British film industry factsheets

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

Are the people making the film British, is it being funded from within Britain, are the cast British if so the film is most certainly British .

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

British films as a production context also tends to be varied but idiosyncratic to the story being told within the film. A films production context is the conditions under which the film has been made. The Hollywood production context means most films made by Hollywood studios have high budgets and a heavy reliance on celebrities both in the cast and crew and spectacle driven stories. Whereas the independent production context films tend to have low budgets, character rather than spectacle driven stories and heavier reliance on word of mouth and viral advertising.

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

The James Bond franchise first started in the 1960s.

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

In the 1970s the British film industry was dominated by the subject of censorship that continued into the video nasties banning of the 1980s. The 1980s also saw a dramatic decline in American investment in British film that didn't rise again until the 1990s.

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

There is a persistent consistency in the way some films portray young people, especially in the British Horror Film. For example if we look at the way youth is portrayed in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange the focus is on violence, anti-establishment and a compulsion to act in an anarchic way. There are contemporary representations of youth in films such as Attack the Block that attempt to show a deeper more realistic portrayal of youth that challenges the stereotype of the threat or the rebel. Representation of women has gone through the same changes with the common sterotyping of women as either the virgin, the mother or the whore.

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

The main characteristics that can be identified as appealing to a native British audience would include; the actors, British actors are often clearly identifiable as British and will often be associated with a particular genre of British film, e.g. Hugh Grant having an association with British Rom-coms. British locations tend to be a heavily used feature for the film with London being the most popular.

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

If a film does not qualify as a co-production it must pass the British Film Institute's Cultural Test in order to be defined as British. The Cultural Test is divided into four sections and a film must score at least 16 out of a possible 31 points to be classified as British.

2) Complete the task on the Factsheet, researching the films listed and finding out what they score on the cultural test: Sweeney, Attack The Block, The King's Speech, We Need To Talk About Kevin and Skyfall.

The Sweeney

Financing: £3,000,000 budget

It was filmed in London, the lead characters are British citizens and the original dialogue is recorded in the English language. The film represents British culture which ultimately means it is a British film making it pass the cultural test

Attack the Block

Financing:£13,000,000 budget

It is filmed in London and the lead characters are British citizens  and the original language is recorded in the English language. The film represents British culture meaning that it scores enough points to pass the Cultural test. 

The King's speech

Financing: $15,000,000 budget

Opening weekend USA: £355,450

It is filmed in London, the lead characters are British citizens, the original dialogue is recorded in the English Language and the film represents British culture this means the film earns enough points to pass the Cultural test.

We need to talk about Kevin

Financing: $7,000,000 

Opening weekend USA $24,587

This film wasn't filmed in London and the lead characters are not British therefore this film would not pass the Cultural test.

Skyfall
Financing: £200,000,000

Opening Weekend: £20,180,369 UK

Opening Weekend USA: $88,364,714

Gross USA: $304,360,277

Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $1,108,561,013
The film is filmed in London, the lead characters are British and the original dialogue is in English and the film represents British culture which gives it enough points to pass the Cultural test.

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

Historically, the British film industry has been production led rather than distribution led which means many UK films are made but in order for them to be exhibited the filmmakers have to sacrifice the distribution rights by selling the film to a distribution company. Once sold all revenue from cinema screenings, DVD and Blue-Ray sales plus sales to television companies are lost.

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

-The British film industry has several strengths that make it the third biggest film industry in the world. British films take 5% of world box-office takings which is extraordinary for a small nation.

-Outstanding creative skills of practitioners

 Directors like Richard Curtis have made films such as Love Actually (2003), which have grossed billions of dollars worldwide and intellectual property, such as J.K Rowling's Harry Potter books, have also enabled British film production companies to be involved in the production of financially successful franchises.

-Outstanding facilities

British studios, camera companies and digital post-production houses all attract investment from filmmakers around the world,  especially the USA

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

Firstly, British filmmakers could choose to rely upon co-productions with American studios to keep the industry afloat, but the drawback would be that much of what makes the film British would be completely gone leaving no British culture.

The second option is to try and make low budget films targeted at a niche, British audience. Though the production costs will have to be lower and box-office taking and profits will necessarily be lower too, the filmmakers will be able to retain what it is that makes British films so distinctive without compromise.

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

I think making low-budget films would be the better option is because films like Chicken are very low-budget but were still very successful and it doesn't take away British culture like how it would be if we were to rely on co-productions with American studios.