Introduction to the British film industry

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.

If a film is funded from Britain, the cast is British, the film depicts British culture or if the people making the film are British then the film is British.

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

A Hollywood production context has a big budget and relies on big celebrities and word of mouth viral advertising but for a British film they can be big budget high concept films or small budgeted more niche films

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

the 1960s

4) In terms of film censorship and graphic content, what began to change in British film in the 1970s and 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, the 1980s see the rise of videos and the ‘video nasty’s scare where filmmaking was becoming more accessible and more extreme content was being created.

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

working class - I daniel blake

immigrants - bend it like beckham

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

How they reflect real life

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?

A test that 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 - 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.

Attack The Block: 25

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

Skyfall: 15

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

The kings speech: 25

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

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

in order to get the film exhibited, the filmmakers have to sacrifice the distribution rights by selling the film to a distribution company.

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

outstanding creative skills of practitioners

the Film Export Fund
outstanding facilities

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

British filmmakers could choose to rely upon co-productions with American studios.

make low budget films targeted at a niche, British audience.

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

They should rely on productions with American studios so that they can make money