1. British Film Industry factsheets #132 & #100
2. Chicken case study research
3. Regulation - BBFC research and tasks
Tuesday 28 January 2020
Wednesday 22 January 2020
Film regulation and the BBFC - blog tasks:
1) Research the BBFC in more detail: what is the institution responsible for? How is it funded? What link does it have to government?
The BBFC has to regulate the British film industry and is responsible for the certification of films. It is an independent, non-governmental body funded through charged fees. This means film distributors have always paid a fee to have their works rated. The BBFC is a not for profit organisation. It does however, have to apply certain age certifications depending on what the government and the general public think.
2) Read this BBFC guide to how films are rated. Summarise the process in 50 words.
Their Compliance Officers are the people who watch the DVD's and perform a 'solo view', this can be something like a childrens DVD. Distributors can ask for a set age certificate but is is ultimately up to the CO to decide what rating should be given. If a Compliance Officer is unsure about anything or if the content seems to fall between two age ratings, it will be referred to the Compliance Manager or Head of Compliance.
3) Read this BBFC outline of the issues faced when classifying a film. Summarise the debate in 50 words.
They make sure that viewers are not accepting the idea and having a 'moral harm' which dehumanises ajy actions they see after that film.Violence in childrens films is taken seriously as it could effect social and moral development which distorts the viewers moral compass.
CO's need to make sure that the context in an issue sucessfuly sends a meaningful message for it's targeted audience demographic.
4) Read this BBFC section on controversial decisions. Why did The Dark Knight generate a large amount of media coverage regarding its certificate? Do you agree with the 12A certificate The Dark Knight was awarded?
The violence was too detailed ans strong to be classified as a 12A and questioned whether it should have been 15. However, it is almost entirely lacking in any blood or injury details. As per the BBFC report.
5) What are the guidelines for a 15 certificate?
Dangerous and explicit behaviour, such as self harm and suicide, should not be shown in detail like it is in an 18 certificate. They state that "The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language."
Drug use may be shown but it should not endorse taking them.
There may be some strong language and very strong depending on context. Nudity can be shown and including 'brief detail'. Sex can also be portrayed but not in 'strong detail'.
There can also be a strong threat and horror but not sadistic threats. Violence can occur but should not focus on the infliction or the injury. Strong sadistic violence is unlikely to show up.
6) The BBFC website offers an explanation of every classification it makes and detailed case studies on selected titles. Look at the rating for Chicken and explain why it was given a 15 certificate.
Some of the scenes are understandably able to move it to an 18 certificate but since this is a microbudget, art house film, the BBFC didn't want the 15-17 year olds (the audience more likely to enjoy Chicken) to be denied access to the unique experiences of a multi layered art house film.
The film does include violence and does focus on injuries which opposes the 15 guidelines however, the message of Joe Stephenson would be missed by many young adults simply because of a violent scene.
When Fiona is shown as killed by a fox, the guts are all over the screen. This also is borderline 18 but then again the context in which an issue (such as sex, language or violence) is presented is central to the question of its acceptability. The work's target audience - who is likely to want to watch this film, and to whom does it 'speak' – is also taken into account. This is vital to the 15 certificate decision.
The BBFC has to regulate the British film industry and is responsible for the certification of films. It is an independent, non-governmental body funded through charged fees. This means film distributors have always paid a fee to have their works rated. The BBFC is a not for profit organisation. It does however, have to apply certain age certifications depending on what the government and the general public think.
2) Read this BBFC guide to how films are rated. Summarise the process in 50 words.
Their Compliance Officers are the people who watch the DVD's and perform a 'solo view', this can be something like a childrens DVD. Distributors can ask for a set age certificate but is is ultimately up to the CO to decide what rating should be given. If a Compliance Officer is unsure about anything or if the content seems to fall between two age ratings, it will be referred to the Compliance Manager or Head of Compliance.
3) Read this BBFC outline of the issues faced when classifying a film. Summarise the debate in 50 words.
They make sure that viewers are not accepting the idea and having a 'moral harm' which dehumanises ajy actions they see after that film.Violence in childrens films is taken seriously as it could effect social and moral development which distorts the viewers moral compass.
CO's need to make sure that the context in an issue sucessfuly sends a meaningful message for it's targeted audience demographic.
4) Read this BBFC section on controversial decisions. Why did The Dark Knight generate a large amount of media coverage regarding its certificate? Do you agree with the 12A certificate The Dark Knight was awarded?
The violence was too detailed ans strong to be classified as a 12A and questioned whether it should have been 15. However, it is almost entirely lacking in any blood or injury details. As per the BBFC report.
5) What are the guidelines for a 15 certificate?
Dangerous and explicit behaviour, such as self harm and suicide, should not be shown in detail like it is in an 18 certificate. They state that "The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language."
Drug use may be shown but it should not endorse taking them.
There may be some strong language and very strong depending on context. Nudity can be shown and including 'brief detail'. Sex can also be portrayed but not in 'strong detail'.
There can also be a strong threat and horror but not sadistic threats. Violence can occur but should not focus on the infliction or the injury. Strong sadistic violence is unlikely to show up.
6) The BBFC website offers an explanation of every classification it makes and detailed case studies on selected titles. Look at the rating for Chicken and explain why it was given a 15 certificate.
Some of the scenes are understandably able to move it to an 18 certificate but since this is a microbudget, art house film, the BBFC didn't want the 15-17 year olds (the audience more likely to enjoy Chicken) to be denied access to the unique experiences of a multi layered art house film.
The film does include violence and does focus on injuries which opposes the 15 guidelines however, the message of Joe Stephenson would be missed by many young adults simply because of a violent scene.
When Fiona is shown as killed by a fox, the guts are all over the screen. This also is borderline 18 but then again the context in which an issue (such as sex, language or violence) is presented is central to the question of its acceptability. The work's target audience - who is likely to want to watch this film, and to whom does it 'speak' – is also taken into account. This is vital to the 15 certificate decision.
Tuesday 14 January 2020
Chicken: case study blog task
Funding
1) What was the budget for Chicken?
£110,000
2) How did Joe Stephenson end up raising the money to make the film?
Asking for money from family members and the rich friends of his parents
3) How does the Chicken budget compare to a Hollywood-funded British blockbuster such as Spectre or Paddington 2?
Chicken is a microbudget funded British film whereas Spectre is a blockbuster film with lots of Hollywood funded money.
4) Joe Stephenson tried to secure funding from organisations that help low-budget filmmakers. What is the BFI Film Fund and how does it contribute to the British film industry?
This helps up and coming film producers to fund their projects that are unable to find sufficient funds for their film.
5) Why do you think Chicken failed to secure funding from the BFI Film Fund?
Because it was an abstract film, the debate over art vs commerce came into full effect.
Production
1) What difficulties did the film run into during production?
Difficulties with weather (rain)
2) How many days did the film take to shoot?
19
3) What scenes were particularly difficult for Joe Stephenson to film?
Outdoor scenes, lighting issues were prominent.
Distribution
1) Why did the film fail to secure a distribution deal when first made in 2014?
Small producer, no stars to market the film, artistic value dominating over profit goals.
2) What film festivals did Chicken feature at between 2014-2016?
New Hampshire, Edinburgh, Giffoni
3) Why are film festivals an effective way for a low-budget film to secure a distribution deal?
Lots of critics see the film and are more likely to develop a positive opinion on it.
4) When was Chicken released in cinemas in the UK?
May 2016
5) Why do you think film subscription service MUBI chose the film to feature on the service?
MUBI agrees with the art-house aspect of Chicken
6) Why was Film4 a good choice to give the film its UK television premiere?
Film4 premieres a lot of new and artistic movies, it is also an alternative broadcaster and not someone like Sky or ITV, these companies take a lot of money and give very little back.
7) When will the film be released on iTunes and other video-on-demand services in the USA and Canada?
Early 2018
Promotion
Note: some of these pages will be blocked in school - you will need to complete those particular questions at home.
1) What does the trailer suggest regarding genre and the potential audience pleasures of Chicken?
The genre could be seen as art-house and the audience could be a niche and specialised audience. The audience would value art over a film's ability to make profit.
The audience seems to be a sort of art-house appreciating and mature/niche audience.
2) What synergy can you find between the trailer and other traditional marketing methods such as the film poster?
The film was a micro budget film and the marketing strategy was not heavily funded so they needed to get a film festival circuit to make sure they had critical acclaim - this simple and cheap market approach enforces the view that this is meant for an art-house audience.
3) Why are reviews from industry figures such as Mark Kermode so important to a film's success?
He is highly revered by the film world as he is the best and most well known BBC film critic, he has influence and the ability to make small films well known in a bigger and more profitable field.
It ensures audiences that this is a film that is highly revered. This encompasses the use of star power to market the film.
4) How does the Chicken Twitter account create and maintain interest in the film?
It is a free social media account which is good due to a tight budget. The account gets a lot of reach as Twitter has the most reach of any social platform.
5) Who does the Twitter account re-tweet? How does this help to promote the film?
The account retweets critical reviews and expert opinions that praise the film, this creates a synthetic sense of star power. The account retweets accounts such as BFI, Amazon Prime and various esteemed film critics.
6) How does the Chicken Facebook page use images and video content to promote the film?
They post little videos of the film and also screenshots from certain, gripping scenes. The account also posted an interview with Sir Ian Mckellen ahead of the Film4 premiere in 2017, this creates hype and interest in the film.
7) What pages are liked by the Chicken Facebook page? What does this tell you about the film and potential target audience?
They are liked by many film critics, this shows that this filom is well liked among those who value art over commercial potential.
8) Go to the website of the B Good Picture Company. What does the homepage say and what other films have they produced or are in production currently?
9) Now go to the B Good Picture Company's website page for Chicken. How does this page promote Chicken specifically?
It describes Chicken as 'critically acclaimed' and that makes the 'art house' target audience think that thisis THE film for them. It includes ideas and clues that this is also an art house film which makes the reader switch from passive to active.
10) Go to the B Good Picture Company YouTube channel. What videos feature on the channel? How do they help to promote Chicken?
They release little snippets of Chicken to get the reader to invest their interest. This comes with titles such as 'I Was Happy' to get the audience to emotionally connect with Richard.
Final reading: Media Magazine - the appeal of arthouse cinema
Complete the following tasks to improve your understanding of arthouse film and the possible audience pleasures that the genre offers:
Read Beyond Hollywood: Reading Arthouse Cinema. This is in MM45 on page 24 - go to our Media Magazine archive to find the article.
1) Summarise the article in 50 words.
This article is explaining the effect, purpose and origin of art house. It describes art house as artistic rather than commercial in character. 4.4% of the British film revenue in 2011 came from foreign language films, otherwise known as 'art house'.they are films that are purposelydifficult to understand or ‘read’.
2) What are some of the suggested audience pleasures for arthouse film?
It comes from the film being difficult to understand or having many different and difficult meanings.
3) Why do some audiences struggle with arthouse film? Refer to some media theory here (there are some important media theories discussed in the article itself).
People who are passive viewers and fall under the 'hypodermic needle' model think that films are just for enjoyment and bear no complexity with them. Passive viewers are unlikely to enjoy art house films as they are there simply for entertainment.
4) To what extent is arthouse film only for the middle classes and older audiences? Why might this be the case?
C1 or C2 citizens may be only suited to films that entertain them and have a relatively simple plot-line or just doesn't have any complexity what so ever. People that are middle class and have an expanded and active viewing mindset are more liley to understand the various grave topics art house can sometimes deal with.
5) What type of audience would be interested in Chicken?
An active audience with a capacity to sympathise with a protagonist should be good. They need to be able to comprehend the unfair treatment that Richard receives but should be able to see the development in character in ways of increasing violence.
1) What was the budget for Chicken?
£110,000
2) How did Joe Stephenson end up raising the money to make the film?
Asking for money from family members and the rich friends of his parents
3) How does the Chicken budget compare to a Hollywood-funded British blockbuster such as Spectre or Paddington 2?
Chicken is a microbudget funded British film whereas Spectre is a blockbuster film with lots of Hollywood funded money.
4) Joe Stephenson tried to secure funding from organisations that help low-budget filmmakers. What is the BFI Film Fund and how does it contribute to the British film industry?
This helps up and coming film producers to fund their projects that are unable to find sufficient funds for their film.
5) Why do you think Chicken failed to secure funding from the BFI Film Fund?
Because it was an abstract film, the debate over art vs commerce came into full effect.
Production
1) What difficulties did the film run into during production?
Difficulties with weather (rain)
2) How many days did the film take to shoot?
19
3) What scenes were particularly difficult for Joe Stephenson to film?
Outdoor scenes, lighting issues were prominent.
Distribution
1) Why did the film fail to secure a distribution deal when first made in 2014?
Small producer, no stars to market the film, artistic value dominating over profit goals.
2) What film festivals did Chicken feature at between 2014-2016?
New Hampshire, Edinburgh, Giffoni
3) Why are film festivals an effective way for a low-budget film to secure a distribution deal?
Lots of critics see the film and are more likely to develop a positive opinion on it.
4) When was Chicken released in cinemas in the UK?
May 2016
5) Why do you think film subscription service MUBI chose the film to feature on the service?
MUBI agrees with the art-house aspect of Chicken
6) Why was Film4 a good choice to give the film its UK television premiere?
Film4 premieres a lot of new and artistic movies, it is also an alternative broadcaster and not someone like Sky or ITV, these companies take a lot of money and give very little back.
7) When will the film be released on iTunes and other video-on-demand services in the USA and Canada?
Early 2018
Promotion
Note: some of these pages will be blocked in school - you will need to complete those particular questions at home.
1) What does the trailer suggest regarding genre and the potential audience pleasures of Chicken?
The genre could be seen as art-house and the audience could be a niche and specialised audience. The audience would value art over a film's ability to make profit.
The audience seems to be a sort of art-house appreciating and mature/niche audience.
2) What synergy can you find between the trailer and other traditional marketing methods such as the film poster?
The film was a micro budget film and the marketing strategy was not heavily funded so they needed to get a film festival circuit to make sure they had critical acclaim - this simple and cheap market approach enforces the view that this is meant for an art-house audience.
3) Why are reviews from industry figures such as Mark Kermode so important to a film's success?
He is highly revered by the film world as he is the best and most well known BBC film critic, he has influence and the ability to make small films well known in a bigger and more profitable field.
It ensures audiences that this is a film that is highly revered. This encompasses the use of star power to market the film.
4) How does the Chicken Twitter account create and maintain interest in the film?
It is a free social media account which is good due to a tight budget. The account gets a lot of reach as Twitter has the most reach of any social platform.
5) Who does the Twitter account re-tweet? How does this help to promote the film?
The account retweets critical reviews and expert opinions that praise the film, this creates a synthetic sense of star power. The account retweets accounts such as BFI, Amazon Prime and various esteemed film critics.
6) How does the Chicken Facebook page use images and video content to promote the film?
They post little videos of the film and also screenshots from certain, gripping scenes. The account also posted an interview with Sir Ian Mckellen ahead of the Film4 premiere in 2017, this creates hype and interest in the film.
7) What pages are liked by the Chicken Facebook page? What does this tell you about the film and potential target audience?
They are liked by many film critics, this shows that this filom is well liked among those who value art over commercial potential.
8) Go to the website of the B Good Picture Company. What does the homepage say and what other films have they produced or are in production currently?
"Films that get people talking, make people think, make people care." They have made: In Love With, Chicken, Random Acts; The Castle and Mckellen: Playing the part.
9) Now go to the B Good Picture Company's website page for Chicken. How does this page promote Chicken specifically?
It describes Chicken as 'critically acclaimed' and that makes the 'art house' target audience think that thisis THE film for them. It includes ideas and clues that this is also an art house film which makes the reader switch from passive to active.
10) Go to the B Good Picture Company YouTube channel. What videos feature on the channel? How do they help to promote Chicken?
They release little snippets of Chicken to get the reader to invest their interest. This comes with titles such as 'I Was Happy' to get the audience to emotionally connect with Richard.
Final reading: Media Magazine - the appeal of arthouse cinema
Complete the following tasks to improve your understanding of arthouse film and the possible audience pleasures that the genre offers:
Read Beyond Hollywood: Reading Arthouse Cinema. This is in MM45 on page 24 - go to our Media Magazine archive to find the article.
1) Summarise the article in 50 words.
This article is explaining the effect, purpose and origin of art house. It describes art house as artistic rather than commercial in character. 4.4% of the British film revenue in 2011 came from foreign language films, otherwise known as 'art house'.they are films that are purposelydifficult to understand or ‘read’.
2) What are some of the suggested audience pleasures for arthouse film?
It comes from the film being difficult to understand or having many different and difficult meanings.
3) Why do some audiences struggle with arthouse film? Refer to some media theory here (there are some important media theories discussed in the article itself).
People who are passive viewers and fall under the 'hypodermic needle' model think that films are just for enjoyment and bear no complexity with them. Passive viewers are unlikely to enjoy art house films as they are there simply for entertainment.
4) To what extent is arthouse film only for the middle classes and older audiences? Why might this be the case?
C1 or C2 citizens may be only suited to films that entertain them and have a relatively simple plot-line or just doesn't have any complexity what so ever. People that are middle class and have an expanded and active viewing mindset are more liley to understand the various grave topics art house can sometimes deal with.
5) What type of audience would be interested in Chicken?
An active audience with a capacity to sympathise with a protagonist should be good. They need to be able to comprehend the unfair treatment that Richard receives but should be able to see the development in character in ways of increasing violence.
Wednesday 8 January 2020
British Film Factsheets
Factsheet 132
1) Write a one-sentence definition of what makes a film British.
If the film was filmed in Britain or had a British crew.
2) What is the difference between a Hollywood production context and production context of a British film?
Hollywood's production context is roughly 99% of the time, a big budgeted film. The British production context has a lot more variety with a range of small and large budget films.
3) When did the James Bond franchise start?
1962
4) In terms of film censorship and graphic content, what began to change in British film in the 1970s and 1980s?
Less and less things were being censored - the direction they were going in was more open minded.
5) What groups are often represented in British film? Give examples of films these groups feature in.
The youth was portrayed in a rather sick and horrifying way in 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971)
6) What does the Factsheet suggest might be the audience appeal of British film?
British films have very good socially narrative based films, this makes them the best at things like social realism.
Factsheet 100
1) What is the 'cultural test' to see if a film counts as British?
The film is set in the UK
A2 The lead characters are British citizens or residents
A3 The film is based on British subject matter or underlying material
A4 The original dialogue is recorded in mainly the English language
B The film represents or reflects a diverse British culture, heritage or creativity
C1 British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects
C2 British music recording, audio post-production or picture post-production
D1 British director
D2 British scriptwriter
D3 British producer
D4 British composer
D5 British lead actors
D6 Majority of cast are British
D7 British key staff (lead cinematographer, lead production designer, lead costume designer etc.)
D8 Majority of crew are British
2) Complete the task on the Factsheet, researching the films listed and finding out what they score on the cultural test: Sweeney, Attack The Block, The King's Speech, We Need To Talk About Kevin and Skyfall.
Sweeny- 24/31
Attack The Block- 29/31
The Kings Speech- 25/31
We Need To Talk About Kevin- 13/31
Skyfall- 26/31
3) What is the main problem for the British film industry?
distribution rights get lost through international marketing and expansion
4) What are three of the strengths of the British film industry?
The film fund - The BFI Film Fund is excellent for giving microbudget films to excel in area where they would usually get overlooked. This gives aspiring filmmakers access to BFI's many experts and it's £15 million annual budget. This helps new filmmakers to make British films that will get people talking.
Outstanding filmmakers and experience - At many times, the UK has been at the forefront of cinema and we are well known for various genres from rom-coms to social realism films. We are also very privileged to have people like Richard Curtis and Ken Loach. We also have worldwide stars such as Hugh Grant and Rowan Atkinson.
Great Facilities- People come from all over the world to film in British studios - particularly American filmmakers think that British studios are the best in the world. This attracts investment from all over the world.
5) What are the two options for the future of the British film industry?
Carry on with US funded movies which will guarantee profit and views or revert back to making social realism films that will get a smaller 'art house' audience but will receive a lot of critical acclaim and will reward creativity over commercial needs.
6) In your opinion, which of these two options would best safeguard the future of the British film industry?
I feel that they should have a balance of both but with a bigger emphasis on Hollywood funded movies. These will ensure tat maximum profit is made and a bit of creativity is expressed. This will ALWAYS ensure commercial success and will make the film studio to invest more and for the audience will start to invest their interest and become loyal.
The film is set in the UK
A2 The lead characters are British citizens or residents
A3 The film is based on British subject matter or underlying material
A4 The original dialogue is recorded in mainly the English language
B The film represents or reflects a diverse British culture, heritage or creativity
C1 British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects
C2 British music recording, audio post-production or picture post-production
D1 British director
D2 British scriptwriter
D3 British producer
D4 British composer
D5 British lead actors
D6 Majority of cast are British
D7 British key staff (lead cinematographer, lead production designer, lead costume designer etc.)
D8 Majority of crew are British
2) Complete the task on the Factsheet, researching the films listed and finding out what they score on the cultural test: Sweeney, Attack The Block, The King's Speech, We Need To Talk About Kevin and Skyfall.
Sweeny- 24/31
Attack The Block- 29/31
The Kings Speech- 25/31
We Need To Talk About Kevin- 13/31
Skyfall- 26/31
3) What is the main problem for the British film industry?
distribution rights get lost through international marketing and expansion
4) What are three of the strengths of the British film industry?
The film fund - The BFI Film Fund is excellent for giving microbudget films to excel in area where they would usually get overlooked. This gives aspiring filmmakers access to BFI's many experts and it's £15 million annual budget. This helps new filmmakers to make British films that will get people talking.
Outstanding filmmakers and experience - At many times, the UK has been at the forefront of cinema and we are well known for various genres from rom-coms to social realism films. We are also very privileged to have people like Richard Curtis and Ken Loach. We also have worldwide stars such as Hugh Grant and Rowan Atkinson.
Great Facilities- People come from all over the world to film in British studios - particularly American filmmakers think that British studios are the best in the world. This attracts investment from all over the world.
5) What are the two options for the future of the British film industry?
Carry on with US funded movies which will guarantee profit and views or revert back to making social realism films that will get a smaller 'art house' audience but will receive a lot of critical acclaim and will reward creativity over commercial needs.
6) In your opinion, which of these two options would best safeguard the future of the British film industry?
I feel that they should have a balance of both but with a bigger emphasis on Hollywood funded movies. These will ensure tat maximum profit is made and a bit of creativity is expressed. This will ALWAYS ensure commercial success and will make the film studio to invest more and for the audience will start to invest their interest and become loyal.
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