The British film industry: blog tasks💕

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

Most people would define a 'British' film with reference to obvious cultural elements such as: a setting in the UK or a focus on British people abroad; a predominantly British cast; a storyline about some aspect of British life — past, present or future — or notably by, or based on a work by, a British author.

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

Hollywood studios have high budgets, 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 a heavier reliance on word of mouth and viral advertising. The British film production context does not have as many clearly defined characteristics.

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 1960s brought about the start of the James Bond franchise as well as a greater involvement of American

money and talent, as well as an upsurge in experimentation that fell along with the shifting cultural norms of the 1960s. The British film industry in the 1970s was dominated by the subject of censorship that continued into the video nasties banning of the 1980s.

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

The main subjects of violence, sex (the two combined being one of the last bastions of solid censorship that films tend to see in the modern age), drug use and criminal activity.

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

Engaging more with British audiences, making its guidelines not only accessible to all but also engaging with the public when reviewing these guidelines.

Factsheet #100: British film industry

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. 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, researching the films listed and finding 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 Cultural test points: 31

Attack the block: 31

The kings speech: 27

We need to talk about Kevin: 24

Skyfall: 31

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.

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

-Outstanding creative skills of practitioners
-Outstanding facilities

-The Film Fund

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.

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.

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

I think the best option is to attempt low budget films targeted as niche audiences as the British film industry will not be relying on anyone and therefore they can do their own things.