British film industry

 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.

Funded within Britain 

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

Hollywood Context

-focuses on blockbusters,spectacle,stars and massive budgets to gain a mainstream audience

-classical hollywood style emphasises continuity editing with mass cinematography to create enigma codes for an audience as well as having clear narratives in order to make the audience understand the meaning of their films 

-their structure is mostly dominated by major studios to create very high production values and reliance on established franchises.This makes Hollywood production more likely to make high profits due to high production costs 

-most hollywood blockbusters set global trends which levers a huge domestic market to drive high costs and large scale productions.This further leads to increase in revenues because it causes increases in demands due to global trends

British Context

-british context focuses on theatre routes and much more diverse stories.Furthermore much more character focused narratives which creates a sense of personal identity towards the audience as well as authenticity as there is a strong independence for connection

-British style is perceived as much more naturalistic as there is distinct visual aesthetics which makes british movies appeal more realer and actually make the audience feel like they are in the movie

-in british films there is a blend of smaller independents and US co productions which attracts businesses with tax incentives 

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?

-shift towards stricter regulation such as (BBFC)

-age ratings on movies

-video recordings act

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

Social Classes

• Working Class This group has been a consistent focus, often through "gritty" social realism that explores hardship, community, and humor.
• I, Daniel Blake (2016): A powerful Ken Loach film focusing on the struggles of an unwell man navigating the welfare system.
• This Is England (2006): Depicts working-class youth culture and the social landscape of the early 1980s.   

Middle and Upper Classes

These groups are frequently represented, often in period pieces, dramas, or comedies, though sometimes portrayed in contrast to the working class.

• The Favourite (2018): A dark comedy set in the court of Queen Anne.
• Downton Abbey (2019): Depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family 

Ethnic Minorities

• Black British: Films have tackled the Black British experience, from historical context to modern urban life.
  • Small Axe (2020): An anthology series (aired on BBC but considered within the British film context) directed by Steve McQueen that explores the lives of London's West Indian community from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.

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

I believe the Factsheet displays the reason why the audience appeal of british film is due to authentic feeling it has on people.British films create a sense of realism which gives out audience pleasures such as personal identity,diversion.As well as this instead of focusing on the production of the film and how much money it costs british films actually focus on being character centralised and developing an interesting plot to create enigma and action codes.

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?

It is administered by the BFI because of the government 

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.

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

-rising production costs

-skills shortages

-financial instability

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

-highly skilled workforce 

-globally competitive 

-diverse locations 

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

-inward investment

-greater support for inderpendence

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

Greater support for independence would be the best option overall.This is because it widens oppotunities for people and allows them to have the help they need within the British film industry.