U N I T E D K I N G D O M
L A N G U A G E : E N G L I S H
G E N R E S : H I S T O R I C A L / P E R I O D D R A M A S | F A N T A S Y | M Y S T E R Y | S P Y F I L M S
G E N R E S : H I S T O R I C A L / P E R I O D D R A M A S | F A N T A S Y | M Y S T E R Y | S P Y F I L M S
I N T R O D U C T I O NNow, I don’t want to stray too far off topic before I’ve even started (I am here to analyze the British cinema industry, after all), but I would like to point out that I’m quite the avid fan when it comes to the UK’s television productions. About three or so years ago, my passionate interest in renowned shows such as Doctor Who and Downton Abbey had helped me come to first recognize my love of storytelling through means of filmmaking. What seemed to be an all but casual interest soon transformed into an enthusiastic fetish which has not yet subsided in the slightest.
From what I can tell you through the limitless hours of content I’ve had the pleasure to see and experience, the majority of British filmmakers admire quality over quantity – and this can be greatly illustrated by their television productions which, more often than not, have very few seasons (or “series", as they refer to them as). With that said, there are usually a rather limited number of episodes compared to that of the average American television production. D O M I N A T I O N B Y H O L L Y W O O DI don’t want the heading above to deceive you too much, as I do tend to see the collaboration of two film industries as something to be celebrated rather than discouraged. Many upon many successful British cinematographers, artists, editors, etc. find work through involvement in productions from the United States (and the same vise versa.).
On the opposite side of the spectrum, many of Britain’s most well-known actors are famous primarily for their roles in numerous American films. This acculturation of sorts has provided many new opportunities for uprising talents in many differing, creative fields. Even though the UK isn’t renowned for having a vibrant, booming industry like Hollywood, it definitely respects the reverence of quality storytelling from the heart. Of the British films I’ve seen, they have all taken me on a one-of-a-kind journey that I haven’t been able to experience anywhere else. After all, Britain is the one who graced the world with Alfred Hitchcock masterpieces and the iconic James Bond franchise. Since the locale appeal of the United Kingdom is so alluring, the industry is actually quite reliant on investments from other countries. If you just so happen to be one of those foreign film buffs like myself, you’ll come to notice that many movies from other countries like to film on location in Britain. This is an issue that many film directors have expressed – that in comparison to Hollywood, Britain's films aren't nearly as recognized or taken into consideration. In fact, some film professionals claim that Britain doesn't truly have its own film "industry". In an interview for BBC Radio 4, film director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class) claimed that Britain is a ". . . service provider(s). We're not an industry. I'm bored of everyone saying we do have one, and I think it’s crazy that we subsidize British movies with tax breaks but we don’t get any of that money back."
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D I R E C T O R S
Alfred Hitchcock, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan A C T O R S Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch Ian McKellen, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman Idris Elba, Sean Connery A C T R E S S E S Kate Winslet, Kiera Knightly, Judi Dench Maggie Smith, Emilia Clarke |
O T H E R
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R E S O U R C E S
"How the British Film Industry Became a Hollywood Backlot." Screen Rant. N.p., 04 July 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http://screenrant.com/british-film-industry-hollywood/>.
"FACTS AND STATS." UKFilm. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http://www.weareukfilm.com/facts-and-stats>.
"49 Interesting Facts about the UK Film Industry." Stephen Follows. N.p., 23 July 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <https://stephenfollows.com/49-interesting-facts-uk-film-industry/>.
"How the British Film Industry Became a Hollywood Backlot." Screen Rant. N.p., 04 July 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http://screenrant.com/british-film-industry-hollywood/>.
"FACTS AND STATS." UKFilm. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http://www.weareukfilm.com/facts-and-stats>.
"49 Interesting Facts about the UK Film Industry." Stephen Follows. N.p., 23 July 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <https://stephenfollows.com/49-interesting-facts-uk-film-industry/>.
To wrap up our worldwide visit to these diverse film industries, we'll conclude by visiting one of the most prominent nations of our time – China. While one may not consider China to be a leading industry in video production, its development has been approaching neighboring countries fast – and with a bang.
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