Media Factsheet 132

British Film. 

1) Write a one-sentence definition of what makes a film British.

- Whether a film is British or not depends on many factors such as if it was made in Britain, if the actors are British, if it is funded by Britain etc.

2) What is the difference between a Hollywood production context and production context of a British film?

- A Hollywood production have high budgets, a heavy reliance on celebrities both in the cast and crew and spectacle driven stories. Whereas a British film can be large budget, high concept films such as Harry Potter or they can be character driven, small budgeted films such as Kill List.

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

 - The James Bond franchise began in the 1960s

4) In terms of film censorship and graphic content, what began to change in British film in the 1970s and 1980s?

- The 1970s Brought a rise in British Films of sexual content, both the act of sex and sex linked to violence with films like A Clockwork Orange. The 1980s see the rise of videos and the ‘video nasty’s scare where film making was becoming more accessible and more extreme content was being created and finding its way to Britain.

5) What groups are often represented in British film? Give examples of films these groups feature in.

- Representations of youth are shown in Attack the block. Where the realistic life of teens and challenging stereotypes are being portrayed. They are sometimes seen in urban gritty areas and seen as rebellious and violent. There are also representations of British culture as well.

6) What does the Factsheet suggest might be the audience appeal of British film?

- The factsheet suggest that the audience appeal would most likely be targeted towards British people and their culture. As not many people who aren't British recognise the locations and terminology of the British culture. So it would be difficult for it to even appeal to a wider audience from different countries. This may suggest that it may be targeted towards a niche audience that enjoy low-budget independent films.