Social Realism

Social Realism - filmmakers who draw attention to the everyday conditions of the working classes and the poor. While the movement's artistic styles vary from nation to nation, it almost always utilizes a form of descriptive or critical realism. For example, movies like Kidult hood and Adult Hood shows how the youths in this day and age act and those who are suffering to get a job, to pay bills etc, have to look to illegal activities to get through life.

Many Social Realism/Realist Films are based on UK issues. Such as Gang violence, Political views and also issues in society such as poverty and segregation of classes. TV drama‟s such as Little Britain also shows similar issues but in a comedic way. This entertains people but also draws attention to the issues people face in the area every day.

Iconography of the Genre – Social realism uses the film created to portray stereotypes and idea‟s people have in society. For example Kidult Hood and Adulthood portrays how young people are in society and also how stereotypes are acted upon in society, this makes the audience aware of the issues young people face in their day to day life, due to the environment they grew up in.

Location shooting (not studio)

Wide shots

Humour and seriousness

Mix of identities

Wider social issues explored via emotional and dramatic individual stories

British Social Realism films are filmed on actual, real life locations such as parks and council estates and not in made up sets in studios like big Hollywood films use.

By using locations rather than the studio, it makes the film seem more true to real life for the audience to watch. An example of this is in Fish Tank as it uses an actual council estate within the film.

The film would use the appropriate accents/language, correct settings and the local issues in the region. For example, in Yasmin, the issue of Racism was used, which was evident in the area as the focal point in the film. Yasmin also used the appropriate accent for the town it was set in, and because it

featured the Muslim community, it made sure the Muslim characters were wearing precisely the right clothing and

going by their religious views.

British cinema has tended to emphasise the story or drama over the „look‟ and „style‟ of the film because scripts are generally cheaper than the technical.

audiences‟ complaints that British films that British cinema have always had a is not as good as American different „look‟ cinema has been registered from American in poor box-office films returns

Poor box-office returns meant budgets were limited for future productions and the British have found it hard to break out of this pattern

Social Realism. The genre title itself signifies that films produced are focused on SOCIAL issues and REALISTIC, meaning that the issues shown are real and suffered.

The genre also shows humour within the film and also seriousness. This is also used to show the audience a wide range of creativity is used to show character personality, genre signifier, use of camera shots and lighting shows seriousness e.g. dark lighting and close ups to show facial expression.

This film title Called “This Is England” shows already colours from the Union Jack Red, White and Blue.The image also portrays how people used to dress back in the 90‟s and how England is multicultural because you see a black man with white people. The title itself “THIS IS ENGLAND” shows the audience that this film may be about ENGLAND and life in England.

Genre changes with society over time for example genre changes to adapt society tastes to suit and satisfy them.

Back in the 90‟s social realism focused on use of drugs, sex and abuse. As we look at modern society and the way Social Realism shows issues faced in modern society we still see the use of drugs, sex and violence. But characters are presented differently now to how they were before. For example modern social realism films show Young people using drugs, sex and showing act of violence. But back in the 90‟s social realism films showed issues faced by people, young person or adult.

It cost £1,5000,000 to make, within a month it made £1,300,000 in the U.K alone. In 6 months in the U.S it made £250000, so it was into the black by then. Considering all the other countries it was shown in ( at least 25) and all the different formats available it probably earned at least twice what it cost to make.

1996 film Trainspottinggrossed £12,331,224 at the box office. It had a budget of £3,500,000. It was the highest grossing UK film of 1996.

Budget £600,000

Box office £453,876

KidultHood 2006