· Public keen to see more British films made
· 78% in favour of public funding for film
· Too few films represent diversity
· People more interested in films than religion and sport
The BFI today announced the launch of Opening our Eyes: how film contributes to the culture of the UK. A new and evidence-based report on the British public’s views on film, prepared for the BFI by Northern Alliance and Ipsos Media CT, the report provides in depth data on the films that really matter to them, why they watch them and the effect they have. The research gives us a democratic assessment of film in the UK, outside of expert, critical and industry polls. The report demonstrates how film moves and inspires the nation, how it excites the emotions and the intellect and how it influences the shape of our lives.
Cultural overview
Film is central to the cultural life of the UK and one of the most powerful cultural mediums with an estimated 5 billion film viewings taking place each year. 84% of the population are interested in film, which is valued highly in comparison to other social and leisure interests including world news (81%), watching (52% ) and playing sport (51%), politics (62%), pop and rock music (69%), restaurants (80%), pubs and clubs (53%), theatre (50%), literature (67%), the countryside (80%), museums (59%), art (46%), celebrities (32%) and more than twice as many people are more interested in film than religion (32%). Only news about the UK (88%) and television (88%) were rated as being of more interest.
Those with an interest in film have a higher than average interest and involvement in other arts, entertainments and the world in general. Half of respondents said they appreciate the artistic value of film and overall respondents place film on a par with literature and classical music.
Amanda Nevill, CEO BFI said ‘This report proves that film is at the heart of our cultural life. Understanding, appreciating and assessing its cultural contribution is essential to a forward looking public policy and will guide our funding priorities for film. It gives us evidence of how powerful film is in today’s society, reinforcing how important access to it is and the need to continue to develop new talent and keep our industry vibrant. Opening Our Eyes helps us better understand our society, our history, our place in the world, our humanity and, ultimately, ourselves.’
Emotional responses
Regardless of whether they are watching a blockbuster or low budget independent film, people are finding meaning and value in the experiences. Overall, The King’s Speech was most frequently mentioned as having a personal effect on people, followed by Schindler’s List, Avatar, Slumdog Millionaire, Titanic and The Shawshank Redemption.
Film provides a unique range of entertainment experiences with people citing escapism (68%), excitement (59%), emotional or moving (60%) and thought provoking (59%) as the most overwhelming reactions. Three quarters of respondents think that film is a good way of making people think about difficult or sensitive issues and two thirds think that film is educational. 48% had seen films that encouraged them to find out more about the subject raised and 14% had been prompted into action related to a situation shown in the film, like joining a group or donating money.
Personal and social identity
Many people responded that individual films have contributed to the development of their sense of self and how they think about society and their role within it. People aged 15 to 24 are most likely to find role models in films (11%). Respondents from minority ethnic groups were more likely than white respondents to say that a film had changed the way they think about certain things (40% compared with 29%), or inspired them to change something in their life (26% compared with 12%), or that the film had given them a role model to follow (15% compared with 6%). Interestingly, people from ethnic minorities are more avid consumers of film in cinemas or via digital platforms.
British films
There is strong public support for British film in general (88%), with 78% people in support of public funding for British filmmaking through the National Lottery. Half of those asked said that they were more likely to watch a film if it was British – and 86% said that they had seen a British film in the past year. Over half felt there were too few British films shown in the UK (in cinemas, on television and on other media). Respondents appreciate the realistic, honest and true to life aspect of British films and the unique British sense of humour. UK-wide, 65% of the public are keen to see more British films made that are ‘true to life’. While blockbusters are the most watched type of film, cast and story was the most important factor in defining whether a film is British or not and people said that big budgets and special effects can make a film seem less British. At the same time people thought that British films were well-made (95%) and well-acted (94%).
People want to see films that are representative of all the Nations and Regions of the UK. 34% believe that there are too many films telling stories about rich and privileged people living in London and the Home Counties, and 40% think that there aren’t enough films that feature disabled people. People in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern England are most keen to see more films set in their part of the country.
How we’re watching film
The majority of film viewing (57%) is on television, with 86% of people watching a film on TV at least once a month, 63% watching a film on DVD or Blu Ray, 29% seeing a film in a cinema, 23% downloading or streaming films from the internet and 11% watching a film on a mobile device at least monthly. The 3D experience is providing a new dimension to the cinema experience.
The findings demonstrate that the cultural contribution of film is increasing with the growth of digital access (broadband in the home and mobile) that is expanding the means and ways by which films are viewed. Also, the dominance of film viewing on television in the UK highlights the increasing cultural impact of broadcasters’ investment in and programming choices for film.
In support of the findings around British film the top ten British films most frequently mentioned (in order) as having a significant effect on society or attitudes in the UK are: Trainspotting(189 mentions), The Full Monty (102), East is East (82), Billy Elliott (52), The King’s Speech (45), This is England (36), Cathy Come Home (34), Brassed Off (32), Slumdog Millionaire (26) and Kidulthood(25).
The report was commissioned following the positive response from academics, educators, industry professionals and policy makers to the UK Film Council/BFI study, Stories We Tell Ourselves: the cultural impact of UK film (1946–2006).
Opening our Eyes: how film contributes to the culture of the UK was the result of qualitative and quantitative research undertaken in February 2011 with over 2000 respondents and is the largest of its kind to have been carried out to date.