Overview

When John Major launched the UK's National Lottery in 1994 he christened it the people's Lottery and handed it to the mythical stewardship of the Everyman. But when the proceeds began to be distributed to worthy causes, including the British film industry, this populist rhetoric came under increasing strain. If Lottery funding is used to produce the type of British films which the public want to see, such as romantic comedies, then many question whether the market deserves such subsidy. Short films and low budget, experimental cinema - which often require state support - tend to go unwatched by large swathes of the Lottery ticket-buying public. This book explores the debates which were sparked by the arrival of the people's pictures , and places them in historical context by examining their many precedents. Is public patronage a boon or a burden for filmmakers? And how do institutional cultures or political buzzwords affect the finished films? Case studies include the popular hits Billy Elliot (2000) and Shooting Fish (1997); art-house releases such as Love Is The Devil (1998) and Gallivant (1997); short films by Lynne Ramsey and David MacKenzie; and artists' film and video work by Bill Viola and Tracey Emin.

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9781443833073

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Reviews

''Caterer's book is an important contribution to the field of British cinema studies. It traces the evolution of the National Lottery film fund from its inception under John Major's government, through the instigation of bodies such as the Film [...] Caterer's writing is crisp and enthusiastic. Even more impressively, he maintains this while drawing on primary material - a significant amount of tables and statistics - that might not otherwise make for such an engaging read. The author thus consistently combines detailed and important research with an enthusiasm that is hard to resist. [...] . In terms of 1990s cinema it is likely to be unsurpassed in its research and will provide a valuable resource for anyone wishing to write on this area.''- Katie Bowkett, 'Scope: An Online Journal of Film and Television Studies', 25 (February 2013), 60-65.''The People's Pictures is first and foremost a study of institutions and policy-makers, which sets out to evaluate the funding activities of the UK Arts Councils and associated organisations during a key moment in British cinema history.''- Rachael Keene (University of Portsmouth) This is an excellent and unique study of National Lottery funding for the British film industry between 1995 and 2000, set against a comprehensive historical overview of film finance in this country. Caterer's richly detailed book skilfully combines economic and institutional analyses with discussions of cultural policy and a wide range of films and video art. - Peter Kramer, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, University of East Anglia, UK

Caterer's book is an important contribution to the field of British cinema studies. It traces the evolution of the National Lottery film fund from its inception under John Major's government, through the instigation of bodies such as the Film [...] Caterer's writing is crisp and enthusiastic. Even more impressively, he maintains this while drawing on primary material - a significant amount of tables and statistics - that might not otherwise make for such an engaging read. The author thus consistently combines detailed and important research with an enthusiasm that is hard to resist. [...] . In terms of 1990s cinema it is likely to be unsurpassed in its research and will provide a valuable resource for anyone wishing to write on this area. - Katie Bowkett, 'Scope: An Online Journal of Film and Television Studies', 25 (February 2013), 60-65. The People's Pictures is first and foremost a study of institutions and policy-makers, which sets out to evaluate the funding activities of the UK Arts Councils and associated organisations during a key moment in British cinema history. - Rachael Keene (University of Portsmouth) This is an excellent and unique study of National Lottery funding for the British film industry between 1995 and 2000, set against a comprehensive historical overview of film finance in this country. Caterer's richly detailed book skilfully combines economic and institutional analyses with discussions of cultural policy and a wide range of films and video art. - Peter Kramer, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, University of East Anglia, UK

Author Information

Dr James Caterer is Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes University in the UK. His research on film policy and British cinema has been published in The Journal of British Cinema and Television, The International Journal of Cultural Policy, and in Sights Unseen: Unfinished British Cinema edited by Dan North.

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