Case study

• Product context
• Independent social realist film directed by Ken Loach
• UK/French co-production
• BFI
• BBC Films
• BBC Films & I, Daniel Blake
• Ken Loach’s largest Box Office hit (taking over $8 million)
• Highly critically acclaimed
• Exhibited at many film festivals
• Won the Palme d’Or at Cannes
• Nominated for many awards including the BAFTAs
• Generated debate due to the contemporary social and political issues in the film
• Historical context
• Set in the present day
• Addresses real life issues
• Deals with the government policy of ‘austerity’
• Social & Political context
• Address contemporary British social issues
• Poverty
• Welfare system
• Work Capability Assessment
• Representation of traditionally underrepresented characters
• Conveys a clear left-wing political message
• Openly criticises government policies – ‘Austerity’
• Similar to issues addressed in other Ken Loach films
• Cathy Come Home
• Raining Stones
• Intended audience: educated, media literate and socially aware
• Economic context
• Independent British co-production

• Economic factors are very important to this film, which include funding
• BFI – through National Lottery Funding
• BBC

• How is this film funded differently from many mainstream films?

• Public Service Broadcasting
• Remits of the BBC and BFI

• Why might profit be less important to people who work in this film genre?
• Media Ownership
• Ken Loach and his significance as a Director in British and global media
• Can I, Daniel Blake be considered as a ‘mainstream’ product
• Loach is a successful figure in the UK and Europe film industry but is he mainstream?
• By challenging government policy is he challenging mainstream opinion?
• Does Loach have an established fan/audience base, which allows him to make films that
might not secure funding?

• Audience
• Marketing establishes the status and reputation of the film e.g. critical acclaim
• The genre and director of the film are important factors in maintaining an audience
• Specific and potential audiences being targeted through marketing
• The trailer reference the BBC, BFI and the Palme d’Or – education and media literacy
• Trailer explores key governmental policy – political and social awareness
• The ‘star’ Ken Loach
• Regulatory framework
• BBFC
• BBC/BFI remits

• Production, distribution & circulation

• Low budget social realist film
• Filmed largely on location
• Less known actors
• Does not rely on special effects
• Production, distribution & circulation
• Where and how is the films marketing consumed by audiences?
• How has consumption been changed by online and social media?
• Are audiences no more likely to seek out marketing – ‘prosumer’?
• How does this impact the audience/product relationship?
• Released at various film festivals
• Theatrical release in various countries (France, Spain, Brazil, Japan – not the
USA)
• Maintaining audience
• Marketing establishes status and reputation – positive critical acclaim
• The genre – social realist
• The director Ken Loach (Kes, 1969)
• Does this genre able to resist technical developments and change in the film
industry?
• Specific and potential audiences
• Educated and media literate
• Awareness of political and social issues
• Fans of social realism and Ken Loach

• Theoretical perspectives – Curran & Seaton and Livingstone & Lunt

• Trailer - UK Release – more traditional

• Trailer - US Release – more traditional

• Poster campaign – more traditional

• Poster analysis

• #idanielblake – social media (Twitter)