The British film industry: blog tasks

 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.

A British film is one that is made in Britain, by British people, or about British culture, society, or locations, although there isn’t one strict rule and different films may meet different parts of this.

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

Hollywood films usually have very big budgets, famous actors, and rely on spectacle and action to attract audiences. British films can be either small or big budget, focus more on characters and story, and often reflect British culture, social issues, or everyday life rather than just being about spectacle.

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

The James Bond franchise began in the 1960s and quickly became one of the most famous British film series.

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

In the 1970s, British films started showing more sex and violence, sometimes together, which was controversial at the time. In the 1980s, the rise of “video nasties” meant extreme or violent content became more widely available on home video, so censorship rules became stricter.

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

British films often show young people, women, and working-class communities. Young people might be shown as violent or rebellious, like in a clockwork orange or Eden Lake, or in a more realistic way, like in Attack the Block. Women were often shown as stereotypes in older films but became more complex in later social realism films. Working-class life is explored in films like This is England and Brassed Off

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

British films appeal to audiences because they use familiar actors, locations, and stories that reflect British life. They often deal with themes like class, education, and social change, and include humour or social commentary, which makes them feel recognisably British.

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?

The Cultural Test is used to decide if a film can officially be classed as British. Films score points for things like being set in the UK, having British lead characters, using British subject matter, English dialogue, and having British studios, music, crew, and key creative roles. A film must score at least 16 out of 31 points to pass.

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.

 For example,the sweeny is set in London with British lead actors and crew, so it would score highly on the Cultural Test. attack the block is also set in London with a British cast and director, and most of the production was done in the UK, so it scores well above 16 points. the kings speech is set in Britain, has British leads and director, and used UK studios, so it would easily pass the test.

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

The main problem for the British film industry is that it is production-led rather than distribution-led. Small companies make the films, but they often have to sell distribution rights to get them shown, which means much of the profit goes to international companies instead of staying in Britain.

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

The British film industry has several strengths. It has highly skilled directors, actors, and writers, excellent studios and production facilities, and support from the BFI through funding, tax relief, and training schemes.

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

For the future, the industry has two main options. Filmmakers can continue co-producing with American studios, which gives funding but risks losing what makes films distinctly British, or they can focus on low-budget films for niche British audiences, keeping the films culturally British while still aiming for success.

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

In my opinion, making smaller, culturally British films for UK audiences is the best option. It protects what makes British films unique, supports local talent, and can still reach international audiences if the films are high quality, as seen with the kings speech