DOCSLIB.ORG

Written Evidence Submitted by the British Film Institute the Future Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Written Evidence Submitted by the British Film Institute the Future Of Written evidence submitted by the British Film Institute The Future of Public Service Broadcasting DCMS Committee response, June 2020 About the BFI The BFI is the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image, an Arm’s Length Body of UK Government and a distributor of National Lottery funding. As an organisation it works to promote these media in a number of ways: - Curating and presenting the greatest international public programme of world cinema for audiences; in cinemas, at festivals and online - Caring for the BFI National Archive – the most significant film and television archive in the world - Actively seeking out and supports the next generation of filmmakers - Acting as industry’s representative to Government, helping to make the UK the most creatively exciting and prosperous place to make film internationally. Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger CBE. About this submission The following document responds to questions set about by the DCMS Committee as part of its inquiry into the future of Public Service Broadcasting. Given the many common objectives held by the BFI and Public Service Broadcasters, the response focuses predominantly on the Committee’s questions around cultural, economic and societal impacts of public service broadcasting. However, where sections relate explicitly to another of the Committee’s questions, this is underlined. The BFI is happy to provide further information on any of the issues raised as required by the Committee. INTRODUCTION The term ‘public service broadcasting’ is still as relevant as ever, even as services adapt to the digital age. The BFI shares a number of common objectives with Public Service Broadcasters, with both playing a critical role in fostering film, television and the moving image across the UK. The BFI’s Royal Charter sets out a mandate to do so in a number of ways: - by promoting their use as a record of contemporary life and manners - by promoting education about film, television and the moving image generally, and their impact on society - by promoting access to and appreciation of the widest possible range of British and world cinema - by establishing, caring for and developing collections reflecting the UK’s moving image history and heritage The BFI sets out how it will achieve this in its current five-year strategy, BFI2022, which makes clear that its priority in delivering each strand of this work is to make UK screen culture as inclusive as possible. Public Service Broadcasting supports each of these objectives through the range of content and services it provides for the UK public, including the BBC’s and Channel 4’s support of independent UK film through BBC Films and Film4 respectively. 1. ACCESSIBILITY OF SERVICES The sheer accessibility of PSB services is central to their public value, connecting with a wider range of people than any other UK broadcast service. The Lords’ Communications Committee report, Public Service Broadcasting: As Vital as Ever, concluded that “an essential feature of public service broadcasting is its universality, free at the point of use after paying the licence fee: both the availability and affordability of public service broadcasters are unmatched by other services.”1 Changes to the PSB model could affect the accessibility of services.The BFI previously submitted evidence to the DCMS Committee’s inquiry into decriminalisation of the licence fee setting out a range of evidence demonstrating that the current funding model delivers value for money for customers and that this may be damaged by any change - in particular decriminalisation of non-payment of the licence fee.2 It is essential that any change to the license fee model model does not impact accessibility or affordability. A switch to a wholly internet-based service could also impact accessibility. Research by Ofcom demonstrates that the number of people using the internet continues to increase, with 87% of adults using the internet in 2019, but this proportion is lower among older people (81% for 55-64s, 33% for 65- 74s and 48% for those aged 75+) as well as those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds (working-age adults in DE socio-economic group1 households are more than three times as likely as those in non-DE households to be non-users of the internet).3 While viewing habits continue to evolve, a premature move to online-only services risks isolating some of society’s most vulnerable. Government should provide a range of conclusive evidence that such a move will not marginalise these groups before any such move is confirmed. THE CULTURAL IMPACT OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING 1 https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201919/ldselect/ldcomuni/16/1602.htm 2 This submission is available upon request 3 Ofcom, Online Nation: 2019 Report, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/149253/online-nation-summary.pdf Both the BFI and public service broadcasters work to foster cultural diversity, providing UK audiences with access to a rich range of content that has not historically been provided by purely commercial services. Cultural diversity is supported both in terms of variety of genre and form, but also in terms of work that explores a wide range of identities and backgrounds, representing the breadth of experience of the UK public. Channel 3 and Channel 5 services are both required to present a “wide and balanced range of high quality programmes which meet the needs and satisfy the interests of as many different audiences as practicable” by their licence agreements.4 Channel 4 is statutorily required to “reflect cultural diversity in the UK” and “champion alternative points of view”, while the BBC’s Charter Agreement sets out public purposes including to “show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output” across genres, as well as to “reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions.”5 The BBC and Channel 4 play a particularly valuable role in supporting diversity in UK screen culture through their respective film departments too. Championing UK independent film BFI National Lottery funding, BBC Films and Film4 Productions provide the backbone of funding for UK independent film. Over the past decade, BBC Films and Film4 have invested in 11% of all UK independent films, with these titles accounting for nearly 20% of overall spend on independent film at £888m.6 This demonstrates the fact that PSB investment backs some of the most significant independent films being produced. Independent UK film plays a critical role in exploring and celebrating UK identities and influencing how we’re seen around the world. Independent films such as Blue Story, Pride and Rocks reflect UK ways of life on screen. This includes those from traditionally underrepresented communities - something of ever more importance in the era of Black Lives Matter and the ‘levelling up agenda’. At the same time, PSB- backed films such as The Favourite, Judy, and The King’s Speech have garnered critical acclaim (including a host of Academy Awards and BAFTAs) and furthered our reputation as a global creative powerhouse. These films tell distinctive UK stories in a way that major commercially-driven studios do not and this is essential to the continued health of the UK’s cultural tradition. Independent film plays a critical role in building the skills and reputation of the professionals needed for big-budget HETV or Inward Investment Films in the UK: 41% of career credits for those who ended up working on a UK-based Inward Investment production in 2016 were Independent British Films. These roles significantly enable career progression as the flexibility required by limited budget provides opportunity for staff to 'step up' and gain experience.7 This proves true across all 40,000 working in film and TV production, as well as for above-the-line talent such as directors: Christopher Nolan and Tom Hooper began work on independent films before blockbuster titles including The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception for example, returning billions in box office.8 Inward investment projects generated £3.6bn in production spend in 2019/20 - a 19% increase on the previous year.9 The role of PSBs in skills and training is explored further in the section below on economic impacts. 4 Ofcom, Licensing of Channel 3 and Channel 5, 2012 5 https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/governance/charter 6 BFI Research & Statistics Unit 7 British Screen Forum, Local Heroes and Inbetweeners: The Contribution of the Independent British Feature Film Sector to the UK Audiovisual Production Industry, 2019, https://britishscreenforum.co.uk/local-heroes-and-inbetweeners/ 8 BFI Statistical Yearbook 2019 The role of PSB investment in independent film is becoming ever more important as investment in UK domestic production continues to decline: production spend on domestic UK features fell 54% in 2019/20 to £132m, having declined consistently since its most recent peak at £319m in 2015/16. In this period of great transformation for the sector, PSB investment is increasingly vital in order to sustain distinctive UK storytelling and to secure a pipeline of talent into the wider film and television industry that can maintain its current rate of rapid growth: the latest ONS figures show that the film industry is the fastest growing part of the economy, having returned the highest CAGR (9.5%) of any industry in the UK – ahead of the historically fast-growing IT, air transport, and scientific research industries – over the most recent five year reported period from 2013 to 2018.10 Distinctive and inclusive UK broadcast content As with independent film, PSBs work to represent the diversity of the UK public through original programming that explores a wide variety of identities and backgrounds.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • PSB Report Definitions
    Definitions: Channel groups (1) Channel group Output & Spend definition TV Viewing Audience Opinion Legal Definition BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC All BBC channels (BBC Four, BBC News, BBC Parliament, CBBC, One, BBC Two, BBC CBeebies, BBC streaming channels, BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC BBC One, BBC Two, BBC HD (to March 2013) and BBC Olympics News , BBC Parliament Three, BBC Four, BBC News, channels (2012 only). ITV Network* (inc ,CBeebies, CBBC, BBC PSB Channels BBC Parliament, ITV/ITV ITV Breakfast), Channel 4, Channel 5 and Alba, all BBC HD Breakfast, Channel 4, Channel S4C (S4C is added to C4 2008-2009 and channels), the Channel 3 5,, BBC CBBC, CBeebies excluded from 2010 onwards post-DSO in services (provided by ITV, Wales). HD variants are included where STV and UTV), Channel 4, applicable (but not +1s). Channel 5, and S4C. BBC One, BBC Two, ITV Network (inc ITV BBC One, BBC Two, ITV/ITV Main five PSB Breakfast), Channel 4, Channel 5. HD BBC One, BBC Two, Breakfast, Channel 4, Channel channels variants are included where applicable ITV/STV/UTV, Channel 4, 5 (but not +1s). Channel 5 BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four , BBC Main PSB channels News, ITV/STV/UTV, combined Channel 4, Channel 5, S4C Commercial PSB ITV/ITV Breakfast, Channel 4, Channels Channel 5 ITV+1 Network (inc ITV Breakfast) , ITV2, ITV2+1, ITV3, ITV3+1, ITV4, ITV4+1, CITV, Channel 4+1, E4, E4 +1, More4, CITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, Commercial PSB More4 +1, Film4, Film4+1, 4Music, 4Seven, E4, Film4, More4, 5*, Portfolio Channels 4seven, Channel 4 Paralympics channels 5USA (2012 only), Channel 5+1, 5*, 5*+1, 5USA, 5USA+1.
    [Show full text]
  • Film Club Sky 328 Newsletter Freesat 306 FEB/MAR 2021 Virgin 445
    Freeview 81 Film Club Sky 328 newsletter Freesat 306 FEB/MAR 2021 Virgin 445 You can always call us V 0808 178 8212 Or 01923 290555 Dear Supporters of Film and TV History, It’s been really heart-warming to read all your lovely letters and emails of support about what Talking Pictures TV has meant to you during lockdown, it means so very much to us here in the projectionist’s box, thank you. So nice to feel we have helped so many of you in some small way. Spring is on the horizon, thank goodness, and hopefully better times ahead for us all! This month we are delighted to release the charming filmThe Angel Who Pawned Her Harp, the perfect tonic, starring Felix Aylmer & Diane Cilento, beautifully restored, with optional subtitles plus London locations in and around Islington such as Upper Street, Liverpool Road and the Regent’s Canal. We also have music from The Shadows, dearly missed Peter Vaughan’s brilliant book; the John Betjeman Collection for lovers of English architecture, a special DVD sale from our friends at Strawberry, British Pathé’s 1950 A Year to Remember, a special price on our box set of Together and the crossword is back! Also a brilliant book and CD set for fans of Skiffle and – (drum roll) – The Talking Pictures TV Limited Edition Baseball Cap is finally here – hand made in England! And much, much more. Talking Pictures TV continues to bring you brilliant premieres including our new Saturday Morning Pictures, 9am to 12 midday every Saturday. Other films to look forward to this month include Theirs is the Glory, 21 Days with Vivien Leigh & Laurence Olivier, Anthony Asquith’s Fanny By Gaslight, The Spanish Gardener with Dirk Bogarde, Nijinsky with Alan Bates, Woman Hater with Stewart Granger and Edwige Feuillère,Traveller’s Joy with Googie Withers, The Colour of Money with Paul Newman and Tom Cruise and Dangerous Davies, The Last Detective with Bernard Cribbins.
    [Show full text]
  • From Public Service Broadcasting to Public Service Media Gregory Ferrell Lowe & Jo Bardoel (Eds.)
    From Public Service Broadcasting to Public Service Media Gregory Ferrell Lowe & Jo Bardoel (eds.) RIPE @ 2007 NORDICOM From Public Service Broadcasting to Public Service Media From Public Service Broadcasting to Public Service Media Gregory Ferrell Lowe & Jo Bardoel (eds.) NORDICOM From Public Service Broadcasting to Public Service Media RIPE@2007 Gregory Ferrell Lowe & Jo Bardoel (eds.) © Editorial matters and selections, the editors; articles, individual con- tributors; Nordicom ISBN 978-91-89471-53-5 Published by: Nordicom Göteborg University Box 713 SE 405 30 GÖTEBORG Sweden Cover by: Roger Palmqvist Cover photo by: Arja Lento Printed by: Livréna AB, Kungälv, Sweden, 2007 Environmental certification according to ISO 14001 Contents Preface 7 Jo Bardoel and Gregory Ferrell Lowe From Public Service Broadcasting to Public Service Media. The Core Challenge 9 PSM platforms: POLICY & strategY Karol Jakubowicz Public Service Broadcasting in the 21st Century. What Chance for a New Beginning? 29 Hallvard Moe Commercial Services, Enclosure and Legitimacy. Comparing Contexts and Strategies for PSM Funding and Development 51 Andra Leurdijk Public Service Media Dilemmas and Regulation in a Converging Media Landscape 71 Steven Barnett Can the Public Service Broadcaster Survive? Renewal and Compromise in the New BBC Charter 87 Richard van der Wurff Focus on Audiences. Public Service Media in the Market Place 105 Teemu Palokangas The Public Service Entertainment Mission. From Historic Periphery to Contemporary Core 119 PSM PROGRAMMES: strategY & tacticS Yngvar Kjus Ideals and Complications in Audience Participation for PSM. Open Up or Hold Back? 135 Brian McNair Current Affairs in British Public Service Broadcasting. Challenges and Opportunities 151 Irene Costera Meijer ‘Checking, Snacking and Bodysnatching’.
    [Show full text]
  • Media: Industry Overview
    MEDIA: INDUSTRY OVERVIEW 7 This document is published by Practical Law and can be found at: uk.practicallaw.com/w-022-5168 Get more information on Practical Law and request a free trial at: www.practicallaw.com This note provides an overview of the sub-sectors within the UK media industry. RESOURCE INFORMATION by Lisbeth Savill, Clare Hardwick, Rachael Astin and Emma Pianta, Latham & Watkins, LLP RESOURCE ID w-022-5168 CONTENTS RESOURCE TYPE • Scope of this note • Publishing and the press Sector note • Film • Podcasts and digital audiobooks CREATED ON – Production • Advertising 13 November 2019 – Financing and distribution • Recorded music JURISDICTION • Television • Video games United Kingdom – Production • Radio – Linear and catch-up television • Social media – Video on-demand and video-sharing services • Media sector litigation SCOPE OF THIS NOTE This note provides an overview of the sub-sectors within the UK media industry. Although the note is broken down by sub-sector, in practice, many of these areas overlap in the converged media landscape. For more detailed notes on media industry sub-sectors, see: • Sector note, Recorded music industry overview. • Sector note, TV and fi lm industry overview. • Practice note, Video games industry overview. FILM Production Total UK spend on feature fi lms in 2017 was £2 billion (up 17% on 2016) (see British Film Institute (BFI): Statistical Yearbook 2018). Film production activity in the UK is driven by various factors, including infrastructure, facilities, availability of skills and creative talent and the incentive of fi lm tax relief (for further information, see Practice note, Film tax relief). UK-produced fi lms can broadly be sub-divided into independent fi lms, UK studio-backed fi lms and non-UK fi lms made in the UK.
    [Show full text]
  • Diversity and Inclusion in the European Audiovisual Sector European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg, 2021 ISSN 2079-1062 ISBN 978-92-871-9054-3 (Print Version)
    Diversity and inclusion in the European audiovisual sector IRIS Plus IRIS Plus 2021-1 Diversity and inclusion in the European audiovisual sector European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg, 2021 ISSN 2079-1062 ISBN 978-92-871-9054-3 (Print version) Director of publication – Susanne Nikoltchev, Executive Director Editorial supervision – Maja Cappello, Head of Department for Legal Information Editorial team – Francisco Javier Cabrera Blázquez, Julio Talavera Milla, Sophie Valais Research assistant - Léa Chochon European Audiovisual Observatory Authors (in alphabetical order) Francisco Javier Cabrera Blázquez, Maja Cappello, Julio Talavera Milla, Sophie Valais Translation Marco Polo Sarl, Sonja Schmidt Proofreading Jackie McLelland, Johanna Fell, Catherine Koleda Editorial assistant – Sabine Bouajaja Press and Public Relations – Alison Hindhaugh, [email protected] European Audiovisual Observatory Publisher European Audiovisual Observatory 76, allée de la Robertsau, 67000 Strasbourg, France Tel.: +33 (0)3 90 21 60 00 Fax: +33 (0)3 90 21 60 19 [email protected] www.obs.coe.int Cover layout – ALTRAN, France Please quote this publication as Cabrera Blázquez F.J., Cappello M., Talavera Milla J., Valais S., Diversity and inclusion in the European audiovisual sector, IRIS Plus, European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg, April 2021 © European Audiovisual Observatory (Council of Europe), Strasbourg, 2021 Opinions expressed in this publication are personal and do not necessarily represent the views of the Observatory, its members or the Council of Europe. Diversity and inclusion in the European audiovisual sector Francisco Javier Cabrera Blázquez, Maja Cappello, Julio Talavera Milla, Sophie Valais Foreword Let me tell you a few stories about extraordinary people. Artemisia Gentileschi was a seventeenth century painter, and quite a talented one at that.
    [Show full text]
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Host on 'Worst Year'
    7 Ts&Cs apply Iceland give huge discount Claire King health: Craig Revel Horwood Kate Middleton pregnant Jenny Ryan: ‘The cat is out to emergency service Emmerdale star's health: ‘It was getting with twins on royal tour in the bag’ The Chase quizzer workers - find… diagnosis ‘I was worse’ Strictly… Pakistan?… announces… Jeremy Clarkson: ‘Wanted to top myself’ Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host on 'worst year' JEREMY CLARKSON - who fronts ITV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? - shared his thoughts on a recent study which claimed 1978 was the “worst year” in British history. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Jeremy criticises the contestant Earlier this week, researchers from Warwick University claimed people of Britain were at their most unhappy in 1978. The latter year and the first two months of 1979 are best remembered for the Winter of Discontent, where strikes took place and caused various disruptions. ADVERTISING 1/6 Jeremy Clarkson (/search?s=jeremy+clarkson) shared his thoughts on the study as he recalled his first year of working during the strikes. PROMOTED STORY 4x4 Magazine: the SsangYong Musso is a quantum leap forward (SsangYong UK)(https://www.ssangyonggb.co.uk/press/first-drive-ssangyong-musso/56483&utm-source=outbrain&utm- medium=musso&utm-campaign=native&utm-content=4x4-magazine?obOrigUrl=true) In his column with The Sun newspaper, he wrote: “It’s been claimed that 1978 was the worst year in British history. RELATED ARTICLES Jeremy Clarkson sports slimmer waistline with girlfriend Lisa Jeremy Clarkson: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host on his Hogan weight loss (/celebrity-news/1191860/Jeremy-Clarkson-weight-loss-girlfriend- (/celebrity-news/1192773/Jeremy-Clarkson-weight-loss-health- Lisa-Hogan-pictures-The-Grand-Tour-latest-news) Who-Wants-To-Be-A-Millionaire-age-ITV-Twitter-news) “I was going to argue with this.
    [Show full text]
  • Television Academy Awards
    2019 Primetime Emmy® Awards Ballot Outstanding Comedy Series A.P. Bio Abby's After Life American Housewife American Vandal Arrested Development Atypical Ballers Barry Better Things The Big Bang Theory The Bisexual Black Monday black-ish Bless This Mess Boomerang Broad City Brockmire Brooklyn Nine-Nine Camping Casual Catastrophe Champaign ILL Cobra Kai The Conners The Cool Kids Corporate Crashing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Dead To Me Detroiters Easy Fam Fleabag Forever Fresh Off The Boat Friends From College Future Man Get Shorty GLOW The Goldbergs The Good Place Grace And Frankie grown-ish The Guest Book Happy! High Maintenance Huge In France I’m Sorry Insatiable Insecure It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Jane The Virgin Kidding The Kids Are Alright The Kominsky Method Last Man Standing The Last O.G. Life In Pieces Loudermilk Lunatics Man With A Plan The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Modern Family Mom Mr Inbetween Murphy Brown The Neighborhood No Activity Now Apocalypse On My Block One Day At A Time The Other Two PEN15 Queen America Ramy The Ranch Rel Russian Doll Sally4Ever Santa Clarita Diet Schitt's Creek Schooled Shameless She's Gotta Have It Shrill Sideswiped Single Parents SMILF Speechless Splitting Up Together Stan Against Evil Superstore Tacoma FD The Tick Trial & Error Turn Up Charlie Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Veep Vida Wayne Weird City What We Do in the Shadows Will & Grace You Me Her You're the Worst Young Sheldon Younger End of Category Outstanding Drama Series The Affair All American American Gods American Horror Story: Apocalypse American Soul Arrow Berlin Station Better Call Saul Billions Black Lightning Black Summer The Blacklist Blindspot Blue Bloods Bodyguard The Bold Type Bosch Bull Chambers Charmed The Chi Chicago Fire Chicago Med Chicago P.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Summary of Hearing with the British Film Institute Held on 12 June 2013
    CINEWORLD/CITY SCREEN MERGER INQUIRY Summary of hearing with the British Film Institute held on 12 June 2013 Background 1. The British Film Institute (BFI) was the appointed lead agency for film in the UK, which gave it a strategic remit for film production. Its functions included the Lottery Film Fund, which distributed lottery money for film development, film production and the distribution of specialized film in the UK; an archive team, which looked after and restored works; an education team; and a publishing function for magazine and DVD publication. 2. The BFI had an exhibition department, which was based at the BFI Southbank and also housed the London Film Festival and the Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. BFI Southbank was a commercially-operated cinema in London and the site also housed the Mediatheque, a publicly available archive of television and media material and the Reuben library of books and manuscripts related to film and television. It owned the IMAX cinema on the Southbank, the running of which was contracted to the Odeon. 3. The BFI had a distribution arm, distributing works restored by the BFI as well as third- party films. These tended to be specialized, rather than commercial films. The BFI was not a competitive acquirer of rights to new works. 4. As a charity, the BFI also had a fundraising team. BFI grants 5. The BFI would shortly be launching a fund called The Audience Network to allow community venues to show a broad range of films to their local audience. Through the fund, it would make available small grants for equipment to venues that were not cinemas, for example village halls, town halls and local schools that ran film societies or film clubs.
    [Show full text]
  • Researching Digital on Screen Graphics Executive Sum M Ary
    Researching Digital On Screen Graphics Executive Sum m ary Background In Spring 2010, the BBC commissioned independent market research company, Ipsos MediaCT to conduct research into what the general public, across the UK thought of Digital On Screen Graphics (DOGs) – the channel logos that are often in the corner of the TV screen. The research was conducted between 5th and 11th March, with a representative sample of 1,031 adults aged 15+. The research was conducted by interviewers in-home, using the Ipsos MORI Omnibus. The key findings from the research can be found below. Key Findings Do viewers notice DOGs? As one of our first questions we split our sample into random halves and showed both halves a typical image that they would see on TV. One was a very busy image, with a DOG present in the top left corner, the other image had much less going on, again with the DOG in the top left corner. We asked respondents what the first thing they noticed was, and then we asked what they second thing they noticed was. It was clear from the results that the DOGs did not tend to stand out on screen, with only 12% of those presented with the ‘less busy’ screen picking out the DOG (and even fewer, 7%, amongst those who saw the busy screen). Even when we had pointed out DOGs and talked to respondents specifically about them, 59% agreed that they ‘tend not to notice the logos’, with females and viewers over 55, the least likely to notice them according to our survey.
    [Show full text]
  • William S. Dallam: an American Tourist in Revolutionary Paris
    WILLIAM S. DALLAM: AN AMERICAN TOURIST IN REVOLUTIONARY PARIS Robert L, Dietle s the Spanish proverb says, "He, who would bring home this wealth of the Indies, must carry the wealth of the Indies with him,•so it is in traveling, a man must carry knowledge with him if he would bring home knowledge. Samuel Johnson I Though France is second only to Great Britain in its influence upon the formation of our politics and culture, Americans have always been strangely ambivalent about the French. Our admiration for French ideas and culture has somehow been tinged by suspicions that the French were unprincipled, even corrupt, or given to extremism. Late-eighteenth-century Franco-Amerlcan relations illustrate this ambivalence. Traditional American hostility to France moderated after 1763 when the Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War, removing the single enemy powerful enough to impede the colonists' westward migration. French diplomatic and military support for the American Revolution completed the transformation; in just fifteen years France had moved from enemy to ally. For the first time, American enthusiasm for French politics and culture knew no bounds. American taste for things French, however, did not last. By 1793 the radical turn of events in France's own revolution increasingly repelled conservative Americans and sparked serious controversy within Washington's administration. American reaction to the French Revolution eventually played a crucial role in the development of political parties in the United States, and the wars of I ROBERT L. DIETLE, P•.D., teaches history at Western Kentucky University at Bowling Green, Kentucky.
    [Show full text]
  • Press Release Embargo Date: February 09, 2017
    Press release Embargo date: February 09, 2017 Amazon’s ‘The Grand Tour’ drives into pole position for its online video streaming service February 09, 2017 Amanda Martin Nuremberg, February 09, 2017 – Amazon’s biggest visual production Global PR to date, The Grand Tour, starring Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond T +44 7919 624 688 [email protected] and James May, shows clear appeal amongst UK SVOD viewers. GfK’s established SVOD content tracking and analysis reveals that the show was the most viewed title on Amazon in both November and December 2016, attracting the biggest audience reach for an Amazon show in the UK since GfK’s tracking service began in 2015. Despite launching halfway through the month, The Grand Tour (TGT) became the most streamed show on Amazon in November 2016, accounting for eight percent of all the streams watched. The following month, that increased to 17 percent of all streams, proving TGT to be a clear winner, well ahead of the second placed title, The Man in the High Castle, which attracted 9 percent of all streams viewed. GfK SE Nordwestring 101 90419 Nuremberg Even more interesting, 45 percent of all Amazon users in December Germany watched at least one episode of the programme: the highest proportion of unique viewers ever recorded by GfK - not just for Amazon, but also across T +49 911 395 0 all other platforms captured by GfK’s tracker in the UK, which includes Management Board: Netflix and NowTV. Dr. Gerhard Hausruckinger (Speaker of the Management Board) If this were to be equated to actual viewer numbers, GfK’s estimates would Christian Diedrich (CFO) put the total audience for TGT at around 2.3 million viewers, a figure David Krajicek Alessandra Cama slightly higher than the 2.1 million online adults recorded by BARB as watching Game of Thrones on Sky Atlantic during the same time period.
    [Show full text]
  • Channel 4 and British Film: an Assessment Of
    Channel 4 and British Film: An Assessment of Industrial and Cultural Impact, 1982-1998 Laura Mayne This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Portsmouth. September 2014 i Abstract This thesis is an historical investigation of Channel 4’s influence on the British film industry and on British film culture between 1982 and 1998. Combining archival research with interview testimony and secondary literature, this thesis presents the history of a broadcaster’s involvement in British film production, while also examining the cultural and industrial impact of this involvement over time. This study of the interdependence of film and television will aim to bring together aspects of what have hitherto been separate disciplinary fields, and as such will make an important contribution to film and television studies. In order to better understand this interdependence, this thesis will offer some original ideas about the relationship between film and television, examining the ways in which Channel 4’s funding methods led to new production practices. Aside from the important part the Channel played in funding (predominantly low-budget) films during periods when the industry was in decline and film finance was scarce, this partnership had profound effects on British cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. In exploring these effects, this thesis will look at the ways in which the film funding practices of the Channel changed the landscape of the film industry, offered opportunities to emerging new talent, altered perceptions of British film culture at home and abroad, fostered innovative aesthetic practices and brought new images of Britain to cinema and television screens.
    [Show full text]