BBC Films

Quick Question!

Has the BBC Films ident been shown on the television? That is, the one that you see before one of the Beeb's films at the cinema.

It's just that I saw Billy Elliot for the first time at one of the outdoor cinemas last night, and couldn't help but notice the firey BBC Films ident!

As an aside, the Film Four International ident always gets shown here on the state channels.

Yeap, seen quite a few, but can't remember which ones.

It's an arm of BBC WorldWide

(Edited by Techy Peep at 12:50 pm on Sep. 2, 2001)

Does that include on BBC1 and 2, TP? I guess the film channels would show it.

Err, don't know for sure, but would imagine they'd sell them to the movie channels first to get maximum revenue

'Bring me the Head of Mavis Davis' was first shown on BBC One and had the BBC Films ident

Normally a film is exhibited first in cinemas. After 6 months starts the 'video window'; the film is distributed in video for sale or rent. This window lasts for 6 months normally. After this window, the exhibition rights go to pay-per-view for a maximum of 3 months. After that window there is normally an imposed 'black-out' of between 3 and 6 months. Then starts the 'pay TV windows'. The first pay TV window is for 12 months. After the end of the first window there is a second TV window which lasts a maximum of 6 months. This second window often coincides with the start of the exhibition of the movie on FTA television like the BBC, ITV, C4 and C5.
In the case of european films, the 'video window' can be shortened and the 'black-out' period can be eliminated.

(Source: 1999 IPO of Sogecable (Canal + España Parent company)).

I've seen it a few times on BBC ONE/TWO, and the other night on UK Gold before 'Mrs Brown'. I imagine it looks much better on a big screen in a cinema though!!
Here's the MP3 for that ident .. in case anyone wanted it!
http://members.aol.com/bbcchoice/bbcfilms.mp3

Most BBC CAs show off about the following movie being a BBC Films prod - when I recorded this ident the CA announced: 'Award-winning drama charting a royal friendship which shook Victorian society now on BBC ONE, Judi Dench and Billy Connolly star in the BBC Films production: 'MRS BROWN'.', and then the balloon faded out and the Films ident 'fired up' .. so to speak!