Introduction to the 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. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions:

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

If it were funded by and/or made in Britain, or has references to British culture.

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

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 films don't have nearly as much of these contexts as Hollywood films; they can be large budget, high concept films or they can be character driven, small budgeted films.

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

1960's

4) In terms of film censorship and graphic content, what began to change in British film in the 1970s and 1980s?

In the 1970s, there were more British films with sexual content and violence. In the 1980s, videos became more popular, and some people were worried about the content of films. This led to stricter rules about what could be made and shown in Britain. As a result, we got age ratings for films, which is currently handled by the BBFC and has been for years.

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

The youth is most commonly represented in British film, with films like A Clockwork Orange and Eden Lake showcasing rebelling and anti-establishment stereotypes in teenagers.

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

Actors and/or costumes, location/setting, and engaging narratives

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. 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?

The Cultural Test is a test to see how culturally significant a film is to Britain. It is divided into four sections and a film must score at least 16/31 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 Sweeny (2012) - 23/31

Attack The Block - 31/31

The King's Speech - 30/31

We Need To Talk About Kevin - 12/31

Skyfall - 30/31

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

It is production led rather than distribution led, so many filmmakers have to sacrifice their distribution rights and sell to a distribution company to get their film out there.

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

1. Outstanding creative skills of practitioners

2. Outstanding facilities

3. Many ways of funding films

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

1. British filmmakers could choose to rely upon co-productions with American studios to keep the industry afloat

2. 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?

I feel like option 1 would be the best, as collaborating with other studios means that there's more possibilities for experimentation and higher budget films that could reach a larger audience.

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