Category

A
Films made with
British money,
personnel &
resources
Category
B
Category
C
Category
D
Films made in the
UK with (usually)
British cultural
content, but
financed fully or
partly by American
companies.
Category
E
American films
with some British
involvement
Films co-funded with money
from Britain & foreign
investment, but majority of
finance, cultural content &
personnel are British.
Films with mostly foreign money
(but non-USA) investment and a
small British input, either
financially or creatively.

Social Realism
The most 'typically British' of all film genres

Social Realism
Films that show
our society in a
real way.
Society Realistic
Trainspotting in 1996, both as far from quaint rose tinted representation of Britain as
you can get. The films delve in to a world of drugs, deception, betrayal, addiction, and
ultimately death, laced with pitch- black comedy moments that left audiences undecided
to whether Trainspotting promoted drug use or not.

Trainspotting is often accused of glamorizing the gritty lifestyle of heroin
addiction, however the film was critically appraised for tapping into the youth
subculture of the time, being given the title as a true representation of British social
realism the main theme being the exploration of urban poverty and squalor, in
culturally rich Edinburgh. The film did incredibly well in Britain, revealing that the heroin
culture, although dark and forbidden, was also equally as fascinating.

On its release in the United States, the first 20 minutes of the film were re-edited, with
alternate dialogue. Because of the strong Scottish accents and language of the characters, it
was believed that American audiences would have difficultly understanding them, as they
were so culturally specific. The film was a huge success; it demonstrated that the American
public hungered for glimpses into Britains dark and mysterious heroin culture.
As British films go, its not
merchant ivory, not angst ridden
streets of London, while its
slightly old fashioned-the first 10
words in the film are fuck which
helps the audience get in to it
Tim Bevan

Social
Realism
Working
Class
Hardship
Emotionally
Financially
Shows how
we really
live
Realities of
Life
Shown
through film
Audiences must like
Social Realism as
TFM cost $4m &
took over $250m
Production
Working title has been apart of Universal
since 1999, when the parties signed an
agreement due to expire at the end of
2007. Despite alleged offers from
Dreamworks, and Sony. working Title co-
chairs Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan signed an
agreement at the end of 2007 to extend
their stay at Universal for seven more
years.
Although Universal and Working Title have
a healthy and productive relationship, its
not to say that converging with a major
film Production Company doesnt have
disadvantages. For instance a British film
maker may find it difficult in making his
film entirely British if it is being financed
by an American production company, or
business.
The film maker may well find himself tied
down to creating a main stream film, as its
only expected that there be some sort of
influence from the American side of the
company. Potentially destroying his
creation, or finding its been manipulated
in such a way it no longer resembles what
he imagined initially.

Distribution and Marketing
Definition: the business of getting
films to their audiences by booking
them for runs into cinemas and
taking them there in vans or through
digital downloads.
Create the marketing campaign for
films producing posters, trailers,
websites, organise free previews,
press packs, television interviews
with the "talent", sign contracts for
promotions, competitions, etc.
Distributors use their know-how and
size to ensure that DVDs of the film
end up in stores and on supermarket
shelves.
Distributors also obtain the BBFC
certificate, and try to get films
released as the most favourable
times of the year for their genre, etc.


Exhibition
Definition: showing films in cinemas or on
DVD.
Media attention through opening nights
and premieres .How the audience can see
the film: in cinemas, at home, on DVD,
through downloads, through television,
including premieres, the box office take in
the opening weeks; audience reviews
which includes those of the film critics,
ordinary people, cinemas runs; awards in
festivals, The Oscars, BAFTAS, etc.
The Boat That Rocked opened on wide
release in over 400 cinemas in April 2009.
The film flopped at the box office for a
number of reasons: the critics' reviews,
poor weather putting off cinema goers,
and perhaps the lack of a strong female
character. The film also flopped on
American release in November 2009.
However, young people & older people like
the film: sales in Morrisons & other
supermarkets were brisk before Xmas as
many are buying the DVD as a present.

Saturation
The most common release pattern, in which the film is released nationally in all markets.
This is the pattern used by the major distributors, since this type of release pattern requires a
heavy investment in prints and national advertising is expensive.
Revenues from DVD sales can also be realized faster from a quickly-executed theatrical release
(the shorter the time period between the theatrical release and the DVD release, the greater
the potential for DVD income).
Wide
Release
The film will open in a few major markets and expand week by week to build
awareness and allow positive word-of-mouth reputation to develop.
This type of release would initially be supported spot advertising (advertising in a
specific geographical area, such as a city) and may move to national advertising
once it expands to other markets.
Limited
Release
limited number of screens, traditionally in large urban areas
Based on favourable reviews and positive word-of-mouth, the film may move slowly to
additional theatres.
This release pattern is almost always used for upscale 'art-house' or foreign films
EXHIBITION things to consider
HOW DO PEOPLE CONSUME FILM:
Cinema
DVD and Blue Ray -
TV VOD
Internet
Pirates
Illegal downloads

Do you and your friends buy pirates or illegally download?

Here are some key facts about illegal downloading and pirates

The film industry (according to experts) loses around 500- 700m a year to piracy
The revenue gained from pirate DVDs alone is approximately 278m pounds a
year.

Digital Distribution Pros & Cons
The Digital Screen Network project is the Film Council's attempt to
provide cinemas with digital projection facilities, and it is hoped
(but by no means guaranteed) that more small-scale independent
films will get seen this way.
digital technology has made life a lot better for low budget film
makers and distributor
Digital film has the advantage of offering identical versions of the
film to each viewer, and this will without doubt save billions of
pounds at the distribution phase.
Despite the 'hype' over piracy and the digital enabling of this illegal
activity, industry commentators believe that one advantage of
digital distribution will be control and security, as most piracy is the
result of a cinema-goer with a hidden camera
So the question iswill cinema always survive technological
change?
Synergy / Symbiosis
An example of synergy from Working Title Films.
DVD
Synergies benefits in funding
through various media outlets
during film promotion such as TV,
radio, magazines, internet etc.
When different companies work together to
promote a range of related products. E.g. High
School Musical the film will enable spin-offs
like Happy Meals, Easter Eggs, & a % of the
profits will go back to the distributor.
Cross Media Convergence
In film looks at ownership issues & companies
coming together to benefit.
So Working Title make use of its parent
company Universal to gain access to bigger
stars and a better distribution network for
their films.

WTF
Universal
$$$
This is how
internet, film & TV
are converging with
PCs, gadgets,
Iphones etc
& crosses over with
PROLIFERATION
Proliferation
The growing
interactive use of
digital technology in
the film industry and
media which
enables people to
share, consume and
produce media that
was difficult or
impossible just a
few years earlier.

It affects:

Production

Distribution

Exhibition


Spread of film genres, CGI, new
cameras, editing techniques etc
(the spread of the new!)
use of new software to add special effects in editing; the use of blue-
screen.
Using new types of digital cameras like the one Danny Boyle used in
Slumdog Millionaire (The Silicon Imaging Camera to shoot high
quality film in tight spaces)
Internet to download a film rather than go see it in the cinema
watch it on YouTube;
special editing programs like Final Cut Pro to edit bits of a film
give it new soundtrack and upload it on YouTube;
produce illegal, pirate copies on DVDs from downloads and by
converting the films format;
Blue Ray DVDs with greater compression which allows superior
viewing and more features on the DVD;
distributors can use digital software to create high concept posters;
cinemas can download films to their projection screens and do not
have to depend on a van dropping off the film!
Mobile phone apps and i-Tunes
The following are also good examples of
technological convergence
http://www.goldengekko.com/news/31-
universal-pictures-launches-another-iphone-
app-to-promote-the-boat-that-rocked



The Concept: The idea/Production company
In thinking about the processes that occur
during the life of a film, it is easy to forget the
first step in that journey is the original idea.
This can either come from a writer, a director or
producer in the form of a book, a play, or an
original treatment for a script. In the case of The
Boat That Rocked, the idea is an original one.
Writing the script is only the first stage in getting a
film to the screen. What Curtis (Writer) needed
was finance in order to get That Boat That
Rocked actually made. He turned to Working
Title, one of the leading British production
companies with whom he had worked
successfully in the past. Eric Fellner knew
audiences would react well to the film, it was a
great mainstream idea, with amazing music
and cast.
It had a number of things going for it, the first
being that its Richard Curtis, hes almost like a
brand in this country, people look out for his next
film -Eric Fellner
Directed by Richard Curtis
Produced by
Tim Bevan
Eric Fellner
Hilary Bevan Jones
Written by Richard Curtis
Starring
Tom Sturridge
Bill Nighy
Rhys Ifans
Nick Frost
Philip Seymour
Hoffman
Talulah Riley
Chris O'Dowd
Rhys Darby
Ralph Brown
Jack Davenport
Kenneth Branagh
Studio
StudioCanal
Working Title Films
Distributed by
Universal Pictures
Focus Features
Release date(s)
1 April 2009 (2009-04-
01) (United Kingdom)
13 November
2009 (2009-11-13)
(United States)
Budget over GB30 million
Gross revenue $36,348,784
Something to consider for your case study!

Grass
roots
= local
In Working Titles case, they have a clear idea of
the audience they envisage for the film before they
bring a director on board, matching the director to
the nature of the project and the target audience.
When the film is complete, they usually test completed
projects with UK audiences first, and then with
American audiences, to get a good idea of how the
movie will be received. The chairmen of Working Title
claim good luck has played a huge part in their
success. They are constantly surprised by reactions to
their films.
We often put down the number of what you think a film
will ultimately do worldwide in gross revenue, but its
amazing the one you didnt think would work is
suddenly huge -Eric Fellner
Four Weddings like most of Curtis films are all
quintessentially British therefore appealing to a
wider target audience. Countries such as America
enjoy seeing Britain, especially England
represented as a charmingly quaint country, with
chocolate box cottages, tea shops, and posh
accents. However, this sort of idealization in British
film is looked upon by some British filmmakers as a
problem.