The British film industry: blog tasks

Factsheet #132: British Film

Use our brilliant Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #132 on British Film. You can find it online here - you'll need to log in using your Greenford Google login. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) Write a one-sentence definition of what makes a film British.

 A film created in, set it or funded from Britain, the films subject matter or actors being British.

2) What is the difference between a Hollywood production context and production context of a British film?

The difference between production contexts is that British doesn't have as many defined characteristics as Hollywood productions, so they can be independents with low-budgets, character driven and advertised by word of mouth or virality or made by Hollywood standards with big budgets, reliance on celebrities in cast and crew with spectacle driven stories, whilst Hollywood production contexts are more confined.

3) When did the James Bond franchise start.

In the 1960's when american money and talent began spreading in the film industry as well as a greater shift in experimentation with values.

4) In terms of film censorship and graphic content, what began to change in British film in the 1970s and 1980s?

Concerns surrounding censorship began in the 70's and banning proceeded in the 80's due to a rise in context surrounding sex and violence that came under scrutiny due to its accessibility and lack of regulation surrounding it.

5) What groups are often represented in British film? Give examples of films these groups feature in.

Groups most represented in British film it tends to be children such as is Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (Warner Bros., 1971) and Eden Lake (Rollercoaster Films, 2008).

6) What does the Factsheet suggest might be the audience appeal of British film?

The audience appeal of British film seems to be actors that are identifiable as British, British locations, narratives following class, social strife and education, especially post war audiences that endorse social realism post 60's Thatcher including stories from Britain’s past where, class warfare or social difficulties were at their peak.

Factsheet #100: British film industry

To complete our introduction to the British film industry, we need a little more background to the industries context.

Find Media Factsheet #100 on the British film industry. You can find it on the same link as above. Read the whole of the Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What is the 'cultural test' to see if a film counts as British?

If the film was with cultural context, contribution, hubs and practitioners(crew).

2) Complete the task on the Factsheet - choose three of the films listed and research them to work out what they score on the cultural test: The Sweeney (2012), Attack The Block, The King's Speech, We Need To Talk About Kevin and Skyfall.

The King's Speech- Financed by a combination of private investment, public funds, pre-sales of distribution rights with a budget of around £8-15 million, 

We Need To Talk About Kevin- Primarily financed my BBC films and BFI films and 

Skyfall-

3) What is the main problem for the British film industry?

Its a production lead industry not a distribution lead one, but selling do a distribution company will make the producers loose all profits from screenings or sales. there are notions that suggest the industry is small scale and creates unique distinctive products but can never compete with Hollywood.

4) What are three of the strengths of the British film industry?

Three strengths of the industry are it has outstanding creative skills of practitioners such as directors that have grossed billions of dollars in IP and successful franchises, outstanding facilities as British industries attract investments from filmmakers around the world, it's the third biggest film industry bringing in 5% revenue of universal box-office takings, extra-ordinary for a small nation.

5) What are the two options for the future of the British film industry?

Reliance on co-production with american studios but many cultural and regional details will be lost or making British films that are indie for niche audiences, keeping what makes British films British without compromise.

6) In your opinion, which of these two options would best safeguard the future of the British film industry?

In my opinion, making niche indie films that could possibly attract interest from a wider international audience and that will definitely attract a British audience that will engage with it for the sake of representation, will better the industry in the long run, keeping their distinctiveness.