This is England - Notes.

• This Is England had a £1.5 million budget for production
• It was funded by the National Lottery
• It received £90,000 from the UK Film Council after production
• It was made in 2006
• It is directed by Shane Meadows and produced by Warp Films
• It was based on Meadow's personal experiences
• The main star had never acted before and was from a deprived area
• It is based on the theme of social realism
• It was filmed in a pre-fabricated set
• It uses natural lighting
• They used improvisation when building key scenes so that the actors had their own creative input and could relate to the character
• The producer is Mark Herbert
• The film is set in 1983
• It changes the perception of the 'skin head' culture
• The film also looks at other topics like working class people, racism and bullying
• It shows that he had a bad family background and childhood
• The film focuses on violence in gangs and their appearance
• It highlights that gangs were like hierarchy's as they had leaders and different social status's
• It sends out a strong educational message to teenagers
• It is rated 18

Appeal to the British Audience?
It appeals to the British audience as it focuses on Margaret Thatcher and the current time and events. The opening scenes look at the different cultures as well as fighting and war. This is relevant as the audience can relate to these occurrences and understand what it was like. The introduction of the characters also sets a first impression of what they were like in the 80's because of the swearing, humour, bullying and racism. The style that they had is also clear and is highlighted through each individuals similar clothing. For example the 'skin head' culture.

Who the audience is and how we know?
The target audience of this film is clearly for adults and teenagers. Teenagers find it humorous as they relate to a different idea to the teenagers in the 80's but it appeals to adults because they can remember what it was like personally. The idea of reggae also started the foundation of the skin head culture. The film also appeals to men and women as Shaun is very likable and funny and the girls are very similar.

How it differs from Hot Fuzz?
This is England is a lot more realistic than Hot Fuzz. Hot Fuzz is more action based whereas This is England focuses on a specific period of time and what was currently happening.

How Social Realism is Constructed?
The crimes, fighting, bullying and swearing shows the typical 80's culture. The cane punishment is also shown in the film and this shows how things have changed since then. The audience can also relate to this. Gangs were also a big part of this time period and the 'skin heads' emphasise what a typical gang was like. His mother is clearly a bad influence on him as she smokes and acts like she doesn't care, although she is weary of him being in the group and looks out for him. It is like a comedy because he is quite funny, as well as the rest of the group but we also feel a sense of sympathy when Gadget picks on him and bullies him. Each character is unique and we see how they change throughout. Its as if they are individually ranked in the gang.
The film is also quite authentic and the British icons that are used are effective as the audience can relate to them. The montage also works well as it is a good introduction the the film and the overall 80's theme.

Cinematography?
Most scenes are filmed using hand held cameras and this makes it more realistic and informal. You don't notice the cuts as they are all simple transitions. There are also no special effects and lighting gets darker when the mood changes. This is effective as the audience can understand either the change in character or personality. The music also complements the mood and the scenes are also quite simple and basic. The setting emphasises the culture and time period. They also use a dated radio which also shows the theme and culture of the 80's.