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F BRITISH
EYEOFTHETIGER
In an increasingly dense film-mak- ing jungle a new creature is stalk- ing audiences and awards. Tiger AspectPictures -thefeaturefilm arm of the hugely successful Tiger Aspect Productions – has, over the past 18 months, completed two features, with two more currently in production.
First Kevin & Perry Go Large proved a big hit at UK box offices ear- lier this year, bringing the adventures of TV’s favourite troubled teens to the attentions of a wider audience. Then theatre ace Stephen Daldry’s dazzling feature directorial debut Billy Elliot (formerly Dancer) wowed the critics at Cannes. Set for cinema release here at the end of September, it’s already being described as “this year’s Full Monty.”
A confident one-two combination of box office hit and critical success is a tremendous springboard for future projects in this area, but it is only one part of the Tiger Aspect success story.
The man who overseen it all is Peter Bennett-Jones, chairman of Tiger Aspect Productions. Active in the world of personal management, pro- duction and programme development, PBJ - as he is known to all - founded Tiger Television in 1988, and five years later became chairman of Tiger Aspect when his company merged with Aspect Film & Television.
Growth since then has been steady, and the hits have duly followed. Mr Bean, Harry Enfield and Chums, The Vicar of Dibley, Let Them Eat Cake, Gimme Gimme Gimme, First On Four, Howard Goodall’s Organ Works, Streetmate, the Dome attraction Blackadder Back And Forth - the list goes on, as the expansion of the com- pany moves in ever new directions.
A sister company, Tigress Productions was formed in 1991 to pro- duce wildlife and adventure films. Then there’scommercialsproducer Concrete, international distributor Target, the factual Nick Shearman Productions and a joint venture with
do. Sometimes an individual writer, director or performer will want to do something on a different canvas. That’s thecasewith,say,HarryEnfield, Rowan Atkinson, Lenny Henry, Reeves & Mortimer, all people I manage. They all have ambitions in this area but it’s always struck me as surprising how few offers they get because, I think, they’re perceived as television animals.”
If anyone can break down that bar- rier it is Tiger Aspect. With close ties, but by no means exclusive access to, the clients that PBJ
also represents
through his PBJ
Management compa-
ny, the cross fertilisa-
tion of talent and
ideas is inevitable.
“There’s no obliga-
tion on the part of the
management side
ever to work with
Tiger Aspect,” he
adds, “but the reason they often do is because there are fantastic producers here who bring the best out of these people. They develop long term cre- ative relationships, so there’s no point going somewhere else if they have everything they need here.
Committed to expanding the com- pany without forgoing any of the quali- ties which made them such a force in
British television and - as it increasingly looks - in film, Tiger Aspect has several advantages over bigger rivals, institutions like the BBC.
Looking ahead to new opportunities in broadcasting, with a new regime in place at the Beeb and the digital revolu- tion changing the face of
domestic television, PBJ remains upbeat, but cautious.
“There are more opportunities, espe- ciallyatthelowbudgetendofthemar- ket. But I think the down side is that the creation of big populist ITV-BBC 1 mate- rial has become much more pressured, particularly on BBC 1. They have not had enough money in the last five years, because so much money has been put into the digital service, and it’s been under-funded. That makes it difficult for the controllers and the suppliers.
“In the John Birt era they wanted more for less, they’d pay you less money year on year, and they wanted more for it in terms of either perfor- mance or rights. From my perspective that would be a disastrous policy, but I think from the noises being made by the regime they’re going to address that.”
It’s perhaps no coincidence that the company has just completed its first commission for ITV – a two-parter called My Fragile Heart, co-starring Sarah Lancashire and Lorcan Cranitch.
“From our point of view,” says PBJ, “the opportunities that the technological revolution is going to throw up are fantastic.” Tiger, Tiger burning bright. ■ Anwar Brett
www.tigeraspect.co.uk
independent producers Wark Clements to develop Scottish programming tal- ent. So Tiger Aspect Pictures is joining a pretty healthy stable.
“Tiger Aspect Pictures is just a nat- ural creative extension for us,” explains PBJ. “I don’t see it as some sort of great corporate strategy. The film side has had quite a long gestation period in that we worked closely with Working Title on the Bean film, which we devel- oped in-house.
“Then, having learned a lot through doing that, we felt we were capable of operating our own film arm. The processes aren’t that different from other productions, there are just dif- ferent creative challenges.
“In any case, I think film is a natural extension of what we
Photos opposite page from left: Peter Fonda with Creator and Director of Thomas & The Magic Railroad Britt Allcroft; Thomas steaming ahead; Jack Cardiff
Photos this page top left: Blackadder Back And Forth; top right: Kevin & Perry Go Large Inset left: Peter Bennett-Jones, chairman of Tiger Aspect Productions; inset right: Billy Elliot
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