MEST1 Section B: The British film industry

Write a one-sentence definition of what makes a film British.
A film that has British customs and values that is shown or known inside the film.

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

There is a clear difference between Hollywood and British films. For example, mainstream industries in Hollywood could easily make big budget film which therefore being influenced by a lot of money which is also common in a typical stereotype for these films. It is advertised to a wider more diverse audience which influence the gross of the films. However, British films are seen as the originators of film productions which has lost pace with their American movies which is clear when it is the other side of film making in terms of how money is influencing the films. There is a short amounts of money but there are still producing fantastic productions at the end. 

When did the James Bond franchise start?

This successful franchise is a positive representation of British film-making. However is fuelled by American money. The James Bond franchise started in the 1960's and as I said before was made by American money. This means that although the franchise is a British film, it has a evident representation of a middle class person in Britain; to inform the American audience about British customs and reinforce their stereotypes.

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

From a censorship and graphic content viewpoint,  especially in the 1970s, there was an evident showing of change in the way British films were produced; there was the portrayal of sexual content in which elements of it like sexual violence began to be displayed at an increasing rate.

 In terms of the 80s, what became more usual were the productions becoming increasingly violent and pornographic. This affected censorship in the sense that the BBFC came about in '85 which ensured all films released in the UK be rated corresponding to a certain age.

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

Majority of the groups that are often seen in British films are white people. There are large amounts of this ethnicity being portrayed largely in British films. Moreover, we see foreigners seen a lot, but as the villains in the film. However there are few exemptions with films having a diverse cast to represent British life.

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

The audience appeal of British film is often the culture, the people who feature in the films are people who represent British values and are often the image of Britain. This appeals to the audience as they are learning about the country. British locations are also appealing to audiences as they allow for a sense of Britain in the movie.