2. History of UK
Cinema
•1930,40 & 50’s British Cinema grows dramatically based on adaption of classic novels.
•War time propaganda helps the British Film Industry really take off
•British cinema declines in the 50’s hard to compete with Hollywood
•The reason for this is because of the Hollywood nature, basically they used to take the same actors and
then just change the scripts, the British film industry could not do this as they did not have that kind of
money.
•Early 60’s British films become popular again, because of the music industry e.g. The Beatles and Elvis,
also around this time the James Bond franchise kicks off.
•The Main point was the carry on films, this kept the British film industry alive, they made a lot of money
during this time, however the main factors were the Bond Franchises and the music.
•In the 1970’s the British film industry begin to go through a rough patch once again, the reason behind
this was TV , 1980’s saw the launch of channel 4, channel 4 start to produce young people orientated
programs, however films like Gandhi still kept the British cinema alive
•Hollywood producers would make 5 films if one of them movies would bomb at the box office whilst the
other four would make them money if wouldn’t be a problem for them, however with the British cinema
worked differently if this would happen to them this would be called a loss as they didn’t have as much
money as the Hollywood studios at the time.
3. Why might it be
important to have a
British film industry ? Introduction
The reason it is important to have a British film industry is because, the British film industry is one of the
most important industries in the history of cinema and has come too been known for its particular kind of
filmmaking. The plots and storylines of British cinema have become an admiration and envy throughout
the cinema making world.
Economy
Evidence is clear that the British film industry is quite important to the country, both culturally and
economically. The potential global market represented a $63 billion spend on filmed entertainment. The
UK’s share of this was 5% this was including all qualifying British films; this was low in comparison with
the 80% achieved by the U.S. the British film industry generates significant returns for the UK economy
through indigenous filmmaking (£165.25 million in 2002), through film exhibition (£755million in 2002),
through DVD and Video rentals (£2.55 Billion in 2002). The UK film council estimates that 65-70% of
revenue of a UK film is made outside the UK. This is why having a British Film industry is important.
Culture
The British Film institution said that the moving image, are important for reflecting British culture out to
the world. Films as diverse as Billy Elliot Bend it like Beckham and four weddings and a funeral contribute
to this widely accepted fact that Britain is one of the world leaders of filmmaking talent. This is why it is
important to have a British Film Industry.
Employment
The UK has a wide range of film making talent, such as acting, writing, producing, and also directing, as
well as the skills needed behind the camera and also for post production skills, the chairman of the British
film council described the film making talent of Britain as outstanding. This is why it is important to have a
British film industry.
4. •Working Titles was a company founded by Tim Bevan & Sarah Radcliffe in 1983, it produced several feature
films and also some TV productions
•1999 saw the launch of a named Working Titles 2 productions commonly known as WT2, the company is an
independent film production house run by Natasha Wharton, the productions house has made some of British
cinema’s acclaimed films such as Billy Elliot, Shaun of the dead and the calcium kid. Working title was also the
production house behind successes such as four weddings and a funeral.
•Working television is a joint venture with NBC universal which will be based in London and los Angeles. NBC is
working titles parent company.
•The London office will be overseen by WTV’S head of television (UK) Juliette Howell
•Working titles represents Britain as being posh and not as modern as other films
•In 2004 Working Titles made a profit of £17.8 m
•Working Titles is owned by NBC, 49% is owned by general electrics and 67% is owned by universal studios but
the main owners are com cast. Com Cast own 51% of working titles films.
5. Working Titles Filmography
Working titles films have produced many films, these films have been very successful
not just in the UK but also in the overseas market, some of their highest grossing films
are:
•Four weddings and a funeral
•Billy Elliot
•Notting Hill
•Love Actually
•Elizabeth
•Bean
•Ali G In Da House
•About a Boy
•Johnny English
•Shaun of the dead
•Johnny English Reborn
6. •Warp Films was first launched in 2001, leads its way into great independent British
filmmaking.
•The company has been given many successes throughout the years, some of these films
gained several Bafta’s.
•Warp is one of the foremost and most respected creative independent companies, now
composed of Warp Records, Warp Films and Warp Music Videos & Commercials. It is
based in London, England and Sheffield, with a further office now in Melbourne, Australia.
Since its inception as a shop and record label in 1989, it has been a platform for
innovative and boundary-breaking talent.
•Warp films production includes, Dead man shoes, This is England, rubber jonny and four
lions, these are some of warp films most acclaimed and award winning films.
•Warp setting up an Australian branch in Melbourne. The first film to come from this
collaboration is the Australian drama, Snowtown.Warp Australia also announced the
development of Partisan, a feature film by Ariel Klieman and Sarah Cyngler in 2010
•Warp Films are currently crowd-funding four short films shot at the All Tomorrow's Parties
festival by Vincent Moon, using the website Kickstarter.com. The project will need to reach
its goal by 15 October.
7. Warp Pictures Filmography
My Wrongs #8245–8249 & 117 2003
Dead Man's Shoes 2004
Rubber Johnny 2005
Scummy Man 2006
This Is England 2006
Grow Your Own 2007
Dog Altogether 2007
Fur TV 2008
A Complete History of My Sexual Failures 2008
Arctic Monkeys At the Apollo 2008
Donkey Punch 2008
The Mighty Boosh Live: Future Sailors Tour 2009
Curtains 2009
Hush 2009
Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee 2009
Bunny and the Bull 2009
All Tomorrow's Parties 2009
Four Lions 2010
This Is England 86 2010
Submarine 2010
Tyrannosaur 2011
8. Film Distribution
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either
through theatres or for home viewing .
A film distributor is the link between a film producers and exhibitors (the cinema chains), their
aims are to get as many people to see the film on as many cinema screens as possible.
The distributor markets the film and develops an appropriate advertising and campaigning.
To market successfully, the distributor has to target the appropriate audience
The distributor needs to create interest in a film, this can be easy if there is a clear ‘selling
point’, however this is harder with the low budget independent films.
Distributors employ researchers to track the recognition of the film with the target audience
during the campaign.
The UK have distributors who are associated with American studios such as universal
pictures, and independent film makers from the UK make their films outside major studios.
In 1930’s & 40’s Hollywood exhibition was the most financially important part of the
filmmaking process, now distribution dominates
9. Differences Between
Warp & Working Titles
•Working titles use special effects, CGI
•They are owned by an American company called universal studios this is an advantage as they will be better for budgeting the movie
•Working titles tend to use high budgets to make films
•Working titles is a conglomerate company
•Here some examples of working titles and their budgets
•Atonement
•(Working Title) Dir. Joe Wright Budget: $30,000,000Gross Revenue: $129,266,061 (worldwide)
•Hot Fuzz
•Budget 8 Million, Box office 80,573,774
•Working titles is budgeted from universal
•Working titles appeals their movies to people worldwide
•Working titles use films that established actors in them
•As you can see the difference between the budget of atonement and the budget of this is England, and also the gross revenue of both films, this shows
that having more well known actors and actresses gives the film more meaning to the audience, as people may watch the movie not for the content of the
movie but because of the stars of the movie.
•Warp films is a small company based in Sheffield England
•Warp films are a independent company
•Warp films have a low budget so they wont be able to include special effects
•Here is an example of a film made b warp films and the budget.
•This Is England
•(Warp Films) Dir. Shane Meadows Budget: £1,500,000Gross Revenue: $8,069,240
•Four lions
•Domestic total gross4,68570
•, budget 4,000
•Warp films get their funding from Nesta
•The affects of the budgets is that they cannot include special effects like working titles, so they tend to stick to make more realistic drama
•The main appeal of the drama is that warp films audience can relate to them for example most people can relate to films such as This is England rather
than a movie which is made by working titles.
•Warp films are a small company so their audience will also be a small group of people or they might target a specific age group
