This is another blog for my students of film and media. Following on from my case study blogs on Prometheus, Juno and Attack the Block
recently, this is the final part of an essay explaining how the Hollywood
and British production contexts differ and how these production contexts
can affect the films that are produced. Part 1 of this essay on Finance, Production, Technology is here and part 2 on distribution and exhibition is here.
Trends and Genres
Both
films are part of the science fiction genre which is consistently popular with
mainstream audiences. Prometheus is part
of a trend in Hollywood
to make sequels and prequels to existing popular films whereas Attack the Block
is more unique. Prometheus would get
more of a budget invested in it because people are aware of the Alien films and
they are already a popular series.
Attack the Block is riskier as it has no built in audience except
perhaps Nick Frost’s fans and people interested in the science fiction
genre. Generally British films are less
likely to follow trends and be a bit more unique. They are more likely to deal with real
situations and characters in the social realist tradition. Attack the Block has elements of this with
its working class characters but also takes science fiction genre conventions to make it a more
appealing bit of escapist cinema.
A
British film like Ken Loach’s Sweet Sixteen is a better example of social
realist cinema. This is film is unique
and in no way tries to appeal to a mass audience. It is about a young man in Scotland and his
struggles with unemployment, poverty, drugs and crime. It has no stars, a premiere in Glasgow (near
to where the film was shot) and favours unknown actors over international
stars. The audience will be small as
this is a film that does not offer any escapism, spectacle, beautiful stars or
happy endings. As a result it is made on
an extremely low budget.
Stars
Stars
such as Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender can be used by blockbusters for
promotion in marketing materials, at premieres and can often help the film to
appeal to the target audience. For
example Arnold Schwarzenegger appears in many action films and his face on a
poster can help the film sell to action fans.
Nick Frost helps Attack the Block to appeal to fans of Shaun of the Dead
and he is featured a great deal in the trailer and posters. Sweet Sixteen on the other hand has no stars
to aid in its realist depiction and the main actor Martin Compston is a
non-professional chosen because he basically leads the life of the main
character.
Regulatory Issues
Hollywood
films often work with the MPAA and BBFC to ensure that their film will be
passed by these regulatory bodies with an appropriate rating. As Hollywood films need to make huge amounts
of money at the box office to make a profit, the producers are often willing to
trim scenes and ensure their film gets a low rating to encourage families to
see it. There was some debate over
whether Prometheus would receive a 15 rating or lower. Fans of Alien wanted the film to have a
higher rating but Fox who invested in the film wanted a lower rating so more
people could see it and they could make more money. Similarly film franchises like the Die Hard and Terminator series have become progressively more family friendly as they have continued in order to draw in wider audiences.
Attack the Block had less money to make and therefore the producers accepted the decision for it to be rated 15. Sweet Sixteen is rated 18 by the BBFC for the continuous use of very strong swear words. Although director Ken Loach wanted the film to be seen by the target audience of sixteen year olds it was aimed at and who would most identify with it, he refused to change anything to get a lower rating. He felt the language was realistic and relatable and less offensive to people in Scotland that are depicted in the film. The BBFC would not budge but the local council of Inverclyde where the film is set overturned the ruling and gave it a fifteen rating so younger people could see it.
Conclusion
Hollywood,
independent and British films are very different in many ways. Although British films are attempting to
become more commercial and Hollywood studios distribute some independent and
British films that they thing will make a profit, there are still many films
getting made for niche audiences on very low budgets. With the UK Film Council
being a thing of the past, British films will have to be more commercial in
order for the industry to survive. This
may mean more British films that attempt to follow trends and fit in clearly
defined genres and lose some of their distinctive Britishness. Social realist films like Sweet Sixteen
always struggle to compete with Hollywood blockbusters but without government
support for smaller and more realistic British films, they may in future have
an increased struggle to get funded in the first place.
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