Interesting paper by former Film Board CEO, Rod Stoneman - Chance and Change - a consideration of the part played by chance occurrence in audiovisual production (20 October 2010).
On production risk...
Sometimes we were party to the miscalculation of cash flow needs and a few years after An Gobán Saor, Deborah Warner‟s Last September (a much bigger feature project) was in great jeopardy in the second week of its shoot in October 1998. As one
of the producers Nik Powell was working with lawyers to interlock and make two complex national tax incentive schemes compatible in the financial structure, the electricians (a crew of sparks imported from Britain) threatened to abandon the production unless they were immediately paid. Searching for €10,000 in cash Neil Jordan, an executive producer on the project, turned to me with the half-joking but memorable remark “do you know any drug dealers?”–presumably they might be a source of ready cash. I had to admit that I had no such relevant acquaintances and in the end it was said that the urgent money was borrowed late that night via Paul McGuinness (manager of U2) from the safe of the Clarence, a Dublin hotel that the group owned.
And on the role of the IFB...
It was essential for a national film agency like BSÉ / IFB that there be some combination of success in both cultural and commercial domains. Film agencies and institutes in the 1960s and 1970s had more of a purely cultural remit, but the neo-liberal economistic discourses of the later 1970s and 1980s provided pressure for economic performance. In Ireland the Coopers and Lybrand Report from 1992 argued for the reconstitution of the Film Board, which had been dissolved in 1987, on the grounds that it would stimulate economic activity and thus employment. Of course these were important arguments to make and we produced figures to show the economic effects of our support for production. However we were concerned to maintain a judicious equilibrium between cultural, social and financial motives; there are always reasons for „thinking of the audience‟–if one is to avoid solipsistic or unthought-through forms of filmmaking practice.
It was important to keep the relentless financial tendencies at bay by balancing them with cultural arguments and so I wrote polemical comments like “In all its forms film is at its most innovative when it is experienced as unexpected, challenging social norms and complacencies of taste, extending the boundaries of the possible . .” in the annual report. [xxxi] In 2003 we came up with a mission statement: “We intend to encourage bravery and embrace creative risk. Paradoxically, in cinema, the further you push artistically the more genuinely commercial you can be.” [xxxii] Uttering these 'neither/nor' verbalizations and myriad other oxymoronic policy formulations seemed like indispensable discursive manoeuvres and the only way to absorb and deflect the implacable pressures of increasingly economistic discourses. Utilising public monies for the expensive business of film needed justification as right-wing public representatives and a hostile tabloid press were always pleased to indulge in a feeding frenzy the minute we failed to maintain a robust sense of purpose allied with some quick footwork.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Gearscannáin (pron. gyaarh-scon-oin)
A correspondent writes...
I suspect you've been thinking about this already but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the recently announced new IFB scheme. Marks a U-turn from the 2008 strategy that sought to rescue Irish-language film from the ghetto. Does the new scheme suggest that few or no Irish language scripts were being submitted in the absence of the promise of special treatment or is there something else afoot in the current cultural-economic climate?
The correspondent is right, I had been thinking about the Irish language angle for a while because the IFB recently made very obvious efforts to declare that they do or can do business through the medium of Irish.
It struck me as ironic that the powers that be only issue those releases in the Irish language, in much the same way that RTÉ's Nuacht carries news items relating to language issues that are never reported on their English language bulletins half an hour later. Either the items are news or they're not. It's an approach that runs the risk of creating a ghetto effect around the Irish language.
I can only assume that the IFB were obliged to very publicly offer their services through Irish either under a timeframe laid down by the relevant legislation or because of political pressure. I suspect that this means that all their information and application documents have been or are being translated into the Irish language.
I might say here, for the record, that I believe any citizen ought to be able to conduct any aspect of their business with the state though the medium of Irish if they wish to do so. I believe that is their right. The image of a head of a state agency having to use an interpreter in discussions with a citizen is one that amuses me, I have to say. Just as much as it does when such figures address English-speaking audiences in Irish.
The first thing to observe about Gearscannán (interestingly this information was released in English and Irish) is that the IFB has given no policy explanation for the change.
The move does suggest to me that either Irish language projects were not being submitted in sufficient quantities, or someone decided they were not being funded in sufficient quantities. If they have been receiving Irish language projects for the various short film schemes, however, but found none of sufficient quality to support, then that raises a whole lot of other questions.
In the past the IFB is known to have solicited short film projects when the standard fell short among the projects submitted to it for the non-animated short film schemes. If this practice has continued into present times with Irish language film makers not being approached then that would raise another issue.
If there is now a guaranteed fund for two shorts in the Irish language will they be required to be of the same standard as their English language equivalents?
Will people with projects conceived in English just decide to translate their projects into Irish because they figure, as happened in the past, that their chances of success might improve? And, is there any particular reason that TG4 were not involved as they had been with the highly successful Oscailt scheme?
Spot the difference(s)...
Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board is delighted to announce that applications are being sought for the new short film scheme ‘Gearrscannáin'. Applications will be accepted until 17th December 2010.
Tá áthas ar Bhord Scannán na hÉireann iarratais a éileamh don chéad bhabhta eile den scéim an-rathúil ‘Gearrscannán. Is é an Aoine 17ú Nollaig 2010 an spriocdháta nua don scéim.
Lastly, I believe this is the first time the IFB has introduced an age classification into one of their schemes, ba chóir go mbeidh siad in ann grádú ‘faoi 15' a bhaint amach. So projects in Irish but only suitable for the under 15s, and yet the distribution is going to be primarily online, Déanfar an scéim a sholáthar ar-líne den chuid is mó.
A case of two plus two equals cúig.
I suspect you've been thinking about this already but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the recently announced new IFB scheme. Marks a U-turn from the 2008 strategy that sought to rescue Irish-language film from the ghetto. Does the new scheme suggest that few or no Irish language scripts were being submitted in the absence of the promise of special treatment or is there something else afoot in the current cultural-economic climate?
The correspondent is right, I had been thinking about the Irish language angle for a while because the IFB recently made very obvious efforts to declare that they do or can do business through the medium of Irish.
It struck me as ironic that the powers that be only issue those releases in the Irish language, in much the same way that RTÉ's Nuacht carries news items relating to language issues that are never reported on their English language bulletins half an hour later. Either the items are news or they're not. It's an approach that runs the risk of creating a ghetto effect around the Irish language.
I can only assume that the IFB were obliged to very publicly offer their services through Irish either under a timeframe laid down by the relevant legislation or because of political pressure. I suspect that this means that all their information and application documents have been or are being translated into the Irish language.
I might say here, for the record, that I believe any citizen ought to be able to conduct any aspect of their business with the state though the medium of Irish if they wish to do so. I believe that is their right. The image of a head of a state agency having to use an interpreter in discussions with a citizen is one that amuses me, I have to say. Just as much as it does when such figures address English-speaking audiences in Irish.
The first thing to observe about Gearscannán (interestingly this information was released in English and Irish) is that the IFB has given no policy explanation for the change.
The move does suggest to me that either Irish language projects were not being submitted in sufficient quantities, or someone decided they were not being funded in sufficient quantities. If they have been receiving Irish language projects for the various short film schemes, however, but found none of sufficient quality to support, then that raises a whole lot of other questions.
In the past the IFB is known to have solicited short film projects when the standard fell short among the projects submitted to it for the non-animated short film schemes. If this practice has continued into present times with Irish language film makers not being approached then that would raise another issue.
If there is now a guaranteed fund for two shorts in the Irish language will they be required to be of the same standard as their English language equivalents?
Will people with projects conceived in English just decide to translate their projects into Irish because they figure, as happened in the past, that their chances of success might improve? And, is there any particular reason that TG4 were not involved as they had been with the highly successful Oscailt scheme?
Spot the difference(s)...
Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board is delighted to announce that applications are being sought for the new short film scheme ‘Gearrscannáin'. Applications will be accepted until 17th December 2010.
Tá áthas ar Bhord Scannán na hÉireann iarratais a éileamh don chéad bhabhta eile den scéim an-rathúil ‘Gearrscannán. Is é an Aoine 17ú Nollaig 2010 an spriocdháta nua don scéim.
Lastly, I believe this is the first time the IFB has introduced an age classification into one of their schemes, ba chóir go mbeidh siad in ann grádú ‘faoi 15' a bhaint amach. So projects in Irish but only suitable for the under 15s, and yet the distribution is going to be primarily online, Déanfar an scéim a sholáthar ar-líne den chuid is mó.
A case of two plus two equals cúig.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Europe, again
Following on from my post on Nov. 17 there is a thought-provoking interview with economist Olivier Bomsel on the Cineuropa website.
Some quotes stand out...
Editorialising means building a relationship of trust with viewers by enabling them to assess their risk as well as possible, to best understand the movie theatre’s editorial policy. It’s about becoming an approved label, like a collection of books or a wine appellation. The proposed film must be consistent with the proposed policy.
and
The European Union is made up of 27 countries and 23 languages: this is a major economic handicap not only because of the size of the markets, but also because of the cost of adapting products from one country to another. Europe was built on the idea of a unified market to produce economies of scale. But European civil servants have difficulty understanding that there are no economies of scale for the media market...
Meanwile in Rome, yesterday...
IRISHFILMFESTA presenta
“GOING IRISH” - Convegno sulla co-produzione cinematografica fra Italia e Irlanda
(Roma, Casa del Cinema - 24 novembre 2010- ore 10.00-12.30)
Il convegno, parte della quarta edizione del festival di cinema irlandese IRISHFILMFESTA - è aperto a tutti i produttori italiani. Si pone l’obiettivo di esplorare le possibilità, i tempi, i modi e le strategie per accordi di co-produzione fra Italia e Irlanda, a partire dalla presentazione delle esistenti iniziative di sostegno e finanziamento, dei relativi enti promotori, e dall’esempio delle esperienze specifiche di alcuni esponenti chiave della produzione cinematografica di entrambi i Paesi.
L’Ambasciatore irlandese, S.E. Patrick Hennessy introdurrà i lavori.
I relatori presenti:
Patrick O'Neill, Industry Affairs Executive dell’Irish Film Board, illustrerà il panorama dell’Industria filmica Irlandese, la struttura e gli obiettivi dell’Irish Film Board e i meccanismi di finanziamento e facilitazione produttiva.
Siobhan O’Donoghue, Media Desk Ireland, spiegherà il funzionamento di Media Desk e presenterà i produttori irlandesi che hanno ricevuto tali finanziamenti.
Tristan Orpen Lynch, Ireland, Subotica (Small Engine Repair)
Stefano Massenzi, Italy, Lucky Red (This Must Be the Place)
Maurizio Antonini, Italy, Interlinea (La controra/Midday Demons)
presenteranno le loro esperienze di co-produzioni internazionali.
Moderatore: Avv. Leonardo Paulillo
Some quotes stand out...
Editorialising means building a relationship of trust with viewers by enabling them to assess their risk as well as possible, to best understand the movie theatre’s editorial policy. It’s about becoming an approved label, like a collection of books or a wine appellation. The proposed film must be consistent with the proposed policy.
and
The European Union is made up of 27 countries and 23 languages: this is a major economic handicap not only because of the size of the markets, but also because of the cost of adapting products from one country to another. Europe was built on the idea of a unified market to produce economies of scale. But European civil servants have difficulty understanding that there are no economies of scale for the media market...
Meanwile in Rome, yesterday...
IRISHFILMFESTA presenta
“GOING IRISH” - Convegno sulla co-produzione cinematografica fra Italia e Irlanda
(Roma, Casa del Cinema - 24 novembre 2010- ore 10.00-12.30)
Il convegno, parte della quarta edizione del festival di cinema irlandese IRISHFILMFESTA - è aperto a tutti i produttori italiani. Si pone l’obiettivo di esplorare le possibilità, i tempi, i modi e le strategie per accordi di co-produzione fra Italia e Irlanda, a partire dalla presentazione delle esistenti iniziative di sostegno e finanziamento, dei relativi enti promotori, e dall’esempio delle esperienze specifiche di alcuni esponenti chiave della produzione cinematografica di entrambi i Paesi.
L’Ambasciatore irlandese, S.E. Patrick Hennessy introdurrà i lavori.
I relatori presenti:
Patrick O'Neill, Industry Affairs Executive dell’Irish Film Board, illustrerà il panorama dell’Industria filmica Irlandese, la struttura e gli obiettivi dell’Irish Film Board e i meccanismi di finanziamento e facilitazione produttiva.
Siobhan O’Donoghue, Media Desk Ireland, spiegherà il funzionamento di Media Desk e presenterà i produttori irlandesi che hanno ricevuto tali finanziamenti.
Tristan Orpen Lynch, Ireland, Subotica (Small Engine Repair)
Stefano Massenzi, Italy, Lucky Red (This Must Be the Place)
Maurizio Antonini, Italy, Interlinea (La controra/Midday Demons)
presenteranno le loro esperienze di co-produzioni internazionali.
Moderatore: Avv. Leonardo Paulillo
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The recovery position
Hard to say exactly where things stand for film in this country with the publication of the Government's plan. More clarity will come with the budget.
Some points to note:
Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Revised Capital Expenditure Ceiling 2011 - 2014
2011 2012 2013 2014 Total
€96m €100m €85m €80m €361m
Will this impact on the annual capital available to the Film Board?
Artists' Tax Exemption
Earnings ceiling reduced to €40,000
VAT going up, and then up again. (2013-14) Minimum wage going down.
Some pointers on tax reliefs
Many are being abolished and the benefit from others being retained to be reduced to the standard (lower) tax rate. We'll have to wait to see if this or any other change is being made to Section 481.
UPDATE
The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mary Hanafin TD, has issued a statment on the implications of the plan for her Department.
The savings in current spending for 2011 total €17million, of which €4million will be in administrative non-pay overheads. Total current spending across the three sectors will be in the order of €296million in 2011. Over the lifetime of the plan the Tourism, Culture and Sport areas will contribute savings of €76million in current expenditure.
She also says, There has been an unprecedented investment in national and regional arts and culture infrastructure, performance venues and film and TV production capacities... In the context of the four year plan, we will continue to prioritise capital investment in the film and audiovisual content production sector...
So, if it's a cut of €17m in current expenditure in year one, and a total cut of €76million over the four years, then there will be an average of €19.66m cut in 2012, 2013 and 2014. In soundbite form that's a 24% drop over four years on current spending this year.
It's what we might call the recovery position.
Some points to note:
Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Revised Capital Expenditure Ceiling 2011 - 2014
2011 2012 2013 2014 Total
€96m €100m €85m €80m €361m
Will this impact on the annual capital available to the Film Board?
Artists' Tax Exemption
Earnings ceiling reduced to €40,000
VAT going up, and then up again. (2013-14) Minimum wage going down.
Some pointers on tax reliefs
Many are being abolished and the benefit from others being retained to be reduced to the standard (lower) tax rate. We'll have to wait to see if this or any other change is being made to Section 481.
UPDATE
The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mary Hanafin TD, has issued a statment on the implications of the plan for her Department.
The savings in current spending for 2011 total €17million, of which €4million will be in administrative non-pay overheads. Total current spending across the three sectors will be in the order of €296million in 2011. Over the lifetime of the plan the Tourism, Culture and Sport areas will contribute savings of €76million in current expenditure.
She also says, There has been an unprecedented investment in national and regional arts and culture infrastructure, performance venues and film and TV production capacities... In the context of the four year plan, we will continue to prioritise capital investment in the film and audiovisual content production sector...
So, if it's a cut of €17m in current expenditure in year one, and a total cut of €76million over the four years, then there will be an average of €19.66m cut in 2012, 2013 and 2014. In soundbite form that's a 24% drop over four years on current spending this year.
It's what we might call the recovery position.
Dublin Eurimages Seminar
The MEDIA Desk is holding a welcome Eurimages information session at IFI in Dublin on November 29. Eurimages is a pan-European co-production fund subscribed to by the majority of members of the Council of Europe. Registration for the event is at 9.30am and it will start at 10am and end at 11.30am.
Roberto Olla, Director of Eurimages, will discuss the fund and explain the operation of the new application rules being introduced in the new year. The basic information and web addresses are contained in the post I wrote on Nov. 15 (down the page).
The information session will be particularly useful for local producers who wish to apply to the fund with projects they have originated. In recent years very few Irish-originated projects have been backed by Eurimages. See my earlier posts on this issue.
People wishing to attend should contact the MEDIA Desk at info1@mediadesk.ie as soon as possible.
Roberto Olla, Director of Eurimages, will discuss the fund and explain the operation of the new application rules being introduced in the new year. The basic information and web addresses are contained in the post I wrote on Nov. 15 (down the page).
The information session will be particularly useful for local producers who wish to apply to the fund with projects they have originated. In recent years very few Irish-originated projects have been backed by Eurimages. See my earlier posts on this issue.
People wishing to attend should contact the MEDIA Desk at info1@mediadesk.ie as soon as possible.
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