Films Act 1985

Preliminary

1 (1) In this Schedule—

• "Commonwealth country" means the United Kingdom, any country for the time being specified in Schedule 3 to the [1981 c. 61.] British Nationality Act 1981 (countries whose citizens are Commonwealth citizens), and any territory for whose international relations Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom is responsible;

• " film " includes any record, however made, of a sequence of visual images, which is a record capable of being used as a means of showing that sequence as a moving picture;

• " maker ", in relation to a film, means the person by whom the arrangements necessary for the making of the film are undertaken;

• " master disc ", in relation to a film, means the original master film disc or the original master audio disc of the film ;

• " master negative ", in relation to a film, means the original master negative of the film and its soundtrack (if any) ;

• " master tape ", in relation to a film, means the original master film tape or the original master audio tape of the film ;

• " sound recording " means a sound recording which is either an original recording or a re-recording ;

• "studio" (except in paragraph 5(1)(b)) means a building or group of buildings constructed or adapted for the purpose of making films therein and includes any land occupied with such a building or group of buildings.

(2) For the purposes of this Schedule a studio shall be deemed to be used for making a film if any part of that film, or of any other film used in making it, consists of photographs taken or sound recordings made in that studio.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4), each part of a series of films shall be treated as a separate film for the purposes of this Schedule.

(4) Where—

(a) any series of films consists of a number of parts (not exceeding sixteen) whose combined playing time does not exceed eight hours ; and

(b) those parts, when shown consecutively in the sequence intended, constitute in the opinion of the Secretary of State a self-contained work,

the Secretary of State may, if he thinks fit, direct that those parts, taken together, are to be treated as constituting a single film for the purposes of this Schedule.

(5) Any reference in this Schedule to a master negative, tape or disc certified under paragraph 3(1) or to a certificate issued under that provision includes a reference to a master negative, tape or disc certified in pursuance of section 72(7)(b) of the [1982 c. 39.] Finance Act 1982 as originally enacted or to a certificate issued in pursuance of that provision.