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What is a British What is a British Film?Film?

Diversity makes a defining a ‘British’ film very challenging.

Some UK Film Council definitions:◦ Films principally shot in the UK, using a British

crew/cast◦ Film’s financed from within the UK◦ Film’s that are set in the UK◦ Film’s that address British Identity and Society

What is a British film?What is a British film?

Range of definitions – 32 in total, but to qualify as a British film only 16 must be met.

One is that the film represents/reflects a diverse British culture, British heritage or British creativity (so we don’t just make lots of imitations of American films)

UK Film Council Cultural UK Film Council Cultural TestTest

Yes:- Director – Paul Greengrass is British Large section is filmed in London,

some studio work at Pinewood Largely British crew

No:- Doesn’t reflect British themes or

concerns Lots of other locations Produced by Universal – Frank

Marshall and Doug Liman are American

Universal are American owned company

Is ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ a Is ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ a British British film?film?

Yes:- Director – David Yatesis British Large sections is filmed in England

and Scotland, Largely British crew including

producers Largely British Actors Based on the work of an British

Author (Rowlings)

No:- Produced/Distributed by Warner Bros

– they are American owned company

Some key personnel were not British eg Portuguese Cinematographer

Is ‘Harry Potter and the Is ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ a British film?Deathly Hallows’ a British film?

UK Film Council-British Film Institute◦ fund script development, film production, short

films, film export and distribution, cinemas, film education, culture and archives, festivals and audience support schemes

◦Film Fund 15 mil per year (90% of applicants will be rejected) and money from Lotteries

◦ Innovation Fund – to help move to the digital age esp in rural areas

Co Production deals which BfI can help set up

Tax Breaks

Funding for British FilmsFunding for British Films

Harry Potter and the DH was funded all by Warner Bro but the first one was a co production.

The Kings Speech◦ The UK Film Council awarded The King’s Speech

£1,021,080 of Lottery funding. The UK Film Council stands to recoup 100% of its investment plus significant net profits

◦ London’s Prescience Film Finance stepped in to provide two-thirds of the film’s £9 million ($14.5 million) budget using its £25 million Aegis Film Fund

Four Lions ◦ Film 4 finally ended up funding this (rejected by BBC

and Channel 4) along with Warp Films (2.5 mil)

Case StudiesCase Studies

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Very different to the US set Govt support Independent Film Production Houses

◦Working Title, Warp Films, Ealing Studios Need to team up with a distribution company◦‘British’ Distribution Companies

Can be very hard to get films made in Britain and they are not necessarily very profitable (Harry Potter/James Bond)

Need to be distinctively British.

Producing British FilmsProducing British Films

How are images of the ‘British’ used to market films?

PossiblePossible QuestionsQuestions

Do British films have to say something to their audience about the ‘British experience’ to be a success?

PossiblePossible QuestionsQuestions

What obstacles or problems do you think a British studio would face in trying to find an audience for it’s films? What might stop that film from being a success?

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How important for the British Film industry is the use of UK 'talent' in films financed outside Britain?

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What strategies do you think can be used to create a successful British Film Industry?

PossiblePossible QuestionsQuestions

Why is the film industry dominated by US film and what chance does the British Film Industry have?

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How important is it for the British film industry to have internationally recognised stars?

PossiblePossible QuestionsQuestions