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Film4

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For the film production company, see Film4 Productions.
Film4
Ownership
OwnerChannel 4 Television Corporation

Film4 is a free British digital television channel, owned and operated by Channel 4, which screens films.

Prior to August 20, 2007, in addition to the main channel, Film4 also operated a one-hour-timeshifted variant, Film4+1, on satellite, cable and Freeview. This channel was dropped on Freeview to make way for Channel4+1 yet continues to be broadcast on Sky and Virgin services[1].

Programming

Film4 broadcasts from 1:00 pm to about 3:30 am. Unlike its rivals, Film4 does not focus on broadcasting blockbusters. Instead, it aims for a more niche and highbrow market by showing a mixture of old and new independent, arthouse, British, foreign language and specialist cinema, along with some critically-acclaimed Hollywood films. The channel frequently has themed nights or seasons in which a number of films centred around one genre, director or actor are shown. As Channel 4 also owns a film production company, Film4 Productions, it shows many of its products.

Occasional non-film (but film-related) programmes are also shown.

Wherever possible, films are shown unedited and in widescreen, and many films appear in their correct aspect ratio. No digital on-screen graphics are superimposed.

History

File:Filmfour logo.gif
FilmFour logo 1998-2006

Film4 was originally known as FilmFour and became Channel 4's second channel (after Channel 4 itself) when it launched on November 1, 1998. It was a subscription-only service available on satellite television via the Sky Digital platform, Digital terrestrial via ITV Digital (until the platform went into administration in 2002), and most UK cable services. It cost £5.99 or £6.00 a month (depending on platform), eventually rising to up to £7. The launch night, which was also broadcast on Channel 4, was hosted by Johnny Vaughan and the first film to be shown was What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Later, additional channels were added, FilmFour World and FilmFour Extreme which operated on a timeshare and the time-shift channel FilmFour +1. FilmFour World and Extreme were discontinued in 2003 and replaced by FilmFour Weekly, which screened four films across the week at the same time each day to make it easier to catch a film at least once [2]. FilmFour Weekly ceased broadcasting on July 19, 2006 when the subscription service ended.

The subscription service ended on July 19 2006 and the channel re-launched (under the slightly modified name of Film4) as a free-to-air service a few days later on July 23. When the channel became free, it also returned to digital terrestrial as part of the Freeview brand, and became completely free-to-air on satellite television. Due to the change, the channel's availability increased from 300,000 (subscribers) to 18 million households. It also changed its broadcasting hours to 3:00 pm - 3:00 am, and commercial breaks were included during films for the first time. The first film broadcast under the new format was the British non-subscription television premiere of Lost in Translation. It remains the only free film channel available on digital terrestrial television.

Relaunch advertising campaign

To alert the public to it going free-to-air, Film4 launched a massive campaign directed by Kevin Spacey featuring major celebrities advertising Film4 in odd ways. The slogan of the campaign was "FILMS FOR FREE". Examples include:

  • Judi Dench in a lobster costume, operatically singing the words "Film Four!"
  • Lucy Liu in a banner plane, insulting Ray Winstone and Christian Slater who have incorrectly erected a 'Film4 is free' sign, whilst her own banner is displayed upside-down.
  • Ewan McGregor in a tomato costume, talking to Judi Dench about whether he is a fruit or a vegetable.
  • Gael Garcia Bernal putting leaflets, advertising Film4, onto cars and setting off their alarms. To which he then throws the remaining leaflets in the air.
  • Willem Dafoe saying to one of the advertising campaigners (played by Mackenzie Crook), "First day? It'll get better."
  • Rhys Ifans advertising the channel door-to-door, but often having a door slammed in his face.

Film4's rival, Sky Movies, has countered this with a new advertisement. Sky's advert shows a shot of a tomato and a lobster sitting next to a small sign with the words "FILMS AD FREE" appearing on it, a sly play on the words of Film4's own slogan. The ad then shows clips from films starring the above celebrities, all of which are available on Sky Movies. Unlike Film4, Sky Movies does not broadcast adverts during films (although it does show adverts between films). However, Sky Movies can only be viewed as part of a subscription package with a minimum cost of £34 per month. Sky Movies had also been advertising its World Cinema strand, which competes with Film4's speciality of independent and foreign films.

Film4 seasons

Film4 share of viewing 1998-2007 BARB figures

Studio Ghibli

This season showed the best of Hayao Miyazaki's Japanese anime studio Studio Ghibli [3].

Brilliant Korea

This season showed some the best of South Korean thrillers.

High School Comedy

Sci-Fi Season (2007)

Thriller Season

New Hollywood

Crime Season

Sci-Fi Season (2008)

This season showed triple bills of Sci-Fi films for two weeks, taking up the 7PM, 9PM, and 11PM slot.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Chris Tryhorn (2007-07-05). "Channel 4 launches '+1' timeshift service". Media Guardian. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  2. ^ FilmFour moves mainstream, BBC, March 21, 2003
  3. ^ The first run of films was dubbed in English the second in the original Japanese with subtitles.
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