The British film industry

Factsheet #132: British Film

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

A film that is made in Britain by a British person and represents British culture and or values.

(any film that has been funded according to the bilateral co-production treaty or the European

Convention and / or has scored at least 16 points on the Cultural Test.)

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

Hollywood production only uses high budget productions with a reliance of celebrities while British production context allows for both high and low budget films without needing to rely on celebrities as a part of the cast and crew while focusing on British culture and values and not just spectacle driven unlike Hollywood.

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

The 1960's

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

The British film industry in the 1970s was dominated by the subject of censorship that continued into the video nasties banning of the 1980s.The 1970s sees a rise in British Films of sexual content, both the act of sex and sex linked to violence with films like A Clockwork Orange (Warner Bros, 1971) coming under a lot of scrutiny. And so a continual evolution of film censorship and classification in this country has happened since the 1980s that sees all films released in the UK to have one of 7 (possibly 8 although the R18 certificate is rarely used) classifications awarded to it.

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

The youth in 'A Clockwork Orange' , 'Eden Lake' and 'attack the bloc'. 

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

Actors, locations and British films that focus on class, social strife and education.

Factsheet #100: British film industry

1) What is the 'cultural test' to see if a film counts 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.

A - Cultural Context

A1 The film is set in the UK 4

A2 The lead characters are British citizens or residents 4

A3 The film is based on British subject matter or underlying material 4

A4 The original dialogue is recorded in mainly the English language 4

B - Cultural Contribution

B The film represents or reflects a diverse British culture, heritage or creativity 4

C - Cultural Hubs

C1 British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects 2

C2 British music recording, audio post-production or picture post-production 1

D - Cultural Practitioners

D1 British director 1

D2 British scriptwriter 1

D3 British producer 1

D4 British composer 1

D5 British lead actors 1

D6 Majority of cast are British 1

D7 British key staff (lead cinematographer, lead production designer, lead costume designer etc.) 1

D8 Majority of crew are British 1

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 Sweeney (dir. Love, 2012)

A1 The film is set in the UK 4

A2 The lead characters are British citizens or residents 4

A4 The original dialogue is recorded in mainly the English language 4

C1 British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects 2

C2 British music recording, audio post-production or picture post-production 1

D1 British director 1

D2 British scriptwriter 1

D3 British producer 1

D4 British composer 1

D5 British lead actors 1

D6 Majority of cast are British 1

D7 British key staff (lead cinematographer, lead production designer, lead costume designer etc.) 1

D8 Majority of crew are British 1

Total Score: 23

Attack the Block (dir. Cornish, 2011)

A1 The film is set in the UK 4

A2 The lead characters are British citizens or residents 4

A4 The original dialogue is recorded in mainly the English language

B The film represents or reflects a diverse British culture, heritage or creativity 4

C1 British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects 2

C2 British music recording, audio post-production or picture post-production 1

D1 British director 1

D2 British scriptwriter 1

D3 British producer 1

D4 British composer 1

D5 British lead actors 1

D6 Majority of cast are British 1

D7 British key staff (lead cinematographer, lead production designer, lead costume designer etc.) 1

D8 Majority of crew are British 1

Total Score: 27

Skyfall (dir. Mendes, 2012)

A1 The film is set in the UK 4

A2 The lead characters are British citizens or residents 4

A4 The original dialogue is recorded in mainly the English language 4

B The film represents or reflects a diverse British culture, heritage or creativity 4

C1 British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects 2

D1 British director 1

D2 British scriptwriter 1

D5 British lead actors 1

D6 Majority of cast are British 1

D7 British key staff (lead cinematographer, lead production designer, lead costume designer etc.) 1

Total Score: 23

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

the British film industry has been production led rather than distribution led. This means that many UK films are made but, in order to get the film exhibited, the filmmakers have to sacrifice the distribution rights by selling the film to a distribution company. All revenue from cinema screenings, DVD and Blu-ray sales, plus sales to television companies, are lost. American actors are seen as more glamorous than their UK counterparts so a big, Hollywood name is often drafted into the lead role of a film in order to encourage the audience to see it. Typically in the UK, theatre acting is seen to be of greater worth than film acting so film has never been seen as a worthy artform. Despite Britain having many talented production personnel, the lure of better pay and conditions in Hollywood is often too great for them to remain in Britain. Britain shares a native language with America so it is very easy for American films to be exported to the UK.

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

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. However, the drawback would be that much of what makes the film British may be lost, such as regional accents and dialects or cultural and political references. Since these features would make no sense to an audience outside of Britain, it is unlikely that an American company involved in a co-production would approve of them.

The UK film industry’s second option is to attempt to 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. Careful sale of distribution rights could also mean that profits are channelled back into the UK film industry. For example, The King’s Speech (dir. Hooper, 2010) was partially funded by the UK Film Council and the British production and distribution company Momentum. It was intended for a British and European audience but went on to be hugely successful in America and the rest of the world too. Its content is stereotypically English and, despite costing only around £8 million to make, it went on to take over £230 million worldwide and to win the Best Picture Oscar in 2011.

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

Personally, i would think that the second option would be better to safeguard the film industry as it allows film studios and producers who make these more niche films to profit without the need to rely on their American counter parts for support as many British films with low budgets have made it out to be some of the best and most enjoyable films made and not just for British audiences but especially American audiences who seem to absolutely love anything British and so Heritage film is supported by this irrational love for anything British.