Channel Four Films and The Industrial context

In terms of cost Film Four films typically costed £500k-£600k compared with conventionally funded feature films which cost around £3-4 million. Channel 4 proved attractive to filmmakers and producers, this was because until 1985 there was a generous system of tax write offs against production costs in which costs could be written off against profits straight away whilst films not initially targeted and TV has their cost written off over several years. This meant that in terms of risks and returns for investors funding channel 4 film was a much lower risk. Whilst film-makers enjoyed the tax write offs they was to make big money and wanted their films to go straight to the cinema. However David Rose the commissioning editor for fiction at channel 4 correctly felt that this wouldn't allow channel 4 to build up its audiences. When these films were theatrical release they didn't enter into the mainstream usually being released in small number of cinemas which were indentified with the Art House circuit.