The British film industry: blog tasks

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

Films produced in the united kingdom 

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 British films tend to have low budgets, character rather than spectacle driven stories and a heavier reliance on word of mouth and viral advertising. However British films can be large budget, high concept films such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 or they can be character driven, small budgeted films such as Kill List

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

In 1962 The Eon series currently has twenty-five films, with the most recent, No Time to Die, released in September 2021

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 coming under a lot of scrutiny. The 1980s see the rise of videos and the ‘video nasty’s scare where film making 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.
There are certain themes commonly found in British films They usually explore very real issues such as prejudice and discrimination amongst ordinary people coming of age and life in difficult parts of the country Their films make a comment on social issues as they are Examples of these are This is England which shows racism and stereotypes in British society  

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

The Factsheet may suggest that the audience loves British films and gain a sense of interest in the humour horror and action in theses films and also they like the social realism of aspect of British life which the audience can relate and have a personal connection to the movie itself 

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 - 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)

Total Score: 23

Attack the Block (dir. Cornish, 2011)

Total Score: 27

Skyfall (dir. Mendes, 2012)

Total Score: 23

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

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. Once sold, all revenue from cinema screenings, DVD and Blu-ray sales, plus sales to television companies, are lost. Even a highly successful British film is not necessarily making money that will be reinvested in British film making.

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.

That the British film industry continues to operate in a competitive global market.

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.

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

In my opinion they should rely upon co-productions with American studios to keep themselves afloat this is a safe option for the British film industry as it ensure them safety in the film industry. Allows them to not become bankrupt and close down