The real ugly truth

Hey Miguel, you timed your editorial just in time for the Oz Film Blogathon I’m hosting at Dark Habits.

I’ve linked your article there. Perhaps you’d care to play along some more. Details via the link below:

http://darkhabits.blogspot.com.....athon.html

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The problem is not the “Films” we’re making it’s the recycled talent we put in the dam things. I put the blame on the Agents and casting directors, people have to look wider than NIDA for new, fresh talent it’s the incestuous circles of the industry that make the audience feel like the uncool outsider.

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Having read this column myself yesterday, I suspect this is precisely the sort of prickly response the writer was pre-empting when she accused local critics and industry insiders of being overly defensive. Before you accuse mainstream media of being narrow-minded and holding outdated views, perhaps you should re-evaluate your own. While it may be true that there is a turnaround in the local industry, a point that was also made in the newspaper column by the way, it’s going to take a while yet for that change to really trickle down to audiences. Personally I think a few of the more precious figures in Oz film need to stop whining, remove the proverbial chip from their shoulders and start copping some of this sort of feedback and insight on the chin. That’s the only way any sort of business becomes viable

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I’d like to know how many Aussie films the naysayers actually see… The journos can be very unfair. We make 15 films a year and always a few are excellent. USA make 2000ish a year and there are only ever 4 or 5 great ones a year. Secondly – Apart from my own dark suburban tale TEN EMPTY and Dan Krige’s WEST, Animal kingdom is the only other suburban dark drama made here in the last five years that I can think of, (Can you name any more…? Cause I think its a complete fabrication that we only make dark suburban tales. I don’t think we make them much at all) and AK is heading towards Academy Award territory.. oh and maybe THE SQUARE which is more a thriller but even that sold really well and played all over the USA and received rave reviews there where it suffered here. In the last five years we have made Rom Coms like I LOVE YOU TOO, KENNY – War films like ‘Kokoda, BH60 – we make big films like AUSTRALIA and TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN. We have made genre films like THE LOVED ONES, WOLF CREEK – International Co-pro’s like MAO’S LAST DANCER, recently THE TREE.. Arthouse comedy films like the wonderful TEN CANOES, LUCKY MILES, We even make animations like HAPPY FEET and from that success HAPPY FEET 2 and recently THE OWLS OF GA’HOOLS… other commercial successes like the berlin winning THE BLACK BALLOON, The point I’m making is that we make a large diverse range of different films, and always HAVE but the write ups seem to suggest (Not just from Sarrah) that ALL we make are bleak little films and it’s simply not true. I would suggest that most of the naysayers don’t bother with Aussie films and therefore don’t have a firm grasp on what we make at all… Thirdly – If we didn’t make dark films sometimes we wouldn’t have australian classics like THE BOYS, WAKE IN FRIGHT, CHOPPER, ANIMAL KINGDOM, GHOSTS OF THE CIVIL DEAD, RABBIT PROOF FENCE, THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE, SHINE. As a filmmaker who is learning, it’s a tough country to please and I think the media have played a large part in this. When we have a dog, we make a point of destroying it in the media… if America make a dog it just slides under the radar. Of course all our films are not brilliant, and of course not all will make money, that’s the business and really is a moot point. We have a long way to go to win back the trust of the public, and that starts with public relations, media and our marketing budgets. As an actor in over 50 Australian productions, I understand that.. but let’s not make sweeping statements about an industry that is so easy to kick when it is down. This is the kind of attitude that guarantees all of our filmmaking and acting talent head overseas never to return. Just remember, while we all sit and celebrate their success, that they all got their start in these horrible little Aussie productions.

This isn’t whining. And we can take the hits, we’ve been taking them forever now. But journos can’t expect to dish it out without being corrected when they are wrong. I am equally entitled to attack their lazy and misguided work, just as they are mine.

So bring it on. Test your true knowledge and then write something without falling prey to lowest common denominator (Depressing, small minded, bleak) journalism.

Pot calling the kettle black?

AFI AWARD WINNING ACTOR – ANTHONY HAYES

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I don’t care about a film’s subject matter – I just care about it fulfilling its story production potential.

If a film is budgeted at $5 million + P/A and makes $300,000, most of the time the filmmakers go “well it found its niche audience” and go on oblivious.

We’ve been failing to ask the serious questions during pre-production.

The smaller the story & concept – the smaller the audience – therefore the smaller the budget.

We don’t seem to grasp that, which is why we’ll forever be suckling the government’s teet.

We need to diversify our industry. That means a combination of commercial and niche films that sustain each other.

What we really need is a proper screenwriting industry – but unfortunately our work on that front has been somewhat stagnant.

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Anthony, I think you make a few good points. But in wheeling out that familiar Aussie excuse (America produces lots of duds too), you’re overlooking the sheer mathematics at stake: an industry can get away with quite a few bombs so long as at least a few succeed at the box office each year. A good industry is one that includes both arthouse and commercial titles. And in this country we only seem to do one. Is it really misguided of some journalists to argue that case? A lot of fed up people, both inside and outside the industry, would beg to differ with you on that. Lazy journalism? Sorry, but it’s more like lazy film-making.

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Why not just call them movies and stop referring to them as Australian movies? Who cares what country a movie is produced in, there’s no need to place an emphasis on its nationality anymore. Many productions are financed and created by multiple companies and crew from multiple countries. When an American movie is released do we refer to it as an American movie? No, we just call it a movie. That’s all it is. Just a movie. Just cinema.

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Ryan, I completely understand what you are saying in terms of mathematics, I think you’ll find that there were those mathematical successes on my list. KENNY 7 million made for under 1 mill. TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN over 7 million here. ANIMAL KINGDOM over 5 million, WOLF CREEK sold for over 6 million to USA, HAPPY FEET 1 & 2…. where do I stop?? What part of my last comment did you choose to skim over to prove your point. We have a population of 25 million as opposed to 300 million in USA so our box office will never reflect that.. And we can’t be expected to compete with the american marketing budgets here… they are larger than our annual total film investment for one big american movie. We simply can’t compete with a plethora of bus shelters with posters and TV commercials on free to air TV playing US movies every day. It’s just not possible. We also don’t make 100 or 200 million dollar movies here, we cap most of them at an average of 5 million, so we aren’t even in their league. So it’s not the fault of the film makers, its as you say a mathematical problem… and that problem is hardly something a poor little aussie film or a filmmaker can overcome. Why can’t we just be happy with our successes and stop brutilising people who are adding cultural significance to our screens. We certainly aren’t all rolling around in mansions for our troubles, we do it because we believe in our local industry and we are damn proud of it. I mean if we hand over our cinema screens and our radio stations and our TV stations to any more US content then we will be swimming in someone elses culture more than we already are. My point being, it’s an almost impossible task to beat the overwhelming odds in this country where box office is concerned unless we make films like AUSTRALIA which had a budget of 200 million dollars. But no first time director or producer will be just handed 200 million without first making a few smaller films. You don’t just hand 200 million to an amateur. So the young filmmakers need to start somewhere and unfortunately that is with low budget films that are achievable in that budgetary realm. People forget that I think. And look, sure it’s an expensive trial and error burden for the Australian Government, but so are our hospitals, childcare facilities and any other essential issues. And I believe that art and the preservation of our culture, and the training of our film professionals so that we may still have our own voice somewhere buried deep under the overseas onslaught – is something that I believe in wholly with all my heart. We are so quick to jump on the bandwagon of our big starts that make it overseas, but we certainly threw a lot of mud at them while they were trying to emerge here at home in the humble beginnings. And let me tell you, those people, and I know a lot of them, don’t forget that. That’s why they hardly return. We don’t complain much for the amount of rubbish aimed at us I think. We just quietly go about our business in the hope that one day, you and other general public will like what we do and it will connect with an audience. We all want to be proud of our achievements, we all want to back a winner.. but flogging a dead horse isn’t productive, encouraging or a becoming trait in a human being. I love this film industry, and I’m proud of the people I know in it who dedicate their entire lives to it for very little financial return. I’ll be proud to show my kids the diversity of voices in this country through its filmmaking and I hope they do the same.

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Yes Lenz, We are starting to do that now. And that has an awful lot to do with filmmakers discussing CO – PRoduction issues with Government bodies. I think that’s why there are more ‘Films’ being made form here rather than ‘Aussie Films’

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The original tele article makes no specific mention to any of the films it critises. Does Sarrah Le Marquand even watch films?

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Anthony I don’t think anyone is pillorying filmmakers because they don’t have access to multi-million dollar budgets. And no-one is expecting the same multi-million dollar box-office returns as enjoyed by those mega-marketed US flicks. Neither the general public nor the media are as dumb as all that. Give them a little credit. The point is that there is a real lack of commercially driven scripts and stories being made here. We’re not talking about special effects, superstars or big budgets – just solid, unselfconscious storytelling that seeks to entertain.
And before you inevitably howl me down yet again, let me ask if it ever occurred to you that constructive criticism of the local industry isn’t just a cheap shot to belittle those who work in it? Those of us who express the desire to see our local biz adopt a more mainstream approach are every bit just as passionate about the importance and viability of Australian film as you. Every bit. I think you’ll find these views are also shared by a lot of crew members and other industry insiders in this country too. But who can blame them for not speaking up when this is the sort of reaction they get? Sadly the apologists still well outnumber those who are prepared to actively engage in a discussion about how the local scene can be improved.

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Ryan A….well said

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Hi Ryan. Good points. But which part of that successful list of mainstream films I’ve reiterated twice now didn’t fit into your ‘commercial’ category. I just listed them. My entire point being that we DO make these films. And if you go back to my original argument that is exactly what I am saying. We actually do make them. So what is your point? And what is the point these journalists are trying to make? They aren’t all commercially successful films, but that’s impossible. Good on you for wanting to see more films a success, I want that too. But to say we don’t make them is a fabrication. I just listed them for you twice. I don’t mind healthy debate about the state of our industry, in fact I encourage it. That’s why I’m writing these comments, to engage. But also its easy to sit in the shadows and complain about something without actually doing anything to solve the issue yourself. I assume then you go to all the Screen Aus meetings, and you lobby the politicians and you engage first hand with writers and directors in a constructive manner in order to assist the industry? As my father always said – You can sit around all day and complain about something, or you can do something about it.

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Where are the filmmakers who are pushing the cinematic form? That’s the question that should be asked. Most people making movies in this country come through the film school system and only make one kind of movie. Film schools must be burnt down and abandoned and cameras given to the blind. It’s time to encourage recklessness and irresponsibility in artists because they are the ones who will find the better images. Look at a piece like Three Blind Mice and think about the person who made it. That’s the kind of irresponsibility we need. Someone with a fuck it all attitude. Someone with a similar energetic eye and spirit to Cassavetes. No one saw it but no one ever sees the best movies anyway.

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Not all films need to have cultural significance. We can make entertaining films without a point. At the end of the day this will never happened as the industry and country is too small and the major setback is the governments involvement in the creative stages and the regulations that limit us from the start. The american film industry is made up of major multicorporations and even there its a dog eat dog world look whats happening to MGM for example. Look behind the scenes in the film making process, there is the problem. I can say this from experience as I have worked on alot of features and tv series in the last few years. People are scared to give strong ideas a chance. We are living in a very conservative time at the moment for some reason here in Australia and that is reflected in our Arts across all walks, and here is Australia we have always looked everywhere else before looking in our backyard. Then we have successes like kenny or Chopper or AK and then what? What have they done since then? Andrew Dominik took 10 years to get Chopper up and he battled for that film the entire time against funding bodies and so forth. All these successful local films, why didnt the powers support them and the industry and help to keep the momentum going and work with them to create more? Because you have to go all the way back to the start again and start the battle all over again with every project. Where is the motivation in that. In the end it always comes down to who can put up with the most bullshit. I would put up with the bullshit more if the insentives was there to motivate me. You can understand why everyone bolts overseas to work. The industry there respects its professionals not just for being an actor or director but for being a writer or a designer as well as all fields in the industry. We need to support the writers and the creatives at the ideas stage and take a chance isnt that the Aussie attitude to ‘have a bloody good go at it’.

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LENZ and MAX… excellent thoughts indeed! Absolutely right.

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Is this the same Anthony Hayes who once said that what separated Underbelly from Animal Kingdom is that ‘Underbelly was unashamedly commercial and taps expertly into popular culture’? I guess now it suits you to suddenly defend that kind of feature as being commerical too.
Some of the comments here are very insightful in that they shed a lot of light on why filmakers seem to be out of step with the broader public.

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The problem is the model…there is so much emphasis on the Box Office and popularity with regard to a theatrical release. Dark, dramatically raw films, like “Ten Empty” that have some kind of prism into the horrors of the working and middle class, should be made for TV, the technology is there to do it effectively and cheaply. TV in this country should be the training ground for writers, producers, directors and actors to develop and practice the skills needed to advance towards a cinematic medium. The problem being is that TV, this very important medium has been hijacked by people who not only don’t understand the medium with regard to creating quality drama or comedy they have no real interest in the power of the medium beyond drawing a paycheck, if they did..why is it so horrible?If they were a hospital, they’d be sacked for killing the audience with boredom. Pay TV and SBS are attempting to stem the flow of “insight and taste” from “Cashed Up Bogans running free to air and Neo Middle Class Conservatives running the ABC…TV is the answer to our cinematic problems and until we fix the utterly banal model of TV in this country we will continue to make middle of the road peppered with the odd success story here and there..this is nothing more than a cottage industry at best, trying to dress itself up as a McMansion.
I think most filmmakers in this country share Anthony’s passion..he’s not alone in wanting to “preserve culture” and make quality entertainment…or bolt overseas to further your career..whats wrong with doing that anyway?
We are a long way in this country from having the maturity as professional filmmakers to understand that the written word, the story, the drama created on the page is where we need to invest a large portion of our taxpayer dollars, start producing quality screenplays from writers with passion and original insight that can tell global stories that have a global appeal and we might find we have a myriad of quality productions year in and year out across a variety of genre’s…
The horse is dead Anthony and yeah a lot of pissed off people want to kick it…the problem is that those who are defending passionately it have had their arrogant hubris sniffing snouts in the trough…which coincidentally has lead to starving the poor thing of objective well drafted ideas that could entertain a wide audience.
Lez–Film Schools aren’t the problem..maybe get into one and find out, I think the last 10-15 years of education within them with regard to creating quality screenplays has been lacking..AFTRS are actively trying to change this…sadly the VCA hasn’t stepped up to the plate and still focuses on pure expression.
The problems are varied…accessible funding for writers drastically needs to be given..starting ASAP…and the craft of writing needs to sit alongside a Directors vision…writers are filmmakers as well.

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Yes Matt it is that very Anthony Hayes. And Animal Kingdom is a success like it or not. It doesn’t tap expertly into popular culture like Underbelly, it is however a successful dark film. Animal Kingdom is a success because it is a brilliantly executed film. If you all had your way it would never have been made in the first place because it is suburban and dark. I also said if you would like to quote me in context without isolating a moment in an interview I did also say that ‘both have their place’ and that is my exact point here. Why can’t we make all sorts of films??? And if everyone knew what it meant to be successful and commercial wouldn’t every film be just that? Is every business deal in the corporate world fail safe? Or does every industry have their failures and triumphs? I think they might. No one is denying we can all grow and learn, just as no filmmaker deliberately sets out to make a bomb of a movie. You learn from it, you pick yourself up, and you try again with a renewed perspective. I mean I was in my 20’s when I made TEN EMPTY. I don’t regret making it, I could have made it better, and I wouldn’t tell that story now that I am older, but I also made sure the budget was in line with the type of story I was telling. We made it for 1.2 million.

I think JIM has some very excellent points in regard to the culture of writing in this country and also in regard to TV as a training ground. n fact Jim the TV idea is excellent, but as you say – I can’t see TV becoming any less ‘Middle of the road’ anytime soon. They don’t often take risks – but luckily Foxtel seems to be changing that a little in the last five years. That kind of discussion is constructive and well considered. But to go back to the original article… It is simply wrong to accuse the Australian film industry at large of only making depressing, dark films. Because we are as diverse as anywhere else. Just not as prolific.

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And if anybody here doesn’t believe in the power of quality writing…go and see the Social Network..or for that matter Chinatown, two brilliant “popular productions” that were able to utilize and respect the vision of the Director in tandem with the vision of the Screenwriter, quality casting and everything else followed suit. In this country Producers feel they are able to recognize a brilliant or commercially productive writing in a pitch..or a one page synopsis…sure this method can cull the enormous amount of dross product out there…the idea that anybody can write a screenplay and make a film is a fantastic concept…this consistent weight of unrealized personal inner creative brilliance is also adding to the clogged arteries of film funding bodies…there’s simply too many people looking to make the grade and not enough want to do the dramatic homework…Screenwriting is probably the most trivialized creative art form in the world and as a result of this…most people feel they “could have a stab at it”..and should..but this gold rush for 120 pages of pure expression does some good on a math level…but also an equal amount of bad…Producers who are willing to build relationships with committed writers who have a variety of ideas that spread across a variety of genres and a real passion for the craft beyond the realm of personal expression…these Producers are thin on the ground in this country…very thin…there might be a handful at best. Screenwriters with a real passion, love and sense of endurance for the murky craft of writing are thin on the ground as well…but if we were to increase the amount of development funding for the craft of writing..more talented writers might step forward..or simply not give up. I’ve seen a lot of talent drop off and a lot of egocentric crud survive..and even prosper..which is gutting to witness.
Also..chances are that if you submit a script to a funding body that this script will be read by another more established writer on the payroll of a funding body…this system is simply riddled with flaws and a conflicts of interest. Where to start to fix all this mess?

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I agree with many others in that the industry is far too defensive and has never been truly serious about addressing the root causes of why we can’t create a sustainable film industry.

I have heard every reason and excuse under the sun for the past 10 years. Margaret Pomeranz (and many others) blaming audiences, people saying we don’t provide enough funding, poor script writing, it’s not what you know it’s who you know…and on and on.

I wrote a blog post for last years SPAA Conference titled ‘Can Australian Films Make Money’ and in it I’ve tried to break down some of the main reasons Australian films don’t make money, connect with audiences and ultimately why we can’t create a sustainable industry. These are the four main reasons why a film fails to reach a significant audience:

1. The filmmakers fundamentally didn’t care whether or not the film reached a significant audience.
2. The filmmakers produced a film that fell short of the expectations of the intended audience.
3. The filmmakers produced a film that would have met the expectations of the intended audience, but they either marketed it poorly, to the wrong audience, or left it too late – or all of the above.
4. The filmmakers failed to develop and or optimise their distribution plan according to where and how their intended audience consumes content and the reality of the distribution opportunities available for their particular film.

Read full post here – http://www.spaaconferencenetwo.....make-money

I also wrote another post titled ‘The Future of Filmmaking: Seizing back control of the Six Pillars of Cinema’ inspired by a post I read by Ted Hope (21 Grams). I try to outline that simply making movies with bigger budgets is still missing the point and that producers and filmmakers are far too singled minded about going for a theatrical release. They must think much differently to filmmaking and distribution today compared to 3-5 years ago. I also include a case study about Paranormal Activity and how this $15k film went on to make $180m world wide.

Read full post here – http://www.spaaconferencenetwo.....ars-cinema

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“Why can’t we make all sorts of films???” you ask.

Isn’t that the very question posed by the original Tele article? Anthony, I think you and some of the more switched on journos you condemn might see eye to eye a little more than you care to admit.

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Ryan, In case you didn’t catch the list of extremely diverse movies I have listed and then referred to repeatedly throughout this thread. The argument is –

Journo – ‘Hey Aussie filmmaking community! Why do we only make dark suburban dramas in this country?’

Anthony – ‘Hey Journo. Try these on for size. I LOVE YOU TOO, KENNY, KOKODA, BENEATH HILL 60, AUSTRALIA, TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN. THE LOVED ONES, WOLF CREEK, THE BANK, MAO’S LAST DANCER,THE TREE, TEN CANOES, ANIMAL KINGDOM, LOU, BLACK BALLOON, THE WAITING CITY, CHOPPER, LUCKY MILES, HEY HEY IT’S ESTHER BLUEBURGER, HAPPY FEET, HAPPY FEET 2, CHOPPER, THE OWLS OF GA’HOOLS… Should I go on? Cause I’ve seen most Aussie films.. Let’s see BALIBO,DYING BREED,THE BOYS ARE BACK, BRAN NUE DAY, BRIGHT STAR, DAYBREAKERS, THE HORSEMAN, CHARLIE AND BOOTS, CACTUS, MARY AND MAX, THE LUCKY COUNTRY, TWO FISTS ONE HEART, STONE BROTHERS, 9.99, ACOLYTES, I KNOW HOW MANY RUNS YOU SCORED LAST SUMMER, THREE BLIND MICE…. should I also educate you on the ones about to be released or recently financed? GRIFF THE INVISIBLE, RED HILL, SAY NOTHING, THE SAPPHIRES…’

How many of these films can you say you have seen Ryan? Or are you just speculating?

Can you please, just out of curiosity, break these all down into genre, and put a star next to all the ‘dark suburban dramas’? Just for kicks.

Cause these are some of the films we actually make. And the myth that we only make dark dramas is ill-informed. Of course we make them sometimes, every country does. But they are a part of the Australian film landscape, not the whole sum of it.

I want a successful film industry too mate. I hate seeing bad films too. I hate it when they don’t succeed at the box office. But the problem certainly isn’t in the diversity of our film slate.

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Martin, Very constructive thoughts. I agree with you on a lot of your points. It’s a pretty complex scenario. And I think it’s slowly improving through your kind of informed and focused observations.

I need to actually go and do some work now. I’m tired 😉

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Look this is as much an ongoing conversation about Australian Culture in general as it is about the Australian Film Industry and a Australia as a diverse creative culture with many diverse forms of creative expression.
But maybe lets think about things in sporting terms
How long did it take Collingwood to win a Grand Final..20 years
Did in that period, with so much money spent on teams that didn’t win the holy GF grail of the AFL, did the supporters lose faith? No..the supporters, detractors, competitors and journalists made their opinions heard..the team tried to develop more talent, spending more money in the process and at the same time developing brand Collingwood that is now the number one team in the AFL…now I’m not an AFL supporter..although I appreciate the game..why is it that when it comes to film..or the arts in general in this country is the arts industry put under the label of being controlled by some strange coven of “Intelligentsia”…I mean whats the opposite of this “un-intelligenstia”?
Also, the Social Network was used as “Why don’t we make films like?” that in this country call: Give a talented Australian Producer access $50Million + and to one of the worlds top five directors.. with one of the worlds best screenwriters combined with a great cast etc etc…that Australian “team” might make something of this Social Network calibre as well, or you could spread that $50million across a multitude of projects and develop multiple careers
..do some journalism Sarrah Le Marquand..leave the blogging to twits like me.

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It’s about bloody time we had this debated like this. Well done to all for the debate, so far it’s a fair discussion. Anthony, well done for using your own voice in this discussion, we don’t see to many people with your experience use their voice in this country.

I thought about what is being said long and hard before putting my own $14 in. This country without doubt has incredibly talented cast, crews, writers and directors. We see the same ones on every television show, every film, every awards show. It’s almost like watching the boys club at a dinner party. However, every now and then we see a glimmer of hope come through that stands on their own two feet. These shining stars can’t afford to hang out at Film festivals, travel the globe or even take time from their real job to head into Screen Australia to be rejected. Its years of persistence, passion and determination to get them even believing that one day they could make a film they are proud of. Unfortunately in this country there is a pecking order.

1. Be an editor of If Magazine (sorry absolutely loved Animal Kingdom and think David Michod is a really great talent and someone who will break down some heavy barriers to make great films —– BUT, he also has the help of his friends. Friends like the boys at Blue Tongue who are always featured in the same magazine that he used to edit (IF), an award show that seems to celebrate a certain few (ifawards) and an industry that see Blue Tongue as the sons they always wanted. I know most of the guys at Blue Tongue and I love the films they make but I also know the politics involved in the Aussie industry. Sometimes it would be awesome to give opportunity to others who have the same wants and needs. I know this is a bit foo-pa to sound like i’m having a go at these guys but over the past few years it’s becoming obvious that a few things have fallen into place with them that others couldn’t even dream of. So in relation to media and critics etc, I find that a lot of the time journo’s look after their own. David, loved Animal Kingdom – I thought Ben Mendelson gave the performance of his career!!!

When I was younger I loved Aussie films so much that i couldn’t stop buying them as soon as they came out (on video). Think Mad Max with that 16mm look, strong accents, real blokes and hot sheela’s! (had to add Mad Max as today I had my kids watch all Max Max films which they’d never seen before). These days my opinion of Aussie films is pretty much the same. The difference is now, that I know how bloody hard it is to make a film in this country. I still purchase every Aussie film that gets made (unless it has Paul Hogan in it) and know that the filmmakers have had to go through a lot of heart ache to get the film made. I look at films like Alexandra’s Project, Beneath Hill 60, Animal Kingdom, Balibo, Van Diemans Land, Rabbit Proof Fence, Chopper, Ten Canoes, Samson and Delila and know they all have something in common. They are all made with PASSION first and foremost, No money and the possibility of making their money back. These films i’ve mentioned are just as good as any Blockbuster from the U.S if not better but we continue to bag our own because we are taught to do it through the media.

My last film SALUTE, was the number one Aussie Doco at the box office in 2008, sold out a few times on DVD and has played constantly on Cable here in Australia and New Zealand and more recently started playing on cable in Russia. It’s also about to feature as part of GDAY USA in FEB on it’s FINAL release in America…. BUUUUT, I have yet made a single cent. My distributor doesn’t send me invoices, Screen Australia doesn’t push it overseas like other films in the boys club and yet I do this for a living. Why? because I love film and I want to tell great stories.

When my film came out I had people going to cinema’s across Australia to see a doco at the cinema, it got a 10 minute standing ovation from a 2000 strong packed audience at Sydney Film festival, it’s won major awards around the World and International a-list filmmakers consider it a masterpiece. Yet I have not made a single cent. It’s not reported that it’s successful overseas because it didn’t have the boys club to get it into Sundance or Canne etc. So while my distributor doesn’t pay, my funding body doesn’t take my calls and my film has 17 x 35mm prints in my garage because my distributor were going to burn them to make room for some Paul Hogan piece of crap, I have spent the last two years speaking to school children about Racism in schools, World Leaders like the Dalai Lama about the injustice of Tibetans being killed during an Olympic Games, Universities who have gathered in cinema’s to here me speak around the World on Skype on the big screen after the film, and now I’m heading to the USA to speak to Maximum Security prisoners about racism in Jail, all of this and even having a bounty on my head from the KKK to try and get a message out and food on the dinner table for my wife and four kids, then I watch the Movie Show (one of the proudest moments of my life as I loved that show) to have my film be called Laiden!!! My uncle died while I was making that film, I lost my home when I was making that film and everytime that film plays around the World it ALWAYS wins best film. But David from the Movie show thought it was Laiden.

I’m always up for some criticism but did he even watch it. I’ve been very lucky in the media with most people giving it 4 or 5 stars. But in Australia we have this amazing ability to kill a film purely because it’s AUSTRALIAN. The media shouldn’t back a film because it’s Australian but it certainly shouldn’t compare it to USA or any other country for that matter.

The blame rests on our funding bodies. Why aren’t our funding bodies spending more time in bed with our writers, new filmmakers, new producers, distributors.? Why? Because they believe they know what Australian audiences want to see. The fact is they don’t. They continue to doll out money to mates and block newcomers because they don’t know how to change attitudes. They don’t know how to communicate with filmmakers and they don’t know how to trust and respect the craft. All they see is money for them and their pen pals.

Ok, i’m raving. I think the biggest reason people think we have darkened films is because believe it or not, darker films are cheaper to make. I don’t know why so many people complain about our dark films. I in-fact think we need more of them. TRUE STORIES about REAL PEOPLE. In this day and age, we don’t even say hello to strangers passing us in the street in case we offend them. We have writers wanting, screaming, vomiting to be politically in-correct but can’t because our funding bodies still think that an Australian film has to be slap stick.

Some of my favorite films of all time actually come out of New Zealand. Most of them are stories being told about real people. Then we get films like Candy, Chopper, Balibo, Beneath Hill 60, Mens Group etc that were in their own way dark but also uniquely beautiful. Truthful. Story telling at it’s best. We just need to keep pumping out new talent. Not just the same talent with the same cast and crew. Look at our Television drama for the last 10 years. As soon as one drama stops another one pops up with the EXACT SAME CAST!!!!!

I think the other thing worth mentioning is that most of the writers I’ve had send their scripts etc want them optioned. That’s cool, but how can I option something when Screen Australia and my distributors can’t pay me for my own film that i spent 8 years making, $252,000 of my own money on and isn’t being backed? Most films these days are written, directed and produced by the same person… why? because we can’t afford to do it any other way? I bet the critics forget that. So easy answer, let’s get Screen Australia to pay the option price on unique and fresh scripts.

Done. Solved.

ps – Anthony, you’ve done some awesome work over the last few years. Congrats.

pps – I’m shooting 4 films in the United States in the next 6 months with a total slate budget of $45,000,000 with A-List cast and crew (trying to squeeze as many Aussies in as i can) How???? Because I wanted to and I was asked to. Yet Screen Australia still don’t take my calls. Anyone else see what’s wrong here? Now let’s see who criticizes me for being politically incorrect. Go ahead i’m so used to it.

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Sarrah Le Marquand thinks Australian films are bleak films no one wants to see.

Well Sarah if you were a woman and you walked in room, based on your logic you’d obviously be ugly, since you have a smart opinion. But is it an opinion worth listening too? Associate editor at the The Daily Telegraph…um…no thanks.

Vanify Fair think Australian film are blossoming. Have you heard of it? It’s a magazine that sells around the entire world.

The real shame is we have to go around the otherside of the world to hear it.

But really how can we really measure an australian film’s success? Just on Aussie box office alone? The Brits and the French don’t measure their films success that way. If a film can do well and compete in overseas markets I think that is a huge success. Just spend a few days in Cannes or any other film market and you’ll see.

As Anthony pointed out, repeatedly, there are many aussie films out doing just that.

So Sarah, face it, we make amazing films. Get used to it. And get a paper bag while you’re at it.

And in case your interested, if i was a woman, I’d neither be beautiful or smart.

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To Matt Norman: agree with just about everything you said. And you’re right, it is a debate we need to have – even if it was an evil journalist (cue scary music) who started it

To Scott: sorry mate but I’ve just read your comment twice and I can’t understand a word you’re saying

To Anthony Hayes: I’ll admit I haven’t seen every single one of those films you mention, but I do make a point of seeing as many Australian films as I can. It’s a bit of a shame that comments on forums like this tend to become a bit of a slanging match with commenters accusing other commenters of not having seen any local stuff. Like I said earlier, one side of this debate always seems particularly defensive and that’s a real shame

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I don’t think you can perceive one side as being defensive, I take it the defensive side being people who work in the Australia/International Film and TV industry? If you were to comment on any industry, I’ll pick up a dart and throw it at a board, WOW its landed on the mining industry! Now here’s an industry that is notoriously defensive about any comment or sense of intrusion about hey they get their stuff done, mainly raping the environment for cash..now this industry has its own lobby groups, marketing and PR machine and they as well all well know are very vocal and defensive about any commentary to with mining..much like the Big Banks. People who work in the arts must, if they are to continue the marathon, have a passion for what they do and this can sometimes come across I suppose as being defensive, especially when you see undue criticism landing on the target of well produced work like the Animal Kingdom.
Somehow AK is being judged with another mixed bag of highly morbid films that were devoid of a third act. AK is a film of vision that has tried, with a sense of style and respect for the medium of cinema, not TV like Underbelly, but cinema, highly artistic cinema that utilizes the tools of well trained and experienced cast and crew who have been supported by a cottage industry so somebody like Ben Mendlhson or Jackie Weaver can display their craft and accumulated dramatic skill.
Its an amazing feature debut by a talented and hardworking Director in David Michod. Australia should be proud of a film like this and make the attempt to understand it on a deeper level. Cinema and most artistic practices are as much about entertainment as the are about education and some films make the audience work for that education or entertainment…not all films are like this, but the one’s that do do it effectively are very thin on the ground. AK is a world class film that has won a world class award and may go on to win more.
This slagging by mainstream Australian culture is nothing new, its part of who we are. We live in a hero culture, littered with nattering Shock Jock Kings and Bogan Hamlets, we know where to put our sport stars, they perform, win or lose they have our respect and ridicule, always our audience. The generational cycles of Australian cinema are not that much different to sport, you have stars, genius like talent that comes and goes and a team can under perform for a cycle of years. So why as a culture are we more forgiving of often taxpayer funded sporting stars than we are of our artists? Is it that we mostly understand the path of an athlete: training, commitment, focus, good genetics, game smarts, speed and cunning..are these physical and mental talents of an athlete no different to those of a filmmaker? Maybe its more to do with the fact that as a culture we are becoming more conservative as life seems to become more threatening, constantly reinforced by mainstream media and we don’t actually like to be provoked into areas of contemplation? I mean at least 50% of the population think a guy who thinks the universe is 20,000 years old is a potential worthwhile leader of the country or the opposition. This belief is not dark, depressing, backward, strange, bewildering, amusing even dramatic? If Tony Abbott was a film he’d also fall into this dark depressing genre we seem to hate in this country…but if its on CSI…CITY HOMOCIDE..LAW AND ORDER..UNDERBELLY or Politics..its okay this dark depressing stuff because thats somehow free or too beyond us to think about?
Australian culture needs to toughen up and stop taking the mindless spoon feeding of TV in this country. We need to somehow begin to educate the Australian audience that cinema can mean many things working across a variety of distribution platforms and that badly Produced TV with cliched narratives is not the only yardstick to judge a film’s worth and that cinema can be provocative, disturbing, funny, strange and bewildering..a bit like life

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Sorry about the typo’s

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Ryan – you seem to be ignoring what Anthony is saying in regards to diversity by accusing him of being defensive. From what I have just read he’s pointed out a pretty broad spectrum of stories and genres. We could do a case study on each to determine why the majority didn’t find a big audience but that’s not what this debate was about in the first place. It’s a big generalisation to say we only make bleak, suburban films. And Sarah’s simplistic take on the whole thing which is reported in the Daily Telegraph and on Sunrise certainly isn’t doing the industry any favours. In my humble opinion.

Martin – that’s makes for very interesting reading.

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Ryan – I just re read my post too. I’m with you. Let me know if you figure it out. But it’s just an off-the-cuff remark to a rubbish article by a completely unqualified journo.

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I agree with Matt Norman’s comments about Blue Tongue, they seem to be everywhere and doing everything, which is great because I think this crew has obvious talent and a desire to produce cinema across a variety of genre’s, which you simply can’t encourage enough. But there is the danger, which we do repeatedly in TV Land, that we bless a group of people with the crown of “this is the crew that make our stuff” and everybody else can just fight over the crumbs. Comedy in this country has suffered from this mandate. Whereby it seems that midly talented extroverts are getting all the gigs and actual wit/humor seems to be a mere by- product of entry in the “Funny Club”..(don’t get me started on Australian Comedy) We’re a small country and everybody naturally wants to ride with a seemingly safe bet, but as we all know this is an industry filled with people “who don’t know anything” especially what the next hit is going to be…so if Blue Tongue are to inherent the mantle and help lead a kind of cinematic revolution in this country, then it would be wise of the funding bodies to increase a few wild card entries and see if they can set up a program that might see people like Blue Tongue financially encouraged to work with emerging writers.
I’d also like to see emerging actors/writers given more scope/help/funding to work with emerging filmmakers on projects that are mainly designed for cheapish production and distribution for a variety of platforms on the web, combined with a mentor program. The big problem with filmmaking is the time not spent making films…making cheap productions that rely on getting the basics right and have at least three weeks of dramatic rehearsal before production could help emmerging filmmakers develop the basic dramatic skills of filmmaking. Why funding bodies aren’t getting into bed with corporates like Canon(5DMk2, 7D driving a little digital revolution) Red, Panasonic, Sony or digital distribution platforms like Vimeo is really beyond me.
Its about spending money wisely embracing new technologies and teaching emerging filmmakers the craft..get the dramatic basics right, understand what these basics are within the context of a cinematic narrative…actively teaching people what drama is and how to create it, how to look for it and how to develop it on the page. Because technology has allowed people to quickly access filmmaking and eventually digital /film festival distribution, younger filmmakers are rushing to the visual with little understanding of how to create the slow burn of drama/comedy or even how to build three acts…and as we all know those three acts can be murderous and intellectually provocative in their creation. Film Funding bodies need to think outside the square with regard to career development…and corporates who make the accessible technology need to come to the party as well and be encouraged to see sponsorship as a grassroots marketing strategy for their products.

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Jim really well written.

When I first started making film, I went direct to Panasonic and they GAVE me a camera for free as long as i credit them. After a few films I went to Canon and they Gave me a camera. I literally built a business around Sponsorship opportunity as well. The thing is that every single film I make wins awards around the World. You can’t expect sponsorship unless you have the product to shine. When I first started I had so many people bagging me for doing my own publicity but the fact is that I had a responsibility to my sponsors to do that. Those same people that would try and cut me down are now still trying to make a film with no success. While I am now producing films with budgets up to $30Million U.S in America from my home in Ballarat.

The fact is we live in a country that spits on those that really want to achieve and our funding bodies only look after those that are either born into the industry, are mates with the management of the funding bodies or are the IT THING. You send these same people to the u.s and tell me how far they actually get on their own? They don’t get anywhere without their mates!! What I have tried to do at Wingman Pictures is provide content with A-List credit both cast and crew (Mostly American Talent as our agents are quick to not believe me when I contact them) and I look for scripts that are powerful on first read, or commercially powerful on attachments.

Wingman Pictures has grown dramatically in the last 12 months. We have partners in UK, USA, CANADA, ASIA, FRANCE all working with us for the same goal. I have never met any of them face to face in the flesh. This year when my film screened in Vancouver on the opening night of the Winter Olympics, I got no assistance from our funding bodies to be there to represent the film so I improvised and organised for me to do a Q&A after the film on the CINEMA SCREEN using skype. Yes, I got to talk to the audience being projected on the big screen and had audience members walk up to ask questions on a laptop.

Unfortunately we are living with the fact that our funding bodies refuse to give transparency in their current flow of funds. I’ve been ripped off but will the public or filmmakers be able to check up? no because they close shop and gag everyone.

We have the talent in this country for the greatest film industry in the World. Why aren’t our funding bodies giving honest opportunity to new talent then? Why? Well, why should they is their response!

This debate is about the Australian industry, so why aren’t Screen Australia ever answerable to the same industry being criticized. I have attempted to bring them out of their warm shell but they refuse to communicate. I now have the ability to bring multimillion dollar projects to this country but because they won’t communicate how can I ask for any tax credits when they just refuse to answer me? That means I have to for the sake of good business take the film to a country that wants it shot there.

Let’s prove to all the encore readers how this works. This is now a social experiment. I know Screen Australia are reading this as my company tracks all hits on its webpage and this article has had Screen Australia go to my films webpage, my company webpage on over a dozen occassions in the last few days. So now that we know they are watching let’s ask them this:

I am the producer of a $28,000,000 film that is the first of a trilogy. All post production is being done at Wingman Pictures Studio 1 with my partner in Melbourne and I would like to shoot and post produce the entire film here in Australia.

The film is packed with American A-List cast and crew and will be HUGE around the World this time next year. So instead of me pleading Screen Australia or our state funding bodies for a commitment to get it here, let’s see if they will contact me instead. I know they are reading this and this project is as real as they come. I have managed to secure 70% of funds and now require tax credits from Australia to shoot here. If the first one is shot here then the other two will be shot here. We’re now talking tens of millions of dollars going into this country.

We have studio executives attached. Distribution ready.

Screen Australia, this is my application. Yes I am applying for a producer offset through Encore. You now know it’s happening. We go into pre-in Mid January. If you won’t return my calls then let’s see if the Australian industry want the work?

Its clear to me that our industry is at the mercy of the ego’s at Screen Australia. No transparency means no industry. I’ll let you know if they contact me.

ps – yes this project is real. Shooting in LA but will bring it here if our funding bodies care enough to.

pps – I know I’m hated because I have a different approach. The difference is that I don’t expect our funding bodies to help this industry. I expect me to help this industry. If I can’t shoot here i’ll use as many aussies as i can living overseas.

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I completely and whole-heartedly agree with Matt Norman’s comment’s.

Being an actor who chose to study abroad (Vancouver Canada) I received nothing but positive, enthusiastic, supportive energy from Casting Directors, Agents, Directors, Other Actors, in fact the whole film community. I use the word community because that’s what it truly is.

Being an Australian and dam proud of it I was excited to get home and EARN my place. I was met by an industry where everything was a secret! Every door I knocked on was slammed in my face or not opened at all, now correct me if I’m wrong but is it not the Australian way to “give the little guy a go”?
I don’t lack in skill, I don’t lack in work ethic I do however lack a show business name nor do I have friends in the in-crowd. I know this same sentiment is echoed across many areas of the film and theater industry in Australia!

I often ask myself, what does one have to do. Do I defect to Canada or the US as so many have done? Do I wait it out until someone in the in-crowd takes a liking to me? Or as it seams Matt Norman has done do I find a way to Blaze my on trail?

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Hi James,

I suggest all of the above. I actually know of your talent and it’s a pity you haven’t got more opportunity in this country to show it off. The best advice to give is know your audience. If Canada gave you respect then you’ll find that you’ll learn a lot more there. This country used to pride itself on helping the underdog, now they want to put the dog under.

Fear not young Jedi. The World is a big place. Australia doesn’t have an industry like we used to. You’d be better off spreading your wings where your wings don’t get torn off your back anyway.

My company WINGMAN PICTURES is called that because my whole career i’ve had to grow a new set of wings to fly. Most aussies in this industry would rather you be a penguin not an eagle. don’t forget though that Australia is full of amazingly talented people. It’s much harder to find them because they never get supported. But they’re out there, trust me I’ve seen them.

The way I see it is that I’m not part of the boys club….. I AM THE CLUB. To me I now look after my own career. My only want these days is to make my investors happy and the audiences who love seeing the films I make. My industry has become the people who show me respect by paying money to go to the overpriced cinema to see my work. They are my industry. As i say to everyone… you’re always welcomed and encouraged in my industry. That’s a guarantee.

Do something crazy like, go back to Canada. It’s such an amazing place to make films, hang around people that WANT you to succeed and give you the tools to do it.

As Reg Grundy said (funny speech actually) Throw enough punches and you’re sure to land one of them. Punch away my friend… punch away!

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I think the wheels of change are very much on the slow roll to somewhere, but the same old snouts are still in the trough, some lining up to wheel out the same old tired ideas, precious half baked scripts and well worn narratives.
If I was an actor I’d try and spend some time researching the work of Directors/Writers/Producers on the fringe. Getting online and touring platforms like Vimeo, find filmmakers that you like, hopefully some will be local. most will be international, but you must be cunning and proactive to circumnavigate the sick industry machine that seems to reward the bright shining smile above and beyond everything else. Acting is a craft, I’m sure it is, I know it is, I’m reminded of this every time I step onto a set and see somebody who “can’t act” but looks very handsome on TV Week or some other glossy magazine of accurate nothingness.
But really, what needs to happen is the people, the taxpayers need to have more say in the development programs that are being rolled out in this country, funding bodies need to be accountable.. for film funding bodies to simply sit back and say “We are in the know”…”we are getting it right” is arrogant beyond belief. They simply aren’t and by counting how may programs you offer as a measure of success, is like working at a Macca’s counting the amount of fatty burgers you pump out and saying “Gee isn’t this great, people are getting fat”, the burger is still crap and really no matter how many you sell, it ain’t a good product in the end, but hey at least their making money..whatever that means..it is sustainable, but with 50+% of Australians obese I’d debate it.
I think South Australia is leading the way to some degree..god knows whats going on at Film Victoria…they seem to be patting themselves on the back constantly about the number not the quality of their programs.. most of their seed funding development programs have been axed or are under review and when they were up they were very wishy washy and unclear about the criteria needed..they are simply not performing as strongly as they could be. Our taxpayer money is being wasted, not in simple terms like the ridiculous argument that we are making product that is too black and dark, we are simply not directing money into development in a way that will gives us bang for our buck. If we agree that quality filmmaking is cyclic in nature, that every generation throws up its talent, then where will the next generation of quality writers/directors come from, how will they be realized and how long will this take?
Should more filmmakers wait for ten years to get a project up like David Michod and Andrew Dominik (I know there are more)? Maybe that’s not such a bad thing, good scripts take time to boil, but we need intelligent development programs that can help streamline the creation of quality content so emerging filmmakers can become blips on the local and international radar. Already I am seeing the blueprint being rolled out for those in the know to inherit the crown..but what about the fringe dwellers, how will they make the break? I can’t see any ambitious funding programs that are focused on screenwriting, everything seems to be focused on the generation that keeps being rewarded for creating substandard productions…that is a real concern, because I simply don’t believe that the current crop of established and emerging screenwriters have got what it takes..or are also given enough avenues to create quality drama and develop the necessary skills required.
From an acting point of view Australian TV is just shocking in terms of blooding substandard extroverted emotionally devoid actors who seem to care more about their profile, stylist and utterly stuff all about the craft. I really do feel for actors, talent doesn’t rise to the top in this country, its no different for writers and directors…its always the talentless who seem to make the most noise and indulge in shameless self promotion based upon a foundation of very one trick pony antics.
I think a mandatory program of producing a revolving Telemovie every fortnight across all the free to air channels would help create a better skill set and respect for dramatic content. Your dark and bleak drama’s can sit alongside the dark and bleak CSI, City Wankercide, Rush, Law and Order etc etc..but hey this stuff ain’t bleak..its TV..its stuff..ummm…entertainment..I think…yeah and when I get swamped with the dark and the bleak I’ll flick a channel and see fabulous “A B C D List Talent” strutting their stuff. Can the people who run Australian TV start to respect the culture that they exist in? Stop seeing their audience as mindless plebs, stop thinking that somehow they hold the keys to what can be considered quality entertainment, stop putting pressure on Line Producers to rush productions and churn out crap. Could people in Australian TV actually listen to writers with real vision…could we possibly help nurture our own David Simon’s (aka The Wire) or Breaking Bad’s to name a few. Probably not…mainly because writers are having to pitch to people with backgrounds in marketing, HR, accounting, publicity and business management. Could the people who work in Australian TV try and produce one comedy show that actually tried to break new ground or could be as potentially entertaining as an average BBC produced comedy, not the nest just an average one might do, we might evolve from there.
I mean what is going on? Why are we being constantly told that was is obvious crap..is actually good. Well polished turns, dressed with a ribbon, is still just a well polished turd. The last truly great TV production I witnessed in Australia was Blue Murder…made Underbelly look cringe worthy. But we are constantly told how great Underbelly is, what great brand it is..well its shite…there I said it..but we live in hope lets see what this next crop of telemovies is like, I’ve read one of the scripts, “Tell them Lucifer was here” it has some real promise, lets hope they get it right.
What is going on? Why have people in the la la land of TV simply lowered the bar so low..not just for them but for all of us, as a creative nation.. do they actually think so little of their own culture? I think its a shocking cultural crime, to see so much talent in this country go to waste. Pay TV is trying..but maybe after years of neglect the scripts and ideas just aren’t there, so if they aren’t how do we generate them? Quality development funds.
We need to start somewhere, because what we have now is an industry infected with nepotism, tunnel vision and option paralysis….daisy chained to a local TV industry that has become shallow, incestuous, unambitious, moronic, sycophantic and just plain boring. “G’day Australia” its the “Sunrise Show” of a new digital revolution, with growing respect for our own creative culture and our audiences diverse range interests. I’d love to wake up and see that one morning…I feel its a long way off, hopefully I’m wrong. Would you like fries with that?

An intelligent hell would be better than a stupid paradise.
-Victor Hugo

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A common theme amongst this discussion seems to be the power of the media… and that journalists are misrepresenting Australian film in the media… and as such the public perception is also inaccurate. It’s fair to say then, that media relationships are a key part of our success as filmmakers?

So as filmmakers we should ensure our films reach the media. We should pay attention to how our films are received by the media. We should form good relationships with the media. Keep them informed with what we’re up to and why. Find out their opinions on things. We should respect them. We should make sure we are making films that serve their needs as an audience as well. They are, after all, part of the Australian audience (and not all of it). AND we should do this will ALL our audiences. We should know what they want, and what they need, and what they like.

And if “Australian film” has a bad “brand recognition”, if people see it negatively (irrespective of whether WE think they should or not), there’s no point complaining about it – as I think Anthony said – we should do something about it.

We should make films that meet the needs of our audiences. And we should give the brand a makeover.

We should get together create a kickass multi-media (film, tv, online, print) PR campaign that re-shapes the public’s brand perception – in a way that is targeted to appeal to each of the different audiences. Every big business knows the power of marketing and branding. If Australian film wants to be a “big business”, if we want to play with the big boys, we have to do the things the big boys do, and ideally, do them better. It’s not rocket science.

Come on! We’re filmmakers. We’re storytellers. We’ve supposed to be experts at communicating ideas to audiences! Any failure for our stories to reach audiences is somehow, somewhere, our own failure to communicate. But its not a big deal, we just have to address it.

We can’t control what people think of us. All we can do is communicate with them clearly, in a way that meets their needs. Happiness is a function of expectation and need being met.

Let’s get together and find out what the different audiences want and need from Australian film – and then put together a campaign to re-vamp the brand? And this is probably not the only issue. We can create other projects that make a difference too.

We shouldn’t wait for the government to solve our problems. We have the savvy and the talent to do it ourselves.

I’ll organise it… if you’ll be part of it…

Contact me now through my website.

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Hi Gillian,

Although I agree with some of what you’re saying. Unfortunately the media should not be the ones we make films for. The issue in Australia is not necessarily how the media look at us but more what our own funding bodies both State and Federal are allowing to be seen. With rare exception we’ve managed to have a few films come through with merit, but what about the films that didn’t make it due to the choice of our funding bodies.

Have you ever been to a film festival and watched a brilliant masterpiece on screen only to find that the Screen Australia or Film Victoria funded films WIN for best film. I’ve seen it several times. Guess who the sponsor of the film festival is…. yep, you guessed it!!!!

Maybe our media are starting to feel the way our writers, directors, producers and actors are feeling. Where is the fresh talent, the fresh ideas and the fresh opportunities.

Maybe the screening progress for scripts going in for funding should get shared with 50 old and new talents from all sectors of the film industry. A small fee for those 50 people to read the scripts for an entire year while also working their craft. Those 50 vote and critique each script for it’s strengths and weekness’s and at least then we’ll get a clearer vision of what the PEOPLE see as worth putting Tax Payer money into.

Then 12 months later another 50 industry are chosen. It seems that there are 3 or 4 people saying yes or no to the film projects coming through. Some have big attachments and some have small. Why not give out funding to people just starting as long as they have either a mentor or certain crew involved. That way, new talent are encouraged by those who have more experience, more opportunity comes to bring fresh new ideas to the screen and we celebrate old and new and encourage a better future in this industry.

The same people are getting funding every time. TV should also do the same thing. We could certainly do with a LOT more drama on our TV screens. Why not give that money to new talent with a mentor. I have no doubt that some would disagree but at least consider the possibility. I believe it could work well in this country.

Gillian, I will never make films for the purpose of the media. I don’t really care that much about what the media want, I care about what the audiences will enjoy. Yes filmmaking is an art form of turning the mirror on ourselves. The media pose as one person’s thoughts on what THEY think the filmmaker should have done not society. They are paid to have an ego. Sometimes though we have journo’s who have something real to say. Good critics don’t give answers we want to hear, they give opinion for the purpose of letting audiences know about the film. Ultimately for them to go watch it.

If you are like me then when ever I hear how BAD a film is, I’ll go check it out myself. Politics in this industry is it’s greatest killer.

[note from the editor: this comment has been edited for legal reasons].

I’m not just saying this about our film industry. Our music industry is EXACTLY the same. The boys club there is bigger than anything.

The debate continues.

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The media obviously play a roll in helping filmmakers publicize their productions. But if we are to go back to the original argument here that was sparked by an infantile, poorly researched and simplistic understanding of how films are made in this country and actually the whole world over, we might also realize that the media are a very big cog in the machine that helps keep Australian Culture form being all that it could, they are the real INTELLIGENTSIA (or UN-INTELLIGENTSIA) the media are the ones who are actually driving this national obsession with all things bleak and dark, handballing the blame onto Australian Film.

This doesn’t mean there hasn’t been a healthy flux of films that are cut form this mould and we should make a more diverse range of narrative content. Basically if it wasn’t for murderers, serial killers and evil in general Australian TV would be just predominately Weather Reports and Sport, Music Video’s and early morning cartoons, so to label Australian film as too bleak and dark…how does The Herald Sun, The Age and other “high quality broadsheets” like The Daily Telegraph turn a buck? By being sensationalist, by endlessly reporting on the dark and the bleak to the point of morbid fascination.

If crime/evil didn’t exist what would they do? So when some halfwith trundles off to the cinema and sees The Social Network like some bumbling babe in the cinematic woods, her highly original idea for her next “insightful” expose on Australian Film, is The Ugly Truth of Oz Film.

It would never cross this person’s mind to google the budget of said film and do some basic math..no Australian Films fail because the latte sipping tax funded intelligentsia, in between brief bouts of existential angst, conjure up the dark underbelly and flog it off as cinema..yeah that’s what they do, smug bastards!

My thoughts on the Australian TV industry and the vital role they could play in helping to broaden the craft of filmmakers are well documented above. We could create the best kickass PR campaign in the world but its not going to stop the onslaught of crap TV product dumped in this country, product that has been actively shaping the pallet of Australian audiences to the point that everything is banal flavoured…everything.

Really…cinema in this country should concentrate more on having a global appeal for its audience, if Australian audiences follow, then thats a plus, personally I’d rather have a film succed on a global level first and if it happened to be embraced here in Australia that’d be great. But the brand has been beaten into a pulp and only consistently adventurous productions are going to reshape the brand into something Australian audiences won’t sneer at.

I know I’ve personally given up writing films to be produced here…although I would love to see a film produced and succeed in Australia its long past being a priority, it really is just way too hard. I get more feedback for screenplays from the UK and USA, there’s just too many hoops to jump through to even think of accessing funding. Australian Producers just have a full slate and I think the majority don’t have the vision or the stamina…which is painful to watch, because we do have the talent at the production level, we just don’t get any help at the script development phase, help that doesn’t involve a maze of utterly ridiculous criteria that simply insures that the same tired ideas get wheeled out, by the same tired intellects. Don’t worry Film Vic, when I get that two hours of air time locked away and I can finally apply for script development funding, I’ll make sure I call collect from abroad, just to say I won’t be applying…again…ever. Actually I might make that call now.

If Australian TV can get its act together, which I highly doubt, this lack of faith is mainly to do with the cynical, closeted, cautious and unambitious mindset that seems to be the badge of honour needed to proudly work in the Australian TV Industry, I’d love to be proven wrong…also how was Liz Watts being bundled off her acceptance speech at the recent AFI’s because they were running out of time…what a joke…what a really sad sad joke, it just shows the bottom line of commercial TV and how little they care for hard work..well done AK…a shining light of what is plausible when an intelligent filmmaker, with a great cast and crew is supported and given access to make a piece of quality cinema with a global appeal can do….

Maybe that’s the real ugly truth of Australian Film…focused pragmatic support across the full spectrum of a film’s production…funding bodies take note! Australian TV +Media in general..shape up and stop wearing the false mask of patriots and maybe actually stop your obsession with the dark underbelly of the human condition.

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Wow Jim, you should be working for the NSW state government with a mindset like that . What, us? We haven’t done anything wrong, it’s all the media’s fault.

The way Gillian’s proactive approach was shot down by another reader is indicative of the head in the sand attitude that dominates much of the industry here. Matt, did it ever occur to you that media criticism of local films is reflective of how broader audiences feel? It’s easy to scoff that you refuse to make films for the media, but what you’re really saying is that you refuse to make films for mainstream audiences.

Let’s face it, the media is really just a strawman in this argument. And the simplistic and childish demonising of journalists and newspapers as offered by Jim in the preceding comment only confirms how out of touch with the broader population that line of reasoning is.

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Before I say anything on this matter, my disclaimer is that I am a relative newbie in this industry as I’ve not done a day of film-training in my life and decided to make a feature (THE DINNER PARTY currently out in the UK and set to release in Aus next Feb). I am from Canberra – yeah, try getting someone in Sydney to return your call when your a canberran film-maker….’oh dear….he’s from Canberra’… Industry return my calls from London though. I have also worked in several other industries in my short life, that being IT, Cost Accounting, Sales, Govt, so I can compare my experience in the film-industry with other industries.

Firstly I would like to say that I believe and relate to everything Matt Norman has said – And by the way as an additional point I have been looking on the ScreenAus website – I won’t name names but how the fuck do you get your own film funded by ScreenAus when you work as an investment manager for ScreenAus??? Have I missed somethng ? is this not a conflict of interest? In any other federal department or within tender projects for IT, you would NEVER be allowed to submit ..let alone actually GET the funding. Film-makers should know this in our country – Young idealistic and talented artists in our country should know what they are up against – I wish I did as I would have gone to London a looong time ago under a ‘take the path of least resistence’ attitude.

I don’t believe the problems in our film industry have anything to do with ‘bleak and dark films’ or ‘ films made for self therapy’ or ‘suburban’. This is a very surface, ill-informed and shallow view and given how close knit the media is with the funding bodies and associated films perhaps this type of media is sent out occassionally just to keep us all ‘flapping about’ while they pat eachother on the back and fund eachother…..’keep the peasants busy while we steal grain from their silos’ I learnt this when i got my film in Raindance, got a nomination, sold it within weeks….and then I come back to Australia “Oh my fucking god, somebody get me out of here’. It is honestly confusing going over to London and doors start flying open in the industry. Why? because in a large and true democratic economy run by true market indicators as opposed to oligopolies and corrupt boys clubs, they respect what you have done – then you come back here and are treated like a refugee in your own country.

I love this country but something broke in me a few months ago, and I no longer want to be here – Im lucky enough to be married to an English gal so Ill be going where I am wanted – simple as that. We’ve been black listed in this country by factions i barely know and for reasons I am unaware of and rather than have access to any level of support or funding here, these factions have actively tried to stop this film. And for what?? having initiative and creating something outside the regulated, controlled and ultimately corrupt small town system here – Other cultures see initiative and ‘making something from nothing’ as a valuable personal quality and that gets me onto my main point.

Main Point – As an Independent film-maker, am I wanted in this country/culture? This country puts billions into sport and as a film-maker who has succesfully sold a film internationally, I have been supported with $0 federally.. So ultimately its like trying to get back with an ex-girlfriend who does not want me – well I can take a hint cause I got a NEW girl and she is called ‘London’ and she wants me and she respects me and she returns my calls…and even spends money on my film!!!. And now the Aus industry puts it back on us ?? telling us ‘Aus film-makers need to do this and they need to do that’..Don’t fucking tell me what to do! – you gave me nothing and left me out in the cold and now its up to me to fix this industry! pffftt

So ultimately, we are in a culture that does not want us and if they did want us then there would be grass roots funding and top level funding for ALL film-makers. Funding based on merit and broad levels of achievement (like ANY films sold to another country should be supported through funds and media) not a god-damn group of people sitting around stamping ‘approved’ on there own applications. These decisions need to be made from the top and until that happens I will never make another film through this countries system, I would rather smash my hand with a hammer than go through that again.

I’m going where I am wanted cause it would be emotionally retarded not too…That would be my message to new and talented film-makers…… Like they say in horror films…’GET OUT’!

The aus film industry is a black hole – Incredible talent and resources goes into it and the results pop out into another country.

Brendan Sloane
Producer
THE DINNER PARTY
http://www.thedinnerparty.com.au
canaryellow2001@yahoo.com.au

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Lastly, I would like to quote Johnny F

….’I’m not gonna sit in silence, I’m not going to live with fear’….

Sloane

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Miguel, I appreciate your argument but, with the exception of this latest piece from Melbourne where the writer is very candid in her avoidance of Australian films (which, for the record, I also find disappointing from a journalist), I think it’s a bit rich to assume none of the journalists who dare critique the calibre of Australian films have actually seen any themselves. As for the point that was made in this original ‘ugly truth’ piece, was it really so far fetched? Obviously the president of SPAA didn’t think so. As much as it clearly pains most of us to admit, the fact is that local films are failing to connect with mainstream audiences. The box office doesn’t lie.
And the level of vitriol some of the commenters here have levelled at the Australian media in general is plain embarrassing. Is it any wonder we get accused of being snobs and out of touch with the general public when people like Jim make these sort of glib generalisations about any journalist who doesn’t happen to agree with him?

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gee Ryan A..maybe we can both get a job for NSW Govt and you can answer the question you wished you were asked. What I’m saying is that THE MEDIA are probably more obsessed with the darker side of life and profit from it and then can also very quickly turn that dark narrative into anything they want..and do…Underbelly anybody?…the glamour side of the dark underbelly of Australian crime. The Victroian Police force won’t have anything to do with this production and for good reason, its a bullshit representation of real life crime. Gillian is being proactive, maybe a little naive, but proactive, I’m not shooting her down, I actually agree with her, yeah we could do with a PR makeover, yes we have made some films that don’t connect, but you might also scroll up Ryan A and see I agreed with a lot you have said in this debate..so
Maybe lest go federal you be Gillard and I’ll be Rudd and lets see how the dice falls. The mdeia isn’t a strawman and its a simplistic view to think that they don’t also play a vital role in exhausting the dark narrative that Australian audiences have been swamped with.
I have never said or scoffed (whatever that is) that I refuse to make films for the media, what I am saying is that it is highly hypocritical for one media outlet to criticize another for wallowing in the dark and the bleak when the one doing all the criticizing makes an enormous amount of capital from exploiting the misfortunes of others..if not.. I must be reading different newspapers, watching different mind numbing news…ever heard of a slow news day? Just wait until somebody starts killing somebody and it ain’t so slow
And yes Ryan A it has occurred to all of us that what the media are saying is reflective of Australian audiences…but how many times have I heard “jim when are you gonna write something we can watch on TV?”..the usual reply “That cold day in hell is just around the corner”..so if film is being singled out lets flash that reflective torch around a little and see who really stands to gain “from a crazy f$@ked up world”
We as filmmakers do listen to audiences and I personally would love to have Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher working on my next $50 million+ production in OZ. Is it gonna happen? I SCOFF (to use your riveting vernacular from the view of my intelligentsia throne) at the suggested pipe dream.
I think the Australian film industry has done plenty of wrong, the last ten years have been woeful….but who’s flinging the mud? Well.. the people who thrive on the dark bleak underbelly of the human condition…the Australian Media and Australian audiences..but thats okay because thats okay because that’s on TV or in DAILY print

gimme a break Ryan..please..just a little one

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Glib…are you Ryan actually looking at Australian culture with open eyes? I’m not asking for journalists to agree with me..but Ryan why can’t you simply see what it is I’m trying to say “He who casts the first stone”. Journalists thrive on human turmoil…This is not just about filmmakers making dark and bleak films..this is a debate about Australian culture in general, a culture sliding down a slippery slope…I swear if we made nothing but comedies for the next ten years audiences would be saying..”where’s the serious drama about the real human issues”. I think as a young culture we hate ourselves, we’ve been swamped with so much cheap foreign product we don’t know much about ourselves anymore and with the constant mantra of fear from Rupert Murdoch and others, we don’t seem to rejoice in oursleves anymore or what we might have to offer creatively. Ruperts taken the wrecking ball to the USA and now he’s sizing up Australia…why must an old man want to wreck everything and keep us locked in a state of fear, dilute reason and debate, conquer and divide like some senile bitter Roman Emporer, use fear and hate to turn oursleves in on each other, liquify reason by branding some as intelligentsia, turn politics into a hand puppet show..I think mainly because time makes old men of power redundant..better to take the wrecking ball to the lot and be done with it…like being buried with your horse when you die..bitter old prick that he is. I think he simply hates old age and hates that he won’t be a player in exciting times.

Think harder Ryan please..see the bigger picture..yes filmmakers need a kick up the butt…but so does the majority of mainstream media in this country..combined with that once great craft called Journalism.

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Hi Ryan,

Welcome to the party first and foremost. You made a rather empty comment above which I thought I would start on.

You said “Matt, did it ever occur to you that media criticism of local films is reflective of how broader audiences feel? It’s easy to scoff that you refuse to make films for the media, but what you’re really saying is that you refuse to make films for mainstream audiences”.

Ryan I can agree and disagree here with you. One, do i think media critiicism of local films is reflective of how broader audiences feel?? The answer to that is yes, sometimes. As I also wrote above, the media in this country are connected most of the time in some way or another to a project. Eg Ever heard of a press release from a big distributor? Some so called journalists are seen copying word for word these press releases and calling it a review, how do i know? well it’s happened to me 5 or 6 times.

two, my comments are based on the funding bodies not giving new talent a go. I’d love to hear your informed opinion on that one?

You also say I SCOFF that I refuse to make films for the media and then go on to assume what I’m really saying is that i REFUSE to make films for mainstream audiences… Get out your clippers young Ryan. You just showed why our media SCOFF at Australian films. You just made up something I said to suit your point. The fact is it was fact-less. IF you actually knew what films I do then you’d know that I make films that will bring money back to my investors and receive acclaim one way or another. The difference is mate, I don’t make films to please everyone. I make films that I want to make for purely self motivating reasons.

I am the producer of an American big budget trilogy shooting early next year in LA. That’s certainly going to be financially beneficial and you’ll be fed this film down your throat for the next 5 years with the other two films to follow. So commercially I think I’m fine when you see that film on every kids lunchbox across the planet.

The fact is my love of film comes from my want and need to tell a certain type of story. Unfortunately for me, I am someone that actually involves myself in fighting civil and human rights injustices. That means that most of my passion films are about devastation, grubby subjects, sad events and injustice. Should I not make those because our media think that it’s the same old shit as they think is right?

I’ll make those films to inspire debate, inspire reflection, inspire direction and be involved in using the platform of my films to send a clear message to audiences that we are part of the same breed. My films aren’t ALL meant to inspire friggin popcorn sales or to sell my face on the cover of a magazine (like others seem to be). What’s funny about my story is that I’ve already been able to secure more funding in my American film slate than the entire Screen Australia budget for the year.

For those wanting to know if Screen Australia contacted me today in regard to my social experiment then the answer is NO. $100 Million dollars just changed location.

The media are connected Ryan. AFI awards… hmmmm I absolutely loved Animal Kingdom, loved it. Did anyone really look at Beneath Hill 60? Why wasn’t Jeremy Sims standing on that stage. What an incredibly well directed film. (i don’t know Jeremy for those who just jumped at that conclusion) but what I’m saying is the AFI’s again showed how obvious we are here. How it really works.

I love giving my own examples of things to showcase how i see it. When I submitted and paid $500 just to have my film screen for the judges of AFI’s it wasn’t nominated even though he was number one at the Aussie box office for an aussie doco, Won several awards around the world and also beat all nominated films in festivals they went up against mine in but my film which also cost $2Million dollars to make did not get a nomination because later I heard “Someone at SA suggested not to give me a platform”. Wow, I miss a nomination for a film that took me an eternity to make that the Australian public were swarming to see at the Cinema (that doesn’t happen much) and I was told that it would give me a platform to go off at the crooks at SA.

So Ryan, are you a filmmaker or a journalist or someone that stands by the watercooler? I’d like to know how you fit and how you’ve come to your opinion whilst also making mine up?

To finish, you said “the fact is that local films are failing to connect with mainstream audiences. The box office doesn’t lie”….. Ryan, come spend a day with me mate. You are sooooo right.! the box office doesn’t lie. The funding bodies do though. Why do you think the box office doesn’t show good numbers on Australian films.? A few reasons.. 1) because we only get to see the films SA want us to see as they fund them and 2) because most of the time the films THEY fund are shit and don’t really justify spending so much on. As I’ve also said, we have films that are stunning, perfect, beautiful, worthy but are not encouraged because of a boys club system that rapes the industry of any opportunity.

Ryan, you sound like you haven’t seen it from inside the dark camps of distribution and funding? Once you see it you never forget it. The faces of crime haunt you as you sleep, they smile and say “I’m screen australia – you can’t touch me, i’m protected”.

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Matt, who is saying all Australian films have to be popcorn flicks? Nobody. It’s just we need a few commercial productions along with the arthouse to get bums on seats.

I might be being unfair here but it seemed to me you were practically spitting out the words when you said “I make films that I want to make for purely self motivating reasons.”

If the guys at Encore had any balls they’d be subjecting that kind of arrogant self-serving attitude up to a little scrutiny rather than just taking pot shots at those in the mainstream media who are simply saying what everyone who despairs at the state of the local industry knows to be true

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Oh Ryan grow some ballz yourself..Encore provide the platform use some intellect and think outside the square..don’t dance around it…I stand by remark that you seem to be a mere Orange Boy watching ther great game unfold as you simmer with silent frustration and wonder why you haven’t gotten your chance to “shine”. Suck it up and make your film and get involved is all I can say., go and train your ass off and maybe you can have a play..how to get involved?
Read on, I’m going to outline a potential solution below…something you Ryan A have simply failed to do…you haven’t offered one solution to our problems you’ve just got the whip and you’re giving it a flog…applauding really half baked Journalism, and picking little bits here and there to suit the same old tired argument…and it is half baked…the opinion might not be…but the journalism is, poorly researched..So what if she talked to Mister Ginnane, everybody does and even he rolls out the same old tired comments at least he didn’t say he wanted to line up a load of Producers and shoot them..Mr Ginnane if you’re reading have a think about this and use some muscle to get something moving?

This tawdy bit of nothing from The Daily Telegraph isn’t the first time..read this article form The Age by my very favourite journalisto “Special Agent” Michale Coulter: “Screening the same old dreary story: http://www.theage.com.au/opini.....-f3i3.html written in August 2009 and he gives it a fair whack of the stick and makes some insightful comments…and Ryan A and all those others out there who think I’m defending the state of the Australian Film industry..think again…I’m just like you far from happy about it, what do I do with that unhappiness? I try and write my way towards a better tomorrow..and feel strongly if I can get something up overseas, maybe the local industry might shine some interest my way. I get proactive I don’t kick the can down the street and accept the tawdy state of things and SCOFF at those who throw stones, I know that creativity can change things and so I buckle up and spend as much time trying to write the scripts I think might convince a Producer they could make some money…no luck here…but I am getting whispers abroad
The PR problem that the Australian Film Industry faces isn’t going to be fixed by some kick ass media campaign… if the prioduct is still a turd no amount of polish will disguise this fact. So how do we make the product more robust and entertaining? Hmmm…social media will play massive part.
Has anybody noticed what Amazon is doing here http://studios.amazon.com/

“Already, more than a thousand scripts have been uploaded to Amazon Studios. We’d like to thank everyone for their enthusiasm, and mark that milestone by announcing a bonus contest: $20,000 to each of the two best scripts uploaded by Dec. 31, 2010.”

Now the idea is riddled with problems read here http://johnaugust.com/archives.....film-thing and to some degree trivializes the craft of screenwriting, but as I have pointed out before that the craft of screenwriting like the word “genius” is the most trivialized art form on the planet, so if it takes another slap, who cares? Why isn’t Screen Australia actively designing and making a similar social media plaform to unearth the writers who have a script in the glovebox, one in the bathroom cabinet and another under the couch. Why aren’t they utilizing the power of social media to defect the flak they cop daily and open up new pathways that don’t involve jumping through the hoops to gain recognition and subsequent funding…why why why why? Why are you not getting into bed with Corporate sponsors and lubing up to design a national social meadi driven platform to unearth the next wave of quality narratives that are going to drive Australian Audiences back towards some level of respect for their own cultural product. get the public involved, allow them to be discovered, If you are going to rely on the same old cycles and systems of application, criteria hoop jumping and nepotism..then we as an idustry are really dead in the water..dead dead dead. As Lord Puttman recently said “it just the model that needs to be fixed” Fresh ideas are whats going to drive change…social media will play a large part

SCREEN AUSTRALIA (and all the state funding bodies)..rather than staying mute I’d like an answer to this question…soon…if not I will utilizie the power of social media to make sure I get one. You’ve been warned. Staying mute helps nobody in what should be a public and robust debate about how public funds are spent and how talent is recognized. You’re aren’t getting it right..and you know it as well. Be honest, invite input, throw up fresh ideas…we won’t bite..well maybe Matt Norman will (kidding kidding..you’ve thrown some sound advice around Matt and you are actively pursuing avenues abroad..well done is all I can say)

Federal Government..why a mining tax…why not a tax on gambling..a cultural tax..use the same thing that is eroding this culture to benefit it culturally…and funnel some of that swill from the trough towards develop better screenplays. The money is out there..it always is…go an grab it. Fat Cats of business…that harbour view is part of a country a society you live in…maybe start getting involved?

Now from what I’ve been reading here from the Orange Boys standing on the sidelines looking on (don’t worry I’m still one as well) there is a seething frustration at the supposed elitist nature of the film industry..and having worked in this industry for the last ten years I’d say that is resembly valid…a house of cards whereby those that should “really don’t know anything” especially how to discover rising talent..if we did then why is Max Barry a Melbourne Author having his book Machine Man made by an American production company as Sarah LeMarquand would say “Why didn’t we get there first?”. I had a similar story about a friend who wrote a great novella..a gripping teenage thriller…sent it out to a list of top Producers..any reply? Nooooo…what happened?Its now being now made into a film in the USA.. if we are getting it so right.. why does the brain drain continue?

Until we start seeing that the film industry problems we face are embedded into our cultural perespective of who we are, why we are and what is influencing this insecure adolescent pimple faced mindset..we will continue as a highly creative nation to make films that don’t connect…the talent is out there….its just not being discovered and when it does its by another adolescent pimple faced culture who see’s our creative worth..a tragic story of unrealized potential I think even Shakespeare would have taken a stab at.

Adapt Improvise Overcome..

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Dark and Bleak? And this is what we think is the root cause of the Australian Film Industry? I remeber a few years back at the Oscars, No Country For Old Men, There Will be Blood, two of my favourite all time films ruled the oscars that year, amazing pieces of Dark Bleak cinema. I think we need to get rid of the Kitchen Sink Melodrama’s set in Sububia, fund those bore-athons yourself..Dark and Bleak can be very entertaining…at least I think so. There’s some interesting comments being thrown around here, keep it up

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Well Ryan…nice whinge.. you managed to sidestep everything I said, picked and prickled your sulking plight and now my comments are moderated. I’ll make this my last post, the guys at Encore do have balls thats why they provided this platform. Never have I taken pot shots at the mainstream media…I’ve fired my canon at the whole friggin lot…a claculated and fair swipe at Australian Culture/ Media /Film Industry itself. I’m not happy with the state of our creative affairs, just like you, change needs to happen and rapidly. Hack journalists can say what they will but like writing a script if you don’t do the research…the dramatic point is lost.
You have simple failed Ryan to address any of the subject matter I have raised or addressed anything that remotely passes as a solution to our Film Industries obvious problems. Go and read the Daily Telegraph and see what moderation does to debate, I have politely sent multiple comments to their blog suggesting change and how to go about it, not a single post….so Ryan you’ve got your moderated chat…hell, go and build your moderated society..the monoculture out the door awaits you, drunk with morbid attention in the afterglow of the dark bleak underbelly of the human condition. Grow some ballz yoruself Ryan and maybe you can leap from Orange Boy to player…or are you simply happy mumbling from the sidelines?
Its been entertaining…signing off.. Jim xo

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Tot quote from a posting about the Snowtown teaser:

# Ursula Dabrowsky
14 Dec 10
6:40 PM

It’s a tragic story about a sociopath living in the suburbs of Adelaide. And who isn’t fascinated by serial killers and wanting to know what makes them tick? I know I am. I also watched an SBS doco/drama on Charles Manson a few weeks ago and I’m sure you have all watched films about Hitler and/or crime shows on television based on real events. What’s the difference? The fact that it’s based on real events makes it even more fascinating.

Yeah who isn’t fascinated by serial killers and wanting to know what makes them tick? It seems Australian audiences are by the thousands..probably millions. Go for a walk through any major book retailer and see the shelves packed with gory stories about detectives chasing killers, chopper, true crime etc etc etc…dark bleak stuff, that I personally would only pick up for research. These are the kind of books that Australians consume with passion and morbid glee. Tune into any major TV channel and you’ll see some late night or even prime time doco about somebody/people who has flipped their lid and indulged in an array of evil acts. So why, when filmmakers focus their lens onto similar subject matter are we ridiculed by the media?
Sarah Le Marquand and others like Michale Coulter from The Age http://www.theage.com.au/opini.....-f3i3.html who wrote this piece in August 2009 need to actually put on their collective journalism hats and actually do a profile piece on why Australians aren’t connecting with local cinema, interview filmmakers and maybe probe Australian culture a little.

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Hi again,

Reading through everybody’s comments I’m blown away by how passionate everyone is about having a more powerful, more successful Australian film industry. And that success has different definitions – critical acclaim, box office, financial ROI for investors … maybe other things too.

The thing we seem to agree on is that we’d like to get more Australian films made, and have them be great ones.

That’s great. We all want the same thing.

I think we’re also saying that there are many things that could be tried in order to cause the result we want. I’ve suggested one. Other people have too.

There’s likely no easy answers… but there are things that can be done.

So if you ask me, now is the time for action. Get together with other people who see things the way you do and create a strategy to make a difference to Australian film.

Do it. Do it now.

Noone is going to ride to our rescue on a white horse. If we want change we are the ones to make it happen.

I will be. And if you feel the same way we’ll be talking soon.

With passion and inspiration,
Gillian

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The reader comments to this sycophantic profile of Nadia Tass and David Parker in the Fairfax press tell the real story once more. Sorry guys, but as tempting as it is to claim the Oz film industry is just misunderstood, the public are onto us. They’re fed up with the self-indulgence and misery and I agree with the original sentiment expressed by this Tele journo that until we listen to what the public is saying then we can’t expect locally made films to resonate with audiences.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertai.....5#comments

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@ Liam.

Careful – truthful anti establishment comments such as above won’t enhance future prospects in todays politically correct climate.

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