"Save our film industry" petition
An online petition is asking Prime Minister Julia Gillard to increase the Location and PDV Offsets to 30 percent.
The goal is to collect 15,000 signatures; so far, 258 practitioners have participated.
The petition reads:
The Government’s current Location Offset and Post, Digital and Visual Effects Offset schemes are failing to deliver on their policy objective of attracting international productions to Australia. These schemes have been successful in the past in attracting over 2.2 billion dollars in production spend in Australia. Those productions employ and train many Australian crews and actors and provide an economic boost to cities and regional areas.
With a shrinking international production market, extremely competitive production attraction incentives in other countries and a strong Australian dollar, the lack of international production is having a devastating impact on our world class screen production industry, dismantling infrastructure, skills and capacities needed to compete for high value international productions and seriously weakening our capacity to produce high quality domestic productions.
With Panalux lighting, a division of Panavision now up for sale, its millions of dollars of lighting equipment is likely to be sent offshore. This means a key area of lighting supplies for the industry will no longer be available. Many crew are already being forced to find work offshore and as crew and actors enhance their skills on job training, the lack of production is leading to a net skills loss to Australia.
We, the undersigned, ask your Government to take urgent action to restore the effectiveness of the offset schemes by increasing the rate of the tax offsets from 15% of qualifying Australian production spend to 30%. The Australian Government is not currently spending the budgeted allowance for these schemes and we believe any increase will be covered within that budget.
Australia, for its population size, has a disproportionate amount of internationally renowned crew and actors.
We love working in this industry and hope you will help us to continue to do so.
To sign, go to http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/saveourfilmindustry
To: Prime Minister Julia Gillard
I’m writing concerning that Panalux lighting, a division of Panavision now up for sale and that will affect Job within Australia in the Film industry. Australia is an excellent place to produce movies and there are many great talents within our country. Can you please increase the budget for Panalux lighting so that Australians can work in Australia and the film industry continues to grow.
By keeping Panalux lighting Australian owned we can put that kangaroo logo on it say it is Australian. Lol.
Your sincerely
Amy Cheng
I
Fine …
So long as the government doesn’t do as ABCs Kim Dalton suggested at the SPAA conference and subsidise other Tax Offset increases (noteably TV) by axing the Feature Film Producer Tax Offset !!!
But offsets are not the end solution …
They will only ever tackle a small part of any budget – even when used in a coproduction (since all coproduction countries are now tax rebate/offset driven to similar levels).
1.
Private investors need to be “encouraged” to invest again.
Right now there is no incentive for anyone to put their hard earned $$ into a film or TV production.
Pre-sales and MGs are essentially non-existent …
so how is one to make up the balance of a production budget ?
2.
Right now producers are left with begging the government film agencies
… who are now “last money in” (with ridiculously long processing times).
and their gatekeepers
(who dont really understand the process of booking an actor for work).
How does that help ?
For foreign producers – the bottom line is:
“how much does the film cost to make? and sell?”
AND
“what possible returns are available for that budget level ?”
If the budget is too high for the attached elements – a reputable sales agent will ask you to drop the budget.
What are the elements of the film that will make it stand out in the international “crowd” ?
ie cast, cast, cast !!!
3.
The answer will lie in ditching (or at the very least modifying) the restrictions that hinder (or add cost) to local films, which will enable them to attach BANKABLE cast that an international sales agent/distributor/broadcaster – will want to stick their neck out and put up an MG/presale.
Somebody convince the unions to waive their penalty loadings for bringing in foreign cast !!!
We simply dont have enough saleable AU actors.
Perhaps do like they do in the UK – no penalty loadings for 2 lead foreign cast.
And a set number of foreign support/cameos.
At least this can get our local talent back in the spotlight, alongside key leads.
(you cant tell me local actors wouldnt kill to work alongside international name talent)
There’s my take
1. Do something to encourage the return of private investment. (leading AU producers always advised that ditching 10BA would eventually become a problem)
2. Get the government agencies on a really fast turnaround (4wk for an answer tops) OR allow them to commit much earlier (at least LOI) than last money in !!
3. Relax the “qualifying” elements that hinder the saleability of a film.
4. But above all dont mess with what exists already.
There’s nothing foreign agents hate more (and our local leading actors are in the main rep’d internationally) than attaching their actors to a film that “looks” like it’s nearly greenlit – then collapses because someone changed the legislation !!
“Australia, for its population size, has a disproportionate amount of internationally renowned crew and actors.”
Reference please
There are less than a handful that will greenlight a film on the international circuit.
Hello Friends
There is lot of potential in the film and tv market in Australia. Also to get international crews and films to happen here, for sure the market leaders need to open up rather than being conservative. Also there is a need of reduction in fee of services like studios and facilities.
I came to Australia from bollywood where more than 1200 films, 1500 tvc, unaccounted daily soaps & music clips are made. There is a huge growth projection in next 4- 5 years.
There are lot of foreign film makers are flocking to India like Fox & Columbia Worldwide are investing in the market. MI-4 will be shot in India and more than 40 big budget projects are on their way to India and same way Bollywood films are shot overseas with good budgets. And big post houses in India have their equities overseas.
There is a fair bit of potential in calling in crews for shoot here in Australia along with post and using Australian Directors as film makers in India are always looking for new destinations and crews to work with. Being competetive is the key to success along with the right contacts and network.
I’m willing to share my network and contacts to contribute to Australian Film Industry. If I can be of any advice can be contacted via administrator on my email v.sandeep@ovi.com or mob 0424069727
Hope you find my comments of use and help.
Cheers!!!
Sandeep Verma
Australians are the funniest people in the whole world and we don’t get offended in making satirical productions which pokes fun at our shortcomings. The world loves our easy going sense of humour.
We need to get our films out there.
Den- Try telling that to the layers of solidified fossils running the TV networks of Australia, the networks should be a platform for writers, actors and directors to cut their teeth and polish their craft..having worked on a major TV production recently, I couldn’t see how nay of this could happen…talk about pressure and stress to produce uninspired crap..what has happened to us as a creative nation? We really are in trouble…audiences think our TV & Film brand are mostly crap, whilst they are weened on badly produced slop that they have come to think of as entertainment..praise heaped on productions that really is just half cooked bollocks. ..when was the last great Australian comedy..that was truly funny..produced on TV let alone a Feature Film?I’m not saying we can’t make great comedy, but for some reason we don’t and I don’t think writers are the only ones to blame here…I think a bad financing structure as outlined by LFO above..combined with a drop in Producer intelligence in their ability to appraise what is actually funny or I will go one further..an ability to appraise what is entertaining…and if I’m wrong…then why has the last ten years of Australian film been one massive yawn. Australia to survive beyond a cottage industry needs to think right outside the box in terms of the content we want to create and how we fund it. Currently everything is on the nose right across the board, with the exception of a few little gems here and there…and something needs to be done….fast. It simply doesn’t need to be this way and we need to circumnavigate the rot.