I, Daniel Blake

 I, Daniel Blake: blog tasks

1) What is independent cinema and how is it different to Hollywood blockbusters?

Independent films are very different to Hollywood blockbusters like Black Widow. The style of ‘indie’ films is very different to Hollywood blockbusters, as the directors and producers have more creative input – it’s being made in their vision, not in the vision of studio bosses.

2) What is I, Daniel Blake about?

I, Daniel Blake is an award-winning independent British Drama film. The main character, Daniel Blake, 59, who has worked as a joiner most of his life in the North East of England needs help from the State for the first time ever following an illness.

He crosses paths with a single mother Katie and her two young children, Daisy and Dylan. Katie’s only chance to escape a one roomed homeless hostel in London is to accept a flat some 300 miles away.

Daniel  stands up and fights for his dignity, leading a one-man crusade for compassion that will transform the lives of a struggling single mother (Katie) and her two children.   It is a drama that has a strong political message about Britain in an age of government austerity.

3) Who directed I, Daniel Blake and why is this important?

Ken Loach

4) How was I, Daniel Blake promoted to an audience? List at least three different methods used by the film's marketing campaign and how they targeted their audience.

• ‘I, Daniel Blake’ was projected onto the Houses of Parliament ('guerrilla marketing') and in various cities
• Loach appeared on BBC Question Time to talk on issue giving the film extra credibility
• Film was premiered not in London, but Newcastle (where the film is set) to gain local support. 

5) What unusual or creative marketing methods were used to get audiences talking about the film?

• A partnership was set up with Trinity Mirror (Daily Mirror owners) to run a marketing campaign based on the film. The Daily Mirror traditionally supports the Labour Party and left-wing causes so therefore agreed with the main message of the film.
• The film also paired up with NomadiX Media's iProjector to create an outdoor campaign using quotes from the film.
• Finally, a video was released using members of the public and politicians that supported the film’s message. This was highlighted with the hashtag #WeAreAllDanielBlake

6) What was the estimated production budget for I, Daniel Blake and how much did it make at the box office?

It made £11 million at the box office and the estimated production was around £2 million

7) How can independent films like I, Daniel Blake compete with Hollywood blockbusters like Black Widow?

They can't compete with Hollywood blockbusters because of the fact that they have different target audiences and different intentions with their film.

8) What is the name of the film regulator in the UK and what was the age rating for I, Daniel Blake?

The age rating was 15 and the film regulator was BBFC.

9) What aspects of the film contributed to the film's age rating?

Bad language and frightening and intense scenes.

10) Finally, considering everything you have learned about I, Daniel Blake, do you think the film was a success? Explain your answer in a well developed paragraph.

In my opinion, I believe that I, Daniel Blake was a success because the creators made more than 5 times greater than they had estimated. However, Black Widow made less money than they had expected/ estimated to gain. Also, considering that they were creating an independent film, it gained more positive reviews than they expected compared to Black Widow, which wasn't as successful since it was released during the period of Covid-19.