Visiting India as a tourist can be an assault to the senses and a complete culture shock and therefore, working with Indian partners and navigating the country’s complex industry can be quite daunting.
Encore spoke with Indian experts and industry insiders who told us what you need to do in order for to succeed in this emerging market full of potential for Australian creatives.
Find the right partners
Perhaps the trickiest part because, like in any other country, some people are all talk and no action – and no money.
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“You have to source out who are the people of substance who have got the money behind them, who have a proven track record. That involves research and using people like [Sydney-based Indian consultant and filmmaker] Anupam Sharma, who’s got a knowledge of the industry there as anybody outside of India,” said SPAA director Geoff Brown.
And while research is essential and you might think you know the system, you don’t. “It is a system that seems like something simpler, but it’s much more complex when you get into it. The only people who really know it are the Indians,” said director Bill Bennett, who recently shot the mini-series Bollywood Hero for the US Independent Film Channel.
You can find a local partner doing research about Indian production and service companies, particularly those that have worked on international projects; or you can use the services an Australian partner with Indian connections, such as Films and Casting Temple.
Either way, a local partner will help you deal with service providers, locations, facilities and crews, and the most crucial part is ensuring that it’s a trustworthy associate.
Mind the cultural differences
“Indians are very polite, and politeness can sometimes cover a ‘no’, which you could misunderstand for a ‘yes’,” said Brown.
It’s also useful to make sure that what has been agreed is not just words in the air, but put in writing.
“They often don’t’ have contracts and change plans at the last minute,” explained Jamie Hilton, producer of the upcoming Australian film The Waiting City, the first ever to be shot in Calcutta, India.
Register your project
Due to copyright infringement problems in Asia, Sharma recommends filmmakers to register their projects in Australia, India and even the US.
Keep yourself open
“Bollywood is only one part of the Indian industry, so don’t limit yourself to Mumbai. Apart from the top-end there, it’s a very unstructured industry, with a lot of players,” said Brown.
And it’s not just the options that should remain open, also the mind. According to Jamie Hilton, “if you go over there expecting to be ripped off, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re not going to find somebody that is really going to fall in love with the project and want to work with you.”
Don’t try to fix it
One thing is certain about the Indian screen industry: they have their own established system and a way to do things, and no outsider is going to come and change it.
“It’s a misconception that the way they run things is somehow wrong, and if you go there expecting things to run like you would run them, you’re going to be a little surprised when things happen differently,” said Hilton. “You’ll probably get a better result if you don’t go through fighting the system, but being aware of it and working within it.”
Go to India
Not everything can be learned online, so go to India and absorb the culture. Attend conferences like FRAMES, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry.
Geoff Brown also recommends going to the Goa International Film Festival and participating in its co-production marketplace.
“It’s true that you’re probably not going to meet all the top dogs from Mumbai, but at FRAMES your capacity to get to them is limited. At Goa, you will be able to get a sense of what the Indian marketplace is for independent film outside of Bollywood,” he advised.
READ MORE: All roads lead to India, The Waiting City.