Is there anything wrong with the British film industry

[Hackney]

Following on from the "Best British Film" thread - and the number of non-British films named in it -I was reminded of David Cameron's call for Britain to make more "blockbusters" ie films that make a lot of money and fill the multiplexes.

Wrong.

Forgive me for coming over all Mark Kermode for a minute but that's the last thing the British film industry wants, half a dozen Transformers 3 every year? No thanks.
What British film needs is an outlet....more independent cinemas able to make bold programming decisions instead of pandering to the lowest popcorn-eating denominator.

[CrashTD]

Hackney said:

Following on from the "Best British Film" thread - and the number of non-British films named in it -I was reminded of David Cameron's call for Britain to make more "blockbusters" ie films that make a lot of money and fill the multiplexes.

Wrong.

Forgive me for coming over all Mark Kermode for a minute but that's the last thing the British film industry wants, half a dozen Transformers 3 every year? No thanks.
What British film needs is an outlet....more independent cinemas able to make bold programming decisions instead of pandering to the lowest popcorn-eating denominator.

Gentrification of a few cinemas in Shoreditch will not generate millions.

[Hackney]

Currently it's the films that are funded though, what we need is cinema support so the films have an outlet.
The multiplexes don't show small films though they bank on the big movies across the whole chain.

[davepoth]

What we need is "Will it make money" to be a consideration when they are giving out money. I have no idea, but I bet it isn't on the funding application form, hence why we got "Sex Lives of the Potato Men".

I know that we need to have a way for up and coming directors to make movies. But it's not like it was 20 years ago - everybody has the capability to record HD Video these days (Actually, I don't, but you get the idea), and once you've added a boom mike you've got pretty much everything you need bar the actors.

[DuncanM]

Anyone else been here?

http://therexberkhamsted.com/

If Cinemas like this existed all over the UK it would be a good thing .

I loved it, really enjoyable evening, where as the typical Cinema experience makes me wait for DVD/Blu-Ray and the comfort of my own home.

[Elderly]

DuncanM said:

Anyone else been here?

http://therexberkhamsted.com/

If Cinemas like this existed all over the UK it would be a good thing .

I went there a number of times when it first re-opened but after the initial WOW factor of seeing the interior, I decided that it was just not a good place to see films.

I disliked the on-stage banter of the owner before each film.

The projection quality was poor (it might have improved by now).

The sight lines in the circle were very poor (except for a few seats).

The stalls was not a good place to be; the best positions to view the screen from
were too close to the bar and I found its activity distracting.

[Zaxxon]

Cameron is right in the sense that we need a few blockbusters, generate the millions and with the success more blockbusters will follow on.
Whilst this is going on, the classy decent films can be made with the money coming from the blockbusters.

Blockbusters ideas?

Iain M Banks Culture series
Warhammer 40k
WW1 films (based on Somme Mud)
Rom coms (something we are very good at)
Victorian era saga's (but proud, not apologetic)

[thehawk]

Zaxxon said:

Cameron is right in the sense that we need a few blockbusters, generate the millions and with the success more blockbusters will follow on.
Whilst this is going on, the classy decent films can be made with the money coming from the blockbusters.

Blockbusters ideas?

Iain M Banks Culture series
Warhammer 40k
WW1 films (based on Somme Mud)
Rom coms (something we are very good at)
Victorian era saga's (but proud, not apologetic)

I think "British Blockbusters" is almost an oxymoron. Maybe for the British market, but they always look naff when taken to the US.

And as I try to think of any ideas I just end up with classy decent films, that are probably more suited to the mini-series format.

Hundreds of historical characters that could have films made about them (Darwin, Banks, Captain Cook, Drake, Nelson, Royals, politicians)
Dozens of war scenarios (WW1, WW2, Boer, last thousand years of wars with various Europeans)

[Zaxxon]

thehawk said:

I think "British Blockbusters" is almost an oxymoron. Maybe for the British market, but they always look naff when taken to the US.

And as I try to think of any ideas I just end up with classy decent films, that are probably more suited to the mini-series format.

Hundreds of historical characters that could have films made about them (Darwin, Banks, Captain Cook, Drake, Nelson, Royals, politicians)
Dozens of war scenarios (WW1, WW2, Boer, last thousand years of wars with various Europeans)

Cook or Nelson, those could be terrific films if done in a Master & Commander style. Both with tragic endings.

[Hackney]

Zaxxon said:

Cameron is right in the sense that we need a few blockbusters, generate the millions and with the success more blockbusters will follow on.
Whilst this is going on, the classy decent films can be made with the money coming from the blockbusters.

Blockbusters ideas?

Iain M Banks Culture series
Warhammer 40k
WW1 films (based on Somme Mud)
Rom coms (something we are very good at)
Victorian era saga's (but proud, not apologetic)

But how do you know a " blockbuster" is going to be a success? Because it cost a lot?
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Waterworld.
If you're talking profit, then smaller budget works best, The Kingss Speech for example
But if you make a small budget film your local popcorn emporium won't touch it because Transformers 7 is on 3 separate screens

[davepoth]

What you can certainly say is that making innumerable films about disaffected ethnic minority youth, and other such hand-wringing subjects, is not a recipe for commercial success.

[williamp]

yes but the problem with us making a big hollywood film is we only have one actor- Jason Bloody Statham. ANd if he doesnt fit the part then it wont be a good film.

Of course, we could also make more Bollywood films here too

[thinfourth2]

Cinema is dying on its feet.

If the uk wants success it must look online