Section B – What’s it all about?

This part of the exam asks you to look at the British Film Industry. You will choose on film institution and look at how it targets audiences and survives in the industry, including how it competes against the big boys ‘Hollywood’.

The chosen case study is Working Title Films and there is lots of information on the internet.

You will need to look at where the British institution WTF get their funding for production, how they distribute their films and how they exhibit (show) their films with a focus on one or two films in particular (The Boat That Rocked). You will then compare this with a Hollywood production company Vivendi Universal who have a stake in WTF.

Past questions in the exam have included:

How has the British film industry managed to survive?

How far is it important, for Britain to have a successful film industry?

Whatever the question is you will tailor your answer using the examples of WTF and Vivendi Universal.

In this section of the exam you will need to know certain terminology to show you understand the changes in the industry. The main 3 terms are:

Production: What cameras are used, how you do lighting, special effects, storage of content, editing of content, etc.

Distribution: Advertising your film, DVD culture, download culture

Exhibition: Cinema, DVD, YouTube, phones, sharing, clipping culture

Distribution is about releasing and sustaining films in the market place. In the practice of Hollywood and other forms of industrial cinema, the phases of production, distribution and exhibition operate most effectively when 'vertically integrated', where the three stages are seen as part of the same larger process, under the control of one company. In the UK, distribution is very much focused on marketing and sustaining a global product in local markets.

To see a clear picture of this process go to http://www.skillset.org/film/business/# and follow the storyboard.

Production How a film is made from the 35mm reel to digital editing

Distribution How a film is sent out to cinemas, advertised marketed

Exhibition How a film is seen by the audience – cinema/DVD/ipod etc

AS Media - Scheme of Work for British Film – Audiences & Institutions – Suggested time 6 hrs

British Film

Survey of British film history over last 60 years highlighting significant changes when variety of film techniques were first used (e.g. cross-cutting, colour, sound) (1 hour session)

Homework to research one of the techniques and write brief notes on its use, impact on film etc.

REVISION - Prepared cards on film techniques

REVISION - Prepare paper timeline to lay on desks

Concentrate on British film but some of the techniques were developed in Hollywood or elsewhere

(see blog for additions)

Complete survey on what films people watched recently. Classify into genres

Survey how films were watched (cinema, home TV) and reasons for choice (DVD, download, video)

Classify then debate about preferences, pros and cons (1 hour session)

REVISION Prepare sheets to enter results on and organise results

Make sure survey is varied – age, sex, class

Homework to carry out small research project - Find out what films have been watched by at least ten people (family and friends) over perhaps the last month – define by genre, British or US

Research work on recent British film – groups bring in examples – write plot summary, research director, production, actors, genre, writers, success/profit, reviews

Compile research folder on film for distribution to rest of class (2 hour session)

HOMEWORK should access range of research resources – ICT, books, magazines

For your research work on a recent British film select a sequence you think sums up the film so others in class do not have to watch whole film

Watch out for ratings/violence/sex issues. Put in context if necessary

British Film 3

Audience and film industry needs. Research audience attendance of British cinema attendances over last 60 years

Look at series of cinema adverts in local paper (use up to ten week period). Analyse how long films were shown for.

Then use bfi.org.com to research who made those films, who distributed them and which country they originated in. Organise results.

Use most recent production list from British Film Institute bfi.org.uk

List what audiences and industry each need. Compile master list.

Homework is essay on future of British film industry, what must it do to flourish? (1 hour session)

Below is a detailed mindmap with a mock exam question – this may be an ideal way to organise your findings. The key terms on the right hand side are explained on the blog and they explain how the film industry is changing, how the production, distribution & exhibition of films is evolving.