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The British Film Industry ±

SECTION ALO: To identify who does what within the British Film

industry (PRODUCERS)

LO: To evaluate how the British Film industry

competes globally (AUDIENCE) and retains profitability

Thinking question: Why have a British film industry?

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Who does what in the British Film

Industry?Aims to support, develop and

promote the art forms of the moving

image

An independent, non-governmental body which

classifies and censors film, video as well as computer

and console-based games released in the UK.

The official UK agency for international

cultural relations. Its Film Department

promotes new British films (features

and shorts), internationally

principally through festivals and

showcases.

Promotes understanding and appreciation of Britain's rich film

and television heritage and culture.

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.

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Main British Production Companies

Can you name films by these

production companies?

Ext: Who dominates the

UK film industry?

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How do British

films compete

globally?

Ext: How are

they distinct from

Hollywood

blockbusters?

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Most bankable star?

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The Top 10 list as of 2009 (in order of

'bankable' value):

1. Will Smith

2. Johnny Depp

3. Brad Pitt

4. Tom Hanks

5. George Clooney

6. Will Ferrell7. Reese Witherspoon

8. Nicolas Cage

9. Leonardo DiCaprio

10. Russell Crowe

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Weekend 20 Mar - 22 Mar 2009 UK box office

Ran

k Title

Country of

Origin

Weekend

Gross Distributor

%

chang

e on

last

week

Weeks

on

releas

e

Numb

er of

cinem

as

Site

average

Total Gross

to date

1Marley & Me USA £2,166,27020th Century Fox -51 2 476 £4,551 £8,164,3432Paul Blart:Mall Cop USA £1,289,513Sony Pictures 1 375 £3,439 £1,289,513

3Duplicity USA £796,244Universal 1 356 £2,237 £796,244

4Lesbian Vampire Killers UK £648,634Momentum 1 362 £1,792 £648,634

5Watchmen USA/Can £594,510Paramount -58 3 381 £1,560 £7,556,596

6Gran Torino USA £484,808Warner Bros. -41 5 311 £1,559 £6,659,193

7SlumdogMillionaire UK £416,356Pathé -45 11 384 £1,084 £30,471,084

8The Young Victoria UK £387,399Momentum -39 3 379 £1,022 £3,550,675

9Bolt USA £201,250Disney -58 6 441 £456 £17,546,419

10Bronson UK £161,880Vertigo -37 2 109 £1,485 £581,21111Confessions of a Shopaholic USA £158,414Disney -63 5 307 £516 £8,051,255

12The Unborn USA £126,630Universal -68 4 188 £674 £3,669,708

13Hotel for Dogs USA/Ger £119,041Paramount -58 6 404 £295 £6,670,932

14The Age of Stupid UK £101,752Dogwoof 1 20 £5,088 £101,752

15 Il Divo Ita/Fra £71,952Artificial Eye 1 30 £2,398 £71,952Total £7,724,653 4,523 £1,708 £95,829,511

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Answer this:

How much do you agree withµHollywood films have movie stars. That¶s why they are more

appealing to UK audiences than UK films.¶

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Starter task:

WITHOUT LOOKING

LIST:

1. The 5 main film bodies in the UK whooversee the production, promotion andclassification of UK films(ext: explain what each do)

2. The 5 main production companies and five

films they have made

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HOMEWORK:

Brit-flick Kick-Ass tops US

box office

I want you to find out why

On paper/blog post a detailed

response and as much

evidence as you can find

Consider: Why is it deemed a

Brit-flick?Who stars it in and how has thishelped it succeedHow was it marketed?Who distributed the film?

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RECAP

What do stars bring to a film?

Why do Producers use certain stars?

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RECAP

What do stars bring to a film?Why do Producers use certain stars?

1. Guaranteed sales ± good box office figures

2. Fans

3. Narrative image - star persona/typecast

4. Interest and attention from the press ± publicity

5. Expectations of genre

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GENRE as a toolHow does genre help sell films?

Genre helps to meet audience expectations. If the audience can assume thegenre from the trailer, film posters etc, they can make an informed judgement onwhether they wish to see it or not. If their expectations are met, they are satisfiedand will recommend the film to others, leading to higher box office figures.

An example of misleading genre expectations:

By 2006, Julia Roberts¶ 31 films had grossed over $2 billion and she had beeninvolved in more $100 million movies than any other female star

BUT

Julia Roberts and Mona Lisa SmileBudget $65 million (large chunk of which was Robert¶s fee)North American gross $63 million

WHY???

Not a typical Hollywood model ending which led to younger audiences being leftunsatisfied and no love interests featured to drive the romance of the story.

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Working Title formula for the ultimate ROMCOM

Using stars and genre to maximum effect

Combine 2 popular genres ± Hybrid ± ROMANCE & COMEDYDeemed µchick-flick¶ with a large female audience ± so a strong female leadRichard Curtis ± screenwriter ± linked to this genreHugh Grant ± likeable and adaptable

This led to securing Julia Roberts (one of the most bankable stars) and succeededin making

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Now I want you to find a recent successful film that has

used genre and stars effectively:

Note down:

The starsThe genreThe Production BudgetThe Gross takings

And anything else that you think made it successful (consider marketing,distribution company etc)

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Weekend 9-11 April UK box office ± audience consumption

http://infidelmovie.com/landing-trailer/

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End thought:

Would the world be different if we

relied only on the American filmindustry?

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Cinema 2000 &Working Title� British cinema since 2000: The new century has so far been a

relatively successful one for the British film industry.

� Many British films have found a wide international audience, and some

of the independent production companies, such as Working Title, have

secured financing and distribution deals with major American studios.

� Working Title scored three major international successes, all starringHugh Grant, with the romantic comedies Bridget Jones's Diary (2001),which grossed $254 million worldwide; the sequel Bridget Jones: TheEdge of Reason, which earned $228 million; and Richard Curtis'sdirectorial debut Love Actually (2003), which grossed $239 million.

� At the same time, critically-acclaimed films such as Gosford Park

(2001), Pride and Prejudice (2005), The Constant Gardener (2005), TheQueen (2006) and The Last King of Scotland (2006) also brought prestige to the British film industry. Although all of these films werefinanced and distributed by American film companies, so there waslittle financial benefit to the industry itself.

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Film 4 record breaker

� In 2008, British releases included the costume dramas The Duchess

and Brideshead Revisited, the documentary Man On Wire and a

new comedy-drama from Mike Leigh Happy Go Lucky.

� However the year was dominated by a single film: Slumdog

Millionaire, an Indian story that was filmed entirely in Mumbai with amostly Indian cast, though with a British director (Danny Boyle),

producer (Christian Colson), screenwriter (Simon Beaufoy) and star

(Dev Patel) and the film was all-British financed via Film4 and

Celador. Slumdog Millionaire has received worldwide critical

acclaim.

� It has won four Golden Globes, seven BAFTA Awards and eight

Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Film. This was

the first entirely-British financed film since Hamlet in 1948 to win the

Best Picture Oscar.

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Despite increasing competition from film studios in Australia andEastern Europe (especially the Czech Republic), British studios suchas Pinewood, Shepperton and Leavesden remained successful inhosting major foreign productions such as Finding Neverland, V for

Vendetta, Closer, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride,

United 93, The Phantom of the Opera, The Golden Compass,Sweeney Todd, Mamma Mia!, The Wolf Man, Fantastic Mr. Fox and

Nine.The film industry remains an important earner for the British

economy.

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NMT = TUG for Film� Tug used search marketing for Slumdog Millionaire¶s UK Launch

� Tug used search marketing to create online awareness & user engagement for

SlumdogMillionaire¶s UK launch

� FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PR Log (Press Release) ± Mar 13, 2009 ±

Tug, an independent search engine marketing agency located in Shoreditch, London, recentlyimpressed Pathe¶s UK marketing team with the ability of PPC and SEO to play a key role in the filmrelease marketing mix. Pathe approached Tug to use search engine marketing to drive targeted

awareness, engagement and relevant traffic within a tight budget, for their new release, SlumdogMillionaire. December 08, Tug launched a PPC campaign across the major UK search enginestargeting UK movie goers, the niche Indian market and independent film enthusiasts. Using acombination of keyword testing & bid management and ad testing & copy optimisation, Tugincreased click throughs and drove the cost per click down throughout the campaign. Tug also usedSEO techniques to optimise the film¶s flash microsite. A short link building campaign was put in placeto get the site to top position for µSlumdogMillionaire¶ searches in the UK. In addition, Tug launcheda banner campaign across the Google content network of websites on a cost per click model.

Standard banners as well as click to play video ads were served on relevant sites targeted at thechosen audiences. The cost model meant that banner impressions and even the trailers viewedwithin them were free ± making awareness and engagement free. Ultimately Tug drove over 75,000new visitors to the Slumdog Microsite, displayed the trailer online 73,000 times and served over 21 Million ad impressions for only £13,000 over a 5 week burst. Pathe are pleased with their first forayinto search marketing and are working with Tug to develop a search marketing toolkit for subsequentfilm releases in the UK.

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This research uncovered an audience typology that helped to inform thedepartment¶s ongoing audience development activities. Briefly, the cinema typesuncovered were as follows:

Mainstream: unlikely ever to view anything other than major µHollywood¶ styleblockbusters.

Mainstream plus: generally mainstream, but apt to see less mainstream filmson a few occasions.

Aficionados: tend to view a mix of films, including major foreign language titles,and can be encouraged to become even more adventurous in their viewing

choices.

Film Buffs1: eschew mainstream films in favour of more extreme, esoteric,challenging and difficult subject matter (specialised) films.

AUDIENCE TYPES

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Other UK films ² 9-11 April 2010

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Now answer this question:

Looking at the evidence, is the UK

film industry attracting themainstream audiences as well aslast year?

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Questions for Box Office results

� What do these box office figures tell usabout the British Film industry?

Consider:

Country of origin

DistributorsGross profit

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Facts in focus

� UK cinema admissions reached 162 million, up 4% on2006.� Box office receipts were £821 million, up 8% on 2006.� 516 films were released for a week or more in the UK andRepublic of Ireland, an increase of 2% on 2006 and 58%more than in 1998.� UK films, including co-productions, accounted for 21% of releases and 29% of the market by value, up 10% on lastyear.

� The top 100 films earned almost 91% of the gross boxoffice, 2% more than in 2006.

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� 3.2 Schedule 1 (UK film) certifications

� Schedule 1 films are films certified as Britishunder Schedule 1 of the Films Act 1985. Under

the old rules, the main qualifying criterion was70% UK spend, but films commencing principalphotography

� on or after 1 January 2007 have been required

to pass a UK Cultural Test emphasising UKelements in the story, setting and characters(see UKFC website for full details of the CulturalTest).

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CULTURAL TEST

� Cultural Test Points

� Cultural Content

� A1 Film set in the UK A2 Lead characters British citizens or residentsA3Film based on British subject matter or underlying material

� A4 Original dialogue recorded mainly in English language� Cultural Contribution

� Film represents/reflects a diverse British culture,� British heritage or British creativity� Cultural Hubs C1Studio and/or location shooting/ Visual Effects/ Special

Effects C2Music Recording/Audio Post Production/Picture Post Production� Cultural Practitioners

� Director, Scriptwriter Producer Composer Lead Actors Majority of CastKey Staff (lead cinematographer, lead production designer, lead costumedesigner, lead editor, lead sound designer, lead visual effects supervisor,lead hair and makeup supervisor) Majority of Crew

� TOTAL ALL SECTIONS (pass mark 16)31

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