BSR characteristics (research)

BSR characteristics (research) 

British social realism is a film genre which focuses on modern day social issues, these subjects can include:

• Drugs
•  Violence
• Substance Abuse
• Teenage pregnancy
• Money
• Sex
• Racism
• Social justice
• Mental illness
• Sexual abuse
• Domestic abuse
•  Abortion 
•  Homophobia 

These are just some of the topics which short film producers create, which are usually seen as gritty, and things main stream media would not typically advertise. These are also topics which can bring awareness because they are broadcasted in a gritty, real felt way. These are all issues that happen in everyday British society which is why it is a much targeted audience, it aims to relate to the smaller population. Short films as such can be seen as very controversial because they don't aim to fantasise subjects or cut corners to romanticise scenes to adhere to an audience; they aim to put across a strong point which is probably why these films are not as heavily watched because they aim to a specialised target audience.

Examples of British social realism films

Cubs- A film written and directed by Tom Harper. This is short film about teenage gang life and a twisted sport of urban fox hunting. This film was released in 2006 and actually won best independent film award in 2006 for best British short film. 

About a girl- This 2001 released short film was written by Julie Rutterford and directed by Brian Percival. It is a story about a young girl who is talking to the audience about her life and endeavours, the film end on a sick plot twist which emphasises a topical issue in today's society. The film focuses on a few social issues such as teenage pregnancy, abortion and child neglect. 

This is England- This British social realism is about a young boy who becomes involved with a gang of skinheads, it is set in 1983 England and focuses on youth sub-culture and the mod era. This film is both written and directed by Shane Meadows; he decided to use social issues such as racism, xenophobia, racial prejudice, peer pressure, nationalism, gang, unemployment, bullying, social class and crime all in which are portrayed in the life of the main character who is a young boy trying to find himself in 80's Britain. 

Cherries- This short film was released in 2007 and it is about a class of teenage schoolboys who are oblivious to their teacher’s attempts to question them about the wider world. The director, Tom Harper, decided to use the theme of cherries and symbolism for the bloodshed in the war efforts. The predominantly male cast is seen at ages 16-17 about to compulsory join the military- the film has underlying messages of how society is geared to follow instructions and nobody has a choice anymore. 

The rain horse- this short film was originally a short story by author and writer Ted Hughes. I was transformed into a short film in2008 by director Sebastian Godwin. The story is about a single father who takes his two children on a small getaway where they are attacked by a wild horse in the torrential rain. 

Wasp- This 2003 short film is about a single mother named Zoe who lives alone with her four children and is struggling to survive in poverty. The social issues touched upon in this film include: single parenting, child neglect, poverty and social class. This film by writer and director Andrea Arnold has won over 20 awards, and has even won an Oscar academy award in the US for best live action short film in 2005. 

Codes and convention of British social realism.

Some characteristics, codes and conventions which are seen in the BSR genre are: 
Amateur/ upcoming actors- In this genre, they tend to use amateur and upcoming actors, this is mainly because they don't have the budget to be able to hire big Hollywood stars to act in their short films. Another reason why they use these types of actors and actresses is because producers want to create a sense of reality therefore having unknown actors is more likely to convey that because the audience can relate to their lifestyle genuinely. 
Low budget/ production- British social films usually have a very concentrated target audience which means that the films wouldn't generally appeal to a main stream audience, meaning the production value would be reasonably lower that a Hollywood film because they wouldn't be able to afford it.
Real life sets and locations- Real life sets and locations are used because it adds to the sense of reality that is needed to appeal to the audience, it can help the viewer relate to the situation. Its also not in the budget of a BSR film to be able to afford a film set.
Real social issues- These are widely used to create an impact and shed light on topics which wouldn't generally be highlighted in main stream media, films are usually cast with working class rolls because it means that it is extremely realistic and an accurate representation of British society. 
These are all included in most British social realism films because they are things used which help the film be more realistic and ensure that it will appeal to the target audience.