Monday, 27 November 2017

I, Daniel Blake - Economic factors

I, Daniel Blake

Economic factors including funding are extremely significant to this independent British co-production. The funding bodies are the BFI (through National Lottery Funding) and the BBC.

1. Consider the ways in which this film is funded differently from many mainstream films, exploring Public Service Broadcasting and the respective remits of the BBC and the BFI.

2. Make brief notes from each of these websites. How does the BFI help filmmaking?


3. Discuss why vast financial profits might be less important for practitioners working in this genre of film.

4. Who is Ken Loach?

5. It may be useful to explore Ken Loach and his significance as a practitioner in British and Global cinema - how Loach has been able to repeatedly secure funding for social realist films and the extent to which the genre itself exists in its current form due to his work.

6. Consider the extent to which I, Daniel Blake can be described as a mainstream product. Loach is a well- known and successful figure in the UK and Europe but is his work mainstream? Does the fact he is challenging governmental policy mean he is also challenging mainstream opinions?

7. It might also be interesting to consider whether there exists a pre-sold audience of Loach fans who are eager to watch his films and the extent to which this gives him license to make films that might not otherwise secure finance.

8. The trailer references the BBC, BFI and the Palme d’Or. Discuss the extent to which these references suggest an assumed education and level of media literacy in the target audience.

9. The trailer explores specific governmental policy which also may suggest audiences will have an awareness of political and social issues in the UK.


10. The only specific “star” identified in the trailer using intertitles is the director Ken Loach. Loach’s work whilst having broad appeal sits firmly within the niche of social realism and candidates may discuss the extent to which the fans of his work are pre-sold based on his name alone.

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