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Taking the temperature: Section 5 – Future of the Australian screen industry

Results from Encore Magazine‘s industry-wide survey into the mood of the sector and the EncoreLive panel discussion that followed.

Which of these statements best represents your general impression about the Australian film industry:
It’s living up to its potential – 7.8%

It’s seen better days, but it’s recovering – 36.3%

It’s struggling and there’s no relief in sight – 43.8%

It’s a lost cause – 7.8%

No response – 4.1%

Comments:
“In WA we’re on the verge of a new era, wavering on the precipice of possibility… to establish a viable film industry, and shake off the old “Kids TV and docos” tag. But we’re in a vulnerable state, without enough skilled crew to service such large projects we need to act now in training and up skilling.

“We try too hard to compete with Hollywood rather than being authentic to our own culture and its stories.”

“I am so bored of the pessimists. The industry is fine and we are the most priviledged country on earth when it comes to subsidies. Just because a couple of runaway US productions don’t come here, people say we’re stuffed. What a load of rubbish.”

Are there any areas that should receive more or less support than they currently do?
Less = 1, about the same = 2, More = 3

Low-budget feature film – 1.6

Mid-range feature film – 1.7

Attraction of international productions/blockbusters – 1.4

Short film – 1.2

Television drama – 1.7

Television factual – 1.4

Television children’s – 1.4

Documentary – 1.5

Animation – 1.3

Digital – 1.4

Comments:
“For me, low budget drama is where I would really like to see some radical changes.”

“Television is able to support itself with the income from advertising. This does not apply to the other mediums such as features, shorts, etc.”

“Why should we be funded at all when we churn out such awful content?”

Your attitude towards your professional future is:

Optimistic: I’ve got lots of work lined up and things look bright – 24.3%

Neutral: I’m not worried, but I don’t foresee much progression – 41.5%

Pessimistic: I don’t know when my next job will come – 32.9%

Comments:
“There is a lot of great work being produced, and lots of great opportunities!”

“I have no expectation that it will ever be my main source of income, so as time has gone on I have chosen to use my skills and expertise in other forms of writing and editing.”

“I say Optimistic as I am now focusing on working in other countries and no further time wasting in Australia.”

“I’m not necessarily pessimistic – but the opportunity to progress, or have a ‘career path’ continues to be a major concern.”

Is it a lost cause?
Tony:
I’m optimistic. Somebody in the panel before lunch raised this bifurcation between the cultural component of the funding of our industry and the commercial component of the funding of our industry and he remarked on the schizophrenia that it throws into our thinking and our analysis of our point of view.
My view and the view of a number of the people at SPAA is that, if we can get this Producer/Distributor film fund through in the next budget, which will provide a solid funding base for films in the $7-30 million dollar range, it will take the pressure off Screen Australia for funding the $0-5 million dollar range and it will allow Screen Australia to once and for all say, ‘these are films we are doing primarily for a cultural purpose, to focus on Australian issues,’ and completely circumcise the Australian media to criticise box office failure in those areas and take the box office out of the cultural equation. Conversely by making films on a bigger canvas in that $7-30 million budget range, we’ll be able to lift our percentage of the theatrical box office from five to ten or 11 percent. Instead of having an 18 month wait between Australia and Happy Feet 2 we’ll be able to have one of those films coming out every two or three months so that Australian cinema-goers can have a consistently good and entertaining dollar-valued experience when going to the cinema. And at the same time Screen Australia will be able to concentrate on the next Julia Leigh. If we can get that through we can create that seemless career path and for people working their way up through the industry. Exhibitors will get on side because the curse of Australian films playing theatrically and taking $1.50 will be largely submerged. No one went to see A Heartbeat Away, nobody went to see Griff the Invisible. It’s not as if lots of people saw those and hated them, just nobody saw them. Most people, the last Australian film they saw was Australia. Before that it was Happy Feet, maybe some people saw Sanctum. Perhaps people will see Happy Feet 2.

Lisa: Maybe they’re watching the films on DVD. I was told that the FFC did a survey and they discovered Australian audiences didn’t think it was worthwhile spending $16 going to the cinema to see the film but they thought it was okay to rent it. Of course we shouldn’t forget the industry is broad and diverse. That the audience has been at St. Kilda or Trop Fest, enjoying all kinds of energetic filmmaking – There is a lot of filmmaking outside of the feature sector, which is the sector that dominates the discussion while not necessarily being the most vibrant part of the industry. In relation to this discussion to how people perceive the industry, I found that women felt it was better than it was 10 years ago but they didn’t necessarily feel it was better than it was five years ago.

Tony: Whenever we have a run of films that don’t take any money and then we get a film in Cannes, suddenly it’s all cultural. Then we have a run of films that get crapped on by the critics, but a picture makes money and suddenly it’s all commercial. We have to say, ‘this is this, and this is that and the two are not duking it out with each other, they are a harmonious blend of talent incubators; Australian voices on the one hand and commercial material on the other.
There is absolutely no reason we cannot make movies in Australia the same way the English make movies in England and the way the French make films that compete on a world stage with Hollywood. It’s just about, on the commercial side, making pictures that people want to see, and people think are worth spending $16-17 on and a babysitter. Or for the specialty audience, making the audience feel like they’ve being challenged with something to think in hopefully a life-affirming kind of fashion. I know it’s easy to sit here and talk about how simple it is, but it is really simple. I’m optimistic.

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