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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES



























                 Picture Partnership
                 CO-PRODUCTIONS AND THE AUSTRALIAN SCREEN INDUSTRIES


                 CO-PRODUCTIONS ARE, BY NOW, ESTABLISHED COGS IN THE AUSTRALIAN-CINEMA MACHINE, EVEN
                 +$9,1* 6((1 6(9(5$/ 68&&(66(6 $7 7+( %2; 2)),&( %27+ +(5( $1' $%52$'  7,0 %26$148(7
                 SPEAKS TO SEVERAL INDUSTRY INSIDERS TO SCOPE OUT THE BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF SUCH
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                 $XVWUDOLD GLGQpW HQWHU LQWR DQ\ LQWHUQDWLRQDO FR SURGXFWLRQV  compared to a typical Aussie feature that may do well domesti
                 until 1986, when we signed a memorandum of understanding  cally but subsequently has to rethink and drastically rebrand in
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                 ZLWK )UDQFH  WKLV PDNHV RXU ĺOP LQGXVWU\ D YHU\ ODWH EORRPHU  order to be competitive in foreign markets.
                 compared to others across the world. As our burgeoning  Traditionally, Australia’s domestic market has been tough
                 industry started to catch the world’s gaze during our golden  IRU ĺOPPDNHUV  :H KDYH D VKULQNLQJ JRYHUQPHQW IXQGLQJ SRRO
                 era in the 1970s and 1980s, creatives overseas displayed  – be it from state or federal agencies – and audiences for local
                 D NHHQ LQWHUHVW LQ ZRUNLQJ ZLWK $XVWUDOLDQV  (TXDOO\  ZKHQ  fare have also drastically dropped off, especially in certain
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                 $XVWUDOLDQ ĺOPPDNHUV t VXFK DV -DQ &KDSPDQ  3HWHU :HLU   demographics. $QG DQ\ $XVWUDOLDQ ĺOP WKDW CNDR ĺQG LWV ZD\
                 -DQH &DPSLRQ  %UXFH %HUHVIRUG DQG 3KLOOLS 1R\FH t EHFDPH  to the big screen must then compete with huge blockbusters
                 VXFFHVVIXO  WKH\ VWDUWHG WR ORRN IRU RSSRUWXQLWLHV IXUWKHU DĺHOG   bolstered by Hollywood’s massive marketing machine, which
                 :KLOH VRPH ZHQW WR +ROO\ZRRG  RWKHUV VRXJKW WR FRQWLQXH WHOO   rides roughshod over any local product.
                 ing Australian stories – albeit with bigger budgets and greater   ,Q OLJKW RI DOO RI WKLV  LQWHUQDWLRQDO FR SURGXFWLRQV RIIHU D
                 DFFHVV WR IRUHLJQ PDUNHWV                      ZD\ IRUZDUG  $W WKH WLPH RI ZULWLQJ  WKHUH KDYH EHHQ VL[W\ WZR
                   <HW FR SURGXFWLRQV KDYHQpW DOZD\V FDXJKW ĺUH LQ WKLV FRXQ   FR SURGXFHG $XVWUDOLDQ IHDWXUHV PDGH VLQFH       ZLWK D
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                 WU\  )RU HYHU\ VXFFHVV OLNH 8.t$XVWUDOLDQt86 WLWOH +HNM  *DUWK  FRPELQHG EXGJHW LQYHVWPHQW RI $     PLOOLRQ  But just how
                 'DYLV        t ZKLFK  DV RI 0DUFK       KDG WDNHQ DQ DV   much of an effective blueprint do they offer for the Australian
                 WRQLVKLQJ $       PLOOLRQ RXWVLGH $XVWUDOLD DQG $    PLOOLRQ  screen industries?
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                 domestically – there have been many others that didn’t take
                 RII  OLNH &KULVWRSKHU 6PLWKpV 0HOLVVD *HRUJH YHKLFOH 3QH@MFKD  The power of marketing
                         D FR SURGXFWLRQ ZLWK WKH 8. WKDW FRVW 86    PLOOLRQ
                 WR PDNH EXW UHWXUQHG RQO\ 86     PLOOLRQ ZRUOGZLGH     .LPEOH 5HQGDOO KDV EHHQ D GLUHFWRU RQ YDULRXV ORFDO DQG
                   1RQHWKHOHVV  6FUHHQ $XVWUDOLD KHDG RI SURGXFHU RIIVHW DQG  overseas productions for many years. A particularly notewor
                 FR SURGXFWLRQ 7LP 3KLOOLSV LV FRPSOLPHQWDU\ DERXW VXFK SDUWQHU   thy project is the shark thriller !@HS  # (2012), an Australian–
                 VKLSV  o,QWHUQDWLRQDO FR SURGXFWLRQV JLYH $XVWUDOLDQ ĺOPPDNHUV D  6LQJDSRUHDQ FR SURGXFWLRQ WKDW UHFHLYHG VRPH VXSSOHPHQWDU\
                 shot at two markets, which they wouldn’t normally get domesti   funding from China and premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
                 FDOO\ p ,QGHHG  FR SURGXFWLRQV RIIHU PDQ\ DGYDQWDJHV  D ODUJHU  5HQGDOO UHFRXQWV WKDW  ZKLOH WKH ĺOP oGLG DOULJKW >DQG@ PDGH LWV
                 DXGLHQFH SRRO WKDW WKH ĺOP FDQ UHDS SURĺWV IURP  PRUH VXEVWDQ   PRQH\ EDFNp  LW DOVR oZDVQpW UHDOO\ SURPRWHG >LQ $XVWUDOLD@ t QRW
                 tive budgets and bigger crews. Put simply, they offer strength in  marketed properly. It was just tossed out. I was a bit down in
                 QXPEHUV t D ĺOPPDNHU KDV GRXEOH WKH ĺUHSRZHU DQG GRXEOH WKH  WKH GXPSV DERXW WKDW p :KHQ WKH ĺOP PDGH LWV ZD\ WR &KLQD
                 WDUJHWV  %\ WKHLU YHU\ QDWXUH  FR SURGXFWLRQV LPPHGLDWHO\ ORRN  IRU LWV WKHDWULFDO UHOHDVH WKHUH  5HQGDOO ZLWQHVVHG DQ DSSURDFK
                 RXWZDUGV WR WKH UHVW RI WKH ZRUOG  DQG VR WKHLU FRQWHQW ZLOO UHĻHFW  to marketing that was much more aggressive and unasham
                 this. This means they are better set up to attain a global reach   edly more focused on the spectacular:

                                                                3GD "GHMDRD CHC @M @L@YHMF L@QJDSHMF B@LO@HFM m FH@MS RG@QJ
                 Opposite, clockwise from top left: The Railway Man; Guardians of  LNTSGR  UHCDN RBQDDMR VHSG SRTM@LHR  GTFD RSTCHN VHSG SGD AHF-
                 THEŭ4OMB; Maya the Bee Movie; The Tree; "AIT  $; A Few Less Men  FDRS A@BJFQNTMC XNT UD DUDQ RDDM  ( C V@KJ NTS @MC kQDVNQJR




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