British Film Research Articles

:Robert Paul and the Origins of British Cinema

:<i>Robert Paul and the Origins of British Cinema</i>

The Metropolitan Police and the British Film Industry, 1919–1956: Public Relations, Collaboration, and Control. By Alex Rock

The Metropolitan Police and the British Film Industry, 1919–1956: Public Relations, Collaboration, and Control. By Alex Rock

Utilizing Films in EFL Classroom for Learning Speaking: A Study at English Major

Nowadays, speaking skills can be learned through various techniques and resources. One of them is watching films. Watching films using English subtitles is one of the best ways to present authentic content because it combines audio and visuals This research purposed to know how are English major students’ perceptions towards watching English films to develop speaking skills. The participants were 30 students in the sixth semester of the English Education Department in IAIN Kediri. For data collection, a questionnaire consisting of ten questions was employed to gather information about the respondents' background, perceptions regarding watching English films, and their level of agreement with respect to English films. The descriptive method is utilized because the data analysis is presented in a descriptive manner. According to the percentage of the finding, there are (75,8%) of students chose the option Agree, while there is (0%) of students chose the option Strongly Disagree in all the items. The survey shows the highest answer from respondents is “agree” about their perceptions towards watching English films to develop speaking skills. Based on the results of respondents’ perceptions, researchers can conclude that English film has good perceptions and has good influences in developing students’ speaking skills.

Peppa Pig: Experience Evolution and User Migration in Multi-industry Creative Consumption

The core IP image of the British animated film Peppa Pig, "Peppa", has seen an all-media explosion and multi-industry IP consumption since 2018, while transforming from a "child Peppa" to a "social person" symbol, becoming a youth subculture phenomenon worthy of attention. By combing through the rewriting or hype of Peppa as a cultural symbol in various media communication, we analyze the experience flow of cultural symbols behind Peppa culture in the communication process, as well as the phenomenon of user migration in multiple industries, and reflect on the creative consumption under the development trend of "new culture and creativity". Using Peppa Pig as a typical case of digital creativity, we propose the logic of user experience construction under two perspectives: product business line and user emotional engagement line. The cultural interpretation of Peppa by different user groups in different industries also inevitably leads to the alienation of Peppa, and Peppa with many different roles is typical. This also demonstrates the trend and crisis of creative IP in the development process: the synergistic evolution of digital creativity in multiple industries and the over-emphasis on experience consumption after the combination of the experience economy and the characteristics of the digital age may lead to creative misconception.

British Quota Production and Film Costs in the Early 1930s

This article explores the economic contexts of British film production in the early 1930s through an analysis of the cost data provided in a ledger compiled by the Board of Trade documenting the statutory costs of all British ‘long’ films registered for renters’ quota during the quota year 1 April 1932 to 31 March 1933. This is the most comprehensive source for British film costs in the early 1930s. The evidence provided by the ledger suggests a more nuanced overall picture of the costs of British film-making than the standard narrative of ‘quality or quota’ would allow. It highlights the different production strategies of British and American distributors and sheds new light on the costs of ‘quota quickies’ and their place in the British film industry in the 1930s.

Angus MacPhail's Frozen Credits: Film Authorship and Collaboration in British Middlebrow and Celebrity Culture

This article, taking its cue from Charles Drazin's pioneering work, is the first extended analysis of the career of British screenwriter Angus MacPhail, described as one of the key figures who helped to lay the groundwork for the golden age of British cinema. MacPhail worked as scenario editor for producer Michael Balcon at the leading British studios Gainsborough, Gaumont-British and Ealing from the late 1920s to the late 1940s. The article considers MacPhail's work in relation to debates about authorship, collaboration and celebrity culture during this period. It explores his intellectual and cultural formation as a Cambridge undergraduate who studied for the newly established English Tripos during the early 1920s; and highlights MacPhail's ambivalent relationship to modernism, through his opposition to Virginia Woolf's reconfiguration of literary values during the 1920s, and his penchant for what Leonard Diepeveen has described as ‘mock modernism’. It goes on to analyse the circumscribed power and influence MacPhail exercised within the British studio system during the late 1920s to the late 1940s, before considering his career in relation to other key figures of this period such as Ivor Montagu and Elliot Stannard, and his relationship to British middlebrow culture. Finally, it explores how MacPhail's specialised, circumscribed focus on film writing set him apart from what Alexis Weedon describes as a new type of author-celebrity during this period, the emergent ‘transmedia storyteller’.

An Investigation into English –Majored Sophomores’ Perceptions of English Movies to Improve Vocabulary at HUIT

In the technological era, educators and second/ foreign language educators have paid close attention to the use of media in English teaching and learning including watching movies, listening to music, watching films, and using other sorts of entertainment-related learning materials. However, little progress has been made in understanding the English language perspectives of HUIT majored sophomores about the benefits and limitations of using English movies to improve language skills. This study was conducted with 110 English language sophomores (n=110) and used the quantitative approach in order to investigate learners’ benefits and challenges regarding English movies with a focus on improving vocabulary. The instruments included the Likert-five scale questionnaire. The study's findings indicated that English movies contributed to students’ increasing the number of vocabulary and then learning was improved. Besides, findings also revealed that students have positive perceptions about the use of English films in their learning. The study also gives recommendations to teachers and learners about how to use English movies effectively.

The Impact of English-Speaking Films and Songs on English Language Acquisition

This study investigates the effectiveness of immersion and entertainment in the process of language acquisition, with a specific focus on the utilisation of English films and songs. The statement emphasises the educational value of films, which utilise visual clues and storytelling to facilitate comprehension. It also specifies genres that are particularly helpful for English language learning. An investigation of popular English songs explores the impact of rhythm, repetition, and personal involvement in language acquisition. The cultural observations offered by these media types emphasise the significance of cultural environment in the process of acquiring knowledge. The text explores the challenges associated with relying only on entertainment for language acquisition and emphasises the importance of incorporating traditional learning approaches. The resource provides practical advice for learners and presents case examples of successful language acquisition via films and music, offering a thorough perspective on this language learning strategy.

Cutting their cloth, counting their coupons: clothes rationing and British film production in the 1940s

Cutting their cloth, counting their coupons: clothes rationing and British film production in the 1940s

A corpus-based study on the English-Chinese swearwords produced by amateur (fansubbing) and professional (prosubbing) subtitling

ABSTRACT The translation of culturally-sensitive elements, especially swearwords, poses a unique challenge for audiovisual (AV) products which are increasingly disseminated online to millions ofdiverse audiences. This study focuses on the convergence and divergence in the translation of swearwords by fan-produced and professional subtitles. Fansubbing, a fusion of ‘fan’ and ‘subtitling’, has gained prominence as volunteers translate foreign AV content into their domestic markets mainly due to the technological advances. Adopting a corpus-based approach, this study analyses translation patterns from a self-built corpus of 549,349 words from the original English scripts aligned with 528,889 professionally and 543,522 non-professionally translated Chinese words from a diverse sample of 57 recent English films. Ourresults predominantly reveal convergent practices, however, fansubbing appeared to adopt a more vulgarising approach when rendering swearwords (55%) than prosubbing (46%). No significant change or difference isobserved in terms of the frequency of strategy use over time and the frequency of retained semantics and pragmaticsbetween the two practices. Our findings help todisentangle the complex task of translating swearwords in audiovisual content, contributing novel and valuable empirical evidence.

Chinese Translation of English Film Titles from the Per-spective of Chesterman s Translation Norms

This paper attempts to discuss the translation principles of flm titles from the perspective of Chesterman s translation norms. Based on three aspects-- audience s expectation, client s requirement and the original text, it introduces the translation principles of flm titles, name-ly information and text, attraction and relevant similarity to the original name, to guide the translation practice of flm titles.

“Abhi Toh Main Jawan Hoon” (For I am forever young): Reflections on the agentic cinematic presence of Zohra Sehgal in British Indian films

ABSTRACT Representations of older women in film and media have reiterated the negative stereotypes of age-induced incapacitation and loss of voice and agency. However, actor Zohra Sehgal, hailed as the “grand old lady of Bollywood”, re-engages with the normative construct of the passive/submissive screen characterization of an older female. Sehgal’s remarkable performances in The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Bhaji on the Beach (1993), and Bend It Like Beckham (2002) highlight the silenced realities of older women within the diasporic space in terms of desire, autonomy, and choice. In British cinema, where the subjectivities of South Asian older individuals (particularly women) were seldom acknowledged, Sehgal’s on-screen presence challenged and overturned marginalization based on age and ethnicity. Through the paradigm of active/successful ageing, this article argues that the politics of gendered representation and ageing have been recontextualized in British Indian diasporic films to reflect on a positive embodiment of Indian older women.

Research on Development Strategies of British Animated Films

This article aims to explore the development strategies of British animated films, analyze their history, current situation, and challenges faced, and propose corresponding strategic suggestions. British animated films boast a rich and colorful history, with early paper-cutting animation and stop-motion animation forms exhibiting unique characteristics. However, in the global market, the share of British animated films is limited, and there is a certain gap compared to giants like Disney and Pixar in the United States. Nevertheless, we also see opportunities amidst the challenges. Through in-depth research and analysis of the development of the British animated film industry, we hope to contribute new ideas to the prosperity and development of this industry and provide valuable reference for relevant practitioners. Therefore, this article will focus on how to promote the British animated film industry to achieve greater scale and broader success and explore effective strategies that may be adopted to facilitate the achievement of this goal.

Historical Perceptions about Children and Film: Case Studies of the British Board of Film Censors, the British Film Institute, and the Children’s Film Foundation from the 1910s to the 1950s

Abstract This article explores how ideas regarding children and film were shaped and shifted from the 1910s to the 1950s by consulting three critical moments and key institutions: the British Board of Film Censors in the 1910s, the British Film Institute in the 1930s, and the Children’s Film Foundation in the 1950s. By doing so, the article elucidates how discourse and ideas about children’s films and audiences have transformed, resulting in policy shifts from restrictive to encouraging approaches that appreciate children’s tastes and the entertainment value of children’s cinema. Based on comparative historical research, this article empirically reveals that perceptions of children’s cinema have changed throughout history and that the policy documents offer significant materials to explain this.

A Brief Analysis of English Film Title Translation from the Perspective of the Strategies of Domestication and Foreignization

The film is a highly influential and popular audio-visual art. The title of a movie is the epitome and essence of its content. Films are both cultural arts and commercial products. An excellent film title translation plays an important role in promoting film transmission, which includes social functions such as conveying film information, showing the beauty of language and promoting box office revenue. As the continuous deepening of globalization and the prosperity of the China's film and television industry, there is an increasing number of foreign films entered the Chinese market and some influential and acclaimed Chinese films also accessed to international market. In this process, it is inevitable to involve the linguistic, cultural and aesthetic differences between the source language and the target language. Faced with the cultural differences in translation, the core issue is how to flexibly use translation strategies to have the translation of film titles to be the best. This paper analyzes the application of domestication and foreignization strategies in the process of translating English film titles, and discusses the interrelationship between these two strategies, the effects they achieved respectively and the development trend of them.

THE INFLUENCE OF ENGLISH MOVIES BILINGUAL SUBTITLES TO CHINESE STUDENTS’ ENGLISH COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION

This study aimed to investigate the impact of watching English films with bilingual subtitles on students' vocabulary acquisition and content comprehension, as well as to explore the advantages and disadvantages of this method. The study used a mixed-methods approach and involved 36 students and four teachers. The participants were divided into two groups. One watched the film with bilingual subtitles, while the other only watched it with English subtitles. Both groups were tested together, and the data was analyzed using the SPSS model. The ANOVA results and descriptive statistics showed no significant difference between the two groups regarding post-test performance, vocabulary acquisition, and content comprehension. The semi-structured interview with the participants revealed the advantages and disadvantages of using English films with bilingual subtitles to teach or learn English. Although the participants agreed that this practice was feasible, they expressed concerns about the quality of the film resources and the delivery of instructions.

A Comparative Study of Female Heroism in Chinese and English Films—A Case Study of Mulan

A Comparative Study of Female Heroism in Chinese and English Films—A Case Study of Mulan

‘Were Our Ideas of Maintaining Control Mythical?’: Film Policy at Hampton Court Palace, 1911–1989

From 1851, the British government became responsible for the management of Hampton Court Palace in an arrangement of the Crown Lands Act, leading to the government maintaining the site on behalf of the reigning monarch ‘in right of Crown’. From 1911, the government considered whether to allow filmmakers access to Hampton Court for their productions. This article will trace the history of the film policy relating to this site until 1989, when Historic Royal Palaces was formed as an Executive Agency of Government to maintain the site, later acquiring charitable status in its own right in 1998. It will draw upon material held in the National Archives, which demonstrates how the film policy relating to Hampton Court adapted and changed over time. This article will analyse key film projects, both realised and unrealised, including Royal England: The Story of the Empire’s Throne (1911), Hampton Court Palace (1926) and The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) to explore how the government approached allowing filmmakers access to the site, and the reasons behind their rigid stance toward film production on location within the broader context of the government’s support toward the British film industry more generally.

‘Twelve thrills for the screen’ or a ‘ludicrous travesty’? Harry A. Berg’s Cosmopolitan Productions Limited and Haunted Houses and Castles of Great Britain (1926)

ABSTRACT The British film production company, Cosmopolitan Productions Limited, was founded in October 1924 by Americans Harry A. Berg and Ivor M. Rosenbaum. In its short life, the company produced a series of 12 two-reel films under the umbrella title Haunted Houses and Castles of Great Britain. Berg employed George A. Banfield as scriptwriter and producer, as well as well-known film directors including Bert Cann, Maurice Elvey and Fred Paul. The series was trade shown in January 1926, with a general release in September. However, due to various financial problems, Cosmopolitan Productions filed for bankruptcy in February 1926. Using a variety of archival sources, this article will trace the rise and fall of Cosmopolitan Productions within the context of the turbulent British film industry of the mid-1920s. Furthermore, it will offer analysis of the surviving short films from the series including Hampton Court Palace, Kenilworth Castle and Amy Robstart and Warwick Castle in Feudal Days.

Fulfilling his debt to civilization: American filmmaker Harold Marvin Shaw, British wartime propaganda, and the anti-Bolshevik The Land of Mystery, 1914–1920

ABSTRACT The Land of Mystery (1920) was a melodrama movie based on a fictionalized life of Vladimir Lenin, made by the American filmmaker Harold Marvin Shaw. Shaw had previously made drama films with wartime propaganda content in Britain and South Africa. The Land of Mystery was financed by Russian exile Boris Said, and the story was written by Basil Thomson, Britain’s Director of Intelligence. It was partly filmed in a rush on location in war-torn Lithuania, as well as in a London studio. When it was exhibited, The Land of Mystery (1920) was described in The Bioscope trade journal as having ‘caused more discussion than any British film of the last five years’. However, no copy of the film survives. This article reconstructs the circumstances in which the film was made, and suggests that Shaw was compromised by the prejudices of Thomson and Said.