The document discusses the British film industry in 2011-2012. It notes that 2011 was a strong year for British film, with successful independent films like The King's Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie. It provides statistics on the UK film industry's performance internationally and success of British talent abroad. Some key points made are that UK films earned 17% of the $33 billion worldwide box office in 2011, the industry generated over £1.5 billion for the British economy, and British films and talent won numerous awards. The summary highlights the success of British films in 2011 both at home and abroad.
This document provides an overview of concepts related to film industry institutions and audiences, including media conglomerates that own multiple subsidiaries, the use of synergy across platforms to market films, and examples of large budget Hollywood films versus low budget independent British films. It also discusses new media technologies, convergence across devices, and approaches for answering exam questions on these topics with relevant case studies and examples.
This document provides an overview of the film industry, focusing on production, distribution, and exhibition. It discusses how films are funded and made (production), marketed and released in cinemas and other formats (distribution), and consumed by audiences paying to view films (exhibition). The document outlines the key roles of major studios and distributors in controlling distribution deals and prioritizing large Hollywood blockbusters over independent and foreign films. It also notes the challenges that increased costs of production and distribution pose to Hollywood studios and independent filmmakers.
This document provides an overview of the film industry, including production, distribution, and exhibition. It discusses how a small number of major film distributors dominate the UK market and primarily distribute Hollywood blockbusters. This limits the variety of films shown in cinemas. Despite increasing screens, fewer films are being distributed. Digital distribution is important for independent films as it reduces costs compared to physical film prints. Hollywood films are very popular in the UK market, but this dominance poses challenges for British film producers.
Warp Films was created with financial support from NESTA and the BBC to help distribute independent films with budgets between £1-2 million. It relies on partnerships with larger American studios to distribute its films internationally. One of its most successful films was This is England (2006), which made £204,000 in the UK and £5 million worldwide. Warp Films uses techniques like posters, online trailers and newsletters to promote its films through synergy and convergence between different companies. New technologies like digital video have allowed lower-budget films to be produced, but Warp Films still struggles due to limited funding.
Warp Films is an independent UK film production company based in Sheffield and London. It was established by Warp Records founders Rob Mitchell and Steve Beckett, initially creating short films with financial support from NESTA. In 2005, Warp Films launched its own film distribution arm to distribute both its in-house productions and acquisitions from other European markets. It has a distribution alliance with Optimum Releasing and helped set up the UK Film Council's digital cinema network in 2005.
Film4 is a British production house and channel that produces and broadcasts independent and mainstream films to enhance the British film industry, with a philosophy of nurturing new talent and broadening audiences. The budget for Film4 will increase 50% to £15 million per year to support the domestic film industry following the closure of the UK Film Council. Film4 produces around 6 films per year and works with other production companies and distributors.
4 film4 and trainspotting section b exam prepjudeevans1982
FilmFour is a British film production company established in 1982 to finance British films. It was originally known as Channel 4 Films and was part of Channel 4's mandate to experiment and cater to underserved audiences. FilmFour now funds around 20 films per year, many by first-time directors or screenwriters. They look for distinctive films that will stand out in the competitive film market. Television premieres air on FilmFour Channel and Channel 4 two years after theatrical release. The document discusses the marketing of Trainspotting (1996) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008), both funded by FilmFour and directed by Danny Boyle. It also covers issues FilmFour faces such as competing for cinema space and adapting to changing viewing habits with new
This document provides an overview of concepts related to film industry institutions and audiences, including media conglomerates that own multiple subsidiaries, the use of synergy across platforms to market films, and examples of large budget Hollywood films versus low budget independent British films. It also discusses new media technologies, convergence across devices, and approaches for answering exam questions on these topics with relevant case studies and examples.
This document provides an overview of the film industry, focusing on production, distribution, and exhibition. It discusses how films are funded and made (production), marketed and released in cinemas and other formats (distribution), and consumed by audiences paying to view films (exhibition). The document outlines the key roles of major studios and distributors in controlling distribution deals and prioritizing large Hollywood blockbusters over independent and foreign films. It also notes the challenges that increased costs of production and distribution pose to Hollywood studios and independent filmmakers.
This document provides an overview of the film industry, including production, distribution, and exhibition. It discusses how a small number of major film distributors dominate the UK market and primarily distribute Hollywood blockbusters. This limits the variety of films shown in cinemas. Despite increasing screens, fewer films are being distributed. Digital distribution is important for independent films as it reduces costs compared to physical film prints. Hollywood films are very popular in the UK market, but this dominance poses challenges for British film producers.
Warp Films was created with financial support from NESTA and the BBC to help distribute independent films with budgets between £1-2 million. It relies on partnerships with larger American studios to distribute its films internationally. One of its most successful films was This is England (2006), which made £204,000 in the UK and £5 million worldwide. Warp Films uses techniques like posters, online trailers and newsletters to promote its films through synergy and convergence between different companies. New technologies like digital video have allowed lower-budget films to be produced, but Warp Films still struggles due to limited funding.
Warp Films is an independent UK film production company based in Sheffield and London. It was established by Warp Records founders Rob Mitchell and Steve Beckett, initially creating short films with financial support from NESTA. In 2005, Warp Films launched its own film distribution arm to distribute both its in-house productions and acquisitions from other European markets. It has a distribution alliance with Optimum Releasing and helped set up the UK Film Council's digital cinema network in 2005.
Film4 is a British production house and channel that produces and broadcasts independent and mainstream films to enhance the British film industry, with a philosophy of nurturing new talent and broadening audiences. The budget for Film4 will increase 50% to £15 million per year to support the domestic film industry following the closure of the UK Film Council. Film4 produces around 6 films per year and works with other production companies and distributors.
4 film4 and trainspotting section b exam prepjudeevans1982
FilmFour is a British film production company established in 1982 to finance British films. It was originally known as Channel 4 Films and was part of Channel 4's mandate to experiment and cater to underserved audiences. FilmFour now funds around 20 films per year, many by first-time directors or screenwriters. They look for distinctive films that will stand out in the competitive film market. Television premieres air on FilmFour Channel and Channel 4 two years after theatrical release. The document discusses the marketing of Trainspotting (1996) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008), both funded by FilmFour and directed by Danny Boyle. It also covers issues FilmFour faces such as competing for cinema space and adapting to changing viewing habits with new
The document discusses film exhibition in the UK cinema industry. It provides statistics on the number of screens and cinemas in the UK in 2012, as well as box office figures showing growth that year. It also examines the roles and activities of film exhibitors, who work with distributors to book, market, and screen films. Exhibitors manage cinema buildings, undertake local marketing like newspaper ads and promotions, and rely on concession sales to earn profits beyond box office revenues. Their goal is to attract audiences, especially 16-24 year olds who make up the bulk of cinema goers.
Warp Films is an independent British film company established in 1989 by record label Warp Records. As an independent studio, Warp Films has small budgets and focuses on low-budget, unique films. It collaborates with other larger studios for resources and distribution. While independence allows Warp Films creative freedom, it also limits resources for effects, actors, and distribution. However, technological advances have helped independent films reach wider audiences through various devices and platforms.
The Inbetweeners Movie was a highly successful spin-off of the popular E4 sitcom. It had impressive box office returns, setting a new opening weekend record for a comedy in the UK. Its success was no accident, as the producers strategically targeted the existing fan base and utilized extensive marketing and partnerships. They encouraged audience participation online and had a well-timed theatrical and home video release to maximize viewership among their primary 15-25 year old demographic.
The document discusses FilmFour, a British film production company. It provides background on FilmFour, describing some of its successful and groundbreaking films from the 1980s-2000s like My Beautiful Laundrette, Trainspotting, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. The summary also notes that FilmFour faces challenges competing for cinema space with large Hollywood studios and lacks distribution clout.
British Independent Film Companies - Warp Filmsamelibentley
Here are some key differences in the production processes and technical specifications between an independent British film like 'This is England' and a major Hollywood blockbuster:
- Budget: 'This is England' had a much smaller budget of £1.5 million compared to tens or hundreds of millions for a blockbuster. This impacts the scale and scope of production.
- Crew/Cast: A blockbuster would have a much larger crew and be able to afford A-list Hollywood stars. 'This is England' likely had a smaller, independent crew and cast unknown actors.
- Technology: A blockbuster would utilize the best and latest cameras, lenses, film/digital formats for high production values. 'This is England' probably used
Film 4 Productions Case Study - G322 Institution & Audiencelaneford
Film4 Productions was formed in 1982 by Channel 4 Television to produce independent films that provide diverse, original, and challenging programming as an alternative to major studios. Being owned by a publicly-owned television station means Film4 produces films that are independent, daring, and appeal to both national and local audiences in the UK. The increasing use of digital technology and convergence across media has affected Film4's production and distribution strategies, allowing them to use new media like social networks to attract audiences and distribute films through various digital platforms.
British Independent Film Company - Warp Filmsamelibentley
Warp Films is an independent film production company based in Sheffield and London that has produced notable films such as This is England and Four Lions. The company focuses on lower-budget films than Hollywood and targets niche audiences through genres like social realism. Warp Films relies on partnerships with other companies to fund, produce, distribute and exhibit its films.
Section B Institutions and Audiences Revision Guidejphibbert
The document discusses several key aspects of the media industries:
1. Media ownership is highly concentrated among a small number of major global conglomerates like Disney and News Corp, creating an oligopoly in the film industry. The "Big Six" studios dominate global box office revenues.
2. These studios benefit greatly from cross-media convergence and synergy between their various subsidiaries. Disney is a prime example, maximizing revenue through properties like Marvel and franchises like Avengers across film, TV, games and merchandise.
3. The British film industry is much smaller and independent productions have less resources, relying more on funding from organizations like the BFI. They also face challenges in distribution dominated by the major US studios.
This document provides information on various case studies of films, including their production budgets, release dates, producers, distributors, and box office performance in the UK. It compares lower budget independent films like "The Angels Share" and "A Field in England" to larger blockbuster films like "Taken 2" and "Man of Steel." The independent films struggled at the UK box office due to limited distribution and screenings, but used alternative distribution methods like video-on-demand to find audiences. In contrast, the blockbuster films were hugely successful in theaters due to widespread distribution through major studios and large marketing campaigns. The document also provides context on trends in the UK film industry and changing technologies.
Working Title Films (WTF) appears independent but is owned by Universal Pictures, who distributes their films. In 1999, WTF signed a $600 million deal with Universal. WTF is a small company with 42 staff but co-owners Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan have been able to greenlight any film they choose. For the film Atonement, WTF solely produced it but it was distributed by 8 different companies. While the film was shot in England with a British story and cast, WTF is owned by Universal, so it is unclear if it should be considered a British film.
Level 4 response section b - media ownershipCoombeMedia1
Media ownership has a significant impact on the successful distribution of films. Large companies like Time Warner, which owns Warner Bros., have a major advantage over smaller companies due to their ability to independently distribute films on a massive global scale through their ownership of production and distribution subsidiaries. For example, Warner Bros. was able to profit greatly from The Dark Knight Rises through extensive traditional and social media marketing campaigns made possible by their large size and resources. In contrast, smaller companies like Vertigo and Warp have much more limited distribution capabilities and rely heavily on film festivals and DVD sales rather than wide theatrical releases, making it difficult to compete with major studios.
The document discusses the British film industry in 2012. Some key points:
- 2012 was a strong year for British film, with successful films like Harry Potter and The King's Speech.
- UK films earned 17% of the $33 billion worldwide box office in 2011.
- The King's Speech was a huge commercial and critical success, grossing over $414 million worldwide.
- Issues like the transition to digital projection and the decline in DVD sales present challenges for the industry.
The document discusses implications of new media technologies for the British film industry. It provides examples of how technologies have benefited film production, marketing, and distribution through tools like 3D, viral marketing, and digital distribution. However, it also notes technologies have drawbacks like piracy and declining DVD sales. The document advocates exploring both advantages and disadvantages of new technologies for producers, audiences, and one's own experiences as a consumer.
Warp Films is an independent UK film production company based in Sheffield and London. It was established by the founders of Warp Records to initially produce short films with financial support from NESTA. In 2005, Warp Films launched its own film distribution arm to distribute both its in-house productions and acquisitions from other European markets. It has distribution alliances with Optimum Releasing and Madman Entertainment. Warp Films was also involved in establishing Warp X, a digital film studio, and producing films like This Is England which had limited distribution due to budget constraints but marketing including a website, posters, and trailers to appeal to alternative audiences.
Submarine - Audiences and InstitutionsBelinda Raji
This document provides production details and box office figures for the 2010 British film Submarine. It was directed by Richard Ayoade and produced by Warp Films with a budget of £1.2 million. Through collaboration between several production companies and distribution by The Weinstein Company in the US and Optimum Releasing in the UK, the film was able to reach a wider audience and earned £2.03 million at the box office.
Warp Films is a British independent film company based in London that has had success with films like This is England and Submarine. This is England won several awards including Best British Film at the BAFTAs. Submarine had a budget of £1.2 million and made a box office profit of £2.03 million in its opening weekend in the UK and US. Warp Films collaborates with other companies internationally, such as a partnership with Australian distributor Madman Entertainment.
The film Submarine is a coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by Richard Ayoade that follows the life of Oliver Tate, a young Welsh boy narrating his life. It was produced by British film company Film4 and distributed in the UK by Studio Canal UK. The main cast includes Craig Roberts as Oliver Tate, Yasmin Paige as his love interest Jordana Bevan, and Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor as Oliver's parents.
Warp Films and Working Title Films are two British film production companies that differ in several key ways. Warp Films is more traditionally British, producing films focused on domestic stories and audiences with less American influence. Working Title has stronger ties to American partners like Universal Studios and is known for bigger-budget films that appeal more broadly. Both companies started by producing short films that led to funding for feature-length productions. However, Working Title is now a larger company better able to utilize larger budgets for effects-heavy genres like sci-fi that Warp Films typically avoids for financial reasons.
This document provides information about the production and reception of the 1994 British romantic comedy film Four Weddings and a Funeral. It details that the film follows a group of friends through various weddings and a funeral, and was directed by Mike Newell with a screenplay by Richard Curtis. Though it was made on a modest budget of under £3 million, it became a major commercial success, grossing over $245.7 million worldwide. The film received positive reviews from critics and an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
Film distribution involves getting films from production to exhibition through deals with cinemas, television networks, and other outlets. Major film distributors in the UK control much of the industry and prioritize distributing large Hollywood blockbusters. This makes it difficult for smaller distribution companies to get their films shown widely, as they have fewer resources for prints and promotion. The digital age has also made film distribution more challenging for independent distributors.
AS G322 revision booklet pt1 (Film Industry)Belinda Raji
This document provides an overview of key concepts for the AS G322 exam on media studies, focusing on section B. It discusses media institutions and how they produce and distribute media to audiences. It also examines how digital technologies and convergence have transformed audiences from passive receivers to active participants (prosumers). Students are advised to choose a contemporary film institution for their case study and analyze its relationships with production, distribution, and audience consumption. Competing views are presented on whether institutions or audiences wield more influence over what media gets made and distributed.
The document discusses film exhibition in the UK cinema industry. It provides statistics on the number of screens and cinemas in the UK in 2012, as well as box office figures showing growth that year. It also examines the roles and activities of film exhibitors, who work with distributors to book, market, and screen films. Exhibitors manage cinema buildings, undertake local marketing like newspaper ads and promotions, and rely on concession sales to earn profits beyond box office revenues. Their goal is to attract audiences, especially 16-24 year olds who make up the bulk of cinema goers.
Warp Films is an independent British film company established in 1989 by record label Warp Records. As an independent studio, Warp Films has small budgets and focuses on low-budget, unique films. It collaborates with other larger studios for resources and distribution. While independence allows Warp Films creative freedom, it also limits resources for effects, actors, and distribution. However, technological advances have helped independent films reach wider audiences through various devices and platforms.
The Inbetweeners Movie was a highly successful spin-off of the popular E4 sitcom. It had impressive box office returns, setting a new opening weekend record for a comedy in the UK. Its success was no accident, as the producers strategically targeted the existing fan base and utilized extensive marketing and partnerships. They encouraged audience participation online and had a well-timed theatrical and home video release to maximize viewership among their primary 15-25 year old demographic.
The document discusses FilmFour, a British film production company. It provides background on FilmFour, describing some of its successful and groundbreaking films from the 1980s-2000s like My Beautiful Laundrette, Trainspotting, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. The summary also notes that FilmFour faces challenges competing for cinema space with large Hollywood studios and lacks distribution clout.
British Independent Film Companies - Warp Filmsamelibentley
Here are some key differences in the production processes and technical specifications between an independent British film like 'This is England' and a major Hollywood blockbuster:
- Budget: 'This is England' had a much smaller budget of £1.5 million compared to tens or hundreds of millions for a blockbuster. This impacts the scale and scope of production.
- Crew/Cast: A blockbuster would have a much larger crew and be able to afford A-list Hollywood stars. 'This is England' likely had a smaller, independent crew and cast unknown actors.
- Technology: A blockbuster would utilize the best and latest cameras, lenses, film/digital formats for high production values. 'This is England' probably used
Film 4 Productions Case Study - G322 Institution & Audiencelaneford
Film4 Productions was formed in 1982 by Channel 4 Television to produce independent films that provide diverse, original, and challenging programming as an alternative to major studios. Being owned by a publicly-owned television station means Film4 produces films that are independent, daring, and appeal to both national and local audiences in the UK. The increasing use of digital technology and convergence across media has affected Film4's production and distribution strategies, allowing them to use new media like social networks to attract audiences and distribute films through various digital platforms.
British Independent Film Company - Warp Filmsamelibentley
Warp Films is an independent film production company based in Sheffield and London that has produced notable films such as This is England and Four Lions. The company focuses on lower-budget films than Hollywood and targets niche audiences through genres like social realism. Warp Films relies on partnerships with other companies to fund, produce, distribute and exhibit its films.
Section B Institutions and Audiences Revision Guidejphibbert
The document discusses several key aspects of the media industries:
1. Media ownership is highly concentrated among a small number of major global conglomerates like Disney and News Corp, creating an oligopoly in the film industry. The "Big Six" studios dominate global box office revenues.
2. These studios benefit greatly from cross-media convergence and synergy between their various subsidiaries. Disney is a prime example, maximizing revenue through properties like Marvel and franchises like Avengers across film, TV, games and merchandise.
3. The British film industry is much smaller and independent productions have less resources, relying more on funding from organizations like the BFI. They also face challenges in distribution dominated by the major US studios.
This document provides information on various case studies of films, including their production budgets, release dates, producers, distributors, and box office performance in the UK. It compares lower budget independent films like "The Angels Share" and "A Field in England" to larger blockbuster films like "Taken 2" and "Man of Steel." The independent films struggled at the UK box office due to limited distribution and screenings, but used alternative distribution methods like video-on-demand to find audiences. In contrast, the blockbuster films were hugely successful in theaters due to widespread distribution through major studios and large marketing campaigns. The document also provides context on trends in the UK film industry and changing technologies.
Working Title Films (WTF) appears independent but is owned by Universal Pictures, who distributes their films. In 1999, WTF signed a $600 million deal with Universal. WTF is a small company with 42 staff but co-owners Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan have been able to greenlight any film they choose. For the film Atonement, WTF solely produced it but it was distributed by 8 different companies. While the film was shot in England with a British story and cast, WTF is owned by Universal, so it is unclear if it should be considered a British film.
Level 4 response section b - media ownershipCoombeMedia1
Media ownership has a significant impact on the successful distribution of films. Large companies like Time Warner, which owns Warner Bros., have a major advantage over smaller companies due to their ability to independently distribute films on a massive global scale through their ownership of production and distribution subsidiaries. For example, Warner Bros. was able to profit greatly from The Dark Knight Rises through extensive traditional and social media marketing campaigns made possible by their large size and resources. In contrast, smaller companies like Vertigo and Warp have much more limited distribution capabilities and rely heavily on film festivals and DVD sales rather than wide theatrical releases, making it difficult to compete with major studios.
The document discusses the British film industry in 2012. Some key points:
- 2012 was a strong year for British film, with successful films like Harry Potter and The King's Speech.
- UK films earned 17% of the $33 billion worldwide box office in 2011.
- The King's Speech was a huge commercial and critical success, grossing over $414 million worldwide.
- Issues like the transition to digital projection and the decline in DVD sales present challenges for the industry.
The document discusses implications of new media technologies for the British film industry. It provides examples of how technologies have benefited film production, marketing, and distribution through tools like 3D, viral marketing, and digital distribution. However, it also notes technologies have drawbacks like piracy and declining DVD sales. The document advocates exploring both advantages and disadvantages of new technologies for producers, audiences, and one's own experiences as a consumer.
Warp Films is an independent UK film production company based in Sheffield and London. It was established by the founders of Warp Records to initially produce short films with financial support from NESTA. In 2005, Warp Films launched its own film distribution arm to distribute both its in-house productions and acquisitions from other European markets. It has distribution alliances with Optimum Releasing and Madman Entertainment. Warp Films was also involved in establishing Warp X, a digital film studio, and producing films like This Is England which had limited distribution due to budget constraints but marketing including a website, posters, and trailers to appeal to alternative audiences.
Submarine - Audiences and InstitutionsBelinda Raji
This document provides production details and box office figures for the 2010 British film Submarine. It was directed by Richard Ayoade and produced by Warp Films with a budget of £1.2 million. Through collaboration between several production companies and distribution by The Weinstein Company in the US and Optimum Releasing in the UK, the film was able to reach a wider audience and earned £2.03 million at the box office.
Warp Films is a British independent film company based in London that has had success with films like This is England and Submarine. This is England won several awards including Best British Film at the BAFTAs. Submarine had a budget of £1.2 million and made a box office profit of £2.03 million in its opening weekend in the UK and US. Warp Films collaborates with other companies internationally, such as a partnership with Australian distributor Madman Entertainment.
The film Submarine is a coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by Richard Ayoade that follows the life of Oliver Tate, a young Welsh boy narrating his life. It was produced by British film company Film4 and distributed in the UK by Studio Canal UK. The main cast includes Craig Roberts as Oliver Tate, Yasmin Paige as his love interest Jordana Bevan, and Sally Hawkins and Noah Taylor as Oliver's parents.
Warp Films and Working Title Films are two British film production companies that differ in several key ways. Warp Films is more traditionally British, producing films focused on domestic stories and audiences with less American influence. Working Title has stronger ties to American partners like Universal Studios and is known for bigger-budget films that appeal more broadly. Both companies started by producing short films that led to funding for feature-length productions. However, Working Title is now a larger company better able to utilize larger budgets for effects-heavy genres like sci-fi that Warp Films typically avoids for financial reasons.
This document provides information about the production and reception of the 1994 British romantic comedy film Four Weddings and a Funeral. It details that the film follows a group of friends through various weddings and a funeral, and was directed by Mike Newell with a screenplay by Richard Curtis. Though it was made on a modest budget of under £3 million, it became a major commercial success, grossing over $245.7 million worldwide. The film received positive reviews from critics and an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
Film distribution involves getting films from production to exhibition through deals with cinemas, television networks, and other outlets. Major film distributors in the UK control much of the industry and prioritize distributing large Hollywood blockbusters. This makes it difficult for smaller distribution companies to get their films shown widely, as they have fewer resources for prints and promotion. The digital age has also made film distribution more challenging for independent distributors.
AS G322 revision booklet pt1 (Film Industry)Belinda Raji
This document provides an overview of key concepts for the AS G322 exam on media studies, focusing on section B. It discusses media institutions and how they produce and distribute media to audiences. It also examines how digital technologies and convergence have transformed audiences from passive receivers to active participants (prosumers). Students are advised to choose a contemporary film institution for their case study and analyze its relationships with production, distribution, and audience consumption. Competing views are presented on whether institutions or audiences wield more influence over what media gets made and distributed.
1. The document lists the production companies, distributors, and other companies involved in the making of the 2012 animated film "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!" produced by Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation.
2. Columbia Pictures, a subsidiary of Sony, helped produce and distribute the film worldwide based on the book by Gideon Defoe.
3. The film was distributed internationally but the title was changed for North American audiences, and some voice actors were recast between versions, reflecting differences in cultural references.
The document discusses the film distribution industry and the debate around whether audiences or distributors hold more power in influencing what films are made and seen. It provides definitions of key terms like distributor and describes the roles and responsibilities of distributors. Some key statistics are presented on worldwide spending on films, average production and marketing costs, and revenue streams. The types of UK distributors and factors considered in acquiring and releasing films are also summarized.
Film Four is a British film studio owned by Channel 4. It relies on partnerships with other companies for production and American studios for international distribution. As its films target Western audiences, they have smaller budgets and audiences than major American films. Film Four uses its digital TV channel to exhibit films to promote new releases and generate audiences. Shorter windows between theatrical and home release, and internet piracy, reduce revenue, especially for smaller British films. However, new technologies also provide low-cost marketing through social media and websites to build wide awareness. Film Four has successfully promoted films through these online methods and international star power.
Warp Films is an independent British film production company that produces low-budget films, often in the genre of social realism. They co-fund their films through sources like the National Lottery and BBC Films. Their films target UK audiences and art houses. In contrast, Working Title Films is a large, Hollywood studio-backed producer that makes mid-to-large budget films in genres like romcom and heritage drama. They aim their films at both US and UK multiplex audiences. The essay will discuss and compare the production and distribution practices of these two case studies.
This case study examines the 2010 low-budget independent film Monsters. It details how the film was made for only $500,000 using digital cameras and guerrilla filmmaking techniques. It premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and was immediately acquired for distribution in the US and Mexico. Though it only played in 25 screens domestically, it was profitable through international distribution. The case study explores the innovative marketing campaign utilizing the social media platform Foursquare to promote the film's theatrical release.
This document provides a case study on the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall. It discusses the film's production, which was delayed due to MGM's financial troubles but resumed in late 2010. Skyfall had a large budget of $200 million and filming locations in the UK and abroad. The film was the first Bond movie to be shot digitally. It was also the first in the franchise to be released in IMAX theaters, which proved very successful. The document outlines Skyfall's marketing campaign, which had a budget of $75 million and included extensive product placements, publicity stunts, and synergy partnerships. Social media discussion of Skyfall peaked around key announcements like the film's title and trailer reveals.
The Dark Knight was a major Hollywood blockbuster production by Warner Bros. that utilized both traditional and viral marketing techniques. An extensive viral marketing campaign that resembled an alternate reality game was launched 18 months before the film's release and involved puzzles, websites, and real-world activities that engaged fans. The film had massive commercial success due to this multifaceted marketing approach along with its wide theatrical distribution to over 4,300 theaters domestically, breaking previous records.
This document provides an overview of the British film production company Working Title Films. It discusses how Working Title Films was founded in 1984 and began as a small, independent production company co-producing films with Channel 4. It achieved success with films like My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) but struggled financially. Working Title then began pursuing co-productions with American studios like Universal to gain financial stability and access to international markets. This template of British films with American stars became Working Title's model and led to massive commercial hits like Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). However, not all of Working Title's films are successful and some have lost money. The document examines both the successes and failures of Working Title's approach over the
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive function. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help protect against mental illness and improve symptoms.
This document provides a mark scheme for a media studies exam assessing students' understanding of how representations are constructed in television drama through technical aspects. It evaluates students across three criteria: explanation/analysis/argument, use of examples, and use of terminology. Higher levels are awarded more points and require a clear understanding of how techniques shape representations, relevant examples from the text, and accurate terminology. Lower levels receive fewer points and demonstrate a more basic grasp of the concepts and partial fulfillment of the criteria.
This document provides instructions for a media studies exam. It outlines the structure of the exam, which has two sections. Section A involves analyzing an unseen moving image extract, which will be screened four times to allow note-taking. Students must answer a question about how the extract constructs regional identity through camera work, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene. Section B involves answering a question about how digital technologies impact marketing and consumption in a chosen media area, with 50 marks allotted to each section.
This document provides information about Section A of the AS Film Studies exam, which focuses on producers and audiences. It discusses key areas like:
1) Film finance, production, distribution and exhibition in Britain and America.
2) Understanding audience behavior and film consumption is important for this exam section.
3) Questions will focus on film as a product and audiences as consumers, examining the profit motive of the industry and pleasure motive for viewing.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive function. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help boost feelings of calmness and well-being.
Film distributors handle the distribution and marketing of films in cinemas and on DVD/Blu-ray. Their main objectives are to persuade cinemas to screen films and advertise them. They secure contracts with cinemas, collect ticket sales, ensure accurate reporting of profits, and split profits between production companies. Distributors also dub/subtitle films for international release and ensure any censoring meets other countries' standards. Vertigo Films is a UK distributor that handles both British and foreign independent films.
The document discusses the film exhibition process in the UK, including the roles of distributors and exhibitors. Exhibitors book films from distributors up to a year in advance and are responsible for marketing films locally through newspaper advertisements, promotions, and screenings trailers and previews. They earn revenue through ticket sales as well as concessions like popcorn. While 16-23 year olds are the largest cinema-going demographic, families are also attracted to multiplexes which provide entertainment hubs near shopping centers.
The document discusses various aspects of film production, including the roles of producers, financiers, and audiences. It notes that film is both a creative and commercial endeavor, requiring significant financing to fund production, distribution, and marketing. Producers are responsible for securing financing, overseeing budgets, and ensuring films appeal to audiences to be profitable. Securing name actors and directors can help "bankability" but success is never guaranteed. Films require complex financing deals involving multiple investors like studios, distributors, and broadcasters. The goal is for films to earn 2.5 times their production budgets to become profitable after accounting for all costs.
This document provides guidance for answering an exam question on technological convergence in the media industry using case studies. It defines key terms like convergence and provides examples of case studies to reference, including Warner Bros.' Rock n Rolla and an independent film edited on AVID & Baselight. It recommends introducing the case studies, comparing and contrasting them, and concluding by summarizing the argument about how convergence impacted production, distribution, marketing and audiences. Another exemplar essay on Slumdog Millionaire and The Dark Knight is provided to help the student generate more points to include in their own response.
The passage summarizes changes in the British film industry since 1984. It discusses the revival of the cultural and economic fortunes of British cinema in the 1980s and 1990s, including the rise of multiplex theaters. Key production companies during this period included Channel 4, Handmade Films, and Palace Pictures. Genres like art cinema, costume dramas, and social realism flourished. By the mid-1990s, films like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sense and Sensibility showed the two main directions of British cinema - heritage films and more contemporary adaptations.
Study notes Audiences and Institutions OCR Media Studies ASNaamah Hill
The document discusses the British film industry in 2012. Some key points:
1) 2012 was a strong year for British film, with successful films like Harry Potter and The King's Speech. UK films earned 17% of the $33 billion worldwide box office.
2) Independent UK films like The King's Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie were very commercially and critically successful in 2011, helping push the market share of independent UK films to its highest level.
3) Digital projection was becoming the norm, with virtually all UK screens expected to be digital by the end of 2013, though video on demand was still growing as a platform for audiences.
Bfi statistical yearbook research task results 2013adamporter
The document provides information about the UK film industry in 2011, including box office data, top earning films, admissions, and industry statistics. Some of the key points covered are:
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was the highest grossing film of 2011 in the UK, earning £72 million.
- The Kings Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie were the top independent UK films that year.
- 171 million cinema tickets were sold in the UK in 2011, a 1.4% increase from 2010.
- UK films enjoyed success internationally, with a global market share of 17% and earnings of $5.6 billion. Studio-backed British films accounted for 14.4% of the
The document discusses several key aspects of the British film industry in 2013:
1) The UK film industry generated over £4 billion in revenues and contributed £2.9 billion to the British economy. UK films earned 11.4% of the global box office, down from 15% the prior year.
2) Data showed UK films had an 8% market share in China and 12% in Russia, earning $266 million and $164 million respectively in these growing markets.
3) Animation was the highest earning genre in the UK in 2013, accounting for 21% of box office receipts despite being only 5% of releases.
4) Tax relief plays a major role in attracting international productions
The UK film industry had total revenues of over £4.1 billion in 2016, up from £4 billion in 2013. Cinema admissions were down 2% year-over-year but have remained relatively stable since 2007. Public funding for film in the UK reached £523 million in 2016, up 26% from 2015, largely due to an increase in film tax relief. The top two films of 2016 were Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Here is a draft response to the question using the provided material and case studies:
There are several key factors that influence the kinds of films that get made today. One major influence is the target audience and who is most likely to see films in cinemas. As shown in the table of cinema-going by age, the largest audience is those aged 15-24, which is the target demographic for many blockbuster films.
Properties that already have brand recognition and a built-in fanbase are attractive to studios as they are seen as less risky investments. For example, the Hannah Montana website example demonstrates the huge popularity of that franchise among young girls. Similarly, the X-Men comic and films show how comic book properties with loyal
The document discusses several key aspects of the British film industry:
- It identifies the main organizations that support and promote British film, including the BFI and UK Film Council.
- It notes that a film needs to meet three of six criteria to qualify as a British film, such as having a British director or production company.
- It examines box office figures from a sample weekend, finding that while some British films made the top 10, Hollywood blockbusters dominated earnings.
The document discusses several key aspects of the British film industry:
- It identifies the main organizations that support and promote British film, including the BFI and UK Film Council.
- It outlines the criteria for a film to be considered British, such as having a British director or being based on a British story.
- It examines box office data from a sample weekend which shows that while US films dominated the top spots, several British films also performed well, indicating the British industry can attract audiences.
This document provides an overview and analysis of the British film industry in 2016. Some key points:
- The UK film industry contributed £5.2 billion to GDP in 2016, up from £2.9 billion in 2013.
- Cinema admissions were 168.3 million in 2016, down 2% from 2015 but relatively stable since 2007.
- Younger audiences aged 15-24 favored action and superhero films while older audiences aged 45+ favored British films, comedies, and biopics.
- UK films earned $3.9 billion (8.6%) of the global $67.5 billion film market in 2016, down from 11.4% in 2013.
- Visual effects and tax
The document discusses several aspects of the British film industry, including its reliance on co-productions with Hollywood studios for funding and distribution. It notes that while British films can find an audience abroad, films focusing too narrowly on domestic themes may struggle. Successful British films like Trainspotting, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Slumdog Millionaire have utilized marketing strategies and universal storylines to appeal to both UK and international audiences. FilmFour is highlighted as an important producer of lower-budget British films that explore social and cultural issues.
Rentrak - 2015 UK & Ireland box-office reviewLucy Jones
- The total box office for cinemas in the UK and Ireland in 2015 broke all previous records, rising 15.26% over 2014 to £1.3 billion.
- The top 5 highest grossing films were all sequels in major franchises, demonstrating the power of established franchises. Spectre was the highest grossing film of 2015 making £94 million.
- 2016 may struggle to continue the growth of 2015 as there are fewer guaranteed blockbuster films, however the slate is still strong with many franchise sequels and adaptations of popular properties.
The document discusses what determines whether a film can be considered British. It explores several categories of British films based on factors like financing, cultural content, and personnel. It also examines case studies of films like Trainspotting and Gravity and whether they passed the UK film council's cultural test to be recognized as British films. There is no clear consensus on what constitutes a British film and Britishness in films can be interpreted in different ways based on gritty homegrown productions versus big budget films shot in the UK.
BBC Films co-produces around eight films per year in partnership with major distributors. It has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films in recent years such as An Education, Street Dance 3D, and Match Point. BBC Films is part of the larger BBC organization, which is a public service broadcaster and one of the largest in the world. BBC Films produces films across a variety of genres including horror, comedy, drama, Shakespeare adaptations, biopics, romance, action, and dance films to attract British audiences. One of its films, The Awakening, is a 1920s set horror film about a ghost debunker investigating hauntings at a boarding school.
British films tend to have smaller budgets than Hollywood films, with only 20% having budgets over £10 million and the median budget between 2007-2010 being £1.6 million. In contrast, Hollywood blockbusters regularly have budgets over $100 million, with Spiderman 3 costing $258 million. While action films dominated the UK box office in 2012, bringing in £260.4 million, the genres produced in Britain feature more realism and niche audiences. Commercial success is greater for higher budget British films, whereas lower budget films pursue creative goals. Major British production companies include Hammer Film Productions and London Films.
The Inbetweeners was a British sitcom that aired from 2008 to 2010 about four teenage boys. It was created by Ian Morris and Damon Beesley and followed the boys' awkward experiences with school, relationships, and family life. A film based on the series was released in 2011 and was a box office success, grossing over £57 million globally. A sequel film was released in 2014. The original creators and cast returned for both films, which were shot on location in Greece and Australia but also in the UK for cost reasons. Marketing involved partnerships with newspapers and magazines to promote the films and DVD releases.
The UK film industry is smaller than Hollywood, with lower funding and smaller production companies. In 2008, 111 UK films were produced with a budget of over £578 million, though 58% of funding came from US studios. Tax relief policies since 2006 have boosted UK production by providing incentives for overseas filming in the UK. This has increased US and UK investment. Major UK production companies like Working Title and DNA Films receive funding from Hollywood studios Universal Pictures and Fox Searchlight respectively, though they maintain an appearance of independence. UK films also receive funding from co-productions with TV companies like the BBC and Channel 4.
The UK film industry contributed £4.3 billion to the economy in 2006, up from £3.1 billion in 2004. In 2007, UK production activity amounted to £747 million and 516 films were released in the UK, a 58% increase over the previous decade. The UK also had 296 digital screens in 2007, double the number from 2006. The five sectors of the film industry are development, production, post-production, distribution, and exhibition.
The King's Speech tells the story of King George VI, who reluctantly takes the throne after his brother abdicates, and seeks help from an unorthodox speech therapist, Lionel Logue, to overcome his stutter. The film had a budget of £8 million provided by London Prescience film finance and was distributed in the UK by Momentum Pictures, known for distributing other award-winning films. It was a box office success in the UK, earning over £3 million for several consecutive weekends and being the highest grossing film during its opening weekend.
The British film industry has made large contributions to modern cinema and has produced some of the greatest actors, directors, and films of all time. While it enjoyed success in the 1940s, the industry has faced ongoing debates about its identity and influences from American and European cinema. In recent decades, many British films have found international audiences but were financed and distributed by American companies, providing little financial benefit to the British industry itself. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) was founded in 1947 to support and promote the film industry and continues to do so through educational events and annual award ceremonies.
Vertigo Films was established in 2002 and has since produced 28 films and distributed 35, with their biggest box office hit being Street Dance 3D and top selling DVD being The Football Factory. Vertigo focuses on championing new talent and helping emerging actors like Tom Hardy get their start. They receive funding from various UK film organizations to help promote new films and school projects.
Working Title Films was founded by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. It helped finance films like "My Beautiful Laundrette" independently but later partnered with Universal Studios. It remains based in London while producing films for Universal. Universal Studios is owned by NBC Universal, which is majority owned by General Electric with a minority stake held by Vivendi. Working Title had successes with films like "Pride and Prejudice" and the Cornetto Trilogy that established Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. It also produced the hit "Four Weddings and a Funeral" that made Hugh Grant a big star.
Similar to 03 g322 section b the british film industry 2013 (20)
The document discusses the process of film production from development to distribution. It notes that film production requires significant financing to fund all stages of development, production and distribution. The key roles of producer and financier are discussed. Producers are responsible for securing financing, overseeing the project and ensuring it meets the expectations of financiers. Securing financing is a lengthy process that can take years and involves creating packages to convince multiple investors to fund production costs in the hopes of generating profits.
1) The document analyzes and summarizes the filmmaker's short horror film called "The Chalet".
2) The film tells the story of three teenage friends who go to make a film near an abandoned house based on a supposed murder that occurred there. They soon discover their imagination has become a dark reality.
3) The analysis discusses how the film uses techniques like sound, editing, and cinematography to build tension and establish its horror genre. Elements like ominous music and isolating the characters contribute to its unsettling aesthetic and align the viewer with the characters' fear.
1) Short films are typically under 40 minutes and focus on a simple idea or message in a concise way. They allow ideas to be expressed quickly.
2) The documentary "Lost" follows a man struggling with dementia as he believes his wife is missing, but the audience learns it is his memories that are lost.
3) The film uses poetic transitions between scenes and manipulated storytelling to reflect the experience of dementia and create confusion similar to the protagonist.
This document provides an analysis of a short film titled "Contact" made by the filmmaker. The film is about a young woman who encounters a mysterious presence when she arrives home alone. It falls under the horror genre with elements of psychological horror and science fiction. Through cinematography and editing techniques, the filmmaker aims to create a sense of tension, isolation, and ambiguity without dialogue. An open ending is used to leave the resolution ambiguous and require an active interpretation from the audience. The analysis discusses how genre conventions, visual style, narrative structure, and audience reception were considered in the film's production.
1) Short films are defined as original motion pictures under 40 minutes that are often screened at film festivals. They must draw audiences in quickly by compressing narratives and are more likely to have open endings that leave questions.
2) The student's short film "Luna" falls under the crime mystery genre about a girl searching for her missing cousin. It uses unconventional editing between dream sequences and reality to explore themes like life and death.
3) The film has an open ending through the use of an "enigma code" where the audience is left questioning what happened to the missing cousin, similar to other short films analyzed. This leaves room for different interpretations of the narrative.
The document provides an analysis of Evie Stylianou's short film "Dear Tony". It summarizes that the film tells the story of a cancer patient Grace on her physical and metaphorical journey. It uses elements of dark comedy early on before transitioning to tragedy. The film borrows techniques from documentary like breaking the fourth wall. It follows Grace chronologically on one day using jump cuts between locations. Visual elements like muted tones and the increasing use of the color green are used to reflect Grace's internal struggle and decision to reject treatment. The analysis discusses how various techniques were used to elicit an emotive response from audiences and effectively tell the story within the short time frame.
The document provides an analysis and summary of the short film "The Lottery" by the filmmaker. It discusses the film's narrative structure, characters, themes, filming techniques, and reception. The film uses surreal elements and nonlinear storytelling to depict a man whose life changes when he wins the lottery but squanders the money due to arrogance. It was influenced by other short films and combines drama with comedy. Audience feedback was positive about the characters, story, and visual effects, though some found the plot predictable. Overall the filmmaker was pleased with the technically challenging project and how it brought the comedy to life.
- The document discusses a short psychological thriller film created by the author that follows a male character's daily routine which is disrupted by a female character.
- The film uses montage editing to show the passage of time and develop the characters' repetitive routines. It also incorporates audio motifs and leaves some elements, like what is in the basement, ambiguous.
- At the end, it is unexpectedly revealed that the female character, not the male, is the one who attacks the man, playing with audience expectations of the "serial killer" character type. The open ending leaves the audience to imagine what happens next.
1) Short films have a specific structure that focuses on conveying a story with succinct scope. They allow creative freedom and the chance to be discovered.
2) The student made a short film called "Unexpected Item" on a low budget using natural lighting. It tells the story of a boy ambushing his friend to tell a joke story.
3) The film uses shifts in color tones, editing styles, and an unreliable narrator to create comedy and suspense, surprising the audience with a twist ending like other similar short films. The audience responded positively to the film.
Crystal Chan analyzes several short films and her own short film "Happy Birthday" in relation to short film conventions. She discusses how her film conforms to conventions like runtime, natural lighting, location filming, and character development. Her film tells a coming-of-age story through a series of flashbacks from the perspective of the female protagonist. She uses techniques like color grading and editing to convey emotion and establish tone. While her film has a resolution, some discussed shorts like "Echo" and "Operator" end without resolution, a convention more common in short films.
The document provides an analysis of the film "The Exam" in comparison to other short films based on various criteria such as narrative structure, genre, characters, and intended audience reaction. It examines how "The Exam" uses techniques like flashbacks, editing pace, and character performances to establish certain genres and elicit laughter from viewers. However, it notes some viewers decoded elements differently and did not find parts funny due to how certain issues were portrayed lightly. The analysis draws on theories around narrative, representation, and decoding of texts to understand how "The Exam" was both conventional and unconventional in certain aspects for short films.
This document provides a summary and analysis of a short film created by the author. The short film follows the process of creating a song from sampling an existing song to writing lyrics and recording. It aims to have a documentary style with minimal dialogue. The author analyzes how various film techniques like camera work, editing, sound, and cinematography were used to shape the narrative and create realism. Audience reaction confirmed that the film succeeded in engaging viewers and focusing their attention on the song creation process rather than the characters.
This document provides an analysis of the student's short film "Till Death Us Do Part". It summarizes the plot, which follows the deterioration of a married couple, Rose and Stanley, over 20 years until Rose implies murdering Stanley. The student discusses how they drew inspiration from other short films in terms of genre, narrative structure, editing techniques, and use of sound and mise-en-scene. Feedback from peers is also mentioned, which led to clarifying edits. In analyzing their own film, the student compares elements like genre, locations used, narrative approaches, and how their film fits structural models of storytelling.
Despite similar themes, the endings of ‘Echo’ and ‘Tea Party’ are vastly different. ‘Echo’ leaves the viewer with little hope through its depressing final shot, while ‘Tea Party’ provides a more ambiguous and romantic ending through Noah becoming a guardian angel, granting viewer satisfaction. The film is broken into three clear parts influenced by Tzvetan Todorov’s three-act model: a setup of Noah’s disorientation; a confrontation where Noah tries to understand his situation; and a resolution where Noah realizes his new role. Microelements like Noah’s positioning in light and cinematography position the viewer with Noah to understand his connection to Evie. Doors in the film symbolize passageways
Tim and Tiffany are forced to retake an exam under the supervision of their strict teacher, Mr. Jones. As Tim works through the exam, he has flashbacks providing clues and context for the questions. These flashbacks depict his school experiences and home life. Mr. Jones grows frustrated with Tim's flashbacks, believing them to be cheating. Tiffany also complains. After quickly finishing the exam thanks to his flashbacks, Tim smiles, confident he has passed, while Mr. Jones and Tiffany are startled by the final question.
This document provides a summary of a short film script titled "Lost". It follows an elderly mixed-race man as he goes about his day in his home. Scenes show him in different rooms of the house, interacting with his daughter Claire and an unseen woman named Laura. The man goes up to the attic to search for old photos at Laura's request. While in the attic, he finds a photo album and looks through old blurred photos. Later he goes to the supermarket, where he runs into an old friend. Throughout the script, music is heard which seems to trigger memories or moments of confusion for the man.
1) Joe tells Alice a story about going to the supermarket where he was followed by a strange woman who claimed he looked like her deceased son. She hugged Joe and then told the cashier Joe would pay for her items.
2) When Joe realized what was happening, he abandoned his shopping and chased after the woman in the parking lot.
3) Joe caught up to her and grabbed her leg to stop her from leaving as she tried to get in her car. He tells this story to Alice, eating the biscuit Alice had been eating earlier.
I used a variety of media technologies at different stages of my coursework, including:
- Blogger to document my work and share videos and presentations from other sites.
- Prezi and PowerPoint to plan and explain topics. These were embedded in Blogger.
- After Effects to create graphics for my trailer ident.
- SurveyMonkey and Excel to collect and analyze audience feedback.
- Facebook to get feedback on rough cuts from a private group.
- YouTube to host and share videos and for research.
- iPhone for location footage and voice memos during construction and evaluation.
- Photoshop and FinalCut to construct, edit, and evaluate my work.
1) Film production involves many stages from development to distribution. It is a commercial venture that requires significant financing to be successful.
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3) Making a film is an uncertain process. Many ideas do not make it past development due to creative or financial challenges. Successful producers must have a good sense of public taste and the ability to convince skeptical investors to take on financial risks.
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1. AS Media Studies
Study Notes
Unit G322 Section B
Audiences and Institutions
The Film Industry
Part 3
The British Film Industry
35
2. The British Film Industry in 2012
2012 marks a particularly strong year for British film. As well as the extraordinary performance
of the last of the Harry Potter films, 2011 was also marked by great success in the independent
sector with The King’s Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie contributing to a record market
share for British independent films. But if we were to try to define the year in terms of
performance, a good place to start would be to look at how UK film has fared internationally
and the strength and success of British talent and creativity abroad...
BFI STATISTICAL YEARBOOK 2012
Summary of the Year
UK films earned 17% of the $33 billion worldwidegross box office last year while, in 2010,
the UK filmindustry generated a valuable trade surplus for theBritish economy amounting to
over £1.5 billion.Quite justly, UK talent has been feted at all the keyfestivals such as
Sundance, Toronto, and Cannes,and recognised in the awards season, all of whichhas helped
promote British culture, skills andcreativity abroad.
Digital Projection and VoD (Video on Demand)
Virtually all screens in the UK are expected to be digital by the end of 2013 and whilst we are
yet to see the uptake of VoD grow significantly as a platform for reaching audiences, it
remains a priority technology.
Independent UK Films
UK films enjoyed significant commercial and criticalsuccess in 2011, no more so than at
home, whereBritish films took the first four places at the UK boxoffice. It was an exceptional
year for independentUK films with The King’s
Speech grossing a record£45.7 million at the UK
box office, $414 millionworldwide, four Academy
Awards® and sevenBAFTA film awards. The
second highest grossingindependent film of all
time, The Inbetweeners Movie,earned £45 million
in the UK and together witha range of films such
as,Jane Eyre, My Week with Marilyn and Tinker,
Tailor,Soldier, Spy appealed to a wide range of
audiencesand helped push independent UK films
marketshare to its highest level since records began.
The highest grossing film of the year was the
finalinstalment of the Harry Potter series, Harry
Potter andthe Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which
earned £73 millionin the UK and over $1.3 billion
worldwide. As themost successful film series of all
time, Harry Potterhas dominated the global film
industry for a decade.Based on UK source material,
shot in the UK withBritish cast and crew and
produced by a UKcompany with finance from
Warner Bros, theseries has grossed £442 million at
the UK box office($7.7 billion at the worldwide box office), sold over30 million copies on all
video formats in the UKand has been watched over 212 million timeson UK television.
Some highlights of 2011…
36
3. UK films enjoyed significant success in 2011, no more so than at home, where British films
took the first four places at the UK box office. It
was an exceptional year for
independent UK films with The King’s
Speech grossing a record £45.7 million at the UK
box office, $414 million worldwide, four
Academy Awards® and seven BAFTA film
awards. The second highest grossing independent
film of all time, The Inbetweeners Movie, earned
£45 million in the UK and together with a range
of films such as Jane Eyre, My Week with
Marilyn and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy appealed
to a wide range of audiences and helped push
independent UK films market share to its highest
level since records began.
The final Harry Potter film was one of 47 3D films released in 2011, up from 28 in
2010, but 3D takings were down from 24% to 20% of UK box office revenues. The use of 3D
was particularly memorable in feature documentaries during the year including the UK
independent film TT3D: Closer to the Edge, which grossed over £1.2 million at the UK box
office. Overall, 2011 was a record year for UK documentaries with Senna breaking the box
office record set by Touching the Void in 2003 with takings of £3.2 million.
Q.1 Why do you think 3D takings went down when the number and variety
of 3D films increased in 2011?
37
4. The UK remains the third largest consumer market for film in the world,
worth £4 billion or 7% of global revenues. Cinema going remains robust but the decline in
revenues from DVD sales represents a major challenge for the industry.UK films, including
co-productions, accounted for 21% of releases.
The significance of the film industry to the UK economy was highlighted in the
recent international trade figures published by the Office for National Statistics. The UK film
industry exported £2.1 billion worth of services in 2010. Total UK production activity in 2011
was a record £1.27 billion, with the UK spend associated with inward investment features
exceeding £1.1 billion, also the highest yet recorded.
Production - While a small number of large budget films are responsible for the
majority of UK production value, most domestic films produced in the UK
are low and micro-budget features. Of the 200 UK domestic features made in
2011, 62% were produced with budgets of less than £500,000. Over 86% of UK films
at this budget level failed to secure a theatrical release.
Q.2 Where do you think these films end up being shown?
UK films shared 17% of the $33 billion worldwide gross box office in 2011,
up from 14% in 2010with the final instalment of the Harry Potter story, the top film of the
year. Oscar®-winner The King’s Speech, earned over $414 million.
UK films and talent won 30 major film awards in 2011, with eight of these
awards being won at the Oscars® and 15 at the BAFTAs. The 295 awards received from
2001–2011 represented 14% of the total of all major awards.
Punching above our weight - of the top 200 global box office successes of 2001–2011,
31 films are based on stories and characters created by UK writers. Together they have
earned more than $20 billion (£12.3 billion) at the worldwide box office. Half of the top 20
global box office successes of the last 11 years are based on novels by UK writers. More than
half of the top 200 films released worldwide since 2001 have featured UK actors in lead or
38
5. prominent supporting roles. UK directors were behind 24 of the 200 biggest films of the
last 11 years.
Distribution - The top 10 distributors had a 94% share of the market in
2011, the same as in 2010.Weekdays (Monday to Thursday) accounted for 42% of the
box office, the highest share since our records began.
Q.3 Why do you think there are more people going to the cinema
mid-week? Who are more likely to attend the cinema outside of
opening weekends?
Opening weekends represented 28% of the total box office. The estimated total
advertising spend was £197 million. The average advertising spend for studio-backed
UK films was £1.6 million and for UK independent films was just under £0.2 million.
Exhibition - The UK had 3,767 screens, 96 more than 2010, in 745 cinemas. The
UK had the second highest number of digital screens in Europe (behind France). The
UK had 1,475 screens capable of screening digital 3D features (54% of all digital
screens).
DVD Sales & Rentals - Despite falling revenues, DVD/Blu-ray remains the most
important element of the film value chain. In 2011, sales and rentals in the UK
generated over £1.4 billion. There were 86 million feature film physical video rentals
in 2011 (84 million in 2010) and 152 million sales (160 million in 2010). UK films
accounted for around 22% of all films sold on video. The most popular purchase on
DVD in 2011 was (not surprisingly) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Online rental with postal delivery LOVEFiLM (www.lovefilm.com/)
&Netflix(www.netflix.com/UK)accounted for 46% of all feature film video rental
transactions in 2011.
Q.4Why do you think there has been a decline in DVD sales in the
last few years?
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6. Comparison between 2002 and 2011
In 2002, 369 films were released in UK cinemas, compared to 558 in
2011 (a 51% increase). Admissions in 2002 were at a 30-year high of 176 million
generating a box office gross of £755 million (while admissions remained on a plateau
for a decade the total gross box office for 2011 exceeded £1 billion).
The top UK film as reported in 2002 was Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets while Gosford Park and Bend it Like Beckham lifted UK independent share to
6.5% (half the total recorded last year).
As in 2011, the UK’s favourite genre was comedy (27% of box office from
23% releases) but UK audiences were less likely to visit cinemas on a weekday – 68%
of the box office was generated on a weekend compared with 58% in 2011. Foreign
language films made up 36% of releases but only 2% of the box office (in 2011, there
were fewer foreign language films as a share of releases and the box office share
remained the same).
In 2002, there were 3,258 cinema screens in the UK but only four of those screens
were digital (out of 113 in the world). In home entertainment, DVD players were in a
quarter of UK households and a significant number of VHS tapes were still being sold.
On demand services were limited to near Video on Demand pay-per-view offers on
satellite and cable. Multi-channel television accounted for 22% of the UK television
audience and 59% of the population owned a mobile phone.
So what of the future? With broadband speeds increasing, smartphone and tablet
ownership on the rise and internet-enabled television sets becoming more
commonplace the period of digital transition is by no means complete. The ways in
which we choose and watch films has undergone an enormous change in the last
decade and the next one is likely to be no different.
Q.5Summarise what has remained the same about the UK film
market over the last ten years and what has changed
dramatically?
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7. How do films get funded in the UK?
The UK does not have the massive studio structure that Hollywood has in terms of producing
films but there are now many more ways in which a film can be produced in the UK than ever
before and it is almost impossible to find out about in detail, because of the myriad of
companies and consortia involved and the legal and financial minefield about rights, loans,
investment deals, tax breaks and funding criteria involved.
In the past, there were great British studios that produced successful films, some of which
became international hits, for example, Denham Studios, Ealing Studios and the Hammer
Studios in Bray. However, during the 1970s and 1980s, film-making in the UK became more
and more reliant on Hollywood funding and its cultural and artistic influence.
To change this, in May 1997, the then Labour government announced that £92 million
pounds of lottery funding was to be designated from the Department of Culture Media and
Sport (DCMS) over six years to create three UK mini-studios to produce successful British
films that could compete in the international market place and make a profit for funders and
investors.
The three successful bidders were:
1. PATHÉ PRODUCTIONS – Pathé UK has a major presence within the UK film
industry, operating as a fully integrated studio. It is involved in all aspects of film-
making, from production and development through to international sales and
distribution. Pathé UK's productions range from Aardman's Chicken Run to Stephen
Frears' The Queen to Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire
(2009).(http://www.pathe.co.uk/)
2. THE FILM CONSORTIUM – partners included Scala Productions and Virgin,
whose previous hits had included The Crying Game (1992) and Michael Collins
(1996). Its last film was produced in 2005.
3. DNA Films – headed by Duncan Kenworthy (producer of Notting Hill and Four
Weddings...) and Andrew MacDonald (producer of Trainspotting and Shallow Grave).
The funding given by the DCMS was not to fund all costs for production – each company
would have to find the rest of
the finance themselves through
co-production deals with other
countries (usually Europe or
the US), loans, grants from
other organisations or private
investment.The companies
gained some successes:
Pathéco-produced Slumdog
Millionaire (2009) with
Film4,which took £31 million
at the UK box office and they
even saw a mountaineering
drama documentary Touching
the Void (2003) take £12.4
million.
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8. DNA Films and The Film Consortium have had varying degrees of success. DNA has
released titles including Danny Boyle's horror hit, 28 Days Later (2002), The History Boys &
Last King of Scotland(both 2006) and were also one of the many hands in Love Actually.
Steve Coogan's comedy The Parole Officer (2001) proved less successful. They are now 50%
by Fox Searchlight, the 'Indiewood' arm of 20th Century Fox.They have most recently
produced Never Let Me Go (2010) and Dredd 3D (2012)
The Film Consortium has not been as successful as
was hoped, although titles such as Michael
Winterbottom's acclaimed In This World (2002)
fared well (at least critically).
The Lottery franchise projectfailed as it didn't
really set up a permanent studio system creating a
series of commercially successful titles for an
international market place. Maybe that is impossible
to do in the UK with such a diverse range of film-
makers,and social and ethnic groups, with many
stories and ideasrelevant only to a regional or even
local environment.Other ways films are funded in
the UK, apart from via the three above companies
are:
Assistance with funding from one of the Regional
Screen Agencies across the UK who may help
with finding crews, training or seed/development
funding for scripts. The Damned Utd (2009) about
Yorkshire based football club Leeds Utd and This Is England (2006) both received help from
Screen Yorkshire because of parts of the production and filming taking place there.
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9. Investment from Europe — Bend It Like Beckham (2002) had assistance from the
Hamburg Film Fund in return for shooting some sequences in Germany, Mike Leigh has a
deal with CanalPlus in France for part-funding of his films and Ken Loach's Looking for
Eric(2009) had investment from Germany and Spain.
BBC Films(http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms) and Film4 (http://www.film4.com/film4-
productions/current-slate) are still an important source of British cinema by funding work for
the small screen but which is then released into cinemas.The BBC has invested in films since
the 1970s, although on a much smaller scale than Channel Four, whose Film4 channel was
made available on digital Freeview in 2006, and screens seasons of British films. Working in
partnership with companies, the BBC has funded some significant films. ITV companies have
participated in film finance to a lesser extent. The expansion of cable and satellite TV has
made more films available on the small screen, but movie channels are in fierce competition
with sports and other popular channels.
Q6. How does film production in the UK seem to be very different from
the Hollywood model of large, powerful studios?
How do you make a ‘British’ film?
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media
and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for issuing British
Film Certificates on the basis of recommendations
made by the Certification Unit. In 2011 this Unit
became part of the British Film Institute (BFI) when
the BFI assumed responsibility for the majority of the
UK Film Council’s functions. Makers of certified
British films can apply for tax relief on qualifying
films or apply for Lottery funding from the BFI and
other sources. (http://industry.bfi.org.uk/qualifying)
Schedule 1 films are films certified as British
under Schedule 1 of the Films Act 1985. To qualify,
films must pass a UK Cultural Test. Points are
awarded for UK elements in the story, setting and
characters and for where and by whom the film was
made. A wide variety offilms qualified as British
under the Cultural Test in 2011, from The Chronicles
of Narnia: The Voyage of theDawn Treader, The
Eagle and Jane Eyre to We Need to Talk About Kevin and Wuthering Heights.
Films can also qualify as British if they are certified under the various official UK co-
production agreements. Official co-productions must be certified by the competent
authorities in each country as meeting the certifying criteria, which include the creative,
artistic, technical and financial input from each co-producer.Films which received final co-
production certification in 2011 includeAfrica United, The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus and
Route Irish.
In 2011, a total of 189 films (170 in 2010) received final certification as British under the
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10. Cultural Test.The total budget of finally certified films increased from £1,002 million in 2010
to £2,119 million in2011. This increase reflects the higher number of big budget inward
investment films made in 2010 feedingthrough to a higher value of final certifications in
2011.So we made a great number of Schedule 1 films in 2011, yet there are few well known
'purely British' films. This paradox becomes more complicated when we start to explore
where the money comes from.
For example, if a film is made by a British film company, but that company is owned by a
larger American group, is the production financed in the UK? And what is the significance of
distribution? If a film is 'purely British' at the production stage but it is distributed in this
country by an American company (who then claw back a chunk of the box office profits), is
this film really a success story for the British Film Industry?
British studios are used by overseas companies and a number of blockbusters have been
produced in the UK, including the Harry Potter films which have British content but are largely
American-financed. For many this situation compromises British cinema, confirming its
dependency on American involvement and its inability to develop an independent infrastructure.
On the other hand, co-production arrangements are a reality of contemporary film-making and
these do not necessarily prevent interesting films from being made.
Another major problem
with defining a 'British' film
is that in the main, British
cinema has
meantEnglish cinema, in
terms of language and
setting. Scotland, Wales and
Ireland all have their own
funding bodies and Film
Development organisations
and a number of diverse and
innovative films have been
produced there. It is
important therefore to
consider films such as
Ratcatcher (1999), The
Guard (2011) and Twin
Town (1997) as very much productions of their home nations rather than just 'British' films.
Q7. What is the benefit to a film producer of their film being branded as British?
What is it about ‘Britishness’ that is attractive to investors from outside the UK? What
is it about ‘Britishness’ that makes it easy for Hollywood studios to dominate our film
market?
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11. UK Films –the 2005 Crisis!
UK film production experienced a crisis in 2005 and early 2006.
Investment in the making of films dropped, largely due to the rateof the English pound
against the American dollar and theavailability of low cost studios in Eastern Europe. But
later in 2006and since, investment has returned, and this is related to a newGovernment
policy of tax relief.
This allows producers to beexempt from certain tax payments. Previously there had been
acompulsion for films to be mainly shot in the UK for them toqualify for the avoidance of
tax, but in March 2006 this wasrevised to allow for more overseas filming, an attractive
amendment for investors.
UK cinema Admissions 2002 - 2009
This is a great example of the importance of politics in understanding the media.
It is impossible to critically assess the relationship between British films and audiences by
only thinking about cultural reasons why British cinema is more or less successful in relation
to Hollywood blockbusters.'Behind the scenes'there are financial, political and institutional
reasons why films do or don't get made and released and seen by a potential audience.
A recent good example of Hollywood's dominance is the record-breaking box office
performance of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (2006), seen by industry commentators as a victory
of blanket marketing. Cynics suggest that a film of this scale does not need to be critically
well received, as the efforts and dollars put into promoting the film so lavishly will guarantee
an audience on the opening few nights and subsequent'buy first, review later'DVD sales. In
this case over £50 million was made at the UK box office, and 1.5 million copies of the DVD
were purchased in the ten days after its release.
A study of the ways in which the big Hollywood studios time the release of films is another
area of key institutional knowledge for you. The timing of releases in relation to the Oscars,
school holidays, the spring/summer blockbuster period and DVD releases at Christmas is
strategic, and any British release attempting to get attention amidst this marketing stealth will
be at the mercy of this.
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12. Case Study - BBC Films
British films have experienced a boom since 2006, largely
due to a renaissance of television companies' involvement
in production and distribution. The BBC and Channel 4
have both invested far more in film than at any time since
the 1980s. The recent television licence fee increases has
meant that the BBC have had more money to invest in
domestic film production - another example of cross-
media political/institutional events being hugely important
in cultural developments.
BBC films are co-funded with anoverseas investor, usually
American. The most successful of these in 2006 was The
Queen, produced without major Hollywood finance.
Clearly The Queen, despite its indigenous qualities, can be
seen as following the typical route of making films about
English culture with an eye to the US audience, previously
achieved by films such as Notting Hill and Bend it Like
Beckham.
Q8. How many of these could be considered British films?How many of them are co-
productions where the majority of the money leaves the country? What does this say
about the scale of the UK film industry?
46
13. In the 1990s, British film makers tried to imitate the
Hollywood genre approach, most notably with the
proliferation of gangster films in the wake of the success of
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch
(2001) This is now seen by the industry and its
commentators as fatal, as this statement from Ian George,
managing director of Twentieth Century Fox UK,
demonstrates:
The films that have succeeded have not tried to ape
Hollywood. They have been typically British subjects, done in
an entertaining, confident way. (Grant 2007)
The institutional relationship between BBC/Channel 4 and
film is always changing, in the last few years it has been in
a healthy state with the BBC co-funding Streetdance 3-d,
Brighton Rock, An Education, Revolutionary Road and the
TV spin-off In the Loop. With the current financial situation though, funding to TV from both
Government and advertising has slowed or even crashed, meaning less money for less films
and more pressure on those films to succeed.
In the UK the cinema tradition has been less protective of film culture than other countries and
more concerned with commercial viability...Nowadays, television plays an important part in the
process, investing real money in the real marketplace while remaining cushioned from the direct
economic constraints of failure by the nature of TV accounting. The 'return' on the investment
is represented by the broadcast rights to the film, money that would otherwise have to be spent
to acquire some two hours of programming.(Roddick 2007)
Q9. Which one of these two films recently released in the UK do you think is a BBC
co-production and why?
Find out here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/about/
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14. Case Study – UK Film Council closed in 2010. Why?
What was it?
The UK Film Council (UKFC) was the lead agency for film in the UK, covering the
economic, cultural and educational areas, and representing the UK cinema industry abroad.
Established by the Labour government in 2000, the UK Film Council was mainly concerned
with the economics of film production, attempting to create a healthy, competitive UK film
production base. It has assisted with the funding of a range of titles including in the last year
Made in Dagenham, The King's Speech, Centurion (all 2010), Harry Brown (2009), Glorious
39 (2009), Brighton Rock (in production) and Dorian Gray (2009).
What did it do?
As well as supporting film production, the UKFC also has a remit to invest in a series of other
initiatives including:
Film Distribution and Exhibition
Therewere two major initiatives here that allowed morepeople the chance to see a wider range
of films (though notnecessarily all from the UK).
The Digital Screen Network Fund allowed theatrical and non-theatrical (that is, non-
cinema based) venues to project films on DVD or video which will provide greater
accessibility for non-mainstream (i.e. silent cinema, classics, foreign language) films for
groups like film societies, schools and community groups. It also allowed new film-makers to
show their work without having to pay for a massively expensive transfer to 16mm or 35mm
film prints.Eventually it is hoped that films will be screened via computers or the web and
transmitted 'down the line' without any traditional projection equipment.
The Regional Screen Agencies
Nine organisations across England were set
up to administer UKFC funding (around
£7.5 million) to film projects, cinemas and
film clubs, production companies, and
training initiatives. One exampleisScreen
Yorkshire(http://screenyorkshire.co.uk/)based in Leeds. Another is Film London
(http://filmlondon.org.uk/)which help set up the Microwave scheme that led to the production
of Shifty (2009)
The other major initiative with regard to film distribution was the Prints and Advertising
Fund, which can pay for increased publicity and advertising space and also increase the
number of prints available to screen. The fund has made grants to a wide range of films,
including Oscar-winner The Lives of Others(2006) as well as award winning British titles like
the Red Road, Control, London to Brighton and This is England. These films already had a
certain amount of cross-over appeal – that is to say they may have played successfully in a
48
15. small amount of art-house screens – but could also appeal to a more mainstream audience.
The scheme has been seen as a great success, as it brought a range of titles to British
audiences who may otherwise never have experienced them.
Film Production
The money UKFC invested came from both the government, via the DCMS, and cash raised
from the National Lottery and it is likely that any UK produced film or major UK co-
production released over the last 10 years would have had some input from the Film Council
at some time.
Films were funded via a series of different channels:
1. The Premiere Fund, which looked at financing commercial mainstream titles with a
broad international appeal many of which have already been listed.
2. The New Cinema Fund, which helped to support more specialised, independent work
and 'cutting edge film-making' particularly assisting with productions from the English
regions. Recent examples have included In the Loop (2009), Man on Wire(2006) and
Adulthood (2005).
3. The Development Fund, which assisted film-makers to get ideas off the ground,
concentrating specifically on raising the quality of screenwriters. Most UK films of
the last few years would have received financial assistance of up to £25,000 for their
original drafting from this fund.
Funding feature films is a complex combination of public money, overseas investment,
biddingwars between sales agents and distribution and sponsorship deals. What the UK Film
Council didfor budding movie-makers was to offer them a place to go first in search of
funding.
Although there were a number of
successful initiatives funded by the
UKFC, as well as a stream of critically
and commercially successful films, there
were also some criticism of it as an
organisation, mainly from areas of the
right wing tabloid press attacking the fact
the 'public money' has been used to fund
a 'vile sex film' such as Sex Lives of The
Potato Men’ (2004) or Lesbian Vampire
Killers (2008).
Criticism is not just levelled at the content of some UKFC funded films, but the fact that they
are not 'value for money', losing money at the box office and unable to compete in the
international market.
Prime minister urges British film to be more ‘mainstream’
David Cameron announced in Jan 2012 that National Lottery money:
“will be directed at „mainstream‟ films that could become commercial successes, rather than
„art house‟ cinema that generates limited box office sales. A strategy for exporting British
film-making expertise will also be announced as part of a drive to exploit the potential of the
49
16. £40billion industry to create jobs. The Prime Minister will outline the plans during a visit to
Pinewood studios in west London, where the next James Bond adventure is being filmed. The
proposal to focus lottery money on films that are likely to be commercially successful films
could be criticised by some independent film-makers, who are already aggrieved at the
Coalition‟s decision to abolish the UK Film Council. Mr Cameron believes that resources
should be focused on fully exploiting the potential to make the film industry even more
lucrative. He said he wanted to build on “the incredible success of recent years”. “Our role
should be to support the sector in becoming even more dynamic and entrepreneurial, helping
UK producers to make commercially successful pictures that rival the quality and impact of
the best international productions,” he said. “Just as the British Film Commission has played
a crucial role in attracting the biggest and best international studios to produce their films
here, so we must incentivise UK producers to chase new markets both here and overseas.”
Reasons for scrapping the UKFC
In the government's opinion, the Film Council did not work; or at least not well enough to
justify its survival.
Over the past decade, it has ploughed £160m of Lottery money into more than 900
productions (some good, some awful!). It has also funded the British Film Institute and
Skillset, which furnishes the industry with a steady supply of trained technicians. Veteran
producer David Puttnam has hailed it as the strategic glue that binds a disparate sprawl of
auteurs, craftspeople, circus barkers and market traders and its abolition sparked fierce
criticism, both here (where 50 big-name actors signed a letter of protest) and in the US (where
Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg waded into the fray).
Even its most ardent supporters, though, will concede the UKFC was far from perfect. It has
been accused of cronyism, arrogance and waste. It has been attacked for throwing public
money at the art house (courtesy of its New Cinema Fund) on the one hand and for backing
mainstream work (courtesy of its Premiere Fund) that would surely find funding elsewhere on
the other. Its foes, meanwhile, revile the UKFC as a classic example of state bureaucracy – an
all-powerful quango that presumes to tell businesses what films they can and cannot make.
For the film-maker Julian Fellowes, the body is a "behemoth" that epitomizes "the anti-
commercial mindset of the film elite". For Michael Winner, that bumptious remnant from the
unregulated days of British film production, it's a needless extension of the welfare state. "The
council gives a lot of work to people who are out of work and who probably deserve to be out
of work," he says.
So what happened next?
31 March 2011 was the final official day of business at the UKFC's offices in Little Portland
Street, London, and former Film Council staff today find themselves working for the British
Film Institute, which will take over many of the abolished body's functions. Others, including
the office of the British Film Commissioner, have been transferred to regional agency Film
London, which will oversee the task of promoting the UK as a film-making destination.
The decision to hand the BFI responsibility for distributing lottery funding to film-makers
came in November, partly assuaging widespread concern that the government had not
considered the future of public investment in British movies when making its decision to axe
the council. At the same time Ed Vaizey, the culture minister, further sugared the pill by
announcing that the £28m lottery grant the industry receives would be increased to around
50
17. £43m by 2014.
If ministers were rattled by the vocal support for the council, they might have been cursing
their luck in February when The King's Speech, a film part-funded by the UK Film Council,
took four Oscars at the annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Other productions
in the last five years alone that might never have made it to the big screen without the
council's support include Nowhere Boy, Fish Tank, In the Loop, Man on Wire, Hunger,
Happy-Go-Lucky, This is England, Vera Drake and The Last King of Scotland. Of movies
recently in cinemas or due to arrive on the big screen, Richard Ayoade's critically acclaimed
first film Submarine, Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights and the forthcoming Joe Cornish-
penned comedy Attack the Block all received UKFC funding.
Three weeks ago, a National Audit Office report roundly criticised the UKFC's axing,
suggesting it was "not informed by a financial analysis of the costs and benefits of the
decision". The UKFC's entire annual budget was a reported £3m, while the cost of closing it
down and restructuring is estimated to have been almost four times that amount.
Q10. Why do you think the Coalition government decided to close down
the UKFC?
How does a film make a profit?
Box office income does not all go back to the film-makers. After tax is deducted, a percentage
is given to the film distributor which could be between 35-60 % and the cinema exhibiting the
film is left with the rest. So, if a film makes £lmillion at the box office, the rough sums would
look like this:
£1,000,000 in gross UK box office takings minus VAT @ 20%(£200,000) leaves
£800,000
minus distributor share of 45 % (£360,000) leaves £440,000
minus UKFC investment payback of £200,000 leaves £240,000
minus payback for other investors of £120,500 leaves £119,500
So a film that takes £1 million gross box office will leave a profit of £119,000!
There might also be other payments such as bank loans, outstanding bills and payments, or
percentage cuts for some cast and crew who have deferred on a salary and opted for profit
share in the profits.
Unless a British film has the backing in terms of money, resources, expertise and sheer clout
from a major US studio (Working Tide films has Universal, Harry Potter has Warner Bros.,
the Bond movies have MGM, United Artists and 20th Century Fox) it will be very hard for it
to make a profit.
Q11. Do you think the UK film industry needs a body like the UKFC/BFl?
Why?
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