Sensible to install digital/3D screens: Paramount
According to the managing director of Paramount Pictures, Mike Selwyn, exhibitors should look at installing as many digital and 3D screens as possible.
What were your strongest performing films of the 2009/2010 financial year?
G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Charlie & Boots, The Lovely Bones, Up in the Air, Shutter Island, Beneath Hill 60, Iron Man 2, The Kings of Mykonos: Wog Boy 2 and Shrek Forever After.
What titles didn’t necessarily meet your expectations?
Capitalism: A Love Story.
How experimental are Paramount’s plans in terms of distribution models?
We’re watching all developments with interest.
Has your marketing budget changed, or are you just focusing your promotional efforts across a wider range of platforms?
All films are handled in the way best suited to the release.
What was your best campaign of the year?
They were all good.
With an increasing number of 3D titles already competing for a limited number of screens, do you anticipate a saturation level where there are more films than screens? Do smaller 3D films – which are now being produced in many countries – have a chance competing for screens with the major blockbusters?
Good films will find screens. It’s clear that any sensible exhibitor would be looking to install as many digital and 3D screens as possible to be able to give the public the best possible choice.
Will the performance of recent local hits increase distributors’ interest in local product?
We believe in Australian product and are actively looking for films that can break out into the mainstream. I can’t speak for other companies.
How would you describe Paramount’s past experience distributing Australian films?
It’s been very worthwhile and we are very excited by our current line up, starting with Tomorrow, When the War Began.
Do you think the $90m, three-year fund SPAA has proposed to stimulate distributor investment in mid-range features ($7-30m) would work?
Easier access to funds should help stimulate production.
Compared to other international divisions, how does Paramount Australia perform in terms of distribution/co-production of local projects?
Paramount is pursuing initiatives in a number of countries and Australia is very much one of them.
What’s stopping Paramount from making local films instead of just distributing them?
Finding the right project.
What are the main mistakes that Australian producers make when they approach a distributor?
There is no magic rule but good attachments will always help a project be considered.
What should they keep in mind when pitching a project – emphasis on the business side instead of just the storyline, perhaps?
They need to understand the potential audience for whom they are making the picture.
What are Australian distributors really looking for in a local film?
A clear target audience.
“There is no magic rule but good attachments will always help a project be considered.”
What does that mean? (That’s a serious question – not trying to be funny.)
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