Statistical Yearbook 2010

UK Film Council
10 Little Portland Street
London W1W 7JG
T +44 (0)20 7861 7861
F +44 (0)20 7861 7862
This Statistical Yearbook
is available online atwww.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk

Welcome to the 2010 UK Film Council
Statistical Yearbook. This yearbook, theeighth we have published, is a rich source
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UK. This publication is one of the ways wedeliver on our commitment to evidence)6" ×%-%&!4:"#"4/"$+40#&6
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Contents
Chief Executive Officer’s foreword ................................. 5
2009 – the year in review................................................. 6
Chapter 1: The box office ................................................ 8
1.1
Admissions ............................................................. 9
1.2
Box office earnings............................................... 11
1.3
Film releases and box office revenues ................. 11
1.4Country of origin of film releases ........................ 13
Chapter 2: Top films in 2009 ......................................... 15
2.1
The top 20 films ................................................... 16
2.2
The top 20 UK films ............................................. 17
2.3
The top 20 UK independent films ....................... 18
2.4
The top 3D films................................................... 18
2.5Best weekend performances of UK films ............ 19
Chapter 3: Top films of all timeat the UK box office........................................................ 20
3.1
All time top 20 films at the UK box office ........... 21
3.2
Inflation-adjusted top 20 films at the
UK box office ........................................................ 22
3.3
All time top 20 UK films at the UK box office ..... 23
3.4
All time top 20 independent UK films at the
UK box office ........................................................ 24
Chapter 4: Genre and classification ............................. 25
4.1
Genre .................................................................... 26
4.1.1 Genre of all film releases...................................... 26
4.1.2 Genre of UK and UK independent
film releases.......................................................... 28
4.2
BBFC classification ................................................ 32
4.2.1 Releases and box office by classification ............. 32
4.2.2 Top films by classification..................................... 35
Chapter 5: Specialised films .......................................... 38
5.1
Specialised films at the
UK box office in 2009 .......................................... 39
5.2
Foreign language films ........................................ 41
5.3
Documentaries ..................................................... 43
5.4
Re-releases of classic and archive films................ 44
Chapter 6: UK films internationally .............................. 46
6.1
UK films worldwide.............................................. 47
6.2
UK films in North America ................................... 48
6.3
UK films in Europe ............................................... 49
6.4
UK films in Latin America..................................... 50
6.5
UK films in Japan and South Korea ..................... 51
6.6
UK films in Australasia ......................................... 51
Chapter 7: UK talent and awards ................................. 52
7.1
UK story material.................................................. 53
7.2
UK actors .............................................................. 54
7.3
UK directors .......................................................... 55
7.4
Awards for UK films and talent ........................... 57

2 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Chapter 8: Distribution .................................................. 60
8.1
Distributors in 2009 ............................................. 61
8.2
Distributors 2004–2009 ....................................... 62
8.3
Weekend box office ............................................. 63
8.4
Release costs......................................................... 64
Chapter 9: Exhibition...................................................... 65
9.1
UK cinema sites .................................................... 66
9.2
UK screens ............................................................ 66
9.3
Screen location ..................................................... 67
9.4
Screen density and admissions perperson – international comparisons .................... 68
9.5
Screen density and admissions
per person in the UK ............................................ 68
9.6
Type of cinema screens by nation
and region ............................................................ 71
9.7
Mainstream, specialised andSouth Asian programming .................................. 72
9.8
Exhibitors .............................................................. 73
9.9
Exhibitor revenues ................................................ 74
9.10 Digital projection.................................................. 74
9.10.1 Digital Screen Network ........................................ 74
9.10.2 Digital screens worldwide and in the UK ............ 74
9.10.3 3D and alternative content programming .......... 76
9.11 Community cinema in the UK.............................. 78
Chapter 10: Film on video ............................................. 80
10.1 Film in the retail video market ............................. 81
10.2 The relationship between film on video sales
and theatrical box office takings ......................... 85
10.3 Film in the video rental market ............................ 88
10.4 Hardware.............................................................. 89
Chapter 11: Film on UK television ................................ 90
11.1 Programming on network channels.................... 91
11.2 Peak time on network television.......................... 92
11.3 Audiences for film on network television............ 93
11.4 Top films on network television ........................... 93
11.5 Films on multi-channel television ....................... 95
11.6 The audience for film on all
television channels, 2000–2009 ......................... 98
11.7 The value of feature film to broadcasters .......... 99
Chapter 12: Video on Demand ...................................100
12.1 Current size of the UK market ...........................101
12.2 Video on Demand services in the UK ................101
12.3 Future prospects for the VoD market ................103
Chapter 13: The UK film market as a whole .............104
13.1 The UK filmed entertainment market
as a whole ..........................................................105
13.2 The UK market in the global context .................106
13.3 The evolution of UK film revenues,
1998–2009 .........................................................107
13.4 The impact of recession .....................................109

Chapter 14: Audiences .................................................110
14.1 Cinema audience by gender ..............................111
14.2 Film preferences by gender................................111
14.3 Cinema audience by age....................................112
14.4 Film preferences by age .....................................114
14.5 Cinema audience by social group......................115
14.6 Film preferences by social group .......................116
14.7 Film audiences by ethnicity ................................117
14.8 Film audiences by disability................................118
14.9 Film preferences by nation or region.................118
14.10 Film downloads ..................................................119
14.11 Comparative profiles of cinema audiences
and audiences for film on television..................121
14.12 Cinema-goers’ preferences by age forcinema, DVD and television ...............................122
14.13 Total size of film audience in the UK .................123
Chapter 15: Films certified as British 1998–2009 .....124
15.1 Qualifying as an official British film ...................125
15.2 Schedule 1 cultural test certifications,2008 and 2009...................................................125
15.3 Co-production certifications,2008 and 2009...................................................126
15.4 Finally certified British films, 1998–2009...........126
15.5 Median budgets, 1998–2009 ............................12815.6 Final certifications by budget band,2007–2009 .........................................................129
Chapter 16: Film production in 2009 .........................132
16.1 The value of UK production in 2009 .................133
16.2 Inward, domestic and co-production
features, 1994–2009 ..........................................134
16.3 Productions by genre, 2007–2009 ....................137
16.4 Budget trends.....................................................138
16.5 Size distribution of budgets...............................139
16.6 Big budget productions, 2007–2009 ................140
16.7 UK spend as percentage of total
production budget.............................................140
16.8 UK domestic productions byterritory of shoot ................................................141
16.9 Co-productions by territory of shoot.................141
16.10 Production company activity levels ...................142
16.11 US studios’ involvement in film productionin the UK.............................................................142
Chapter 17: Public investment in film in the UK ......143
17.1 Public funding for film in the UK by source ......144
17.2 Film spend by organisation................................147
17.3 Activities supported by public spend
on film ................................................................148
17.4 Large film production awards byagency 2008/09..................................................148
17.5 Leading public investors in British film
production, 2007–2009 .....................................149

Chapter 18: Film education .........................................151
18.1 Introduction .......................................................152
18.2 Film education in formal
education settings..............................................152
18.3 National and regional film
education providers ...........................................154
18.4 Public investment in film education ..................156
18.5 Moving image education providers
in the UK.............................................................157
Chapter 19: Film industry companies ........................161
19.1 Number of companies in the film
and video industries ...........................................162
19.2 Size distribution of film companies ...................163
19.3 National/regional distribution of film
companies in the UK ..........................................165
19.4 Leading film companies in the UK
and Europe .........................................................167
19.5 Leading film production companies
in the UK and Europe.........................................168
Chapter 20: The UK film economy..............................171
20.1 Film industry turnover, 1995–2008 ...................172
20.2 Film industry contribution to GDP,
1995–2008 .........................................................174
20.3 Economic impact of the film industry ...............176
20.4 The UK facilities sector .......................................176
20.5 Film exports, 1995–2008 ...................................178
20.6 Film imports, 1995–2008...................................178
20.7 The film trade balance, 1995–2008 ..................179
20.8 Film export markets ...........................................180
20.9 UK film exports compared with the global
market for filmed entertainment.......................180
20.10 The geographical distribution of the UK’s
film trade surplus ...............................................181
Chapter 21: Employment in the film
and video industries .....................................................182
21.1 The workforce ...................................................183
21.1.1 Labour Force Survey ...........................................183
21.1.2 Skillset’s Labour Market Intelligenceand Employment Census ...................................18521.2 The feature film production
workforce survey ...............................................186
21.3 The gender of writers and directorsof UK films..........................................................189
21.4 The workplace location .....................................190
21.5 The scale of the workplace ................................192
Glossary..........................................................................196
Acknowledgements......................................................199
Sources ...........................................................................199

Contents – 3

do this by supporting the UK film industry,
The UK Film Council We
celebrating our film culture, and nurturing
film talent.
is the Government- ourWe fund film development and production, short
distribution, film education, festivals, skills
backed lead agency filmmaking,development, and digital innovation initiatives for film.
work also encourages inward investment into the*2×%-&$0#")$  Our
UK film production sector, the export of British films tointernational markets and fosters UK co-production withpartners. We fund and support the British
our aim is to ensure internationalFilm Institute, the UK’s National and Regional Screen
Agencies and the MEDIA Desk UK. Our work also extends
that audiences at
to research, statistics and market intelligence to support
the development of the UK film sector and combatinghome and abroad
film theft. The Certification Unit for qualifying British
films is also part of the UK Film Council.
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We want to ensure that there are no barriers toaccessing our publications. If you, or someone you
know, would like a large print, audiotape or analternative version of this report, please contact:
Communications Department
UK Film Council
10 Little Portland Street
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Fax: +44 (0) 20 7861 7863
www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk
http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk
4 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Chief Executive Officer’s foreword
The 2010 Statistical Yearbook, compiled by the UK Film
Council’s Research and Statistics Unit, once again
presents the most comprehensive picture of filmin the UK.
And this year, for the first time, the Yearbook moves
fully online, making it an even more accessible,
open and valuable resource, and one which,depending on your needs, can be explored online,
downloaded or printed either in whole or in part.
All aspects of the film sector are captured here, offering
a compelling insight into the ways in which audiences
across the UK are discovering, accessing and enjoying
film and film culture, underlining the continued successthat British films and filmmakers are enjoying bothat home and on the world stage, and, perhaps mostinformatively of all, shedding light on the rapidly
evolving patterns in the financing, production,
exhibition and distribution of film.
The sheer breadth and depth of statistics contained here
mean that they can be analysed any number of ways.
What is undeniable, however, is their ability to highlightonce again the growing value of the UK film industry,the enduring strength of our creative talent and the vitalrole that films and film culture play in the life of millions
of people up and down the UK.
We must all continue to work hard, therefore, to ensurethat the infrastructure, support and funding systems
remain in place to allow British film to prosper andsucceed in this digital age.

John Woodward
Chief Executive Officer
UK Film Council

Chief Executive Officer’s foreword – 5

2009 – the year in review
2009 was the year cinema bucked the recession.
UK cinema visits of 174 million made 2009 the second
highest year for admissions since 1971, while the UK
box office grew to a record £944 million. The arrivalof 3D made a vital contribution. In its new consumerfriendly form, 3D established itself as the viewing
experience of choice for action, adventure, animationand fantasy films.
Avatar was the run-away box office success of 2009,
generating more in 3D takings alone than the total
gross of any other 2009 film. Still on release in April
2010, with UK box office takings of over £91 million,
it displaced Titanic at the top of our inflation-adjusted
all-time top 20 UK box office chart. It was the only filmof 2009 to break into this chart.
Three UK films had a particular impact at the UK andinternational box office in 2009: Harry Potter and theHalf-Blood Prince continued the dominance of theschoolboy wizard franchise, while Slumdog Millionaire
hit the jackpot as the most successful-ever UK
independent film. The third most popular UK film of
the year, Sherlock Holmes, confirmed the enduring
appeal of characters from classic British fiction.
Other UK independent films to win significant
audiences in 2009 included St Trinian’s 2: The Legendof Fritton’s Gold, Nativity, Harry Brown, Dorian Grayand In the Loop.
UK producers have sometimes been criticised for
producing too many ‘dramas’ rather than films in
more popular genres, however our analysis of UK
independent films in 2009 (Chapter 4) shows a genre
range not too dissimilar from all films with only 24%
being in the drama category. However, the proportionof the box office taken by different genres is strongly
affected by the performance of particular titles.
Amongst UK independent films in 2009, drama took
45% of the box office, due primarily to the successof Slumdog Millionaire.

The UK appetite for specialised films seems to be rising.
As the total number of releases has risen over the last
10 years, the proportion of specialised films has increased
from 58% to 69%, taking 15% of the box office in 2009.
This suggests a steady broadening of cinematic tastes.
Documentaries, for example, have risen from negligible
numbers and takings in 2000–2002 to 56 feature
documentary releases in 2009, earning £12 million
at the box office, led by Michael Jackson’s This Is It.
2009 was an excellent year overall for film productionin the UK, with studios busy with inward investment
films such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,
Robin Hood, Gulliver’s Travels and Clash of the Titans.
The UK spend of inward investment films reached£753 million, the highest on record, while the total
UK spend of £957 million was, after 2003, the second
best year on record. However, within this positive scene,
domestic UK films had a tougher time, finding it harder
to raise money and lowering their budgets as a result.
Co-productions have been most affected by changes
in the regulatory and economic environment. Only 22
were made in 2009, with a combined UK spend of£35 million.
Public funding for the UK film sector fell slightly in
2008/09, to £256 million, from £261 million theprevious year. Within this total, tax relief for UK film
production again made the single biggest contribution,at £110 million.

"!&)%&6" ×%-g66#)2"*0#"3*×!"3*×!"£944m
6 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 201015%

Amongst the film activities supported by public
investment is film education. This year, for the firsttime, we present data that show the wide reach offilm education in the UK – from 2009’s 6,674 A Levelfilm studies candidates to the 392,000 children who
attended screenings as part of National Schools Film
Week. By the end of 2009 there were almost 3,000
school film clubs across the UK (involving 92,000
pupils) and 355 providers of moving image education
outside the school or university classroom. The rapid
expansion of film education and its extensive reachshows the value of film as a tool to engage learners
and its relevance in equipping students (both children
and adults) to participate fully in the growing
digital economy.
Film and moving image education begins a processthat leads to audience appreciation for UK films andOscars® and BAFTAs for British talent. Brits continued
their winning ways in 2009 with Slumdog Millionairetaking six Oscars® including Best Picture and Best
Achievement in Directing (Danny Boyle), while Kate
Winslet won Best Actress for her role in The Reader,Michael O’Connor took Best Achievement in Costume
Design for The Duchess and James Marsh and Simon
Chin won Best Documentary Feature for Man on Wire,
the gripping story of Philippe Petit’s tightrope walk
between the twin towers of the New York World Trade
Centre in 1974. In total, British talent accounted for
17% of the awards at the leading ceremonies andfestivals we monitor – the Oscars®, the BAFTAs, Berlin,
Sundance, Cannes, Venice and Toronto.
While admissions and box office were up in 2009,
revenue for the film market as a whole was staticcompared with 2008, showing the challenges of both
the recession and the transition to digital. The physical
video markets (rental and retail) shrank in 2009 while
video on demand (VoD) grew. However, the potentialof digital VoD has yet to be fully realised and thegrowth in VoD was not enough to offset the decline
in physical video.

In television, though film audiences on the main
broadcast channels continued to fall, strong growth
was recorded in both subscription film channels andfree-to-air digital multi-channel. The latter now
accounts for a third of all film watching on television.
While cinema is key for new releases, it remains thecase that most film watching in the UK takes placeon television. In 2009, we estimate that televisionaccounted for 75% of total film viewing occasions
in the UK.
Regular readers of the Statistical Yearbook will noticesome additions this year:VË Ë jÍ?ÄËwËÍjË¬ÁaÖWÍË?aÊÁË¬jÁwÁ?WjËof UK independent films (various chapters).
This reflects requests from readers in our user
survey in August 2009 for more information
about UK independent films;
VË ËË¤åßj?ÁËÍjËÄjÁjÄËwËÍjË¬jÁwÁ?WjËwË
specialised films at the UK box office (Chapter 5);VË Ë0jËMÞËwwWjË¬jÁwÁ?WjËwË2ËwÄËË?¬?Ë
and Korea (Chapter 6);VË ËËW?ÁÍËwË2Ë?aÄÄÄË~~ËM?WËÈyËßj?ÁÄË
(1935–2009 inclusive) for historical comparative
purposes (Chapter 1);VË ËËjÝËW?¬ÍjÁËËwËjaÖW?Í^Ë~?ÍjÁ~ËwÁËÍjË
first time the available statistics on film education at
school, university and in the community. It is intended
that this will serve as the basis for wider coverage ofthe cultural aspects of film in the future.
We welcome feedback on the Yearbook and we
thank those who gave us their ideas in 2009/10.
All of the information is available to view onlineat www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk.
David Steele
Head of Research and Statistics Unit
Sean Perkins
Senior Research Executive
Nick Maine
Research Executive

UK production spend£957m
2009 – the year in review – 7

Chapter 1:
#"3*×!"

Despite the recession the UK3*×!"6)72"!2 2"!"&06
and the highest admissions
since 2002. One of the main
drivers of this growth was the
emergence of 3D cinema, witha string of popular titles
including Avatar, Ice Age III
and Up.

Facts in focus
VËË2ËWj?Ë?aÄÄÄËÁj?WjaË¤ÈÏ±yË^ËÖ¬ËÉ°Ë
on 2008.
VËË ÞËwxWjËÁjWj¬ÍÄËÝjÁjËÌ||Ë^ËÖ¬Ë¤¤°ËËÔååo±VËËyåÏËxÄËÝjÁjËÁjj?ÄjaËwÁË?ËÝjjËÁËÁjËËÍjË2Ë
and Republic of Ireland.
VËË2ËxÄ^ËWÖa~ËW¬ÁaÖWÍÄ^Ë?WWÖÍjaËwÁËÔÏ°Ëof releases and 17% of the market by value.
VËË0jËÍ¬Ë¤ååËxÄËj?ÁjaËÜjÁË¤°ËwËÍjË~ÁÄÄËbox office.
VËËÏ ËxÄË?WWÖÍjaËwÁË¤É°ËwË2Ë?aË-j¬ÖMWËwË
Ireland box office revenues in 2009 (£176 million),up from just 0.4% in 2008.

1

2

1.1 Admissions

The April release of another 3D animated title, Monsters
vs. Aliens and action thriller Fast & Furious increased
ticket sales by 41% compared with April 2008 and a raftof major studio releases such as X-Men Origins:
Wolverine, Star Trek, Angels and Demons and Night at
the Museum 2 continued to lift admissions in May.
Surprise hit comedy The Hangover and franchise films
Terminator Salvation and Transformers: Revenge of the
Fallen contributed to the 6% increase in June
admissions. Admissions across the summer months
failed to match the levels of 2008, when Mamma Mia!
and The Dark Knight earned over £110 million between
them, but the sixth instalment of the Harry Potter series,
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was released inJuly and went on to gross almost £51 million. Ice Age III
was also released in July and grossed over £35 million,
with over half of that from 3D screens. The release ofanother 3D animation, Up, and the second film in the
Twilight series, Twilight Saga: New Moon boosted
autumn admissions and the year ended with the highest
December admissions for four years as Avatar became
the widest released and most successful 3D film to date.

The 173.5 million cinema admissions recorded for the
UK in 2009 were up 5.6% on 2008 (Figure 1.1), thehighest since 2002 and the second highest since 1971.
Admissions also increased in most other European
territories – German admissions rose by 13%, French
admissions by 6% and there were also increased ticket
sales in Spain (up 3%, the first increase in five years)
and Russia (12%).
Figure 1.1 Annual UK admissions, 2000–2009
Million
200

150

100

50

0

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Table 1.1 Monthly UK cinema admissions, 2008–2009

Source: CAA, Rentrak EDI.

Year

Total
admissions(million)

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

142.5
155.9
175.9
167.3
171.3
164.7
156.6
162.4
164.2
173.5

Source: CAA, Rentrak EDI.

The year began strongly with January admissions up 8%
on the previous year, due mainly to the release of UK
film Slumdog Millionaire. The first major 3D animatedrelease of the year, Bolt, and the continued strong
performance of Slumdog Millionaire following BAFTA
and Academy Award® success helped to lift February
ticket sales by 16% (see Table 1.1).

Month

2008
(million)

2009(million)% +/–on 2008

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
AugustSeptember
OctoberNovember
December
Total

13.5
12.9
12.2
9.8
12.7
11.8
21.4
20.4
10.7
13.0
13.5
12.3
164.2

14.5
15.0
11.9
13.8
15.8
12.5
20.0
15.5
9.7
13.5
14.9
16.3
173.5

+7.7
+16.4
–2.3
+40.8
+24.0
+5.6
–6.4
–23.8
–9.0
+3.8
+10.4
+32.5
+5.6

11

12

13

14

15

16

Source: CAA, Rentrak EDI.
Note: Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Average weekly admissions ranged from 2.3 million in
September to 4.5 million in July (Table 1.2). Average
weekly admissions in December were 3.7 million, up
from 2.8 million per week in December 2008.

17

18

19

20

Image: Slumdog Millionaire courtesy of Pathé UK

Chapter 1: The box office – 921

Table 1.2 Average weekly admissions, 2008–2009

Month

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
AugustSeptember
OctoberNovember
December

Table 1.3 Cinema admissions by region, 2009

2008
weeklyaverage(million)

2009
weeklyaverage(million)

3.0
3.1
2.8
2.3
2.9
2.8
4.8
4.6
2.5
2.9
3.2
2.8

3.3
3.7
2.7
3.2
3.6
2.9
4.5
3.5
2.3
3.1
3.5
3.7

Source: CAA, Rentrak EDI.

Table 1.3 shows how the 2009 admissions break down
by ISBA TV region, with London accounting for almost aquarter of UK admissions (24%). The pattern of nationaland regional admissions has remained largely
unchanged over the last decade.

10 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

RegionLondonMidlands
Lancashire
SouthernYorkshire
Central Scotland
Wales and West
East of England
North East
Northern IrelandSouth West
Northern Scotland
Border
Total

Admissions(million)

%

41.7
24.6
19.8
16.0
14.6
12.8
11.4
11.3
6.5
5.7
4.3
3.6
1.3
173.5

24.0
14.2
11.4
9.2
8.4
7.4
6.6
6.5
3.7
3.3
2.5
2.1
0.8
100.0

Source: CAA, Rentrak EDI.
Note: Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Figure 1.2 puts UK admissions in a longer term
perspective. Cinema-going increased rapidly during
the Second World War, as audiences sought the latest
news as well as escapism from the conflict. Ticket sales
reached a peak of 1.64 billion in 1946 but thendeclined steeply throughout the late 1950s and early
1960s as television ownership became commonplace.
The introduction of the VCR in the early 1980s had afurther negative impact on admissions and the nadir
was reached in 1984 with cinema-going levels down
to an average of one visit per person per year. However,
the introduction of multiplex cinemas to the UK from1985 onwards reversed the trend and ushered in a
decade and a half of steady growth. After a pause
from 2003 to 2006, admissions grew again in 2007–2009 returning to levels last seen in the early 1970s.

12

Figure 1.2 Annual UK admissions, 1935–20093

Admissions (million)
1,800.01,600.041,400.0
1,200.051,000.0
6

800.0
600.0

7

400.0
200.0
1937

1943

1949

1955

1961

1967

1973

1979

1985

1991

1997

2003

2009

Admissions 946.0

1,541.0

1,430.0

1,181.8

449.1

264.8

134.2

111.9

72.0

100.3

138.9

167.3

173.5

Admissions(million)Year

Admissions(million)

0.0

8Source: BFI, CAA, Rentrak EDI.
Year

Admissions(million)Year

Admissions(million)Year

Admissions(million)Year

Admissions(million)Year

Admissions(million)

Year

1935

912.3

1946

1,635.0

1957

915.2

1968

237.3

1979

111.9

1990

97.4

2001

155.9

1936

917.0

1947

1,462.0

1958

754.7

1969

214.9

1980

101.0

1991

100.3

2002

175.9

1937

946.0

1948

1,514.0

1959

581.0

1970

193.0

1981

86.0

1992

103.6

2003

167.3

1938

987.0

1949

1,430.0

1960

500.8

1971

176.0

1982

64.0

1993

114.4

2004

171.3

1939

990.0

1950

1,395.8

1961

449.1

1972

156.6

1983

65.7

1994

123.5

2005

164.7

1940

1,027.0

1951

1,365.0

1962

395.0

1973

134.2

1984

54.0

1995

114.6

2006

156.6

1941

1,309.0

1952

1,312.1

1963

357.2

1974

138.5

1985

72.0

1996

123.5

2007

162.4

1942

1,494.0

1953

1,284.5

1964

342.8

1975

116.3

1986

75.5

1997

138.9

2008

164.2

1943

1,541.0

1954

1,275.8

1965

326.6

1976

103.9

1987

78.5

1998

135.2

2009

173.5

1944

1,575.0

1955

1,181.8

1966

288.8

1977

103.5

1988

84.0

1999

139.1

1945

1,585.0

1956

1,100.8

1967

264.8

1978

126.1

1989

94.5

2000

142.5

9

10

11

12

13

1.2 Box office earnings
According to the CAA/Rentrak EDI, the total UK box office for 2009 was £944 million, up 11% on 2008. This figure
covers all box office earnings during the calendar year 2009 for all films exhibited in the UK. The trends in box officetakings from 2000 are shown in Table 1.4 and indicate growth of 62% in the period.

1.3 Film releases and box office revenues

Table 1.4 UK box office trends, 2000–2009
Year

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

Box office gross(£ million)%+/–

Cumulative
%

583
645
755
742
770
770
762
821
850
944

–
10.6
17.0
–1.7
3.8
0.0
–1.0
7.7
3.5
11.1

–
10.6
29.5
27.3
32.1
32.1
30.7
40.8
45.8
61.9

In the UK and Republic of Ireland in 2009, 503 films
were released for a week or more, down 5% on 2008.
They generated £1,127 million in box office revenues –an increase of 21% on 2008. This figure differs fromthe £944 million in paragraph 1.2 because it includes
revenues generated in 2010 by films released in 2009
and covers the Republic of Ireland as well as the UK,
which distributors treat as a single distribution territory.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Source: CAA, Rentrak EDI.
Chapter 1: The box office – 1121

As can be seen in Table 1.5, the top 100 films took 91% of the box office, a slight increase on 2008’s figure.
The remaining 403 films (80% of all releases) accounted for just 9% of gross revenues. A total of 14 films werereleased in the 3D format, up from six in 2008, and these films accounted for 16% of the UK and Republic of
Ireland box office in 2009, up from 0.4% in 2008.
Table 1.5 Summary of results at the UK and Republic of Ireland box office, 2005–2009
Releases
Combined gross £ million
Top 20 films (% of box office)Top 50 films (% of box office)Top 100 films (% of box office)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

467
844.9
54.7
75.7
91.5

505
845.3
48.1
71.1
88.6

516
933.8
51.2
75.7
91.0

527
934.5
49.6
72.4
90.3

503
1,126.7
48.6
72.9
91.1

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Note: Table 1.5 and all subsequent analysis of the theatrical market includes all titles released in 2009. The combined gross reflects the territorial gross (that is, including theRepublic of Ireland), and includes those titles released in 2009 but also making money into 2010, up to and including 21 February 2010.

Although the top 100 films have held their percentage of the box office, Figure 1.3 shows that the share of the top
50 films fell from 84% in 2001 to 73% last year. This reflects a relative strengthening in the performance of mid-box
office films compared with the blockbusters, perhaps because the cinema audience has become gradually morediverse over these years.

Figure 1.3 Market share percentage of top 50,
top 51–150 and rest of films, 2000–2009

Figure 1.4 Gross box office of top 50,
top 51–150 and rest of films, 2000–2009%£ million

100

1,200
1,000

80

800
60
600
40
400
20

200

0

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

% shareof rest

3

2

2

2

3

3

5

4

4

3

Gross box
office of rest

% share of
top 51–150

17

14

16

20

22

21

24

20

24

% share of
top 50

81

84

82

78

75

76

71

76

72

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Note: Figures may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

Figure 1.4 depicts the increase in box office revenue
over the last decade, with the top 50 films earning£821 million in 2009, up 60% since 2000, while thoseranked 51–150 earned £273 million in 2009, up 157%
since 2000.

12 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

0

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

16

11

16

21

23

25

38

37

32

33

24

Gross box office 106
top 51–150

105

132

160

179

182

206

190

226

273

73

Gross box office 514
of top 50

628

680

634

622

641

600

707

676

821

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.

The number of films released in the UK in 2009 by the
number of sites at the widest point of release is outlinedin Table 1.6. A total of 170 films were released at 100
sites or more (34%), while 196 films were released on
fewer than 10 sites (39% of all films released). Six outof 10 films released in the UK went out on 49 prints or
fewer, the same as 2008.

1

2

Table 1.6 Number of releases and average box office gross by number of sites at widest point of release, 2009
Number of sites at WPR>500
400–499
300–399
200–299
100–199
50–99
10–49
<10
Total

Number% of releases

Average box office (£)

9
46
53
30
32
31
106
196
503

1.8
9.1
10.5
6.0
6.4
6.2
21.1
39.0
100.0

35,369,000
10,823,000
3,480,000
2,076,000
955,000
453,000
153,000
15,0002,240,000

3

4

5

6

7

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Note: Average box office rounded to nearest £1,000. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.
8

1.4 Country of origin of film releases
As Table 1.7 indicates, of all films released in 2009, 42% (39% in 2008) were of USA origin (excluding UK
co-productions), and these films accounted for 81% of the total box office earnings (up from 65% in 2008).

9

UK films, including co-productions, accounted for 23% of releases (up from 21% in 2008) and 16.7% of the box
office, of which UK independent films earned over 8.2% and UK studio-backed titles 8.5%.

10Films whose country of origin lies outside the UK and USA accounted for 35% of releases (down from 40% in 2008)
but only 2.4% of earnings. European films represented 16% of all releases and 1.2% of revenues. Films from India
accounted for 1% of the box office from 12% of the releases and films from the rest of the world represented just
0.2% of the box office gross from 7% of releases.

12

Table 1.7 Country of origin of films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009
Country of origin

USA
UK independent films
UK studio-backed films*
All UK
EuropeIndia
Rest of the world
Total

11

No. of releases
in 2009% of
all releases

2009 box office(£ million)

2009 box officeshare (%)

212
100
13
113
82
59
37
503

42.1
19.9
2.6
22.5
16.3
11.7
7.4
100.0

912.5
92.4
95.6
188.0
13.8
10.8
1.7
1,126.7

81.0
8.2
8.5
16.7
1.2
1.0
0.2
100

13

14

15

16

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Box office gross = cumulative total up to 21 February 2010. *‘Studio-backed’ means backed by one of the major US film studios.

The changes in market share over time by country of origin of films are shown in Table 1.8. Overall, UK market sharefell to its lowest level since 2003 but the UK independent component was the highest since our records began in
2002. US market share increased to 81%, almost level with the 2003 record figure.

17

18

19

20

Chapter 1: The box office – 13

21

Table 1.8 Market share by country of origin, 2002–2009
USA
UK studio-backed
UK independent
All UK
EuropeIndia
Rest of the world
Total

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

73.4
16.1
6.5
22.6
0.7
1.0
0.5
100.0

81.6
12.5
3.4
15.9
0.9
1.0
0.8
100.0

73.2
19.5
3.9
23.4
0.6
1.1
1.8
100.0

63.1
26.2
6.9
33.1
1.6
1.5
0.8
100.0

77.1
14.4
4.7
19.1
1.2
1.8
0.7
100.0

67.7
21.8
6.8
28.6
1.8
1.6
0.5
100.0

65.2
25.4
5.7
31.1
2.3
1.4
0.3
100.0

81.0
8.5
8.2
16.7
1.2
1.0
0.2
100.0

Source: UK Film Council RSU.

Table 1.9 compares the number of UK films across several gross box office bands with the non-UK output in 2009.
The UK is better represented in the over £30 million gross category thanks to the success of Harry Potter and theHalf-Blood Prince and Slumdog Millionaire. However, 62% of UK releases earned less than £100,000.
Table 1.9 UK and non-UK releases by box office gross band, 2009
Non-UK releases
Box office gross (£ million)>30
20 – 29.99
10 – 19.99
5 – 9.99
1 – 4.99
0.5 – 0.99
0.1 – 0.49
Less than 0.1
Total

UK releases

Number% releases

Number% releases

3
8
14
34
55
20
62
194
390

0.8
2.1
3.6
8.7
14.1
5.1
15.9
49.7
100.0

2
1
0
5
15
9
12
69
113

1.8
0.9
0
4.4
13.3
8.0
10.6
61.6
100.0

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.

P
For more information about top films in 2009 see Chapter 2 (page 15)
For further details of film distribution in 2009 see Chapter 8 (page 60)
For information about weekend/weekday box office performance see Chapter 8, section 8.3 (page 63)
For a review of the exhibition sector in 2009 see Chapter 9 (page 65)

14 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Chapter 2:×%-6&$F88D

Facts in focus
#"0×%-*F88DNAvatar,VËË0jËM~~jÄÍËxËwËÍjËßj?ÁËÝ?ÄËAvatar, which earned
became the highest grossing
over £91 million to become the highest grossing filmof all time at the UK box office.
×%-*)%%0&-")00#"3
*×!":07)6$"*)02&*A VËË0ÁjjË2ËxÄËwj?ÍÖÁjaËËÍjËÍ¬ËÔåËrËHarry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince, Slumdog Millionaire and2"%")6"6&$0#"0×1"×%-6* Sherlock Holmes.
the year, signalling the huge
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjËjËÄj¶ÖjÄËËÍjËÍ¬ËÔå^ËÖ¬ËwÁËj~ÍËin 2008.
popularity of the format.
VËË0jËÍ¬ËÔåË2ËxÄË~ÁÄÄjaËÌ¤ÈÏËË?ÍËÍjË2Ë
box office.

VËË2Ëaj¬jajÍËxËSlumdog Millionaire topped theweekend box office charts for four weeks in 2009,
more than any other film.
VËËSlumdog Millionaire was also the highest grossing
UK independent film, earning more than £31 million.
VËËÏ ËxËÄWÁjj~ÄË?WWÖÍjaËwÁË¤É°ËwËÍjË2Ë?aË
Republic of Ireland box office for films released in2009 (£176 million).

2.1 The top 20 films
In 2009 Avatar became the highest grossing film of all time at the UK box office, earning over £83 million up
to 21 February 2010 and £91.4 million by 4 April, to surpass the previous record of £69.2 million set in 2008 by
Mamma Mia!. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth in the Harry Potter franchise, grossed £51 million
to claim the runner-up spot in the 2009 chart. Fourteen films earned more than £20 million, up from 10 in 2008,
and all films in the top 20 earned more than £15 million (Table 2.1). Sequels and franchises accounted for nine of
the top 20 films, up from eight in 2008.
Three UK titles featured in the top 20 – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Slumdog Millionaire and Sherlock
Holmes. As in 2008, it was a good year for animation, with Ice Age III, Up, Monsters vs. Aliens, A Christmas Caroland Bolt earning just over £129 million between them.
Table 2.1 Box office results for the top 20 films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Avatar*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Ice Age III
Up
Slumdog Millionaire
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Sherlock Holmes*
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2:
The Squeakquel*
The HangoverStar Trek
Monsters vs. Aliens
A Christmas CarolNight at the Museum 2
2012
Angels and Demons
Bolt
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Brüno
Marley and Me

Countryof origin

Box officegross (£ million)

Numberof opening
cinemasOpening
weekendgross (£ million)

Distributor

USA
UK/USA
USA
USA
UK
USA
USA
UK/USA

83.27#
50.72
35.02
34.59
31.66
27.47
27.06
25.71

503
584
526
511
324
497
516
476

8.51
19.78
7.64
6.41
1.83
11.68
8.35
3.08

20th Century Fox
Warner Bros
20th Century Fox
DisneyPathé
E1 Films
Paramount
Warner Bros

USA

23.16

478

5.35

20th Century Fox

USA
USA/Ger
USA
USA
USA/Can
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA

22.12
21.40
21.37
20.19
20.03
19.50
18.79
17.94
16.28
15.78
15.25

422
499
520
446
515
480
506
496
488
456
467

3.19
5.95
4.35
1.92
4.16
6.49
6.05
5.46
6.66
5.00
4.41

Warner Bros
Paramount
Paramount
Disney20th Century Fox
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures
Disney20th Century Fox
Universal
20th Century Fox

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Box office gross = cumulative total up to 21 February 2010.
#At 4 April 2010 Avatar had grossed £91.4 million.
Films with an asterisk (*) were still on release on 21 February 2010.

16 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Image: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment
Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R.

12

2.2 The top 20 UK films

3

The top 20 UK films, shown in Table 2.2, had a combined gross of £173 million, which was 15% of the total UK box
office. This was down from £266 million in 2008 (28% of gross box office). The top three films accounted for almost
two-thirds of the top 20’s combined gross, a similar proportion to that in 2008, but 2008’s top three included therecord-breaking Mamma Mia!. Two of the top three were inward investment films, with Slumdog Millionaire atnumber two being the highest ranked independent UK film. While 54% of the top 20 films’ combined box office wasfrom inward investment films, 15 of the 20 titles were independent films. The top 20 UK films encompassed a wide
range of genres including action, animation, fantasy, comedy, crime and drama.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Slumdog Millionaire
Sherlock Holmes*
Fantastic Mr. Fox*
St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold*
The Boat That Rocked
Nativity
The Young Victoria
Planet 51*
Harry Brown*
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus*
Nine*
Dorian Gray
The Damned United
An Education*
In the Loop
Last Chance Harvey
Lesbian Vampire Killers
Moon
Looking for Eric

5

6

Table 2.2 Box office results for the top 20 UK films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009
Title

4

Countryof origin

Box officegross (£ million)

Distributor

UK/USAUK
UK/USA
UK/USAUK
UK/USAUK
UK/USA
UK/SpaUK
UK/CanUK/USAUK
UK/USA
UK/USAUK
UK/USA
UK
UK
UK/Fra/Bel/Ita

50.72
31.66
25.71
9.03
7.07
6.23
5.20
5.11
4.91
4.56
3.94
3.23
2.97
2.24
2.24
2.16
2.14
1.67
1.32
1.31

Warner Bros
Pathé
Warner Bros
20th Century Fox
Entertainment
Universal
E1 Films
MomentumEntertainment
Lions Gate
Lions Gate
Entertainment
MomentumSony Pictures
E1 Films
Optimum
Momentum
MomentumSony Pictures
Icon

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Box office gross = cumulative total up to 21 February 2010.
Films with an asterisk (*) were still on release on 21 February 2010.

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 2: Top films in 2009 – 1721

2.3 The top 20 UK independent films
The top 20 UK independent films, shown in Table 2.3, had a combined gross of £85 million, which was 8% of thetotal UK box office. Slumdog Millionaire was the highest earning film by far of the UK independent films. Its grossaccounted for 37% of the combined gross of the top 20 UK independent films, and it was the only UK independent
film to earn more than £10 million. Three other films, St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold, the partly
improvised comedy Nativity and the story of the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, The Young Victoria, all grossed
more than £5 million. Again, the top 20 UK independent films encompassed many genres and included four comedy
films, and three biopics, The Young Victoria, Nowhere Boy and Bronson.
Table 2.3 Box office results for the top 20 UK independent films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Slumdog Millionaire
St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold*
Nativity
The Young Victoria
Planet 51*
Harry Brown*
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus*
Nine*
Dorian Gray
An Education*
In the Loop
Last Chance Harvey
Lesbian Vampire Killers
Moon
Looking For Eric
Nowhere Boy*
Bright Star
Love Aaj Kal
The Secret of Moonacre
BronsonCountryof origin

Box officegross (£ million)

Distributor

UK
UK
UK
UK/USA#
UK/SpaUK
UK/CanUK/USA#UK
UK/USA#UK
UK/USA#
UK
UK
UK/Fra/Bel/Ita
UK
UK/Aus
UK/IndUK/Hungary/Fra
UK

31.66
7.07
5.20
5.11
4.91
4.56
3.94
3.23
2.97
2.24
2.16
2.14
1.67
1.32
1.31
1.27
1.07
1.04
0.94
0.90

Pathé
Entertainment
E1 Films
MomentumEntertainment
Lions Gate
Lions Gate
Entertainment
Momentum
E1 Films
Optimum
Momentum
MomentumSony Pictures
Icon
Icon
Warner Bros
Eros
Warner Bros
VertigoSource: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Box office gross = cumulative total up to 21 February 2010.
Films with an asterisk (*) were still on release on 21 February 2010.
#The Young Victoria, Nine, An Education and Last Chance Harvey were made with independent (non-studio) US support.

2.4 The top 3D films
The development of digital 3D exhibition had a major impact on the box office in 2009. Fourteen 3D films werereleased in 2009, generating £175.8 million, up to 21 February 2010, from their 3D screenings (16% of the UK and
Republic of Ireland box office). The top 10 3D releases are listed in Table 2.4. My Bloody Valentine was the first ofthese films to be released and, although it had the lowest 3D gross and the lowest total gross of all the listed films,
its 3D gross as a percentage of total gross was the highest of 2009’s 3D films. This film was also shown at the lowest
number of 3D sites. As the number of 3D sites increased through the year, so did the total gross and the 3D grossof 3D films.

18 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Avatar was the highest grossing film of the year, so it appears at the top of the 3D list, but its 3D takings of£68.5 million (83% of its total gross) up to 21 February 2010, were greater than the total gross of any other 2009
film. This film was released in December and has played in the highest number of 3D sites of all films. The second
and third highest grossing 3D films, Ice Age III and Up, are both in the top four of all films in 2009 (the only non-3D
film in the top four is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). Further, the top six 3D films appear in the top 20 filmsof the year, which indicates the popularity of 3D films and their increasing importance to the UK box office.

3

4

5

Table 2.4 Top 10 3D releases in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Avatar*Ice Age III
Up
Monsters vs. Aliens
A Christmas Carol
Bolt
G-Force
The Final Destination
Coraline
My Bloody Valentine

Total gross(£ million)

3D gross(£ million)

3D as % of
total grossNumber of
3D sites

Distributor

83.27
35.02
34.59
21.37
20.19
17.94
13.58
12.81
7.43
6.95

68.52
18.15
20.77
9.37
14.27
7.18
9.36
10.72
5.46
6.20

82
52
60
44
71
40
69
84
73
89

302
240
266
169
281
124
228
228
124
118

20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
DisneyParamount
DisneyDisneyDisneyEntertainment
Universal
Lions Gate

Source: Rentrak EDI.
Box office gross = cumulative total up to 21 February 2010.
Films with an asterisk (*) were still on release on 21 February 2010.
Note: the 3D figures do not include IMAX screenings, although IMAX revenues contribute to the total gross.

6

7

8

9

10

11

2.5 Best weekend performances of UK films

12

A total of 36 films topped the UK weekend box office charts over the course of 2009 and two of those, Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince and Slumdog Millionaire, were UK titles. These two films spent a total of seven weeks atnumber one (Table 2.5). Slumdog Millionaire, a UK independent film, was the top film at the UK box office on four
weekends, which is more than any other film in 2009. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince took £4.7 million on
its opening day and £19.8 million on its opening weekend. However, this film opened on Wednesday 15 July, so
the opening ‘weekend’ was extended to five days. Takings on the usual Friday to Sunday three-day weekend were
£11.9 million. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’s opening ‘weekend’ takings were 39% of the film’s final box
office gross while Slumdog Millionaire’s opening weekend represented just 8% of its final box office gross.

13

14

15

Table 2.5 UK films at number one in the weekend box office charts, 2009
Title

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Slumdog MillionaireFirst week at top

Weekendgross (£ million)

Box officegross (£ million)

Distributor

No. of weeks
at no. 1

17 July 200916 January 2009

19.8
2.6

50.7
31.7

Warner Bros
Pathé

3
4

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.

P

16

17

18

For more about the top films of all time see Chapter 3 (page 20)
For more on UK talent and awards see Chapter 7 (page 52)
For further information about film distribution in 2009 see Chapter 8 (page 60)
For information about weekend/weekday box office performance see Chapter 8, section 8.3 (page 63)
For an overview of the exhibition sector in 2009 see Chapter 9 (page 65)

Chapter 2: Top films in 2009 – 19

19

20

21

Chapter 3:×%-6*)%%0&-")00#"3*×!"Avatar has entered the record
,6)60#"0")2$&$.×%-*)%%0&-")00#"3*×!"N
surpassing the record held byTitanic for over a decade. Harry
Potter, with six out of the top
F8×%-6N!$0&$/"60!)60#&6
spell as the UK’s favourite hero.

Facts in focus
VËË0jËÍ¬ËÔåË~jÄÍË~ÁÄÄ~ËxÄË?ÍËÍjË2ËMÞËwxWjË
include two films from 2009 – Avatar and Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince.
VËAvatar has beaten Titanic to take the top spot in the
inflation-adjusted box office chart.
VËË?ÁÁßË+ÍÍjÁË?aËÁaËwËÍjË-~ÄËxÄË?ajËÖ¬ËÄÞË?aË
three respectively of the top 20 films in the unadjusted
all time chart. James Bond titles scored two in the top 20.
VËË.j¶ÖjÄË?aËwÁ?WÄjËxÄË?ajËÖ¬Ë¤ÉËwËÍjËÍ¬ËÔå±VËË jÜjËwËÍjËÍ¬ËÔåËxÄËÝjÁjË2Ê2.ËW?MÁ?ÍÄ±VËË0ÁÍjjËwËÍjËÍ¬ËÔåËxÄËÝjÁjËM?ÄjaËËÄÍÁjÄË?aË
characters created by UK writers.

1

2

3.1 All time top 20 films at the UK box office3

In the absence of admissions data on individual films, top films can only be measured in terms of earnings at thebox office. Inflation is a key factor affecting earnings and this needs to be borne in mind against some of the figures
quoted in this chapter (however, some figures are adjusted for inflation). Most of this chapter relates to actual box
office receipts from 1989 onwards so can be categorised as all time top films since it is unlikely that anything
produced before 1989 will have earned more in nominal terms.
Avatar became the highest grossing film of all time at the UK box office, earning over £91 million by 4 April 2010.
One other film released in 2009 appears in the list of the top 20 films of all time at the UK box office – Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince. The list, shown in Table 3.1, is dominated by franchise movies, including six Harry Potter
titles and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In fact, only four of the top 20 are neither sequels nor franchise titles,
namely Avatar, Mamma Mia!, Titanic and The Full Monty. Eleven of the top 20 films are UK/USA collaborations
and the importance of UK creative talent to the global film industry is underlined by the presence of no fewer
than 13 films based on stories and characters created by UK writers.
Table 3.1 All time top 20 films at the UK box office

4

5

6

7

8
Countryof origin

UK boxoffice total(£ million)

UK distributor

Year ofreleaseUSA
UK/USAUSA
UK/USA
USA/NZ
USA/NZ
USA/NZ
UK/USA/Czech
UK/USAUSA
UK/USAUSA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USAUSA
USA
UK/USA

83.27
69.17
69.03
66.10
63.00
61.06
57.60
55.60
54.78
52.52
52.23
51.06
51.07
50.72
49.43
49.20
49.07
48.10
47.89
46.08

20th Century Fox
Universal
20th Century Fox
Warner Bros
Entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment
Sony Pictures
Warner Bros
Buena Vista
20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Sony Pictures
Warner Bros
Warner Bros
Warner Bros
Warner Bros
UIP
UIP
Warner Bros

2009
2008
1998
2001
2001
2003
2002
2006
2002
2006
1997
1999
2008
2009
2007
2005
2008
2004
1993
2004

9

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Note: Figures have not been inflation adjusted.
Box office gross = cumulative total up to 21 February 2010. At 4 April 2010 Avatar had grossed £91.4 million.
Films with an asterisk (*) were still on release on 21 February 2010.
Based on box office data for 1989–2009. The table is titled all time because, with price inflation, it is unlikely that any films before 1989 will have earned more in nominal terms.

17

Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Avatar*Mamma Mia!
Titanic
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Casino Royale
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
The Full MontyStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Quantum of Solace
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireThe Dark Knight
Shrek 2Jurassic Park
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

18

19

20

Image: Avatar ©2009, Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved

Chapter 3: Top films of all time at the UK box office – 21

21

3.2 Inflation-adjusted top 20 films at the UK box office
Table 3.2 shows an inflation-adjusted box office chart based on films released in the UK since 1975 (when coverageof leading titles begins). Even after adjusting the figures for inflation, Avatar is the highest grossing film of all timeat the UK box office with £91 million (up to 4 April 2010) in 2008/09 terms, with Titanic slipping to second placewith £88 million. Avatar was still on release on 4 April 2010, so its final gross will be higher than shown in Table 3.2.
The first of three Harry Potter films is at number three, with the franchise’s first outing Harry Potter and thePhilosopher’s Stone earning the equivalent of £79.8 million. All three Lord of the Rings films make the chart, withThe Fellowship of the Ring in fourth place (£76 million). In fifth place is Mamma Mia!, the highest grossing film of
2008, with an inflation-adjusted gross of £70.9 million. Three classic releases from the 1970s remain in the top 20:
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) is at number six with adjusted revenues of £70 million, the original Star Wars (1977)
appears at number 11 with £65.8 million and Grease (1978) is at 14 with £61 million.
Table 3.2 Top 20 highest grossing films at the UK box office (inflation adjusted1)

Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

AvatarTitanic
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Mamma Mia!
Jaws
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Jurassic ParkThe Full Monty
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Star Wars
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
GreaseCasino Royale
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial
Toy Story 2
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Shrek 2

Source: UK Film Council RSU analysis of Rentrak EDI data.
1. The 2008/09 £ calculated using the UK GDP deflator (HMT).
*The box office gross for Avatar is to 4 April 2010; it was still on release at that time.

22 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Countryof origin

UK boxoffice total(2008/09£ million)

UK distributor

Year ofreleaseUSA
USA
UK/USA
USA/NZ
UK/USAUSA
USA/NZUSA
UK/USA
USA/NZUSA
UK/USAUSA
USA
UK/USA/Cze
USA
USA
USA
UK/USA
USA

91.4*
88.0
79.8
76.0
70.9
70.0
69.4
69.3
68.0
67.3
65.8
64.0
63.8
60.6
58.6
55.4
55.2
54.7
53.4
53.4

20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Warner Bros
Entertainment
Universal
UIPEntertainment
UIP
20th Century Fox
Entertainment
20th Century Fox
Warner Bros
20th Century Fox
UIPSony Pictures
Buena Vista
UIP
Walt Disney
Warner Bros
UIP

2009
1998
2001
2001
2008
1975
2003
1993
1997
2002
1977
2002
1999
1978
2006
2006
1982
2000
2005
2004

1

2

3.3 All time top 20 UK films at the UK box office3

The list of the all time top 20 UK films is dominated by inward investment features, with British talent, infrastructure
and locations supported by US studio investment (Table 3.3). All six Harry Potter films feature in the top 20, together
with three titles from the James Bond franchise.

4

Table 3.3 All time top 20 UK films at the UK box office5Countryof origin

UK boxoffice total(£ million)

UK distributor

Year ofrelease

UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA/Cze
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USAUK
UK/USA
UK/USA

69.17
66.10
55.60
54.78
52.23
51.07
50.72
49.43
49.20
49.07
46.08
42.01
37.46
36.80
36.06
36.00
32.01
31.66
31.01
30.51

Universal
Warner Bros
Sony Pictures
Warner Bros
20th Century Fox
Sony Pictures
Warner Bros
Warner Bros
Warner Bros
Warner Bros
Warner Bros
UIP
Warner Bros
UIP
20th Century Fox
UIP
UIP
Pathé
Universal
Sony Pictures

2008
2001
2006
2002
1997
2008
2009
2007
2005
2008
2004
2001
2005
2003
2002
2004
2005
2009
1999
2006

6

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Note: Figures have not been inflation adjusted.
Based on box office data for 1989–2009. The table is titled all time because, with price inflation, it is unlikely that any films before 1989 will have earned more in nominal terms.

14

Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Mamma Mia!
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Casino Royale
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Full Monty
Quantum of Solace
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireThe Dark Knight
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Love Actually
Die Another Day
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Slumdog Millionaire
Notting Hill
The Da Vinci Code

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 3: Top films of all time at the UK box office – 23

21

3.4 All time top 20 independent UK films at the UK box office
Table 3.4 highlights the all time top earning independent (that is, made without US major studio involvement)
UK titles. The highest grossing independent British film was Slumdog Millionaire (£31.7 million) followed by
Four Weddings and a Funeral (£27.8 million) and Trainspotting (£12.4 million). Each of the top nine UK independentfilms earned more than £10 million at the UK box office, and all the top 20 UK independent films earned in excessof £5 million.
Table 3.4 All time top 20 independent UK films at the UK box office
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Slumdog Millionaire
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Trainspotting
St Trinian’s
Gosford Park
Bend it Like Beckham
Run, Fat Boy, Run
Kevin & Perry Go Large
East is East
The Queen
Valiant
The Duchess
St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold
Waking Ned
Miss Potter
Stormbreaker
The Constant Gardener
The Magic Roundabout
Nativity
Bride and PrejudiceCountryof origin

UK boxoffice total(£ million)

UK distributor

Year ofrelease

UK
UK
UK
UK
UK/USA#
UK/Ger
UK/USA#
UK
UK
UK/Fra/Ita
UK/USA#
UK/Fra/Ita
UK
UK/Fra/USA#
UK/USA#
UK/Ger/USA#
UK/Ger/USA#
UK/FraUK
UK/USA#

31.66
27.76
12.43
12.28
12.26
11.55
11.02
10.46
10.37
9.42
8.52
7.12
7.07
7.06
6.95
6.82
6.22
5.96
5.20
5.18

Pathé
CarltonPolygram
Entertainment
Entertainment
Lions Gate
Entertainment
Icon
Film Four
PathéEntertainment
PathéEntertainment
20th Century Fox
MomentumEntertainment
UIP
Pathé
E1 Films
Pathé

2009
1994
1996
2007
2002
2002
2007
2000
1999
2006
2005
2008
2009
1999
2007
2006
2005
2005
2009
2004

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Note: Figures have not been inflation adjusted.
Based on box office data for 1989–2009. The table is titled all time because, with price inflation, it is unlikely that any films before 1989 will have earned more in nominal terms.
#Gosford Park, Run, Fat Boy, Run, Valiant, Waking Ned, Miss Potter, Stormbreaker, The Constant Gardener and Bride and Prejudice were made with independent (nonstudio) US support.

P
For top films in 2009 see Chapter 2 (page 15)
For more on UK talent see Chapter 7 (page 52)

24 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Chapter 4:
è"$2")$ !%)66&×!)0&$

ç&$"-)O."26"$+4)7& "
choice of styles, genres)$ 6/+"!06:ç-" 4&6
consistently the UK’s favourite."$2"N0),&$.)×*0#*0#"
3*×!"&$F88D:2"×%-6
7"2"!%)66&×" h9Eg0#)$)$4
0#"2!%)66&×!)0&$N/0h9Fg
×%-60,0#"%)2."606&$.%"
6#)2"*0#"3*×!":

Facts in focusVËË jaß^ËÍÁ?aÍ?ßË¬¬Ö?ÁËÝÍË?ËMÁ?aËÄ¬jWÍÁÖË
of audiences, accounted for 24% of releases and 20%of the box office.
VËË Á??Ë?WWÖÍjaËwÁËÍjËÄjWaË~jÄÍË¬Á¬ÁÍËof releases (21%) but shared only 7% of the box office.
VËË.WjWjËxWÍ^ËWÖa~ËÍjËÁjWÁaËMÁj?~ËAvatar,
took more money per site on average than other genres.
VËË0jË~jÁjË¬?ÍÍjÁËwË2ËxÄË?aË2Ëaj¬jajÍËxÄË
was broadly similar to that of all films on release but
there were differences in the patterns of box office bygenre. Amongst UK independent films, drama took
most at the box office.
VËË ÁjËxÄËÝjÁjËÁjj?ÄjaËÝÍË?Ë½¤y¾ËW?ÄÄxW?ÍËÍ?Ë
any other category (44% of all releases) though ‘12A’
films took the largest share of the box office (42% of
total box office).

4.1 Genre
For statistical purposes, the Research and Statistics Unit assigns a primary genre to every film released in the UK in
2009. This is not meant to be prescriptive but helps gauge the relative popularity of different genres on a consistentbasis from year to year. The list of genres is based on conventions commonly used within the industry and by
published sources such as the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
The full list of genres and classification of each title released in the UK and Ireland in 2009 is available on our website(www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/genre).

4.1.1 Genre of all film releases
Table 4.1 indicates the relative popularity of different genres at the box office in the UK and Republic of Irelandin 2009. Comedy was once again the top grossing genre (earning £223.3 million), followed by animation(£160.0 million) and action (£147.2 million). The top two films of 2009 at the UK box office, the record breaking
Avatar and the very successful Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince helped the science fiction and fantasy genres
to fourth and sixth places in the list of highest grossing genres. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince accounted
for three-quarters of the total box office of all fantasy genre films. Despite having the second largest proportionof releases (21%), drama films shared only 7% of the box office gross.
Table 4.1 Films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2009, ranked by gross box office
Numberof releases% of allreleases

Gross box office(£ million)% of total
box office

ComedyAnimation
ActionSci-fiDrama
Fantasy
HorrorCrime
Romance
Family

121
14
55
9
104
6
35
32
10
2

24.1
2.8
10.9
1.8
20.7
1.2
7.0
6.4
2.0
0.4

223.3
160.0
147.2
133.8
77.9
67.6
66.7
40.6
38.0
36.7

19.8
14.2
13.1
11.9
6.9
6.0
5.9
3.6
3.4
3.3

Thriller
Adventure
BiopicMusicalWar
DocumentaryWestern
Total

19
9
19
5
5
57
1
503

3.8
1.8
3.8
1.0
1.0
11.3
0.2
100.0

33.7
33.2
22.7
20.7
12.5
12.0
<0.1
1,126.7

3.0
2.9
2.0
1.8
1.1
1.1
<0.1
100.0

Genre

Top performing title

The Hangover
Ice Age III
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
AvatarSlumdog Millionaire
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Final Destination
Gran Torino
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2:
The Squeakquel
Angels and DemonsNight at the Museum 2
The Young Victoria
Fame
Inglourious Basterds
Michael Jackson’s This Is It
Once upon a Time in the West

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.

Three of the top performing films by genre originated in the UK, demonstrating the variety of story types ofsuccessful British films (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Slumdog Millionaire and The Young Victoria).

26 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Image: Inglourious Basterds © 2009 Universal Studios.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo by Francois Duhamel

1

2

The pattern of genres ranked by the average number of sites at the widest point of release (WPR) is shown in Table
4.2. The top genre by WPR in 2009 was family. This is the same as in 2007, but science fiction, 2008’s top genre,
is fourth in the present list, despite the influence of Avatar. In 2009 the average WPR for family films was 476 sites.
This average is based on just two films however, Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel which had a WPR
of 492, and G-Force with a WPR of 459. The film with the widest release at WPR in 2009 was Harry Potter and theHalf-Blood Prince, with 586 sites. Documentary continued to have a low average number of sites at WPR, but 2009’s
average of 20 is almost double 2008’s average of 11. Western is shown as the genre with the lowest average
number of sites at WPR, but this is based on a limited showing (two cinemas) of the 1968 film Once upon a Timein the West.

FamilyAnimation
FantasySci-fiMusicalAdventure
HorrorActionBiopicRomance
ComedyWar
CrimeThriller
Drama
DocumentaryWestern
Total

4

5

6

Table 4.2 Films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2009,
ranked by average widest point of release
Genre

3

Average numberof sites at widest
point of release

Number of
releasesGrossbox office(£ million)

476
357
349
296
268
253
158
156
144
137
135
128
114
110
48
20
2
122

2
14
6
9
5
9
35
55
19
10
121
5
32
19
104
57
1
503

36.7
160.0
67.6
133.8
20.7
33.2
66.7
147.2
22.7
38.0
223.3
12.5
40.6
33.7
77.9
12.0
<0.1
1,126.7

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 4: Genre and classification – 27

21

Table 4.3 demonstrates what the different genres generated in box office revenues per site, which gives a good
indication of performance in the market while controlling for the size of release. Science fiction tops this list, mainly
due to Avatar. A high percentage of the sites screening Avatar showed it on 3D screens, which attract premium
prices. Comedy, which took the largest slice of box office overall, is much lower placed when the average WPR
is taken into account, indicating a long tail of less able performers.
Table 4.3 Films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2009,
ranked by average box office gross per site
Genre

Averagebox office
per site (£)

Grossbox office(£ million)

Total sites

Sci-fi
FamilyFantasy
Animation
RomanceWar
ActionThriller
DramaMusicalAdventure
Western
ComedyHorrorCrime
Documentary
BiopicTotal

50,13638,54332,31432,02727,647
19,55817,196
16,173
15,473
15,45814,561
14,276
13,627
12,052
11,118
10,407
8,277
18,319

113.8
36.7
67.6
160.0
38.0
12.5
147.2
33.7
77.9
20.7
33.2
<0.1
223.3
66.7
40.6
12.0
22.7
1,126.7

2,668
951
2,092
4,995
1,374
641
8,559
2,085
5,036
1,342
2,280
2
16,388
5,535
3,656
1,155
2,745
61,504

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.
Total sites = number of releases multiplied by average number of sites at widest point of release.

4.1.2 Genre of UK and UK independent film releases
Looking at the genres of UK films and UK independent films released in 2009 we see similar rankings to those for
all films released for percentages of releases by genre, but differences in share of box office by genre (Figures 4.1
and 4.2). Comedy, drama and documentary occupied the top three places for numbers of releases for UK,
UK independent and all film releases. For all releases comedy was clearly the genre with the greatest proportion of
releases while for both UK and UK independent films drama was the top genre. However, when looking at box officeby genre, there are notable differences between the three categories. For all films, comedy was the top earning
genre (20% of the total box office for all films), while the box office success of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princeand Slumdog Millionaire made fantasy (with 30% of the total box office for UK films) the highest earning category
for UK films, and drama (45% of the box office for UK independent films) the highest earning genre for UK
independent films. Comedy accounted for 12% of the box office for UK films and 18% of the box office for UK
independent films. For all films, drama and fantasy accounted for 7% and 6% of the total box office respectively.
Avatar’s record breaking box office gross contributed to the science fiction genre taking 12% of the total box office
for all films, whereas science fiction films accounted for only 0.7% of the total box office for UK films and 1.4% of
the total box office for UK independent films (Tables 4.1, 4.4 and 4.5).

28 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 4.4 UK films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2009, ranked by gross box office
Genre

Fantasy
Drama
ActionComedyAnimation
BiopicCrime
MusicalRomance
HorrorSci-fiThriller
Documentary
War
Total

Number of
releases%of all releases

Grossbox office(£ million)

4
26
8
18
3
8
5
2
4
11
1
9
13
1
113

3.5
23.0
7.1
15.9
2.7
7.1
4.4
1.8
3.5
9.7
0.9
8.0
11.5
0.9
100.0

55.7
42.8
26.7
23.1
14.0
10.5
4.6
3.5
2.6
1.6
1.3
0.9
0.4
0.3
188.0

%
of totalbox office

29.6
22.8
14.2
12.3
7.4
5.6
2.5
1.9
1.5
0.8
0.7
0.5
0.2
0.2
100.0

3

Top performing title

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Slumdog Millionaire
Sherlock Holmes
St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Young Victoria
Harry Brown
Nine
Last Chance Harvey
Tormented
Moon
Triangle
Age of Stupid
Glorious 39

4

5

6

7

8

9

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

10

UK fantasy films returned to top the chart in 2009 (Table 4.4), as was predicted in section 4.1.2 of our Yearbook
2009. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’s gross of £50.7 million was itself more than the total gross for any
other genre, and helped the total gross for the fantasy genre to £55.7 million. Drama had more releases thanany other genre, and is second in the list, but 74% of the genre’s total box office was contributed by Slumdog
Millionaire’s gross of £31.7 million.

11

Action was the third highest earning genre, mainly due to the success of Sherlock Holmes. Also contributing
to the total gross for this genre were three re-released James Bond films, Dr No, From Russia with Love and
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Comedy was the fourth highest earning genre, down from third in 2008, but with the same share of the total box
office from fewer releases. In 2009 UK comedy films earned 12% of the total box office from 18 releases while in2008 the comedy genre earned 12% of the total box office from 25 releases. The highest-grossing UK comedy of2009 was St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold at £7.1 million compared with Angus, Thongs and Perfect
Snogging at £5.5 million in 2008. For all films, comedy was the highest earning genre and hence contributed ahigher percentage of the box office for all films (19%) than for UK films (12%) (see Tables 4.1 and 4.4).

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 4: Genre and classification – 29

21

Table 4.5 UK independent films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2009,
ranked by gross box office
Genre

Drama
ComedyBiopicFantasy
Animation
Crime
MusicalRomanceSci-fiThriller
ActionHorrorDocumentary
War
Total

Number of
releases%of all releases

Grossbox office(£ million)%of totalbox office

24
17
7
3
2
5
2
4
1
9
4
9
12
1
100

24.0
17.0
7.0
3.0
2.0
5.0
2.0
4.0
1.0
9.0
4.0
9.0
12.0
1.0
100.0

42.0
16.9
8.2
5.0
5.0
4.6
3.5
2.6
1.3
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.4
0.3
92.4

45.4
18.2
8.9
5.4
5.4
5.0
3.8
2.8
1.4
1.0
1.0
0.9
0.4
0.3
100.0

Top performing title

Slumdog Millionaire
St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s GoldThe Young Victoria
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
Planet 51
Harry Brown
Nine
Last Chance Harvey
Moon
Triangle
Dead Man Running
Tormented
Age of Stupid
Glorious 39

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

In 2009, 113 UK films were released and of these 100 were UK independent films. Because of the small number of
non-independent UK films there are only small differences in the proportions of releases by genre. However, becausesome of the non-independent UK films, such as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Sherlock Holmes, hadconsiderable success at the box office, there are differences in the percentages of box office takings by genre.
Drama was the most popular genre for UK independent films. The £42 million earned by films of this genre
represented 45% of the total box office of all UK independent films. This is largely due to the success of Slumdog
Millionaire which grossed £31.7 million. Comedy was the second highest earning genre with 18% of the total
box office. Comedy included the second and third highest grossing UK independent films of 2009, St Trinian’s 2:
The Legend of Fritton’s Gold (£7.1 million) and Nativity (£5.2 million).
Biopic was the third highest earning genre for UK independent films. The Young Victoria’s gross of £5.1 million
accounted for 62% of the total for this genre, which also included Nowhere Boy, the film about the early adolescentyears of John Lennon. Biopics contributed 9% of the total gross of all UK independent films in 2009. This compareswith 6% for UK films and just 2% for all films (see Tables 4.1, 4.4 and 4.5).
Dramas, biopics, horrors and thrillers formed a higher proportion of UK and UK independent film releases than of all
films released in the UK in 2009. Comedy and action were the genres that were slightly under-represented in UK and
UK independent films, compared with all films released in the UK in 2009. The biggest difference in the proportionsof films released by genre between UK and UK independent films is in the action genre. Eight UK action films werereleased in 2009, and only four of these were independent films.

30 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Figure 4.1 Proportion of box office by genre for all films, UK films and UK independent films, 20093

% of box office
50

4

40
30

5

20
6

er
n

ar

W

es
t

le
ril
Th

W

r

i
i-f
Sc

an
Ro

m

us
M

ce

al
ic

or
rr
Ho

y
Fa

nt
as

ily
m
Fa

a

7

Do

cu

m

Dr

am

ta
r

y

e

en

Cr
im

ed
y
Co
m

op
ic
Bi

at
io

n

e
im

nt
ur

An

Ad
ve

Ac
tio

0

n

10

All films

13.1

2.9

14.2

2.0

19.8

3.6

1.1

6.9

3.3

6.0

5.9

1.8

3.4

11.9

3.0

1.1

0.0

UK films

14.2

0.0

7.4

5.6

12.3

2.5

0.2

22.8

0.0

29.6

0.8

1.9

1.4

0.7

0.5

0.2

0.0

UK independent
films

1.0

0.0

5.4

8.9

18.2

5.0

0.4

45.4

0.0

5.4

0.9

3.8

2.8

1.4

1.0

0.3

0.0

8

9

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
10

Figure 4.2 Proportion of releases by genre for all films, UK films and UK independent films, 2009
% of releases
30

11

25
12

20
15

13

10
5
rn

W

es

te

ar
W

le
r
Th
ril

i
Sc
i-f

an
ce

Ro

m

ic
al
M
us

or
Ho
rr

nt
as
y
Fa

ily

a
am

Fa
m

um

Dr

en
t

ar

y

e
im
Cr

ed
y
m

15

Do
c

Co

ic
Bi
op

io
n
at

An

im

nt
ur
e

Ad

ve

Ac
t

io
n

14
0

All films

10.9

1.8

2.8

3.8

24.1

6.4

11.3

20.7

0.4

1.2

7.0

1.0

2.0

1.8

3.8

1.0

0.2

UK films

7.1

0.0

2.7

7.1

15.9

4.4

11.5

23.0

0.0

3.5

9.7

1.8

3.5

0.9

8.0

0.9

0.0

UK independent
films

4.0

0.0

2.0

7.0

17.0

5.0

12.0

24.0

0.0

3.0

9.0

2.0

4.0

1.0

9.0

1.0

0.0

16

17

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.

18

19

20

Chapter 4: Genre and classification – 31

21

4.2 BBFC classification
All films in the UK must carry a classification indicating their suitability for exhibition in premises licensed forcinematic exhibition by local authorities. The BBFC classifies the majority of films for theatrical release, although local
authorities may grant their own classification if they decide to.
The symbols used by the BBFC, and their meanings, are given in Table 4.6.
Table 4.6 BBFC film classifications
U (Universal)
PG (Parental Guidance)
12A
15
18

Suitable for all
General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children
No-one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adultNo-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema

Source: BBFC website.

4.2.1 Releases and box office by classification
Table 4.7 provides a picture of how 2009 releases were classified. It shows that, as in previous years, more ‘15’ films
were released than any other category (44% of all releases, up from 37% in 2008) although they accounted fora smaller proportion of the gross box office (22%). The largest share of gross box office was earned by ‘12A’ films(42%). This was slightly less than the proportion earned by ‘12A’ films in 2008 (45%), and there was also a slightdecrease in the proportion of ‘12A’ certified films released, down from 28% to 24%.
Table 4.7 Releases in UK and Republic of Ireland by BBFC film classification, 2009
BBFC classification

Number of
releases%of releases

Grossbox office(£ million)%of grossbox office

24
72
122
223
49
13
503

4.8
14.3
24.3
44.3
9.7
2.6
100.0

131.0
204.2
469.0
248.9
73.6
0.1
1,126.7

11.6
18.1
41.6
22.1
6.5
0.0
100.0

U
PG
12A
15
18
No classification
Total

Top performing title

Ice Age III
Monsters vs. Aliens
AvatarSlumdog Millionaire
Brüno
Objectified

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.
Note: ‘No classification’ means no classification issued for theatrical release. Some of these films have a classification for video release.

Table 4.8 shows how 2009 releases of UK films were classified, and Table 4.9 shows how releases of UK independentfilms were classified. The proportions of films released by BBFC classification were broadly similar for all films, UKfilms and for UK independent films. The one notable difference was a higher proportion of ‘18’ films than ‘PG’ films
for UK independent films, whereas the reverse was true for all films and for UK films. However, because of the highearning international and UK non-independent films there were differences in box office takings by classification
between UK independent films and the others, all films and UK films (Figure 4.3). For all films and UK films thehighest earning classification was ‘12A’ (42% of the total box office for all films and 48% of the total box office for
UK films), whereas for UK independent films the highest earning classification was ‘15’ (51% of the total box office).
Avatar, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Sherlock Holmes were ‘12A’ films. All three contributed to thedifference between all films and UK independent films while the last two had a major impact on the difference
between UK films and UK independent films (see Tables 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9).

32 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 4.8 Releases of UK films in UK and Republic of Ireland by BBFC film classification, 2009
BBFC classification

Number of
releases%of releases

Grossbox office(£ million)

8
14
22
52
13
4
113

7.1
12.4
19.5
46.0
11.5
3.5
100.0

11.3
23.3
90.9
55.4
7.1
0.0
188.0

U
PG
12A
15
18
No classification
Total%of grossbox office

6.0
12.4
48.4
29.5
3.8
0.0
100.0

3

Top performing title

Nativity
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Slumdog Millionaire
Harry Brown
In Search of Beethoven

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.
Note: ‘No classification’ means no classification issued for theatrical release. Some of these films have a classification for video release.

BBFC classification%of releases

Grossbox office(£ million)%of grossbox office

8
8
20
49
11
4
100

8.0
8.0
20.0
49.0
11.0
4.0
100.0

11.3
14.2
14.5
46.9
5.6
0.0
92.4

12.2
15.3
15.6
50.8
6.0
0.0
100.0

U
PG
12A
15
18
No classification
Total

5

6

7

Table 4.9 Releases of UK independent films in UK and Republic of Ireland by BBFC film classification, 2009
Number of
releases4

Top performing title

Nativity
St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s GoldThe Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
Slumdog Millionaire
Harry Brown
In Search of Beethoven

8

9

10

11

12

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.
Note: ‘No classification’ means no classification issued for theatrical release. Some of these films have a classification for video release.
13

Figure 4.3 Percentage of gross box office by BBFC film classification for all films,
UK films and UK independent films, 200914

% of gross box office
60
50

15

40

16

30
20
10

0

17
U

PG

12A

15

18

All films

11.6

18.1

41.6

22.1

6.5

UK films

6.0

12.4

48.4

29.5

3.8

UK independent
films

12.2

15.3

15.6

50.8

6.0

18

19

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.
Note: Category ‘12A’ includes those films that were given the ‘12’ classification before 2003. The ‘12’ classification was superseded by ‘12A’ for films showing
at the cinema in August 2002. The first film given a ‘12A’ classification was The Bourne Identity.

Chapter 4: Genre and classification – 33

20

21

There has been some gradual change in the proportions of films by classification over the last nine years, as shownin Figure 4.4. The proportion of the most common ‘15’ classification fell slightly below its average 40% mark in 2008
but then increased to 44% in 2009. Until 2008 a slow decline in the ‘PG’ classification was compensated by the
gentle rise of the ‘12A’ classification, but in 2009 the increase in the proportion of films released with a ‘15’
classification has seen a compensating decrease in the proportion of ‘12A’ films.
Figure 4.4 Percentage of releases in UK and Republic of Ireland by film classification, 2001–2009% of releases
50
40
30
20
10
2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

U

7.0

8.0

5.2

6.0

6.2

5.7

5.2

5.9

4.8

PG

19

23

16.1

18

17.1

14.9

15.9

14.6

14.3

0

2009

12A

18

20

26

26.4

24.8

27.5

25.4

28.5

24.3

15

40

40

40.4

39

37.3

38.8

40.1

36.6

44.3

18

15

9

12.1

8.6

10.7

9.1

9.1

9.7

9.7

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, RSU analysis.
See note to Figure 4.3.

The shares of box office by film classification vary widely from year to year as demonstrated in Figure 4.5. However,the box office ranking of the classifications has remained fairly constant over time, the top earner being ‘12A’, with‘U’ and ‘18’ consistently being the lowest earners, and ‘PG’ and ‘15’ exchanging second and third places over theyears. In 2007 and 2008 films in the ‘PG’ category earned more at the box office than those in the ‘15’ category,
but this was reversed in 2009 with the ‘15’ films increasing their share of the box office to 22% and ‘PG’ films
reducing their share to 18%.

34 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Figure 4.5 Percentage of gross box office of releases in UK and Republic of Ireland by film classification, 2001–2009% of gross box office

3

50
4

40
30

5

20
6

10
0
U

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

10.2

13.4

10.4

16.6

16.7

13.9

11.8

8.4

11.6

PG

28.8

22.4

11.8

23.3

19

15.2

24.2

21.4

18.1

12A

30.3

39.8

42.4

28.2

40.4

43.9

34.7

44.8

41.6

15

23.5

21.1

29.2

26.6

19.9

21.2

23.7

20.0

22.1

18

7.3

3.6

6.3

5.2

3.8

5.7

5.5

5.4

6.5

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.
See note to Figure 4.3.

10

Table 4.10 gives the top 10 ‘U’ classified films in 2009. Animation is the genre represented most in the table withfour out of 10 titles (traditionally aimed at the youngest audiences for whom a ‘U’ classification is preferable).
Three of the 10 films came from the UK, one more than last year.

11

Table 4.10 Top 10 ‘U’ classified films, 2009

Ice Age III
Up
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2:
The Squeakquel
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hotel for Dogs
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Nativity
Planet 51
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
The Secret of Moonacre

89

4.2.2 Top films by classification

Title

7

12
Countryof origin

Grossbox office(£ million)

Distributor

Genre

USA
USA

35.0
34.6

20th Century Fox
DisneyAnimation
Animation

USA
USA
USA/GerUSA
UK
UK/SpaUSA
UK/Hungary/Fra

23.2
8.5
7.2
6.5
5.2
4.9
3.7
0.9

20th Century Fox
DisneyParamountSony Pictures
E1 Films
Entertainment
DisneyWarner Bros

FamilyMusicalComedyAnimation
ComedyAnimation
ComedyFantasy

13

14

15

16

17

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.

The top 10 performing ‘PG’ classified films also included four animations (Table 4.11). Four of the films in this list,
Monsters vs. Aliens, A Christmas Carol, Bolt and G-Force, were shown in 3D, with the 3D gross for all four films beinga significant percentage of the total gross. The top 10 ‘PG’ films also included 2009’s top documentary, MichaelJackson’s This Is It. Only one of the top 10 films came from the UK, compared with three last year.

18

19

20

Chapter 4: Genre and classification – 35

21

Table 4.11 Top 10 ‘PG’ classified films, 2009
Title

Monsters vs. Aliens
A Christmas CarolNight at the Museum 2
Bolt
Marley & Me
G-ForceMichael Jackson’s This Is It
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fame
Confessions of a ShopaholicCountryof origin

Grossbox office(£ million)

Distributor

Genre

USA
USA
USA/Can
USA
USA
USA
USA
UK/USA
USA
USA

21.4
20.2
20.0
17.9
15.3
13.5
9.8
9.0
8.8
8.3

Paramount
Disney20th Century Fox
Disney20th Century Fox
DisneySony Pictures
20th Century Fox
Entertainment
DisneyAnimation
Animation
Adventure
Animation
ComedyFamilyDocumentary
Animation
MusicalComedySource: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.

The top ‘12A’ film in 2009 was the record breaking Avatar followed by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Table
4.12). The top ‘12A’ films therefore include the top two highest grossing films released in 2009. Action is the genre
represented most in the table with four out of 10 titles, followed by science fiction with three titles. Two of the top
10 films came from the UK, the same number as last year.
Table 4.12 Top 10 ‘12A’ classified films, 2009
Title

AvatarHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Sherlock Holmes
Star Trek
2012
Angels and Demons
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Terminator Salvation

Countryof origin

Grossbox office(£ million)

Distributor

Genre

USA
UK/USAUSA
USA
UK/USA
USA/Ger
USA
USA
USA
USA

83.3
50.7
27.5
27.1
25.7
21.4
19.5
18.8
16.3
14.2

20th Century Fox
Warner Bros
E1 Films
Paramount
Warner Bros
ParamountSony Pictures
Sony Pictures
20th Century Fox
Sony Pictures

Sci-fi
Fantasy
Romance
ActionActionSci-fiActionThriller
ActionSci-fi

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.

By definition, ‘15’ classified films contain stronger material than the younger categories. Depending on the type offilm they are likely to involve more adult-oriented themes, comedy, crime and language. This is reflected in the top
10, where the horror and crime genres account for half of the films in the list (Table 4.13). The ‘15’ category films
were topped by the UK independent drama Slumdog Millionaire, followed by the comedy The Hangover. Only two
films in this list are comedies, compared with five last year. Two of the top 10 films came from the UK, comparedwith just one last year.

36 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 4.13 Top 10 ‘15’ classified films, 2009
Title

Slumdog Millionaire
The Hangover
The Final Destination
Paranormal Activity
District 9
Role Models
Gran Torino
Public Enemies
Drag Me to Hell
Knowing

3
Countryof origin

Grossbox office(£ million)

Distributor

Genre

UK
USA
USA
USA
USA/NZ
USA/Ger
USA/Aus
USA
USA
USA/UK

31.7
22.1
12.8
10.0
9.0
8.4
8.3
7.0
6.9
6.8

Pathé
Warner Bros
Entertainment
Icon
Sony Pictures
Universal
Warner Bros
Universal
Lions Gate
E1 Films

Drama
ComedyHorrorHorrorSci-fiComedyCrime
Crime
HorrorActionBecause of the challenging nature of ‘18’ classified films, which contain the strongest content, their audience appeal
is generally much narrower than other categories. The most popular genres of the top 10 titles in this category in2009 were horror, action and crime (Table 4.14). Two films, Brüno and Inglourious Basterds, broke the £10 million
barrier. In 2008, Sweeney Todd (£11 million) was the only ‘18’ film to gross more than £10 million, and before that
The Departed (£12.8 million) in 2006 was the last ‘18’ to do so. There were two UK titles (compared with three in2008) among the top 10 of this classification in 2009.

6

7

9

10

11

Table 4.14 Top 10 ‘18’ classified films, 2009

Brüno
Inglourious Basterds
Watchmen
My Bloody Valentine
Law Abiding Citizen
Saw VI
Harry Brown
Underworld 3
Friday the 13th
Crank 2: High Voltage

58Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.

Title

4

Countryof origin

Grossbox office(£ million)

Distributor

Genre

USA
USA/Ger
USA
USA
USA
Can/USA/UK/Aus
UK
USA
USA
USA

15.8
10.9
8.9
7.0
6.4
5.4
4.6
2.6
2.3
1.6

Universal
Universal
Paramount
Lions Gate
Paramount
Lions Gate
Lions Gate
Entertainment
Paramount
Lions Gate

ComedyWar
ActionHorrorCrime
HorrorCrime
ActionHorrorAction

12

13

14

15

16

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.
17

P

18

For cinema admissions and box office in 2009 see Chapter 1 (page 8)
For top foreign language films of the last decade see Chapter 5 (page 38)
For a look at cinema audiences see Chapter 14 (page 110)
For information about film classification in the UK see www.bbfc.org.uk
For more details of genre classification see www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/genre

19

20

Chapter 4: Genre and classification – 37

21

Chapter 5:"!&)%&6" ×%-6

"!&)%&6" ×%-6**"2
audiences an experience of
cinema that is very different
from mainstream commercial*)2":/!#×%-6-)4**"2)$
innovative cinematic style,engage with challenging
6/+"!0-)00"2N"&$*2"&.$
languages or portray
experiences from different
cultures. Evidence shows that
6"!&)%&6" ×%-6)2").27&$.
)6"!0*/2×%-!/%0/2":

Facts in focus
VËËÏ|ÈËÄ¬jW?ÄjaËxÄËÝjÁjËÁjj?ÄjaËËÍjË2ËËÔååË
(69% of the total) earning £173 million (15% of thetotal gross box office).
VËËÄËËÔoËawwjÁjÍË?~Ö?~jÄË®WÖa~Ë ~Ä¯Ëwere released in the UK in 2009.
VËË¤É¤ËwÁj~Ë?~Ö?~jËxÄË?ajËÖ¬ËÏÔ°ËwËÍÍ?Ë
releases, but shared just 2% of the UK box office.
VËËaËÝ?ÄËÍjËÄÍËwÁj¶ÖjÍËwÁj~Ë?~Ö?~jËËÍjÁÄË
of the number of releases, with 3 Idiots and Love Aaj Kalbeing the two most popular Hindi films.
VËËyÉËaWÖjÍ?ÁßËxÄËÝjÁjËÁjj?Äja^Ë?WWÖÍ~ËwÁË
11% of releases but only 1% of the gross box office.
VËËÔÉËW?ÄÄWË?aË?ÁWÜjËxÄËÝjÁjËÁjÁjj?ÄjaË®y°ËwË
the total), accounting for 0.2% of the box office.

12

5.1 Specialised films at the UK box office in 20093

The UK Film Council’s definition of ‘specialised’ is broad and relates to those films that do not sit easily within amainstream and highly commercial genre. Many are from the independent production sector (although they may
be handled by a mainstream, studio-based distributor) or are made with a low production budget (compared toa studio production) and may focus more on script and character than on effects and star names. They may be
expected to appeal to a narrower audience segment than mainstream films.

4

5

Specifically, the UK Film Council considers most subtitled foreign language films, documentaries and archive/classic
films to be specialised. For films that do not fall into these categories, other criteria are applied and consideration
is given to films that are less easy to define as a particular genre or that deal with challenging and complex subject
matter. For more information on the UK Film Council’s definition of specialised film, and to access the specialised
film database, see www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/specialisedfilms.

6

In total, 347 specialised films were released in 2009, representing 69% of the total number of UK theatrical releases
last year. These films grossed £173 million, just over 15% of total box office earnings (Table 5.1).

7

Table 5.1 Specialised* films in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009

8

Type

Foreign language
Documentaries
Re-releases
Other specialised films
All specialised films**

Number of
releases

Share ofreleases (%)

Grossbox office(£ million)

Share ofgross box
office (%)

Averagewidest pointof release

161
56
26
117
347

32
11
5
23
69

25.6
12.0
2.7
133.1
173.1

2.3
1.1
0.2
11.8
15.4

18
21
25
83
41

Source: Nielsen EDI data, RSU analysis.
*‘Specialised’ as identified by the UK Film Council and listed in the specialised films database as at 11 March 2010.
For more information visit www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/specialisedfilmsdb.
**Note that because of some overlap of categories (eg a film can be categorised as foreign language and as a documentary) the total refers to the number of specialised
films, not the sum total of the categories in the table.

A 10-year analysis of specialised film releases and market
share is shown in Figure 5.1. Applying the UK Film
Council definition of specialised film retrospectively
to films released prior to 2003 (when the Prints andAdvertising Fund was established) we can see that
almost six in every 10 films released at the UK box officefrom 2000–2002 were specialised. The figure has grownsteadily from a low point of 51% in 2003 to 69% lastyear. Market share increased from 8% in 2008 to over
15% in 2009, due largely to the strong performance offilms such as Slumdog Millionaire, Inglourious Basterds,
Michael Jackson’s This Is It and The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button.

Figure 5.1 Specialised films 2000–2009

10

11

12

13

Percentage of releases and market share
70.0
60.0

14

50.0
15

40.0
30.0

16
20.0
10.0
0

17
00

01

05

02

03

04

Specialised
57.7 58.2 58.0
films as % of
total releases

50.5

55.4 55.7 58.8 64.4 66.6 69.0

7.6

5.1

9.8

Market shareof specialised
films (%)

5.9

6.4

6.5

06

8.5

07

8.0

08

8.2

09

15.4

Source: UK Film Council analysis of Rentrak EDI data.

Image: Broken Embraces courtesy of Pathé UK

9Chapter 5: Specialised films – 39

18

19

20

21

By sorting specialised films into four separate types –documentaries, foreign language films, re-releases andfilms with a distinctive genre, hook or style – we canbetter understand the patterns of specialised film
distribution over time. As Figure 5.2 shows, there has
been a steady increase in the number of theatricallyreleased feature documentaries over the last decade –from 10 in 2000 to 56 last year. The number ofre-released films tracked by Rentrak EDI has remainedlargely the same, although this figure does not include
all re-releases, particularly limited or one-off screenings
in independent cinemas. The number of foreign
language films increased from a low point of 96 releases
in 2001 to a peak of 193 in 2005 and has since
fluctuated. Finally, the more subjective category of films
with innovative or unconventional approaches, genre orstyle saw numbers decline from 86 in 2000 to a low of
20 in 2005 before rising again to a peak of 117 in 2009.

similar impact on revenues in 2004). Foreign language
film grosses have doubled in 10 years, with fluctuations
depending on individual high grossing titles (such as
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Amélie in 2001
and The Passion of the Christ in 2004). The combined
revenues for re-releases are comparatively small andhave only risen above £2 million on three occasions in
the last decade, again depending on one or two highprofile re-issues. However, it is better to judge re-issues
in terms of screen averages rather than overall grosses.
Finally, the more subjective category of titles with
distinctive and non-mainstream genre or styles saw
a huge increase in revenue last year due to theperformance of films such as Slumdog Millionaire,
Inglourious Basterds, The Curious Case of BenjaminButton and Fantastic Mr. Fox which lifted specialised
film revenues in 2009 to over £173 million.

Figure 5.2 Number of specialised releases, 2000–2009

Figure 5.3 Box office gross (£ million) of specialised
films, 2000–2009

No. of releases£ million500

200.00450

180.00400

160.00350

140.00300

120.00250

100.00

200

80.00

150

60.00

100

40.00
20.00

50
0
Foreignlanguage

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

0.00

106

96

123

142

159

193

165

161

179

148

Foreignlanguage

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

11.95 29.75 17.20 20.30 38.30 27.11 29.70 32.15 26.92 25.32

Documentary 10

4

8

18

23

27

34

36

49

56

Documentary 0.57 0.17 2.24 5.28 9.27 4.77 4.57 1.57 4.12 12.02

Re-release

19

25

25

17

21

20

25

29

26

26

Re-release2.95 2.29 1.40 1.34 0.55 0.30 1.24 1.74 0.97 2.68

Genre/hook/
style

86

80

58

36

47

20

73

109

97

117

Genre/
hook/style

33.32 12.15 32.65 14.52 33.23 23.31 37.35 39.70 45.05 133.10

Source: UK Film Council analysis of Rentrak EDI data.

The box office performance of specialised films, again
split into the four sub-categories of documentary,
foreign language, re-releases and films with a distinctive
hook, genre or style, is shown in Figure 5.3. Theatricalrevenues for documentaries are at a 10-year high,although this is due to the success of one major release– Michael Jackson’s This Is It (Fahrenheit 9/11 had a

40 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Source: UK Film Council analysis of Rentrak EDI data.

12

5.2 Foreign language films
Films in 28 different languages (including English) werereleased in the UK and the Republic of Ireland in 2009,
compared with 30 in 2008 (Table 5.2). Hindi was again
the top non-English language at the box office, with a
1% share of revenues, followed by French (0.5%) andSpanish (0.3%).
Table 5.2 Languages of films released, 2009
Main
language

EnglishEnglish with others*
Hindi
FrenchSpanishSwedishTamil
ItalianGermanPunjabi
Mandarin
KoreanPolishRomanian
TurkishJapanese
BengaliBurmeseCantonese
DanishFarsi
Hebrew
HungarianKazakhMalayalam
NorwegianPortuguese
SlovakThai
Total

Number Gross box office Box office shareof releases(£ million)
(%)

327
15
44
31
12
2
10
3
7
6
1
3
2
3
9
11
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
2
503

1,042.8
58.3
10.9
5.9
3.6
1.2
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
1,126.7

92.5
5.2
1.0
0.5
0.3
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
<0.1
100.0

The 27 foreign languages were spread over 161 releases
in the UK and Republic of Ireland (32% of all releases,
down four percentage points since 2008), earning£25.6 million at the box office (Table 5.3).

3

4This represented 2% of the total UK gross box officefor 2009, down from 3% in 2008 and the lowest
since 2002.

5

Table 5.3 Foreign language films at the UK and
Republic of Ireland box office, 2002–2009

6

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

Number% of
all releases

131
147
169
203
171
170
188
161

35.5
34.7
37.5
43.5
33.9
32.9
35.7
32.0

Box office % of total gross(£ million)box office

17.1
20.4
38.1
26.9
29.8
32.3
27.1
25.6

2.2
2.5
4.6
3.2
3.5
3.5
2.9
2.3

7

8

9

10

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.

Films in European languages other than English earned
1.1% of the gross box office from 13.5% of releases andSouth Asian subcontinent languages also shared 1.1%of the box office from 12% of releases (Table 5.4). Taken
together, foreign language films played on average atonly 18 sites at their widest point of release (up from 15
in 2008) compared with an average of 171 for English
language releases.

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
*‘English with others’ includes films whose main language was English but withextensive use of other languages, such as Slumdog Millionaire in English and Hindi.

1920

Chapter 5: Specialised films – 41

21

Table 5.4 Language of releases in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009 (ranked by number of releases)
Main language

English and English with others*
European other than English
South Asian subcontinent
Other Asian
Other international
Total

Numberof releases% ofreleases

Gross box office(£ million)% of grossbox office

Average sites atwidest pointof release

342
68
62
20
11
503

68.0
13.5
12.3
4.0
2.2
100.0

1,101.1
12.4
12.1
0.8
0.3
1,126.7

97.7
1.1
1.1
0.1
<0.1
100.0

171
16
24
15
3
122

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
*See note to Table 5.2.
Figures as at 21 February 2010. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.

While the top foreign language film in 2009 was in French (Coco Before Chanel), the top 20 as a whole wasdominated by Hindi films, which accounted for 11 titles (Table 5.5). Six films earned over £1 million, including
Indian films 3 Idiots and Love Aaj Kal, Pedro Almodóvar’s Broken Embraces, Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One
In, and the first part of Steven Soderbergh’s two biopics of Che Guevara.
Table 5.5 Top 20 foreign language films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Title

Country of origin

Gross box office(£ million)

Distributor

Main language

Coco Before Chanel
3 Idiots
Broken Embraces
Che: Part One
Let the Right One In
Love Aaj Kal
The ClassKambakkht Ishq
Mesrine: Killer Instinct
The White Ribbon
De Dhana Dhan
Dil Bole Haddipa
Billu Barber
Chandni Chowk to ChinaBlue
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
New York
Red Cliff
Kurbaan
Il Divo

Fra
India
Spa
Fra/Spa
Swe
UK/IndFra
India
Fra/Can/Ita
Aut/Ger/Fra
India
India
India
India/USA
India
India
India
China
India
Ita/Fra

2.6
1.8
1.4
1.4
1.1
1.0
0.9
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.6
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4

Optimum
AdlabsWarner Bros
Optimum
Momentum
Eros
Artificial Eye
ErosMomentum
Artificial Eye
ErosYash Raj
Eros
Warner Bros
B4U Network
B4U Network
Yash RajEntertainment
UTV Comms
Artificial Eye

FrenchHindi
SpanishSpanishSwedishHindi
FrenchHindi
FrenchGerman
Hindi
Hindi
Hindi
Hindi
Hindi
Hindi
Hindi
Mandarin
Hindi
Italian

Source: Rentrak EDI, BBFC, IMDb, RSU analysis.
Figures as at 21 February 2010.

42 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

This year, four of the top 20 foreign language films were supported by the UK Film Council. The four titles (Che: Part
One, Il Divo, Let the Right One In and Broken Embraces) received funding to pay for additional prints and advertising,affording greater opportunity for UK audiences to see the films.
Table 5.6 shows the 10 biggest foreign language films of the last decade. The top film is The Passion of the Christ(£11.1 million), followed by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (£9.4 million). There are three Mandarin and three
Spanish films in the top 10, but only one French language title.

3

4

5

Table 5.6 Top 10 foreign language films, 2000–2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

The Passion of the Christ
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
AmélieApocalypto
HeroHouse of Flying Daggers
Volver
The Motorcycle Diaries
Pan’s Labyrinth
The Lives of Others

Language

UK box office
total (£ million)

UK distributor

Year of releaseAramaic/Latin/Hebrew
Mandarin
FrenchMayan
Mandarin
Mandarin
SpanishSpanishSpanishGerman

11.08
9.37
5.01
4.11
3.82
3.78
2.88
2.75
2.72
2.70

Icon
Sony Pictures
Momentum
Icon
Disney
Pathé
Pathé
Pathé
Optimum
Lions Gate

2004
2001
2001
2007
2004
2004
2006
2004
2006
2007

6

7

8

9

10

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
11

5.3 Documentaries
In all, 56 feature documentaries were released at the UK box office in 2009, representing 11% of theatrical releases.
They earned £12 million in total, around 1% of the overall box office gross. The most successful documentary of theyear was Michael Jackson’s This Is It, which earned £9.8 million. This was followed by The September Issue and Jonas
Brothers: The 3D Concert.
Michael Jackson’s This Is It is now the highest grossing documentary of all time at the UK box office (Table 5.7),
the previous highest earning documentary, Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 grossed £6.5 million in 2004. Frenchnatural history documentary March of the Penguins is in third place with £3.1 million and British-made Touching the
Void is at number four with £2.6 million. There are two 3D music documentaries in the top 20, and we may well see
more documentaries in the 3D format in future.

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 5: Specialised films – 43

21

Table 5.7 Top 20 documentaries at the UK box office, 2000–2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Michael Jackson’s This Is It
Fahrenheit 9/11
March of the Penguins
Touching the Void
Bowling for Columbine
Super Size Me
An Inconvenient Truth
Man on Wire
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus:
Best of Both Worlds
U2 3D
Etre et Avoir
Shine a Light
Spellbound
The September Issue
Capturing the Friedmans
Sicko
The Corporation
Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert
Of Time and the City
Lost in La Mancha

Countryof origin

Year ofreleaseBox officegross (£)

Widest point of
release (sites)

Distributor

USA
USA
France
UK
USA
USA
USA
UK/USA

2009
2004
2005
2003
2002
2004
2006
2008

9,795,960
6,545,552
3,084,616
2,643,252
1,667,625
1,111,093
935,770879,377

498
200
163
50
37
83
68
43

Sony Pictures
Optimum
Warner Bros
Pathé
Momentum
TartanParamount
Icon

USA
USA
France
USA/UK
USA
USA
USA
USA
CanadaUSA
UK
UK/USA

2008
2008
2003
2008
2003
2009
2004
2007
2004
2009
2008
2002

799,109725,893
708,116
697,320484,540
427,767
388,238
378,669
296,234
249,534
245,189
233,383

65
Disney67
Revolver15
Tartan159 20th Century Fox
17
Metrodome
18
Momentum
26
Tartan166
Optimum
20
Metrodome
169
Disney25
BFI
13
Optimum

Source: UK Film Council RSU analysis of Rentrak EDI data.
Note: The table does not include IMAX-only documentaries and shorts.
Based on box office data for 2000–2009. Michael Jackson’s This Is It is regarded as the highest grossing documentary of all time because, even with price inflation,
it is unlikely that any documentary films before 1989 will have earned more in nominal terms.

An interesting observation is the number of documentaries originating from the USA – a reminder that the USA is
not wholly about mainstream Hollywood production but has a large independent and specialised film sector as well.

5.4 Re-releases of classic and archive films
According to Rentrak EDI, 26 re-released classic and archive films accounted for 5% of theatrical releases in 2009 andgenerated £2.7 million (0.2% of the total gross box office). However, not all box office revenues for re-releases aretracked by Rentrak EDI, which primarily focuses on first-run films. Some additional revenue for films, which tend
to be booked for a limited time into specialised cinemas long after their initial release, is missing from this analysis,so the actual box office share is likely to be greater.
The figures available suggest there is a growing appetite for the theatrical re-release of classic material, fuelled in partby the ageing of the cinema population – the over-45s now account for one-fifth of cinema visits. The availability ofenhanced digital versions and the flexibility of digital cinema also give younger audiences the chance to experience
the classics for the first time, or to see in the cinema films they have previously only viewed on television.
Table 5.8 highlights the top 20 re-releases at UK cinemas over the last decade. Seasonal re-releases take four of
the top 20 places, with sizeable audiences for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D in both 2006(£647,000) and 2007 (£329,000). It’s a Wonderful Life made an impressive £166,000 from a limited release in the
run-up to Christmas 2007, while the British Film Institute’s (BFI) re-release of The Wizard of Oz earned £118,000
the previous year.

44 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

The highest earning re-release in the UK over the last decade was Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, whichgrossed £2.1 million from a wide release in 2000. The chart features an interesting mix of genres – Ridley Scott’s
Alien: The Director’s Cut grossed over £500,000 in 2003, while Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard earned £347,000
from its limited release in the same year. Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist was re-released by the BFI in 2008
and grossed £111,000 (with an opening weekend average of £4,500). With the successful 3D re-release of Toy Story
in 2009 (£2 million from 251 cinemas) we can anticipate further 3D re-releases in the years ahead.

3

4

Four of the top 20 were re-released by the BFI, illustrating its importance in maintaining and strengthening the
UK’s film culture.

5

Table 5.8 Top 20 re-releases at the UK box office, 2000–2009

6

Title (year of original release)

1
2
3
4

10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

A Clockwork Orange (1972)
E.T. (20th anniversary) (1982)
Toy Story (3D re-release) (1996)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
3-D (1993)
Alien: The Director’s Cut (1979)
Apocalypse Now Redux (1979)
The Leopard (1963)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
3-D (1993)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
A bout de souffle (1960)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Amadeus (Director’s Cut) (1984)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
White Christmas (1954)
The Conformist (1970)

18
19
20

The Seventh Seal (1957)
Grease (30th Anniversary) (1978)
Tokyo Story (1953)

5
6
7
8
9

Countryof origin

Year ofre-release

Box officegross (£)

Widest point of
release (sites)

Distributor

UK
USA
USA

2000
2002
2009

2,067,302
2,063,690
2,017,464

328
313
251

Warner Bros
UIP
DisneyUSA
UK/USA
USA
Italy/France
USA

2006
2003
2001
2003
2007

646,798545,782455,335
346,807329,891

5Disney134 20th Century Fox
22
Disney5
BFI
33
Park Circus

USA
UK/USA
USA
Fra
USA
USA
USA
USA
Italy/France/
Germany
Sweden
USA
Japan

2007
2001
2001
2000
2000
2002
2006
2008

328,759
326,496
313,443
173,301
166,203145,234
118,033
117,808

44
4
5
5
22
8
33
27

DisneyWarner Bros
BFI
Optimum
Optimum
Warner Bros
BFI
Park Circus

2008
2007
2008
2004

111,202105,594
105,241
95,935

6
6
143
4

BFI
TartanPark Circus
Tartan

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Source: UK Film Council RSU analysis of Rentrak EDI data.

15

16

17

18

P

19

For more on the box office see Chapter 1 (page 8)
For more on genre and classification see Chapter 4 (page 25)
20

Chapter 5: Specialised films – 45

21

Chapter 6:
×%-6&$0"2$)0&$)%%4è%)%3*×!"2"1"$/"6
reached almost $30 billion&$F88DN7&0#×%-66#)2&$.
7% of this market. Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince andSlumdog Millionaire were thestand-out performers, thelatter boosting the share*&$ ""$ "$0×%-60
its highest level since ourrecords began.

Facts in focus
VËË8ÁaÝaj^ËÍjË~ÁÄÄËMÞËwxWjËwÁËxÄËwË?ËWÖÍÁjÄËof origin increased by 8% on 2008 to $30 billion.
VËË0jË2ËÄ?ÁjËwËÍjË~M?ËÍj?ÍÁW?Ë?ÁjÍËÝ?ÄËÈ°Ë($2 billion).
VËË0jËÍ¬Ë¤åË¬jÁwÁ~Ë2ËxÄËÝÁaÝajË~ÁÄÄjaË
$1.8 billion in 2009.
VËËHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was the best
performing UK-qualifying film at the worldwide box
office, earning over $900 million in 2009.
VËË2ËxÄËÁj¬ÁjÄjÍjaËÈ°ËwËÁjj?ÄjÄË?ÍËÍjË!ÁÍËAmerican box office (9% in 2008), and 7% of themarket (16% in 2008), at a value of $705 million.
VËËË ÖÁ¬j^ËÍjËÍ¬Ë ÁÍÄËxËÝ?ÄËHarry Potter andthe Half-Blood Prince with 26 million admissions,followed by Slumdog Millionaire with 11 million.

12

6.1 UK films worldwide

3

Global box office receipts reached $29.9 billion in 2009, up 8% on 2008 (Table 6.1). UK films had a 7% share ofthis market, earning $2 billion. UK inward investment films (UK films wholly or partly financed and controlled by
US studios but featuring UK cast, crew, locations, facilities, post-production and often UK source material) earned
4.4% of the worldwide box office while UK independent films shared 2.3% of global revenues, thanks largely tothe success of Slumdog Millionaire.

4

As Table 6.1 shows, the UK market share fluctuates significantly from year to year. The lower UK market share in2009 can be explained by the reduced number of UK inward investment films in the marketplace compared to 2008,
when The Dark Knight, Quantum of Solace and Mamma Mia! dominated the worldwide box office. However, witha larger number of inward investment titles being made in 2009, an increase in UK share in 2010 is anticipated.
Table 6.1 UK films global market share, 2002–2009

Year

6

7

UK film
worldwide
gross(US$ billion)

Globaltheatricalmarket(US$ billion)

UK share(%)

US studio-backed
UK films share(%)

Independent
UK films share
(%)

1.8
1.4
2.9
3.6
2.2
3.3
4.2
2.0

19.8
20.1
24.9
23.1
25.5
26.3
27.8
29.9

9.1
6.9
11.6
15.5
8.6
12.5
15.1
6.7

7.6
5.5
10.0
13.4
7.5
10.6
13.3
4.4

1.5
1.5
1.6
2.2
1.2
1.9
1.8
2.3

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

5

8

9

10

11

Source: MPAA, Screen Digest, Rentrak EDI, UK Film Council.

The highest grossing UK film of 2009 was the sixth instalment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince, which earned $934 million worldwide (Table 6.2). Oscar®-winning Slumdog Millionaire grossed$327 million in 2009 and its lifetime earnings now stand at approximately $377 million. Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock
Holmes, a late December release, grossed $191 million in 2009 but has now earned almost $500 million worldwide.
Table 6.2 Top 10 UK films worldwide, 2009
Title

1
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2
Slumdog Millionaire
3
Sherlock Holmes*
4
Planet 51*
5
The Tale of Despereaux
6
Fantastic Mr. Fox*
7
The Boat That Rocked
8
Inkheart
9
Earth10
Mamma Mia!
Total top 10

Countryof origin

Worldwide gross(US$ million)

UK/USAUK
UK/USA
UK/SpaUK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/Ger
UK/USA

934
327
191
94
67
43
36
35
35
30
1,792

Source: UK Film Council, Rentrak EDI, IFTA, Screen International, Variety.
Note: Additional box office data have been received since the ‘UK films international market share 2009’ statistics were released on 25 March 2010.
*Still on international theatrical release as at 31 March 2010.
Data are based on gross box office revenue in the calendar year 2009.

Image: Sherlock Holmes © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Chapter 6: UK films internationally – 47

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

6.2 UK films in North America
Table 6.3 shows the country of origin of films released in the USA and Canada in 2009. The UK share of the gross box
office fell from 16% in 2008 to 7% in 2009, with UK films representing 7% of releases in the North American market(down from 9% in 2008). The total revenue from these films stood at $705 million, down from $1.6 billion in 2008.
Table 6.3 Country of origin of films in the USA and Canada, 2009
Country of origin

Number of releases% of releases

Box office(US$ million)

26
15
41
373
159
573

4.5
2.6
7.2
65.1
27.7
100.0

113
592
705
9,810
238
10,752

UK and UK co-productions (non-USA)
UK/USA
Sub-total
USA
Rest of world
Total

Box office
share
(%)

1.1
5.5
6.6
91.2
2.2
100.0

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Table 6.4 UK market share in North America, 2002–2009
Year

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

UK market share
%

7.2
5.7
11.0
15.8
9.2
11.8
16.3
6.6

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was the top performing UK-qualifying film in 2009 in North America, followed
by Sherlock Holmes with $207 million (Table 6.5). Animated family film Planet 51 earned $42 million, while thetheatrical version of the BBC’s Planet Earth series grossed $32 million.

48 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 6.5 Top 20 UK films at the USA and Canada box office (including co-productions), 2009
Box office gross(US$ million)

Distributor

UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/SpaUK/Ger
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USAUK
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/CanUK
UK/Aus
UK/Fra/Ger
UK/USA
UK/IndUK
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/Aus

302.0
207.0
42.1
32.0
20.9
19.7
17.3
12.0
10.4
8.0
7.5
5.0
4.4
2.7
2.7
2.4
2.4
2.0
1.2
0.8

Warner Bros
Warner Bros
Sony Pictures
Walt Disney
20th Century Fox
The Weinstein Company
Warner Bros
Sony Classics
Apparition
Focus Features
Sony Classics
Sony Classics
Apparition
Miramax
Sony Classics
Eros
IFC Films
Story Island
Freestyle Releasing
Miramax

Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Sherlock Holmes
Planet 51
Earth
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Nine
Inkheart
An Education
The Young Victoria
Pirate Radio aka The Boat That Rocked
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
Moon
Bright Star
Chéri
Easy Virtue
Love Aaj Kal
In the Loop
Is Anybody There?
Me and Orson Welles
The Boys are Back

3

Countryof origin

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Note: Table lists the gross box office for films released in the USA and Canada in 2009 and includes 2010 earnings up to 7 March 2010.

12

6.3 UK films in Europe

13

The UK’s market share in the major European territories is highlighted in Table 6.6. Over 10% of Italian theatricalrevenues were earned by UK films, with shares around the 7% mark in France, Germany and Spain.
14

Table 6.6 UK market share in selected European territories, 2009
Country

FranceGermany
Italy
Spain

Box officefor UK films(€ million)

UK share2009(%)

13.5m (admissions)
66.0
65.3
51.1

6.7
6.6
10.4
7.2

15

16

17

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.

The top British film in European countries (other than the UK and Republic of Ireland) in 2009 was Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince with 26 million admissions, followed by Slumdog Millionaire with 11 million (Table 6.7).
Planet 51 performed well in Spain, with 1.9 million admissions, while Ken Loach’s Looking for Eric was the fifth
most popular UK film in France, selling 500,000 tickets.

18

19

20

Chapter 6: UK films internationally – 49

21

Table 6.7 Top 20 UK films in other European countries, 2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Slumdog Millionaire
Planet 51
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
The Tale of Despereaux
The Boat That Rocked
Sherlock Holmes
Inkheart
Easy Virtue
Dorian Gray
Last Chance Harvey
Looking for Eric
The Duchess
Chéri
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
The Young Victoria
In the Loop
City of Ember
Bright Star
Brideshead RevisitedCountryof origin

European admissions

UK/USA
UK
UK/SpaUK/CanUK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USAUK
UK/USA
UK/Fra/Bel/Ita
UK/FraUK/Fra/Ger
UK/USA
UK/USAUK
UK/USA
UK/AusUK

25,654,203
10,951,926
3,349,364
1,758,331
1,541,656
1,413,721
1,368,044
1,292,152
913,431
886,434
861,749
801,379
586,969
504,460
466,441
248,877
117,030
91,39068,89844,177

Source: European Audiovisual Observatory Lumière Database.
Data based on admissions from 24 European countries (excluding the UK and Republic of Ireland) in the 2009 calendar year.

6.4 UK films in Latin America
UK films earned between 6% and 8.5% of the box office in the Latin American territories for which data are available.
The top performing films were Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Slumdog Millionaire and Planet 51.
Table 6.8 UK market share in selected Latin American countries, 2009

Country

Argentina
BrazilChile
MexicoSource: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.

50 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Box officefor UK films(US$ million)

UK share
2009
(%)

8.4
35.0
6.7
42.6

6.9
6.1
8.5
6.7

1

2

6.5 UK films in Japan and South Korea

3

The share of UK films in Japan was boosted by the 2009 release of both Mamma Mia! and Quantum of Solace,but Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was the highest grossing UK film.
4

Table 6.9 UK market share in Japan and South Korea, 2009

CountryJapan
South Korea

Box officefor UK films(US$ million)

UK share
2009
(%)

152.8
52.5

6.9
5.3

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.

5

6

7

6.6 UK films in Australasia
In 2009, UK films accounted for 10% of the theatrical market in Australia and 14% in New Zealand. Once again,
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Sherlock Holmes and Slumdog Millionaire were the highest earning UK films.

9Table 6.10 UK market share in Australia and New Zealand, 2009

Country

Australia
New Zealand8

Box officefor UK films(US$ million)

UK share
2009
(%)

99.8
17.3

9.7
13.6

10

11

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
12Note: Definition of ‘UK film’
For the purposes of this chapter, a UK film is one which is certified as such by the UK Secretary of State for Culture,
Media and Sport under Schedule 1 of the Films Act 1985, via the Cultural Test, under one of the UK’s bilateral
co-production agreements or the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production; a film which has
not applied for certification but which is obviously British on the basis of its content, producers, finance and talent;or (in the case of a re-release) a film which met the official definition of a British film prevailing at the time it wasmade or was generally considered to be British at that time. Most UK films in the analysis (including the major UK/
USA films) fall into the first group – films officially certified as British.

13

14

15

16

17

18

P

19

For more information on the UK and global market for filmed entertainment see Chapter 13 (page 104)
For more information about the UK film economy see Chapter 20 (page 171)20

Chapter 6: UK films internationally – 51

21

Chapter 7:
UK talent and awards

Facts in focus
For a small country, the UKwËÍjËÍ¬ËÔååË~M?ËMÞËwxWjËÄÖWWjÄÄjÄËwËÔåå¤r
×%-&$ /6024#)6)$)60$&6#&$. VËË#2009,
30 films are based on stories and characters
created by UK writers. Together they have earned
creative record. For the past
more than $16 billion at the worldwide box office.
nine years, British actors,VËË ~ÍËwËÍjËÍ¬ËÔåË~M?ËMÞËwxWjËÄÖWWjÄÄjÄËwËÍjË
directors, writers and otherlast nine years are based on novels by British writers.
×%-0)%"$0#)1"""$2-&$"$0 VËË ÁjËÍ?Ë?wËwËÍjËÍ¬ËÔååËxÄËÁjj?ÄjaËÝÁaÝajËsince 2001 have featured UK actors in lead or prominent&$0#".%)%3*×!"!#)206
supporting roles.
and award ceremonies. StoryVËË ÁÍÄËaÁjWÍÁÄË?ÜjËaÁjWÍjaË¤ËwËÍjËÔååËM~~jÄÍË
films of the last nine years with David Yates topping
material from UK writers has
the league.
!$0&$/" 0×$ "$0#/6&)60&!
VËË2ËxÄË?aËÍ?jÍËÝËÏÉË?ÁËxË?Ý?ÁaÄËËÔåå^Ë
audiences and UK talent haswith Slumdog Millionaire being the most recognised
film. The 241 awards received from 2001–2009
taken our culture and identity
represented 14% of the total of all major awards.
to the world.

12

7.1 UK story material

3

The global box office performance of UK films and foreign films which draw on UK source material is a good
indicator of the international impact and exposure of British culture. Of the top 200 grossing films released
worldwide between 2001 and 2009, 28 are British qualifying films, but UK-originated story material provided theinspiration for 30 – a feat only bettered by US story material. Collectively these 30 films have earned more than
$16 billion at the global box office.
Novels by British writers have provided the source material for eight of the top 20 grossing films worldwide since2001 (see www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/research for a list of the top 200 films). The top 20 grossing films adapted fromstories or characters created by UK writers are listed in Table 7.1. Nineteen are adapted from novels, graphic novels
and short stories written by UK authors and one is based on a successful stage production.
Table 7.1 Top 20 grossing films worldwide based on stories and characters created by UK writers, 2001–2009
Rank

1

Title

Countryof origin

11
12
13

The Lord of the Rings:
The Return of the King
USA/NZ
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
UK/USA
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
UK/USA
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
UK/USA
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
USA/NZ
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
UK/USA
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
UK/USA
The Lord of the Rings:
The Fellowship of the Ring
USA/NZ
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
UK/USAThe Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
USA/NZ
The War of the Worlds
USA
Casino Royale
UK/USA/Cze
Mamma Mia!
UK/USA

14
15
16
17
18

Quantum of SolaceCharlie and the Chocolate Factory
Die Another Day
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Sherlock Holmes

UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
USA/UK

19
20

The Golden Compass
WantedUK/USA
USA

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Gross
box office(US$ million)

US distributor

4

5

6

7

UK story material(writer)
8

1,119
970
937
934
923
896
879

New Line
Warner Bros
Warner Bros
Warner Bros
New Line
Warner Bros
Warner Bros

Novel by JRR Tolkien
Novel by JK Rowling
Novel by JK Rowling
Novel by JK Rowling
Novel by JRR Tolkien
Novel by JK Rowling
Novel by JK Rowling

868
795

New Line
Warner Bros

Novel by JRR Tolkien
Novel by JK Rowling

749
DisneyNovel by CS Lewis
596
Paramount
Novel by HG Wells
595 Sony Pictures
Novel by Ian Fleming
585
Universal Musical book and screenplay
by Catherine Johnson
546 Sony Pictures Based on Ian Fleming novels
473 Warner Bros
Novel by Roald Dahl
432
MGM/UA Based on Ian Fleming novels
420
DisneyNovel by CS Lewis
417 Warner Bros
Based on Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle novels
365
New Line
Novel by Philip Pullman
345
Universal
Graphic novel writtenby Mark Millar

Source: UK Film Council RSU.

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Image: An Education courtesy of E1 Entertainment

Chapter 7: UK talent and awards– 53

21

Of the 30 films from the top 200 based on UK stories and characters, the majority (71%) were based on novels byauthors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Roald Dahl, Helen Fielding, Ian Fleming, CS Lewis, Philip Pullman, JK Rowling,
JRR Tolkien and HG Wells (Figure 7.1). The top grossing UK film of 2009 was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,
which was based on the novel by JK Rowling. The international popularity of UK comedy writing was highlighted by the
success of original screenplays for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
and Love Actually. Films based on graphic novels by UK writers, such as Wanted and Constantine, had a major global
impact, as did the computer game Tomb Raider in its film spin-off. The musical Mamma Mia! started life as a UK stage
production in 1999, with the songs of ABBA woven into a story written by British playwright Catherine Johnson.
Figure 7.1 Origin of UK story material in the top 200 films at the international box office, 2001–2009
Novel
Original screenplay
Comic book/graphic novel
Computer game
Musical

77%
10%
7%
3%
3%

7.2 UK actors
UK acting talent is widely recognised as being among the best in the world and more than half (113) of the top
200 films at the international box office since 2001 have featured British actors in either lead/title roles (30) or in the
supporting cast (83). The prominent role played by UK actors in many of the major blockbusters of the last decade isreflected in Figure 7.2 which shows the top 12 British actors based on appearances in the top 200 films. Orlando Bloom,
Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee have featured in some of the biggest franchises in cinema history such as Lord of theRings, Pirates of the Caribbean, X-Men and the Star Wars prequels. New entries this year include Jonathan Pryce (whoappeared in three Pirates of the Caribbean films, and two successful 2009 films, GI Joe and Bedtime Stories), Ewan
McGregor (two Star Wars films, Robots and 2009’s Angels and Demons) and Christian Bale (for his role as Batman
in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and two successful 2009 films, Public Enemies and Terminator Salvation).

54 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Figure 7.2 Top 12 UK actors featured in the top 200 films at the worldwide box office, 2001–2009(number of appearances in brackets)

3

Total gross box office (US$ billion)
7.00

4

6.00
5.00
5
4.00
3.00
6

2.00
1.00

Total grossbox office(US$ billion)

6.30

5.41

4.53

2.25

)

)

(4
ra
el
C
ni

8

Da

ha
ic
M

1.96

ig

ne
ai
el
C

n
tia
Ch

ris

M
an
Ew

2.38

(4

)
(4
Ba
l

cG
re
go

Cl
hn
Jo

3.20

e

r(

(4
ee
se

e
yc
Pr
an
th
na
Jo

4.13

4)

)

)
(5

)
(6
ee
er
L
ph
to
ris

Ch

O

rla

nd

o

Bl
o

om

(8
)
Da
ni
e
Em l
Ru maRad
pe W cli
rt a ffe
G tso /
rin n
t( /
6)
Ia
n
M
cK
el
le
n
(6
)

7

0

1.87

1.76
9

Source: UK Film Council RSU.
Criteria: based on four or more appearances, either in lead/title role or supporting role.
10

7.3 UK directors
Nineteen of the 200 highest grossing films at the worldwide box office have been directed by British directors(Figure 7.3 and Table 7.2). David Yates’s two Harry Potter films (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix andHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) made him the British director with the most commercial success in recent
years, with total box office takings of $1.87 billion. Christopher Nolan is second following Batman Begins and
The Dark Knight, with combined box office takings of $1.37 billion. In third place is Mike Newell who directed
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which grossed $896 million. Ridley Scott was the most prolific director, withthree films (Kingdom of Heaven, Hannibal and American Gangster) in the top 200, grossing over $826 million
between them. The success of The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum ensures that Paul Greengrassfeatures twice in the top 200 list, with a combined gross of $731 million. Two new British directors appear in the
top 200 films due to the success of their 2009 films. These are Danny Boyle who directed Slumdog Millionaire, whichgrossed $362 million, and Guy Ritchie, whose Sherlock Holmes has grossed $417 million to date. Three womenfeature in the top 200 list – Sharon Maguire and Beeban Kidron – for Bridget Jones’s Diary and Bridget Jones:
The Edge of Reason respectively and also Phyllida Lloyd, who made the transition from West End stage to filmwith her 2008 debut feature, Mamma Mia!.

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 7: UK talent and awards – 55

21

Figure 7.3 Top 10 UK directors based on top 200 grossing films, 2001–2009(number of films in brackets)
Gross box office (US$ million)
1,900

1,425

950

1,871

896

826

731

585

(1
re
ui
M
ag

dr
Ki

y

362

Sh

Be

ar

eb

on

an

nn
Da

417

)

)
on

(1
le
Bo
y

tc
Ri
uy
G

Pa

1,370

(1

)

)
e
hi

d
oy
Ll
a
lid
yl
Ph

ul

(1

)
(1

)
ss
ra
G
re
en
g

ey
dl
Ri

Ch

Gross
box office(US$ million)

(2

)
(3
Sc
o

tt

el
l
e
ik
M

ris

to

Da

ph

vi

d

er
N

Ya

ol

Ne
w

an

te
s(

(2

(1

)

2)

0

)

475

261

254

Source: UK Film Council RSU.

Table 7.2 UK directors from the top 200 films at the global box office and their films, 2001–2009
Director

David Yates
Christopher Nolan
Mike Newell
Ridley Scott
Paul Greengrass
Phyllida Lloyd
Guy Ritchie
Danny Boyle
Beeban Kidron
Sharon Maguire
Simon West
Richard Curtis
Steve Bendelack
Tom Vaughan
Source: UK Film Council RSU.

56 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Film(s)Total grossbox office(US$ million)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Batman Begins, The Dark Knight
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
American Gangster, Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven
The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum
Mamma Mia!
Sherlock Holmes
Slumdog Millionaire
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Love Actually
Mr Bean’s Holiday
What Happens in Vegas

1,871
1,370
896
826
731
585
417
362
261
254
252
245
228
219

1

2

7.4 Awards for UK films and talent3

UK films and British talent, in front of and behind the camera, have enjoyed major award recognition since 2001.
Table 7.3 illustrates the number of awards won by UK films and individuals at two major international award
ceremonies (Academy Awards®, BAFTA Film Awards) and the major international film festivals (Berlin, Cannes,
Sundance, Toronto and Venice). In all, there were 241 award winners, representing 14% of the awards made.

4

5

Table 7.3 Awards for British films and talent, 2001–2009
Year

Number of UK award winners*

UK share %

25
24
22
22
23
25
32
32
36
241

14
15
13
13
14
14
15
15
17
14

2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Total
*Awards include Academy Awards® and BAFTA Film Awards, and Berlin, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and Venice festivals.
Source: UK Film Council.

6

7

8

9

10

UK films and talent won 36 major academy and festival awards in 2009, 17% of the total number conferred (Table
7.4). Slumdog Millionaire won six awards for UK talent, including Best Film and Best Director, at both the Academy®
and BAFTA awards (in total Slumdog Millionaire won eight Academy Awards® and seven BAFTAs). Kate Winslet wasalso awarded Best Leading Actress at both the Academy® and BAFTA awards for her role in The Reader.

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 7: UK talent and awards – 57

21

The documentary Man on Wire followed its 2008 success at the Sundance Film Festival by being awarded the 2009
Oscar® for Best Documentary Feature. This film was also given an Outstanding British Film award at the BAFTAs.
Andrea Arnold was awarded the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for Fish Tank, and two British documentaries
received awards at Sundance. Kim Longinotto won the Grand Jury Prize – World Cinema – Documentary for Rough
Aunties, and Havana Marking won two prizes, the Directing Award – World Cinema – Documentary and the
Audience Award – World Cinema – Documentary, for Afghan Star.
Table 7.4 UK award winners, 2009
Award ceremony/festival

Academy Awards
22 February 2009®

BAFTA Film Awards
8 February 2009

Award

Recipient

Title

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Christian Colson

Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actress in
Kate Winslet
a Leading RoleBest Achievement in Directing
Danny Boyle
Best Writing, Screenplay Based
Simon Beaufoy
on Material Previously Produced
or PublishedBest Achievement in Cinematography Anthony Dod Mantle
Best Achievement in Costume Design Michael O’Connor
Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing(with Resul Pookutty)Best Achievement in Editing
Chris Dickens
Best Documentary, Features
James Marsh, Simon Chinn
Best Film
Christian Colson
Leading ActressDirector
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Cinematography
Costume Design
Sound
Editing
Short Film
Short Animation
Outstanding British Film
Outstanding British Contribution
to Cinema

58 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
The DuchessSlumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Man on Wire
Slumdog Millionaire

Kate Winslet
The Reader
Danny Boyle
Slumdog Millionaire
Martin McDonagh
In Bruges
Simon Beaufoy
Slumdog Millionaire
Anthony Dod Mantle
Slumdog Millionaire
Michael O’Connor
The Duchess
Glenn Freemantle, Richard
Slumdog Millionaire
Pryke, Tom Sayers, Ian Tapp(with Resul Pookutty)
Chris Dickens
Slumdog Millionaire
Esther Campbell
September
Wallace and Gromit in
Nick Park, Steve Pegram,“A Matter of Loaf and
Bob Baker
Death”
James Marsh, Simon Chinn Man on Wire
Pinewood and Shepperton
Studios

1

2

3

4

5

Table 7.4 UK award winners, 2009 (continued)
Award ceremony/festivalAward

BAFTA Film Awards
The Carl Foreman Award for Special
8 February 2009 cont. Achievement by a British Director,
Writer or Producer in their First
Feature Film
Orange Rising Star Award
Academy Fellowship
Berlin International
Silver Bear, Best Short Film
Film Festival
5–15 February 2009
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury –Special Mention
Cannes Film Festival
Jury Prize
13–24 May 2009
Best ActressSundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize – World Cinema –15–25 January 2009 Documentary

Venice Film Festival
2–12 September 2009

Recipient

Title

Steve McQueen

Hunger6

7

Noel Clarke
Terry Gilliam
Daniel Elliott

Jade

8

9

Richard Loncraine

My One and Only

Andrea Arnold

Fish Tank

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Antichrist

Kim Longinotto

Rough Aunties

Directing Award – World Cinema –Havana Marking
Documentary
World Cinema Screen Writing Award Guy Hibbert
Audience Award – World Cinema –Havana Marking
Documentary
Audience Award – World Cinema –Lone Scherfig
Dramatic
Short Filmmaking Award – Honorable
Sam Taylor-Wood
MentionVolpi Cup – Best Actor
Colin FirthAfghan Star
Five Minutes of Heaven

10

11

12

13

Afghan StarAn Education
Love You More

14

15

A Single Man
16

Source: UK Film Council.
Note: No awards were made to British talent or films at Toronto in 2009.

17

18

P
For more details on the film distribution sector in 2009 see Chapter 8 (page 60)
For more information about the exhibition sector in 2009 see Chapter 9 (page 65)
For more background on film production in 2009 see Chapter 16 (page 132)19

20

Chapter 7: UK talent and awards – 59

21

Chapter 8: Distribution

Film distribution in the
UK is dominated by a few
very large companies but anumber of smaller companies
distribute almost as many
titles. Their combined
spending on advertising
was less in 2009 than in 2008,
/07&0#*"7"2×%-62"%")6" N0#")1"2)."6"$ "2×%-
saw very little change.

Facts in focus
VËË0jËÍ¬Ë¤åËaÄÍÁMÖÍÁÄË?aË?ËÔ°ËÄ?ÁjËwËÍjË?ÁjÍË
in 2009, down from 95% in 2008.
VËË8jja?ßÄË® a?ßËÍË0ÖÁÄa?ß¯Ë?WWÖÍjaËwÁË|Ô°ËwË
the box office, the highest share since our records began.
VËË#¬j~ËÝjjjaÄËÁj¬ÁjÄjÍjaËÔÉ°ËwËÍjËÍÍ?Ë
box office.
VËË ÄÍ?ÍjaËÍÍ?Ë?aÜjÁÍÄ~ËÄ¬jaËÝ?ÄËÌ¤ÉoË^Ë
a 2% fall on 2008.

1

2

8.1 Distributors in 20093

The top 10 distributors had a 92% share of the market in 2009, down from 95% in 2008 (Table 8.1) The remaining
83 distributors handled a total of 374 titles, 65% of the total, but gained only an 8% share of the box office.
The leading distributor was 20th Century Fox, which released the highest grossing film of all time in the UK, Avatar(though Table 8.1 includes box office data only to 3 January 2010, when Avatar’s takings were £32.8 million, still
below Mamma Mia!’s old record) as well as Ice Age III and Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel. Walt DisneyStudios was the second highest grossing distributor, with films such as Up, A Christmas Carol and Bolt. Sony Pictures
was in third place thanks to 2012 and Angels and Demons.

4

5

6

Table 8.1 Distributor share of box office, UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009
Distributor

Marketshare(%)

Films onrelease2009

Box officegross(£ million)

20th Century Fox
Walt Disney Studios
Sony Pictures
Warner Bros
Paramount
Universal Pictures
Entertainment
E1 Films
Lions Gate
Pathé
Sub-total
Others (83 distributors)
Total

16.6
12.4
11.3
11.2
10.8
10.5
8.6
4.9
2.9
2.9
92.2
7.8
100.0

24
22
28
25
19
29
24
11
14
5
201
374
575

178.7
133.3
122.2
120.8
116.6
113.4
92.4
53.1
31.8
31.7
994.0
83.5
1,077.5

Source: Rentrak EDI.
Box office gross = cumulative box office total for all films handled by the distributor in the period 2 January 2009 to 3 January 2010.
Note: Percentages do not add to sub-total due to rounding.

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Table 8.2 highlights the top 10 distributors of foreign language films at the UK box office. Companies that release
Indian films, such as Yash Raj, Eros, Adlabs and UTV Communications, are well represented in the list. Curzon
Artificial Eye released the most foreign language titles (13) in 2009, while Optimum’s eight releases had the biggest
share of the box office (£4.5 million). Optimum’s releases included Coco Before Chanel, which was the highest
grossing foreign language film of the year.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Image: Coco Before Chanel courtesy of Optimum Releasing

Chapter 8: Distribution – 61

21

Table 8.2 Top 10 distributors of foreign language films in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009
(ranked by box office gross)Distributor

Optimum Releasing
Eros International
Curzon Artificial Eye
AdlabsMomentum
Warner BrosUTV Communications
Yash RajB4U Network
Studio 18

Films
releasedin 2009

Averagewidest pointof release

Box officegross(£ million)

8
9
13
6
5
2
7
4
6
4

42
36
15
31
40
77
34
34
21
37

4.5
3.3
2.5
2.3
2.1
1.8
1.5
1.2
1.0
0.9

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Note: The list includes distributors releasing two or more foreign language titles in the period 2 January 2009 to 3 January 2010.

8.2 Distributors 2004–2009
The distributors’ market shares fluctuate from year to year (Table 8.3). The leading distributor of 2009, 20th Century
Fox, saw its market share increase thanks to films such as Avatar and Ice Age III. The share of box office made by
distributors outside the top 10 ranged from under 3% in 2005 to over 5% in 2007 and 2008 and just under 8%
in 2009.
Table 8.3 Distributor market share as percentage of box office gross, 2004–2009
Distributor

20th Century Fox
Walt DisneySony Pictures
Warner Bros
Paramount
Universal Pictures
Entertainment
E1 Films
Lions Gate
Pathé
Momentum
UIP*
Top 10 total**
Others
Total

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

10.7
14.5
10.0
14.7
–
–
7.9
–
1.0
2.8
2.2
29.8
96.1
3.9
100.0

14.3
13.1
6.8
18.2
–
–
9.4
–
0.3
3.4
1.9
29.1
97.3
2.7
100.0

20.9
15.7
16.1
8.2
–
–
7.9
–
2.4
3.2
2.3
18.9
96.4
3.6
100.0

13.9
10.7
8.2
15.6
14.7
13.9
9.5
–
2.3
1.3
3.4
–
94.5
5.5
100.0

9.4
9.9
12.5
11.0
16.9
18.5
8.0
–
2.5
2.1
3.5
–
94.5
5.5
100.0

16.6
12.4
11.3
11.2
10.8
10.5
8.6
4.9
2.9
2.9
–
–
92.2
7.8
100.0

Source: Rentrak EDI.
*Until 2006 Paramount and Universal distributed jointly as UIP.
**Top 10 total refers to the top 10 distributors of that particular year. Table is ranked by top 10 distributors in 2009.
Note: Percentages may not add to sub-totals due to rounding.

62 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

8.3 Weekend box office3

In 2009, 58% of the box office was taken at weekends (Friday to Sunday), almost the same as the 59% seen in 2008,
which was down from 64% in 2007 (Table 8.4). As in 2008, the films released in 2009 included some that attracted
large weekday audiences. Family films tend to attract weekday audiences, and some of 2009’s family films, such as
Ice Age III, Up and Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel, were very successful at the box office. In addition,the ‘Orange Wednesdays’ promotion continued to have an impact in 2009 with 14% of the box office being taken
on Wednesdays (compared with 12% in 2008).
Table 8.4 Box office percentage share by weekday/weekend, 2004–2009
FridaySaturday
SundayWeekend
MondayTuesday
WednesdayThursdayWeekday
Total

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

15.3
24.5
19.9
59.7
9.7
10.1
10.7
9.8
40.3
100.0

18.0
27.0
19.0
64.0
8.0
8.0
10.0
10.0
36.0
100.0

16.5
25.1
18.7
60.3
9.5
9.5
10.9
9.7
39.7
100.0

16.4
27.8
19.3
63.5
7.2
9.0
11.6
8.7
36.5
100.0

16.7
24.4
18.3
59.4
9.4
9.5
11.9
9.9
40.7
100.0

16.4
24.0
17.8
58.2
9.2
9.5
13.7
9.5
41.8
100.0

Source: Rentrak EDI.
Note: Percentages may not add to sub-totals due to rounding.

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

The opening weekend box office as a share of total theatrical revenue fell to 26% in 2009 as shown in Table 8.5.
Some of the top films such as Ice Age III, Slumdog Millionaire and The Hangover had longer theatrical runs andso their opening weekend represented a smaller share of overall box office. The opening weekend box office asa percentage of total theatrical revenue for Slumdog Millionaire was just 6%. However, this film’s success at the
BAFTA Awards and Academy Awards® was a significant factor in its box office success, and these awards were
won after its opening weekend.

12

13

Table 8.5 Opening weekend as percentage of total box office, 2007–2009

Range of box office results

All films
More than £30 million£20 million – £30 million£10 million – £19.9 million£5 million – £9.9 million£1 million – £4.9 million£200,000 – £999,000
Less than £200,000% of total in
opening
weekend2007% of total in
opening
weekend2008% of total in
opening
weekend
2009

28.5
35.8
30.2
20.0
25.4
28.1
31.9
34.1

27.3
21.7
31.0
29.2
27.6
27.4
34.1
34.8

26.1
18.8
23.0
32.2
26.1
30.3
35.5
36.5

14

15

16

17

18

Source: Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Opening weekends include preview figures. For films with a limited initial opening, the wider release figure is included in the analysis.
19

20

Chapter 8: Distribution – 63

21

Chapter 1:
#"3*×!"
8.4 Release costs

The opening weekend is recognised as being crucial
to the lifetime of a film, both in cinemas and on
subsequent release platforms. Distributors invest heavily
in advertising in order to raise a film’s profile across all
media (outdoor posters, print media, television, radio
and increasingly online). The estimated total distributor
advertising spend in 2009 was £168 million, down 2%
from £172 million in 2008 (Table 8.6). However, fewer
films were released in 2009, and the average advertising
spend per film in 2009, at £0.3 million, was very similar
to that in 2008. Press spend has fallen over the last six
years (from £30.1 million in 2003) while the internet
has emerged as an outlet for film advertising (internet
advertising spend dipped slightly from 2007 to 2008,
but increased from £4.5 million in 2008 to £6.4 million
in 2009). Approximately £28 million was spent on
advertising British films, down from £43 million in 2008.
This drop in advertising of UK films was largely due tothe lower number of UK/USA studio films released in2009. There were 13 studio-backed UK films released
in 2009 (five of which were re-releases which received
little or no advertising) compared with 22 in 2008.

Average release costs for the films with the widest
releases have decreased from 2008 levels but, as
indicated above, the 2009 average advertising costs
for all films was very similar to the 2008 average.
While the films with the widest releases (ie thosewhich spend most on advertising) spent less per filmon advertising in 2009 than in 2008, there were moreof these films in 2009, and so the overall advertising
spend in 2009 was similar to that in 2008.
Table 8.7 Estimated release cost by width of release,2008–2009
Sites at widest
point of release

Table 8.6 Estimated advertising spend,
2003 and 2007–2009(£ million)TV
Outdoor
Press
Radio
Internet
Total

Where the data are available, the total release costs
for various release widths can be estimated. By taking
a typical print cost of £1,000 per print and adding theNielsen Media Research advertising spend estimate plus
20% for other public relations campaigns, publicity andpremiere costs, the average release cost for each levelof theatrical release can be calculated (Table 8.7).
This shows that for films released across the widest
number of cinemas (500+), the average release cost was£3.4 million, compared with almost £4 million in 2008.

2003

2007

2008

2009

61.2
46.6
30.1
9.7
–
147.6

74.1
65.3
27.0
8.4
4.7
179.5

79.3
56.2
22.6
9.4
4.5
172.0

74.3
57.0
19.9
10.7
6.4
168.3

>500
400–499
300–399
200–299
100–199
50–99
10–49
<10

Averagereleasecost 2008(£ million)

Averagereleasecost 2009(£ million)

3.95
2.21
1.39
0.90
0.43
0.18
0.08
0.01

3.40
2.05
1.32
0.84
0.51
0.21
0.06
0.01

Source: Nielsen Media Research, Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.

Source: Nielsen Media Research.

P
For further details about the UK box office in 2009 see Chapter 1 (page 8)
For more information about the top films at the UK box office in 2009 see Chapter 2 (page 15)
For an overview of employment in film distribution see Chapter 21 (page 182)

64 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Chapter 9:
Exhibition

The number of screens in the
UK continues to rise, although
the availability of screensand admissions per person
vary considerably across thecountry. The number of digital
screens doubled during 2009,
while the number of 3D digital
screens increased by over
six times.

Facts in focus
VËË0jË2Ë?aËÏ^Éy¤ËÄWÁjjÄ^Ë|¤ËÁjËÍ?ËÔååo^Ëin 723 cinemas.
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjËÄÞËÄWÁjjÄËwÁËjÜjÁßË¤åå^åååË¬j¬j^ËÍjË
same as in 2008, but lower than some other countries.
VËË!ÁÍjÁËÁj?aË?aËÍjË~jÄÍËÖMjÁËwËÄWÁjjÄË(9.6) per 100,000 people in the UK, while the East
Midlands (4.7), the North East (4.3) and the Eastof England (4.1) had the lowest.
VËË#ßËÈ°ËwËÄWÁjjÄËÝjÁjËajaW?ÍjaËÍË½Ä¬jW?Äja¾Ë
(that is non-mainstream) programming, with 0.3%
dedicated mainly to South Asian films.
VËË0jË2Ë?aËÍjËÄjWaË~jÄÍËÖMjÁËwËa~Í?ËÄWÁjjÄË
in Europe with 642 screens (behind France’s 959 digital
screens). The UK had 449 screens capable of screening
digital 3D features (70% of all digital screens).
VËË0jË?ÜjÁ?~jËÍWjÍË¬ÁWjËÝ?ÄËÌy±||±9.1 UK cinema sites
Figure 9.1 shows the number of cinema sites in the UK from 2002 to 2009. The number of sites decreased slightly
in 2004 but rose to a high of 727 sites by 2007. In 2008 sites fell by one to 726, and fell by a further three, to 723,
in 2009. The number of multiplex sites increased from 269 in 2008 to 275 in 2009. In 2009 multiplexes made up
38% of all cinema sites.
Figure 9.1 UK cinema sites by type of site, 2002–2009
Number of sites
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Multiplex

229

234

238

242

249

258

269

275

Traditional andmixed use

439

444

406

417

448

469

457

448

Total sites

668

678

644

659

697

727

726

723

% multiplex sites

34

35

37

37

36

35

37

38

Source: Dodona Research, RSU analysis.
Note: Data on cinema sites prior to 2002 not availabe. Multiplexes are defined as purpose-built cinema complexes with five screens or more while
excluding those that were converted from traditional cinema sites.

9.2 UK screens
The number of owned or programmed cinema screens (excluding those operated in venues such as schools andprivate screening rooms) continued to increase slightly in 2009, rising by just over 1% to 3,651 as Figure 9.2 shows.
The proportion of multiplex screens (see definition in the note to Figure 9.1) continued to rise in 2009. There has
been an increase of 68% in the number of multiplex screens since 1999 compared with a 19% fall in the number of
traditional and mixed use screens (used for film screenings only part of the time). The UK has gained 1,111 multiplex
screens since 1999 and lost 218 traditional or mixed use screens. The proportion of multiplex screens increased from
59% in 1999 to 75% in 2009.

66 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Image: Love Aaj Kal courtesy of Eros International

12

Figure 9.2 UK cinema screens by type of cinema, 1999–20093

Number of screens
4,000
3,500

4

3,000
2,500
5

2,000
1,500

6

1,000
500
0

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Multiplex

1,624

1,874

2,115

2,299

2,362

2,426

2,453

2,512

2,578

2,689

2,735

Traditional andmixed use

1,134

1,080

1,049

959

956

916

904

928

936

921

916

Total sites

2,758

2,954

3,164

3,258

3,318

3,342

3,357

3,440

3,514

3,610

3,651

% multiplex screens

58.9

63.4

66.8

70.6

71.2

72.6

73.1

73.0

73.4

74.5

74.9

Source: Dodona Research, RSU analysis.
See note to Figure 9.1.

8

9Table 9.1 shows that more multiplex sites and screens opened than closed in 2009 while there were net falls in thenumber of traditional sites and screens over the same period. The number of traditional screens fell for the second
year in succession, after two small rises in 2006 and 2007 as shown in Figure 9.2.

10

A total of 34 sites (all but two traditional) closed in 2009, nine fewer than the number of closures in 2008, witha loss of 63 screens (the same number as in 2008). Thirty-one sites opened (including eight multiplexes), adding
105 screens, including 67 multiplex screens.

11

Table 9.1 Site openings and closures, 200912
Multiplex

OpenedClosedNet difference

7

Traditional

sites

screens

sites

screens

8
2
+6

67
21
+46

23
32
–9

38
42
–5

13

14

Source: Dodona Research, RSU analysis.
See note to Figure 9.1.
15

9.3 Screen location
Historically, cinemas have been a feature of the urban landscape and 2009 was no different with 97% of all screensin the UK in town or city centres, edge of centre, ‘out of town’ or suburban locations.
Table 9.2 shows suburban and rural cinemas tend to have fewer screens on average than their urban counterparts,
although town and city centre sites are also relatively small. In 2009, while there was a significant fall in thepercentage of suburban screens, the number of suburban screens lost was just three. The number of rural screensrose fractionally from 95 in 2008 to 97 in 2009.

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 9: Exhibition – 67

21

Table 9.2 Screens by location, 2003–2009
Location

Town/city centre
Out of town
Edge of centre
Suburban
Rural
Total

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

1,470
1,234
464
33
117
3,318

1,502
1,243
465
33
99
3,342

1,495
1,250
479
38
95
3,357

1,555
1,262
478
40
105
3,440

1,616
1,284
486
30
98
3,514

1,683
1,303
499
30
95
3,610

1,732
1,297
498
27
97
3,651

Average% change
number of
2008/09 screens per site

+2.9
–0.5
–0.2
–10.0
+2.1
+1.1

3.8
9.8
9.1
1.8
1.4
5.0

Source: Dodona Research, RSU analysis.

9.4 Screen density and admissions per person – international comparisonsA standard way to gauge the level of cinema provision is by ‘screen density’, that is the number of screens per unitof population. In 2009, the UK figure was 6.0 screens per 100,000 people, the same as in 2008. This level of screen
access falls short of the numbers in other major film territories: USA (12.8), Australia (9.2), Spain (9.0), France (8.7)
and Italy (7.2). Germany’s screen density, of 5.8 screens per 100,000 people, is slightly less than in the UK (source:
Screen Digest).
Table 9.3 shows the numbers of admissions per person in a number of major film territories. The UK saw moreadmissions per person (2.8) than Spain, Italy and Germany despite having lower screen density than Spain and Italy.
Of the major territories, the USA had the highest admissions per person (4.3), closely followed by Australia (4.2).
Table 9.3 Admissions per person in major film territories, 2003–2009
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

Australia

USA

France

UK

Spain

Italy

Germany

4.5
4.5
4.0
4.1
4.1
4.0
4.2

5.4
5.2
4.7
4.8
4.6
4.1
4.3

2.9
3.2
2.9
3.1
2.9
3.0
3.2

2.8
2.9
2.7
2.6
2.7
2.7
2.8

3.3
3.4
2.9
2.7
2.6
2.4
2.4

1.5
1.7
1.6
1.6
1.8
1.7
1.7

1.8
1.9
1.5
1.7
1.5
1.6
1.8

Source: Screen Digest.

9.5 Screen density and admissions per person in the UK
As in the previous Yearbooks we are able to present screen provision data based on two types of regionalclassification. The datasets are not directly comparable because of differences in the way the regions are defined;
they do, however, shed light on different aspects of national and regional variation in screen provision.

68 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

The Cinema Advertising Association produces monthly admissions totals for each of the television advertisingregions used by the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA). Screen and admissions data for 2009 using
these television regions are presented in Table 9.4. Although London had the highest numbers of screens and sites,
its screen density (6.5) was lower than that of Northern Ireland (9.6) and was the same as Central Scotland.
The North East had the lowest screen density (4.0) among all ISBA regions.
Table 9.4 Screens and admissions by ISBA TV region, 2009 (ranked by screens per 100,000 people)
ISBA TV region

Screens% of total
screens

Northern Ireland
Central Scotland
LondonWales and WestSouthern
Lancashire
Northern Scotland
BorderSouth West
Midlands
East of EnglandYorkshire
North East
Total

171
237
788
302
332
428
75
36
106
553
214
292
117
3,651

4.7
6.5
21.6
8.3
9.1
11.7
2.1
1.0
2.9
15.1
5.9
8.0
3.2
100.0

4

5

Sites

Population
Screens per(‘000)* 100,000 people

Admissions(‘000)

Admissions
per screen

Admissions
per person

25
38
153
70
81
59
16
19
35
105
46
51
25
723

1,775
3,626
12,208
4,787
5,405
6,971
1,256
607
1,839
9,831
4,209
5,884
2,894
61,293

5,705
12,787
41,694
11,414
15,96919,760
3,573
1,346
4,274
24,624
11,272
14,565
6,480
173,461

33,36053,953
52,91137,79448,09946,16747,64437,401
40,31744,52852,67549,87955,38247,511

3.2
3.5
3.4
2.4
3.0
2.8
2.8
2.2
2.3
2.5
2.7
2.5
2.2
2.8

9.6
6.5
6.5
6.3
6.1
6.1
6.0
5.9
5.8
5.6
5.1
5.0
4.0
6.0

3

6

7

8

9

10

11

Source: Dodona Research, Beacon Dodsworth, Cinema Advertising Association (CAA), RSU analysis.
*Mid-year population estimates 2008. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).

There was a positive and statistically significant linear relationship between cinema admissions per person andscreen density in 2009, as shown in Figure 9.3. That is, the higher the number of screens per person, the higher
the admissions level. However, this association should not be interpreted as a causal relationship as it would be
hard to prove whether higher demand caused the higher supply of cinema screens or vice versa.
The pattern of admissions by screen density for ISBA regions in 2009 was very similar to the pattern in 2008.
In 2009, as in 2008, some regions had above average screen densities, but their levels of admissions remained
low. For example, Wales and the West had a relatively high screen density of 6.3 per 100,000 people but its cinema
admissions rate was one of the lowest at 2.4 admissions per person. It is hard to pinpoint the reason behind thisobservation. The levels of cinema admissions across regions are subject to numerous influences, such as fluctuationsin population size during tourist seasons, the age composition of the population, presence or absence of a film
culture and varying competition from other forms of entertainment.

12

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19

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Chapter 9: Exhibition – 69

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Figure 9.3 Cinema admissions per person by screen density across ISBA regions, 2009
Admissions per person
4.0
Central Scotland

3.5

London

Northern
Ireland

Southern
East ofEngland

3.0

Northern
Scotland
Lancashire
Midlands

2.5

Yorkshire

2.0

4

Wales and WestSouth West

North East

Border

5

7

6

8

10

9

Screen density
Source: Dodona Research, Beacon Dodsworth, CAA, RSU analysis.
*Mid-year population estimates 2008. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
Notes:The line shown above is derived from a weighted linear regression so the results are more influenced by areas with larger population, for example, London
and the Midlands. The relationship between the variables is positive and statistically significant.
The area of the circle is proportional to the ISBA region’s population. Screen density means number of screens per 100,000 people.

Table 9.5 gives screen information for each of the English Government Office Regions, plus Scotland, Wales andNorthern Ireland, which correspond to the areas covered by the nine English Regional Screen Agencies, Scottish
Screen, the Film Agency for Wales and Northern Ireland Screen.
Table 9.5 Screens and population in the nations and Government Office Regions, 2009
(ranked by screens per 100,000 people)
Nation/Government Office Region

Screens% of total
screens

Northern Ireland
LondonSouth East
ScotlandNorth West
Wales
South WestWest Midlands
Yorkshire and The Humber
East Midlands
North East
East of England
Others**
Total

171
559
533
325
431
183
316
310
254
207
112
233
17
3,651

4.7
15.3
14.6
8.9
11.8
5.0
8.7
8.5
7.0
5.7
3.1
6.4
0.5
100.0

Source: Dodona Research, Office for National Statistics (ONS), RSU analysis.
* Mid-2008 Population Estimates, ONS.
**Others include the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
n/a = not available.

70 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Sites

Population(in ‘000)
mid-year 2008*

Screens per
100,000 people

Averagenumber ofscreens per site

25
110
121
63
62
46
82
53
44
42
22
49
4
723

1,775
7,620
8,380
5,169
6,876
2,993
5,209
5,411
5,213
4,433
2,576
5,729
n/a
61,383

9.6
7.3
6.4
6.3
6.3
6.1
6.1
5.7
4.9
4.7
4.3
4.1
n/a
5.9

6.8
5.1
4.4
5.2
7.0
4.0
3.9
5.8
5.8
4.9
5.1
4.8
4.3
5.0

1

2

The pattern of national and regional variation in screen provision changed slightly in 2009 with Scotland andthe South East moving up the screen density rankings. Northern Ireland had the highest number of screens per
100,000 people of the four nations (9.6), followed by Scotland (6.3), Wales (6.1) and England (5.7).

3

Table 9.5 also reveals that Northern Ireland and the North West had on average over six screens per site comparedwith the UK average of five. The South West, Wales and the South East fell below the average, showing a tendency
towards smaller cinemas and, particularly for the South West, proportionally fewer multiplex screens (see Table 9.6).

45

9.6 Type of cinema screens by nation and region
Table 9.6 provides a snapshot of variations in multiplex provision around the UK. The South East had the largest
number of multiplex screens (388), one more than the North West and 32 more than London. The North West
had the highest proportion of multiplex screens (90%). In England the lowest concentration of multiplex screens
was found in the South West (60%), which had a high number of traditional and mixed use screens (the third
highest after London and the South East). The proportion of multiplex screens for England as a whole was 74%.
The Channel Islands and Isle of Man (59%) also had proportionally fewer multiplex screens than the UK average.

6

7

8

Table 9.6 Cinema screens by type by nation or Government Office Region, 2009
(ranked by percentage multiplex)

9

Nation/Government Office Region

Multiplex% multiplex

Traditional andmixed use

Total

North West
Yorkshire and The Humber
North East
Northern IrelandWest Midlands
Wales
ScotlandEast of England
East Midlands
South East
LondonSouth West
Other*
Total

387
211
93
137
243
141
248
176
156
388
356
189
10
2,735

89.8
83.1
83.0
80.1
78.4
77.0
76.3
75.5
75.4
72.8
63.7
59.8
58.8
74.9

44
43
19
34
67
42
77
57
51
145
203
127
7
916

431
254
112
171
310
183
325
233
207
533
559
316
17
3,651

Source: Dodona Research, RSU analysis.
*Other includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

10

11

12

13

14

15

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17

18

19

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Chapter 9: Exhibition – 71

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9.7 Mainstream, specialised and South Asian programming
Dodona Research categorises screens according to whether they show mostly mainstream, specialised (that is nonmainstream, including ‘art-house’) or South Asian films.
Table 9.7 shows that by far the majority of screens mostly show mainstream films. In 2009, 551 cinemas with 3,388
screens showed mostly mainstream films (a rise of 1% for screens and a decrease of 1% for sites). This comparedwith 168 sites (253 screens, 7% of screens) showing specialised films and four cinemas (10 screens, 0.3% of screens)
dedicated mainly to South Asian films. The numbers of screens showing mostly specialised films increased by 1% in2009 while the number of cinemas stayed the same.
Table 9.7 Sites and screens by programme, 2005–2009
Sites

Screens

Programme

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

South AsianSpecialised
Mainstream

5
132
522

5
157
535

4
177
546

4
168
554

4
168
551

18
206
3,133

18
231
3,191

10
255
3,249

10
250
3,350

10
253
3,388

Source: Dodona Research, RSU analysis.

The majority (68%) of specialised screens were found in single, independent cinemas (that is, not part of a chain).
The pattern of programme type by location in 2009 is shown in Table 9.8. Screens showing mostly South Asian films
were located in town or city centres and suburban areas, while those devoted to specialised film were mainly foundin town or city centres. The overall pattern remained similar to last year.
Table 9.8 Percentages of screens by location and programme, 2009
Location

Town/city centre
Out of town
Edge of centre
Suburban
Rural
Total

South AsianSpecialised

Mainstream

Total

80.0
–
–
20.0
–
100.0

85.0
3.2
2.0
3.6
6.3
100.0

44.5
38.0
14.6
0.5
2.4
100.0

47.5
35.5
13.6
0.7
2.7
100.0

Source: Dodona Research, RSU analysis.
Note: Percentages may not add to totals due to rounding.

This geographical analysis is extended in Tables 9.9 and 9.10, which reveal the distribution of South Asian andspecialised screens around the UK. Table 9.9 shows that 80% of all screens showing South Asian films were foundin London, with the remainder in the East Midlands, both areas having large British Asian populations.

72 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 9.9 Geographical spread of South Asian screens, 2009
Government Office Region

LondonEast Midlands
Total

3South Asian screens

%

8
2
10

80
20
100

4

Source: Dodona Research, RSU analysis.

5

Screens showing mainly specialised films were concentrated in London and the South East, which housed 45%of them in 2009 (Table 9.10). Scotland had 28 specialised screens and the South West 26, accounting for 11% and
10% respectively, of such screens. The North East (3.2%), Wales (2.8%) and Northern Ireland (0.8%) had the smallest
number of specialised screens.

6

7

Table 9.10 Geographical spread of specialised screens, 2009
Nation/Government Office Region

LondonSouth East
ScotlandSouth WestWest Midlands
East Midlands
East of EnglandYorkshire and The Humber
North West
North East
Wales
Northern Ireland
Total

Specialised screens

%

75
38
28
26
17
15
15
12
10
8
7
2
253

29.6
15.0
11.1
10.3
6.7
5.9
5.9
4.7
4.0
3.2
2.8
0.8
100.0

8

9

10

11

12

13

Source: Dodona Research, RSU analysis.

9.8 Exhibitors

14

The number of exhibitors that owned or programmed 20 or more screens in the UK was 11 in 2009, the same as
in 2008 (13 in 2005 and 2006, 12 in 2007), as shown in Table 9.11. The five largest exhibitors owned approximately
75% of all UK screens. The order of the list remained similar to last year except for Merlin Cinemas, which increased
its number of screens from 26 in 2008 to 31 in 2009, to move ahead of AMC in the list.

15

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Chapter 9: Exhibition – 73

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Table 9.11 Cinema screens by exhibitors with 20+ screens, 2009
Exhibitor

Sites

Screens% oftotal screens

Odeon
Cineworld
Vue
National Amusements
Ward Anderson
ApolloCity Screen
Reel Cinemas
Movie House Cinemas
Merlin Cinemas
AMC
Others (14 major exhibitors and 312 independent single venue exhibitors)
Total

106
76
67
21
25
13
18
14
5
10
2
366
723

840
773
641
274
213
77
51
51
39
31
28
633
3,651

23.0
21.2
17.6
7.5
5.8
2.1
1.4
1.4
1.1
0.8
0.8
17.3
100.0

Source: Dodona Research.
Figures correct as at March 2010.
Notes:
Odeon is owned by Terra Firma Capital Partners, a European private equity firm with headquarters in London and Frankfurt.
Cineworld comprises the former Cine-UK and UGC chains and is owned by The Blackstone Group, a multinational private equity company.
Vue, which acquired Warner Village cinemas in 2003, is owned by SBC International Cinemas (headquartered in the UK).
National Amusements is owned by the family of Sumner Redstone, chairman of US media giant Viacom.
Ward Anderson is headquartered in the Republic of Ireland where it operates the Cineplex, IMC and Omniplex chains.

9.9 Exhibitor revenues
Dodona Research reports that total exhibitor revenue in 2009 stood at £1,193 million, 10% higher than in 2008.
Net concession revenue stood at £302 million (a rise of 11% on 2008), while gross advertising revenue totalled£195 million.
Average ticket prices, calculated by dividing UK box office gross for the year (£944 million) by total UK admissions(173.5 million), rose from £5.18 in 2008 to £5.44 in 2009, an increase of 5%.

9.10 Digital projection
9.10.1 Digital Screen Network
The UK Film Council’s 239 state-of-the-art digital cinema screens had been installed by the end of 2008. The end of
the final installations marked the beginning of the four-year contract with the cinemas for the delivery of specialised
films. At the end of 2008, the 239 Digital Screen Network screens accounted for a large proportion of the UK’s totalof 310 digital screens. Since then however, the rate of installation of digital screens in cinemas has accelerated, andat the end of 2009 there were 642 digital screens in UK cinemas.

9.10.2 Digital screens worldwide and in the UK
According to Screen Digest, at the end of 2009 there were 16,335 DCI–level (Digital Cinema Initiatives; see Glossary)
digital screens worldwide, 86% up on 8,800 screens in 2008. Table 9.12 shows the number of high-end digital (often
referred to as ‘D-Cinema’ in the industry) screens in the world from 2005 to 2009. Worldwide, digital screens haveincreased almost twenty-fold since 2005.

74 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

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Table 9.12 Number of high-end digital screens in the world, 2005–20093

Region

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

% of
2009
total

AmericasAsia-Pacific
Europeof which UK
Africa and Middle East
Total

345
272
229
38
2
848

2,030
430
532
148
4
2,996

4,666
919
864
296
6
6,455

5,754
1,471
1,547
310
28
8,800

8,185
3,488
4,580
642
82
16,335

50.1
21.4
28.0
3.9
0.5
100.0

%
change inscreens
2008/09

42.2
137.1
196.1
107.1
192.9
85.6

Source: Screen Digest.
Note: Figures prior to 2007 include a small number of digital screens using the earlier projectors (1.3K DLP Cinema projectors) that do not meet the DCI specifications.
The minimum projector resolution for DCI is 2K (see Glossary). Figures valid to March 2010.

The rise in the worldwide number of digital screens continued in 2009, with a total increase of 7,535 screens.
It was fuelled by the continuing growth of digital screens in Europe, which had the largest percentage increase
from 2008 to 2009 and the largest increase in numbers (40% of the worldwide total). North and South America’s
increase in digital screens from 2008 to 2009 accounted for 32% of the worldwide increase, and the Asia-Pacificregion accounted for 27%. The number of digital screens in Africa and the Middle East increased by 193%, from28 in 2008 to 82 in 2009, but this increase of 54 screens represented just 0.5% of the worldwide total increase.
In Europe 12 countries, led by France, had more than 100 digital screens in 2009, compared with five in 2008 asshown in Table 9.13. The top five countries had 63% (62% in 2008) of all of the high-end digital screens in Europe.
France increased its number of screens by 278% from 254 in 2008 to 959 in 2009, to have the largest number ofdigital screens in Europe (21% of the European total). The largest percentage increases from 2008 to 2009, however,were seen in the Czech Republic (780% increase from five to 44 screens) and in Finland (514% increase from sevento 43 screens).

Country

FranceUK
Germany
Italy
RussiaSpain
Austria
PolandPortugal
Belgium
Netherlands
Republic of Ireland
Rest of Europe
Europe total

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Table 9.13 European countries with 100 or more high-end digital screens, 2008–2009(ranked by number of screens in 2009)

2008

2009

% of
2009
Europe
total

254
310
164
78
98
58
119
56
36
107
36
46
185
1,547

959
642
525
415
331
286
239
191
178
142
105
101
466
4,580

20.9
14.0
11.5
9.1
7.2
6.2
5.2
4.2
3.9
3.1
2.3
2.2
10.2
100.0

Year

4

% increase
from
2008

277.6
107.1
220.1
432.1
237.8
393.1
100.8
241.1
394.4
32.7
191.7
119.6
151.9
196.1

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

Source: Screen Digest.
See note to Table 9.12.
20

Chapter 9: Exhibition – 75

21

The overall increase in the number of high-end digital screens in the Asia-Pacific region was lower than in Europe
between 2008 and 2009. The region’s total number of screens increased by 137% from 1,471 to 3,488. China morethan doubled its number of screens (to 1,788) and now has 51% of the region’s digital screens. Table 9.14 showsthat the top five countries had just under 92% of all digital screens in the region. In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia
had the largest percentage increase in the number of digital screens (588%, from 42 to 289 screens in 2009), andJapan increased its number of digital screens from 123 to 440 (an increase of 258%).
Table 9.14 Countries in Asia-Pacific region with 100 or more high-end digital screens, 2008–2009(ranked by number of screens in 2009)

2008

2009

% of
2009
Asia-Pacific
total

861
199
123
42
112
134
1,471

1,788
536
440
289
146
289
3,488

51.3
15.4
12.6
8.3
4.2
8.3
100.0

Year
Country

China
South Korea
Japan
Australia
India
Rest of Asia-PacificAsia-Pacific total% increase
from
2008

107.7
169.3
257.7
588.1
30.4
115.7
137.1

Source: Screen Digest.
Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.
See note to Table 9.12.

9.10.3 3D and alternative content programming
Of the 642 high-end digital screens in the UK in 2009, 449 (70%) of them were 3D-capable digital screens.
This represents a greater than three-fold increase in the proportion of 3D digital screens over 2008. Some of the
popular 3D screenings in the UK in 2009 included Avatar (Avatar’s 3D box office takings alone were higher thanany other film has taken at the UK box office), Ice Age III and Up.
Table 9.15 shows the increasing number and proportion of 3D digital screens in the UK. The growth in 3D digital
screens coincided with an increase in the availability of 3D content internationally. Fourteen digital 3D features (films
produced in stereoscopic 3D format) were released in 2009, and there is a strong line-up, especially animations, of
3D releases for 2010, including Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans 3D, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:Part 1, Shrek Forever After and Toy Story 3 3D.
Table 9.15 3D digital screens in the UK, 2006–2009
Year

2006
2007
2008
2009

Number of
3D digital
screens

Total digital
screens

3D % of all
digital screens

Top performing digital 3D title in the UK/Republic of Ireland

5
47
69
449

148
296
310
642

3.4
15.9
22.3
69.9

Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas
Beowulf
Fly Me to the Moon
Avatar

Source: Screen Digest, Rentrak EDI, RSU analysis.
Note: 3D digital screens are capable of screening content made in stereoscopic 3D format. Top performing digital 3D titles in the UK and Republic of Ireland are based ontakings from 3D and IMAX screenings.

76 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

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Alternative content (AC) or non-feature film programming is becoming a regular feature in some UK cinemas
equipped with digital screens. The UK is the most advanced territory in Europe for alternative content programming,
not least because it also has the highest number of digital sites and, until recently, the highest number of digital
screens (now surpassed by France). The availability of a digital screen base has allowed a wider range of content
on the big screen, allowed interactivity between the screen and the audience and potentially improved the useof auditorium capacity during typically quiet periods, for example, special screenings of children’s television
programmes for parents with babies in the morning. Also, since alternative content events usually have only
one or two screenings they tend to generate higher occupancy rates than feature films.
There were 58 alternative content events screened in UK cinemas in 2009, according to Screen Digest (Figure 9.4).
In 2008, such events ranged from live or recorded operas and pop music concerts to film screenings with a live
’question and answer’ session or a live ‘virtual’ premiere. New types of events shown in 2009 included ballet,
a live poetry reading and a live Digital Cinema Workshop.

3

4

5

6

7

Figure 9.4 Alternative content events screened in UK cinemas by type of event, 2007–2009
Number of events
40

8

30

9

20

10

10

11

0

Opera

Popular music
concerts

Film

Sport

TheatreKids (subComedydivision of film)

2007

8

11

7

4

0

0

2008

39

9

4

6

6

2

2009

34

2

11

1

2

0

BalletClassical
music concerts

PoetryEducation

1

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

3

2

1

1

Source: Screen Digest.
Note: Figures include live and recorded events. ‘Film’ includes film screenings followed by a live ‘question and answer’ session. ‘Kids’ includes cartoons or shortfeatures that would normally be released on television or DVD.

Although there were fewer alternative content events in 2009 than in 2008, revenues from these events continued
to rise, as Figure 9.5 shows. This may be due to events being shown more widely as more digital screens become
available. Notable alternative content events screened in 2009 included a 3D showing of Olympic gold medallist
Usain Bolt’s 150 metres sprint in Manchester in May. This event was screened in Odeon cinemas before the showingof Ice Age III. The National Theatre broadcast its production of Racine’s Phèdre starring Helen Mirren to 273 venues
around the world, enabling 30,000 viewers to see the play, rather than just those able to attend the live theatre.
Events in 2010 include Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D, a 3D concert film of the singer’s 2008 summer tour acrossthe USA, released in cinemas in April.

12

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14

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16

17

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Chapter 9: Exhibition – 7721

Figure 9.5 Revenues from alternative content events
screened in UK cinemas, 2006–2009£ million
5
4

While many film societies and community cinemas
have been in existence over a long period, new ones
are established all the time. Over half (56%) of the
responding organisations were established in 2000 orlater, while 17% were established in the 1960s or earlier(down from 24% in 2007/08).
Nearly all of the film societies that responded (87%)
operated a membership system in 2008/09 and theaverage membership size was 138. The membershipof responding societies stood at 11,614. The BFFS
estimates a total membership of over 38,000 acrossall film societies known to them.

32
1
0
Alternative
content revenues

2006

2007

2008

2009

0.2

0.8

3.1

4.9

Source: Screen Digest.

9.11 Community cinema in the UK
The screening of feature films in the UK is not limited tocinemas belonging to the major cinema operators. Thereis a thriving sector of non-commercial providers bringing
a wide variety of programming, often specialised innature, to local communities which would otherwise beunder-served by the commercial operators. This sector
is often referred to as community cinema. Membersof local communities are often more involved in the
programming of such cinemas than their commercial
counterparts. Screenings of films in this sector are
in venues such as village halls, mixed arts venues,
independent cinemas and the like.
There was a knowledge gap in the contribution ofcommunity cinema until recently. In the Yearbook
2006/07 we presented the findings of a 2006 survey,
Cinema for All, commissioned by the British Federationof Film Societies (BFFS). This survey looked at the size,
composition and geographical distribution of thecommunity cinema sector in the UK. The survey has
since been repeated annually, and here we present asummary of the key findings from the 2008/09 survey.

78 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

The average full annual membership fee was £26.30(down from £26.94 in 2007/08). Less than one-third ofsocieties that operated a membership system charged
an additional admission fee (28%). The averageadmission fee charged by these societies was £3.96.
The responding organisations programmed a total of
682 different titles, in 1,581 screenings, during the
2008/09 season (more than the 503 films released
theatrically in the UK in 2009). British films werescreened 388 times (25% of all screenings, up from
23% in 2007/08), and 49% of screenings were foreign
language films (up from 39% in 2007/08). In total,
70% of titles were screened by only one film society(up from 65% in 2007/08), indicating the diversityof programming choices made by individual societies.
However, some titles proved popular choices across
many film societies, and 30 films were programmed
by 10 or more societies.
Seven of these films programmed by 10 or more
respondents in 2008/09 were British, and 15 were in
a foreign language. The three most programmed films
were Happy-Go-Lucky, The Kite Runner and Persepolis.
Just over half (51%, the same as in 2007/08) of all
responding organisations held special events in addition
to screenings in 2008/09.

1

2

The average audience size in 2008/09 was 76.
The smallest audience recorded was just one admission
and the largest stood at 347. The sum total of alladmissions from responding organisations was 104,097.
If this is extrapolated to all societies, the BFFS estimatesthat the total number of admissions in 2008/09 would
have been around 347,000.
The most commonly used format for screenings
was DVD (used ‘usually’ or ‘sometimes’ by 91% of
responding organisations). Only 16% of responding
societies still used VHS, and none of the societies
reported it as their usual projection format. One quarterof the responding societies used 35mm as their usual
projection format.

Film societies and community cinemas enhance film
provision in thematic or geographical areas otherwise
under-served by commercial cinemas. On average, film
societies and community cinemas were located aroundnine miles from the nearest commercial cinema.
Moreover, 44% operated in rural areas (with 19% inremote rural areas more than 10 miles from the nearest
settlement) compared with 3% of commercial screens(Table 9.8). The South West was the region with thehighest number of admissions, accounting for 23%
of all admissions to film society screenings. In contrast,
the number of admissions to commercial cinemas in
the South West ISBA region represented 2.5% of alladmissions to commercial cinemas (Table 9.4).

The vast majority of film societies used only one
venue for screenings (90%), and public buildings(for example, civic centres, village or town halls) werethe most common type (used by 38% of respondents).
Other types of venue included theatres (used by 15%
of respondents), cinemas (14%), school halls or college/
university lecture theatres (11%) and mixed arts
centres (8%).

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

P

17

For cinema admissions and box office see Chapter 1 (page 8)
For a look at cinema audiences see Chapter 14 (page 110)For employment in the exhibition sector see Chapter 21 (page 182)
See www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/dsn for more about the UK Film Council’s Digital Screen Network, including
a list of such screens by region
For maps showing distances from households to closest commercial and independent cinemas in the UK,
see www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/exhibition
Website for British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS): www.bffs.org.uk

18

19

20

Chapter 9: Exhibition – 79

21

Chapter 10:
Film on video

Video offers audiences the20/$&0406""×%-67&0#&$
months of their cinema releasea)$ *!/26"6-"×%-6)2"
2"%")6" $$%4:$F88DN
people living in the UK bought
an average of four physical
videos each, three of which
7"2"*")0/2"×%-6:

Facts in focus
VËË0jËWMjaËÁjÍ?Ë?aËÄ?jÄË?ÁjÍËwÁËÜajËË
physical media in 2009 was £2.39 billion, and featurefilm on video accounted for £1.51 billion.
VËËÈ¤ËËxÄËÝjÁjËÁjÍjaËËÜajËËÔååË®ÈÔËËin 2008) and 180 million films on video were sold(196 million in 2008).
VËËË?WWÖÍjaËwÁËÈ|°ËwËÍjËÜÖjËwËÍjËÜajËÄ?jÄË
market and 61% of the value. UK film had a 20% share.
VËË0jËÄÍË¬¬Ö?ÁË¬ÖÁW?ÄjËË 7 ËÝ?ÄËHarry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince.
VËË#jËÜajËÁjÍ?ËwËwj?ÍÖÁjËxÄË?WWÖÍjaËwÁË|°Ë
of all rental transactions of feature films in 2009.

1

2

10.1 Film in the retail video market

3‘Video’ is used in this chapter as the generic description of all physical video formats, including DVD, UMD(Universal Media Disc), high-definition DVD (HD-DVD) and Blu-ray, in line with the British Video Association’s(BVA) definition, and does not include downloads. (For information on films rented or purchased by download,
see Chapters 12 and 13.)

4

In 2009, 243 million videos were sold, down 5.4% on 2008. The total market value was £2,164 million (Figure 10.1),
down 10.1% on 2008. DVDs accounted for the vast bulk of video sales value (92%), while Blu-ray sales accounted
for 6.4% of total sales value in 2009, compared with 2.9% in 2008. Feature film represented approximately 61%of the retail video market by value (£1,311 million) and 74% by volume. UK films accounted for around 20% ofsales of film on video.
Figure 10.1 Retail video sales (all categories), 1999–2009

5

6

7

Million
3,000

8

2,500
2,000

9

1,500
10

1,000
500

0

11
1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Volume (million)

96

114

135

169

208

234

222

228

249

257

243

Value (£ million)

878

1,101

1,417

1,896

2,245

2,478

2,309

2,219

2,349

2,408

2,164

12

13

Source: Screen Digest.
Note: Data in this table include all categories of retail video: film, TV, sport, fitness etc.

The number of films sold on video more than trebled between 1999 and 2008, from 61 million units to 196 million,
before falling in 2009 to 180 million units (Figure 10.2). The loss of some 900 Woolworth and Zavvi stores in 2009is likely to have had an effect on DVD film sales. As Figure 10.3 shows, the average unit price increased with theintroduction of DVD in the late 1990s to reach a peak in 2002, but has since fallen back to the level of the late
1990s (£7.29).

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Image: Ice Age III © 2009, Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved

Chapter 10: Film on video – 8121

Figure 10.2 Film on video retail sales, 1999–2009
Million
1,800
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Volume (million)

61

76

96

128

158

180

164

165

188

196

180

Value (£ million)

451

601

821

1,175

1,392

1,557

1,399

1,302

1,440

1,454

1,311

Source: UK Film Council RSU analysis of Official UK Charts Company and BVA data.

Figure 10.3 Retail price of film per unit, 1999–2000
Price (£)
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Price

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

7.46

7.87

8.56

9.15

8.80

8.64

8.52

7.89

7.68

7.42

7.29

Source: UK Film Council RSU.

Table 10.1 shows the top selling films on video in 2009. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince topped the chart withmore than two million copies sold. The Dark Knight appears in 2009’s top 10 as well as being the second highest
selling video of 2008. Just outside this list (at number 11) is Star Trek, which was the highest selling Blu-ray discof 2009. Sales of Blu-ray discs accounted for 3.3% of all video sales by volume in 2009, up from 1.4% in 2008.

82 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 10.1 Top 10 films on video retail, 2009

3

Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Country of origin

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Quantum of Solace
Twilight
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Slumdog Millionaire
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Angels and DemonsHigh School Musical 3: Senior Year
Ice Age III
The Dark Knight

Distributor

UK/USA
Warner
UK/USA 20th Century Fox
USA E1 Entertainment
USA
Paramount
UK 20th Century Fox
USAParamount
USA
Sony Pictures
USA
Walt Disney
USA 20th Century Fox
UK/USA
Warner4

5

6

7

Source: Official UK Charts Company, BVA.

Once again, comedy was the dominant genre of films sold on video in 2009, accounting for over 23% of the market
as Figure 10.4 shows. Drama was the next most popular with 19% of all sales, followed by action/adventure with 15%.

8

9Figure 10.4 Sales breakdown by film genre, 2009%

ComedyThriller
FamilyHorrorSci-fi
Adult
WarMusicalDrama
Western
Action/adventure
Anime
Documentary
Bollywood

23.3
8.9
11.8
5.6
8.2
0.1
2.4
3.3
19.4
1.1
15.3
0.3
0.3
0.0

10

11

12

13

14

15

Source: Official UK Charts Company, BVA.

The top 10 UK performers on sell-through video in 2009 (Table 10.2) include four UK-qualifying titles which are also
in the overall top 10 of the year. In addition, Mamma Mia! continued to sell well in 2009 after being the top selling
video of 2008 when it sold more than 5 million copies to become the highest selling DVD of all time in the UK.
By the end of 2009, it had sold almost 6 million copies. In second place in the list is Quantum of Solace, which
was also the second highest selling Blu-ray disc of 2009.

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 10: Film on video – 83

21

Table 10.2 Top 10 UK-qualifying video film retail titles, 2009
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Title

Country of origin

Distributor

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Quantum of Solace
Slumdog Millionaire
The Dark Knight
Mamma Mia!
The Duchess
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Casino Royale
Rocknrolla
Wild Child

UK/USA
Warner
UK/USA 20th Century Fox
UK 20th Century Fox
UK/USA
Warner
UK/USA Universal Pictures
UK/Fra/Ita 20th Century Fox
UK/USA
Walt Disney
UK/USA/Cze
Sony Pictures
UK/USA
Warner
UK/USA Universal Pictures

Source: RSU analysis of Official UK Charts Company data.

The list of top 10 UK independent films sold on video in 2009 is topped by Slumdog Millionaire, which was also the
top grossing UK independent film at the UK box office in 2009 (Table 10.3). Biopics were also popular in 2009, withThe Duchess and The Young Victoria in second and third places in the list.
Table 10.3 Top 10 UK independent video film retail titles, 2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Slumdog Millionaire
The Duchess
The Young Victoria
City Rats
Bronson
Adulthood
Kidulthood
Run, Fat Boy, Run
The Bank Job
Cass

Source: RSU analysis of Official UK Charts Company data.
#The Young Victoria, Run, Fat Boy, Run and The Bank Job were made with independent (non-studio) US support.

84 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Country of origin

Distributor

UK 20th Century Fox
UK/Fra/Ita 20th Century Fox
UK/USA#
Momentum
UK
RevolverUK E1 Entertainment
UK 20th Century Fox
UK
Revolver
UK/USA#EIV
UK/USA#
Lions Gate
UK
Optimum1

2

10.2 The relationship between film on video sales and theatrical box office takings

3

As can be seen from Table 10.1, the top selling titles on video tend to be the same as those which performed
well theatrically. Looking more closely at this relationship (Figures 10.5 and 10.6) we see a positive and statisticallysignificant association between box office and video sales. That is, the greater the gross box office for a film, themore videos it is likely to sell. Table 10.4 shows the number of videos a film is likely to sell at various box office levels.
For example, a film taking £5 million could be expected to sell 598,000 videos in the UK. There is considerable
variation around this result. On the data studied, 80% of films taking £5 million at the UK box office would sell
between 199,000 and 998,000 videos. As the box office increases, the variation relative to the average gets smaller.
So a film taking £50 million at the box office could be expected to sell 3.4 million videos, with a variation (for 80%of the titles) between 3.0 million and 3.8 million. The data also suggest that low to medium box office films receive
a greater proportion of their total revenues from video sales than do high box office ‘blockbuster’ films (see box
for explanation).

4

5

6

7

Figure 10.5 Scatter plot and fitted lines of video sales against gross box office for all films
Video sales (million)
4

8

3

9

2
10
1
11
0

0
All films

10
All films, box office <£1 million

20

30

40

50

All films, box office >£1 million

12

Source: RSU analysis of Rentrak EDI and Official UK Charts Company data.

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 10: Film on video – 85

21

Figure 10.6 Scatter plot and fitted lines of video sales against gross box office for UK films
Video sales (million)
4

3

2

1

0

0
UK films

1020

UK films, box office <£1 million

30

40

50

UKfilms, box office >£1 million

Source: RSU analysis of Rentrak EDI and Official UK Charts Company data.
Note: the scatter plot shows all the points included in Figure 10.5 but the lines were fitted using data for UK films only.

Table 10.4 Average numbers of video sales for levels of gross box officeUK
box office

Low box office gross films

High box office gross films£50,000£100,000£200,000£500,000£750,000£1 million£5 million£10 million£20 million£50 million

Source: RSU analysis of Rentrak EDI and Official UK Charts Company data.

86 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Average numberof UK video sales

13,00020,00034,00075,000109,000
143,000
598,000
910,000
1,533,000
3,404,000

Range containing the video sales of
80% of films for the level of box office
From

To

0
0
0
27,00062,00096,000199,000
510,000
1,134,000
3,004,000

60,00067,00081,000122,000
156,000
190,000
998,000
1,310,000
1,933,000
3,803,000

1

2

The relationship between UK box officeand UK video sales
To test the relationship between the UK box office andUK video sales a sample of films that were released ina particular year1 around the middle of the decade wastaken and their gross box office takings were comparedwith the number of video sales achieved after five years.
All films from the release year for which data on video
sales were available were included in the sample.
The total number of films included was 356, and
78 of these were UK films. The gross box office forthe majority of the films in the sample was less than
£1 million (238 of all films and 43 of the UK films).
Only films that were released theatrically are included inthis comparison (that is, no ‘straight to video’ films areincluded). Also, only sales of physical discs are includedin the present comparison. It would be better to include
all films purchased, ie films on physical discs and films
purchased as downloads. However, while we have some
information on the total number of films downloaded
to own, we do not have information on numbers ofdownloads by title for films purchased in this way(see Chapter 12). Also, the films included in thepresent analysis were released some time ago, so it
is likely that only a very small percentage of the total
sales of these films would have been downloaded.
Analyses of the data show statistically significant
positive linear relationships between gross box officeand video sales (after five years). That is, the greater
the gross box office for a film, the more videos it would
expect to sell. As most of the films in the sample areclustered at the lower end of the box office and video
sales scales, three separate lines were fitted to the data,using linear regression analysis. The first line represents
the relationship between box office and video sales for
all films, the second for films which took more than
£1 million at the box office and the third for films which
took less than £1 million at the box office (Figure 10.5).
Similar analyses were carried out for UK films only
(Figure 10.6) and also showed a statistically significant
positive linear relationship. The UK films contained in
the sample described above were included in theseanalyses, rather than taking a different sample of UK
films. The scatter plot shown in Figure 10.6 includes
the data points for all films so as not to reveal theidentity of individual titles, but the lines are fittedusing the data for UK films only.

Figures 10.5 and 10.6 show that while there is apositive relationship between box office and video
sales there is considerable variation for individual titles.
The relationship is weakest (most variation around thefitted line) for low grossing films (box office gross lessthan £1 million), but even for these films the relationshipbetween the two variables is statistically significant.
Further, the estimated impact of an increase in box
office on video sales for low grossing films is greaterthan for higher grossing films.
From the regression analyses we can estimate theaverage number of video sales for a given level of box
office takings but, as can be seen from Figures 10.5
and 10.6, there is much variation around these averages.
Table 10.4 shows the average number of video sales fordifferent levels of box office takings, for high grossing
films and for low grossing films separately. Also shown
is a range of video sales for each level of box officetakings. These ranges have been estimated so that thevideo sales of about 80% of films with the particularlevel of box office takings lie within the range.
There were no differences between UK films and allfilms in the relationship between box office takingsand video sales, and the expected increases in video
sales for a given increase in box office are the same,
except that the samples were smaller, so the ranges
around the estimates are slightly wider.
Figure 10.5 also shows that many more films in the£5 million to £20 million box office range had video
sales above the fitted lines (fitted to all films’ andto high grossing films’ data) than below the lines.
This suggests that the relationship between box officeand video sales for the ‘blockbusters’ (box office around£30 million or greater) is different from that of otherfilms, and that even films grossing in the £5 million to£20 million range will obtain a greater proportion of
total revenues from video sales than the blockbusters.
As more of the top films are now being released in 3D
it is likely that in future a smaller percentage of their
total revenues will come from video sales (at least until
3D Blu-ray discs or downloads become widely available
and households become equipped with 3D homeviewing equipment).
1. The particular year is not disclosed so as not to reveal the video salesof individual titles, which under current arrangements are confidential
to the companies concerned.

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 10: Film on video – 8721

10.3 Film in the video rental market
Total physical video rentals totalled 79 million in 2009 (including over-the-counter and online rentals). Film on video
rentals totalled 71 million, with an average value of £2.82. Online video renting (with postal delivery) now accounts
for 54% of all rental transactions and 49% of film on video rental transactions in the UK.
The number of feature film rental transactions in 2009 was down by 1.5 million from 2008, and the value of thephysical rental market fell to £199 million from a peak of £494 million in 2001 (Figure 10.7). This is due mainly to therapid decline of the over-the-counter rental market in the wake of competition from multi-channel television, film
theft and, in particular, the availability and lower cost of retail DVDs.
Figure 10.7 Film on video rental market, 2001–2009
Million
600

500

400

300
200
100
0

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Transactions (million)

198

182

160

158

133

110

92

72

71

Value (£ million)

494

492

457

458

390

327

280

202

199

2007

2008

2009

Source: Screen Digest.

The most popular genre was comedy which accounted for 27% of rentals, followed by drama and action/adventure
titles (Figure 10.8). (It should be noted that these categories, as defined by Kantar Worldpanel, may differ from thegenre categories assigned to the theatrical market by the RSU in Chapter 4.)
Figure 10.8 Video rental share by genre, 2009%

ComedyDrama
Thriller
ActionHorrorSci-fiChildren’s/family
Others

26.5
21.5
7.9
20.2
6.3
4.2
8.7
4.8

Source: Kantar Worldpanel, BVA.

The list of top 10 online rentals in 2009 is topped by Slumdog Millionaire, which was also one of the highest
selling videos of 2009 (Table 10.5). The Dark Knight is the only other film in this list which was also in the list of
top selling titles.

88 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 10.5 Top 10 online video rentals, 2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

3
Country of origin

Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Taken
Changeling
Burn After Reading
The Reader
Gran Torino
The Dark Knight
Seven Pounds
Australia

Distributor

UK 20th Century Fox
USA
Warner
Fra/USA 20th Century Fox
USA Universal Pictures
USA Universal Pictures
USA/GerEV
USA/Aus
Warner
UK/USA
Warner
USA
Sony Pictures
Aus/USA 20th Century Fox

Source: BVA.
Note: ‘Online rental’ refers to online ordering with postal delivery. See Glossary.

Table 10.6 Top 10 over-the-counter video rentals, 2009
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Taken
Knowing
Gran Torino
Yes ManRole Models
He’s Just Not That Into You
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Tropic Thunder
Defiance
Body of Lies

5

6

7

8

The list of top 10 over-the-counter rentals in 2009 shows a different pattern from the online rentals, with only three
titles appearing in both lists (Table 10.6). None of the titles in the top over-the-counter rentals appears in the list of
best selling videos of 2009.

Title

4

9

10
Country of origin

Distributor

Fra/USA
USA/UK
USA/Aus
USA
USA/Ger
USA/Ger
USA
USA
USA
USA

20th Century Fox
E1 Entertainment
Warner
WarnerUniversal Pictures
EV
WarnerParamount
Momentum Pictures
Warner

11

12

13

14

Source: BVA.
15

10.4 Hardware
According to the BVA, 5.5 million DVD players were sold in 2009, taking cumulative DVD hardware sales since launch
to 60 million, almost one DVD player for every person in the UK. In addition, consumers increasingly have access tohigh-definition DVD technology through dedicated players and games consoles in particular. The BVA reports that
200,000 Blu-ray stand-alone players were sold in 2009 and Screen Digest estimates that there are more than three
million households in the UK with games consoles with Blu-ray capability.

16

17

18

P

19

For more information about top films at the UK box office see Chapter 2 (page 15)
For more information about the UK film market as a whole see Chapter 13 (page 104)20

Chapter 10: Film on video – 89

21

Chapter 11:
Film on UK television

The number and variety of
×%-62) !)60$0"%"1&6&$
has soared since 2000.
Viewers had a choice of$")2%4CN888×%-0&0%"6)!266
all channels in 2009, worth
approximately £1.1 billion to
the broadcasters.

Facts in focus
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjËy^ÈÏËÖ¶ÖjËxËÍÍjÄËËÍjjÜÄËËÔåå^Ë
including 2,070 on terrestrial, 1,606 on subscription film
channels and 3,283 on free-to-air film channels.
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjËÔ^Ô¤oËxËÍÁ?ÄÄÄÄË®Ô^åÈåËÖ¶ÖjËÍÍjÄ¯Ë
on terrestrial channels, virtually unchanged from 2008,
and an average of six films per day. Of these, 487 (22%)
were UK films, and 76 (3%) were foreign language films.
VËËË?ÜjÁ?~jËwË¤ËË¬j¬jËÝ?ÍWjaËj?WËxËË
peak-time network television (down from 1.3 million in2008), compared to median cinema audiences for the
top 50 films of 2 million.
VËË0jËÍ¬ËxËËÍjÁÁjÄÍÁ?ËÍjjÜÄËÝ?ÄËPirates of
the Caribbean: At World’s End on BBC One, with
6.4 million viewers.
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjËÏ±|ËMËÜjÝ~ÄËwËwj?ÍÖÁjËxË?WÁÄÄË
all television formats (except pay-per-view) in 2009 –the same level as 2008 and over almost 20 times thenumber of cinema admissions.

1

2

11.1 Programming on network channels

3

Table 11.1 shows the number of feature films broadcast on the five terrestrial network channels in 2009 and thetotal number of UK titles broadcast in that time. These are broken down into older titles (more than eight years old)and recent theatrical releases (released in the last eight years). Here, UK film includes all titles listed as UK-originatedby the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB), plus UK co-productions given other nationalities (mostly USA)in the BARB data.

4

5

There were 2,218 films on terrestrial television in 2009, virtually unchanged from 2008, which represented anaverage of six films a day. The proportion of recent UK films remained the same at 7%.

6

Table 11.1 Feature films broadcast on network television, 2009

ChannelNumberof films
broadcast

Numberof UK films
broadcast

UK films
as %of total

Recent UK(ie released
theatricallysince 2001)

Recent UK
as % of total
broadcast

BBC One
BBC Two
ITV1
Channel 4
Five
Total

338
369
446
561
504
2,218

63
119
117
129
59
487

19
32
26
23
12
22

43
35
36
33
7
154

12.7
9.5
8.1
5.9
1.4
6.9

7

8

9

10

Source: Attentional, UK Film Council RSU analysis.

Network television screened 76 foreign language films in 2009, 3% of the total, up from 73 in 2008 (3% of thetotal), as Table 11.2 shows. The top foreign language film was the Jackie Chan martial arts comedy Rumble in the
Bronx, with an audience of 1.2 million on BBC One.

11

Table 11.2 Foreign language films broadcast on network television, 200912

ChannelBBC One
BBC Two
ITV1
Channel 4
Five
Total

Numberof foreign
languagefilms broadcast%of channel’sfilm output

Averageaudience(million)

1
25
3
42
5
76

0.3
6.8
0.7
7.5
1.0
3.4

1.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1

Top rated foreign
language film

Audience(million)

Rumble in the Bronx
Pinocchio
The Children of Heaven
House of Flying Daggers
Fist of Fury

1.2
0.5
0.1
0.6
0.6

Source: UK Film Council RSU.

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Image: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit © Aardman Animations 2005

Chapter 11: Film on UK television – 91

21

The number of slots for feature film on network television has fluctuated since 2000, as Figure 11.1 shows with
Channel 4 and Five broadcasting the most films over the last decade.
Figure 11.1 Number of feature films on network television, 2000–2009
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

BBC One

320

341

351

435

434

354

369

384

381

338

BBC Two

509

514

433

451

499

426

397

447

395

369

ITV1

287

285

269

312

268

373

184

243

367

446

Channel 4

557

617

574

584

503

562

581

595

606

561

0

Five

619

637

641

565

527

605

496

513

472

504

Total

2,292

2,394

2,268

2,347

2,231

2,320

2,027

2,182

2,221

2,218

Source: Attentional, UK Film Council RSU.

11.2 Peak time on network television
In 2009, the proportion of peak-time hours (18:00 to 23:59 hours) dedicated to feature films varied widely acrossthe terrestrial channels. In terms of total hours, film represented 19% of programming on BBC One, 5% on BBC Two,
15% on Channel 4 and 21% on Five (Figure 11.2). ITV1’s film output more than doubled, from 9% in 2008 to
19% last year.
Figure 11.2 Composition of peak-time hours, 2009
Percentage
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

BBC One

BBC Two

ITV1

Channel 4

Five

Total

Factual

14.0

47.3

14.9

40.6

25.3

28.4

Drama

19.9

6.0

31.0

13.5

28.2

19.8

Films: Cinema

18.8

4.6

19.1

14.9

20.6

15.7

News/current affairs

26.8

13.1

14.1

13.7

7.7

15.0

Entertainment

13.8

15.7

14.1

15.2

13.0

14.3

Sport

4.9

8.6

6.4

0.0

3.1

4.6

Other

1.2

4.5

0.4

1.7

0.1

1.5

Films: made for TV

0.7

0.1

0.0

0.3

2.0

0.7

Source: Attentional.

92 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

11.3 Audiences for film on network television

3

The average audience for a film shown on peak-time network television was 1.1 million on BBC One, 800,000
on BBC Two, 1.2 million on ITV1 and 1 million on both Channel 4 and Five (Figure 11.3). Across all channels, theaverage audience was 1 million, down from 1.3 million in 2008. This compares with median cinema admissions
for the top 50 films of approximately 2 million.

4

Of the main programme categories, film accounts for the lowest average peak-time audience on ITV1 but performs
relatively well on Five, as shown in Figure 11.3.

5

Figure 11.3 Average peak-time audience, 2009

6(000s)
7,000
7

6,000
5,000
4,000

8

3,000
2,000

9

1,000
0

BBC One

BBC Two

ITV1

Channel 4

Five

Drama

6,141

971

6,191

1,404

1,391

Entertainment

3,999

1,793

5,216

1,324

207

Factual

3,270

1,678

2,689

1,543

750

Films: Cinema

1,088

830

1,161

1,001

1,009

Films: made for TV

588

1,318

–

1,156

1,072

News/current affairs

4,182

770

2,581

797

797

Other

2,432

829

2,090

570

270

Sport

2,494

1,268

2,255

303

842

All genres

4,057

1,418

3,718

1,308

946

10

11

12

Source: BARB/Attentional.

13

11.4 Top films on network television

14

The most popular film on terrestrial television in 2009 was Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, with 6.4 million
viewers tuning in to its premiere on BBC One (Table 11.3). In theatrical audience terms, this is equivalent to a box
office gross of £35 million (its actual gross was £41 million). The top 20 is dominated by recent animated family
films such as Shrek 2, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown and The Incredibles.

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 11: Film on UK television – 93

21

Table 11.3 Top 10 films on network television, 2009
ChannelCountry oforiginYear oftheatrical release

TV audience(million)

BBC OneBBC OneBBC OneITV1
BBC OneITV1
BBC OneChannel 4
ITV1
BBC One

USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
UK/USAUSA
USA
UK/USA
USA

2007
2004
2004
2006
2004
2005
2006
2003
2005
2003

6.4
6.2
6.0
5.9
5.6
5.5
5.0
4.9
4.9
4.8

Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Shrek 2
Shrek 2Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
The Incredibles
Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireOver the Hedge
Elf
Batman Begins
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Source: Attentional, BARB.
Note: Shrek 2 was broadcast twice on BBC One – on 1 January and 24 December.

The top 10 UK films of 2009 (Table 11.4) included the premieres of Batman Begins, King Arthur, and The Da Vinci
Code. The highest ratings were recorded for the second broadcast of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on ITV1.
Table 11.4 Top 10 UK-originated films on network television, 2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Batman Begins
Casino Royale
King Arthur
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Nanny McPhee
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Da Vinci CodeLove Actually
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Source: Attentional, BARB.

94 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

ChannelCountry oforiginYear oftheatrical release

TV audience(million)

ITV1
ITV1
ITV1
BBC OneBBC One
ITV1
ITV1
Five
ITV1
ITV1

UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA/Ire
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA
UK/USA

2005
2005
2006
2004
2005
2005
2002
2006
2003
2004

5.5
4.9
4.8
4.8
4.8
4.6
4.3
4.1
3.9
3.9

1

2

11.5 Films on multi-channel television

3

Table 11.5 shows the audience share for freeview/satellite/cable multi-channel television has continued to growin the last few years. Multi-channel television accounted for 41% of the UK television audience in 2009, up from
39% in 2008. The biggest loss over this period was experienced by ITV1, which saw its audience share drop from
29% to 18%.

4

5

Table 11.5 Television percentage audience shares, 2000–2009
Year

BBC One

BBC Two

ITV1

Channel 4

Five

Multi-channel TV

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

27.2
26.9
26.2
25.6
24.7
23.3
22.8
22.0
21.8
20.9

10.8
11.1
11.4
11.0
10.0
9.4
8.8
8.5
7.8
7.5

29.3
26.7
24.1
23.7
22.8
21.5
19.6
19.2
18.4
17.8

10.5
10.0
10.0
9.4
9.7
9.6
9.8
8.6
8.2
7.5

5.7
5.8
6.3
6.5
6.6
6.4
5.7
5.1
5.0
4.9

16.6
19.6
22.1
23.6
26.2
29.8
33.3
36.5
38.8
41.4

6

7

8

9

Source: BARB.

10

Table 11.6 lists the number of films shown, average audience, the top film and audience for the top film, for aselection of digital channels which broadcast feature films. The ITV digital channels screened over 1,300 films in
2009, with an average audience of around 260,000 viewers. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory received the largest
audience for a single screening on multi-channel television, with almost two million viewers on ITV2. Film4 broadcast
over 2,600 films last year, averaging 133,000 viewers per film.

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 11: Film on UK television – 95

21

Table 11.6 Feature film on selected digital channels, 2009
ChannelNumber offilm transmissions

Average film
audience

Top film

Audience for
top film

117
95
261
184
927
2,649
182
308
157
1,359
393
432
5,533
566
217
150
390
360
5,105
226
1,830

508,634
112,906
46,361
261,986
3,927
133,404
153,086
146,365
139,643
260,094
86,12814,064
5,359
36,396
124,792
1,497
4,565
6,989
6,893
120,786
10,480

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Calendar Girls
Apocalypto
Independence Day
The Ultimate Weapon
Night at the Museum
The Da Vinci Code
Swordfish
Bruce Almighty
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Battle of Britain
Prancer Returns
A.W.O.L. Absent Without Leave
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
I Am Legend
Last Mogul
Maharaja
Santa Who?
Jack Frost
Hellboy
Ted Bundy

1,361,000
620,200
213,600
789,400
75,4001,008,500
556,400
505,200
495,700
1,986,900
437,100
151,700
98,900254,700
909,300
11,30016,50054,100105,900
393,400
73,400

BBC Three
BBC FourBravo
E4
Film 24
Film4
Fiver
Five USA
G.O.L.D.
ITV2 – 4
More 4More 24+
Movies 4 Men
Sci FiSky 1 – 3
Sky Arts 1 – 2Sunrise TV
True Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Watch
Zone Horror/Zone Thriller
Source: Attentional, BARB.

The top film on free-to-air digital multi-channel (in terms of total audience across all transmissions) was Ice Age 2:
The Meltdown on ITV2 with a total audience of 5.8 million from five transmissions (Table 11.7).

96 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 11.7 Top 10 feature films on free-to-air digital multi-channel television, 2009
Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
The Mummy Returns
The 40 Year Old Virgin
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Love Actually
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
2 Fast 2 Furious
Total Recall
Ocean’s Eleven

3

ChannelNumber oftransmissions

Country oforiginYear oftheatrical release

Total
audience

ITV2
ITV2/Sci Fi
ITV2
ITV2
ITV2
ITV2
ITV2
ITV2
ITV2
ITV2

5
14
8
4
6
6
6
5
10
6

USA
UK/USAUSA
UK/USA
UK/USAUSA
UK/USA
USA
USA
USA

2006
2001
2005
2005
2003
2006
2004
2003
1990
2004

5,823,900
4,515,300
3,961,250
3,927,000
3,656,400
3,595,850
3,164,500
3,139,050
3,024,100
2,940,450

Source: Attentional, BARB.

6

7

9

10

Table 11.8 Feature films on premium subscription movie channels, 2009

Disney Cinemagic
Sky Movie channels

58Table 11.8 outlines the number of films shown, average audience and top film on the UK’s premium subscription
movie channels. The various Sky Movie channels broadcast a total of 1,546 films across 43,591 slots while Disney
Cinemagic broadcast 1,423 films with an average audience of 23,000. The highest rated broadcast of a film on UK
pay-TV was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with 760,100 viewers on Sky Movies Premiere.

Channel4

Number of filmtransmissions

Average film
audience

Top film

Audience
for top film

1,423
43,591

23,00012,070Toy Story 2
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

207,700
760,100

11

12

Source: Attentional, BARB.

The top film in terms of combined viewings on the subscription film channels in 2009 was National Treasure:Book of Secrets, which attracted a total audience of 5.4 million viewers from 184 transmissions on the Sky Movie
channels (Table 11.9).

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 11: Film on UK television – 97

21

Table 11.9 Top 10 feature films on pay-TV film channels, 2009
ChannelNumber oftransmissions

Countryof origin

Year oftheatricalreleaseTotal
audience*

Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies

184
98
73
47
70
77
108
54
127
33

USA
USA
USA
USA
UK
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA

2007
1999
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2008

5,391,500
4,186,500
3,427,600
3,357,900
3,238,600
3,228,700
2,951,400
2,881,100
2,687,500
2,674,500

Title

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

National Treasure: Book of Secrets
The Mummy
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
St Trinian’s
Bee Movie
The Game Plan
Transformers
Enchanted
Kung Fu Panda

Source: Attentional, BARB.
*Audience figures refer to total audience for all transmissions of that film across all subscription film channels in 2009.

11.6 The audience for film on all television channels, 2000–2009
In order to compare the audiences for film on television with the number of admissions to UK cinemas, we havecalculated the total audience for film broadcast on UK television since 2000 (see Figure 11.4). In 2000 there were
3.5 billion viewings of film on television, compared with cinema ticket sales of 143 million. Despite the massive
increase in the availability of titles with the introduction of digital television, the audience for film on television
actually declined from 2003 to 2007. The number has since recovered, largely due to the impact of the digital freeto-air channels, but the number of film viewings per person has remained largely the same since 2000 when the
average person watched 63 films a year on terrestrial and multi-channel television. This represents 3.4 billion
television viewings per year compared with cinema admissions of 174 million.

Figure 11.4 Total audience for feature film on television (except nVoD), 2000–2009
Million
4,500
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Terrestrial

2,901

2,929

2,601

2,833

2,579

2,350

1,949

1,827

1,808

1,725

Subscription
film channels

647

673

741

820

734

671

634

490

489

559

Other digital
multi-channel

0

0

75

268

305

374

722

796

969

1,118

Total (million) 3,548

3,602

3,417

3,921

3,618

3,395

3,305

3,113

3,266

3,402

Source: UK Film Council RSU, Attentional, BARB.
nVoD = pay-per-view.

98 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Figure 11.5 shows the total number of films shown on television since 2000. The steep rise in film showings
to 2003 has since flattened but the 69,592 total in 2009 is almost double the number shown in 2000 (38,865).
The subscription film channels and digital multi-channel TV have driven this increase. In terms of unique film titles,
there were 2,070 films broadcast on terrestrial, 1,606 titles on the subscription film channels and 3,283 on otherdigital channels. Overall, 5,973 individual film titles were shown across all TV channels in 2009.
Figure 11.5 The total number of film transmissions on all television channels (except nVoD), 2000–2009

3

4

5

70,000
6

60,00050,00040,000730,00020,0008

10,000
0

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Terrestrial

2,318

2,405

2,275

2,355

2,234

2,326

2,011

2,182

2,221

2,218

Subscription
film channels 36,547

40,277

46,72052,55247,49947,69844,346

34,73740,01445,015

0

0

4,573

7,900

8,821

13,144

17,99820,765

20,27422,35938,86542,68253,56862,80758,554

63,16864,35557,68462,50969,592Other digital
multi-channel
Total

9

10

Source: UK Film Council RSU, Attentional.
nVoD = pay-per-view.

11

11.7 The value of feature film to broadcasters

12

Based on a model developed by Attentional, we have estimated the value of feature film to UK broadcasters to beapproximately £1.1 billion in 2009. This figure is derived from the annual revenue per channel, that is, net advertising
revenue for the commercial channels, subscription revenues for the pay channels and the proportion of licence fee
applied to programming on the BBC channels, multiplied by the percentage of broadcast hours for feature film.

13

Despite the fall in advertising revenues associated with the recession, the 2009 value is slightly higher than the2008 value (£1.07 billion). This is due to an increase in the number of Sky subscribers (driven by HD), an increasein peak-time film output (particularly on ITV1) and the continued rise in the number of films transmitted on thefree-to-air digital channels.

14

15

16

17

18

P

19

For cinema admissions see Chapter 1 (page 8)
For an overview of the film market as a whole see Chapter 13 (page 104)20

Chapter 11: Film on UK television – 99

21

Chapter 12:
Video on DemandVideo on Demand (VoD) brings
×%-6 &2"!00/20"%"1&6&$and computer screens and,increasingly, to our mobile
devices, anytime, anywhere.
However, despite the numberof UK VoD services increasing
substantially over the last year,
VoD revenues remained a small)20*0#"×%-1)%/"!#)&$:

Facts in focus
VËË0jËÍÍ?Ë7ajËË j?aË®7 ¯Ë?aËj?Á7ajËË
Demand (nVoD) film market was estimated to be worth£124 million in 2009, up 3% on 2008.
VËË¤|ËËÖÄjaÄËÝjÁjË?MjËÍË?WWjÄÄËÍjjÜÄ
based VoD and nVoD in 2009 and spent an estimated£108 million on films.
VËË#jËxËÁjÜjÖjÄËWÁj?ÄjaËMßË¤yÉ°ËÍËÌ¤y±Ë±VËË0jÁjË?ÁjËÝËÏÔËÍjÁjÍË?aËÍjjÜÄM?ÄjaË7 ËxË
services available to UK consumers, a five-fold increasein two years.

12

12.1 Current size of the UK market

3

The Video on Demand (VoD) market in the UK can be divided into television-based services and internet and/or
mobile-based services. While cable TV and IPTV (Internet protocol TV) operators are able to offer a true-VoD service(a system which streams content in real time from a server to the viewer), the leading satellite broadcaster, BSkyB, isonly able to offer a near-Video on Demand (nVOD) service, where multiple channels are used to show the same film
at staggered times. Around 14 million UK households were able to access VoD and nVoD films via television in 2009,up from 12.6 million in 2008. However, the value of the total television-based market declined slightly from anestimated £114 million in 2008 to £108 million in 2009.
Despite broadband penetration of 65% of all UK households (and 90% of UK households connected to the internet),
the online VoD market remained small in 2009, with estimated revenues of around £15.9 million (plus approximately£300,000 from subscription services). However, this has grown from £6.2 million in 2008 and £700,000 in 2007 duelargely to the introduction of films on iTunes mid-way through 2008 and also on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Screen Digest estimated that the combined value of the television-based VoD and nVoD and internet-based film
market was worth £124 million in 2009, roughly 3% of the total UK filmed entertainment market.

4

5

6

7

It should also be noted that title-by-title data are still unavailable for this sector and we are therefore unable toreport statistics on the top performing titles or the market share of UK films.

812.2 Video on Demand services in the UK9

VoD services in the UK employ four basic types of business model:
VË -jÍ?Ë7 ËrËjwwËÁjÍ?^Ë?ÄËÝË?ÄËaÝ?aËÍËÁjÍÇË10VË .ÖMÄWÁ¬ÍË7 Ë®.7 ¯ËrËÖÍjaË?WWjÄÄËÍËWÍjÍËwÁË?ËwÞjaËÍßËÄÖÇËVË -jÍ?ËrËaÝ?aÍÝË® 0#¯ËÍËW¬ÖÍjÁËÁË¬ÁÍ?MjËajÜWjÇË?a11VË ÁjjÊ?aÜjÁÍÄÖ¬¬ÁÍjaË7 ±The number of VoD film services in the UK has grown rapidly over 2009. At the time of writing (March 2010),
32 VoD film services could be identified compared with 17 in March 2009. Ten of these services offered more than
1,000 film titles, compared to five in March 2009. The leading VoD providers in the UK are listed in Table 12.1.
Virgin Media and Sky are the market leaders in television-based VoD and nVoD with over 13 million subscribers
between them. Over 3.7 million Virgin Media TV subscribers are able to access a true-VoD service. The 9.7 million
Sky satellite subscribers are able to access nVoD films which can then be stored on personal video recorders (PVRs)
through the Sky Anytime service. This then becomes a service with qualities similar to true-VoD.
BT Vision (500,000 subscribers) and TalkTalk TV (100,000 subscribers) offer major studio films as part of a true-VoD
IPTV offering. For digital terrestrial television (DTT) viewers, Picturebox via Top Up TV Anytime offers a limited
number of titles available through a compatible PVR.
iTunes has emerged as the leading internet-based VoD service, with a 55% share of the online market in 2009,
according to Screen Digest. Overall, catch-up TV has been the big success story of VoD, with BBC iPlayer recording
120 million streams in January 2010. However, the number of feature films available on the service has been limited.

12

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19

20

Image: Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel ©2009, Twentieth Century Fox,
Monarchy Enterprises S.A.r.l. and Regency Entertainment USA, Inc. All rights reserved

Chapter 12: Video on Demand – 101

21

Table 12.1 Leading VoD film services in the UK, March 2010
Service

Network

Catalogue

PricesContent providers

Business model

4oD

Internet,
IPTV

Selection of Film4 and20th Century Fox titles

Rental VoD
from £1.99

Film4, 20th Century Fox

Rental VoD

Apple
iTunes StoreInternet,
iPhone/iPod

2000+ films(500+ in HD)£10.99 for new releases;£6.99 for library titles(£1 extra for HD films);
rental VoD from £2.49

Disney, Paramount,
Warner Bros andLions Gate

VoD, DTO

The Auteurs

Internet

8,500 films

Free – £3.00

Independents andsome major studios

Streaming

BabelGum

Internetn/aFree (advert-supported)

Independents

Advert-supported
streaming

BBC iPlayer

Internet,
TV and mobile

Varied selection of films
broadcast on BBC TV

Free (funded bylicence fee)

BBC acquired titles

Free

BlinkBox

Internet

3,500 films

Rental VoD

All major studios
except Disney

Rental VoD and DTO

Bollywood.tv

Internet

1,000 films

US$3.99

Indian distributors

Rental VoD and DTO

Brightwide

Internet

8 films

Rental VoD £2.99

Independents

Rental VoD

BT Vision

IPTV

400 major studio films£1.99 – £3.95 per film

All majors except Fox

Rental VoD, SVoD

Channel Films

Internet

500 featuresand shorts

Download to rent from£1.99; DTO from £4.99

Independents

DTO, Rental,
streaming

Cinebox on
MovieMail online

Internet

1,000 films

Rental VoD £2.99;
DTO £7.99

Independents

Rental VoD and DTO

Coolroom

Internet

500 films

Rental VoD from £1.99;
DTO from £4.99

Major studios
and independents

Rental VoD, DTO

FilmIsNow.eu

Internet

1,500 films€3.99–€9.99

Independents

DTO and Rental VoD

Filmflex via
Virgin Media

Cable TV

500 films£2.50–£3.50 for new
releases; 50p–£2.00
for library titles

All major studios except
Fox. Independent
distributors including
Icon and Pathé

Rental VoD

Go! View

Internet for PSP

Monthly selection

Rental VoD from£2.50 per title

Universal

Rental VoD

iLoadedInternet

200 films

From £5.00 for
library titles; £10.00
for new releases

Major studios
and independents

DTO

IndieMoviesonline

Internet

130 films

Free (advert-supported)

Independents

Advert-supported
streaming

ITV Player

Internet

Selection of films
broadcast on ITV channels

Free (advert-supported)

ITV acquired titles

Advert-supported
streaming

Jaman

Internet

1,000 films

From £1.99 forrental VoD

Independent
distributors

Rental VoD, DTO,
Free and streaming

Joiningthedocs.tv

Internet

100 titles

SVoD £10.00 per month;
Rental VoD £4.00

Independent
documentaries

VoD streaming

Joost

Internet and iPhone
application

1,200 featuresand shorts

Free (advert-supported)

Paramount, Erosand independents

Advert-supported
streaming

Lovefilm

Internet

3,500 films

Rental VoD£2.99–£3.49

Three major studios plus
independent distributors

Rental VoD

Picturebox on
Top-Up TV

DTT

28 films per month;
7 rotated weekly£5.00 per month

Universal

SVoD

Playstation StoreInternet/PlayStation

n/a

n/a

n/a

Rental VoD and DTO

Projector.tv

Internet

100+ films

n/aIndependents

Rental VoD and DTO

Samsung Movies

Internetn/a

Rental VoD 99p–£2.99;
DTO £4.99–£13.99

Independents andmajor studios

Rental VoD and DTO

Sky Anytime

Satellite/Internet TV

400 films(including HD)£3.99 per film;£16 per month for SVoD
Premium Sky Movies

All major
US studios

VoD, nVoD

Sky Player

Internet

400 films

Subscription

All major studios

Streaming

Talk Talk TV

IPTV

Over 1,000 films

From £1.99–£3.49
per rental

All major studios

Rental VoD, SVoD

102 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

3
Service

Network

Catalogue

PricesContent providers

Business model

Tesco
DigitalInternet

2,500 films£1–£20;
New releases £9.97

Major studios

VoD, DTO

The Vid StoreInternet

100 films

DTO £7.99; rental VoD

Major studios

Rental VoD, DTO

Xbox Live
Marketplace

Internet/IPTV

80 films (16 in HD)£2.13–£4.08
per film

Paramount,
Warner Bros, Disney

Rental VoD

4

5

Source: UK Film Council.
612.3 Future prospects for the VoD market
Although the number of VoD services has increased markedly over the last two years, the aggregate size of themarket remains small. Key factors behind the relatively modest growth of the sector remain the following – barriers
to delivery to the television screen, pricing and availability of titles, and download speeds.
Research conducted by Ipsos Media CT in 20091 found a high level of interest in downloading newly released films
at the same time as the DVD release, and increasingly the VoD window is being brought forward in line with DVD
release dates. Television-based nVoD is typically no later than six months after theatrical release.
The same research revealed that lack of connectivity between internet and television was a key barrier to consumer
uptake of film VoD, so any solution which enables internet access through a main household television (via the
proposed Project Canvas or similar) could well make a significant contribution to the development of this market.
Other key factors to be addressed over the coming years include improving the user interface (via better menu
options and recommendation engines), increasing broadband speed and capacity, finding price points that workfor both the industry and the consumer and increasing the size of VoD film catalogues so that a wider choice ofmaterial is available.

7

8

9

10

11

1. Opportunities for digital distribution – assessing models in the music, film and games markets, Ipsos Media CT, May 2009
12

13

14

15

16

17

18

P
For more information on film on video see Chapter 10 (page 80)
For more information on film on television see Chapter 11 (page 90)
For an overview of the film market as a whole see Chapter 13 (page 104)19

20

Chapter 12: Video on Demand – 103

21

Chapter 13:
#"×%--)2,"0)6)7#%""7×%-604&!)%%4
establish their reputation in
the cinema, but only a quarterof the industry’s UK revenues
come from cinema exhibition.
Physical video sales andrentals account for 41% of the-)2,"0N7#&%"×%-$0"%"1&6&$."$"2)0"66&.$&×!)$02"1"$/":

Facts in focus
VËË0jËÍÍ?ËxjaËjÍjÁÍ?jÍË?ÁjÍËËÍjË2ËË
2009 is estimated to have been £3.7 billion, unchanged
from 2008.
VËËËÔåå^ËÍjË2Ë?aËÍjËÍÁa?Á~jÄÍËxjaËentertainment market in the world after the USA
and Japan.
VËËËÔåå^ËÄjÍÁÖ~ËÜajËË¬ßÄW?Ëja?ËÝ?ÄËÍjËlargest single revenue source for film in the UK market,
accounting for 35% of total revenues.
VËËËÔåå^ËÍj?ÍÁW?ËÁjÜjÖjÄË?aË¬?ß07ËÁjÜjÖjÄËfrom film and Video on Demand all recorded increases,
but sell-through and rental video and free-to-air TV
revenues declined.

1

2

13.1 The UK filmed entertainment market as a whole3‘Video’ is used in this chapter as the generic description of all physical video formats, including DVD, UMD(Universal Media Disc), high-definition DVD (HD-DVD) and Blu-ray.
4

In 2008 and 2009, physical video retail was the largest single revenue source (Table 13.1), accounting for 35%
of total revenues in 2009 (£1.3 billion). Theatrical revenues increased by 11% to £944 million, while physical video
rental revenues fell slightly from £202 million to £199 million. Gross television revenues increased by 4% from
£1,067 million to £1,108 million, thanks to film on pay-TV, though much of this accrued to the television industry
rather than to the suppliers of film.

5

The market share for UK films was highest for terrestrial television (24%) and lowest for film on pay-TV where it
was 16%.

6

Table 13.1 UK filmed entertainment market, 2008 and 20097

Platform

TheatricalVideo rental (physical)
Video retail (physical)
Pay-TV
Terrestrial television‘Free’ multi-channel televisionnVoD and VoD
Total UK

Total gross value(£ million)
2008

Attributable to
UK films(£ million)
2008

Total gross value(£ million)
2009

Attributable to
UK films(£ million)
2009

850
202
1,454
521
257
289
120
3,693

261
48
349
76
60
57
29
880

944
199
1,311
585
240
283
124
3,686

160
41
275
93
58
59
26
712

Sources: Rentrak EDI, BVA, Official Charts Company, Attentional, Screen Digest, RSU analysis.
Notes:‘Theatrical’ is the total gross UK theatrical revenues (including VAT) in the calendar year 2009 for all films exhibited in the UK. See Chapter 1.
‘Video rental (physical)’ is the total revenue from physical video rental (DVD, Blu-ray, etc) transactions in the calendar years 2008 and 2009. See Chapter 10.
‘Video retail (physical)’ is the total revenue from physical video retail transactions in the calendar years 2008 and 2009. See Chapter 10.
The television values are retail equivalent values calculated from the dataset of films shown on UK television. Values are estimated by multiplying the film share of the totalchannel time by the total revenue applicable to that channel (licence fee, subscription or advertising revenue). Television values cover terrestrial, subscription and freemulti-channel. See Chapter 11. An estimate for pay-per-view is included in nVoD.
Video on Demand and near-Video on Demand revenues are derived from Screen Digest estimates of the combined size of the television and internet-based markets.
UK share is based on an estimate derived from knowledge of UK film share in the pay-TV and video markets.
The above values are gross values and include exhibitor and distributor margins, VAT, prints and advertising costs, DVD/video retail margins, broadcaster and multi-channel
television operator margins in addition to net returns to the film production sector and film investors.
The revenues shown here are revenues earned by film in the UK market, whether UK or foreign films. The table does not include export revenues for the UK film industry.
See Chapter 20 for UK film export revenues.

8

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12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Image: Brighton Rock courtesy of Optimum Releasing

Chapter 13: The UK film market as a whole – 10521

13.2 The UK market in the global context
In 2009, the UK had the third-largest filmed entertainment market in the world, after the USA and Japan (Table
13.2). The USA accounted for 40% of the world market. The next biggest individual territories after the UK wereFrance, Germany, Canada, Australia and Italy.
The world filmed entertainment market is still dominated by the largest developed economies. Although theIndian market is vast in terms of admissions and both India and China have huge populations and are growing
fast economically, their filmed entertainment markets still count in US dollar terms below Australia (population
22 million) and Italy (population 60 million).
Table 13.2 Filmed entertainment revenues by country/region, US$ million, 2009
Country/region

Revenue in
US$ million

Percentage
of total

USA
Japan
UK
Other Western Europe
FranceGermany
CanadaOther Asia Pacific
Australia
Latin America
Italy
Central and Eastern Europe
India
Spain
South Korea
China
Middle East and Africa
Total

34,431
11,061
5,599
5,151
3,763
3,646
3,330
2,681
2,562
2,431
2,087
1,982
1,899
1,688
1,275
1,206
345
85,137

40.4
13.0
6.6
6.1
4.4
4.3
3.9
3.1
3.0
2.9
2.5
2.3
2.2
2.0
1.5
1.4
0.4
100.0

Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2010–2014, June 2010
Note: ‘Filmed entertainment revenue’ includes box office receipts, home DVD/video (rental and retail) and online download and streaming revenues. It does not include
TV revenues.

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the situation is forecast to change by 2014 (Table 13.3), with India becoming
the eighth-largest individual territory, ahead of Italy and Spain. The USA is forecast to remain the largest single film
territory (by a factor of three). The value of the Chinese market is expected to double, with China’s forecast share of
the global filmed entertainment market increasing to 2.4%.

106 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 13.3 Filmed entertainment revenues by country/region, US$ million, forecast for 2014

3

Country/region

Revenue in
US$ million

Percentage
of total

USA
Japan
UK
Other Western Europe
FranceGermany
CanadaAustralia
India
Other Asia Pacific
Latin America
Central and Eastern Europe
China
Italy
Spain
South Korea
Middle East and Africa
Total

41,162
15,053
7,159
6,024
4,483
4,411
4,139
3,417
3,400
3,255
3,129
2,872
2,549
2,527
1,935
1,592
424
107,531

38.3
14.0
6.7
5.6
4.2
4.1
3.8
3.2
3.2
3.0
2.9
2.7
2.4
2.3
1.8
1.5
0.4
100.0

Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2010–2014, June 2010.
Notes:‘Filmed entertainment revenue’ includes box office receipts, home DVD/video (rental and retail) and online download and streaming revenues. It does not include TV revenues.
Forecasts are in nominal US dollars at the average 2009 exchange rate and therefore do not estimate the impact of any changes in exchange rates between 2009 and 2014.

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13.3 The evolution of UK film revenues, 1998–2009
After strong growth in the early 2000s, aggregate film revenues fell in 2005 and 2006 (Figure 13.1). The chartshows a resumption of growth in 2007, as a result of increases in theatrical revenues and film on retail video.
Since then, revenues have stabilised, with growth in the theatrical and pay-TV markets compensating for a decline
in the physical rental and retail video markets. The VoD and nVoD markets remain a small component of the overall
film value chain.

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 13: The UK film market as a whole – 107

21

Figure 13.1 Gross film revenues, all platforms, 1998–2009£ million
4,500
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Theatrical

547

563

583

645

755

742

770

770

762

821

850

944

Rental video (physical)

437

408

444

494

492

457

458

390

327

280

202

199

Retail video (physical)

453

451

601

821

1,175

1,392

1,557

1,399

1,302

1,440

1,454

1,311

Film on television

726

755

826

954

1,066

1,182

1,119

1,089

1,066

994

1,067

1,108

Film on VoD

17

19

32

44

49

58

60

64

72

92

119

124

2,180

2,196

2,486

2,958

3,537

3,830

3,964

3,712

3,528

3,627

3,692

3,686

Total

Source: Rentrak EDI, MRIB, BVA, Official Charts Company, Attentional, Screen Digest, RSU analysis.
Notes: ‘Film on television’ covers terrestrial, subscription and free multi-channel. TV-based nVoD and VoD are included within the VoD total.
Retail video values for 2007 and earlier years have been re-estimated on the basis of improved title-by-title video retail value data that became available in 2008.
Rental video values are now based on Screen Digest data.

The revenues shown in Figure 13.1 are the actual figures. If adjusted for inflation using the recreational andcultural services price index (Figure 13.2), the decline in revenues in 2005 and 2006 is more marked. Real revenues
in 2006 were 18% below the level of 2004. Real revenues dropped marginally between 2006 and 2008, with a 4%
decline in 2009.
Figure 13.2 Gross inflation-adjusted film revenues, all platforms, 1998–2009, expressed in 2005 pounds£ million in 2005 pounds
4,500
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Theatrical

688.9

687.4

695.7

752.6

829.7

788.5

798.8

770.0

728.5

754.6

758.3

811.0

Rental video (physical)

550.4

498.2

529.8

576.4

540.7

485.7

475.1

390.0

312.6

257.4

180.2

171.0

Retail video (physical)

570.5

551.1

717.7

957.9

1,291.4

1,478.9

1,615.1

1,399.1

1,244.3

1,323.6

1,297.1

1,126.3

Film on television

914.4

921.9

985.7

1,113.2

1,171.4

1,256.1

1,160.8

1,089.0

1,019.1

913.6

951.8

951.9

Film on VoD

21.4

23.2

37.9

51.5

53.5

61.2

62.1

63.8

68.6

84.7

106.5

106.5

2,746.0

2,682.0

2,967.0

3,452.0

3,887.0

4,070.0

4,112.0

3,712.0

3,373.0

3,334.0

3,294.0

3,167.0

Total

Source: Rentrak EDI, MRIB, BVA, Official Charts Company, Attentional, ONS, Screen Digest, RSU analysis.
Notes: Actual revenues deflated by the UK recreational and cultural services price index, using the year to December 2005 as the base.
‘Film on television’ covers terrestrial, subscription and free multi-channel. Television-based nVoD and VoD are included in the VoD total.
Rental video values are now based on Screen Digest data.

108 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Previous UK Film Council research has identified film theft and competition from new media entertainments as two
factors influencing the revenue decline in 2005 and 2006 (see 2006/07 Statistical Yearbook, Chapter 13). In 2009, thetheatrical market was boosted by several high grossing 3D releases while HD TV was seen as the key driver of growthin the pay-TV sector.

3

4

13.4 The impact of recession
There are two ways recession might influence the film industry – by affecting the demand for filmed entertainment
and, on the supply side, by diminishing the availability of film finance.
On the demand side, there is evidence that the theatrical film market is recession resistant. In each of the UK
recessions of 1974–76, 1980–82 and 1990–92 cinema admissions stayed close to the long-term trend of the period
in question. UK cinema ticket sales increased by 6% in 2009 (Figure 13.3), despite the sharpest recession since theSecond World War. This growth has been attributed to several factors – a good selection of films coming to market,
the success of 3D and a substitution effect as people scaled back expenditure on expensive consumer durables andforeign travel in favour of cinema entertainment.

5

6

7

8

Figure 13.3 UK cinema admissions, 1970–2009
Millions
R1

200

R2

R3

R4

9

10

150

11

100

12
50

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

Cinema admissions
13

Cinema admissions trend
Source: CAA, UK Film Council RSU.
Note: R1 to R4 = Recession periods 1 to 4.

However, the ‘credit crunch’ of 2008/09 is reported to have had an impact on film financing. Hollywood experienced
a decline in some of its sources of financing (eg hedge fund money) and the UK independent sector found it harder
to raise finance for film production. Judging by UK production data (see Chapter 16) financing challenges haveexerted downward pressure on UK independent film budgets but have not affected the flow of US studio product.
It is unlikely, therefore, that the overall size of the film market will be negatively affected.
The main uncertainties are film quality and the pace of the digital revolution. 3D films were the big success story of2009 and the 3D roll-out continues in 2010. Film revenues depend on a relatively small number of hits, so if the rightcreative choices are made, the theatrical market should continue to grow.
Regarding video, the physical market is clearly experiencing downward pressure on both prices and volume. The mainquestion is how fast Video on Demand and its competitor, film theft, will develop. If moves to limit film theft prove a
success, we will hopefully see a large new legal Video on Demand market develop over the next few years.

14

15

16

17

18

P

19

For information on the export revenues of the UK film industry, see Chapter 20 (page 171)
For more information on the Video on Demand market, see Chapter 12 (page 100)
20

Chapter 13: The UK film market as a whole – 109

21

Chapter 14:
/ &"$!"6

Facts in focus)0!#&$.×%-6&6$"*VËËËÔåå^ËÉå°ËwËÍjË2Ë¬¬Ö?ÍËÄ?aËÍjßËÝjÍËÍË
the UK’s favourite pastimes.
the cinema at least once a year, the same percentage
as 2008.
$)1"2).")%-606"1"$×%-6
are seen per person per month, VËË¤o°ËÝjÍËÍËÍjËWj?ËWjË?ËÍËÁËÁj±VËË0jËWj?Ë?ÖajWjËwÁËÍjËÍ¬ËÔåËxÄËËÔååËÝ?ÄË
either in the cinema, on video
predominantly young, with the 7–34 age group (40%or television, or increasinglyof the population) making up 64% of the audience.
online and via portable devices. VËË ÁÍßËjÍWË~ÁÖ¬ÄËÝjÁjËj¶Ö?ßËÁËÜjÁÁj¬ÁjÄjÍjaËthe film audience, except for viewing pay-per-view
."N."$ "2N"0#$&!&04)$ 6!&O infilms where they were under-represented.
"!$-&!60)0/6&$Ø/"$!"×%- VËË Ä?MjaË¬j¬jËÝjÁjËÖajÁÁj¬ÁjÄjÍjaËËÍjË
film audience.
preferences and the tendency
VËË0Í?Ë½xËÜjÝ~ËWW?ÄÄ¾ËÖMjÁjaËÜjÁË|±yËM^Ë07)0!#×%-6)0#-"2
which means an average of 81 film viewings per personon the big screen – and to
in 2009.
7$%) ×%-6&%%&!&0%4:

1

2

14.1 Cinema audience by gender3

Six out of 10 of us went to the cinema at least once in 2009, the same level as 2008. Almost one person in five,
18% (18% in 2008), went to the cinema once a month or more (Table 14.1).
4The overall UK cinema audience in 2009 was evenly split between male and female, in contrast to the slight female
bias reported in 2008 due largely to the success of Mamma Mia! and Sex and the City (Table 14.2).

5

Table 14.1 Frequency of cinema visits by gender, 2009
Go to the cinema at least once per year (proportion of population 7+)
Go to the cinema at least once a month (proportion of population 7+)

Male %

Female %Overall %

60
19

61
17

60
18

Source: CAA Film Monitor Jan–Dec 2009.

6

7

Table 14.2 Cinema audience by gender 20092008

Top 20 films (proportion of audience)
Top UK films (proportion of audience)*
Total survey population 7+

2009

Male %

Female %Male %

Female %

49
46
49

51
54
51

51
49
50

49
51
50

Source: CAA Film Monitor.
Notes:*Audience data were only available for 17 of the top 20 UK films released in 2009.
‘Audience’ in this table and throughout this chapter refers to film-going occasions. That is, if a person went to the cinema to see 10 films in 2009, that person would havecontributed 10 film-going occasions to the audience figures above, unless otherwise stated. Repeat visits to the same films are not recorded in CAA Film Monitor.
CAA Film Monitor included 115 film titles (mostly popular) of the 503 theatrical releases in 2009. These 115 film titles accounted for 80% of the gross box office of the UK
and Republic of Ireland of the year. Film Monitor results are derived from a weekly nationally representative sample survey of 2,000 adults aged 15+ across Great Britain,
conducted for the CAA by BMRB.

14.2 Film preferences by gender
Although the overall cinema audience in 2009 was split almost evenly between men and women, some films
attracted substantially more of one gender than the other (Table 14.3). Men preferred action (Terminator Salvation,
X-Men Origins: Wolverine), comedy (Brüno, Lesbian Vampire Killers), and science fiction (Avatar, Star Trek). Comedy(Marley & Me), romance/fantasy (The Twilight Saga: New Moon) and animation (A Christmas Carol) figured highlyin the list of films with large female audience shares (Table 14.3).

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Image: The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus courtesy of Lions Gate Films

Chapter 14: Audiences – 111

21

Table 14.3 Audience gender split of top performing films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2009
Top 20 films and top UK films
Greater female audience share

Marley & Me
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
A Christmas Carol

Greater male audience share

Terminator Salvation
Brüno
Planet 51 (UK)Lesbian Vampire Killers (UK)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
AvatarThe Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus (UK)Star Trek

Gender difference not statistically significant

Dorian Gray (UK)Slumdog Millionaire (UK)G-Force
Angels and Demons
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel
Bolt
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (UK)Up

Male %

Female %

22
34
39

78
66
61

Male %

Female %

72
67
67
67
66
65
64
62

28
33
33
33
34
35
36
38

Male %

Female %

51
50
49
49
48
48
48
48

49
50
51
51
52
52
52
52

Source: CAA Film Monitor.
Note: Audience demographic data were available for 17 of the top 20 UK films released in 2009.

14.3 Cinema audience by age
Teenagers and young adults were the most frequent cinema-goers in 2009 (Table 14.4), a pattern common toprevious years. The 40% of the population in the 7–34 age group provided 64% of the top 20 film audience and
53% of the top UK film audience (Table 14.5).
Table 14.4 Frequency of cinema visits by age group, 2009
Age 7–14 % Age 15–24 % Age 25–34 % Age 35–44 % Age 45–54 %Go to the cinema at least once per year
(proportion of population 7+)
Go to the cinema at least once a month(proportion of population 7+)
Source: CAA Film Monitor.

112 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Age 55+ %Overall %

88

81

67

66

58

35

60

32

40

21

15

11

6

18

1

2

Table 14.5 Cinema audience by age group, 20093

Age 7–14 % Age 15–24 % Age 25–34 % Age 35–44 % Age 45–54 %Top 20 films (proportion of audience)
Top UK films (proportion of audience)
Total survey population aged 7+

22
15
11

25
23
14

17
15
15

18
19
17

Age 55+ %Total %

8
15
30

100
100
100

10
14
14

4

Source: CAA Film Monitor.
Totals may not sum to 100 due to rounding. See notes to Table 14.2.

5

Table 14.6 Cinema audience by gender and age group, 20096

Age 7–14 % Age 15–24 % Age 25–34 % Age 35–44 % Age 45–54 %MaleFemale
Total

9
9
18

15
16
31

11
7
18

8
8
16

Age 55+ %Total %

3
5
8

50
50
100

4
5
9

Source: CAA Film Monitor.
Note: Figures include audiences for 115 film titles (mostly high grossing) of the 503 theatrical releases in 2009. These 115 film titles accounted for 80% of the gross box
office of the UK and Republic of Ireland for the year.

7

8

Figure 14.1 shows the age trends of cinema-goers from 1997 to 2009. The proportion of people aged 35 or above
going to the cinema increased gradually at the expense of younger cinema-goers from 1997 to 2008. However, lastyear saw an increase in the number of 25- to 44-year-old cinema-goers at the expense of the over 45s which may
reflect the number of animated family films in the top 20 last year and also the absence of a major hit with particularappeal to the over 45 audience, as was the case with Mamma Mia! in 2008.

9

Figure 14.1 Age distribution of cinema-goers, 1997 to 2009

11

10

%
100
12

90
80
70

13

60
50
40

14

30
20
10
1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

15–24

43

40

39

40

36

35

36

30

38

38

34

36

35

25–34

29

29

29

27

25

27

26

27

19

21

20

18

21

34–44

14

16

15

17

20

20

16

18

18

17

19

16

18

45+

14

15

17

16

19

18

22

25

25

24

27

30

25

0

Source: CAA, National Readership Survey (NRS), CAA Film Monitor.
Note: Cinema-goers are defined as those who reported to have ‘ever gone’ the cinema in the surveys. Figures for any given year may have included audiences
for a small number of titles released in the latter part of the previous year.

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 14: Audiences – 113

21

14.4 Film preferences by age
Animations, comedies and family films such as Bolt, G-Force, Planet 51 and Up appealed to the 7–14 audience (Table
14.7). Action, comedies and romance/fantasy films appealed to the 15–24 age group (Table 14.8). Brüno and Avatar
were of particular appeal to the 25–34 audience (Table 14.9). Besides Dorian Gray, family animated featuresappealed to the 35–44 audience (Table 14.10), some of whom would be parents accompanying their children.
UK-produced Last Chance Harvey and The Boat That Rocked attracted a greater proportion of cinema-goers in the
45–54 age group (Table 14.11). UK films continued to appeal strongly to the over 55 audience (Table 14.12) withThe Young Victoria, Last Chance Harvey, Dorian Gray and Slumdog Millionaire all featuring in the list.
Table 14.7 Films with an above-average audience in 7–14 age group, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

Age group % of the film’s total audience

G-Force
Bolt
Planet 51 (UK)Up
Marley & Me
Fantastic Mr. Fox (UK)Monsters vs. Aliens
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel
Night at the Museum 2
Ice Age III
7–14 age group in top 20 and top UK audience (%)
7–14 age group in total survey population (%)

47
41
39
38
37
36
36
34
33
33
22
11

Source: CAA Film Monitor.

Table 14.8 Films with an above-average audience in 15–24 age group, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

Brüno
The Hangover
Fast & Furious
The Boat That Rocked (UK)Lesbian Vampire Killers (UK)The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Terminator Salvation
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus (UK)
15–24 age group in top 20 and top UK audience (%)
15–24 age group in total survey population (%)
Source: CAA Film Monitor.

114 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Age group % of the film’s total audience

60
55
48
48
47
45
38
36
35
35
25
14

1

2

Table 14.9 Films with an above-average audience in 25–34 age group, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

3

Age group % of the film’s total audience

Brüno
Avatar
25–34 age group in top 20 and top UK audience (%)
25–34 age group in total survey population (%)

29
27
17
15

4

5

Source: CAA Film Monitor.
6

Table 14.10 Films with an above-average audience in 35–44 age group, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

Age group % of the film’s total audience

Dorian Gray (UK)Monsters vs. Aliens
Planet 51 (UK)
35–44 age group in top 20 and top UK audience (%)
35–44 age group in total survey population (%)

31
28
27
18
17

Source: CAA Film Monitor.

8

9

Table 14.11 Films with an above-average audience in 45–54 age group, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

7

10

Age group % of the film’s total audience

Last Chance Harvey (UK)The Boat That Rocked (UK)
45–54 age group in top 20 and top UK audience (%)
45–54 age group in total survey population (%)

17
16
10
14

11

12

Source: CAA Film Monitor.

13

Table 14.12 Films with an above-average audience in 55+ age group, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

Age group % of the film’s total audience

The Young Victoria (UK)Last Chance Harvey (UK)
Dorian Gray (UK)Slumdog Millionaire (UK)55+ age group in top 20 and top UK audience (%)
55+ age group in total survey population (%)

49
40
20
20
8
30

14

15

16

Source: CAA Film Monitor.
17

14.5 Cinema audience by social group
The cinema audience for both the top 20 films and top UK films had a higher incidence of people in professionaland higher-skilled manual occupations than in the population as a whole (Tables 14.13 and 14.14).

18

19

20

Chapter 14: Audiences – 115

21

Table 14.13 Frequency of cinema visits by social group, 2009
Go to the cinema at least once per year (proportion of population 7+)
Go to the cinema at least once a month (proportion of population 7+)

AB %

C1 %

C2 %

DE %

Overall %

73
21

65
21

57
15

46
13

60
18

AB %

C1 %

C2 %

DE %

Total %

29
34
25

34
35
29

19
16
21

19
15
25

100
100
100

Source: CAA Film Monitor.

Table 14.14 Cinema audience by social group, 2009
Top 20 films (proportion of audience)
Top UK films (proportion of audience)
Total survey population 7+

Source: CAA Film Monitor.
Notes:
AB: Professional, business and white collar, C1: Higher-skilled manual, C2: Lower-skilled manual, DE: ‘Semi-’ and ‘Un-skilled’ manual.
Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

14.6 Film preferences by social group
Four films including UK biopic The Young Victoria had a strong appeal to the AB audience in 2009 (Table 14.15).
Three films Planet 51, Marley & Me and Monsters vs. Aliens appealed to the DE audience (Table 14.16), while only
one film was found to have a significantly strong appeal to the C1 audience group, which was Lesbian Vampire
Killers (54% of total audience).
Table 14.15 Films with above-average AB audience share, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

AB group % of film’s total audience

The Young Victoria (UK)Last Chance Harvey (UK)The Boat That Rocked (UK)Star Trek
AB share of top 20 and top UK audience (%)
AB in total survey population (%)

58
43
42
40
30
25

Source: CAA Film Monitor.

Table 14.16 Films with above-average DE audience share, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

Planet 51 (UK)
Marley & Me
Monsters vs. Aliens
DE share of top 20 and top UK audience (%)
DE in total survey population (%)
Source: CAA Film Monitor.

116 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

DE group % of film’s total audience

41
29
27
18
25

1

2

14.7 Film audiences by ethnicity

3

According to a survey of 15,000 people by Kantar Worldpanel, minority ethnic groups were over-represented among
buyers of cinema tickets and rental and sell-through video but were under-represented among viewers of pay-perview (PPV) (Table 14.17). For reference, the size of each of these markets as measured in the Kantar Worldpanel
survey is shown in Table 14.18.

5

Table 14.17 Ethnicity of audiences aged 12+ for cinema, rental and retail video, PPV, 2009Black, Asian,Chinese, mixed
and other %White %

6.8
7.3
7.5
7.4
7.6
5.1

93.2
92.7
92.5
92.6
92.4
94.9

Population aged 12+
Buyers of cinema, rental, retail and PPV film
Cinema-goers
Video buyers
Video renters
PPV buyers

4

Source: Kantar Worldpanel.
Notes:
Fieldwork took place in July 2009. Purchase data for 52 weeks ending 3 January 2010.
‘Video’ includes all physical video formats, including DVD, UMD (Universal Media Disc), high-definition DVD (HD-DVD) and Blu-ray.

6

7

8

9

10

Table 14.18 Size of cinema, rental, retail and PPV markets for 12+ age groups, 2009

Population aged 12+
Total buyers: cinema, rental, retail and PPV film
Cinema-goers
Video buyers
Video renters
PPV

Number of
persons/buyers(million)

Marketvolume(individual
purchases,
million)

48.7
34.1
24.0
24.4
8.9
2.9

n/a
523.3
190.2
226.2
96.2
10.8

11

12

13

14

Source: Kantar Worldpanel.
See notes to Table 14.17.
15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 14: Audiences – 117

21

14.8 Film audiences by disability
As in the previous five years, disabled people were under-represented among those who paid to watch films.
Pay-per-view was the only market segment in which disabled purchasers came close to their overall population
percentage (Table 14.19). The share of audiences with disabilities across all markets was up from 12% in 2008
to 16% in 2009.
Table 14.19 Disabled audiences aged 12+ for cinema, rental and retail video, PPV, 2009
Population aged 12+
Buyers of cinema, rental, retail and PPV film
Cinema-goers
Video buyers
Video renters
PPV buyers

Disabled %Not disabled %

15.8
12.8
12.1
11.5
13.8
14.8

84.2
87.2
87.9
88.5
86.2
85.2

Source: Kantar Worldpanel.
See notes to Table 14.17.

14.9 Film preferences by nation or region
The national/regional distribution of audiences for most top 20 and top UK films was close to that of the top 20
audience as a whole. Seven titles had unusually high audience shares in particular nations or regions: X-Men Origins:
Wolverine and Slumdog Millionaire in London (Table 14.20), Marley & Me and Planet 51 in the South East (Table
14.21), Last Chance Harvey and Nativity in the Midlands (Table 14.22) and The Hangover in Scotland (Tale 14.23).
Table 14.20 Films with above-average London audience share, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Slumdog Millionaire (UK)London share of top 20 and top UK audience (%)
London percentage of total survey population (%)
Source: CAA Film Monitor.

118 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

London %of film’s total audience

33
32
23
24

1

2

Table 14.21 Films with above-average South East audience share, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

3

South East %of film’s total audience

Marley & Me
Planet 51 (UK)South East share of top 20 and top UK audience (%)
South East percentage of total survey population (%)

29
28
17
17

4

5

Source: CAA Film Monitor.
6

Table 14.22 Films with above-average Midlands audience share, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

Midlands %of film’s total audience

7

32
30
16
15

8

Last Chance Harvey (UK)
Nativity (UK)
Midlands share of top 20 and top UK audience (%)
Midlands percentage of total survey population (%)

9

Source: CAA Film Monitor.

Table 14.23 Films with above-average Scotland audience share, 2009 top 20 films and top UK films
Title

10

Scotland %of film’s total audience

The Hangover
Scotland share of top 20 and top UK audience (%)
Scotland percentage of total survey population (%)

30
9
10

11

12

Source: CAA Film Monitor.

14.10 Film downloads

13

In 2009, the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) continued to commission an annual online survey of 3,500 people
who had been to the cinema in the six months prior to the survey. Known as FAME (Film Audience Measurementand Evaluation), the survey included questions about film downloads from the Internet.
The age breakdown of respondents who regularly or occasionally watched downloaded or shared films is shown in
Figure 14.2. One in three 15- to 24-year-olds surveyed said they regularly or occasionally watched downloaded/shared films. This declined to one in four of the 25–34 age group. In total, just 5% of respondents claimed to be
regular viewers of downloaded or shared film files.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 14: Audiences – 119

21

Figure 14.2 Frequency of cinema-goers watching downloaded/shared films by age, 2009
%
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
7–14

15–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55+

Total

% who regularly
watch downloaded
or shared films

2.5

11.3

10.1

3.5

0.8

0.3

5.1

% who occasionallywatch downloaded
or shared films

3.9

18.8

15.2

5.0

4.2

1.2

8.5

0.0

Source: FAME 2010.
Note: Figures refer to the cinema-going audience only, not the total population.

A smaller proportion of respondents (4.5%) claimed to be regular viewers of films shared via internet discussion
boards and forums. Again, the most active age category was the 15–24 group followed by the 25–34 group (Figure14.3).
Figure 14.3 Frequency of cinema-goers watching movies via link on discussion board/forum by age, 2009
%
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
7–14

15–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55+

Total

% who regularly
watch films via link on
discussion board/forum

3.1

12.1

8.0

1.7

0.1

0.1

4.5

% who occasionallywatch films via link on
discussion board/forum

2.6

11.1

13.3

3.9

2.3

0.5

6.1

0.0

Source: FAME 2010.
See note to Figure 14.2.

120 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

When respondents were asked about frequency of viewing films downloaded from authorised sources, the figures
drop further to 2% who regularly watch and 6% who occasionally watch, which suggests that a high proportionof reported film downloading is from illicit sources (Figure 14.4). Again, the most active age groups are the 25–34
range (almost 14% regularly or occasionally watch films downloaded from authorised sources) and 15- to 24-yearolds (13% regularly or occasionally watch).
Figure 14.4 Frequency of cinema-goers watching films downloaded from authorised sources by age, 2009

3

4

5

%
16.0
14.0

6

12.0
10.0

7

8.0
6.0
8

4.0
2.0
0.0

7–14

15–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55+

1.5

0.6

0.3

5.2

4.1

1.6

% regularly watch

1.4

4.7

3.3

% occasionally watch

4.5

8.1

10.4

9

10

Source: FAME 2010.
See note to Figure 14.2.

14.11 Comparative profiles of cinema audiences and audiences for film on television
Table 14.24 compares the audience profiles for film at the cinema and film on television. Although the gender split
is roughly equal in each case, there is a dramatic difference in the age and social group profiles of the two audiences.
The film on television audience is much older (40% over the age of 55) and skewed towards the DE social group andaway from the AB group. The cinema audience is relatively youthful (67% under the age of 35) and skewed towards
the AB and C1 social groups. Given the 3.5 billion size of the audience for film on television (Chapter 11), Table 14.24
demonstrates how film reaches all ages and social groups through its successive release windows.

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 14: Audiences – 121

21

Table 14.24 Profile of cinema audience and audience for film on television, 2009
Cinema audienceshare %

Share of audience forfilm on television %

50
50
18
31
18
16
9
8
29
34
18
19

49
51
7
8
11
16
18
40
16
24
21
39

Male
FemaleAge 7–14 (cinema) and 4–15 (TV)
15–24 (cinema) and 16–24 (TV)
25–34
35–44
45–54
55+
AB
C1
C2
DE
Source: Attentional, CAA Film Monitor, RSU analysis.
Note: Television audience is total viewing occasions and includes those of the five terrestrial TV channels only.

14.12 Cinema-goers’ preferences by age for cinema, DVD and television
Table 14.25 shows the frequency with which cinema-goers visited the cinema as compared with watching televisionand videos. The results shown here are based on the FAME 2010 online survey whose respondents had all been
to the cinema in the six months prior to the survey. Just over three-quarters (76%) of respondents watch DVDs or
Blu-rays once a month or more, with 7- to 14-year-olds the heaviest consumers. Television viewing is skewed to anolder audience, with 79% of the over 55s watching 15 hours or more per week.
Table 14.25 Frequency by age of cinema-goers watching DVDs and Blu-ray,going to the cinema and watching television, 2009
Age

Watch DVD or Blu-ray once a month or more
Watch DVD or Blu-ray once a week or more
Go to cinema once a month or more
Go to cinema once a week or more
Watch TV 35 hours or more per week
Watch TV 15 hours or more per week

7–14 %

15–24 %

25–34 %

35–44 %

45–54 %

55+ %Total %

87
57
54
6
13
69

83
50
63
14
23
61

77
46
54
12
22
67

79
40
36
3
19
70

71
29
34
2
16
74

59
23
34
3
23
79

76
42
47
7
19
69

Source: CAA Film Audience Measurement and Evaluation (FAME) 2010.
Note: The figures in Table 14.25 are based on the online panel survey FAME which represents the UK online population aged 15 or above who had been to the cinema
in the previous six months. Hence, the figures in this table are not the same as those for the whole UK population shown in Table 14.1.

122 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

14.13 Total size of film audience in the UK

3

The total size of the film audience in the UK in 2009 was estimated to be 4.5 billion, calculated from all the sources
available (Table 14.27). Television accounted for 75% of the total film audience, followed by video (20%) and cinema
at 4%. Film watching via pay-per-view or other Video on Demand formats represented a small fraction of the total
audience in the year (1%). The figures do not include watching film from illicit sources.

5

Table 14.26 Estimated total audience for film in the UK, all modes, 2009
Mode

CinemaDVD/video
VoD (including pay-per-view)
Film on television
Total

4

Audience size
(million)% of total film
audience

173
930
41
3,402
4,546

4
20
1
75
100

Sources: CAA, Rentrak EDI, FAME, Kantar Worldpanel, Screen Digest, Attentional, RSU analysis.
Notes:‘DVD/video’ includes occasions watching previously-purchased feature film DVD/videos as well as current purchases. The DVD/video estimate is derived from FAME survey
information on the DVD-watching habits of cinema-goers with an additional estimate for the population not covered by FAME.
‘Film on television’ includes terrestrial, subscription and free-to-air multi-channel.

Taking the total film viewing figure of 4.5 billion occasions and dividing it by an estimated viewing population(excluding the very young), there were 81 film viewing occasions per person in 2009, an average of just underseven films per month.

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

P

18

For more information about top films at the box office in 2009 see Chapter 2 (page 15)
For further details about film on video see Chapter 10 (page 80)
For further information about film on television see Chapter 11 (page 90)
For more information about film exhibition regionally see Chapter 9 (page 65)

19

20

Chapter 14: Audiences – 123

21

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were Schedule 1 films and eight were co-productions.
VËË0jËÍÍ?Ë¬ÁaÖWÍËMÖa~jÍËwËx?ßËWjÁÍxjaË.WjaÖjË¤Ë
films was £604 million in 2009 (£935 million in 2008).
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjË¤|ËÍjÁË.WjaÖjË¤Ë?¬¬ÁÜ?ÄËË
2009, with a total anticipated production budgetof £1,591 million.
VËË0jËja?ËW¬ÁaÖWÍËMÖa~jÍËÁÄjËÜjÁËÍjË?ÄÍË
decade, while since 2005 that of Schedule 1 films
dropped to only £1 million.

1

2

15.1 Qualifying as an official British film

3

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for issuing British Film Certificates on
the basis of recommendations made by the UK Film Council’s Certification Unit. Makers of certified British films
can apply for tax relief on qualifying films or apply for Lottery funding from the UK Film Council and other sources.
(There is more information about public investment in film in Chapter 17.)
Schedule 1 films are films certified as British under Schedule 1 of the Films Act 1985. To qualify, films starting
principal photography on or after 1 January 2007 must pass a UK Cultural Test. Points are awarded for UK
elements in the story, setting and characters and for where and by whom the film was made (see the links at theend of the chapter for details of the Cultural Test). A wide variety of films qualified as British under the Cultural
Test in 2009, from The Dark Knight and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street to The Young Victoria
and The Damned United.

4

5

6

Films can also qualify as British if they are certified under the various official UK co-production agreements.
Official co-productions must be certified by the competent authorities in each country as meeting the certifying
criteria, which include the creative, artistic, technical and financial input from each co-producer. Once certified,a film counts as a national film in each of the territories and may qualify for public support on the same basis as
national films in that territory. On the basis of recommendations made by the UK Film Council, the Secretary ofState grants ‘interim approval’ prior to the start of principal photography to those films that meet the criteria and‘final certification’ once the film has been completed and final documents submitted. British films made as official
co-productions are not required to pass the Cultural Test.

7

8

9

At the end of 2009, the UK had seven active bilateral treaties in place, with Australia, Canada, France, India,
Jamaica, New Zealand and South Africa. Four others were under negotiation in mid-2010. Official UK
co-productions can also be certified under the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-productionof which the UK is one of 42 signatories.

1011

15.2 Schedule 1 cultural test certifications, 2008 and 2009
In 2009, a total of 144 films (97 in 2008) were finally certified as British under the Schedule 1 Cultural Test
(Table 15.1). The total budget of finally certified films fell from £935 million to £604 million. This reflects thesmaller number of big budget inward investment films made in 2008 feeding through to a smaller value of final
certifications in 2009. Interim Schedule 1 approvals rose from 122 to 149 with the aggregate budget increasingfrom £859 million to £1,591 million. The growth in the number of interim approvals reflects an increase in thenumber of very low budget films while the increase in aggregate budget is due to a number of high value inward
investment productions.

12

13

14

Table 15.1 Schedule 1 cultural test certifications, 2008 and 20092008
Type of certification

Interim approval
Final certification

2009

NumberBudget (£ million)

NumberBudget (£ million)

122
97

858.8
935.4

149
144

1,591.1
603.9

15

16

Source: DCMS, UK Film Council.
17

18

19

20

Image: Robin Hood © 2010 Universal Studios. Photo by David Appleby

Chapter 15: Films certified as British 1998–2009 – 12521

15.3 Co-production certifications, 2008 and 2009
In 2009, official co-productions remained at the low level of 2008 with eight final certifications (£48 million) and19 interim approvals (£102 million). The decline in co-productions from the much higher levels of the early 2000s
has been influenced by the closing of tax loopholes and the redesign of the post-2006 tax relief to relate to UK
spend rather than the total film budget.
Table 15.2 Co-production certifications, 2008 and 20092008
Type of certification

Interim approval
Final certification

2009

NumberBudget (£ million)

NumberBudget (£ million)

16
8

108.9
45.2

19
8

102.1
48.0

Source: DCMS, UK Film Council.

In 2009, five of the eight final co-production certifications were under the European Convention on Cinematic
Co-production, one was under the UK-Australia agreement, one under the UK-Canada agreement and one under
the UK-South Africa agreement.
Of the 19 interim co-production approvals, 10 were under the European Convention, two were under the UK-New
Zealand agreement, five were under the UK-Canada agreement, one was under the UK-Australia agreement and one
under the UK-South Africa agreement.

15.4 Finally certified British films, 1998–2009
The number of UK films (Schedule 1 and co-productions) receiving final certification rose gradually from 56 in 1998
to a peak of 172 in 2005 (Figure 15.1). The numbers then fell to 105 in 2008 before picking up again to 152 in 2009.
At the peak in 2003–2005 the majority of final certifications were co-productions, but these have since dropped
away to the very low levels of 2008 and 2009.
Figure 15.1 Number of finally certified (Schedule 1 and co-production) UK films, certification years 1998–2009
No. certifications (final)
200

150

100

50

0

98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

Schedule 1

40

70

108

75

77

76

72

66

74

98

97

144

Co-production

16

13

22

41

56

84

99

106

68

56

8

8

Total

56

83

130

116

133

160

171

172

142

154

105

152

Source: DCMS, UK Film Council.

126 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

The total production budget of finally certified British films peaked at £1,822 million in 2004 (Figure 15.2).
The rise was mainly due to the surge in official UK co-productions in the early 2000s. In 2004/05 a series of coolingmeasures designed to restore balance in co-production relations were introduced by the DCMS and Her Majesty’s
Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and in 2007 the basis of tax relief was shifted from total budget to UK spend,
reducing the incentive to structure films as co-productions as these films generally have lower levels of UK
spend than Schedule 1 films. The value of official co-productions has since fallen back to the pre-2000s level.

3

4

5

Figure 15.2 Total production budget of finally certified (Schedule 1 and co-production) UK films,
calendar years 1998–2009
6

Total production budget (£ million)
2,000

7

1,500

8

1,000

500

0

9

98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

Schedule 1

232.1

421.5

361.2

538.5

585.4

330.0

643.5

757.7

402.0

561.4

935.4

603.9

Co-production

59.5

66.3

95.5

277.7

462.2

427.6

1,178.2

877.1

459.5

356.7

45.2

48.0

Total

291.6

487.8

456.7

816.1

1,047.5

757.6

1,821.7

1,634.8

861.6

918.1

980.6

651.8

10

Source: DCMS, UK Film Council.
Notes: Total production budget is total budget for Schedule 1 films and total investment for co-productions.
Due to rounding, totals may differ slightly from the sum of the separate rows.

11

12

Figure 15.3 shows the levels of UK spend over the same period. UK spend is generally that part of the production
budget spent in the UK (see notes to Figure 15.3). At its peak in 2005, UK spend reached £1,023 million whereas
in 2009 it was £445 million. Although over half the total production budget was contributed by co-productions
at the peak in 2004–2005, the UK spend of co-productions was less than that of the Schedule 1 films. Since then,
their contribution has continued to fall. In 2009, Schedule 1 films accounted for 95% of the UK spend of finallycertified films.

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 15: Films certified as British 1998–2009 – 12721

Figure 15.3 UK spend of finally certified (Schedule 1 and co-production) UK films, calendar years 1998–2009
UK spend (£ million)
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0

98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

Schedule 1

151.4

277.7

292.4

459.3

522.5

293.3

560.2

685.4

341.1

442.4

588.5

422.9

Co-production

22.9

21.6

37.8

88.2

132.2

127.3

442.7

337.4

183.1

123.1

34.0

21.6

Total

174.4

299.3

330.3

547.5

654.7

420.6

1,002.9

1,022.8

524.2

565.5

622.5

444.6

Source: DCMS, UK Film Council.
Notes: ‘UK spend’ is the ‘value of the production activities in the UK’ for Schedule 1 films and ‘UK expenditure’ for co-productions (bilateral and European
Convention). UK spend for co-productions may include some expenditure on UK goods and services which took place outside the UK.
Due to rounding, totals may differ slightly from the sum of the separate rows.

UK spend as a percentage of total budget is typically lower for co-productions than for Schedule 1 films (Table 15.3).
The co-production UK spend share is usually around one-third, though it has risen in the last two years as thenumber of co-productions has fallen away. The UK spend share of Schedule 1 films has averaged between 63%
and 91% and in 2009 was 70%. Tax relief for British films is based on UK spend up to a maximum of 80% of thequalifying budget.
Table 15.3 UK spend as % of total production budget, 1998–2009
Schedule 1
Co-production
Total

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

65.2
38.5
59.8

65.9
32.5
61.4

81.0
39.6
72.3

85.3
31.8
67.1

89.3
28.6
62.5

88.9
29.8
55.5

87.1
37.6
55.1

90.5
38.5
62.6

84.8
39.8
60.8

78.8
34.5
61.6

62.9
75.2
63.5

70.0
45.0
68.2

Source: UK Film Council.

15.5 Median budgets, 1998–2009
Median budgets for final certifications are shown in Figure 15.4. From 1998 to 2005 the median budget for
co-productions was on a rising trend, increasing to £4.9 million. This was followed by a drop in 2006–2008 to£3.8 million then a steep rise in 2009 to £6.3 million. However, the numbers of co-productions were very low
in 2008 and 2009, so the median is more susceptible to the effect of individual titles.
A decade ago, the median budget of Schedule 1 films was £3 million. This dipped in 2002–2003 to around£2 million, but then rose to over £3 million in 2004 and 2005. Since then, as the number of Schedule 1 films
has increased, the median budget has fallen steeply to only £1 million.

128 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Figure 15.4 Median budget of final certifications, 1998–20093

Median budget (£ million)
7.0
6.0

4

5.0
4.0

5

3.0
2.0

6

1.0
1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Schedule 1

3.1

2.9

2.8

2.9

2.0

1.8

3.2

3.5

2.0

1.2

1.0

1.0

Co-production

2.5

3.5

3.3

3.4

4.7

3.6

4.3

4.9

4.4

4.4

3.8

6.3

0

7

Source: UK Film Council.
Note: The median is the middle value, ie there are equal numbers of films above and below the median.

8

15.6 Final certifications by budget band, 2007–2009

9

Table 15.4 shows that the reason for the decline in the Schedule 1 median budget is the growth in the numberof very low budget (under £2 million) films being certified. This growth has been particularly marked since 2006,
suggesting that UK tax relief has become more accessible to low budget filmmakers, following the introduction of
the new rules in 2007. The total number of medium and high budget Schedule 1 films has remained fairly consistentfrom year to year over the last decade.

1011

Table 15.4 Final Schedule 1 certifications by budget band, 1998–2009
Budget band £ million

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

>30
10–30
5–10
2–5
=<2
Total

2
2
5
20
11
40

3
3
14
26
24
70

1
3
14
43
47
108

3
10
7
24
31
75

2
13
10
13
39
77

2
3
5
25
41
76

5
7
13
23
24
72

5
9
7
25
20
66

2
7
9
21
35
74

3
7
9
18
61
98

9
6
11
9
62
97

4
7
8
24
101
144

12

13

14

Source: DCMS, UK Film Council.

Table 15.5 shows the distribution of Schedule 1 budgets by budget band for the years 2007–2009. The 5% of films
with budgets over £30 million accounted for 60.1% of the aggregate budget, while the 66% of films with budgets
under £2 million accounted for only 7% of the aggregate budget. This reflects both the growth in the number oflow budget Schedule 1 films and the big budget inward investment UK/USA titles in the top budget band.

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 15: Films certified as British 1998–2009 – 129

21

Table 15.5 Final Schedule 1 certifications, budget distribution by budget band, 2007–2009
Budget band£ million

>30
10–30
5–10
2–5
=<2
Total

NumberTotal budget£ million% number% budget

16
20
28
51
224
339

1,261.8
339.5
195.0
158.6
145.8
2,100.7

4.7
5.9
8.3
15.0
66.1
100.0

60.1
16.2
9.3
7.6
6.9
100.0

Source: DCMS, UK Film Council.

For co-productions the pattern is different. The rise and fall in co-production numbers is clear from Table 15.6, which
also shows a disproportionate increase in large budget co-production certifications in 2004–2005. This reflects the
structuring of some large budget UK/USA inward investment films as co-productions at that time, a practice that has
fallen away since the tax rules changed.
Table 15.6 Final co-production certifications by budget band, 1998–2009
Budget band£ million

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

>30
10–30
5–10
2–5
=<2
Total

–
–
5
6
5
16

–
2
2
6
3
13

–
2
4
13
3
22

1
7
8
19
6
41

1
14
12
21
8
56

–
11
18
39
16
84

8
20
14
40
17
99

4
15
32
39
16
106

2
5
20
28
13
68

2
7
13
25
9
56

–
2
1
4
1
8

–
1
4
1
2
8

Source: DCMS, UK Film Council.

The budget distribution for co-productions was much more even than for Schedule 1 films, with 81% of films having
budgets between £2 million and £30 million and accounting for 81% of the total budget, as shown in Table 15.7.

130 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 15.7 Final co-production certifications, budget distribution by budget band, 2007–2009
Budget band£ million

>30
10–30
5–10
2–5
=<2
Total

3

NumberTotal budget£ million% number% budget

2
10
18
30
12
72

67.6
125.9
133.5
104.3
18.6
449.9

2.8
13.9
25.0
41.7
16.7
100.0

15.0
28.0
29.7
23.2
4.1
100.0

4

5

6

Source: DCMS, UK Film Council.

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

P

17

For more on UK film production, see Chapter 16 (page 132)
For more on the UK film economy, see Chapter 20 (page 171)
For public investment in film in the UK see Chapter 17 (page 143)
For quarterly updates on British film certification data, see www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/ukfilms
For more information about British films, tax relief and the Cultural Test,
see www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/qualifying
For more information on the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production, see the Council ofEurope website: http://conventions.coe.int (number 147 under the full list of treaties)

18

19

20

Chapter 15: Films certified as British 1998–2009 – 131

21

Chapter 16:
Film production in 20092009 saw a substantial
increase in production in
the UK, driven by a record
level of inward investment.
However, the UK independent
sector remained underpressure, with the median
/ ."0* -"60&!×%-6
falling to £1.5 million.

Facts in focus
VËË0Í?Ë2Ë¬ÁaÖWÍË?WÍÜÍßËËÔååËÝ?ÄËÌyÈË^Ë
compared with £613 million in 2008.
VËË0jË2ËÄ¬jaË?ÄÄW?ÍjaËÝÍËÝ?ÁaËÜjÄÍjÍË
features was £753 million, the highest yet recorded,up 111% from £357 million in 2008.
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjËÈ¤Ë2ËajÄÍWËwj?ÍÖÁjÄË®ÈÈËËÔååo¯Ë
and 22 co-productions (22 in 2008).
VËË0jËja?ËMÖa~jÍËwÁË2ËajÄÍWËwj?ÍÖÁjÄËÝ?ÄË
£1.5 million, compared with £1.7 million in 2008and £2.9 million in 2003.
VËË0ÁÍjjËM~ËMÖa~jÍËxÄË?WWÖÍjaËwÁËÉ°ËwËÍjË
total UK production spend in 2009.
VËË2.ËÄÍÖaÄËÝjÁjËÜÜjaËÝÍËÔÉË¬ÁaÖWÍÄËËÍjËUK in 2009, accounting for 76% of total UK spend.

12

16.1 The value of UK production in 20093

UK production activity grew by 56% in 2009 to £956.9 million, from £613 million in 2008. The increase was dueto the surge in inward investment, which was encouraged by the decline in the pound-dollar exchange rate, thebedding-in of the UK film tax relief and the resolution of the writers’ and actors’ disputes in the USA.

4

There were 32 inward investment productions in 2009, with a UK production value of £752.7 million (see Table 16.1
for definitions). Some of the big budget films contributing to this figure were Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Part I, Robin Hood, Gulliver’s Travels, Clash of the Titans, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,Your Highness, Inception, London Boulevard and Gnomeo and Juliet.
There were 71 UK domestic features in 2009, down slightly from 77 in 2008, with a UK production value of£169.2 million which was 18% down from the 2008 figure. Domestic UK titles in 2009 included Nanny McPhee
and the Big Bang, Centurion, Blitz, Tamara Drewe, St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold, It’s a Wonderful
Afterlife and Nowhere Boy.

6

7

Co-productions remained steady at 22 with their UK spend falling from £48.9 million to £35 million. This continues
the downward trend established in 2005 and reflects a tightening of co-production qualification rules and the effectof the new UK film tax relief, which applies to UK spend rather than the total budget of a film. Co-productions in2009 included Mr Nice, Route Irish, The Ghost (aka The Ghost Writer), Neds and Tracker.

89Table 16.1 Feature film production activity, 2008 and 2009

Inward investment feature films
Domestic UK feature films
Co-productions
Total

5

Number of
productions
2008

Value
£ million
2008

Number of
productions
2009

Value
£ million
2009

27
77
22
126

356.8
207.2
48.9
613.0

32
71
22
125

752.7
169.2
35.0
956.9

Source: UK Film Council.
Notes:
Numbers have been revised on the basis of new information received since the publication of the 2009 Statistical Yearbook.
Inward investment includes nine films in 2008 (£17.7 million) and nine films in 2009 (£36.8 million) that involved only visual effects (VFX) work in the UK.
Inward investment feature films include three non-USA films in 2008 and three non-USA films in 2009.
Definitions:
An inward feature is defined as a feature film which is substantially financed and controlled from outside the UK and where the production is attracted to the UK becauseof script requirements, the UK’s infrastructure or UK tax incentives.
An inward feature co-production is an official co-production that originates from outside the co-production treaty countries (usually from the USA) and which is attracted
to the UK because of script requirements, the UK’s infrastructure or UK tax relief. None were made in 2008 and 2009.
A domestic (indigenous) UK feature is a feature made by a UK production company that is produced wholly or partly in the UK.
A co-production is a production (other than an inward co-production) involving various country partners usually under the terms of a bilateral co-production agreement
or the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production.
Measurement:
The above numbers include only the UK spend associated with productions shot or post-produced in whole or in part in the UK.
Spend is allocated to the year in which principal photography started or to the year in which the visual effects were undertaken in the case of VFX-only films.

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Exclusions:
Spending on films with budgets under £500,000 is not included.
17

18

19

20

Image: Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang © 2010 Universal Studios.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Photo by Liam Daniel

Chapter 16: Film production in 2009 – 13321

16.2 Inward, domestic and co-production features, 1994–2009
Figure 16.1 puts the 2009 figures in a longer time perspective. The decline in domestic features between 1997
and 2004 occurred alongside a substantial growth in co-production activity, suggesting it was easier at that time
to make films as official co-productions than as stand-alone UK productions. From 2005 to 2008 this trend wasreversed, reflecting a tightening in co-production certification requirements followed by the introduction of the
new UK film production tax relief based on UK spend rather than the whole production budget of the film.
Minority co-productions saw the greatest reduction.
After a decline from the peak of 2003 the total number of films has levelled out at around 125 per year, butdomestic UK productions have grown as a proportion of the total. Production numbers continued at the higher
level achieved after the introduction of tax relief and Lottery support for film in the mid–1990s.
Figure 16.1 Number of inward, domestic, co-production and total features, 1994–2009
Number of features
200

150

100

50

0

94

95

96

97

98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

Inward

13

14

25

20

16

22

28

23

16

45

28

48

28

29

27

32

Domestic

33

34

73

84

67

70

52

51

37

45

41

51

55

70

77

71

Co-production

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

66

106

105

65

51

28

22

22

Of which…
majority and parity
co-production

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

23

23

12

18

15

10

5

minority
co-production

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

83

82

53

33

13

12

17

46

48

98

104

83

92

80

74

119

196

174

164

134

127

126

125

Total

Source: UK Film Council.
Notes:
Inward features include inward investment co-productions from 2002 and a small number of visual effects (VFX) only titles from 2007.
UK co-productions not available by shoot date prior to 2002.
Data for 2003–2008 updated since publication of the 2009 Yearbook.
Inward investment includes a spike in the number of non-USA (mainly Indian) inward investment films in 2005.
Majority co-production means a co-production in which the UK investment is the largest single national investment (not necessarily an absolute majority).
Parity co-production means a co-production in which the UK and at least one other country contributed equal largest investments.
Minority co-production means a co-production in which at least one other country made a larger investment than the UK.
Data for films with budgets greater than or equal to £500,000.

Table 16.2 distinguishes independent UK films from UK/USA studio films and non-UK films made partly or wholly in
the UK. In 2009, UK independent films were 75.2% of the total while UK films as a whole were 88%. In recent years
the share of UK independent films in the total has been as high as 89% (2004). The number of non-UK films
increased in 2008 and 2009, mainly as a result of an increase in VFX-only titles tracked. VFX-only titles are usually big
budget USA studio films which contract part of their visual effects to UK-based VFX companies. The number of UK
independent films with budgets greater than or equal to £500,000 has declined since 2003, reflecting the tougher
economic environment for independent production.

134 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 16.2 Numbers of UK/USA studio and independent UK films, 2003–2009
UK/USA studio films
UK independent films
Non-UK films
Total% UK independent films

3

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

27
162
7
196
82.7

14
155
5
174
89.1

15
144
5
164
87.8

21
108
5
134
80.6

17
103
7
127
81.1

13
100
13
126
79.4

16
94
15
125
75.2

Source: UK Film Council.
Notes:A UK/USA studio film is a UK film produced by or in association with one of the major US studios or one of the major US studios’ specialist production subsidiaries.
A UK independent film is a UK film made by an independent production company or group of independent production companies.
Data for films with budgets greater than or equal to £500,000.

4

5

6

The value of UK production in 2009 increased by 56% compared with 2008, making 2009 the second highest
production year on record after 2003 (Figure 16.2). The value of inward investment, at £753 million, was the highest
yet tracked. In 2009, inward investment accounted for 78.7% of UK spend demonstrating the importance of inward
investment to the UK film economy. Since 1997, the fluctuation in production value has principally been driven byfluctuations in inward investment. In contrast, the combined UK spend of co-productions and UK domestic films
declined from £386 million in 2003 to £204 million in 2009, reflecting tougher economic conditions and changing
arrangements for film tax relief. The majority of the fall is due to the decline in co-productions, the UK spend ofwhich has fallen from £169 million in 2004 to £35 million in 2009.

7

8

9

10

Figure 16.2 Value of UK spend of inward, domestic, co-production and total features, 1994–2009
Value of UK spend £ million
1,200

11

1,000
12

800
600

13

400
200

14
0

94

95

96

97

98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

Inward

182.7

216.5

387.1

261.9

214.2

336.4

366.6

198.5

265.9

732.9

583.8

306.5

558.7

595.1

356.8

752.7

Domestic

59.5

94.0

172.2

202.9

175.0

170.3

211.7

180.1

156.4

227.8

126.8

178.7

157.5

155.4

207.2

169.2

Co-production

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

128.2

158.3

169.2

97.3

109.2

74.1

48.9

35.0

Of which…
majority and parity
co-production

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

62.1

55.1

34.6

66.1

51.2

32.7

12.8

minority
co-production

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

96.2

114.2

62.6

43.1

22.9

16.2

22.2

242.2

310.5

559.3

464.8

389.2

506.7

578.3

378.6

550.5 1,119.0

879.8

582.5

825.4

824.6

612.9

956.9

Total

15

16

17

Source: UK Film Council.
See notes to Figure 16.1.

18

Table 16.3 shows the split between UK/USA studio films, UK independent films and non-UK films. Over the period
as a whole UK independent films accounted for one-third of the UK spend with UK/USA studio films making up mostof the rest. In 2009, the UK spend of UK independent films was lower than average at 24% of the total, due to thesurge in studio films.

19

20

Chapter 16: Film production in 2009 – 135

21

Table 16.3 Value of UK spend of UK/USA studio and independent UK films, 2003–2009, £ million
UK/USA studio films
UK independent films
Non-UK films
Total% UK independent films

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

750.0
352.2
16.9
1,119.0
32.1

558.4
315.3
6.2
879.8
35.8

236.2
341.9
4.3
582.4
58.7

588.6
222.6
14.2
825.4
27.0

557.3
249.2
18.0
824.5
30.2

348.5
241.3
23.2
613.0
39.4

689.7
226.2
41.0
956.9
23.6

Source: UK Film Council.
See notes to Table 16.2.

The competitiveness of the UK as a destination for internationally mobile film production is significantly affectedby the UK pound-US dollar exchange rate. When the value of the pound in US dollars increases, film production in
the UK becomes more expensive and US producers may choose to stay at home or go to countries where costs andexchange rates are more favourable. Conversely, if the value of the pound falls, the UK becomes more competitive.
Figure 16.3 shows the high value of the pound in 2007, peaking at a monthly average of $2.07 in November 2007.
The last time the dollar-pound rate was at or above $2.07 was in May 1981. The pound began depreciating
significantly from August 2008, bottoming out at $1.42 in March 2009, before recovering to $1.65 in August 2009.
In January 2010 the rate was $1.61. The average dollar-pound rate for the 30-year period 1980 to 2009 was $1.67.
Figure 16.3 Value of £ sterling in US dollars, 2007–2009
US$
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0

Jan-07

Apr-07

Jul-07£ Sterling in US$
Source: Bank of England.

136 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Oct-07

Jan-08Apr-08

Jul-08

Oct-08Jan-09Apr-09Jul-09Oct-09Jan-101

2

16.3 Productions by genre, 2007–2009

3

Table 16.4 shows a breakdown of production by genre for the years 2007–2009. Production in the UK is reasonably
well spread across genres and does not appear to be as over-concentrated on drama as sometimes supposed. Dramaaccounted for 23% of the films, but only 7% of the budget. Comedy accounted for 19% of the films and 16% of thebudget. The biggest spending genres were action, fantasy, comedy and adventure. After drama and comedy, themost numerous genres were thrillers (9%) and action (8%).

45Table 16.4 Genre of production in the UK, 2007–2009
Genre

ActionAdventure
Animation
BiopicComedyCrime
Documentary
Drama
FamilyFantasy
HorrorMusicalRomanceSci-fiThriller
War
Other
Total

Number of films% of total

Budget£ million% of total

UK spend£ million% of total

30
5
8
20
71
16
23
88
3
11
24
7
23
7
34
5
3
378

7.9
1.3
2.1
5.3
18.8
4.2
6.1
23.3
0.8
2.9
6.3
1.9
6.1
1.9
9.0
1.3
0.8
100.0

1,201.8
316.1
161.0
114.9
686.3
63.7
44.4
286.7
6.6
625.3
118.6
121.7
86.6
226.6
159.6
66.8
10.7
4,297.6

28.0
7.4
3.7
2.7
16.0
1.5
1.0
6.7
0.2
14.6
2.8
2.8
2.0
5.3
3.7
1.6
0.2
100.0

555.4
257.3
83.3
68.0
343.6
52.9
23.2
193.0
6.0
386.0
104.3
99.2
56.9
48.8
68.2
45.5
3.0
2,394.4

23.2
10.7
3.5
2.8
14.4
2.2
1.0
8.1
0.2
16.1
4.4
4.1
2.4
2.0
2.8
1.9
0.1
100.0

Source: UK Film Council.
Notes:The data have been presented for a three-year period to show as many genres as possible without disclosing the budgets of individual films. The category ‘other’ contains
mystery and war films, grouped because of their low numbers.
Percentages may not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Looking at UK independent films alone (Table 16.5) the situation is somewhat different. The top three genres interms of numbers and budget were drama, comedy and thrillers. Drama accounted for 26% of the films and 22%of the budget, but there was a reasonable representation of the minor genres, for example romance (7% of thefilms, 8% of the budget), documentaries (7% of the films, 3% of the budget) and biopics (6% of the films, 8%of the budget).

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 16: Film production in 2009 – 137

21

Table 16.5 Independent UK productions by genre, 2007–2009
Genre

Number of films% of total

Budget£ million% of total

UK spend£ million% of total

11
3
4
18
52
15
20
77
3
5
22
5
22
31
4
5
297

3.7
1.0
1.3
6.1
17.5
5.1
6.7
25.9
1.0
1.7
7.4
1.7
7.4
10.4
1.3
1.7
100.0

56.2
22.8
31.3
80.2
168.6
56.5
30.3
227.8
6.6
36.3
35.7
49.2
84.1
97.2
26.5
15.8
1,025.1

5.5
2.2
3.1
7.8
16.4
5.5
3.0
22.2
0.6
3.5
3.5
4.8
8.2
9.5
2.6
1.5
100.0

33.3
7.2
14.7
58.4
134.5
46.4
19.2
168.8
6.0
23.2
28.8
39.6
56.3
57.1
15.7
7.6
716.7

4.6
1.0
2.1
8.1
18.8
6.5
2.7
23.6
0.8
3.2
4.0
5.5
7.8
8.0
2.2
1.1
100.0

ActionAdventure
Animation
BiopicComedyCrime
Documentary
Drama
FamilyFantasy
HorrorMusicalRomanceThriller
War
Other
Total
Source: UK Film Council.
Notes:
The category ‘other’ contains western, mystery and science fiction.
Percentages may not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

16.4 Budget trends
The median budget of domestic UK features fell in 2009 to £1.5 million and is now only half the level it was in2003 (£2.9 million). The co-production median also fell in 2009, to £2.6 million, though it had been stable in 2008.
In contrast, the median budget of inward investment features continued to rise, reaching £25 million in 2009.
This reflects the continuing upward movement in the budgets of US studio films, notwithstanding reports
of financial challenges facing Hollywood.
Table 16.6 Median feature film budgets £ million, 2003–2009
Production category

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Inward investment features
Domestic UK productions
Co-productions

11.5
2.9
3.3

8.6
2.3
4.0

3.9*
2.0
4.2

18.6
1.9
4.0

10.3
1.3
3.7

23.1
1.7
3.6

25.0
1.5
2.6

Source: UK Film Council.
Notes:Median budget is the middle value (ie there are equal numbers of films above and below the median). The median in this case is a better measure of central tendency than
the average as it avoids the upward skew of a small number of high budget productions.
Data for 2003–2008 updated since publication of the 2009 Yearbook.
*In 2005 there was an unusually high number of inward features from India (28), reducing the median budget for that year.

138 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

16.5 Size distribution of budgets
The budget size distribution for the three maincategories of films made in 2009 is shown in Tables 16.7
to 16.9. Thirteen features with budgets over £30 million
accounted for 84% of the total budget for inward
investment features. Only four of 32 inward features
had budgets between £0.5 million and £5 million.
Table 16.7 Size distribution of budgets, inward
investment features, 2009

Budget band>£30 million£10–£30 million£5–£10 million£0.5–£5 million
Total

NumberTotalbudgetin band(£ million)%of totalbudget

13
10
5
4
32

1,261.4
187.7
39.6
9.9
1,498.6

84.2
12.5
2.6
0.7
100.0

Source: UK Film Council.

In contrast, the majority of domestic UK features(44 out of 71) had budgets under £2 million (Table 16.8).
There was a rise in the number of domestic featureswith budgets above £5 million to 13 in 2009 comparedwith six in 2008. However, the combined budget ofthese 13 films (£111.7 million) was no greater than the
combined budget of the six in 2008 (£111.8 million).
(See 2009 Statistical Yearbook for details.)

Table 16.8 Size distribution of budgets, domestic UK
features, 2009

Budget band>£5 million£2–£5 million£0.5–£2 million
Total

NumberTotalbudgetin band(£ million)%of totalbudget

13
14
44
71

111.7
45.8
48.8
206.3

54.1
22.2
23.7
100.0

3

4

5

6

Source: UK Film Council.
Note: There was one film with a budget above £10 million which is not shown
separately as the data would be disclosive.

Co-production budgets tend to be more evenly
distributed than those of inward and domestic films,
as shown in Table 16.9. The nine co-productions withbudgets in the £2–£5 million band accounted for 32%
of the total budget. There was only one co-production
with a budget above £10 million (not shown separately),while eight out of 22 had budgets between £0.5 millionand £2 million, accounting for 10% of the total budget.

>£5 million£2–£5 million£0.5–£2 million
Total

8

9

10

Table 16.9 Size distribution of budgets,co-productions, 2009

Budget band

7

11

NumberTotalbudgetin band(£ million)%of totalbudget

5
9
8
22

54.1
29.8
9.4
93.3

58.0
32.0
10.0
100.0

12

13

Source: UK Film Council.
14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 16: Film production in 2009 – 13921

16.6 Big budget productions, 2007–2009
The importance to UK spend of a small number of big budget productions – usually inward investment films –is demonstrated in Table 16.10. In 2009, the 13 films with budgets greater than £30 million accounted for 68.9%
of UK production spend.
Table 16.10 Big budget films’ contribution to UK spend, 2007–2009
Number of films with budgets >£30 million
Value of associated UK spend (£ million)
Total UK spend (£ million)
Big budget film share of UK spend

2007

2008

2009

8
475.1
824.5
57.6%

11
341.8
613.0
55.8%

13
659.2
956.9
68.9%

Source: UK Film Council.
Note: Data for 2007–2008 updated since publication of 2009 Statistical Yearbook.

16.7 UK spend as percentage of total production budget
Table 16.11 shows UK spend as a percentage of production budget for inward investment films, domestic UK
productions and co-productions. Domestic UK productions had the highest UK spend percentage in 2009 (82.0%),
followed by inward investment films at 70.0%. Co-productions had the lowest UK spend percentage (37.5%) though
this was significantly higher than the 30% prevailing in 2003–2004, reflecting a fall in the number of low-UK-spend
co-productions after the introduction of the new film tax relief. The UK spend percentage for inward investment
films has fallen moderately. In 2003–2004 it was 75.5%, reflecting the requirement for a minimum 70% UK spend in
the pre-2007 criteria for tax relief. Under the new rules, films can qualify for UK tax relief providing they pass the UK
Cultural Test and have a minimum UK spend of 25% of the qualifying budget (and meet certain other criteria
specified in the regulations).
Table 16.11 UK spend as percentage of total production budget, 2007–2009
Production category

2007

2008

2009

Inward investment films
Domestic UK productions
Co-productions

64.5
84.0
47.5

65.2
84.6
43.7

70.0
82.0
37.5

Source: UK Film Council.
Notes:
Data for 2007–2008 updated since publication of 2009 Yearbook.
VFX-only films not included in ‘Inward investment films’.

140 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

16.8 UK domestic productions by territoryof shoot

Table 16.13 UK domestic productions, shoots byterritory or region, 2009

Table 16.12 analyses UK domestic productions in 2009
according to whether they were wholly or partially shotin the UK, or wholly shot abroad. The majority (52 outof 71) were shot exclusively in the UK, while 14 films
were shot partly abroad. Five UK domestic films wereshot wholly abroad. The non-UK spend as a proportionof budget (18.0%) was higher than in 2008.

Territory of shoot

Table 16.12 UK domestic productions by territoryof shoot, 2009

Shooting in

UK only
UK and other
Other only
Total UK
domestic films

Numberof films

Budget(£ million)

Non-UKspend(£ million)

Non-UKspend
as %of totalbudget

52
14
5

152.6
32.5
21.3

11.6
7.2
18.4

7.6
22.2
86.5

71

206.3

37.2

18.0

Source: UK Film Council.

Table 16.13 shows the number of shoots by territory
for UK domestic films. Because some films were shot in
two or more territories, the total number of shoots was
greater than the total number of films. Compared to2008, the range of countries and number of non-UK
shoots was larger. There were seven shoots in the USA,
three in India, three in ‘Other Africa’ and two each in
the Isle of Man, South Africa and Germany.

3

Number of shoots

UK
USA
India
Other Africa
Isle of Man
South Africa
Germany
Other
Total shoots

67
7
3
3
2
2
2
7
93

4

5

6

7

Source: UK Film Council.
8

16.9 Co-productions by territory of shootIn contrast to UK domestic productions, co-productions
were usually shot partly or wholly abroad, as Table
16.14 shows. Only two out of 22 films, with a total
budget of £5.6 million, were shot wholly in the UK.
Non-UK spend accounted for 62.5% of the total
budget of co-productions in 2009.

9

10

11

Table 16.14 Co-productions by territory of shoot, 2009

Shooting in

UK only
UK and other
Other only
Total co-productions

Non-UK
NumberBudgetspend
of films (£ million) (£ million)

2
11
9
22

5.6
57.2
30.4
93.3

0.6
35.2
22.5
58.2

Non-UKspend
as %of totalbudget

10.0
61.5
73.8
62.5

12

13

14

Source: UK Film Council.

The country distribution of co-production shoots isshown in Table 16.15. The majority of shoots were in
the UK or elsewhere in Europe. Of the non-European
shoots, three were in India, two in New Zealand, twoin Thailand and four elsewhere in the world.

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 16: Film production in 2009 – 141

21

Chapter 1:
#"3*×!"Table 16.16 Film production company activity, 2009

Table 16.15 Co-productions, shoots by territory or
region, 2009
Territory of shootNumber of shoots

UK
Other Europe
India
Bulgaria
Ireland
New Zealand
Spain
Thailand
Other
Total shoots

13
6
3
2
2
2
2
2
4
36

Source: UK Film Council.
Note: The majority of co-productions were shot in at least two territories. Hence thetotal in Table 16.15 is more than the number of co-productions in 2009.

16.10 Production company activity levels
UK film production in 2009 was, as usual, dispersed
among a large number of production companies, as
shown in Table 16.16. The UK Film Council recorded 213
production companies associated with films shot in the
UK or co-productions involving the UK in 2009. Of these,
199 companies were associated with a single feature.
These were a mixture of distinct production companies
and special purpose vehicles (that is, companies set up
to make a single film). The most prolific production
companies (Black and Blue Films and Film & MusicEntertainment) were associated with four features each,followed by one company with three films (Matador
Pictures) and 11 companies with two films each.

Number of features
per company

Number of companies

4
3
2
1
Total

2
1
11
199
213

Source: UK Film Council.
Notes:
Includes all production categories.
Further information on film production companies in the UK can be found in
Chapter 19.
Films frequently have several production companies associated with them (including
special purpose vehicle subsidiaries of parent companies), so the sum of (numberof features) x (number of companies) is substantially greater than the total numberof features involving the UK in 2009.

16.11 US studios’ involvement in film
production in the UK
The US studios were involved in the production of
26 films in the UK in 2009, nine of which were VFX-only(Table 16.17) accounting for £728.5 million in UK spend,
76% of total UK spend.
Table 16.17 US studios’ involvement in film
production in the UK, 2009
StudioNumber of films

Universal
Walt Disney
20th Century Fox
Warner Bros
Columbia Pictures
Sony
Total films

8
6
5
4
2
1
26

Source: UK Film Council.
Note: Nine of the above films involved only VFX in the UK. Two were UK domestic
films produced by Working Title under its output deal with Universal.

P
Information about film companies is given in Chapter 19 (page 161)
For details about employment in the film production sector see Chapter 21 (page 182)
For more information about the UK film economy see Chapter 20 (page 171)
For information on film production in the UK prior to 1992, see earlier editions of this Yearbook and theannual Film and Television Handbooks published by the British Film Institute or the Information Briefings
on the BFI’s website – www.bfi.org.uk

142 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Chapter 17:
/%&!&$1"60-"$0&$×%-&$0#"

Facts in focus
The UK Government provides
VËË0Í?Ëj?ÄÖÁjaË¬ÖMWËwÖa~ËwÁËxËËÍjËx?W?Ë×$)$!&)%6/200×%-&$
year 2008/09 was £256 million.
the UK through a variety ofVËË0jË¬ÁW¬?ËÄÖÁWjÄËwË¬ÖMWËwÖa~ËwÁË2ËxË
in 2008/09 were the film production tax relief, National
channels. This recognises
Lottery and grant-in-aid from central government,
0#"1)%/"*×%-N0#!/%0/2)%%4 particularly via the Department for Culture, Mediaand Sport.
)$ "!$-&!)%%4: &0&$)%VËË0jË ÖÁ¬j?Ë2Ë¬ÁÜajaËÌo±yËËËÔååoÊå±funding comes from EUVËËjÁË ?jÄÍß¾ÄË-jÜjÖjË?aË ÖÄÍÄË® - ¯Ë?aËÍjË2Ësources. The single biggest
Film Council were responsible for the largest gross spend(£110 million and £74.5 million respectively).
source of public funding inVËËË¬ÁaÖWÍËÍËyÉ°ËwËÍjËÍÍ?Ëx?W?ËÄÖ¬¬ÁÍ^Ë
F88?;8D7)6×%-0)32"%&"*N
but distribution and exhibition, training and skills,
followed by Lottery funding
education, and archives and heritage also received
substantial allocations.
)$ ç.2)$0O&$O)& :17.1 Public funding for film in the UK by source
Public funding for film in the UK comes from a number of UK Government, public sector and European sources,
including:VË 0jË j¬?ÁÍjÍËwÁË ÖÍÖÁj^Ë ja?Ë?aË.¬ÁÍË®

.¯Ç

VË #ÍjÁËWjÍÁ?Ë~ÜjÁjÍËaj¬?ÁÍjÍÄÇVË 0jË~ÜjÁjÍÄËwË.WÍ?a^Ë8?jÄË?aË!ÁÍjÁËÁj?aÇVË 0jË!?Í?ËÍÍjÁßÇ
VË jÁË ?jÄÍß¾ÄË-jÜjÖjË?aË ÖÄÍÄË® - ¯ÇVËËÄÇVË |ÇVË 0jË ÖÁ¬j?Ë2±Public funding for film identified in Table 17.1 is estimated to have been £256 million in the financial year 2008/09,
slightly down on the £261 million in 2007/08. As in 2007/08, the estimate does not include some local authority,
research council, higher or further education funding, as indicated in the notes to Table 17.1.
The largest single source of public funding was the UK film tax relief, which provided £110 million in 2008/09, 43%of the total. The second-largest source was the National Lottery (£45.9 million, 18% of the total) and the third-largest
was the DCMS grant-in-aid to the UK Film Council and National Film and Television School (£31.2 million, 12% of thetotal). The National and Regional Development Agencies provided £17.1 million, BBC Films £12.7 million and Film4£8.2 million. The European Union contributed £8.5 million, of which £3.9 million (£11.5 million in 2007/08) camefrom the MEDIA Programme.

144 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Image: Centurion courtesy of Pathé UK1

2

Table 17.1 Public funding for film in the UK by source, 2008/09
Amount£ million%of total

National Lottery Distribution Fund (DCMS) – Film

45.9

17.9

DCMS grant-in-aid to the
UK Film Council and NFTS

31.2

12.2

National and Regional
Development Agencies
BBC Films

17.1

6.7

12.7

4.9

SourceFilm4

Department for Children, Schools and Families

Other European Union

8.2

6.8

4.6

3.2

2.7

1.8

Scottish Government

4.3

1.7

EU MEDIA ProgrammeHigher Education Funding Council

3.9
3.1

1.5
1.2

Welsh Assembly Government

2.3

0.9

Northern Ireland Executive

1.5

0.6

Ofcom

1.0

0.4

Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills

1.0

0.4

3
Notes

National Lottery allocations to the UK Film
Council, Scottish Screen and Northern Ireland
Screen, plus Heritage Lottery Fund(1)Awards to the UK Film Council (of which£17.4 million was awarded to the BFI) andNational Film and Television School
Contributions to the National and Regional
Screen Agencies
BBC Films’ production investment andcontributions by the BBC to NFTS and N/RSA
projects – excludes acquisitions etc made byother BBC departments
Film4 (Channel 4’s film production company)
investment in film development andproduction plus Channel 4 investment in
NFTS and N/RSA projects
DCSF investment in Mediabox and FILMCLUB.
Match funding in individual FILMCLUB orMediabox projects (and other First Light
projects) is not collated
European Regional Development Fund andEuropean Social Fund
Includes spend from all Scottish government
agencies into strategic bodies/projects
European Union MEDIA Programme(2)HEFC investment in Screen Academies anda small number of projects by strategic
agencies(3)Includes spend from all Welsh government
agencies into strategic film bodies/projects
Includes spend from all Northern Ireland
government agencies into strategic
bodies/projects
Contribution to BFI National Archivefor television
Awards to Screen Academies, Skillset
and N/RSAs

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 17: Public investment in film in the UK – 145

21

Table 17.1 Public funding for film in the UK by source, 2008/09 (continued)
Amount£ million%of total

Local Government

0.9

0.4

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

0.9

0.3

Arts Councils

0.6

0.2

Other public sector

0.07

0.0

Department for Business, Enterprise andRegulatory Reform
Local authority direct spend

0.05

0.0

n/a

n/a

Other education and research

n/a

n/a

Total public sector selective investment

145.9

57.0

UK film production tax relief (HMRC)
Total public sector selective
and automatic investment

110.0 43.0
255.9 100.0

SourceNotes

Investment by local authorities
in N/RSA activities
Funding for UK-originated British Council
activity. Excludes partnership funding of‘in country’ events (outside the UK)
Awards from national Arts Councils to film
agencies(4)Very small awards (under £10,000) froma range of public sector agencies, mainly
to N/RSAs
Awards to RSAs for film export support
Data on local government direct investments
in cinemas, youth activity, film offices etc are
not collated
Figures not collated for investment inuniversity courses not part of the Screen
Academy network, further education film
courses and film-related research awards
from research councils
National Lottery and grant-in-aid from all
sources as above
Cost of film tax relief in 2008/09(5)Sum of all the above

Source: UK Film Council, Northern Alliance.
Abbreviations:
BFI – British Film Institute.
DCMS – Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
HMRC – Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
NFTS – National Film and Television School.
N/RSA – National and Regional Screen Agencies.
Names of government departments are shown as they were in the 2008/09 financial year. The Department for Children, Schools and Families is now the Department for
Education. The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform are now part of the Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills.
Notes:
1. The National Lottery funding figure is for financial year 2008/09.
2. Investment for the MEDIA Programme is for awards made from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009.
3. Includes the Higher Education Funding Councils for England, Scotland and Wales, and investment from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) which is HEFCE
funded. Comprises awards to the BFI, Screen Academies and other strategic agencies. Does not include payments from educational funding councils to other film
courses (film studies etc) in higher or further education.
4. Arts Council England, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Scottish Arts Council. Does not include Arts Councils’ direct investments in artists’ film and video.
5. Film Tax Relief Summary, HMRC, September 2009.

146 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

17.2 Film spend by organisation

3

The largest net spender on film was HMRC (£110 million for tax relief), followed by the BFI (£39.9 million), the UK
Film Council (£36.6 million) and BBC Films (£12 million). Putting aside HMRC tax relief, net spend decreased by 2%
from 2007/08 to 2008/09 (from £179 million to £175 million). Significant decreases were recorded for Film4,
Northern Ireland Screen, the Welsh agencies and the EU MEDIA Programme. On the other hand, increases wererecorded for Skillset, North West Vision and Media, Screen West Midlands, Screen East, Screen South and the
Heritage Lottery Fund. (See Table 18.2 in the 2009 Statistical Yearbook for comparable figures for 2007/08.)
Table 17.2 Net film spend by organisation, 2008/09
Organisation

Net spend£ million(1)% of total
net spend

HM Revenue and Customs film tax relief
BFI
UK Film Council(2)BBC Films
Skillset
Film4
National Film and Television School
Scottish Screen
Northern Ireland Screen
North West Vision and Media(3)Screen Yorkshire(4)First Light
Welsh agencies(5)Screen West Midlands(6)Film London
EU MEDIA Programme
Screen East(7)
FILMCLUB
EM MediaSouth West Screen(8)Screen South(9)Northern Film and Media(10)Heritage Lottery Fund
British Council
Total public sector(11)

110.0
39.9
36.6
12.0
8.4
8.0
7.4
7.4
7.1
5.1
5.0
4.9
3.9
3.9
3.8
3.7
3.5
3.1
3.1
2.4
2.1
2.0
1.0
0.9
285.0

38.6
14.0
12.9
4.2
3.0
2.8
2.6
2.6
2.5
1.8
1.7
1.7
1.4
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.1
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.4
0.3
100.0

Source: UK Film Council, Northern Alliance.
Notes:
1. Net spend means spend after deducting grants and awards to other organisations in this table. Figures are presented net to avoid double counting.
2. The UK Film Council gross spend in 2008/09 was £74.5 million. The UK Film Council made £37.9 million of grants and awards to other organisations such asn the BFI(£17.4 million), Skillset, Regional Screen Agencies and First Light.
3. Includes the North West Film Archive.
4. Includes the Yorkshire Film Archive.
5. Welsh agencies means Film Agency for Wales, Welsh Creative IP Fund (part of Finance Wales), Welsh Film Archive (part of the National Library of Wales) and Wales Screen
Commission (part of the Creative Industries Hub).
6. Includes the Media Archive for Central England (MACE) which provides film archive services for the East and West Midlands.
7. Includes the East Anglian Film Archive.
8. Includes the South West Film and Television Archive.
9. Includes the Wessex Film and Sound Archive and Screen Archive South East and investments in film made by Kent County Council’s Film Office/Kent Development Fund.
10. Includes film investments made by the Design and Creative Investment Fund operated by North East Finance.
11. The spending tabulated above includes net transfers to and from reserves and spending financed by commercial income (eg from film rights) earned by agencies.
For these reasons the total spending by agencies (£285 million) is higher than total public funding for film in the 2008/09 year (£255.9 million, Table 17.1).
Chapter 17: Public investment in film in the UK – 147

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

17.3 Activities supported by public
spend on film

17.4 Large film production awards
by agency, 2008/09

The various activities supported by public spend on
film in the UK in 2008/09 are shown in Table 17.3.
As in previous years, film production took the largest
share, accounting for £158.4 million (56% of thetotal). Distribution and exhibition was second with
£31.6 million (11%), followed by administration andservices to the public (7%) and training and skills (7%).
Of the remaining activities, film archives and heritageand script development registered significant increases
over 2007/08.

Major production awards (greater than £250,000)
given by National and Regional Screen Agencies toindividual film projects in 2008/09 are shown in Table
17.4. In relation to the median British domestic film
budget of £1.5 million (see Chapter 16) and the medianco-production budget of £2.6 million, awards of thissize can provide substantial assistance to UK films of
distinctive national and regional character.

Table 17.3 Activities supported by public spend onfilm, 2008/09
Activity

Production(1)Distribution and exhibition
Administration and services
to the public
Training and skills(2)Education, young people andlifelong learning
Film archives and heritage(3)Script development
Export and inward investment
promotion(4)Business support(5)Total public film expenditure(6)Amount£ million%of total

158.4
31.6

55.6
11.1

20.0

7.0

19.5

6.9

19.1

6.7

14.6
9.9

5.1
3.5

7.0

2.4

5.0
285.0

1.8
100.0

Source: UK Film Council, Northern Alliance.
Notes:
1. Non-tax break production spend in 2008/09 was £48.4 million.
2. Skills Investment Fund, National/Regional Screen Agency training investment,
Skills Academies.
3. National Film and Television Archive, National/Regional Screen Archives,
Heritage Lottery Fund investments.
4. UK Film Council International; British Council, locations services in the nations
and regions.
5. National/Regional Screen Agency investment: primary beneficiaries are
independent production companies.
6. 2008/09 total expenditure (£285 million) was greater than total publicfunding (£256 million, Table 17.1) as expenditure was supplemented byearned/self-generated income, grants from trusts and foundations and transfersfrom reserves.

148 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Table 17.4 Large film production awards (£250,000+)by National/Regional Agency, 2008/09
AgencyProject (total = 14)

Amount £Scottish Screen
Northern Ireland
ScreenOutcastYour Highness

447,655
618,553

Cherrybomb
The Race
Five Minutes of Heaven
Skellig

282,951
250,000
250,000
600,000

Mr Nice
Pelican Blood
The Damned United
Glorious 39
Nativity

366,476
250,000
250,000
425,000
500,000

One Day
Soulboy
The Tormented

380,000
368,000
259,776

Wales Creative IP
Fund
EM Media
Screen Yorkshire
Screen East
Screen West
Midlands

Source: UK Film Council, DCMS, Northern Alliance, N/RSA reports.

1

2

Table 17.5 shows the Lottery awards made by the UK
Film Council in 2009. There were 303 awards in total(253 in 2008), to a combined value of £24.4 million(£15.6 million in 2008). Most of the awards were forrelatively low amounts (£50,000 and under) made by
the Development and Prints and Advertising funds.
For a list of the individual project titles see
www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/awards.
Table 17.5 UK Film Council Lottery awards, 2009
Fund

Development
Prints and Advertising
New Cinema
Premiere
Total large awards

Numberof awards

Total value£ million

150
112
21
20
303

4.2
4.2
6.0
10.0
24.4

Source: UK Film Council.
Note: UK Film Council awards data are for calendar year 2009.

The large awards (£250,000+) made by the UK Film
Council in 2009 are shown in Table 17.6. The biggest
awards (£1.2 million) were for the Premiere Fund films
Centurion and Another Year. The largest New Cinema
Fund awards (£700,000) were for Chatroom, Sex &Drugs & Rock & Roll and Submarine. There was only
one Prints and Advertising Fund award greater than£250,000, Fifty Dead Men Walking (£250,471).

Table 17.6 Large awards (£250,000+) made by UK
Film Council, 2009
Fund

Premiere

Project (total = 20)

Centurion
Another Year
Attack the Block
The King’s SpeechStreetDance 3D
Brighton Rock
Tracker
Made in Dagenham
Tamara Drewe
Africa United
New Cinema Chatroom
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll*
Submarine
Neds
Slave
First Grader
Project Nim
Cirkus Columbia
Self Made
Prints andFifty Dead Men Walking
Advertising

Amount of award£

1,200,000
1,200,000
1,085,788
1,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
971,291
850,000
780,000
500,000
700,000
700,000
700,000
650,000
610,000
600,000
510,095
430,000
250,000
250,471

Source: UK Film Council.
Note: UK Film Council awards data are for calendar year 2009.
*Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll was noted in the 2009 Yearbook as a 2008 award,
but the date of its award was amended to 4 February 2009.

17.5 Leading public investors in British film
production, 2007–2009
Table 17.7 shows the leading public agency and public
service broadcaster investment in British films withbudgets of £500,000+ for the calendar years 2007–2009. The most frequent public investor was the
UK Film Council with 54 projects (combined budget£216 million), followed by Film4/Channel 4 (38 projects,
combined budget £128 million) and BBC Films (36projects, £157 million). These budget figures are forthe total budget of the films, including the share of
the budget provided by private investors and pre-sales.

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 17: Public investment in film in the UK– 149

21

Table 17.7 Leading public investors in British film production, 2007–2009
NumberEstimatedbudget£ million

54

216

29

170

25

46

Film4/Channel 4

38

128

BBC Films

36

157

Welsh Agencies
Screen East
Scottish Screen
Irish Film Board(1)Screen Yorkshire
EM Media
Northern Ireland Screen
Screen West Midlands

15
12
10
10
10
9
8
8

51
63
35
32
20
16
58
10

Public funder

UK Film Council
Of which...
Premiere Fund

New Cinema Fund

Selected titles

Chéri, The Moon Princess, The King’s Speech, Centurion,
Tamara Drewe, Nowhere Boy, Made in Dagenham, Another Year,
Harry Brown
Neds, Chatroom, In the Loop, Cirkus Columbia, Genova,
Submarine, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, Fish Tank
The Eagle of the Ninth, Never Let Me Go, Route Irish, Chatroom,
The Unloved, Looking for Eric, the Red Riding trilogy, In Bruges,
Nowhere Boy, She a Chinese
The Special Relationship, Creation, Brideshead Revisited,
The Boys are Back, The Edge of Love, Tamara Drewe, Bright Star,
Brighton Rock, The Damned United
Ironclad, Submarine, Mr Nice, Valhalla Rising, Patagonia
The Boat that Rocked, Easy Virtue, The Scouting Book for Boys
The Eagle of the Ninth, Neds, Outcast, The Last Word
The Guard, Perrier’s Bounty, The Last Word
The Damned United, the Red Riding trilogy, A Passionate Woman
Bronson, The Unloved, Pelican Blood
Hunger, Fifty Dead Men Walking, Your Highness
Nativity, Clubbed, The Children

Source: UK Film Council production tracking. Includes films with budgets £500,000+ only. In some cases more than one public agency contributed funding to the same
film, so there is some double counting of budgets in the above table. Hence there is no ‘total budget’ row. Data in this table are for the calendar years 2007–2009.
Note:
1. The Irish Film Board was one of a number of overseas public agencies that part-funded British films during the period. Others included Screen Australia, Icelandic Film
Centre, Isle of Man Film, Filmburo Bremen, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Fonds Sud (France) and the New Zealand Film Fund.

P
For more information on film production in the UK see Chapter 16 (page 132)
For more information on the UK film economy see Chapter 20 (page 171)
For more information on UK film companies, see Chapter 19 (page 161)

150 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Chapter 18:
Film education

Film education provides
children and young people
with a structured, systematic
20/$&0407)0!#×%-6N
0/$ "260)$ ×%-6)$ "1"$0-),"×%-6)6)20*0#"&2
preparation for adult life.
2) /%06N×%-" /!)0&$
is a stimulating part oflifelong learning.

Facts in focusVËËÄÍËÉo^åååËÄÍÖajÍÄËÝjÁjËjÍjÁjaËwÁË . Ëja?Ë
studies related subjects in 2008/09, up 95% in six years.
VËË#ÜjÁË¤±ËËWaÁjË?ÜjË?ÍÍjajaË!?Í?Ë.WÄËFilm Week screenings over the last decade.
VËË#ÜjÁËÍjË?ÄÍËajW?ajËÁÄÍË~ÍË?ÄËÄÖ¬¬ÁÍjaËÍjË
production of 878 short films involving over 13,000
children and young people.
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjËÏ^o¤yËÄÍÖajÍÄËjÁjaËË~jÁË
education film studies courses in 2008/09, an increaseof 235% on 2002.
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjËÏ¤^åååË?aÄÄÄËÍË Ë.ÖÍM?Ë
education events in 2009, and 172,000 video streaming
requests were made via the Screenonline website.
VËË0jÁjËÄËjÜajWjËÍ?ÍËÏyyËÜ~Ë?~jËjaÖW?ÍË
providers were operating in the UK in 2009, with over
one-fifth production companies and one-fifth venues.

18.1 Introduction
Learning and participation are at the heart of an imaginative, diverse and vibrant film culture and can take manydifferent forms. Film education takes place in both formal and informal settings, from schools and colleges tovoluntary interest groups like youth clubs and film societies. There is a wide range of film education activity in the
UK but there has been little attempt to quantify this activity across the many types of provision. This chapter, a new
addition to the Statistical Yearbook, is intended as a first step in addressing the information gap and establishes
baseline data which can be built upon in the future. From this initial attempt, it is hoped that additional researchand data acquisition will enhance our understanding of the film education landscape.

18.2 Film education in formal education settings
In practice, film education activity involves watching and listening to a range of film texts, discussing and analysing
them; generating discursive and written work, storyboards and scripts; making films and re-purposing archive
material. Outside of dedicated film and media studies courses, film is also used in other parts of the curriculum
such as in English or modern languages. However, relatively little data exists on film education in the curriculum
before Key Stage 4.
There has been a 95% increase in the number of students entering GCSE media, film or TV studies in the UK (Table
18.1). Almost 68,000 students were enrolled in 2008/09, 1.2% of all GCSE entries. The WJEC (known previously as
the Welsh Joint Education Committee) offers a film studies GCSE. In 2009 there were 1,284 candidates across the
UK for this subject, rising to 3,286 in 2010.
Table 18.1 Entries for GCSE media/film/TV studies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2003–2009
Number ofmedia/film/TV
studies entries

2008/09% change
2004–2009

36,82942,48354,126
62,68365,693
63,685
772
785
780
868
842
849
2,219
2,415
2,615
2,874
3,288
3,438
39,82045,68357,521
66,42569,623
67,972
5,875,373 5,736,505 5,752,152 5,827,319 5,669,077 5,469,260

+73
+10
+55
+95
–7

2003/04

England
Northern Ireland
Wales
Total
All GCSE entries

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

Source: Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).
Note: Scotland not included because of separate examinations system.

The number of students taking GCE A Level media/film or TV studies in the UK has risen by 40% since 2003
(Table 18.2). There were almost 34,000 entries in 2008/09, 4% of all A Level entries.
Table 18.2 Entries for GCE A Level media/film/TV studies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2002–2009
Number ofmedia/film/TV studies entries

England
Northern Ireland
Wales
Total
All GCE A Level entries

2002/03

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09% change
2003–2009

22,743364
1,072
24,179750,537

25,425377
1,092
26,894
766,247

26,633468
1,160
28,261
783,878

29,123602
1,239
30,964805,698

30,036654
1,252
31,942805,657

30,651745
1,353
32,749827,737

31,618897
1,307
33,822846,977

+39
+146
+22
+40
+13

Source: Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).
Note: Scotland not included because of separate examinations system.

152 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Image: Looking for Eric courtesy of Icon Film Distribution

1

2

The number of entries for Scottish Higher media studies has seen a 10% decline since 2003 (Table 18.3).

3

Table 18.3 Entries for Scottish Higher media studies, 2003–20092009% change
2003–2009

851
827
814
843
819
797
765
166,885 165,575 164,142 159,140 161,081 162,576 167,792

–10
+0.5

2003

Number of media studies entries
All entries

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

4

5

Source: Scottish Qualifications Authority.

The WJEC offers a dedicated film studies qualification available to schools throughout the UK. In 2009 there were
6,674 A Level candidates completing (up 109% since 2003) and 11,800 AS Level candidates completing (Table 18.4).

6

Table 18.4 Candidates completing GCE A and AS Level film studies, 2003–2009

7

A Level film studies entries
AS Level film studies entries

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

% change
2003–2009

3,197
7,200

4,162
8,249

4,907
9,405

5,965
9,908

6,598
9,915

6,552
11,052

6,674
11,800

+109
+64

8

9

Source: WJEC.

Film Education is an organisation funded by the film industry to provide structured programmes for the teachingof film criticism and appreciation and offers professional development opportunities and resources for teachers.
Film Education has 15,817 primary schools (69% of the total) and 5,012 secondary schools (88% of the total) on
its database – these figures represent any school that has taken students to a cinema-based event, has teachersthat have used resources or paid to send a teacher to a training event. With almost 67,000 teacher contacts on the
database, the reach of Film Education is estimated to be 2.2 million pupils and students annually. Its flagship festival,
National Schools Film Week, is the largest event of its kind in the world. In 2009, over 392,000 schoolchildren visitedthe cinema for free as part of the event (Table 18.5).

10

11

12

Table 18.5 Attendances at National Schools Film Week and other Film Education screenings, 2001–2009
National Schools
Film Week
attendances
Other Film
Educationscreenings

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

13

102,880

75,490105,392

125,761

213,794259,964

298,586

335,733

392,452

14

n/a

n/a

25,75524,803

12,73735,75634,18823,754

13,48115

Source: Film Education.
16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 18: Film Education – 153

21

Media studies in general, and film studies in particular, also has a strong presence in UK higher education.
Over 28,000 students were enrolled on media studies related courses in 2008/09, up 26% in six years (Table 18.6).
The film studies subject area saw a 235% increase in numbers over the same period, from 1,140 first degree andpostgraduate students in 2003 to 3,815 in 2009.
Table 18.6 Higher education students in the subject area media studies, 2002–2009

All media studies
related courses
Media studies
Film studies
Film production

2002/03

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09% change
2002–2009

22,49517,3001,140
100

26,135
20,2151,490
135

26,49520,2051,840
165

26,665
19,7852,155
420

27,01018,9952,540
545

28,085
17,8603,610
520

28,245
17,595
3,815
530

+26
+2
+235
+430

Source: HESA Student Record 2002/03–2008/09.
© Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2010. HESA cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.
Notes:
Includes first degree, postgraduate and other degrees.
Media studies related courses include media, film, television, radio, electronic and print-based media studies courses.

In the last few years Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for Creative Media, together with the film industry, has worked
closely with further and higher education institutions to identify and establish a network of Skillset Screen Academies
recognised as existing centres of excellence in film education in the UK. Members of the network are endorsed by
the film industry as providers of the highest standard of relevant vocationally orientated education, training anddevelopment at a further, higher and postgraduate level. In 2009/10 the network offered 51 courses (diploma,
undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications) with 2,240 students enrolled.

18.3 National and regional film education providers
The British Film Institute (BFI) is the main UK-wide agency for promoting understanding and appreciation of moving
image culture, education and cinema heritage. It runs programmes for learners of all ages at BFI Southbank, as wellas providing resources via telephone, in print and online to support film education and research across the UK.
Table 18.7 provides details of some of the BFI’s main education activities.
In 2008/09 there were 30,999 admissions to BFI Southbank education events (up 53% on 2004/05) and 5,698
education admissions to BFI Festivals (up 5% on 2004/05). Visits to the BFI National Library have remained largely
unchanged over the last five years (around 12,000 visits per year) and there were almost 20,000 BFI information
service enquiries in 2008/09. The BFI Screenonline website (www.screenonline.org.uk) is a web-based encyclopaediaof British film and television featuring hundreds of hours of clips from the BFI National Archive, supplemented bycontextual material, stills, posters and press books. Users in UK schools, colleges, universities and libraries can accessthe entire site for free, and in 2008/09 there were over 172,000 video streaming requests.

154 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 18.7 BFI education activity, 2004–2009
BFI Southbank education event admissions
BFI Festivals – education admissions
BFI National Library visits
BFI information service enquiries
BFI Screenonline video streaming requests
Sales of BFI education resources of which…
copies of short film resources**copies of other resources3
2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

19,625
5,451
n/a
n/a
n/a

15,1494,881
12,331
27,044n/a

12,6484,106
11,91925,655n/a

33,945
3,733
11,90525,711n/a

30,000
5,698
12,024
19,539172,142*

n/a
n/a

n/a
n/a

n/a
n/a

n/a
n/a

3,618
1,301

4

5

6

Source: BFI.
*80% of requests from schools and colleges outside London.
**Each resource reaches an average of 50 students or pupils.

7Over many years, schools have organised and run film clubs for their pupils on an ad hoc basis, showing films either
for enjoyment or as part of curriculum-based activity. Unfortunately, historical data showing the number of suchclubs operating in the UK is unavailable.

8

In 2007, FILMCLUB was established with the intention of setting up a UK-wide school-based network of film clubsthat would allow young people the chance to experience characters, images, cultures and stories they would nevernormally be exposed to. A pilot scheme involving 800 children and young people from 25 schools in England ran
between January and March 2007, during which schools held 152 screenings of 89 films for different age groups
between 5 and 18.
By the end of 2009, there were 2,901 school film clubs in England (2,978 across the whole UK) with an estimated
90,000 pupils involved (92,000 in the UK). A total of 3,040 schools and 3,700 staff members have taken part in theinitiative and 35,837 films (1,876 unique titles) have been supplied to film clubs. The range of films ordered by thefilm clubs are diverse – in 32 languages and set in over 100 countries. Table 18.8 outlines the regional distributionof film clubs in England.

9

10

11

12

Table 18.8 Regional distribution of FILMCLUB schools in England, 2009

RegionEast Midlands
East of England
London
North East
North WestSouth East
South WestWest Midlands
Yorkshire and Humber% of
FILMCLUB
schools

10.6
9.3
15.4
8.1
11.3
17.5
10.2
7.0
10.6

% of
schools% ofpupils ingeneralpopulation

13

% of
pupils inonline schools

9.3
11.6
9.8
4.9
15.3
16.5
9.4
11.9
11.3

9.5
10.0
16.8
6.3
10.9
17.3
10.3
7.8
11.0

8.5
11.1
15.0
4.9
13.8
16.0
9.6
11.1
10.0

14

15

16

17

Source: FILMCLUB.
18

19

20

Chapter 18: Film Education – 155

21

Learning about film can be enhanced by practical involvement in filmmaking activity, which gives learners theopportunity to see for themselves how images and sounds are recorded and combined to create meaningful stories.
There are a number of opportunities to gain filmmaking experience outside of professional film production. One ofthese, First Light, was established to fund and mentor children and young people aged five to 19 to make short
digital films. Over the last decade it has supported the production of 878 films involving over 13,000 children andyoung people (Table 18.9).
First Light is also the lead partner for the Mediabox consortium, funded by the Department for Education (formerly
Department for Children, Schools and Families), which offers disadvantaged 13- to 19-year-olds the opportunity
to develop and produce creative media projects, using film, television, print, radio, games, interactive or online
platforms. During 2007/08 and 2008/09, Mediabox enabled over 9,400 young people to participate in the makingof 317 films.
Table 18.9 First Light projects, 2001–2009
Year

Number of films madeNumber of young people participating

2001/02

2002/03

2003/04

2004/05

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

10
143

155
2,178

121
1,988

150
2,470

114
1,694

121
1,644

117
1,840

90
1,291

Source: First Light.

18.4 Public investment in film education
A total of £19.1 million was spent on education, young people and lifelong learning in 2008/09 by the national
agencies described above and the screen agencies of the nations and regions (Table 18.10). However, this analysis
does not include all film education spend, particularly investments in film-based learning activities made by local
authorities, schools, further and higher education institutions and some of the third-party providers described in
section 18.5.
Table 18.10 Public expenditure on film education by agency, 2008/09
AgencyBFIFirst Light (including Mediabox)
FILMCLUB
Northern Ireland Screen
Scottish Screen
UK Film Council
Screen East
Screen West Midlands
EM Media
North West Vision and Media
Screen South
Northern Film and MediaSouth West Screen
Film Agency for Wales
Screen Yorkshire
Film London
Total
Source: UK Film Council, Northern Alliance.

156 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010£

9,317,000
3,418,502
3,100,000
680,878
589,000
461,315
273,323
223,695
211,212142,180
136,915
133,894
125,773
89,856
86,342
70,68019,060,564

1

2

18.5 Moving image education providers in the UK

3

In addition to the activity described above, there are a number of other organisations involved in the delivery offilm education in the UK. The UK Film Council has undertaken some primary research on moving image education
providers and has compiled a database from information supplied by the national and regional screen agencies,
First Light, Media Education Wales, Screen West Midlands REd REx network, the MovIES network, Arts Council
England’s national and regional offices and others. It includes details of organisations actively engaged in providing
moving image education directly to learners as part of their core activity. It does not include organisations whichfund such activity or support it through the provision of learning resources, nor does it include schools, collegesor universities (although many of the organisations in the database work with formal education institutions).
Neither does it include organisations that solely deliver industry training, but it does include training bodies that
operate non-vocational educational programmes alongside their training activity. Finally, it does not include
organisations that solely provide teacher training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
The database is intended to help the UK Film Council and its partners to better understand the range and natureof moving image education provision across the UK.
There is evidence that 355 moving image education providers were operating in the UK as at 24 February 2010
(Table 18.11). The largest proportion of moving image education providers is found in London (15% of the total).
The East Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have a higher proportionof providers than their UK population share. The reverse is true for the West Midlands, South East, South West,
North West and the East of England.
Table 18.11 Number of moving image education providers by nation/region, 2010
Nation/region

LondonEast Midlands
Yorkshire and HumberWest Midlands
South East
South West
North West
North East
East of England
England sub-total
ScotlandNorthern Ireland
Wales
UK total

4

5

6

7

8

9

10
Number%%UK population

54
37
33
28
27
26
24
20
12
261
38
30
26
355

15.2
10.4
9.3
7.9
7.6
7.3
6.8
5.6
3.4
73.5
10.7
8.5
7.3
100.0

12.4
7.2
8.5
8.8
13.6
8.5
11.3
4.2
9.3
83.8
8.4
2.9
4.9
100.0

11

12

13

14

15

16

Source: UK Film Council Moving Image Education Providers Database.

Just over one-fifth (22%) of all moving image education providers are production companies, and one in five (19%)
are venues (Table 18.12). Arts organisations make up 17% of providers while education/training organisations
contribute to a further 14%.

17

18

19

20

Chapter 18: Film Education – 157

21

Table 18.12 Number of moving image education providers by type, 2010
Type

Production company/corporate video
Venue
Arts organisation
Education/training
Participatory media
FestivalArchive
Community Group
Other
Total

Number

%

77
66
59
49
35
26
20
17
6
355

21.7
18.6
16.6
13.8
9.9
7.3
5.6
4.8
1.7
100.0

Source: UK Film Council Moving Image Education Providers Database.
Notes:‘Production company/corporate video’ includes feature and short film production companies and businesses offering corporate video services.
‘Venue’ includes cinemas, film clubs and local authority-run mixed arts venues that offer in-house education activities.
‘Arts organisation’ includes community arts projects, artist collectives and art galleries that offer moving image based activity.
‘Education/training’ includes dedicated education and/or training providers, often working in partnership with formal education institutions.
‘Participatory media’ includes non-profit, community-based filmmaking enterprises.
‘Festival’ includes film festivals that offer a dedicated education strand.
‘Archive’ includes moving image archives offering dedicated education activities.
‘Community group’ includes youth clubs and other local groups that offer filmmaking opportunities as part of their core activity.
‘Other’ includes membership based organisations that offer education opportunities (eg professional networks) and museums.

Over six out of 10 (64%) moving image education providers offer production-based learning opportunities, anda further 17% offer a mix of production- and exhibition-based education (Table 18.13). Learning activity throughwatching films (exhibition-based) is offered by 14% of providers, while 6% offer archive-based learning.
Table 18.13 Type of provision given by moving image education providers, 2010
Type

Production-based
Mixed
Exhibition-based
Archive-based
Total
Source: UK Film Council Moving Image Education Providers Database.
Notes:‘Production-based’ provision involves learning through making films or animation.
‘Exhibition-based’ provision involves learning through watching films.
‘Mixed’ provision involves learning through making and watching films (although not necessarily within the same course or workshop).
‘Archive-based’ provision involves learning through watching archive films and/or using them in creative activity.

158 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Number

%

227
60
48
20
355

63.9
16.9
13.5
5.6
100.0

1

2

Two-thirds (67%) of moving image education providers offer learning opportunities to all age groups (Table 18.14).
A sizeable minority (30%) specialise in providing learning opportunities for children and young people.

3

Table 18.14 Learner age group of moving image education providers, 2010

4

Type

All agesChildren and young people
Adults
Total

Number

%

237
105
13
355

66.8
29.6
3.7
100.0

Source: UK Film Council Moving Image Education Providers Database.
Notes:‘All ages’ – the provider offers learning opportunities for all ages.
‘Children and young people’ – the provider specialises in learning opportunities for children and young people (commonly aged up to 19 years, but can include up to 25 years).
‘Adults’ – the provider specialises in learning opportunities for adults (commonly aged 19+).

5

6

7

Table 18.15 provides a breakdown of the type of provision by learner age group. Production-based activity accounts
for 84% of child-focused learning activity, 77% of adult opportunities and 54% of opportunities for all ages.

8

Table 18.15 Type of moving education provision by learner age group, 20109Children
AdultsAll
Total

Production-based

Exhibition-based

Archive-based

Mixed

88
10
129
227

9
1
38
48

0
0
20
20

8
2
50
60

10

11

Source: UK Film Council Moving Image Education Providers Database.

Finally, Table 18.16 shows the national and regional breakdown of type of moving image education provision.
Exhibition-based activity plays a proportionally greater role in Yorkshire (27%), North West and West Midlands (both21%) and London (17%). Archive-based activity is a key feature of moving image education provision in Northern
Ireland, accounting for 47% of all activity.

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 18: Film Education – 159

21

Table 18.16 Type of moving education provision by nation/region, 2010
East Midlands
East England
London
North East
North West
Northern Ireland
ScotlandSouth East
South West
Wales
West Midlands
Yorkshire

Production-based

Exhibition-based

Archive-based

Mixed

Total

27
7
39
17
15
6
29
19
17
14
16
21

4
1
9
1
5
3
3
3
3
1
6
9

1
0
0
0
1
14
1
1
0
1
0
1

5
4
6
2
3
7
5
4
6
10
6
2

37
12
54
20
24
30
38
27
26
26
28
33

Source: UK Film Council Moving Image Education Providers Database.

P
For more information on public investment in film in the UK see Chapter 17 (page 143)
To access the UK Film Council Moving Image Education Database please go to:www.21stcenturyliteracy.org.uk/resources.php?type=film_making
For more information on the film education providers described in this chapter, please see the following links:
www.21stcenturyliteracy.org.uk
www.bfi.org.uk
www.filmclub.org
www.filmeducation.org
www.firstlightonline.co.uk
www.media-box.co.uk
www.skillset.org

160 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Chapter 19:
Film industry companies

$0#"0#"×%-6"!026
with the largest numbers ofcompanies are production andpost-production, though thelargest companies are foundin distribution and exhibition.
!266 /2"N0#"-)+26
are prominent but so also are
British exhibitors, French andGerman production companies
and French distributors.

Facts in focusVËËËÔåå^ËÍjÁjËÝjÁjËj?ÁßËy^åååËxË¬ÁaÖWÍË
companies and 2,500 post-production companies
in the UK.
VËË0jÁjËÝjÁjË|ÔåËxËaÄÍÁMÖÍÁÄË?aËÔÔyËjÞMÍÁÄ±
VËË0jË?ÁÍßËwËW¬?jÄËÝjÁjËÄ?Ë®ÍÖÁÜjÁËÖajÁË£250,000) but more than 70% of turnover was accounted
for by the 170 companies with turnover over £5 million.
VËË0jË¬ÁaÖWÍ^Ë¬ÄÍ¬ÁaÖWÍË?aËaÄÍÁMÖÍËÄjWÍÁÄËwere concentrated in London and the South East, while
the exhibition sector was more dispersed.
VËË#ÖÍÄajËaË?aËÍjË.ÖÍË ?ÄÍËÍjÁjËÝjÁjËÄ~xW?ÍË
production and post-production clusters in the North
West, South West, East of England and Scotland.
VËË2.Ë?ÁÄ^ËÜajËaÄÍÁMÖÍÁÄË?aËjÞMÍÁÄËÝjÁjË
prominent in the top 14 UK film companies in 2008
(the most recent year for which comparable data
are available).

19.1 Number of companies in the film and video industries
The number of companies involved in the film and video industries has grown rapidly in the last 13 years, particularlyin the production sector where the number of companies increased by 356% between 1996 and 2009, comparedwith the UK average of 56% (Table 19.1). Part of this growth reflects the improvement in coverage in 2008 whencompanies registered for PAYE but not VAT were added to the totals. In 2009, there were 7,965 film and video
production companies, 460 film and video distributors and 225 exhibitors.
Table 19.1 Number of companies by industry group, 1996–2009
Year

1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Growth 1996–2009 (%)

Film and video
production

Film and video
distribution

Film exhibition

UK all industries

1,745
2,460
3,065
3,460
3,900
4,185
4,605
5,065
5,275
5,785
6,210
6,575
7,970
7,965
356.4

355
360
370
380
425
485
515
530
455
445
415
400
435
460
29.6

155
160
160
165
165
190
195
205
200
200
200
200
230
225
45.2

1,380,695
1,547,175
1,573,935
1,595,705
1,616,835
1,623,025
1,619,195
1,623,715
1,611,535
1,631,540
1,646,280
1,673,835
2,161,555
2,152,400
55.9

Source: Office for National Statistics.
Notes:
From 1996 to 2007, data include only companies registered for VAT.
For 2008 and 2009, data include in addition companies registered for PAYE but not registered for VAT, so give improved coverage of the company population.
For 1996–2008 data are for 2003 Standard Industrial Classifications (SICs) 9211 (film and video production), 9212 (film and video distribution) and 9213 (film exhibition).
For 2009, film and video production is the sum of 2007 SICs 59111 (film production), 59112 (video production) and 5912 (film, video and TV post-production), film andvideo distribution is the sum of 59131 (film distribution) and 59132 (video distribution) and film exhibition is 5914 (film exhibition).

The introduction of the 2007 Standard Industrial Classifications makes possible a more detailed breakdown of thesector, as shown in Tables 19.2 and 19.3. This gives, for the first time, a view of film production and distribution
separately from video production and distribution, and confirms that film production and distribution make up the
majority of the sector. However, it is interesting to note the size of the post-production sector – 29% of companies
and 16% of turnover – previously included in the film and video production total.

162 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Image: The King’s Speech courtesy of Momentum Pictures

1

2

Table 19.2 Number of film and video companies by sub-sector, 2009
Sub-sector

Film production
Video production
Film, video and TV post-production*
Film distribution
Video distribution
Film exhibition
Total

3
Number of companies% of total

4,905
590
2,470
420
40
225
8,650

56.7
6.8
28.6
4.9
0.5
2.6
100.0

Source: Office for National Statistics.
*Companies in the post-production sector usually work on films, commercials, videos and television programmes, and therefore have a combined statistical classification.
Data as at March 2009.
Percentages may not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Although film distributors were only 5% of the companies, they accounted for 36% of the turnover (Table 19.3)
in 2009. This reflects the dominant position of the UK subsidiaries of the major Hollywood studios in the film
value chain.

4

5

6

7

8

9

Table 19.3 Turnover of film and video companies by sub-sector, 2009
Sub-sector

Turnover £000s% of total

Film production
Video production
Film, video and TV post-production*
Film distribution
Video distribution
Film exhibition
Total

2,471,123
204,281
1,267,039
2,872,355
188,624
1,019,372
8,022,794

30.8
2.5
15.8
35.8
2.4
12.7
100.0

Source: Office for National Statistics.
*See note to Table 19.2.
Data as at March 2009.

10

11

12

13

14

19.2 Size distribution of film companies
The size distribution of film companies is shown in Tables 19.4 to 19.7. While the majority of companies were verysmall (turnover less than £250,000 per year) over 70% of turnover was accounted for by the 170 companies withturnover greater than £5 million. The concentration was particularly high in film distribution (Table 19.6) where the30-largest companies accounted for 94% of turnover. In exhibition the large company turnover concentration wasclose to 90% (Table 19.7), though the Office for National Statistics was not able to release the precise number for
confidentiality reasons.

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 19: Film industry companies – 163

21

Table 19.4 Size distribution of film production companies, 2009
Turnover size band £000s

Number%Turnover%5,000 +
1,000 – 4,999
500 – 999
250 – 499
100 – 249
50 – 99
0 – 49
Total

85
290
230
440
1,165
1,255
1,440
4,905

1.7
5.9
4.7
9.0
23.8
25.6
29.4
100.0

1,338,074
545,204
149,376
148,086
169,223
87,476
33,6842,471,123

54.1
22.1
6.0
6.0
6.8
3.5
1.4
100.0

Source: Office for National Statistics.
Data as at March 2009.
Percentages may not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Table 19.5 Size distribution of post-production companies, 2009
Turnover size band £000s

Number%Turnover%5,000 +
1,000 – 4,999
500 – 999
250 – 499
100 – 249
50 – 99
0 – 49
Total

45
115
105
170
470
830
735
2,470

1.8
4.7
4.3
6.9
19.0
33.6
29.8
100.0

754,053
233,510
69,984
61,12970,81359,013
18,537
1,267,039

59.5
18.4
5.5
4.8
5.6
4.7
1.5
100.0

Number%Turnover

%

30
50
45
50
85
75
85
420

7.1
11.9
10.7
11.9
20.2
17.9
20.2
100.0

2,709,356
98,39629,854
15,815
11,8265,448
1,660
2,872,355

94.3
3.4
1.0
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.1
100.0

Source: Office for National Statistics.
Data as at March 2009.
Percentages may not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Table 19.6 Size distribution of film distribution companies, 2009
Turnover size band £000s

5,000 +
1,000 – 4,999
500 – 999
250 – 499
100 – 249
50 – 99
0 – 49Total
Source: Office for National Statistics.
Data as at March 2009.
Percentages may not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

164 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 19.7 Size distribution of film exhibition companies, 2009
Turnover size band £000s

5,000 +
1,000 – 4,999
500 – 999
250 – 499
100 – 249
50 – 99
0 – 49Total

3

Number%Turnover

%

10
35
40
25
45
30
40
225

4.4
15.6
17.8
11.1
20.0
13.3
17.8
100.0

c
76,010
c
c
7,221
c
1,554
1,019,372

–
7.5
–
–
0.7
–
0.2
100.0

Source: Office for National Statistics.
‘c’ Indicates the data have been made confidential by the Office for National Statistics to avoid disclosing details of individual companies.
Data as at March 2009.

4

5

6

7

8

19.3 National/regional distribution of film companies in the UK
Tables 19.8 and 19.9 show the national/regional distribution of film companies and film company turnover in 2009.
Overall, 68% of film companies were concentrated in London and the South East and over 85% of turnover was
generated by companies located in these two regions. The London concentration was particularly strong for
distribution (55% of companies and 97% of turnover) but the exhibition sector was more evenly distributed
across the UK, with 71% of companies and 48% of turnover associated with companies based outside London.

910

While London and the South East dominate in production and post-production, there are significant national andregional centres, particularly in the North West, the East of England, the South West and Scotland (Table 19.9).

11

Table 19.8 National/regional distribution of film companies, 2009
Film production

LondonSouth East
East of EnglandSouth West
North West
ScotlandWest Midlands
Yorkshire and The Humber
Wales
East Midlands
North East
Northern Ireland
Total UK

Post-production

Film distribution

Film exhibition

Total UK Film

Number%Number%Number%Number%Number

%

2,685
675
285
285
210
170
130
130
115
105
70
45
4,905

54.7
13.8
5.8
5.8
4.3
3.5
2.7
2.7
2.3
2.1
1.4
0.9
100.0

1,270
440
160
170
105
75
55
55
45
40
30
25
2,470

51.4
17.8
6.5
6.9
4.3
3.0
2.2
2.2
1.8
1.6
1.2
1.0
100.0

230
75
30
15
20
10
15
10
5
5
5
0
420

54.8
17.9
7.1
3.6
4.8
2.4
3.6
2.4
1.2
1.2
1.2
0.0
100.0

65
20
30
15
10
15
10
15
10
15
5
15
225

28.9
8.9
13.3
6.7
4.4
6.7
4.4
6.7
4.4
6.7
2.2
6.7
100.0

4,250
1,210
505
485
345
270
210
210
175
165
110
85
8,020

53.0
15.1
6.3
6.0
4.3
3.4
2.6
2.6
2.2
2.1
1.4
1.1
100.0

Source: Office for National Statistics.
Data as at March 2009, for business enterprises.
Percentages may not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 19: Film industry companies – 165

21

Table 19.9 National/regional distribution of film company turnover, 2009
Film production

LondonSouth East
South West
North West
East of England
ScotlandYorkshire and
The Humber
Wales
East Midlands
West Midlands
Northern Ireland
North East
Total UK

Post-production

Film distribution

Film exhibition

Total UK Film

Turnover%Turnover%Turnover%Turnover%Turnover%1,628,593
445,91477,03876,356
71,91061,294

65.9
18.0
3.1
3.1
2.9
2.5

954,103150,619
28,362
24,11829,73015,858

75.3
11.9
2.2
1.9
2.3
1.3

2,774,962
48,811
2,335
6,957
26,961
2,250

96.6
1.7
0.1
0.2
0.9
0.1

529,791cc
c
27,571
7,357

52.0
c
c
c
2.7
0.7

5,887,449ccc
156,172
86,759

77.2
c
c
c
2.0
1.1

31,088
1.3
19,3800.8
18,361
0.7
16,5430.7
13,966
0.6
10,6800.4
2,471,123 100.0

12,2841.0
12,653
1.0
6,467
0.5
6,735
0.5
3,931
0.3
22,1791.8
1,267,039 100.0

c
c
c
c
c
c
4,708
0.2
c
c
c
c
2,872,355 100.0

9,166
0.9
c
c
c
c
c
c
28,5622.8cc1,019,372 100.0

–
–
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
7,629,889 100.0

Source: Office for National Statistics.
‘c’ Indicates the data have been made confidential by ONS to avoid disclosing details of individual companies.
The geographic distribution of turnover is given by the location of the company, not its local units, so London concentration may be overstated for companies such as
cinema chains that have local units around the UK.
Data as at March 2009, for business enterprises.

166 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

19.4 Leading film companies in the UK and Europe

3

Table 19.10 shows the top 14 film companies in the UK in 2008 as identified by the European Audiovisual
Observatory. Several features stand out – the prominence of the US majors, the importance of undertaking multiple
activities (production, distribution, rights, video) and the relatively high position of companies specialising in video
and exhibition. There is only one UK theatrical distributor on the list (Entertainment), one UK film finance company(Ingenious) and no stand-alone UK film production companies.

4

5

Table 19.10 Top 14 film companies in the UK, 2008
Rank

Company

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Walt Disney International
Odeon and UCI Cinemas Group
Cineworld GroupVUE Entertainment Holdings (UK)20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Warner Bros Entertainment UK
2 Entertain
Universal Pictures Productions
Ingenious Film Partners
Paramount Home Entertainment (UK)The Entertainment Group of Companies
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Universal Pictures International
20th Century Fox Film Company

Activities

Operating revenues €000

DISFILM, DISTV, RIGHTS, VID
EXH
EXH
EXH
VID
DISFILM, PRODFILM
VIDRIGHTS, DISFILM, PRODFILM
PRODFILM, INVFILMVIDDISFILM, VID
VID
VID
DISFILM*1,535,974
574,134
313,725
298,006*287,728
267,214
258,565
251,981*202,882
159,259*145,153*124,836
100,014*92,985

6

7

8

9

10

11

Source: European Audiovisual Observatory, 2009 Yearbook.
*Indicates 2007 revenues.

12

Definitions:DISFILM = film distribution; DISTV = television distribution, RIGHTS = trade in television rights; VID = video; EXH = exhibition; PRODFILM = film production; INVFILM =film investment.

13

Across Europe, the US majors were prominent. They were joined by four French companies (Pathé, Europalaces,
Canal+ and UGC), indicating the continued corporate strength of the French film industry, three British-based
exhibitors (Odeon, Cineworld and VUE), a Swedish distributor (Egmont Nordisk), an Italian producer (RAI), a Dutch
producer/distributor (Embassy Eagle), a British video distributor (2 Entertain) and a German producer/distributor(Constantin Film/AG) (Table 19.11).

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 19: Film industry companies – 167

21

Table 19.11 Top 20 film companies in Europe, 2008
Rank

Company

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Walt Disney International
Groupe Pathé
Odeon and UCI Cinemas Group
Egmont Nordisk Film
Europalaces
Warner Bros Entertainment Spain
Groupe Canal+UGC
RAI Cinema
Warner Bros Entertainment Germany
Universal Pictures International
Cineworld GroupVUE Entertainment Holdings (UK)
Embassy Eagle Holdings
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Warner Bros Entertainment UK
2 Entertain
United International Pictures
Universal Pictures Productions
Constantin Film

Activities

Country

Operating revenues€000

DISFILM, DISTV, RIGHTS, VID
EXH, DISFILM, VID, RIGHTS, PRODFILM, TV
EXH
DISFILM, VID
EXH
DISFILM
PROD, DISFILM, RIGHTS, VID
EXH, DISFILM, VID, RIGHTS, PRODFILM,
PRODFILM, RIGHTSDISFILM
VID, DISFILM
EXH
EXH
PRODFILM, DISFILMVIDDISFILMVID
DISFILM
RIGHTS, DISFILM, PRODFILM
PRODFILM, DISFILM, RIGHTS

UK
FR
UK
SE
FR
ES
FR
FR
IT
DE
NL
UK
UK
NL
UK
UK
UK
NL
UK
DE

*1,535,974
770,000
574,134
472,000
468,000*407,571**394,000
384,092
373,851
338,843*335,872
313,725
298,006*289,894*287,728*267,214258,565
268,458
251,981251,324

Source: European Audiovisual Observatory, 2009 Yearbook, Table T.16.1.
*Indicates 2007 revenues.
**Indicates 2004 revenues.
Definitions:DISFILM = film distribution; DISTV = television distribution, RIGHTS = trade in television rights; VID = video; EXH = exhibition; PRODFILM = film production;
TV = television.

19.5 Leading film production companies in the UK and Europe
Looking at film production only, we see that 11 out of the top 20 European independent production companies
in 2008 were French (up from nine in 2007), four Italian, two German, two Nordic, and one British. As in previous
years, the list was topped by Constantin Film AG of Germany, the maker of Perfume, Downfall and the Fantastic Fourand Resident Evil films. Europacorp (France) and Filmauro (Italy) came second and third. The UK is under-represented
in this table due to the frequent use of special purpose vehicles (companies set up to make a single film) and the US
studio connections of a number of the UK’s leading production companies.

168 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 19.12 Top 20 independent film production companies in Europe, 2008
Rank

Company

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Constantin Film AG
EuropaCorp
Filmauro
Gaumont
Nordisk Film AS
Ingenious Film Partners LLP
Pathé Production
Odeon Film AG
AB Svensk Filmindustri
CattleyaFidélité Films
La Petite Reine
Galatée Films
Fandango
Pan Européenne Production
Produire à Paris
MK2 SA
Melampo Cinematografica
UGC YM
Pulsar Productions

3
Nationality

Operating revenues
€000

DE
FR
IT
FR
NO
UK
FR
DE
SE
IT
FR
FR
FR
IT
FR
FR
FR
IT
FR
FR

248,500
207,318*121,994
105,100*98,700*97,930*90,357
89,76878,89062,979*62,202*56,840
54,570*40,227**37,301
36,51836,33536,03435,76533,649Source: European Audiovisual Observatory, 2009 Yearbook, Table T.16.3.
*Indicates 2007 revenues.
**Indicates 2006 revenues.

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Drawing on the UK Film Council’s production database and public information, Table 19.13 presents the top
16 production companies involved in the production of films in the UK over the three-year period 2007 to 2009.
Film and Music Entertainment came top of the list with 10 films, followed by Matador Pictures with eight andWorking Title and Revolution Films with seven each.
Table 19.13 also illustrates the range of budgets for UK films. At the low end, Warp X and Slingshot were eachinvolved in the production of four films with an estimated combined budget of £4 million. At the upper end, Heyday
Films, working with Warner Bros (UK) on the Harry Potter films, was involved in four productions with a combined
budget of several hundred million pounds.

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 19: Film industry companies – 169

21

Table 19.13 Top 16 production companies involved in UK production, 2007–2009

Number of films

Estimatedcombinedbudget£ million

Film and MusicEntertainment
Matador Pictures

10

12

8

17

Working Title Films

7

170

Revolution Films

7

20

Vertigo Films
Palm Tree Entertainment
Fragile Films

6
6
5

13
5
30

Celador Films
Black and Blue Films Ltd
Heyday Films Ltd

5
5
4

20
8
*

The Weinstein Company
Potboiler Productions
Ruby Films
Sixteen Films
Warp X Films
Slingshot Productions

4
4
4
4
4
4

90
24
14
14
4
4

Production company

Selected titles

White Lightnin’, Donkey, Mission London,
Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre, The Italian Key
Book of Blood, The Last Princess, Wild Target, Dread,
Jackboots on Whitehall
Green Zone, The Soloist, Wild Child, Nanny McPhee
and the Big Bang, The Boat That Rocked
The Killer Inside Me, Genova, Red Riding 1974,
1980 and 1983, The Unloved
Bronson, The Firm, StreetDance 3D, The Heavy
Sisters Grimm, Back Burner, Inside Out, Seven Crosses
Easy Virtue, Dorian Gray,
St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold,
Slumdog Millionaire, Centurion, The Scouting Book for Boys
Devil’s Playground, Dead Cert, Just for the Record
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Harry Potter and theHalf-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Nine, The King’s Speech, Shanghai
Blindness, Happy-Go-Lucky, Slave
Tamara Drewe, Chatroom, Fish Tank
Route Irish, Looking for Eric, Summer
Hush, Donkey Punch, She a Chinese
Tormented, French Film, Faintheart

Source: UK Film Council.
Companies ranked by number of films produced, then by estimated combined budget.
‘Estimated combined budget’ is the sum of the estimated budgets of all the films associated with the named company. It is not a measure of that company’s contribution
to the budget. Most films had a number of production companies associated with them and funding came from a variety of sources including equity investment, US studioinvestment, distributor minimum guarantees and television pre-sales.
The table includes all those companies associated with four or more films over the three-year period.
*The estimated combined budget of Heyday’s films is in the order of several hundred million pounds, but the estimate has been omitted to avoid disclosing the budgetsof individual Harry Potter films.

P
For Film4 and BBC Films see Chapter 17 (page 143)
For film production company activity levels in 2009 see Chapter 16 (page 132)
For US studio involvement in UK film production in 2009 see Chapter 16 (page 132)
For leading film distributors in the UK in 2009 see Chapter 8 (page 60)
For leading film exhibitors in the UK in 2009 see Chapter 9 (page 65)
For numbers and size distribution of film workplaces in 2008 see Chapter 21 (page 182)

170 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Chapter 20:
#"×%-"!$-4

#"×%-&$ /6024&66&.$&×!)$0
in the UK economy, making
a substantial contribution to
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)and the balance of payments.
Film exports hit an all timehigh of £1.3 billion in 2008,
generating a trade surplusof £494 million.

Facts in focusVËËËÔååo^ËÍjË2ËxËaÖÄÍÁßË?aË?ËÍÍ?ËÍÖÁÜjÁËof £6.8 billion.
VËËÍÄËaÁjWÍËWÍÁMÖÍËÍË2Ë +ËÝ?ÄËÌÏ±¤ËM^Ë
0.2% of the total.
VËË0jËWÁjË2ËxËaÖÄÍÁßË®xË¬ÁaÖWÍË¬ÖÄË
distribution and exhibition of UK films) contributed£1.6 billion directly to GDP and £4.6 billion including
all indirect effects.
VËË0jË2Ëw?WÍjÄËÄjWÍÁË?aË?ËÍÖÁÜjÁËwËÌ|åÏËË
derived from film in 2008.
VËË0jËaÖÄÍÁßËjÞ¬ÁÍjaËÌ¤^Ï|¤ËËÝÁÍËwËÄjÁÜWjÄËin 2008, made up of £792 million in royalties and£549 million in film production services.
VËË Þ¬ÁÍÄËËÔååoËÝjÁjËÔ°Ë~jÁËÍ?ËËÔåå¤±VËË0jË2ËxËÍÁ?ajËÄÖÁ¬ÖÄËËÔååoËÝ?ÄËÌ||Ë±20.1 Film industry turnover, 1995–2008
Figure 20.1 shows the total turnover of the UK’s film sectors (production, distribution and exhibition) for the period
1995 to 2008. Each of the three sectors has shown strong growth over this period, with the total industry turnoverincreasing from £2 billion in 1995 to £6.8 billion in 2008.
Figure 20.1 Total turnover of UK film industry by sector, 1995–2008£ million
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

% change
1995–2008

Film andvideo
production

829

1,514

1,612

1,306

1,589

2,334

1,402

1,389

2,119

2,281

2,280

3,693

2,852

2,579

211.1

Film andvideo
distribution

895

1,385

1,328

1,521

1,555

1,494

1,271

1,721

1,718

2,030

2,450

2,125

2,105

3,069

242.9

Film
exhibition

329

420

527

485

485

519

828

871

987

1,065

1,065

976

1,022

1,143

247.4

2,053

3,319

3,467

3,312

3,629

4,347

3,501

3,981

4,824

5,376

5,795

6,794

5,979

6,791

230.8

Total

Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Business Inquiry.
Notes:‘Total turnover’ is expressed in current values, ie not adjusted for inflation.
For 1995–2007 data are for 2003 SICs 9211 (film and video production), 9212 (film and video distribution) and 9213 (film exhibition).
For 2008, film and video production is the sum of 2007 SICs 59111 (film production), 59112 (video production) and 5912 (film, video and TV post-production),film and video distribution is the sum of 59131 (film distribution) and 59132 (video distribution) and film exhibition is 5914 (film exhibition).
SIC stands for Standard Industrial Classification.

The introduction of the 2007 Standard Industrial Classifications (SICs) makes possible a more detailed breakdownof the sector, as shown in Table 20.1. This gives an official measure of film production and distribution separate fromvideo production and distribution, and confirms that film production and distribution make up the majority of thesector. However, it is interesting to note the size of the post-production sector (16% of turnover) previously includedin the film and video production total.

172 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Image: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I © 2010 Warner Bros.
Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R.

1

2

Table 20.1 Total turnover of UK film industry by sector, 2008, £ million

3Sub-sector

Turnover% of total

Film production
Video production
Film, video and TV post-production
Film distribution
Video distribution
Film exhibition
Sector total

1,197*
304
1,078
2,895
174
1,143
6,791

17.6
4.5
15.9
42.6
2.6
16.8
100.0

Source: ONS Annual Business Inquiry.
Notes:
Companies in the post-production sector usually work on films, commercials, videos and television programmes and therefore have a combined statistical classification.
*The turnover shown for film production is lower than the equivalent figure in Table 19.3 (£2.5 billion) taken from the Interdepartmental Business Register (IDBR). The
Annual Business Inquiry estimate is based on a relatively small sample of companies, whereas the IDBR number comes from HMRC data on VAT and PAYE. There is a casetherefore for preferring the higher IDBR estimate. This would add £1.3 billion to the above estimate of industry turnover.

The total industry turnover expressed in real terms, ie with the effects of inflation removed, is shown in Figure 20.2.
The real increase has been large: 124% for film and video production, 147% for film and video distribution and150% for film exhibition. Overall, the industry more than doubled in size in real terms over this period.

4

5

6

7

8

9

Figure 20.2 Inflation-adjusted turnover of UK film industry by sector, 1995–2008£ million (2008 pounds)

10

8,000
7,000
11

6,000
5,000
4,000

12

3,000
2,000

13

1,000
2001

2005

2006

2008

% change
1995–2008

Film andvideo
production

1,152.6 2,031.4 2,104.3 1,667.8 1,987.5 2,885.2 1,697.0 1,630.8 2,413.7 2,534.3 2,482.8 3,912.4 2,936.8 2,579.0

123.8

Film andvideo
distribution

1,244.3 1,858.3 1,733.5 1,942.4 1,945.0 1,846.8 1,538.4 2,020.6 1,956.9 2,255.5 2,667.9 2,251.3 2,167.6 3,069.0

146.6

0

Film
exhibition
Total

1995

457.4

1996

563.5

1997

687.9

1998

619.4

1999

606.6

2000

2002

2003

2004

2007

641.6 1,002.2 1,022.6 1,124.3 1,183.3 1,159.7 1,034.0 1,052.4 1,143.0

149.9

2,854.3 4,453.3 4,525.8 4,229.6 4,539.1 5,373.5 4,237.7 4,674.0 5,494.9 5,973.1 6,310.4 7,197.6 6,156.9 6,791.0

137.9

Source: ONS Annual Business Inquiry, HM Treasury.
Notes:The deflator used to calculate real values is the UK whole economy deflator.
Values expressed in constant 2008 pounds.
For sector classifications, see notes to Figure 20.1.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 20: The UK film economy – 173

21

20.2 Film industry contribution to GDP, 1995–2008
The contribution an industry makes to UK Gross Domestic Product is measured by its gross value added (GVA).
‘Value added’ is industry turnover minus the cost of inputs bought from other industries. The main components
of value added are wages and salaries, interest and company profits. Value added is therefore a measure of theindustry’s ability to generate income for its workers, company owners and investors.
The industry’s total value added increased from £956 million in 1995 to £3.1 billion in 2008. This is 0.2% of the
UK’s total GDP. All three sub-sectors showed substantial growth over the 14-year period, with the production sector
showing the biggest gain.
In 2008, production accounted for 34% of value added, distribution 53% and exhibition 13%.
Figure 20.3 UK film industry gross value added, 1995–2008£ million
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

% change
1995–2008

Film andvideo
production

299

663

758

525

805

1,032

514

562

983

1,032

1,035

1,957

1,172

1,051

251.5

Film andvideo
distribution

522

829

638

784

716

582

689

760

520

841

1,072

1,232

964

1,618

210.0

Film
exhibition

135

208

264

260

266

250

354

504

592

592

600

407

403

403

198.5

Total

956

1,700

1,660

1,569

1,787

1,864

1,557

1,826

2,095

2,465

2,707

3,596

2,539

3,072

221.3

Source: ONS Annual Business Inquiry.
Note: ‘Gross value added’ is expressed in actual values, ie not adjusted for inflation.

Table 20.2 shows the gross value added breakdown by 2007 SICs. Film accounted for the majority of the sector
contribution, with distribution particularly high at £1.5 billion, 49% of the total.

174 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 20.2 UK film and video industry gross value added, 2008, £ million

3Sub-sector

Turnover% of total

Film production
Video production
Film, video and TV post-production
Film distribution
Video distribution
Film exhibition
Sector total

316
198
537
1,518
100
403
3,072

10.3
6.4
17.5
49.4
3.3
13.1
100.0

Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Business Inquiry.
Note: Companies in the post-production sector usually work on films, commercials, videos and television programmes and therefore have a combined statisticalclassification.

4

5

6

7

Figure 20.4 shows the industry’s value added expressed in real terms, ie with the effects of inflation removed.
There was a sharp increase in real industry GVA in 1995–1996, followed by a plateau from 1996 to 2002. Real GVA
then began to increase strongly again, reaching a peak of £3.7 billion in 2006. Real GVA was £3.1 billion in 2008,131% higher than in 1995.

8

9

Figure 20.4 UK film industry real gross value added, 1995–2008£ million (2008 pounds)
4,500

10

4,000
3,500
3,000

11

2,500
2,000
12

1,500
1,000
500

13

0

1995

1996

1997

1998

2000

2001

2002

2008

% change
1995–2008

Film andvideo
production

415.7

889.6

989.5

670.5 1,006.9 1,275.7

622.2

659.8 1,119.7 1,146.6 1,127.1 2,073.3 1,206.9 1,051.0

152.8

Film andvideo
distribution

725.7 1,112.3

832.8 1,001.2

895.6

719.4

834.0

892.3

592.3

934.4 1,167.3 1,305.2

Film
exhibition

187.7

344.6

332.7

309.0

428.5

591.7

674.3

657.7

Total

1999

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

14
992.7 1,618.0

122.9

415.0

403.0

114.7

1,329.1 2,281.0 2,166.9 2,003.7 2,235.2 2,304.2 1,884.6 2,143.8 2,386.3 2,738.8 2,947.8 3,809.6 2,614.5 3,072.0

131.1

279.1

332.0

653.4

431.2

15

16

Source: ONS Annual Business Inquiry, HM Treasury.
Note: The deflator used to calculate real values is the UK whole economy deflator.
Values expressed in constant 2008 pounds.

17

18

19

20

Chapter 20: The UK film economy – 175

21

20.3 Economic impact of the film industry
In June 2010 the UK Film Council and Pinewood Shepperton plc published an updated report from Oxford Economics
on the economic impact of the UK film industry. This report, the third in a series, examined not only the direct impact
but also indirect contributions, such as those to supplier industries, tourism, culture, merchandising, trade and thepromotion of the UK internationally.
The study focused in particular on the ‘core UK film industry’, defined as film production in the UK plus the
distribution and exhibition of UK films. The analysis showed that the core UK film industry contributed £1.6 billion
directly to UK GDP in 2009, with a direct contribution to the Exchequer of £445 million. This GDP contribution roseto £4.6 billion when all indirect effects were taken into account, as shown in Table 20.3.
Table 20.3 Economic contribution of the core UK film industry, 2009

Channel of impact

DirectMultiplier effects
British film box office effectTourism
Promotion/trade
Merchandising
Total

Total contribution
to UK GDP in 2009(£ million)

Total contribution
to Exchequer
revenues in 2009(£ million)

Employment
impactin 2009

1,594
1,714
59
950
20
237
4,574

445
425
18
210
5
107
1,210

36,00036,000350
20,000700
6,600
99,650Source: Oxford Economics.
Notes:‘Multiplier effects’ means the effects on other industries such as suppliers.
‘British film box office effect’ is the amount that the total UK box office is raised by the presence of UK films. It is different from and less than the UK film box office share.

A copy of the report can be found on the UK Film Council’s website –www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/media/pdf/i/r/The_Economic_Impact_of_the_UK_Film_Industry_-_June_2010.pdf

20.4 The UK facilities sector
The facilities sector provides essential inputs to film production, encompassing activities from provision of studiospace and equipment hire to visual effects and post-production. During 2008–2009, UK Screen, the facilities
sector trade body, carried out the first ever economic study of the sector, publishing the results in January 2010.
These showed that the UK facilities sector had a total turnover in 2008 of £2.2 billion, with equipment hire being
the largest sub-sector (21% of the total) followed by visual effects and graphics (17%) and picture post-production(15%) as shown in Table 20.4.

176 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 20.4 Turnover of UK facilities sector, 2008

3

Segment

Turnover £000s% of total

Hire (camera, lighting, equipment)
Visual effects and graphics (VFX)
Picture post-production
Transmission, network and support services
Studios
Audio post-production
Outside broadcast
Access services
Other
Physical special effects (SFX)
Total facilities sector

461,010376,360
333,650
305,940
188,890
157,990
139,880
95,18077,52068,1202,204,540

20.9
17.1
15.1
13.9
8.6
7.2
6.3
4.3
3.5
3.1
100.0

4

5

6

7

Source: UK Screen, Trends Business Research (TBR), Olsberg SPI.

8

Table 20.5 shows that roughly half the activity of the facilities sector was television-related, but film provided thesecond largest share of revenue (18.3%).

9

Table 20.5 Turnover of facilities sector by market, 2008
Segment

Turnover £000s% of total

Television
Film
Commercials
Corporate
PromosOther
Games
Total facilities sector

1,142,580
403,250
401,140
171,590
56,58024,7004,600
2,204,540

51.8
18.3
18.2
7.8
2.6
1.1
0.2
100.0

10

11

12

13

Source: UK Screen, TBR, Olsberg SPI.

Other findings were that inward investment features accounted for 68% of film facilities turnover in 2008 and that
31% of film facilities turnover was generated by exports, with the USA being the leading export market.
A full copy of the report can be obtained from UK Screen and a summary of findings can be found at the following
link – www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/publications/facilities

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 20: The UK film economy – 177

21

20.5 Film exports, 1995–2008
The UK film industry exported £1,341 million worth of services in 2008 (the latest year for which data are available),£792 million of which came from royalties and £549 million from film production services. Compared with 2007, bothcategories increased significantly. Film exports in 2008 were 92% higher than in 2001 as can be seen in Figure 20.5.
Figure 20.5 UK film exports, 1995–2008£ million
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Royalties

560
227

686
202

438
212

427
154

508
145

487
210

468
232

434
222

400
233

399
444

660
307

582
330

646
403

792
549

787

888

650

581

653

697

700

656

633

843

967

913

1,050

1,341

Film
production
services

Total film
company
exports

Source: ONS.
Notes:
Data for 2009 will be available in December 2010.
The export data are derived from the ONS Film and Television Survey (2008) which is a sample survey with a high response rate (87%) of companies in the Inter
Departmental Business Register in the Standard Industrial Classification codes relating to film and television. The above chart shows the results for film companies only.

20.6 Film imports, 1995–2008
Film imports have been fairly constant since 2005, increasing by only £42 million, which is within the margin oferror of the survey. Until 2006, the vast majority of imports were royalties, with film production imports accounting
for only around 15% of total film imports. In 2007 and 2008, this pattern changed, with the royalty share dropping
to 60% and the production share increasing to 40%. The reasons for this are unclear as the reported level ofproduction imports is high in relation to total UK film production for these years (see Chapter 16). One possible
explanation could be the categorisation of the non-UK spend of UK/USA inward investment productions as imports
of production services. However, this explanation cannot be confirmed as the survey returns are confidential.

178 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Figure 20.6 UK film imports, 1995–2008

3£ million
900
800

4

700
600
5

500
400
300

6

200
100
0
Royalties
Film
production
services

Total film
company
imports

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

489
192

507
145

419
106

374
63

317
58

497
113

405
50

403
67

430
108

616
136

704
100

698
86

573
245

510
336

7

8
681

652

525

437

375

610

455

470

538

752

804

784

818

846

9

Source: ONS.
See notes to Figure 20.5.
10

20.7 The film trade balance, 1995–2008
The film industry has made a continuous positive contribution to the UK balance of payments since 1995, witha trade surplus (positive balance of exports over imports) in 2008 of £494 million, as Figure 20.7 shows. This issignificant at a time when the UK’s physical trade is showing a large deficit and helps explain the Government’s
support for creative industries such as film.

11

12

Figure 20.7 Trade surplus of UK film industry, 1995–2008£ million

13

600
500

14

400
15

300
200

16

100
0

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

106

236

125

144

278

87

245

186

95

91

163

128

232

494

17
Balance

Source: ONS.
Note: ‘Trade surplus’ equals exports minus imports. Where a company (eg the UK subsidiary of a US major) receives income from another country on behalf of its parent
company and subsequently passes it on to its parent company, this is recorded both as a receipt and a payment, leaving the measure of the trade surplus unaffected.

18

19

20

Chapter 20: The UK film economy – 179

21

20.8 Film export markets
Figure 20.8 shows the geographic distribution of UK film
exports for the years 2004–2008. The leading export
destinations were the USA (52%), followed by theEuropean Union (21%) and ‘other Europe’ (9%).
Asia took 5% and the rest of the world 12% of the total.
Figure 20.8 Destination of UK film exports
as percentage of the total, 2004–2008
European Union
Other Europe
USA
Asia
Rest of the world

20.9 UK film exports compared with theglobal market for filmed entertainment
A useful comparison can be made between UK film
export shares and the geographical distribution of
the global market for filmed entertainment (Figure20.9). For the EU, USA and ‘Rest of the world’ UK
exports are roughly proportional to the size of thefilmed entertainment market in each of those regions.
The differences that stand out are:VË Ë0jË~jÁË¬Á¬ÁÍËwË2ËjÞ¬ÁÍÄËÍË½ÍjÁË ÖÁ¬j¾Ë
(9% against a 3% ex-UK global market share);

21.0%
9.4%
52.0%
5.4%
12.2%

VË Ë0jËÝjÁË¬Á¬ÁÍËwË2ËjÞ¬ÁÍÄËÍËÄ?Ë®y°¯Ë
compared with the Asian countries’ share of theex-UK global market (22%).
The latter discrepancy reflects the strength of the main
Asian countries (Japan, China, South Korea and India)
in their own markets and the consequent lower market
shares for Hollywood and UK films.

Source: ONS.
Note: ‘Rest of the world’ cannot be disaggregated due to sampling variationand disclosive data.

Figure 20.9 UK export shares 2004–2008 compared with the ex-UK global market for filmed entertainment, 2009
% share
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
European Union

Other Europe

USA

Asia

Rest of the world

Total% of total
UK film exports

21.0

9.4

52.0

5.4

12.2

100.0

% of total ex-UK
global filmed
entertainment
market

20.1

3.0

43.3

22.3

11.4

100.0

0

Sources: UK exports: ONS. Global market: PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Note: Totals may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

180 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

20.10 The geographical distribution of the UK’s film trade surplus

3

The geographical distribution of the UK’s film trade surplus was different from the export pattern, as shown in
Table 20.6. In the years 2004–2008, almost one-third of the surplus came from ‘Other Europe’ while Asia accounted
for 15%. In contrast with some earlier years, the UK ran large film trade surpluses with the USA in 2007 and 2008
which led to the USA accounting for 46% of the UK’s film trade surplus in 2004–2008.
Table 20.6 International transactions of the UK film industry by geographical area, annual average, 2004–2008

European Union
Other Europe
USA
Asia
Rest of the world
Total

Exports£ million

Imports£ million

Balance£ million%
balance

214.6
96.4
532.0
54.8
125.0
1,022.8

194.8
30.6
428.8
22.2
124.2
800.6

19.8
65.8
103.2
32.6
0.8
222.2

8.9
29.6
46.4
14.7
0.4
100.0

4

5

6

7

8

Source: Office for National Statistics.
9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

P

18

For more information on the UK and global film market see Chapter 13 (page 104)
For more information on the performance of UK films internationally see Chapter 6 (page 46)
For more information on inward investment in film production in the UK see Chapter 16 (page 132)
For details of public investment in film see Chapter 17 (page 143)

19

20

Chapter 20: The UK film economy – 181

21

Chapter 21:-%4-"$0&$0#"×%-
and video industries

#"×%-)$ 1& "&$ /602&"6
employ a high proportion ofskilled people but it is a volatile
sector, with unpredictablepeaks and troughs in
employment levels. Despite
the recession, 2009 saw anincrease in employment inproduction, distribution andexhibition.

Facts in focus
VËË|Ô^y|ÏË¬j¬jËÝÁjaËËÍjËxË?aËÜajËaÖÄÍÁjÄË
in 2009, of whom 25,556 worked in film and video
production. This was an increase on 2008.
VËË+ÁaÖWÍË?aËaÄÍÁMÖÍËÝjÁjËWWjÍÁ?ÍjaËË
London and the South East.
VËËÄÍËÉå°ËwË¬j¬jËËxË?aËÜajË¬ÁaÖWÍËwere freelance.
VËË8jË?ajËÖ¬Ë¤È°Ë®¤È°ËËÔååo¯ËwËÍjË
screenwriters of UK films released in the UK in 2009
and 17% (12% in 2008) of the directors.
VËË ÄÍËMÖÄjÄÄjÄËÝjÁjËÄ?ËÄW?j±ËÁËjÞ?¬j^Ë
55% of employees in film and video production
were in workplaces with 10 or fewer people.

1

2

21.1 The workforce

3

21.1.1 Labour Force Survey
According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), a total of 42,543
people worked in film and video production, distribution and film exhibition in the year 2009 (October 2008 –September 2009). The figures include workers whose main jobs are in film and video production, distribution andfilm exhibition, and those with second jobs in these sectors. They also include both full-time and part-time workers.
Table 21.1 shows the breakdown.

Film and video production
Film and video distribution
Film exhibition
Total

5

6

Table 21.1 Film and video industry workforce, 2009
Sector4

Number in employment

25,556
2,951
14,03642,543

Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS.
Notes:
Numbers in employment are averages of the four calendar quarters, Oct–Dec 2008, Jan–Mar, Apr–Jun and Jul–Sep 2009.
People in employment include people aged 16 or over who did paid work (as an employee or self-employed), those who had a job that they were temporarily away from,those on government supported training and employment programmes, and those doing unpaid family work.

7

8

9

10

Changes to Labour Force Survey estimates
The LFS estimate of the numbers employed in film and video production in 2009 shows an increase of 2,000 over the2008 figure, which reverses the recent trend which has seen employment numbers decrease every year since 2003.
However, there are two important differences between the estimates relating to the years up to 2006 and those for2007 onwards. First, the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) changed recently and the data to 2006 are based on
the old classification while data for 2007 onwards are based on the new classification. For film exhibition the twoclassifications are directly comparable, but for film and video production and distribution some people would be
included in the figures for the earlier years, but not in the later ones. Secondly, the LFS weighting has changed.
The LFS collects information from a sample of the population, and in order to make estimates and inferences about
the whole population, the data must be ‘weighted’, with the weights depending on the size of the sample and thesize of the population. ONS has recently carried out a reweighting of LFS data to make them consistent with revised(increased) population estimates. Not all of the older LFS data have yet been reweighted, however. Data referring toyears up to 2006 are based on the old weights, and data referring to 2007 onwards are based on the new weights.
The new weights will, in most instances, result in higher estimates.

11

12

13

14

15

Employment in film and video production and distribution and film exhibition generally decreased between 2003
and 2006. Because of the changes to the data explained in the box, it is difficult to compare the data for years up
to 2006 with the data for 2007 onwards. However, for all three sectors, the LFS estimates (Figure 21.1) indicate adecrease in employment from 2007 to 2008, then an increase in 2009 (with 2009 levels being higher than the 2007
levels in both film and video production and film exhibition).

16

17

18

19

20

Image: Nowhere Boy courtesy of Icon Film Distribution

Chapter 21: Employment in the film and video industries – 183

21

Figure 21.1 Size of film and video workforce, 1996–2009
Number in employment
35,00030,00025,00020,00015,00010,0005,000
0Film andvideo
production
Film andvideo
distributionFilm
exhibition

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

17,70523,81926,25522,40723,396

31,271

31,56531,62029,222

26,97425,802

23,79723,53525,556

3,296

3,188

4,622

2,277

4,205

3,918

4,527

5,261

2,826

3,379

2,862

4,514

2,752

2,951

10,427

11,585

14,121

16,917

13,328

11,844

16,66720,004

22,67015,581

17,36813,032

12,361

14,036

Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS.
Notes: The employment figures are averages of the four ‘calendar quarters’ (Oct–Dec, Jan–Mar, Apr–Jun and Jul–Sep), referred to as ‘year to September’.
In 2006, the European Commission required all countries in the EU to base their labour force surveys on calendar quarters.

Most people working in the film distribution and exhibition sectors were employees, but the film production sector
had a higher proportion of freelance workers. In 2009, 60% of those engaged in film and video production, a totalof 15,278 people, were self-employed (Table 21.2 and Figure 21.2).
Table 21.2 Film and video production workforce, 1996–2009
Self-employed

Self-employed
as % of total

Unpaidfamily worker

Unpaidfamily worker
as % of total

17,70523,81926,25522,40723,396
31,271
31,56531,62029,222
26,97425,802

7,539
9,313
13,276
10,776
10,764
12,201
14,885
17,406
15,406
11,382
12,687

42.6
39.1
50.6
48.1
46.0
39.0
47.2
55.0
52.7
42.2
49.2

215
488
–
422
107
705
305
111
251
1,076
502

1.2
2.0
–
1.9
0.5
2.3
1.0
0.4
0.9
4.0
1.9

23,79723,53525,556

11,026
11,76915,278

46.3
50.0
59.8

–
–
–

–
–
–

Year

Total in
employment

1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS.
Notes:
Year means the year ending September. See note to Figure 21.1 for explanation.
An ‘unpaid family worker’ is defined as a person who is doing unpaid work for a business that they own or that a relative owns.

184 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

The proportion of self-employed workers has fluctuated mainly in the 40%–50% band between 1996 and2006. For 2007 onwards, the proportion has been slightly higher on average, reaching 60% in 2009 (though theproportion was as high as 55% in 2003). The figures shown for 2007 onwards are based on the new Standard
Industrial Classification, and so the higher average percentages of freelancers in the industry since 2007 could be
due to changes in industry practices, the change in the classification or a combination of both. In comparison, only
14% of the total UK workforce was self-employed in the year to September 2009.

3

4

5

Figure 21.2 Self-employed and unpaid family workers as proportions of total workforce,film and video production, 1996–2009% total in employment

6

60
50

7

40
30

8

20
9

10
1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Self-employed
as % of total

42.6

39.1

50.6

48.1

46.0

39.0

47.2

55.0

52.7

42.2

49.2

46.3

50.0

59.8

Unpaid family
worker as %of total

1.2

2.0

–

1.9

0.5

2.3

1.0

0.4

0.9

4.0

1.9

–

–

–

0

10

Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS.
Notes: Year means the year ending September. See note to Figure 21.1 for explanation.
Data for unpaid family workers were unavailable for 1998, 2007, 2008 and 2009 due to sampling, but numbers were likely to be small.

21.1.2 Skillset’s Labour Market Intelligence and Employment Census
In view of the limitations of official labour market data in providing workforce size at sub-sector level, Skillset,
the Sector Skills Council for Creative Media, compiles its own workforce employment statistics for a number ofsub-sectors of the creative industries. The latest Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) Digest for Film, published in 2009,
includes data from Skillset’s 2006 Employment Census of the creative media industries and the joint Skillset/UK Film
Council Feature Film Production Workforce Survey from 2008. Skillset has also published its 2009 Employment
Census of the creative media industries.
According to Skillset’s latest LMI Digest for Film, the UK film industry had a total workforce of 27,800 people.
The majority were working in exhibition (62% of total, 17,200 people), with 34% in production (9,500 people)
and 4% (1,100 people) in distribution. Results from the more recent Employment Census of the creative media
industries estimate that 1,200 people worked in film distribution and 17,650 people worked in film exhibitionin 2009 (an estimate of the total workforce for film production is not available from this census, as there is no
estimate for the number of freelancers).
The LMI and Employment Census workforce estimates for film production and distribution are not directlycomparable with those from the LFS due to differences between the methodologies used by ONS and Skillset.
The LMI estimates are 37% and 38% of their LFS counterparts, for 2006, for film and video production anddistribution respectively. The LMI estimate for film exhibition is directly comparable to that from the LFS, and,at 17,200 people, is similar to the equivalent figure for 2006 from the LFS (17,368). For 2009, the Employment
Census estimate for distribution is 41% of the LFS estimate and the film exhibition estimate from the Employment
Census (17,650) is 26% higher than the LFS estimate (14,036).

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 21: Employment in the film and video industries – 185

21

21.2 The feature film production workforce survey
The Skillset/UK Film Council feature film production surveys aim to obtain reliable statistics on working patterns,
skills development needs, existing provision, and barriers experienced to receiving training and development.
Following a survey conducted in 2002, a second feature film workforce survey was carried out in 2006 and its final
results published in 2008. Here we report and contrast the main results on demographics and work patterns between
the two surveys. Full reports of both surveys are available from the Skillset website (see the end of the chapter).
Two-fifths of the 2006 survey respondents were women, with the female percentage varying widely by occupationalgroup, from 85% in make-up and hairdressing to 3% in construction, as Table 21.3 shows. There appears to be somevariation in the gender profiles between the two surveys. There were more female assistant directors (39%) but fewer
women working in editing, post-production and visual effects (26%) in 2006. Five per cent of the respondents in thesound/electrical occupations were women compared to zero in 2002.
Table 21.3 Occupational group by gender, film production workforce, 2002 and 2006
Respondents 2002
Occupational group

Production/script development
Assistant directors
Art/set decorating/props
CameraSound/electrical
CostumeMake-up/hairdressing
Editing/post-production/visual effects
Construction
Locations
OthersAll occupations

Respondents 2006

Male %

Female %Male %

Female %

34
74
68
91
100
30
12
58
95
76
70
67

66
26
32
9
–
70
88
42
5
24
30
33

36
61
55
85
95
20
15
74
97
78
65
60

64
39
45
15
5
80
85
26
3
23
35
40

Source: Skillset.
Note: The percentages for male and female in some occupational groups may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

The challenge of reflecting the UK’s ethnic diversity in the film production industry is evident in Tables 21.4 and 21.5.
The ethnic profile of the respondents in 2006 was identical to that in the previous survey. Overall only 5% of the film
workforce was from minority groups, below the UK all-sectors average of 7% and well below the London workforce
average of 24%, which is a relevant comparator for the film industry in view of its concentration in London.

186 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 21.4 Ethnicity of UK film production workforce, 2002 and 2006

Ethnic group3
Respondents
2002%

Respondents
2006%

All UK
workforce(LFS, 2004)
%

95
2
1
1
–
1

95
2
1
1
–
1

93
1
3
2
–
1

White
Mixed
Asian or Asian British
Black or black British
Chinese
Other

4

5

6

Source: Skillset; ONS Labour Force Survey, quarterly supplement 2004.
7

Table 21.5 Ethnicity of London film production workforce, 2002 and 2006

Ethnic group

White
Mixed
Asian or Asian British
Black or black British
Chinese
Other

Londonrespondents
2002%

Londonrespondents
2006%

All London
workforce(LFS, 2004)
%

8

94
3
1
1
–
1

93
2
1
1
1
1

76
1
11
8
1
3

9

10

11

Source: Skillset; ONS Labour Force Survey, quarterly supplement 2004.

The disabled proportion of the film production workforce increased slightly from 2% to 3%, as shown in Table 21.6,
but is still less than the UK average of 5%.

12

Table 21.6 Disability, film production workforce, 2002 and 2006

13

Workers who consider themselves to have a disability

YesNo

Respondents
2002%

Respondents
2006%

All UK
workforce(LFS, 2005)
%

2
98

3
97

5
95

14

15

Source: Skillset; ONS Labour Force Survey, quarterly supplement 2005.

The age profile of the respondents in 2006 was somewhat more youthful than in the previous survey. The film
production workforce was predominantly young, with 84% aged 49 or under (Table 21.7). The female age profile
was significantly younger than the male, with 90% of women being under the age of 49.

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 21: Employment in the film and video industries – 187

21

More of the respondents in 2006 were between 16 and 24 years (8% compared with 3% in 2002). People in film
production appeared younger than in the wider workforce, with more than a third falling into the 25 to 34 year age
band in comparison with a fifth of the UK workforce as a whole. The increase in the female percentage in the 16–24
and 25–34 age groups is consistent with the slight growth overall in the female percentage of the workforce,suggesting increased entry of younger women into film production.
Table 21.7 Age distribution of film production workforce, 2002 and 2006

Age group

Male %

Female %All %Male %

Female %All %All UK
workforce (LFS,
Nov 06–Jan 07)
All %

16–24
25–34
35–49
50+
All ages

3
26
46
25
100

4
41
42
13
100

3
31
45
21
100

7
27
46
21
100

9
45
37
10
100

8
34
42
16
100

14
21
38
26
100

Respondents 2002

Respondents 2006

Source: Skillset; ONS Labour Force Survey, quarterly supplement March 2007.
Note: The percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

As Table 21.8 shows, slightly fewer respondents were married or living as a couple in 2006 than in 2002
(57% compared with 61%). In addition, more were single (38% compared with 32%).
Table 21.8 Marital status of film production workforce, 2002 and 2006
Marital status

Married or living as couple
Single and never married
Divorced or separated
WidowedRespondents
2002%

Respondents
2006
%

61
32
7
–

57
38
5
–

Source: Skillset.

Just over a quarter (27%) of respondents in 2006 reported living with at least one dependent child under 16 years,
which was a slight drop in comparison with the third in 2002 (Table 21.9). As in 2002 however, the proportionof male respondents living with dependent children was considerably greater than the proportion of female
respondents (40% compared with 14%).

188 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 21.9 Family status of film production workforce, 2002 and 2006

3
Respondents 2002

Respondents 2006

Male %

Female %All %Male %

Female %

All %

39

21

33

40

14

27

Living with dependent child(ren) under 16

4

Source: Skillset.
5More results from the feature film production workforce surveys are available from the full reports, which can beseen on the Skillset website.

6

21.3 The gender of writers and directors of UK films
Since 2005, the UK Film Council has been studying the under-representation of women among screenwriters of UK
films. This has been the subject of two reports Scoping Study into the Lack of Women Screenwriters in the UK (IES,2006) and Writing British Films – who writes British films and how they are recruited (Susan Rogers, Royal Holloway
and UK Film Council, 2007). See the web-link at the end of the chapter.

78

The combined conclusion of these reports is that female under-representation is an aspect of a commissioning
process that tends to recruit writers who:VË ÁjË?Áj?aßËÝËÍËÍjËWÄÄ~Ë¬ÁaÖWjÁÄÇË?aÊÁ

9VË ÁjËjMjÁÄËwËÍjË8ÁÍjÁÄËÖaËwËjÁW?ÇË?aÊÁËVË ?ÜjËjÁW?Ë?~jÍÄË®jÜjËwËÍjßË?ÁjË ÁÍÄ¯±Ë

10At the time these reports were commissioned, evidence suggested that around 10% of UK films had a female
director and around 15% of UK films had a female writer. Of the 139 identified writers of UK films in 2009, 23(17%) were women (Table 21.10).

11

Table 21.10 Gender of writers of UK films released in the UK, 2009

12

Year

2009

Number of UK titles released in the UK
Number of writers associated with these titles
Number of male writers
Number of female writers% male% female

113
139
116
23
83.5
16.5

13

14

15

Source: UK Film Council.

While this is a low proportion, it is very similar to the 17.3% seen in 2008, but an increase on 2006 and 2007,
when only 15% and 12% of writers were women (see Chapter 21, 2009 Statistical Yearbook and Chapter 19,
2008 Statistical Yearbook).

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 21: Employment in the film and video industries – 189

21

Although the percentage of female writers was similar in 2009 to that in 2008, the absolute number of female
writers associated with released UK films in 2009 was lower than the 29 seen in 2008, and similar to the levels of
the previous two years (23 and 20 respectively). Some of the female writers associated with UK films released in 2009
were: Lucy Shuttleworth (The Secret of Moonacre), Kari Skogland (Fifty Dead Men Walking) and Franny Armstrong(The Age of Stupid). As well as being involved in the writing of films, many of the female writers also directed orco-directed their films.
Table 21.11 shows directors by gender for UK films released in the UK in 2009.
Table 21.11 Gender of directors of UK films released in the UK, 2009
Year

2009

Number of UK titles released in the UK
Number of directors associated with these titles
Number of male directors
Number of female directors% male% female

113
122
101
21
82.8
17.2

Source: UK Film Council.

The proportion of female directors in 2009 (17%) was higher than the proportion in 2008 (12%), which itself was
higher than for 2006 (9%) and 2007 (6%). Some of the 21 female directors associated with UK films released in2009 were: Lone Sherfig (An Education), Sam Taylor-Wood (Nowhere Boy), Debbie Isitt (Nativity) and Jane Campion(Bright Star). Both Debbie Isitt and Jane Campion also wrote the screenplays of their films. Other notable female
writer/directors are Kim Longinotto, Havana Marking and Andrea Arnold, who all won awards for their directing in2009. Kim Longinotto won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Festival for her documentary
Rough Aunties. Havana Marking won two awards at the same festival: the World Cinema Directing Award and theWorld Cinema Audience Award for her documentary Afghan Star. Andrea Arnold won the Jury Prize at the 2009
Cannes Film Festival for her film Fish Tank.

21.4 The workplace location
The film production and distribution sectors are concentrated in London and the South East, as shown in
Table 21.12. The exhibition sector workforce is more concentrated in these regions than the overall industry
average, but less so than production and distribution.

190 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 21.12 London and South East employment as percentage of total, 2009
Total UK
employment

London andSouth East
as % of UK total

29,950,249
25,556
2,951
14,0368,430,122
18,716
2,293
5,756

28.1
73.2
77.7
41.0

SectorUK all industries
Film and video production
Film and video distribution
Film exhibition

3
London andSouth East
employment

Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS.
Notes:The South East region wraps around London to include the major studios to the west of London.
Totals shown in this table are averages of the four calendar quarters from October 2008 to September 2009.

4

5

6

The London and South East share of the film and video production workforce was 73% in the year to September
2009 (79% in 2008). Figure 21.3 suggests that the share of the film and video production workforce in London and
the South East is close to the level prevailing in the early 2000s. The LFS estimate of the London and South East shareof the distribution workforce is erratic from year to year, mainly due to statistical error arising from the small sample
size of the survey at industry sub-sector level.

7

Figure 21.3 London and South East percentage share of the film and video production andtotal workforce, 1999–2009

9

%

10

8

90
80
11

70
60
50

12

40
30
20

13

10
1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Film and video
production

68.7

76.2

76.9

63.0

71.3

58.1

70.3

77.4

73.8

78.8

73.2

UK allindustries

28.0

28.0

28.1

28.1

27.7

27.6

27.6

27.5

27.6

27.9

28.1

14

Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS.
Note: Year means the year to September of the year. See note to Figure 21.1 for explanation.

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 21: Employment in the film and video industries – 191

21

21.5 The scale of the workplace
Each year, the Office for National Statistics conducts a survey of businesses, called the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI),
which provides information on the number of employees in England, Scotland and Wales, by industrial sector.
The latest available data are for 2008 and those relating to the film industry are shown in Tables 21.13 to 21.15.
Figures reported in sections 21.1 and 21.4 are based on the LFS which counts the number of people employed,
and the figures reported in the present section are from the ABI, which is a survey of employers, and counts numbersof jobs. The two things are not the same, and the data come from different sources, but the numbers arising fromthe two surveys should be similar. However, this is not always the case. ONS has identified a number of reasons fordifferences between the estimates, but the two most important ones when looking at particular industry sub-sectors
are likely to be: sampling error arising from small LFS sample size at industry sub-sector level and the fact that there
are two industry classification processes involved. In the LFS, individuals are classified by industry depending on
the industrial information they give, whereas in the ABI the industry classification is based on companies’ activities.
As people and companies often work across more than one industry (television and film for example) this gives
rise to unpredictable variations between the LFS and the ABI measures. Also, while the most recent LFS data use
the latest industrial classification (SIC07), the ABI data are available on the old classification (SIC92). The ABI data
presented here are based on SIC92, as this classification better captures those working just in film or video (at the
four-digit level of the classification for which ABI data are available – the latest years’ LFS data shown in Section
21.1 are compiled from the new SIC at the five-digit level).
Nomis (the official labour market statistics online database) provides ABI data for England, Scotland and Wales only.
Figures for Northern Ireland are reported separately by the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade andInvestment (DETI) and are shown in Table 21.16. These data are from the Northern Ireland Census of Employment,
which is carried out every two years. The latest available data for Northern Ireland, therefore, refer to 2007.
The different characteristics of the three sectors stand out clearly in these tables.
The film and video production sector had a very high number of small workplaces (97% in the band of 1–10
employees), accounting for a majority of the sector’s total workforce (55%), as Table 21.13 shows. At the otherend of the scale, there were a small number of large workplaces. The 41 workplaces with 50 or more employees
accounted for 5,497 employees, an average of 134 each.
Table 21.13 Film and video production (SIC 9211) workplace size distribution (employees) for England,
Scotland and Wales, 2008
Workplace size band

1–10
11–49
50+
Total

Number ofworkplaces
in band% of total
workplaces

Number of
employees
in band% of total
employees

7,785
184
41
8,010

97.2
2.3
0.5
100.0

11,4783,835
5,497
20,811

55.2
18.4
26.4
100.0

Source: Annual Business Inquiry, ONS.

The distribution sector was not as concentrated in small workplaces as the production sector, with four-fifths ofthe employees working in workplaces with 11 or more employees (Table 21.14).

192 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Table 21.14 Film and video distribution (SIC 9212) workplace size distribution (employees) for England,
Scotland and Wales, 2008
Workplace size band

1–10
11+
Total

3

Number ofworkplaces
in band% of total
workplaces

Number of
employees
in band% of total
employees

433
54
487

88.9
11.1
100.0

891
3,973
4,864

18.3
81.7
100.0

4

5

Source: Annual Business Inquiry, ONS.
6

Workplace numbers for bands above 11 employees cannot be published for confidentiality reasons (too few
workplaces in the bands). More than 60% of distribution employees worked in workplaces of 50 employees or
more, while a small number of workplaces had 200-plus employees.

7

Table 21.15 shows that the exhibition sector had a concentration that was the reverse of the production sector
with 59% of employees in workplaces of 50 or more and only 4% in workplaces in the 1–10 employee band.
8

Table 21.15 Film exhibition (SIC 9213) workplace size distribution (employees) for England,
Scotland and Wales, 2008
Workplace size band

1–10
11–49
50+
Total

Number ofworkplaces
in band

195
215
142
552

9

% of total
workplaces

Number of
employees
in band% of total
employees

35.3
38.9
25.7
100.0

624
6,613
10,40017,637

3.5
37.5
59.0
100.0

10

11

Source: Annual Business Inquiry, ONS.

Due to the ‘disclosive’ nature of workplace statistics reported for Northern Ireland (too few units in certain size
bands), the three SIC categories have been combined under the SIC code of 921, as shown in Table 21.16. The latest
available data are from the 2007 Census of Employment for Northern Ireland. Two-thirds (67%) of the workplaces
had 10 employees or fewer while 90% (88% in 2005) of the employees were in workplaces of 11 or more employees.
The number of small workplaces (10 employees or fewer) in 2007 had increased by 10 percentage points from 57%
in 2005.

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Chapter 21: Employment in the film and video industries– 193

21

Chapter 1:
#"3*×!"Table 21.16 Film and video industry (SIC 921) workplace size distribution (employees) for Northern Ireland, 2007
Workplace size band

Number ofworkplaces
in band% of total
workplaces

Number of
employees
in band% of total
employees

43
21
64

67.2
32.8
100.0

97
890
987

9.8
90.2
100.0

1–10
11+
Total

Source: Northern Ireland Census of Employment, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI).

The declining trend in the proportion of employment in workplaces with 50 or more employees in the film and video
production sector in the early part of the last decade has been reversed in recent years. In contrast, the proportion of
employment in workplaces with 1–10 employees grew rapidly between 1996 and 2000, then remained at a level ofjust below 60%, but appears to have declined between 2006 and 2008 (Figure 21.4).
Figure 21.4 Film and video production sector (SIC 9211) employees by workplace size band,percentage of total, 1995–2008% of sector workforce
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

1–10 employees 44.9

46.9

50.3

55.6

57.2

57.9

57.2

59.4

56.2

58.8

58.2

59.0

57.7

55.2

50+ employees

28.3

25.7

25.6

21.3

22.9

17.3

17.4

23.7

21.5

25.3

21.9

24.2

26.4

30.0

Source: Annual Business Inquiry, ONS.
Notes:
These figures cover England, Scotland and Wales only.
Workforce data from 1995 to 1997 were re-scaled to be comparable with the current series of ABI.

In the exhibition sector the proportion of employees in the 50-plus category has increased over the past two years,
after decreasing in 2004–2006. The reverse is happening in the 11– 49 category where the proportion of employees
appears to be declining after seeing an increase between 2004 and 2006, as shown in Figure 21.5.

194 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

1

2

Figure 21.5 Film exhibition sector (SIC 9213) employees by workplace size band, percentage of total, 1995–20083% of sector workforce
80
70

4

60
50

5

40
30
6

20
10
1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

11–49 employees 63.1

56.8

40.5

25.1

36.6

51.8

36.1

34.2

41.1

32.1

39.5

44.3

41.1

37.5

50+ employees

35.4

52.1

68.0

56.1

42.2

59.3

61.8

54.6

63.9

56.8

51.6

55.1

59.0

29.8

Source: Annual Business Inquiry, ONS.
Notes:
These figures cover England, Scotland and Wales only.
Workforce data from 1995 to 1997 were re-scaled to be comparable with the current series of ABI.

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

P

16

For the reports on under-representation of women among screenwriters of UK films, Scoping Study into theLack of Women Screenwriters in the UK and Writing British Films – who writes British films and how they arerecruited, see www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/publications
For more information about differences between LFS estimates of numbers of people in employment andABI estimates of numbers of jobs, see the National Statistics Quality Review Series Report no. 44: Review of
Employment and Jobs Statistics, at www.ons.gov.uk/about-statistics/methodology-and-quality/quality/nat-statsqual-revs/qual-revs-by-theme/labour-market/index.html
For more information on film distribution, see Chapter 8 (page 60)
For details of the exhibition sector, see Chapter 9 (page 65)
For more background on film production, see Chapter 16 (page 132)
Skillset website: www.skillset.org

17

18

19

20

Chapter 21: Employment in the film and video industries – 195

21

Glossary
Asian programming
Films originating from South Asia, for example
Bollywood, and generally, though not exclusively,
aimed at a South Asian audience and in a South
Asian language
BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
BARB
Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board Ltd.
The company that compiles audience figures for
UK television (www.barb.co.uk)
BBFC
British Board of Film Classification. Independent body
responsible for classifying films and video (see Filmclassification) (www.bbfc.org.uk)
Blu-ray disc (BD)An optical disc format that can store up to 50 Gb ofdata, almost six times the capacity of a dual layer DVD.
It uses a short wavelength blue-violet laser to read andwrite information to discBox officeTotal value of ticket sales for a film screened
commercially at cinemas
Box office grossBox office takings before deduction of Value Added
Tax (VAT)
BVA
British Video Association. The trade body
representing the interests of publishers and rights
owners of pre-recorded home entertainment onvideo (www.bva.org.uk)
CAA
Cinema Advertising Association. The trade associationof cinema advertising contractors operating in the
UK and Republic of Ireland
Concession revenue
Revenue from sales of food, drink and merchandiseat cinemas
Co-production
A film made by companies from more than one
country, often under the terms of a bilateral
co-production treaty or the European Convention
on Cinematographic Co-production

196 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Country of origin
The nationality of a film. In the case of co-productions,this may include more than one country
DCMS
Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The government department that sponsors the
UK Film Council
Digital Cinema Initiatives
Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC (DCI) was created in
March 2002 and is a joint venture of Disney, Fox,
Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal andWarner Bros Studios. Its primary purpose is to establish
and document voluntary specifications for an open
architecture for digital cinema that ensures a uniform
and high level of technical performance, reliability andquality control (www.dcimovies.com)
DLP Cinema
The trademark of Texas Instruments’ digital projection
system. DLP stands for ‘digital light processing’
Digital projection
The projection of a film onto a cinema screen using a
digital master and a digital projector, ie using electronic
signals to direct light onto the screen rather thanpassing light through a celluloid strip
Digital terrestrial television (DTT)
Multi-channel television delivered free to the consumer
by means of a signal decoder between the aerial andthe television set
Distributor
A person or company that acquires the right to exploit
the commercial and creative values of a film in thetheatrical, video and TV market. Also undertakes thepromotional and marketing activities to attract
audiences to the film
DownloadSee ‘Film download’
Download to Own (DTO)
The purchase of permanent film downloads for storage
on hard drive, and in some cases to burn an additional
copy to DVD
DVD
Digital versatile disc
Exhibitor
A cinema operator that rents a film from a distributor
to show to a cinema audienceFeature film
A film made for cinema release, as opposed toa film made for television, and usually of at least
80 minutes duration
Film classification
Classification given to a film by the British Board ofFilm Classification. Indicates the film’s suitability foraudiences according to their age
Film download
A digital version of a film transferred (either officiallyor unofficially) from the Internet to a personal computeror mobile device. Downloads may also go directly totelevision sets via game consoles, internet protocol
television or dedicated set-top boxes
Film rental
The sum of money paid to the distributor by theexhibitor in return for the right to show a particularfilm. Usually calculated as a percentage of net box officeFranchise
A film series such as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s
Stone and its sequels
GCE – General Certificate of Education
An academic qualification comprising Advanced Level(A Level) and Advanced Subsidiary Level (AS Level).
GCSE – General Certificate of Secondary Education
An academic qualification awarded in a specific subject,generally taken by students aged 14-16 in secondary
education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland(Scottish equivalent is the Standard Grade).
GDP – Gross Domestic ProductA measure of a country’s income and output. GDP isdefined as the total market value of all final goods andservices produced within the country in a given periodof time. GDP is also the sum of the value added at eachstage of the production process. ‘Gross’ refers to thefact that GDP includes capital investment but does
not subtract depreciation
Genre
A style or category of film defined on the basis ofcommon story and cinematic conventions (eg action,
crime, romantic comedy, drama etc)
Government Office Regions
Classification of English regions used to establish theboundaries of the Regional Development Agencies
and the Regional Screen Agencies

HD-DVD
High-definition digital versatile disc. A high-density
optical disc format designed for the storage of data andhigh-definition video. Abandoned in February 2008 afterBlu-ray prevailed in the competition to become the next
generation DVD format
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland, the Higher is one of the national schoolleaving certificate exams and university entrance
qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate
offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
HMRC
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. The government
department charged with collecting revenue on behalfof the Crown
HMT
Her Majesty’s Treasury. The government department
responsible for formulating and implementing theGovernment’s financial and economic policy
Inward features
A term used by the UK Film Council to denote a film
which is substantially financed and controlled fromoutside the UK and which is attracted to the UK by script
requirements (eg locations) and/or the UK’s filmmaking
infrastructure and/or UK tax incentives
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)
Television connected to the internet that uses internet
digital protocols to communicate data
ISBA TV Regions
System for classifying regions developed by the
Incorporated Society of British Advertisers for use by
the advertising industry
Mainstream programming
Category of films aimed at the general audience
Megaplex site
Defined by Dodona Research as a purpose-built cinemawith 20 or more screensMultiplex site
Dodona Research defines a multiplex as a purpose-built
cinema with five or more screensMulti-channel television
Digital television programming carried by satellite, cableor freeview delivery systems, in this case excluding thefive main network channels (BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1,
Channel 4 and Five)

Glossary – 197

Near-Video on Demand (nVoD)
A system which allows television viewers to purchaseindividual films to view. The film is shown at the sametime to everyone ordering it, as opposed to true-Videoon Demand, which allows the viewers to see the film
at any time. Films can be purchased via an on-screen
guide, automated telephone or customer services line.
Also referred to as pay-per-view
Net box office
Box office takings after deduction of VAT
Online rental
Selecting and renting DVDs via a website for postaldelivery
ONS
Office for National Statistics
Out of town cinema
Cinema located on the outskirts of a town, typicallyin a large shopping development
PAYE
Pay as you earn. A method of collecting income tax
and national insurance where these are deductedat source by the employer and remitted to HMRC

Sites
Individual cinema premises
Socio-economic group
Section of the population defined by employment status
Specialised programming
Generally, non-mainstream films. This category includes
foreign language and subtitled films, art-houseproductions and films aimed at niche audiences
Terrestrial television
The five main free-to-air channels: BBC One, BBC Two,
ITV1, Channel 4 and Five
Traditional cinema
A cinema generally with fewer than five screens andthat shows more mainstream product. Often an older
building located in city centres or suburbs
UK and Republic of Ireland
The distribution territory comprising the UK and
Republic of Ireland. Where this publication indicatesa film has been released ‘in the UK and Republic of
Ireland’ it refers to the distribution territory and notnecessarily to an actual release in both countries

Pay-per-view
See Near-Video on Demand

UMD
Universal Media Disc. An optical disc medium developedby Sony for use on the PlayStation Portable

Pay-TVA satellite or cable television system in which viewers
pay a subscription to access television content

VHSVideo Home System. Standard format for cassette tapes
containing recorded films and other audiovisual content

Personal computer (PC)A lap-top or desk-top computer capable of operating
independently of a network (although frequently
networked in office environments)

Video on Demand (VoD)
A system that allows users to select and watch films
on television, PC or mobile device at the time they wantover an interactive network. The user can buy or rent
films and download them before viewing starts or
stream content to be viewed in real time

Personal video recorder (PVR)
A digital set-top box with hard drive capable of storinglarge amounts of audiovisual content
Physical media
Refers to the various physical formats on which video
can be distributed, such as VHS, DVD, Blu-ray etc.
PlayStation Portable (PSP)A portable games console made by Sony that canbe used to view VoD content
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)
A numbering system used by the Office for National
Statistics to identify different industries in the UK’s
official statistics

198 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010

Video on physical media
See ‘physical media’Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the following organisationsfor kindly allowing us to reproduce their data:
Attentional Ltd
Beacon Dodsworth
British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS)
British Film Institute (BFI)
British Market Research Bureau (BMRB)
British Video Association (BVA)
Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board Ltd (BARB)
Cinema Advertising Association (CAA)
Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS)
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs(DEFRA)

Please note that no material in this Yearbook may be
reproduced in any form without prior permission fromthe authors or copyright owners.

Sources
Chapters 1 to 9: Box office, top films, genre
and classification, specialised films, UK films
internationally, UK talent and awards, distribution
and exhibitionVË Ë-jÍÁ?Ë ^ËÝjjßË2Ë?aËÍjÁ?Í?ËMÞË
office reportsVË Ëaj¬jajÍËË?aË0jjÜÄË?WjË®0¯^Ëinternational box office databaseVË Ë ÍË+WÍÖÁjËÄÄW?ÍËwËjÁW?^ËÍj?ÍÁW?Ë
market statisticsVË ÖÁ¬j?ËÖaÜÄÖ?Ë#MÄjÁÜ?ÍÁßËÖnÁjËa?Í?M?Äj
VË  Ë0Áj?ÄÖÁß^Ë +Ëajw?ÍÁÄ

Dodona ResearchVË a?Ë-jÄj?ÁW^ËCinema-going 19, April 2010

European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO)

VË Screen Digest, Cinema Intelligence

FILMCLUBVË Ë ÁÍÄË ?ÁaËwËË ?ÄÄwW?ÍË®
of film classifications

Film Education
First Light
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
HM Treasury (HMT)
Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ)
Kantar Worldpanel
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade andInvestment (DETINI)
Nielsen Media Research ¯^Ëa?Í?M?ÄjË

VË Ë!jÄjË ja?Ë-jÄj?ÁW^ËÍßËja?ËÄ¬jaËÁj¬ÁÍÄ
VË 0jËÍjÁjÍË ÜjË ?Í?M?ÄjË®VË -jÍÁ?ËM¯^ËFilmsource databaseVË Ë j?WË aÄÝÁÍ^Ë2Ë¬¬Ö?ÍËa?Í?ËMßË
ISBA TV regionVË Ë j?ËaÜjÁÍÄ~ËÄÄW?Í^ËWj?Ë?aÄÄÄËby ISBA TV region
VË Ë#wwWjËwÁË!?Í?Ë.Í?ÍÄÍWÄ^Ë2Ë¬¬Ö?ÍËa?Í?Ë
by Government Office RegionVË Ë ÁÍÄËjajÁ?ÍËwËË.WjÍjÄ^Ë j?ËwÁËAll Survey results

Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Chapters 10 to 14: Film on video, television and
VoD, the film market as a whole and audiences

Official UK Charts Company (OCC)

Sources from previous chapters, plus:

PricewaterhouseCoopersVË ÁÍÄË7ajËÄÄW?Í^ËBVA Yearbook 2010

Rentrak EDI

VË #wwW?Ë2Ë ?ÁÍÄË ¬?ß^ËÜajËW?ÁÍÄ

Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)VË Ë Á?aW?ÄÍjÁÄ¾ËÖajWjË-jÄj?ÁWË ?Áa^ËTelevision
Audience Measurement Service

Screen Digest
Skillset
WJECVË ËÍÍjÍ?ËÍa^Ëa?Í?M?ÄjËwËwËË2Ë
television, 2009

Acknowledgements and sources – 199VË ËScreen Digest, Global Media Intelligence (monthly),
Online Movie Strategies (report), Video Intelligenceand Broadband Media IntelligenceVË Ë j?ËaÜjÁÍÄ~ËÄÄW?Í^Ë2009 Film Monitor(Quarterly Reports) and FAME: Film Audience
Measurement and Evaluation report, 2010VË Ë ÖÁ¬j?ËÖaÜÄÖ?Ë#MÄjÁÜ?ÍÁß^ËË?aË!+ËConseil – Video on Demand and catch-up TV in
Europe, October 2009
Chapters 15 to 21: British film certification, film
production, public investment in film in the UK,film education, film companies, the UK film
economy and employment.
Sources from previous chapters, plus:VË Ë j¬?ÁÍjÍËwÁË ÖÍÖÁjË ja?Ë?aË.¬ÁÍ^Ë ÁÍÄËwË
certification dataVË Ë2ËË ÖWËË jÁÍwW?ÍË2Í^Ë ÁÍÄËwË
certification dataVË Ë!ÁÍjÁË?Wj^Ë¬ÖMWËÜjÄÍjÍËËwËÔååoÊå^Ë
March 2010VË Ë .Ë.ÍÖajÍË-jWÁaËÔååÔÊåÏËrËÔååÊ¤å^Ë~jÁË
Education Statistics Agency LimitedVË ËÍË ÖWËwÁË,Ö?wW?ÍÄË® ,¯^Ë!?Í?Ë-jÄÖÍÄË
2002–2009VË Ë.WÍÍÄË,Ö?wW?ÍÄËÖÍÁÍß^Ë+Áj¬¬j?ÄË ?Í?Ë
2002–2009VË Ë ÖÁ¬j?ËÖaÜÄÖ?Ë#MÄjÁÜ?ÍÁß^Ë2009 Yearbook,
Volume 3VË Ë#wwWjËwÁË!?Í?Ë.Í?ÍÄÍWÄ^ËAnnual Business
Inquiry, 2009VË Ë#wwWjËwÁË!?Í?Ë.Í?ÍÄÍWÄ^ËSize Analysis of UK
Businesses (VAT and PAYE data), 2009VË Ë+ÁWjÝ?ÍjÁÖÄj ¬jÁÄ^ËGlobal Entertainment andMedia Outlook 2010–14, June 2010VË Ë#wwWjËwÁË!?Í?Ë.Í?ÍÄÍWÄ^ËInternationaltransactions of the UK film and television industries
2008, 9 December 2009VË Ë#ÞwÁaË WWÄ^ËThe Economic Impact of the UK
Film Industry, June 2010VË Ë#wwWjËwÁË!?Í?Ë.Í?ÍÄÍWÄ^ËLabour Force Survey,
Quarterly to September 2009VË Ë!ÁÍjÁËÁj?aË j¬?ÁÍjÍËwË ÍjÁ¬ÁÄj^Ë0Á?ajË
and Investment, Northern Ireland Census of
Employment, 2007

200 – UK Film Council Statistical Yearbook 2010VË Ë.ÄjÍ^ËFilm production workforce survey, 2008VË Ë.ÄjÍ^ËLabour Market Intelligence Digest for
Film, 2009VË Ë.ÄjÍ^ËEmployment Census of the Creative Media
Industries, 2009

Statistical Yearbook 2010

UK Film Council
10 Little Portland Street
London W1W 7JG
T +44 (0)20 7861 7861
F +44 (0)20 7861 7862
This Statistical Yearbook
is available online atwww.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk