case study •Film Four Funding •Specialist genres •Specific directors •Film case studies

Background Film4 is a free digital television channel in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned

and operated by Channel 4, that screens films. Prior to 20 August 2007, in addition to the main channel, Film4 also operated a one-hour-time and shifted variant, Film4+1, on satellite, cable and Freeview. channel along with a Video on demand service, Film4 on Demand.

Film4 was originally known as FilmFour and became Channel 4's second channel (after Channel 4 itself) when it launched on 1 November 1998. It was a subscription-only service available on satellite television via the Sky Digital platform, Digital terrestrial via ITV Digital (until the platform went into administration in 2002), and most UK cable services. It cost £5.99 or £6.00 a month (depending on platform), eventually rising to up to £7. The launch night, which was also broadcast on Channel 4, was hosted by Johnny Vaughan and the first film to be shown was What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Later, additional channels were added, FilmFour World and FilmFour Extreme which operated on a timeshare and the time-shift channel FilmFour +1. FilmFour World and Extreme were discontinued in 2003 and replaced by FilmFour Weekly, which screened four films across the week at the same time each day to make it easier to catch a film at least once . FilmFour Weekly ceased broadcasting on 19 July 2006 when the subscription service ended.

Logo of timeshifted version; "Film4+1" The subscription service ended on 19 July 2006 and the channel re-launched (under the slightly

modified name of Film4) as a free-to-air service a few days later on 23 July. When the channel became free, it also returned to digital terrestrial as part of the Freeview brand, and became completely free-to-air on satellite television. Due to the change, the channel's availability increased from 300,000 (subscribers) to 18 million households. It also changed its broadcasting hours to 1.00pm-8.45am, and commercial breaks were included during films for the first time. The first film broadcast under the new format was the British non-subscription television premiere of Lost in Translation. It remains the only free film channel available on digital terrestrial television.

Funding

The 1970s saw a series of crises in the British film industry caused largely by the withdrawal of support from both Hollywood majors and their domestic equivalents.

Film four gains a lot of funds from taxes and advertising unlike BBC who give you a subscribed by a TV licence.

Film council gives funding e.g. Lottery funding department.

Film Four, the film division of Channel Four Television and produces between 15 and 20 feature films each years. Handling finance, production, distribution and broadcast - both free-to-air and pay-TV - FilmFour is the UK's most significant vertically integrated film producer. Since established, it has been involved in the production of 70 shorts and 300 features. FilmFour is committed to new and emerging talent and has established a subsidiary production company, FilmFour Lab to 'support the newest and most striking creative voices and visions of tomorrow's cinema in Britain'. In association with the UK's Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) Channel Four has established four three month animator's residencies at the museum for recent animation graduates. At the end of the residency, development projects are considered by Channel Four for commissioning. Successful applicants are awarded a fee of £2,910 and a budget of up to £1,612. Although the Museum has closed for much of 2000-2001, the scheme has proved successful and is set to continue in the new British Film Institute centre when it opens. Write: Film Four 76-78 Charlotte St., LONDON, W1P 1LX Tel: 0207 868 7700 Fax: 0207 868 7742 Head of Film: Paul Webster. Head of FilmFour Lab: Robin Gutch

How does promote

British filmsFilm4 in odd ways. The slogan of the campaign was "FILMS FOR FREE". Examples include:• Judi Dench in a lobster costume, operatically singing the words "Film Four!" • Lucy Liu in a banner plane, insulting Ray Winstone and Christian Slater who have

incorrectly erected a 'Film4 is free' sign, whilst her own banner is displayed upside-down.

• Ewan McGregor in a tomato costume, talking to Judi Dench about whether he is a fruit or a vegetable.

1. They use role models / celebrities such as Ewan McGregor who star n controversial films.

2. Slogans and free offers as explained above to incise audiences.3. Teasers such as adverts with eye catching images or ideas,4. Posters with recognisable logo / billboards.5. Use the links with channel for to link advertising,6. Internet site 7. Links with Daniel Bolye award winning actor and with Ewan Mcgegor.8. Movie geeks which threw television episodes and pod casts to get a wider audience.

Date produced :- 27th April 2007

Director:- Shane Medows

Setting:- Nottingham England

Principle Actors:-Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Joe Hartley.

Budget:- £1500000 (estimated) Box Office Takers:-£207,676 (UK) (29 April 2007) (62 Screens)

Genre:-Drama, Indie, Skin heads ,

Date produced :- 5 November 1999 (UK) 18th May 2000 USA – BAFTA

Director:- Damien O’Donnell

Setting:- It is set in a mixed-race household with a Pakistani father and a British mother in Salford, Manchester, in 1971.

Principle Actors:-Om Puri - George Khan, Linda Bassett - Ella Khan , Ian Aspinall - Nazir Khan ,

Jimi Mistry - Tariq Khan Budget:- £1.9 million (estimated) Box Office Takers:-£435,627 (UK) (7 November 1999) (79 Screens)

Genre:-Drama, Comedy,

Date produced :-United States: 9 March 1994 , Australia: 5 May 1994 , United Kingdom:13 May 1994 New Zealand: 10 June 1994

Director:- Mike Newell (co-produced PolyGram) (Duncan Kenworthy, Working Title Films , Channel Four

Films Setting:- Despite appearing to be set all over the UK, the film was entirely shot in London and the Home Counties. They include

Hampstead, Betchworth in Surrey, Amersham in Buckinghamshire, St Bartholomew-the-Great (wedding #4) and West Thurrock in Essex. Even the scenes set in Scotland were filmed at stately homes in Bedfordshire (Luton Hoo) and Hampshire.

Principle Actors:-Hugh Grant: Charles , Andie MacDowell: Carrie ,James Fleet: Tom , Simon Callow: Gareth , John Hannah: Matthew ,Kristin Scott Thomas: Fiona

Budget:- $6,000,000 (estimated)

Box Office Takers:-$244,100,000 (Worldwide)

Genre:-Drama, Comedy , Romance

Date produced :-July 16 2004

Director:- Alex Proyas

Setting:- Chicago in the year 2035

Principle Actors:- Will Smith

Bridget MoynahanBruce GreenwoodJames CromwellChi McBrideAlan TudykShia LaBeouf

Budget:- $120,000,000

Box Office Takers :-

US :- US$144,801,023Non-USUS$202,433,893WorldwideUS$347,234,916

Genre:-Action , Mystery ,Sci – Fi ,Thriller