1. British Social Realism

2. What is BSR
Social realism in films is a portrayal of British
culture and is representative of real life, with
all its difficulties. The stories and people
portrayed are everyday characters, usually
from working class backgrounds. Typically,
films within the social realist canon are gritty,
urban dramas about the struggle to survive
the daily grind.

3. Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is
an artistic movement, expressed in the visual
and other realist arts, which depicts social and
racial injustice, economic hardship, through
unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often
depicting working class activities as heroic.

4. Usually a social realism film deals with issues like
drugs, sex, poverty, prostitution,
homosexuality, alcoholism and crime. Social
realism films usually involve political views
and religious views. Wider social issues
explored via emotional and dramatic
individual stories

5. British Social Realism films use non-professional
or unknown actors as it adds to the realistic
theme. Also, many Social Realism films cannot
afford popular, Hollywood actors to be in their
films as the budget is usually relatively low.

6. Codes and conventions
CHARACTERS:
Social Realist films have working class heroes
often overcoming their situation and not
doing just what is expected of them

7. CAMERA:
A raw use of camera movement – lots of
handheld, POV and tracking shots to get the
spectator in the action with the characters
Many close ups to connote emotions

8. EDITING:
Cross cutting to link different characters
storylines
Continuity to aid realism
Slower pace to reflect real life
Simple cuts to aid realism – no effects

9. locations
The locations of a social realism film are
usually set around a council estate or run
down areas of different cities, but can be
nice neighbourhood

10. MISE EN SCENE:
Production Design: Poverty stricken locations,
city, urban, built up areas, estates and tower
blocks which we associate with crime
Lighting: Dim natural lighting connoting daily
life and all its misery
Costume: Cheap, hoodies, streetwear, casual
(unemployed/truanting)
Space: Built up areas, busy, gangs, lots of
children in one family, one parent families

11. THEMES/PLOT:
Wanting a better life and trying to achieve it
Main protagonist will better themselves or
try to
Focus is on young protagonist and their
future