British Film Industry Research

Fm2: Section A: Producers & Audiences EASTER CASE STUDY

The British Film Industry

Research:

http://www.cinemauk.org.uk/ukcinemasector/ukcinema-sitesandscreens/ukmultiplexsitesandscreens2000-2009/

How many multiplex cinemas were there in the UK by 2009?

275 cinemas

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/gallery/2010/jan/22/10-best-independent-cinemas#/?picture=358359632&index=1

Look at the top 10 independent cinemas and explain what you think the appeal of such cinemas is compared to the multiplex.

They are far more luxurious than multiplex cinemas for example the electric Birmingham you can hire a room, sit on a sofa and drink champagne to a film of your choice so that is a much more attractive appeal than standard multiplex cinemas

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7906746/Cinema-to-come-to-the-village-hall-with-1.2m-Film-Council-scheme.html

Read the article.

How might this exhibition opportunity be a helpful thing for the UK film industry?

Because it will help increase the number of people going to the cinema and encourage people to watch films so that means the British film industry will make a bigger profit than usual

The UK Film Council

http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/about

Summarise what the UK film council is and how it supports UK film. 

The UK Film Council is the Government-backed lead agency for film in the UK ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad

                                

Give examples of four films been supported by the UK film council.

This is England, The Constant Gardener, Red Road and Man on wire

What is the Digital Screen network initiative and what does it mean for UK film?

It is a method to cut the cost of a film, it is equivalent to one tenth of a 35mm print and this helps because now it allows for a bigger variety of films to be shown and for one film to be shown in more locations because of the reduced cost

What else can be screened at cinemas now due to digital screens? 

Indepenedent Films, Documentaries, Foreign films and restored classics

How may this aid the cinema industry?

Increases the variety of people arriving to watch films and makes independent films or foreign films become more popular in the multiplex

Why is the closure of the UK film council regarded as a concern for the film industry?

It may affect the amount of viewers to the cinemas and a massive reduction in economy as only high concept blockbusters are shown in multiplex, loss of cultural or independent films

UK Film companies:

http://warp.net/films

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warp_Films

Warp Films

Background- Independent film company

location- London,Sheffield and Melbourne

Films responsible for- Dead Man's Shoes, This is England

How funded?

Success of such films- This is England won a BAFTA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Title_Films

http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/

Working Title Films

Background- British film company- produces feature films and TV productions

location- London HQ others include Ireland, California and Los Angeles

Films responsible for- Billy Elliot and Shaun of the Dead

How funded

Cinema admissions

http://www.cinemauk.org.uk/ukcinemasector/admissions/annualukcinemaadmissions1935-2009/

Using the above link what can you say about cinema attendance in the UK?

Itwas much higher during the war period when everyone would go there to watch the news and also during the early 50's where it was begginning to become more popular

TV Film Channels

Film4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Film4_share_of_viewing.png

How has the move from subscription channel to free to air increased potential audiences to independent films?

 Because people want to see a different type of film rather than a high concept filmand film4 shows independent films frequently but also shows high concept films 

Search the internet for 2 examples of UK film festivals that take place each year.  Give an overview of the 2 festivals covering dates, locations, types of films, examples of what happens.

 The BFI London Film Festival (also known as just the London Film Festival) is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, (the LFF), currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute

 Another is the festival of fantastc films. The Festival of Fantastic Films is an annual non-profit celebration of cinema fantastique, held annually in central Manchester, England. There are two awards, best independent entry and best amateur film screened.

How important are film festivals in your opinion?

Important because it shows the success of the film itself and helps to get more people to view it

Winter's Bone Research

Winter's Bone is a 2010 drama based on a novel with the same. It was an independent film but was extremely successful after its release. It won a number of awards, including the Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic Film at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. It received four 2011 Academy Award nominations in the categories of Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor.

The film is about a 17 year old trying to solve a mystery involving her father, the belief is he has been murdered and she sets out to know the truth.

The budget for this film was relatively low, as it was independent the overall budget was 2million dollars.

Winter's Bone received widespread critical acclaim. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 95% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 148 reviews, for an average score of 8.3/1 Among Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics", which consists of notable critics from the top newspapers and websites,the film also holds an overall approval rating of 94%, based on a sample of 31 reviews "Bleak, haunting, and yet still somehow hopeful, Winter's Bone is writer-director Debra Granik's best work yet and it boasts an incredible, starmaking performance from Jennifer Lawrence." It made worldwide just over 8million dollars, four times more than its original budget. In the UK it made a massive 6 million of its total worldwide gross, it was really successful.

High Concept film 2009 Transformers 2

Transformers 2 which is a Michael Bay Film seems to follow this 10 part High Concept Model. First of all it does have a sense of "post generic" film-making because at one point it an action film, next it is a comedy so it does mix genres really well. It uses extended montages in Transformers especially during th battle scene in Egypt when it goes from showing a number of Military Aircraft, from planes to tanks to infantry. It has a frequent representation of reflecting the graphics because you look at the some of the high special effect scenes in Transformers they look so realistic that it fits to this each shot looks like a "million dollars". Frequently during the trailer scenes are replicated, especially the Egypt and Shanghai battle scenes to try and make it look as acton packed as possible. The action is very exaggerated and intense in transformers massive explosions, big firefights. Music does interrupt the ilm especially during Egypt battle scene as they try to intensify the action with music. There are some references to films in Transformers especially at the end when the refrence towards Gunfight at O.K Coral is made. There is a detached appearance of stars in Transformers with Megan Fox who is made to look how she is real life 'attractive' and even in battle scenes she is dressed nice and looking attractive, playing on the female role.

Easy Riders and Raging Bulls documentary (NEW HOLLYWOOD)

Between 1960 and 1980 a whole new generation of film making came into effect, it was known as New Hollywood abecause certain contracts or rules were begginning to be broken during this time. New Hollywood occured because of young directors coming in and creating films that brought a sense of excitement to Hollywood. Example directors would be Martin Scorcese, Steven Spielberg and Roman Polanski. These directors helped to bring "the baby boom generation" to the cinema because before the youth generaton thought they weren't be catered for so when Hollywood was injected with a vast amount of young directors,they were soon catered for. A film that helped contribute to this was Antonioni''s Blow Up made in 1966 which was a risk because of its daring content but also because of the complex storylines, this attracted audiences massively because ofit reflecting on own experience's and interests. Another factor was that realism became a more important style- it was easier to film on location as development in technology allowed smaller sound and filming equipment. Films like Easy Riders and Bonnie and Clyde were the first stages towards New Hollywood and Steven Spielberg's Jaws was in the finals stages. Other films that contributed were The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy and Rosemary's Baby. The success of these allowed more daring films like Taxi Driver and Mean Streets. Also during that time Independent films were becoming more popuar during the "New Hollywood" phase.

Robert Altman research

Robert Altman was an American Film Director born on the 20th February 1925 but died on the 20th November 2006. Some of the films that he has been involved in over his career are M*A*S*H, Nashville and McCabe and Mrs Miller. A way that Altman directs was that his films were highly naturalistic but with a stylized perspective, he was also referenced as an actor's director, been able to work wih large casts of well known actors. Robert Altman came to direct M*A*S*H when he was offered the script to i and he agreed to direct the project. Altman was 45 when he came to direct M*A*S*H. Prior to directing M*A*S*H he had done a lot of television work working on TV series such as Bonanza and Combat!, he did do some film directing before M*A*S*H, a 1969 film which was called That Cold Day In The Park, which was not successful. Things that were said about Altman in regards to M*A*S*H was that he frequently encouraged that they talk over each other, he seemed to have a style of making people talk over each other. 20th Centur Fox was the studio that produced M*A*S*H and the estimated budget was 3.5 million pounds.

2 Recent films that have been certified by BBFC

One recent film that has been certified is the Battle of Los Angeles which is due in cinemas on the 11th March 2011. It has been classified as a 12A for moderate violence, sustained threat and infrequent strong language. They believe that the violence in the film or the language used is suitable for a 12A rating as it is not intense or insulting language, or gory scenes of violence.

Another film recently been certified is Paul which is due in cinemas on 14th February. This has been classed as a 15 for strong language and sex references. This has received a 15 because the language and sex references will be too frequent for it to be suitable for a 12A audience.

War films and Genre

War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles. Their stories may be fiction, based on history, docudrama, biographical, or even alternate history fiction.
The term anti-war film is sometimes used to describe films which bring to the viewer the pain and horror of war, often from a political or ideological perspective.


What you mainly associate with war films is simply war. You expect to see one side fighting another and are usually based on fact. Examples of war films are black hawk down, platoon and we were soldiers. However some war films that are based on fact  are sometimes played around with for example Pearl Harbor, the background story around it is true but they play around with it and bring in a romance story. Some war films are different for example Rules of Engagement, this a war of words in a courtroom about crimes inflicted during a war so not neccessarily are all war films simply about war.

These are the types of things you expect to see in a typical  war genre film

• War
• Injury
• Death
• Guns
• Blood
• Vehicles (air,sea or land)
• Explosions
• Chaos
• Pain
• Horror of war

1 film that does follow Todorov's theory and 1 that doesn't

A film that follows Todorov's theory is The Expendables. First of all you are shown Vilena and that something is wrong with the government. The disruption is that they are sent in to repair the damage. The new equilibrium is that everyone is killed and Vilena returns to being a nice island. They do this because it is that typical style of film where something is wrong they send in people and they kill all the bad guys.

However one film that I believe does not fit his theory is The Departed because there is no new equilibrium at the end of the film the situation has not been resolved so the equilibrium is the same. They do this because it is a complex thriller and a bit more realistic because most of the main characters are killed in this film.