Working title films British film Audiences and institutions Section B

L.O-to understand working title films Starter- What British films have you seen recently? If yes how do you know it was a British film? Is there a British aesthetic (look/style) How does a British film reflect dominant ideologies and ideas?

Key areas to understand Production – is there synergy between the producer and distributor? Or is it produced and then a distributor needed. Where is the funding coming from? USA funding? Distribution- how effective is the distributors marketing campaign/ how much is being spent on distribution? Exhibition- release date/season/type of release- Main stream or independent/how long was the film on release Consumption- How was the film consumed in the UK? (Think opening weekend) Convergence and new media technologies – what impact have they had on any of the above areas? Production, has it made it easier to film using new technologies? Editing makes production easier and more accessible to independent film companies, making it cheaper to film. Do they have an impact on they way they are distributed? What impact does that have on the marketing techniques and choices?

Key terms Vertical integration- one business entity controls or owns all stages of the production and distribution of goods or services. Allows the business to collect profits from all aspects related to the media content Synergy- the promotion and sale of a product and all of its versions throughout the various subsidiaries of a media conglomerate. E.g Mickey Mouse, Spider man spin offs Technological convergence- different technological systems coming together e.g I phone

What are the key issues for British cinema? Ownership- Conglomerates; synergy Globalisation- Convergence and new technology Cultural imperialism- Dominance of Hollywood style and values Distribution, Exhibition, and digitalisation Competition with other forms (television/internet etc) Status of film in Britain as low/high

Why is British film important?  Economic- profit and re-investment; employment; expertise  Cultural- engaging with issues and representing ourselves on screen; British creative identity  Why does British film struggle?

Why Hollywood dominance? Investment from bankers in the US The large domestic market Vertical integration-production, distribution, exhibition followed by horizontal exhibition across industries Established Hollywood studio system Support from the American government Large distribution networks provide profit built on a large home market Low levels of investment Lack of government support Audiences not seeing film as an art form therefore not supporting it Lack of funding for distribution Controlling censorship Television with strong PSB- public service broadcasting- money goes into that

Convergence of film companies Working title films-UK In 1999 signed a deal with universal studios meaning that had a budget of up to £35 m without consulting Links with Universal provides funding for the films that may have previously struggled with budget Universal studios –USA Is the parent company of Working title film 20% Vivendi (French international conglomerate) 80% NBC (brought from Vivendi in 2004) Universal studies have access to several other companies through affiliations with companies such as NBC

Working title films Four weddings and a funeral Bridget Jones Notting hill The boat that rocked

How successful have they been?

In terms of production A film like Bridget Jones had input from Miramax Universal Working titles Studio canal Therefore, this is a film that targets a British audience rather than a British film Financially it is therefore easier to produce and distribute if one of the companies has vertical integration

Slumdog millionaire- Film four +Celador Distributors of Slumdog-Fox searchlight and Pathe Searchlight backed the film when it stumbled between production and distribution They searched for studio backing originally but it could not be found Fox searchlight then agreed to fund the distribution in the USA and pathe for the distribution in the Uk (Approx 8.5 M)

Synergy - A number of processes working together within a system for greater benefit than they could achieve individually The benefit of synergy in the film industry is ………

Homework-Due Thursday Research one film company either American or UK Think about how they deal with the key areas Who are their target audience/what films do they produce How are they funded Be prepared to share