Film Industry: British film industry factsheets

 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.

The criteria involves whether the film has been filmed in British locations, with a British cast and crew, made using British pounds and or reflects British culture/ British subject matter 

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

A films production context is the conditions under which the film has been made.

Hollywood production context means that most films made by Hollywood studios have high budgets, a heavy reliance on celebrities both in the cast and crew and spectacle driven stories. British production context have recurring characteristics and will in some way reflect British culture. 

 

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

1962

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 (Warner Bros, 1971) coming under a lot of scrutiny. 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 and finding its way to Britain.

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

Young people in horror movies like in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (Warner Bros., 1971), the focus is on violence, anti-establishment and this plays into the stereotype that youth are rule breaking rebels that tend towards the violent,

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

The actors, British actors tend to be clearly identifiable as British and will often be associated

with a particular genre of British film, for example Hugh Grant having an association with British romantic comedies.

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 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.

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 (2012) - 22 points

Attack the block - 31 points

The King's Speech - 31 points

We Need To Talk About Kevin and Skyfall - 19 points.

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

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.

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

Outstanding creative skills of practitioners, 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 to keep the industry afloat and to attempt to 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?

The first option would be better as agreements with american studios gives the film more exposure and helps reach the american audience. Additionally, low budget films struggle to make more money as they would be targeted to the niche audience