British film industry

1) Write a one-sentence definition of what makes a film British.
A film is British if the cast is British, or if the film's subject matter is about British culture/values.

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

A Hollywood production context means that the films rely on star power, the use of celebrities and they often have high budgets. The production context of British film may also include these things. However, they tend to have lower budgets, and can be character driven. They are also reflective of British culture.

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?
The James Bond franchise stared in the 1960s.

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 was a rise in the amount of sexual content depicted in films. This involved showing more explicit scenes involving sex which linked violence to sex. The increased showing of sexual content caused a lot of controversy within the film industry, as well as amongst audiences. In the 1980s, filmmaking became more accessible for a wider range of people, meaning that more extreme content was being created. 

5) What groups are often represented in British film? Give examples of films these groups feature in.
British film represents a variety of different groups and often centre on issues that are a major concern in society. For example:

• Youth - Kidulthood (2006), Attack the Block (2011)

6) What does the Factsheet suggest might be the audience appeal of British film?
Audiences enjoy British film and it appeals to them due to the focus on British culture and centring the film's narrative around issues that are prominent in British society. Also, the use of easily recognisable British actors appeals to British audiences as they are clearly identifiable - which enables audiences to relate to the character and understand their role in the narrative.

Factsheet 100: British film industry

1) What is the 'cultural test' to see if a film counts as British?

Films must score at least 16 out of 31 points to be classified as a British film. The cultural test consists of 4 sections: Cultural context, cultural contribution, cultural hubs and cultural practitioners. The film must include things such as: a British cast, a UK setting, British studio and must be reflective of diverse British culture.

2) Complete the task on the Factsheet, researching the films listed and finding out what they score on the cultural test: Sweeney, Attack The Block, The King's Speech, We Need To Talk About Kevin and Skyfall.

Films and their scores:

• Sweeney: 29
• Attack the Block: 27
• The King's Speech: 30
• We Need To Talk About Kevin: 28
• Skyfall: 30

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

The British film industry has often been production led rather than distribution led - meaning that filmmakers often have to sell their distribution rights in order to get their films exhibited on a wider scale. This is a problem as it causes the revenue generated from distribution (i.e: cinema screenings etc) to be lost. This means that money is not being reinvested into the British film industry.

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

• Creative skills of practitioners
• Outstanding facilities - British studios, post production companies attract investments from filmmakers all around the world.

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

British filmmakers could work with American studios and rely on co-productions with them in order to maintain the success of the British film industry. A drawback of this would be that the aspects that contribute to making the film 'British' would be lost. Filmmakers could also target their films at niche audiences. This would mean that costs would be lower (as would the box office revenue), however, this would allow the BFI to create British films without losing any of the conventions that make them British.