The document provides a historical overview of the British film industry from its origins in the late 19th century through recent decades. Some key points covered include: - The British invented cinema in the late 1800s with early films being shot in Leeds and London. - British studios and filmmakers experienced success in the early-mid 20th century but began losing out to Hollywood in the 1920s due to its much larger market. - The British film industry revived in the 1930s with the emergence of documentaries and productions from London Films. - World War 2 gave new life to the industry through wartime documentaries and dramas. - In subsequent decades British films capitalized on new styles and genres, achieving international

2. Historical background

3. The French Lumière brothers invented cinema in 1892.
And their touring show first came to London in 1896.

4. However, the first moving picture was shot in
Leeds by Louis Le Prince ("Father of
Cinematography“) in 1888 and the first
moving pictures developed on celluloid film
were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by
William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who
patented the process in 1890.

5. The first people to build and run a working 35 mm
camera in Britain were Robert W. Paul and Birt Acres.
They made the first British film ‘Incident at Clovelly
Cottage’ in February 1895, who built and ran their own
movie camera.

6. Another British fellow
called George Albert
Smith devised the first
colour system,
Kinemacolor, in 1908.

7. By the mid-twenties the British film
industry was losing out to heavy
competition from Hollywood, the latter
helped by having a much larger home
market - in 1914 25% of films shown in
the UK were British, but by 1926 this
had fallen to 5%.
The problem with the British film
industry was it did not keep pace with
the advances being made abroad and
quickly became technically out of date.
The films also remained very theatre
orientated, filming a play exactly as it
had been performed on stage and with
the same actors and sets.

8. Starting with John Grierson's Drifters, the 1930s saw the emergence of a new school of realist
documentary films: the Documentary Film Movement.
Many of the most important British productions of the 1930s were produced by London Films,
founded by Alexander Korda. He had failed in Hollywood, and when the boom started in the UK,
he decided to try his luck there. He founded London Films and built, reputedly, the finest studios
in the world at Denham.

9. The Second World War caused a small miracle
to happen to movie making in the UK.
New realism in wartime pictures and a
demand for documentaries gave a whole new
look to British films.
Among the best known of these films are In
Which We Serve (1942), Went the Day Well?
(1942), We Dive at Dawn (1943).
Two Cities Films, an independent production
company also made some important films
including This Happy Breed (1944), Blithe Spirit
(1945) and Sir Laurence Olivier's Henry V
(1944) and Hamlet (1948).

11. J. Arthur Rank-the founder of the Rank Organization
The company logo
After the war, the Rank Organization became the dominant force in the industry. The
shift was to make British films more acceptable to the audiences outside of the UK.

12. Television was just beginning to have an effect on the film industry. During the 1950'
and early 60's Films had to learn to be more exportable and welcome to foreign
audiences. Many achieved both of these criteria among them works by David Lean,
Carol Reed and the Ealing Comedies.

13. In the 1960s British studios began to enjoy major success in the international
market with a string of films that displayed a more liberated attitude to sex,
capitalising on the "swinging London" image propagated by Time magazine.
Films like Darling, Alfie, Georgy Girl, and The Knack …and How to Get It all
explored this phenomenon, while Blowup, Repulsion and later Women in Love,
broke taboos around the portrayal of sex and nudity on screen.

14. The first film about James Bond Dr. No was a sleeper hit in the UK in 1962,
and the second, From Russia with Love (1963), a hit worldwide.

15. The Stagnation of the 70’s
The 1970s US & UK Recession - American
studios cut back on domestic production,
and in many cases withdrew from financing
British films altogether.
The British horror boom of the 1960s also
finally came to an end by the mid-1970s.
Stanley Kubrick made Clockwork Orange,
Dr Strangelove and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In mainstream terms pure British cinema
was diminishing and was to get worse
before it got even worse.

16. The 1980s began with the worst
recession the British film industry had
ever seen. In 1980 only 31 UK films were
made, down 50% on the previous year,
and the lowest output since 1914. This
decade also started the downward trend
in self financing British movies.
The 1980s soon saw a renewed
optimism, led by companies such as
Goldcrest (and producer David
Puttnam), Channel 4, Handmade Films
and Merchant Ivory Productions.
David Puttnam

17. Film production in Britain hit one of its all-time lows in 1989. While cinema audiences
were climbing in the UK in the early 1990s, few British films were enjoying significant
commercial success, even in the home market.
The surprise success of the Richard Curtis-scripted comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral
(1994), especially in the United States, lead to renewed interest and investment in British
films, and set a pattern for British-set romantic comedies, including Sliding Doors (1998),
Notting Hill (1999) and the Bridget Jones films.

18. The first decade of the 21st century was a relatively successful one for the British film
industry. Many British films found a wide international audience due to funding from
BBC Films, Film 4 and the UK Film Council, and some independent production
companies, such as Working Title, secured financing and distribution deals with major
American studios.

19. The new decade saw a major new film series in the US-backed but British-made
Harry Potter films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in
2001.

20. British Film Studios

21. Amalgamated Studios – Borehamwood,
Hertfordshire

22. Bray Studios – Windsor, Berkshire

23. Dragon International Film Studios (under
construction) – Llanilid, Wales

24. Ealing Studios – Ealing, London

25. Elstree Studios (Associated British Picture
Corporation) – Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

26. Gainsborough Studios (formerly known as
Islington Studios) – Hoxton, London

27. Lime Grove Studios – Shepherd's Bush,
London

28. Merton Park Studios – South Wimbledon,
London

29. MGM-British Studios – Borehamwood,
Hertfordshire

30. Pinewood Studios – Iver Heath,
Buckinghamshire

31. Riverside Studios – Hammersmith, London

32. Southall Studios – Southall, London

33. Shepperton Studios – Shepperton, Surrey

34. Twickenham Film Studios – Twickenham,
London

35. Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden –
Hertfordshire

36. Famous directors

37. Alfred Hitchcock
Date of birth:13 August 1899
Date of death:29 April 1980
Location: Leytonstone, London,
England
Hitchcock was nicknamed the
"Master of Suspense" for
employing a kind of psychological
suspense in his films, producing a
distinct viewer experience.
Best known for: Psycho, Rear
Window, Vertigo, North By
Northwest, Rebecca.

43. Charlie Chaplin
Date of birth : 16 April 1889
Date of death: 25th December 1977
Location: London, England
Best known for: Modern Times, City
Lights, The Great Dictator, The Gold Rush,
The Circus.
Charlie Chaplin was a comedic British
actor who became one of the biggest
stars of the early 20th century's silent
film era.
" Life is a tragedy when seen in closeup, but a comedy in long-shot.“
"A day without laughter is a wasted
day."

45. Carol Reed
Date of birth: 30 December 1906
Date of death: 26 April 1976
Location: Putney, London, England
Best known for: The Third Man, Oliver,
Odd Man Out, Mutiny On The Bounty
(remake), The Fallen Idol.

48. David Lean
Date of birth : 25 March 1908
Date of death: 16 April 1991
Location: Croydon, Surrey, England
Best known for: Lawrence Of Arabia,
The Bridge On The River Kwai, A
Passage To India, Doctor Zhivago.

54. Anthony
Minghella
Date of birth:6 January 1954
Date of death:18 March 2008
Location: London, England
Best known for: The Talented Mr.
Ripley, The English Patient, Cold
Mountain.
“I had never thought of myself as a
director and found out that I was
not. I am a writer who was able to
direct the films that I write.”

59. Ridley Scott
Date of birth: 30 November 1937
Location: South Shields, Tyne and Wear,
England
Best known for: Gladiator, Alien, Blade
Runner, Black Hawk Down, Thelma &
Louise.
Scott has his own atmospheric, highly
concentrated visual style, which has
influenced many directors.

62. Christopher
Nolan
Date of birth: 30 July 1970
Location: London, England
Best known for: The Dark Knight,
The Dark Knight Rises, Memento,
Inception, Batman Begins, The
Prestige.
Has been nominated three times

67. Guy Ritchie
Date of birth: 10 September 1968
Location: Hatfield, Hertfordshire,
England
Best known for: Snatch, Lock, Stock
And Two Smoking Barrels, RocknRolla,
Sherlock Holmes.
Guy Ritchie became famous for
directing witty and suspenseful films
including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking
Barrels and Snatch.

72. Actors

73. Daniel Day Lewis
• Daniel Day Lewis is one
of the most awarded
famous English actors. A
notoriously picky actor,
Lewis has starred in only
ten movies since
winning his first Oscar
for “My Left Foot” in
1989. Out of those ten
movies, he picked up
four Oscar nominations.

74. Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson – Liam Neeson
earned an Oscar nomination for
his role in the 1994 film
“Schindler’s List.” Since that
time, he has become one of the
most famous English actors
thanks to roles in the “Star
Wars” prequels as well as
remakes of “The A-Team” and
“Clash of the Titans.”

75. Gary Oldman
• Gary Oldman – Since
turning heads with
his role as Sid Vicious
in the biopic “Sid and
Nancy,” Gary Oldman
has appeared in
many popular
movies, normally as
one of the best
actors in them. He
has appeared in
“Dracula,” “The Dark
Knight” and the
“Harry Potter” movie
franchise.

76. Anthony Hopkins
– Anthony Hopkins remains one of
the most respected English actors
in the history of cinema. He has
appeared in many prestigious
roles, including a supporting turn
in “Amistad” but won his sole
Academy Award for his
performance in the thriller movie
“Silence of the Lambs.”

77. Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes turned a lot of heads with his Oscar nominated performances in
“Schindler’s List” and “The English Patient.” However, the one role that made him one
of the most famous English actors working today is the role of Lord Voldemort in the
“Harry Potter” franchise.

78. Colin Firth
Colin Firth – For many years, Colin
Firth was known to many movie fans
as Mr. Darcy, thanks to his career
defining role in the BBC miniseries
“Pride & Prejudice.” However, recently
he has become more famous thanks to
Oscar nominations for “A Single Man”
and “The King’s Speech.”

79. Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman became a genre
favorite thanks to his role as
Hans Gruber in the first “Die
Hard” movie. He has since
become one of the most
famous English actors thanks to
his role as Snape in the “Harry
Potter” franchise.

80. Jude Law
Jude Law – Known almost as
much for his tabloid affairs as his
acting, Jude Law remains one of
England’s most famous actors.
Highlights of his career include
supporting roles in films like
“Sherlock Holmes” and “A.I.” He
has also earned two Oscar
nominations for “Cold Mountain”
and “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”

81. James McAvoy
James McAvoy became
famous in America after
appearing in the Oscar
nominated “The Last King
of Scotland” and used
that movie to help launch
his Hollywood career. He
has since appeared in the
blockbuster “Wanted”
and will appear in “XMen: First Class” as
Professor X.

82. Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor – Ewan
McGregor’s career grew
in popularity thanks to
roles in Danny Boyle
films, such as “Shallow
Grave” and
“Trainspotting.” He later
became one of the most
famous English actors
thanks to the role of ObiWan Kenobi in the “Star
Wars” prequels.

83. Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave is
an Academy Award
winner, multitalented stage and
movie/tv actress.
She is also a political
activist and mother
of Natasha
Richardson
(deceased wife of
Liam Neeson).

84. Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale is an
English actress who
made raves because
of her beauty and
acting talent. She was
famous first in the
television series
“Emma“ -- the title
role. She was also
great in the movie
“Much Ado About
Nothing“

85. Dame Judith Olivia
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi"
Dench is an award winning
stage and tv/film actress. She
is also regarded as one of the
greatest British actress and
she won the following
awards : BAFTAs, 7 Laurence
Olivier Awards, 2 Screen
Actors Guild Awards, 2
Golden Globe Awards, and
one Academy award. She
also won a Tony award.

86. Emma Watson
Emma Watson is an English
actress/model who played
Hermione in the Harry
Potter Film series when she
was just nine years old. She
played six series in that film
alongside Radcliffe and
Rupert Grint. Emma
Watson's role on the Harry
Potterseries has earned her
several awards. She started
her modeling career for
Burberry's Autumn/Winter
campaign in 2009.

87. Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet is an English
actress/singer an is highly
commended for her acting
talent, She has been
nominated for her various
roles in several movies in
which she appeared. She
just won the Best actress in
2008 at Oscars for the
movie " The Reader" She
has won awards from the
Screen Actors
Guild, BAFTA, and the
Hollywood Foreign Press
Association among
others, and has been
nominated for an Emmy for
tv acting.

88. Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an
English actress and started her
career appearing in the movie A
pattern of Roses and Lady Jane.
She was well acclaimed in her
role in the movie A Room With
View -- Maria Singer -- in the
movies Fight Club, Bellatrix
Lestrange in the series of Harry
Potter the movie. She was
nominated in Oscar for her role as
Kate Croy in The Wings of the
Dove -- her Golden Globe for he
performance as Mrs Lovett in
Sweeney Todd : The Demon
Barber of Fleet Street.

89. Dame Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Taylor is an
Anglo American actress also
known as Liz Taylor and has
been named by the
American film Institute as
the number seven on its
Female Legends list. She is
known for her acting talent
beauty and for her lifestyle
including the number of
marriages she had. Taylor is
"considered one of the great
actresses of Hollywood's
golden years, as well as a
larger-than-life celebrity."

90. Keira Knightley
25 year old English film
actress and model.
Keira Knightley has
risen to international
fame with
performances in Bend
It Like Beckham and
Pirates of The
Caribbean. But she's
also proven herself a
world class actress with
her work in Pride and
Prejudice and
Atonement.

91. Film technology

92. Superman

93. Alien

94. Batman

95. Animation

96. Stop-motion animation.
In the 1970s and 1980s, British
studios established a reputation
for great special effects in films
such as Superman (1978), Alien
(1979), and Batman (1989).
Some of this reputation was
founded on the core of talent
brought together for the filming
of 2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968) who subsequently
worked together on series and
feature films for Gerry
Anderson. Thanks to the Bristolbased Aardman Animations, the
UK is still recognised as a world
leader in the use of stop-motion
animation.

97. Visual effects

98. British special effects technicians
British special effects
technicians and production
designers are known for
creating visual effects at a
far lower cost than their
counterparts in the US, as
seen in Time Bandits
(1981) and Brazil (1985).
This reputation has
continued through the
1990s and into the 21st
century with films such as
the James Bond
series, Gladiator (2000)
and the Harry Potter
franchise.

99. Time Bandits

100. Brazil

101. James Bond

102. Gladiator

103. Harry Potter

104. Progressive movement
From the 1990s to the present
day, there has been a progressive
movement from traditional film
opticals to an integrated digital film
environment, with special effects,
cutting, colour grading, and other
post-production tasks all sharing
the same all-digital infrastructure.
The availability of high-speed
Internet Protocol networks has
made the British film industry
capable of working closely with
U.S. studios as part of globally
distributed productions. As of
2005, this trend is expected to
continue with moves towards
(currently experimental) digital
distribution and projection as
mainstream technologies.

105. Traditional film opticals

106. Integrated digital film environment

107. Digital distribution

108. This is Not a Love Song

109. Awards

110. The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British
Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is the British equivalent of the Academy Awards.
As of 2008, it has taken place in the Royal Opera House, having taken over from the flagship
Odeon cinema on Leicester Square.
The British Film Academy was founded in 1947 by David Lean, Alexander Korda, Carol Reed,
Laurence Olivier, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Roger Manvell and other leading figures in
the British film industry.

111. Daniel Craig
and
Kate Winslet

112. The Moët British Independent Film Awards
Created in 1998 by Raindance founder Elliot
Grove, The British Independent Film Awards
set out to celebrate merit and achievement in
independently funded British filmmaking, to
honour new talent, and to promote British
filmmaking and British talent to a wider
public.
Nominations and jury are announced at the
beginning of November with the award
ceremony taking place in late November or
early December.

115. An Empire Award is an accolade bestowed
by Empire, Britain's biggest selling film
magazine, to recognize excellence of
professionals in the local and global film
industry. The awards are voted for by
readers of the magazine and in an annual
ceremony, the Empire Awards, the winners
are presented with the award which is
covered by Empire and sometimes also
televised.
The first Empire Awards ceremony was
held on 1996, to honour outstanding film
achievements of the 1995 film season.

116. Gary Oldman
Tom Hiddleston