Culture and the stories we tell ourselves...

Stories We Tell Ourselves is a study undertaken for the UKFC (now folded into the BFI) which examines the Cultural Impact of UK Film 1946-2006. Its authors were invited to Dublin by the Irish Film Board for a panel event Beyond the Box Office which took place in the IFI a week ago. It was intended, I think, as a possible point of departure for a discussion about Irish film culture, a discussion we seem to have assiduously side-stepped for nearly two decades despite the fact that film is an aspect of cultural policy rather than industrial policy.

The first point to reflect on here is that the resolute focus is 'film', not 'cinema'. It's a fundamental distinction because it separates the art form from the social aspect of the audience's initial engagement with it. I worry that there's a subtext here which seeks to downgrade the cultural importance of the cinema audience. Yes, it's undoubtedly true that our film and cinema culture is highly permeable to external cultural forces but that is all the more reason to admit its influence and to challenge it with our own output.

The title of the event itself - Beyond the Box Office - reinforces the film/cinema distinction but it is ambiguous as whether this has to do with cultural legacy, and its measurement, or a concession of the social arena, the cinema, to the output of an other, dominant culture. And it's not suprising, perhaps, that such a debate should be taking place at a time when the cohesive social audience for cinema, and television, is at once breaking down and reshaping itself across national borders, especially in the anglophone world.

Here in Ireland the heavy stress on measurable cost-benefit analysis of state funding and spend in the economy has long been a way to avoid discussing market outcomes, the quality of the films that have been made with public money, and their cultural value. If we are to begin a real discussion of Irish film culture then please let it not be for strategic political reasons.

The UK study was set in motion by the then UKFC Chair, Stewart Till, but we were not told why the study was commissioned. Nor is it readily evident in the study itself. It is a critical question.

Perhaps the answer can be found between the following lines in the study: Films are routinely reviewed and judged according to their commercial performance, and their impact is also assessed by the marketing sector intent on maximising awareness in order to increase revenues. The idea of identifying and measuring cultural impact is relatively new and less well established. To some extent it challenges commercial performance as the sole measure of a film’s success, recognising that films may have many different kinds of impact beyond triggering the willingness to pay to see them. Films may create extraordinary characters, who live in the memories and conversations of people who have seen them on screen, and perhaps even in those of people who have not actually seen them. (p.23)

The point is undoubtedly true, and it is a point worth making but why is it being made? Not, I hope, as a kind of defense of poor contemporary films which deservedly fail at the box office. Moreover, the point's validity hinges upon how one interprets culture, its impact (and how it's measured, over time), and nationality.

Let's face it, the stories we tell ourselves will sometimes try our patience. The inner voice will tell us we've heard this one before, or that the teller of the tale should stop beating around the bush. Sometimes we seek comfort in the familiar. Occasionally the drip of unrewarded time is part of the storyteller's delivery. They may have a discursive style or a particular way in which they form their tales. It comes - usually if not always - to a question of trust that will be answered either with the audience's engagement or disengagement and, by the end, either a sense of reward or of having been let down.

If we are to start a conversation about Irish film culture then we have to start talking about the quality and content of what we produce, and whether our screenwriters, directors and producers are rewarding the trust being placed in them by the Irish people.

A plea for the facts!

Almost a month ago I received the following email -
A protest of taxpaying film workers will be held on Thursday 26th May at the offices of Samson Films who have benefited to the tune of almost €3m this year and have not created one quality job in the film industry in contravention of the Film Regulations.
The protest will then move to the offices of the Irish Film Board at Lord Edward Street. The Irish Film Board is, we believe, the last surviving "quango" of the Fianna Fail, Anglo Irish Bank, Galway Tent brigade and their latest stated aims to "actively pursue" foreign co-production investment in Irish films means the bells are tolling for film jobs in Ireland, as it is there are currently approx 40 crew working in this country since 3 weeks ago, not a single crew member worked in film since mid December.
The Film Regulations, SI 357 clearly lay out the conditions for the application of Section 481 Relief. These conditions have not been met on a single film todate and as the Irish Film Board is peopled by industry professionals and lacks balance or indeed transparency film crews who are Irish taxpayers have been left with no alternative but to try to tackle this situation by means of peaceful protest and political lobbying.

I replied with some questions to try to establish exactly what was being alleged:
1. You say Samson Films have "benefited to the tune of almost €3m this year and have not created one quality job in the film industry in contravention of the Film Regulations". Could you expand on this? Is the amount entirely comprised of S481 funds, and for what particular project(s)? And, how do you believe the company has breached the regulations?
2. When you refer to those crew members who may now be working but have not worked in film since mid-December, are you referring to every category of crew and technician or is it an issue only for craft union workers?
3. In respect of SI 357/2008 and the regulations applying to Section 481 Film Relief, what evidence have you for your contention that "these conditions have not been met on a single film to date"?
4. If you have any other factual info to support your campaign I'd be glad to hear it.

I didn't get a reply although I have since been sent a set of photographs of the picketing in Irishtown and Dublin city centre.

I do not know if there is a legitimate basis for this protest. It could be that the eligible spend on particular projects is actually being delivered in the post-production phase. It may be that the protesting workers are not aware, for instance, that workers from other Member States of the EU share the right to work on Irish productions and their wages are considered eligible spend under the S481 regulations. But who knows, unless the facts are out in the open.

What is something of a paradox, however, is the possibility that eligible spend on wages (and any possible tax return to the Exchequer) could legitimately be taken out of our economy by the people who earn it. It would be useful to know to what extent this is occuring on Irish productions and the effect, if any, that it might have on the cost/benefit analysis of public funding which is undertaken each year.

So, the facts and the money trail, if you please!

Solas Picture Palace back out to tender

The Solas cinema project in Galway has been put back out to tender following various setbacks since the sod was first turned on the site in July 2009. The new tender includes the demolition and reconstruction of a nearby building which, it was claimed, had been damaged during the course of the initial piling for the cinema.

Candidate contractors must first pass a selection procedure before being invited to tender or negotiate. Expressions of interest should be sent by mid-day, July 1st. Invitations to tender will then be issued on (approximately) August 8th.

There are 19 documents associated with the tender on the eTenders website along with further details on qualifying standards and how and where to register an interest in the tender notice.

Title - Construction of Cinema Building, Merchants Road, Galway
Description of the goods or services required - The works will comprise the demolition and re-construction of an existing dwelling on the corner Merchants Road, and the construction of a new four-storey over basement cinema building (total gross floor area approximately 1,150m2) to include 3No. cinemas comprising approximately 330 seats, cafe, bar, bookshop and ancillary facilities together with all associated external works including piled basement and all connections to existing mains services.

from my post about Solas on Jan 19:
The sources of funding I am aware of for the Galway project include, so far -
€2,000,000 ACCESS II (Dept Tourism Culture & Sport, 2007)
€ 1,960,000 Site value, 15 Lr Merchants Rd (Galway City Council, 2009)
€ 750,000 Cultural Cinema Consortium (Film Board/Arts Council, 2005)
€ 650,000 (loan) Western Development Commission, Investment Fund
€ 75,000 Irish Film Board (2007)
€ ?+
-------------------
€6.5m (approx total)

Notes
(i) As of Nov. 2010 Solas had been paid €720,468 in 2009 and €143,642 in 2010 by the Dept. TC&S, presumably as instalments of the €2m ACCESS II capital grant;
(ii) the Arts Council annual accounts for 2008 show capital development grants under the Cultural Cinema heading of €70,000 for Solas Galway Picture Palace and €672,500 for Galway City Council.
(iii) An EC MEDIA Consultation (Oct/Dec 2009) on cinema digitisation states: "For example, in Galway, the local authority invested €2m in the purchase of a site to facilitate the building of a 3 screen arthouse cinema. The Arts Council and the Irish Film Board invested €1.25m; and the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism invested €2m. These investments were for the development of the cinema including fit-out and digital projection equipment."

You Make the Movies

Fresh press release just in about the 'You Make the Movies' campaign that I mentioned in a post on June 3rd.

Thank YOU For Making The Movies!!!
A pro copyright campaign

The Irish Industry Trust for Intellectual Property Awareness would like to say a huge ‘Go raibh mile maith agat’ to the Irish public, who support the film industry and enable great films to be made. In support of the industry and in acknowledgement of the vital contribution of the Irish public, the Trust are launching You Make The Movies, a pro copyright campaign. Copyright issues are one of the most challenging issues for the movie industry today.

Actress and author Amy Huberman is in full support of the campaign, “Illegal downloads and piracy are killing the film industry. If you love the cinema, keep supporting the real industry and pay for the movies that you want to see. Pirated DVD's contribute to criminal cartels involved in pornography, drug dealing and people trafficking and illegal downloads will simply reduce the number of good films it will be possible to make and for you to see as they take money directly from the film makers' pockets. Help us to protect film making in Ireland so we can all enjoy the films we want to see!"

The You Make The Movies campaign, with a media value in excess of €500k, will be rolled out across outdoor, print and online platforms in an initiative to protect the creative rights and livelihoods of those people working in the Irish film industry. The campaign will include trailers paying homage to some of the most famous film moments in cinema history: Lord of the Rings, The Life of Brian, Sixth Sense, Jerry Maguire, and Jaws. These trailers, directed by Steve Bendelack (League of Gentleman, Little Britain), all feature the line You Make The Movies in acknowledgement of the vital role the public plays in ensuring the continued success of the film and entertainment industry.

Trish Long, Vice President and General Manager of Disney Ireland comments “The campaign is unique in that it involves various sectors of the industry working together to recognise the importance of protecting creative ideas & in helping secure the livelihoods of approx 18,000 people who work in the film & entertainment industry throughout Ireland. We hope that movie & entertainment lovers nationwide will enjoy the campaign & take to heart the message, of which we are absolutely convinced, which is very simply: YOU Make The Movies.

With talent like Michael Fassbender, Neil Jordan, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell and Jim Sheridan renowned on the world stage, the support by the Irish public of the 18,000 people who work in the Irish film industry [incl. exhibition] has a crucial impact, enabling Irish stories and talent to be brought to a global audience.

“The initiative highlights the importance of intellectual property rights in also sustaining the wider Irish film and gaming industry which has a turnover in excess of €700 million” says Tom Byrne, Country Manager-Ireland, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. “The home entertainment side of the business is a key contributor to the total revenue of a film and it directly employs over 2000 people in retail stores around Ireland. We are greatly encouraged by the positive message of this campaign and believe that the Irish public will respond equally positively to that message and think more carefully about the consequences of purchasing illegal content.”

Mark Doherty of The Independent Cinema Association of Ireland, heartily agrees speaking at grass root level. “Your local cinema has been an integral part of the community in Ireland for generations; it employs over eighteen thousand people from Malin Head to Mizen Head. From Dublin Bay to Galway Bay, young and old, from the usher who takes your ticket to the projectionist up in the booth. We all depend on you! Every time you buy a cinema ticket you help to keep our industry alive. Thank You.”

The Irish Industry Trust for Intellectual Property Awareness campaign would like to thank the following for their support: Carlton Screen Advertising, Delta Display, Bravo Outdoor Advertising, Clear Channel, Creative partnership.

The Industry Trust for Intellectual Property Awareness was set up in 2004 to help promote copyright and inform movie and television fans everywhere of its vital importance. Funded by more than thirty member companies, ranging from film studios to retailers, together the Industry Trust is spreading the word about the positive role copyright plays in protecting creative ideas.

To view the ads and video clips, and for more information on the campaign, check out www.youmakethemovies.ie

Guess the quote!!

Have a guess - don't use Google! Who said this and when did they say it? The emphasis (in bold) is mine. I do think it's ironic to be asking to be considered as an industry when the industrial argument is actually less convincing than the cultural argument.

Being part of an art form is regarded as being some nebulous, cloudy, self-sustaining bubble that does not need any help. We point out that we are a cost-efficient, cost-positive industry worth more than €500 million euro and employing in excess of 6,000 people, so we need to be regarded slightly differently. We need to include the word “industry” as well as “art form” when we talk about the arts because it is too easy to dismiss it otherwise.