film 4

Film 4

Film4 was originally known as Film Four and became Channel 4's second channel (after Channel 4 itself) when it launched on 1 November 1998.
It was a subscription-only service available on satellite television via the Sky 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, Film Four World and Film Four Extreme which operated on a timeshare and the time shift channel Film Four +1.
Film Four World and Extreme were discontinued in 2003 and replaced by Film Four 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. Film Four Weekly ceased broadcasting on 19 July 2006 when the subscription service ended.
Film4 is owned by channel 4. Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), the station is now owned and operated by the Channel Four Television Corporation.
It has recently had a 50% rise in budget a year now having a budget of £15 million a year. This really helped them especially because of the UK film council getting shut down by the government; this meant they wouldn’t benefit from receiving extra money from them. The new budget is still very low for such a company, especially when comparing it to just one Hollywood blockbuster movie, when compared to Hollywood blockbusters this is an almost laughable budget, especially when they would share it between 6 movies they make a year.
Film4 has been involved in the making of many films, they haven’t only produced their own films, they have worked with other companies to help produce films, for example they worked in association with Wild Bunch, Optimum Releasing, and Warp Films when they produced four lions.
Four lions is a typical film4 movie; it fits their criteria because it is a comedy and drama genre with a low budget.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdFnLGKIDsE

Film4 have recently announced Anna Higgs will be the head of film 4.0. Film4.0 will be trying to find new ways to market and distribute and well as creating new ways of making and directing films. Along with this they will be trying to find new British actors with potential to make it as stars.

Although film4 are fantastic at making comedy’s they have a range of genres. This helps them gain audiences who enjoy many different genres. Their ideas are normally non-mainstream. They mainly gain a niche audience.