear.

Where was the final scene filmed?

The final scene was filmed on the isle of Skellig, Ireland - pictured below:

As you can see, it's incredibly impressive and a superb location to place a lost Luke Skywalker.

Who composed the film score?

The film score was composed by John Williams, who composed all of the original music for the previous films - this is the guy who made Darth Vader so menacing. Not only that, but he has also composed music for the Indiana Jones films.

How many times did John Boyega audition for the film?

The auditioning process was an epic total of 7 months and, according to JJ Abrams, Boyega auditioned 9 times within this period.

How many people operated BB8 and what type of technology was the main version  of BB8?

To bring BB8 to life, two different forms of technology were used - both of them practical. There was a puppet format of the droid, as well as a remote control version. The remote control version was extensive and needed 3 people to control it: one for the head; one for the movement, and one for the body itself. The puppet was similar but used two people to control the movement and head.

What colour suit did the BB8 operator wear and why?

The operators wore either a green or a blue suit, so that they can be easily edited out in the final
production of the film - similar to a green/blue screen.

What types of special effects were employed on Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

This film used a mix of practical effects and computer generated images (CGI). Practical effects were used in majority to create an authentic feel to the movie and to create a slight nostalgic feeling. For me personally, I love it when films use practical effects - it feels so much more real and it's genuinely impressive. CGI is used to create specific characters, settings, light sabres etc.

How many people were behind the monitor watching the scene when Han and Chewie returned to the Millennium falcon?

Over 200 people gathered behind Abrams to look at the monitor; considering that this is a fairly prolific scene, it's understandable!

Why was Simon Pegg thanked in the credits of Sta Wars: The Force Awakens?

Simon Pegg was thanked in the credits because he played to role of Unkar Plutt.

What was the age rating of the film in the UK?

The film had an age rating of a 12 in the UK.

How much money did the UK government contribute to the production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens? 

The film received tax relief during production, which saved £20 million (approx. 25%) of its first budget. In total, around $170 million was saved.

How much was Harrison Ford paid to reprise his role as Han Solo?

Ford was paid a gargantuan $25 million to play his famous role and was also given 0.5% share of the profits - that's a lot of money!

How much were Daisy Ridley and John Boyega paid for their roles?

They both received $460,000 (which is still a large amount) as well as a share in the profits of the film. It's interesting to think that the actors who play the most prominent roles are paid less, because they aren't considered A-List.

Ethnicity On Television

Ethnicity in: Hotel Babylon

Identifying ethnicities

It's fairly easy to identify what ethnicity a person is on television, because of the extreme stereotypes that feature in dramas. In this extract from Hotel Babylon, many of the characters are portrayed as their stereotypes that, when analysed, are actually extremely racist - despite the fact that it's a BBC production!

This female character is dressed in white clothes, with blonde hair and, most likely, has blue eyes - fitting with the common stereotype. She also has the line of: "brain like a sieve" when referring to the black character, which fits with the television drama "rule" that white characters are sometimes racist. Not only this, but the woman is strong-willed and is dominant over those who are of ethnic minorities and is portrayed as a good person.

This Asian character is shown to be in a low-budget bat cave setup surrounded by technology. According to the rules of TV drama, all Asian people are "nerdy' and love computers and other geeky items; remember, if it's on TV it must be true! The fact that this character is using a computer, the audience may link her ethnicity with Asian even before hearing her speak. Asian characters are often "submissive" (yes, really) and this can be seen within the extract: she is the first person out of all the characters to say "thank you", despite being considered in a higher position than them in the hotel. 

Despite the fact that the character's are from different ethnic backgrounds, they still aid one another in this extract. Adam (a black character) saves the life of an Eastern European character, by feeding her jam (who knew jam was so useful?). This sense of unity suggests that the ethnic minority groups treat each other with respect and are like a large community.  

Four Key Themes in Racial Representations

There are four key themes that need to be acknowledged when analysing racial representations;

1. Exotic - yes, this is as incredibly racist as it sounds. I guess it's like comparing a character to a piece of fruit??
2. Dangerous - does the character pose any danger because of their ethnicity?
3. Humorous - is any humour evoked because of the character's ethnicity?
4. Pitied - are we supposed to pity a character because of their ethnicity?

In the extract from Hotel Babylon, there is a black character (Ibrahim) that is presented as "exotic" (or tribal) and we feel pity for him. In the image below, taken from the extract, the audience can presumably see Ibrahim's family; they are dressed in what looks like traditional dress and it seems to fit with the tribal stereotype.

By picturing this tribal family, suddenly Ibrahim's character becomes more exotic. As an audience, this doesn't appear to be racist of any sort: it helps us to identify his ethnicity/origin and merely enhances our pity for him. It is only with clear analysis that we realise this is stereotypical - just because a person is black, it doesn't mean they have a tribal family back home!

Ibrahim is also presented as a weaker character, compared to other characters in the extract. There is a particular scene in which Ibrahim is apprehended by three white characters - suggesting that, because he is black, he is weaker.

Message of the clip

The audience can infer that white characters in the television drama have more power over ethnic minorities. There certainly appears to be a mix of conflict and unity between ethnicities: the conflict between the white Immigration Officers and the staff of the hotel is large. But then there is a unity of many different ethnicities within the hotel, for example - the asian woman takes responsibility when helping to hide the hotel staff, despite them being a completely different ethnic minority to her.

Since the BBC is considered to be a fairly liberal broadcasting station, it is likely that Hotel Babylon (in this clip particularly) is supposed to be highlighting the differences in ethnicity and create pity for ethnic minorities. As a little extra, I began to think about the name of the television program itself: Babylon is said to be the most important cities in the Ancient Middle East and is often referenced in the Bible. Christianity is a religion that is widespread among different ethnicities - perhaps Babylon was chosen to suggest that the large variety of characters, with different ethnicities, are all working together?

Relating Perkins' assumptions to Hotel Babylon

Tessa Perkins used her academic roots in sociology to create ideas about stereotypes in film. She decided that stereotypes can be challenged, and identified five assumptions that can be objected:

1. Stereotypes aren't always negative - not all stereotypes are negative, for example: British people are typically linked with the Queen and are considered to drink lots of tea.
2. Stereotypes aren't always about minority/less powerful groups of people - we often stereotype politicians or upper class people.
3. Stereotypes can be about your own 'group'.
4. They aren't rigid or unchanging.
5. Stereotypes aren't always false.

Stereotypes aren't always negative:

It is a common stereotype that migrant workers are hard-working and committed. In this screenshot we can see Ibrahim, a migrant worker, cleaning the carpet and staying focused. This links with the stereotype that migrants are hard-working but also challenges the stereotype that Black people are lazy.

Stereotypes aren't always false:

It is a stereotype that Asian people are often smart and more intelligent than other ethnicities. Even their school systems are based on working hard and that's why many are successful. 

Stereotypes aren't rigid or unchanging:

If this television program was made 40/50 years ago, the manager of a hotel wouldn't be a female character. Now that out society has evolved, so ha our stereotype of women: it is now completely acceptable for a woman to be in a high up position with power in her hands. This proves that stereotypes can evolve and change, especially when society changes as well.

Camera Shots in Hotel Babylon

This clip lacks a substantial establishing shot because the audience doesn't really learn anything from it; the only thing we can see in the establishing shot is a close up shot of a man in a suit. 

However, this close up shot soon becomes a medium long shot, suggesting that this man now has a larger perspective on what is going on - thus increasing our perspective as well.

During the scene in which Ibrahim is tackled by the Immigration Officers, a close up reaction shot is used, to present the character's fear more clearly to the audience. This particular shot is also a zoom shot, increasing drama and excitement - it also appears to be a handheld shot, as there is a slight shakiness to it. The use of a handheld shot brings realism to the scene, and we get a sense that the Immigration officers are now running at the character. 

Surprisingly (or perhaps not surprisingly) there aren't many "exciting" shots that evoke feelings towards ethnicity; there is a significant lack in low/high angled to portray a shift in power, which is clearly an easy way to represent the imbalance in ethnicity.