British Films

What Makes a British Film?• Cultural Definition, according to

House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.- 2003

Most people would define a ‘British’ film with reference to obvious cultural elements such as: a setting in the UK or a focus on British people abroad; a predominantly British cast; a storyline about some aspect of British life — past, present or future — or notably by, or based on a work by, a British author.

• Recent examples include Billy Elliott, about a boy in North East

England, and Bend it Like Beckham, about a girl from West London, both portraying particular social issues..

What Makes a British Film? Statutory Definition, according to House of Commons

Culture, Media and Sport Committee.- 2003

• There are two ways that a film may qualify as ‘British’ — either under Schedule 1 to the Films Act 1985, examples include the Bond and Harry Potter films, or by satisfying the terms of an international co-production agreement to which the UK is a party. Under the Films Act, for a film to be certified as ‘British’ by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, a number of tests must be met.

The Maker Test

• The film must be made by a company that is registered and centrally managed and controlled in the UK, in another state of the European Union/European Economic Area or in a country with which the European Community has signed an Association Agreement.

The Production Cost Test

• 70% of the production cost of the film must be spent on filmmaking activity in the UK

The Labour Cost Test• 70% of the total cost (minus — if desired — the cost of one person

whose nationality must be non-Commonwealth/EU/EEA/Association Agreement country) must have been paid to citizens or ordinary residents of the Commonwealth, EU/EEA or a country with which the European Community has signed an Agreement; and

75% of the total labour cost — after deducting the cost of two persons whose nationality must be non-Commonwealth/EU/EEA/Association Agreement country,

and one of whom must be an actor6 — must have been paid to citizens or ordinary

residents of the Commonwealth, EU/EEA or a country with which the European Community has signed an Agreement.

Previously Filmed Material

• No more than 10% of the playing time of the film should comprise a sequence of visual images from a previously certified film or from a film by a different maker.

The King’s Speech• The King’s Speech was distributed by

Momentum Pictures, exceeding their expectations at the 3.52 million opening evening.

• It was nominated for 12 Oscars and 14 Baftas.

• The $15 million Project was shot in 39 days around London at the end of 2009.

The King’s Speech• Director :Tom Hooper• Producers: Iain Canning, Emile

Sherman, Gareth Unwin• Production companies: See-Saw Films,

Bedlam Productions• US distributor: The Weinstein

Company• International sales: FilmNation

Entertainment• US release date: December 10, 2010

UK Box Office• The King’s Speech grossed over £40,000 at

London's Chelsea cinema. It broke house records at the capital's Curzon Renoir and Richmond. The top six sites were all in London, led by Odeon Leicester Square (£106,000), Vue Westfield (£51,000) and Vue Islington (£45,000).

Reviews• ‘It's a one-week-old, yes, but a one-week-old doing shockingly well for

itself.’ ‘Pearce looks far too young for his part and doesn’t sound at all English;

Timothy Spall as Churchill resembles a distended bulldog who’s been chewing wasps; Bonham Carter and Jennifer Ehle (as Logue’s wife) are under-used.’

• ‘For all its period trappings and occasionally heavy-handed Freudian psychodrama, ‘The King’s Speech’ always comes back to the unlikely friendship between two superbly sketched, immaculately played characters.’

• ‘It is the work of a highly talented group of artists who might be regarded as British realists.’

• ‘The portrayal of Winston Churchill and the royals in The King's Speech is a blatant rewriting of history’

Criticisms• Despite the widespread general success of the film, there

have been some noticable mistakes brought to the public eye.

• The film uses a font which was not designed until the 1950’s.

• Women were shown in the film wearing hosiery without seems, these were not invented until after this period of time.

• There are continuity errors which have been picked up on.

• A plastic model biplane is used when typically at the time it would have been wooden.

• The film also features a Tiger Moth plane with a registration that did not exist until 1941.

Finances and Origins• The UK Film Council contributed towards

the finances along with Prescience Films – a UK finance company.

• Harvey Weinstein in the USA also had a share.

• The producers had to post the script through Geoffrey Rush's letter box.

• The script began as a stage performance.

Production• The film was shot in London in the darker

months of December and January. Hooper wanted a dark, dirty looking representation of London, so the low light on these months helped them achieve this.

• Amy Merry, who worked on the production design said "When we were shooting exteriors we threw dirty water over everything. We filmed in Harley Street on a Sunday so we closed the road in the early hours and a gritting van came along at 5am and covered the ground with dirt. Then we pumped out so much smog that we set off the fire alarms in John Lewis."

Production• The team were not able to film on location

throughout the project, however, only two sets were used in the film. Logue’s Dining room and the final Speech room.

• The scene at Wembley Stadium was shot at Leeds United's Elland Road ground and the Grattan Stadium in Bradford. stands were filled with an inflatable crowd. According to Amy Merry (Production Designer), these blow-up people – actually only blow-up upper bodies – are much more convincing than CGI.

Production Issues• The biggest challenge for the production

team, Stewart says, was "no money and lots of sets". At less than £10m, the budget was tight; Lancaster House alone cost £20,000 for a day and supplied only two scenes.

Research• Research was done at the Victoria and Albert

Museum and the Geffrye Museum of interior design, as well as in photographic libraries and by reading Logue's diaries.

Bibliography• http://

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmcumeds/667/667.pdf• http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/jan/18/pass-notes-the-kings-speech• http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/89059/the-kings-speech.html• http://

www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/jan/11/kings-speech-127-hours-box-office

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8285855/Oscar-nominated-film-The-Kings-Speech-littered-with-errors.html

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/18/bafta-nominations-kings-speech-2011

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/31/the-kings-speech-gross-falsification• http://www.deadline.com/interstitial/?

ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deadline.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fthe-uk-financier-behind-the-kings-speech%2F

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/02/the-kings-speech-period-sets