The Works to pitch for Brand Australian Film at EncoreLive
Tom Donald, from The Works, will join the Brand Australian Film panel at Encore Live, offering an insight on how the advertising agency would attack a brief if ‘Australian Film’ was their client.
“Why don’t Australians like Australian movies? Because they’re all dark and depressing… Australian films should be expected to be bad; they’re a disgrace and we shouldn’t even try anymore.”
That is the exact same discussion that takes place in the mainstream media every time a small independent Australian film fails at the box office, regardless of the actual merits of the film. That is also the perception that most Australians have of their national cinema, even if most can’t name three (or even one) of those supposedly ‘dark and depressing’ films.
While it is true that certain Australian films are confronting dramas, there are plenty others which are not, yet they all suffer from the same problem: perception.
What would happen if, in addition to marketing each film with very limited resources, the entire industry worked together to re-position itself in the eyes of Australians? What if we tried to change the perception of Australian film, as if it was any other consumer brand, before we expect to successfully sell individual ‘products’ to the audience?
In this session, film marketing specialists will discuss how the Australian film industry could develop a marketing campaign with positive and permanent effects in the audience’s perception and consumption of local films.
Confirmed speakers:
- Kathleen Drumm, head of marketing at Screen Australia
- Ahmed Salama, DLSHS
- Peter Castaldi, PackScreen / An Australian Film Initiative
To book, visit http://www.encorelive.com.au
EncoreLive will be held on June 7 at the Hilton Hotel, Sydney. To discuss sponsorship opportunities and showcasing your business at the trade expo please contact: Sean McKeown on +61 2 8296 0219 or sean@focalattractions.com.au
I look forward to seeing what the outcome of this attempt to change the perception of Australian Films by Australians will be. I’m very interested to see what an agency will make of the AFI. Personally I’ve never bought into the idea that Australian films are too dark and depressing, TV and Print Media laps that stuff up, as does its audiences. The real problem has always been the quality and consistency of Australian films. Release The Animal Kingdom and then comes A Heartbeat Away, followed by Griff or The Reef etc etc..10 years down the track and we have another success. This lack of consistency combined with budget constraints thrown into the stagnant pond of the power 50-100 and everything is ripe for a kicking by the public. We are slow on the uptake of innovation, we look to American script witch doctors for advice. We’re punch drunk, confused and bewildered, and yet we have some great talent, we’re a very creative nation. We build and nurture power groups that keep getting the nod irrespective of their inherent talent, experience or the quality of the content they produce, allowing Producers (or cunning salesmen) to rush half cooked or ill conceived projects into production. This combined with wishy washy proven criteria demanded by funding bodies that kills innovation and applies to just about everybody except those given the nod & wink ( currently on display on at least one recent feature that’s just been given funding approval, Producer&Director?Wow!) combined with an utter lack of script development funding, so good ideas burn out before they can flourish. Its passion that keeps you going in this business, and that can only burn for so long. If you were coming out of film school into this current climate or you were a screenwriter trying to build a career..where are the incentives? Where’s the career path? There isn’t one, for the vast majority. Passion and talent don’t always go hand in hand, they aren’t always married at the hip. Talent can be very vulnerable and can simply give up..passion combined with rabid networking can just keep burning on blindly and find its feet, this doesn’t mean talent actually came along for the ride. Its not a meritocracy out there….its a shit fight!
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Films are a reflection of their creators, and these creators are inevitably Australian. Do our films say more about Australians, than they do about Australian films? Or, do the nature of our films have more to do with the fact that our industry is, on the whole, state controlled? I don’t think Aussie films are so bad, but we also shouldn’t compare them to big budget US films. They make a lot more films than we do, and we only see the cream of their crop. Also, films that are depressing aren’t necessarily ‘dark’. A comedy can be depressing if it’s not funny and a ‘dark’ film can be highly uplifting even if it involves so-called ‘dark’ elements such as pain and suffering. Is the ‘state’ more risk averse than independent filmmakers? Does the bureaucratic nature of the selection process dumb down ideas? Do people that make films through the ‘safe’ governmnet system have a different attitude to the maveriks who sweat it out independently? Maybe more filmmakers need to break free from the machine and do work that inspires them… films with hope AND fear, rather than just the fear of losing their salary, pension, holidays, festvial tours, forum events, conferences, and government jobs.
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I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.
If Australians can’t name three recent Aussie films – depressing or otherwise – then there’s your problem right there.
Worrying that some Aussie films do poorly just because of bad perception means more spin and less focus on making films people want to see.
Animal Kingdom didn’t have a perception problem. It was a cracking good film that even Australians couldn’t ignore.
Quality is still the best business plan. And no amount of spin will help sell a bad product.
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Alas, you cannot polish a turd. No amount of great marketing will convince Australian audiences that Australian films are worth seeing unless we make films worth seeing. Indeed, if we do manage to convince audiences to go and see a film with clever marketing and they get to see a ‘turkey’, they are likely to feel ripped off and unlikely to fall for ‘clever marketing’ again.
So, we need to make better films and to do that we need good screenplays. To nurture and develop good screenplays we need to re-think the processes we have in place at present to achieve this goal. They are not working nearly well enough.
Too many films go into production with second rate screenplays.
However, even with a great screenplay, great direction and terrific acting (as I think applies with ‘Mad Bastards’) audiences can and do stay away in droves. The reasons are complex but I do not think the greatest marketing campaign in the world will change this. Indeed, it will simply waste a whole lot of money that could better be spent on script development.
One question that I think is worthy of discussion is whether it makes good marketing sense for films like ‘Mad Bastards’ open in 27 cinemas? The reviews for ‘Mad Bastards’ are good but clearly these are not convincing audiences to see the film. I suspect that the word-of-mouth for ‘Bastards’ will be very good but by the time the word is out the film will have closed – confirming the impression that Australian audiences don’t want to see film such as this.
If ‘Mad Bastards’ and ‘Wasted on the Young’ (two examples) had opened in just one cinema in each capital city, word of mouth would have its chance to work and it would be possible to give the film a month or so for the word to get out. ‘As it Was in Heaven’ ran for two years in one cinema in Sydney (the Cremorne Orpheum) but would not have lasted more than 3 weeks (the average for even good Australian movies) if it had been released in 27 cinemas.
PS ‘Mad Bastards’ is neither dark nor depressing.
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I think Mad Bastards will probably do better business overseas, maybe it’ll be a slow burn? I haven’t really noticed the marketing campaign, although when I saw the first trailer I thought “looks like an interesting film..I’ll catch it on DVD” as opposed to “Biutful” (how dark and depressing did that trailer seem? One the best films I’ve ever seen) which I felt compelled to see in the cinema…for a variety of reasons. The quicker the industry can embrace the online realm the better off it will be, give audiences options. Still, it doesn’t fix the inherent problems in our industry, quality screenwriting needs to be nurtured and discovered, beyond film schools, beyond cliques, beyond key proven criteria. Until we get some real vision and serious innovation we’ll keep puttering along and failing…which is a real shame, because I honestly we believe we can be so much better. If we keep leaving it up to a power 50-100 to decide what gets made, what is good, what audiences want to see, we’ll keep failing. I mean really, what do they know? Maybe a handful at best are real filmmakers. A Hearbeat Away has proven to me that those who should know…don’t know a friggin thing..enough…lets get on with it…what an exciting challenge!
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Dear Australian film,
Having watched your recent advertising campaign,
I just want you to know that…
you are right…
it’s not you…
It’s me.
Perception? Please. Communication is the response you get. And regardless how it may burn our insides, the “actuality” is that Fast and the Furious is more enjoyable for most people than Samson and Delilah.
Hey that’s not my opinion flame throwers. I haven’t nor will I see F&F5, and I really enjoyed S&D. But the reality of our show “business” industry is that the film which has been number one at the Aussie box office for the past 3 weeks is Fast & The Furious 5. And such fare being top of the BO charts is the norm. So what’s to be confused about?
It’s just market reality… and if we serve up less commercial eye candy, as we usually do, then unfortunately it either has to be something VERY special or then yes it will most certainly be “perceived” as being “Not a good” or a lesser film by the ballot of the box office.
There’s no point complaining about it. The fact is that many of our films are not commercially written or packaged, and so it staggers me when people are then surprised that they are not commercially well received…
Does this make them bad films?
No, it does not. But it does however make them bad business. And surely that’s where we need to challenge our own perceptions…
If I was to try and convince an average Australian punter that my next film would be highly enjoyable… The response I would expect is…
Don’t tell me.
Show me!
And thats fair enough with me.
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Well said Lliam, couldn’t agree more. The fact remains there is only a handful of producers with can actually get anything done in this country and there tastes more often than not sit in the art house social realist vein, with little foray’s into something slightly more “radical” like Griff. That’s not to say that some of these films aren’t great, a lot I have enjoyed. The fact remains is the funding system we currently have is designed to protect the establishment and pretends to be innovative with programs like Talent Escalator etc..but these programs are so riddled with proven criteria and red tape they kill innovation and look after the chosen. Screenwriters are still treated with utter contempt. I know I was involved in a funding program as a writer, total waste of time for the screenwriter. Looked good on paper. Looked like they were funding creative teams. In reality, the program was about sweet F/A, mere lip service. Unless funding bodies actually roll out more innovative programs that can identify emerging talent, the pool will remain stagnant. As Tony Ginnane said recently we have become a tax payer funded R&D for American studios, we invest in chosen talent and then they quickly piss off O/S and why shouldn’t they? The thing is..for every David Michod, I’d say there’s at least fifty others kicking around trying to navigate the maze..how do you find them? Every producer has a full slate. Fund the completion of two short films for the year and invest $7 Million in cynical crap like A Heartbeat Away? Rely on screenwriters to have their narrative senses demented by writing crap serial TV (lets call it what it is, with the exception of a few) and to bring those bad writing habits into the feature film world? Is that vision?
You’ve gotten some more Govt help and funding in the new budget funding bodies/ producers/power 50-100..what are you gonna do with it? Spend it on more creature features? Show us how the poor and the addicted truly suffer from the comfort of a couch in Paddington, Brighton, Darlinghurst or Bondi..or are you going to look to your audience..look to the global audience..have a real think and try and be ambitious, cunning and brave. Maybe even aim for something a little more high concept and slowly win back some local respect?
The Balls in your court…good luck
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Hold on to your hats as the Australian film industry is about to be changed forever with the feature film “SERBS IN SPACE”.
It is also being documented by award winning documentary maker Jerry Creaney who made the Bindi Irwin documentary “I should be allowed Alligators as pets”.
You will be able to follow behind the scenes as the film gets made at http://www.serbsinspace.com.
This film is more ambitious and brave than anything ever attempted on Australian shores. This is going to do more than win Australian audiences! It is going to win over the globe!
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@Serbs in Space: Wow another shameless self promoting plugger, no interest in the above conversation just plug your show, and when you go to the link..yep you guessed it..a very average looking production. The mind boggles..good luck..you’ll need it!
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“Serbs In Space” sound exciting, I can’t wait – bring it on!
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Whoa how this topic is well and truly over due for a proper going through … How does the film industry in Australia expect to be received when most of our budget goes toward focusing the nation on sport. Almost every advertisement break on our public television channels is enough to make you think we do little else. Is it not enough that overseas our actors, directors and writers enjoy world fame and recognition yet here at home we barely scratch the surface of what can be truly tapped?
Pause here and imagine the export of Aussie film for a moment … Overseas already buys it jut the general view is the actor, director or screen writer goes over not the production.
Yes sure there are costs involved however as we have the talent wouldn’t it be nice to lure it back home to make some films … this way we are putting the money in the hands of our nation.
I agree that there should be content in our countries films that is Australian… but now tell me what is Australian hmmmm??? The %80 feed of US based media in our country? No! It is the fact that we have the best of both worlds, a country based population that have a totally unique experience to almost everyone else on the planet and then we have these big city centres like Melbourne and Sydney that are much more diverse than most of the ‘Australiana’ content that gets thrown around.
Sure some of the investment needed to changed the public awareness of film in our country would be an initial loss as we all got used to new and uncharted waters in that sense … The payoff however would be huge and a well catered for industry may be just what this country is deserving of as we have and continue to prove ourselves time and time again on a world scale.
One proud member of Serbs in Space!
http://www.serbsinspace.com/
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[Comment edited for legal reasons]
Jim, if you actually checked out the link you would see that there isn’t even a trailer for the film yet as we haven’t even started shooting yet. It’s just behind the scenes stuff you nuff nuff!
In regards to me being interested in the above conversation I was very much so! So much that I didn’t actually see your name. That’s because you weren’t actually contributing anything in the first place. But of course you had to put your two cents in when you could see your chance to put someone down who has put a lot of sweat and blood into their own production. Something you will never do!
The above conversation is about banding together for the common good instead of the tall poppy syndrome where we just love to put down people that are having a go. You, Jim, seem to totally have missed the point. But then again maybe you had no interest in the above conversation.
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[Comment edited for legal reasons]
And my two cents on the state of our industry, we need to stop constantly making movies that only suit our culture, the whole idea that Australia only make certain types of movies is the reason we aren’t doing too well, i mean really, who else is “getting us” with our movies?
Funding movies shouldn’t be limited to a particular type of feel but if the script is great and it has worldwide appeal, then ffs fund it!
I don’t know many people who go to the cinemas to watch Australian movies, they aren’t even playing on the Cinemas they go too! The day they walk out of a cinema and i tell them “that was made in Australia” and they go “oh really?” then we’ll finally be getting somewhere!
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Oh Steve..you’re a little like a child wandering into the cinema and asking “whats playing what’s going on?” I have written about the state of the Australian Film Industry all over this entire site, have been involved in earnest debate and discussion for months. But of course you can’t even begin to see how just popping up and saying ” Hold on to your hats as the Australian film industry is about to be changed forever with the feature film “SERBS IN SPACE”. Right after somebody who has consistently been adding dialogue and discussion across a myriad of debates has made a point. Nope you just pop in with a plug ranting on about “This film is more ambitious and brave than anything ever attempted on Australian shores. This is going to do more than win Australian audiences! It is going to win over the globe!”
I mean re-read that back to yourself..how do you think somebody else would read it?
and yeah I went to the link and had a look and was..yawwnnnn…very uninspired…best of luck..keep going ..don’t stop on my account…but a word of advice if you are going to make outlandish comments..back it up with engaging content. Maybe it is going to be “Plan B from Outerspace” all over again..best of luck..just don’t get lost in the excitement of it all.
PS: I’ve made plenty of films and will continue to add to the threads provided here by Encore..who by the way do a great job.
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That’s correct Jim, you have written and debated! Don’t disagree with that at all. How about actually doing something? Being runner on a feature film does not count as making a movie!
You obviously did not read my previous comment before making the comment on our link. We are being documented by Jerry Creany who made the award winning doco on Bindi Irwin “I should be allowed Alligators as Pets”. At the moment the web site is only dedicated to the behind the scenes footage of pre-production. So how can you actually judge something that does not exist at the moment?
Currently we have backing from Australia, Serbia and New Zealand. That’s how much interest we have already garnered before even shooting one second of film.
PS: In regards to your comment on calling me a child I would have to say that it’s just plain childish.
– Steve Griwowsky
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We should all give Australian films a go, not matter who makes them. Or what they are about. I know I have seen plenty of Overseas rubbish, but at least it has given someone a job in this hard industry and Im sure something they all feel passionate about, either as writer, crew or actor. I totally support what our guys are doing and will be shortly making my first short film. hopefully a comedy! and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it now matter what!!! I always give my support to fellow workers in this industry. And always look for the good of it, not the bad.
I like Serbs in Space!! And its great to see guys giving it a go!!!
Lesley
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Why is Encore censoring comments from legitimate filmamkers trying to promote their project?
If you want this to be a forum for non-creative types please state this saying :
‘this is not a forum for filmmakers to promote their ideas
we discoursage anyone from wanting to better themselves and would rather the Jim’s of the world to discredit anonymously”
if Jim can take pot shots at those guys they should be afforded the right of reply
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Hey guys, you should post details of your website
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Seeing as your comments have been edited for legal reasons, who knows what plain childishness was on display in your comments? You simply refuse to see my point, you simply take what you want, you continue to peddle your opinions on that side of the street as if what I have said is the same opinion of millions of others. Its just my opinion, that’s it! If you’re going to occupy the public space, as in film, TV,Theatre…the arts in general, grow a thick sick! Its just an opinion, plenty of them out there..or did I touch a raw nerve? Are you doubting the quality of your own content? Nothing wrong with that, its part of the creative process. I choose to read Encore because of the robust debate ( a vital ingredient of the artistic process) and informative articles they publish, every now and then people get onto these forums, with no interest whatsoever in the current discussion with “hey check out my amazing production with all its bells and whistles and riveting content”, you click the link and 99% of the time its “ho-hum big deal”..again that’s just cynical old me, we live in content saturated times..my taste my perspective..that’s it..nothing more..nothing less. Do you honestly think that when you create something Steve..everybody is going to say “My god, the staggering genius of your Kubrick like vision is consistently making me flow with cerebral orgasmic delight”..do you make content, films, stories and productions, just so everybody will be lining up to shower you with the rose petals of infinite praise to the point of social exhaustion? if so..that’s a puerile approach.
I mean this: “Being a runner on a feature film doesn’t count for making a movie”
Hmmm..what can I say…I’m swallowing Prozac by the handful now, stuffing the stuff into a Gasmask strapped to my face as I try and vaporize it for quicker consumption and Kleenex, god bless them, are so concerned with my emotional state they are going to airdrop some industrial strength tissues on my front lawn. What can I do with such cutting insight? Take Hemlock and end it all?
Like I said before ” best of luck…keep going..don’t stop on my account”..of course you don’t read this.. you just can’t handle any form of criticism..word of advice toughen up, because it won’t stop coming, the critique..just have faith in what you’re doing. First film I made won some awards, played in festivals..I hated it, became nauseous every time I saw it and so did most of my friends..go figure?
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I like reading the passionate postings on Encore, but there does seem to be the odd bit of “shameless promoting” of content being blogged around. You’ve got to Serbs in Space admit this is a bit rich
“This film is more ambitious and brave than anything ever attempted on Australian shores. This is going to do more than win Australian audiences! It is going to win over the globe!
and yeah when you go to the website…yeah its a bit B grade..maybe thats the intention?
Who knows? Who cares..
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hEy
what do I have to do to get my comment in response to Jim’s posted
Seems like favoritism if he can slag off a legitimate attempt and when I stand up for the Serbs guys…..not posted!!
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Actually, I have a feeling that Serbs in Space as a feature doesn’t exist – their webisodes (I watched half of Ep 1 – sorry, didn’t stay engaged so moved on) is obviously a spoof on filmmaking. So, regardless of whether it engaged me or not, it’s a clever marketing ploy and frankly, as much as Jim is right – this might not be the venue for self promotion – it worked! I just HAD to go and check it out. This is, after all, the age of change (in terms of marketing and distribution – which go hand in hand) and the internet is the vehicle with which to do it. Unfortunately, debate – regardless of whether it’s on paper or live – is always going to segue and by the time I saw the er, discussion, between Jim and Steve, I had completely forgotten what the initial debate was all about.
Which, I guess, is what Jim is mad about. This debate is about Australians’ perception of Aus movies, and it’s landed up being about Serbs in Space or inappropriate self promotion. So who’s in the wrong? the latter for doing what needs to be done or Jim for saying do it on your own bloody time? Or me, for having the concentration span of a gnat and enjoying the segues…
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Hi All,
While we encourage the robust debate and strong opinions, the Encore forums are for discussion and criticisms of film and the industry – not personal attacks. Anything that does not contribute to the original feature or the thread topic will be deleted.
Cheers,
Colin
(New Ed)
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Jim, whats you’re website that shows what films you’re working on, ?
be happy to critique your work
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I have to pay $499 to go and listen why the Australian Film Industry is crap? No Thanks. We have the best technicians in the world. Way too many arty farty wanker chardonnay dark depressing soul searching shit. We need to move away from our heritage obsessive films and reach out and give us more action. Look at Snowtown, Animal Kingdom and Wolf Creek. Fine examples of films that if marketed right can be world wide hits. Give us more Lantana, pricillas and Murials, and less tax payer funded selected crap that does not even make it to DVD let alone the cinema. Have a look at how many features were made last year and see if anyone can name more than 4? 21 features were made in 2008 and I can name one, Australia. What happened to the other 20? Currently listed in Screen Australia production report are 30 features in Production, what will come of these? Do we need better script editors or best script funding selectors? I love the OZ film industry dearly but it is a long time between Muriels and Snowtowns.
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@terwsut..this is a dead conversation. Keep making what you’re doing, keep going, forge ahead. I simply made one comment amongst a population of 6.6 Billion people. Go and enjoy life, keep on trucking and keep on creating. But if you want to be involved in a discussion about the Australian Film Industry and how we can all be involved in helping to fix what are obvious and fixable problems, I’m all ears. Promote your work in other places, not here, maybe Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, Vimeo etc etc. On Encore we enjoying sharing ideas, opinions, deabte and voicing concerns. I fail to see where “Serbs In Space” fits into this..all the best.
My work is all over the web.
Happy hunting!
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@ Colin WHAT HAPPENED TO MIGUEL?
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Hi Adventuregal,
Miguel has passed the torch, moving on to work at the National Film and Sound Archives.
Regards,
Colin.
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Jim, I think maybe you should stop discussing “SERBS IN SPACE” as you seem to be feeding exactly what Steve Griwowsky wanted and that is promotion of his work. I totally agree that this forum should be totally kept for discussion on the Australian film industry and not on self indulgent promotion.
Kind Regards
Tom Vogel
http://www.angryproductions.org
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in response to James… it’s true you can’t polish a turd, but you CAN cover it in glitter! Works for the US market quite well, Martin Lawrence… anyone?
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