Australia can only make short films...Thoughts?

This is a pretty harsh statement, even by my standards, and I apologize for being so blunt, but its a saying I've been hearing quite frequently over the past few weeks and I thought it was about time I did some research into the background of such a comment.

In Australia, there are very few places Aussie films can get noticed. The box office is almost always consumed by the latest American blockbuster; the internet is filled with crap from every corner of the globe; and TV, whilst increasing its Australian content somewhat, still only really does it to fulfill guidelines ("The ACS requires all commercial free-to-air television licensees to broadcast an annual minimum transmission quota of 55 per cent Australian programming between 6am and midnight.") So where do our Aussie films screen then? The following list is a full compilation of Australia's more successful film festivals held each year in the country:

1. Melbourne International Film Festival
2. Sydney Film Festival
3. Dungog Film Festival
4. Adelaide Film Festival
5. Flickerfest
6. Tropfest
7. St Kilda Film Festival
8. Bondi Film Festival

Of these, four are dedicated purely to short films and of the remaining four, Australian films have to compete heavily with international films as well as local productions. This makes it extremely hard for these festivals to be considered avenues for distribution whereas the entrance requirements for the short film festivals are much easier; it makes sense therefore, to produce a short film that may actually have a chance of being shown somewhere than a feature that may not be shown anywhere.

As well as this, the pure and simple explanation for why Australians only produce short films is because of money. A good short can be made on a budget of about $30,000; a feature needs at least 10 times that amount, money the industry just does not have. And with government funding becoming more and more difficult to ascertain, the likelihood of a filmmaker gathering enough of those funds to produce a feature is diminishing, causing them to return to the short form which they can afford to make.

Why say Australians are only good at making short films? If you look at any Australian film recently released, you'll notice a clear similarity between them all. Visually striking, well-thought-out characters set amongst your typical Australian backdrop, we start out well. Give it 10 minutes, and we lose the plot: cause and effect start to drift apart; plot holes emerge; characters act out of sync with their established personalities; and if it's a genre film, there are probably a few too many scenes which fit the pre-established norm set out by some international film made 10 years earlier. Then we reach the denouement (which normally begins 10 minutes before the film's conclusion with Australian films, as if we're in a race for the finish) and we start to shape up a little bit better (save for Sleeping Beauty). The 10-minute rule seems to stick with us a little too close and it can only be attributed to one thing - we are taught well how to produce great shorts but when it comes to features, we haven't got a clue what we're doing.

A thought that came into my head the other day was the idea that a film school enrols students into 1st year in which they spend all year in pre-production; then they head into second year where they produce their scripts from 1st year; and finally, in the final year, they commence post-production and get into some serious marketing and distribution work, in the hope that the film is viable enough to be released after graduation. All in the feature film form. Obviously you're taking a risk with this and it would obviously be costly but that's why you have students pay $20,000 a year to be taught by the best Australian and international feature filmmakers on how to make great films, with that $20,000 going towards tutoring and funding for the films. A girl can dream.

Aside from that though, I'd love any thoughts on the comments above. I know its a contentious issue and I don't mean to insult but when we have an industry that can barely get a film to make more than $30,000 on opening weekends, we know we have a serious problem. Maybe this is one of them; maybe not. Tell me your thoughts if you don't/do agree.

Everyone's Talking About...The Australian Film Industry

I've had a few opportunities this week to ask people this question:

"What is wrong with the Australian film industry?"

Now, don't roll your eyes at me because I've already placed the idea in that person's head that there's something "wrong" with the way we make films. This is indisputable. In an industry that thrives on NOT making money, there is going to come a time in the very near future where funnily enough, losing money to make money is going to be revealed as a really bad way to make films. We need to shake things up a little.

As I'm only just starting out in the industry, I've been seeking the advice of some more seasoned players amongst the field, asking for their advice on what it is our filmmakers can change to achieve a more harmonious environment for our craft. At a short film shoot I did on Tuesday this week, I managed to have a little chat with the DOP about what his thoughts were. When I suggested that all Australian films are merely extended short films (see my next post) he agreed 100%, saying it is extremely difficult for films to sustain their momentum after the first 10 minutes. Interesting note #1.

At work on Wednesday night, one of the the owners (an up and coming screenwriter graduate from the LA Film School funnily enough) again chastised the demented processes Screen Australia enforces for potential filmmakers. His comments about the guidelines being drawn up each year were that they are too focused on producing content which reflects "Australian" values and lifestyles rather than viable, commercial projects. As a result, filmmakers cannot get the funding they need merely because it doesn't feature a thousand and one stampeding cows heading towards an Aboriginal boy on a cliff. As well as this, my friend pinpointed the problem down to the fact that we have an exceptionally small fraction of talent which rests in the layers amongst Cate Blanchett, David Michod etc, and yet an extremely large percentage of crap wannabes, who follow the guidelines set out by Screen Australia, get funding for their crappy little film, which funnily enough, is never watched by anyone and they never make another film in their lives. He said that we need to start harvesting talent properly, and he attributed this observation to his leaving the VCA after just one year, realizing it would never be able to teach him the essential tools he needed to succeed.

Interestingly enough, tonight I spoke about the issue with the director and producer of the short film I am currently PM'ing on. The director (a young yet extremely talented film student at the VCA) had many things to say about the industry but the main one falls in line with my friend from work in that, put simple; we just need to stop making crap films. There is a great pool of talent resting within this industry but the gems are finding it hard to shine amongst all the false stones due to the sheer number. As a result, they pack up and move to LA where the industry does not tolerate crapness and anyone of a mediocre demeanor is immediately sent home packing.

In a nutshell (and these are very broad statements I will be expanding on so don't start squabbling yet):

1. Australia can only make short films
2. The guidelines for funding are too ridiculous for words
3. We have the talent. We just need to cut out the crap. 

Read on for more insights into the industry. 

Blue-Tongue Films

For those of you who have ever wondered about the origin of this amazing film group, this is a great article I've scalped from another blog.

http://cinematicpassions.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/aussies-rule-blue-tongue-films-arrives-on-the-scene/

'The Secret Life of Us' - Where Are They Now?

I've recently picked up all 4 seasons of John Edwards' "The Secret Life of Us" and am absolutely loving it. I remember nearly 10 years ago how this was one of my mum's favorite shows which I was not allowed to watch because it was "adult TV" which makes me laugh watching it now. I was going to write this post at the end of all 4 seasons but its taking me so long to get through all the episodes that I decided to do it now. I've compiled a small description for each major character with where they are in their careers at the moment which I find fascinating to think of.

1. Claudia Karvan - "Alex Christensen"

Alex was one of the key three characters in the show right up until the third season. Since then, she has done extremely well to get many amazing roles within both film and TV. She has worked on a number of projects with John Edwards again including Love My Way and Spirited (pay TV) and recently completed work on the highly acclaimed "33 Postcards" which recently premiered at the Sydney Film Festival. Claudia was recently nominated for the ASTRA awards, pay TV's biggest night, with the awards being announced July 21.

2. Samuel Johnson - "Evan Wylde"

Evan's character of TSLOU was thoroughly enjoyed by many and it was his departure from the show which was believed to have cause its demise. After TSLOU, Sam went into a starring a series of short films, finally landing a larger gig with another John Edwards produced show, Rush. I am in love with this program and have followed it blindly since its inception and Sam's character in it, Leon is hilarious. Similar to Evan, he has a knack for playing cheeky characters who know they can get away with murder. Probably the reason for why he got picked up for Underbelly Season 2 and the newest addition to Australia's gritty crime drama work, Small Time Gangster. His voice has also been featured on a number of adverts over the years. All in all, he is doing extremely well with his career.

3. Deborah Mailman - "Kelly Lewis"

Deborah's commitment to the show saw her remain with the production until it wrapped in season 4. Her work in the industry has been revered as a shining example of the talents nestled amongst the indigenous community and she has been an inspiration ever since. Having completed great work on such films as "The Rabbit Proof Fence", her skills were quickly noticed by Edwards and she was selected to play Kelly in TSLOU. "Bran Nue Dae" shortly followed after the closing of TSLOU and soon after that, Deborah returned to the small screen for yet another brilliant John Edwards production as Cherie Butterfield in Offspring. Her character is much loved on the show and with ratings still going strong, her role seems secure.

4. Joel Edgerton - "Will McGill"

I was shocked after beginning season 2 of TSLOU to watch as Will abruptly said goodbye to the show and walked away after just one episode. It turns out he had bigger fish to fry. From TSLOU, Joel starred in "Ned Kelly", "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith", "Kinky Boots", and "Smokin Aces" whilst also developing "The Square", a feature film directed by his brother Nash. Joel has been extremely fortunate in his career, being awarded the AFI award for Best Supporting Actor for David Miçhod's "Animal Kingdom", probably my most favorite Aussie film. Next up? Joel is slated to star in "The Great Gatsby" and "Warrior", major roles which will enhance his reputation for sure.

5. Abi Tucker - "Miranda Lang"

Abi's role in TSLOU wasn't one-dimensional. Her beautiful singing can also be heard in some of the show's most popular songs (i.e "Everybody (Idiot Free)") and it was a sign for her future career. She left the show in 2003 and went onto tour for her first album, Dreamworld. Since then, Abi has been balancing her singing and acting careers, starring in "McLeod's Daughters" whilst writing her second album, One December Moon, which was released in 2008. In 2010, Abi joined "Playschool" but now has focused on her singing career, touring around Australia and internationally.

6. Sibylla Budd - "Gabrielle Kovich"

Sibylla's career began at the VCA which she attended until 1999. From there, she bypassed the usual route of most VCA graduates who enter into the short film laneway and instead found herself being offered a number of TV jobs such as "Something In the Air", one of the ABC's most successful dramas of the era in 2000. She landed the role of Gabrielle on TSLOU one year later and remained with the show until 2003. After this, she had a brief period of inactivity before being signed onto the highly popular "All Saints" series. Two roles in film (for "September" and "The Book of Revelation") most definitely helped her get onto "Sea Patrol" in 2007 and then the unfortunately unsuccessful "Canal Road" in 2008. Sibylla was last heard prepping for a Brisbane based play titled "Betrayal" in 2010.
7. Spencer McLaren - "Richie Blake"

Our favorite straight guy/closet gay came out in season 2 and it was probably the move that propelled Spencer into stardom. In between seasons and after the filming for TSLOU, Spencer performed in a number of theatrical works which helped him sustain his skills until his next role appeared on the British "Family Affairs" sitcom in 2005. Spencer went on to appear in a number of programs from "McLeod's Daughters" to "All Saints" between 2006 and 2010, finally landing a major role in the highly anticipated feature, "Surviving Georgia" which we are extremely excited to see him in. 

8. Damian De Montemas - "Jason Kennedy"

Finally (just because I have been writing this post for 2 days now and I really need to move on - sorry David), we now look at everyone's favorite DILF. Damian graduated from WAAPA in 1997 (which makes me like him even more for being a Perth boy) and from there after a long string of TV appearances in single episodes, he landed the role of Jason Kennedy in 2001. His resume after TSLOU ranges from short films to TV movies to features before he secured a stable on everyone's favorite Aussie soap "Home and Away". He left the show in 2008 and jumped straight into the role of Brian Alexander on "Underbelly" in 2009 which won him the AFI for Best Supporting Actor. Since then, Damian has been extremely lucky to be picked for the role of Brian in the hugely anticipated feature "Blame" and can also be seen on the less successful "Cops LAC" show. What next? Damian is set to appear on ABC "Crownies" later this year. Keep your eyes peeled.

So there you have it everyone! An (almost) complete account for everyone of The Secret Life of Us and there movements since the show up until now. I'll be giving you my account of Season 2 soon so keep reading.

(NB: All photos used in this post are NOT of my own work but can easily be found in a Google search. I thank the photographers for allowing me to use them)

SFF 2011 Day 3 - Saturday Part 2

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil - ****
Bear - *****



I was extremely excited about Saturday night's film firstly, because of number of screenings we would be at (I like to stay on my toes) and secondly, because I would get to see Nash Edgerton's Bear for the third time. I know I sound obsessed but it's actually kinda nice to see how one film can have so many different receptions.

We started the night with a screening of Toomelah in the state theatre, this big, beautiful old building set just off George St which had a huge cinema. I didn't see the film as I was going to be watching it the next day at 10am. Instead, me and the Inside Film kids chilled outside (literally) on the cold marble steps waiting for the session to be over. After Toomelah, we quickly packed up and raced down to Event for the 9pm sessions. Black & White & Sex was on first followed very shortly by Tucker and Dale vs Evil. I was planning on seeing BWS but with Bear screening before TDE, I decided to stay for that. Lucky I did because who would walk into the cinema for TDE than none other than Nash Edgerton himself. I think I nearly lost my shit. I was so excited and made a point to meet him after the screening to put a name to the face.

Bear was met extremely well by the audience. Just as had been done at the two sessions, the film pushed them away with Jack's obnoxious behavior and them pulled them back with its two gripping climaxes. My production teacher at RMIT felt that the second climax was too much but I disagree! It makes the film if anything and I have been racking my brain to come up with alternatives and none come close to the brilliance that already exists. The audience really enjoyed the film and I think it's going to be the confidence boost Nash needs to get his next film made.

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil was the biggest surprise of the festival. Having heard absolutely nothing about the film, I only stayed in the cinema because BWS had already started. Immediately I was wary. The film started out like any badly written horror genre but suddenly, there was a twist in the road ahead and you suddenly realized you were watching a complete spoof. It was amazing! Gory and suspenseful and hilariously funny, I haven't been able to sit through a black comedy like that since Hot Fuzz. What I think really helped the film in its reception was its brilliant delivery of the script by the clearly young but well-selected cast supported by the amazing talent of Alan Tudyk (Death At A Funeral) and Tyler Labine (Mad Love) As well as this, the writers clearly knew every single horror genre pitfall and sidestepped these by highlighting them in their inadequacy with comedy. It was a really enjoyable film and one I hope does well in its release.

Stepping out of the theatre getting ready to face the two audiences for voting, I mentioned to the producer of the IF awards how Nash and I had had a brief email exchange over my previous posts on Bear. She told me that if he had time, she would introduce me after the voting. I was excited but focused on the task at hand by this point and trying to get everyone to vote for Bear when ironically, the producer pulled me aside and before I knew it, I was standing before the man himself. I was speechless. I had absolutely no idea what to say and almost came out with "Would you like to vote for Bear in the Inside Film Awards?" (I line I had perfected by that point) What then pursued was an embarassingly awkward small talk conversation which encompassed my ability to explain to Nash why the producer had bothered to introduce me to him (with me all the time freakin out over whether he would remember me or not) and then a quick comment back and forth between us on Bear and the show of TDE. I felt like an idiot. I had a thousand and one questions to ask him which of course only flooded back into my brain after we said goodbye. Thinking I had made an absolute fool of myself, I withered in self pity for a short while but then decided to live happily in the fact that I had managed to meet my icon. Hopefully next time Nash, I won't be such a bumbling idiot.

(Following Saturday night's screening, I received an email from Nash stating how it was nice to meet me and thanks for supporting the film. I feel much better about the whole exchange now Nash so thankyou for that)

SFF 2011 Day 3 - Saturday Part 1

Dendy Awards

Today was going to be massive! Not only did we have the Dendy shorts being screened in the 750 plus theatre but we also had 3 more screenings to review later on in the evening, with two being in separate venues. Having had an awesome night on the town the night before with my beautiful girlfriends, my energy was waning. However, I decided that this was an opportunity not to be missed and made the effort to get my butt down to the George St Cinemas to prep for the Dendys.

For those of you who don't know, the Dendys are probably one of, if not the most prominent short film awards in Australia. Catapulting the careers of such filmmakers as Jane Campion, Phillip Noyce, Bob Connolly, and Gillian Armstrong, the Dendys are synonymous with achievement and success and have become a focus point for many hopefuls. This year's entrants were a varied bunch. Ranging from the highly popular animation, Nullarbor (which screened more than three times during the festival), to Andrew Kavanagh's At The Formal (the impact of which is still residing over my mind.) Out of the 10 films screened and of the 8 I got to watch, these are my ratings for them in order from best to worst, with comments on the top 3:

1. Fragments
2. The Missing Key
3. Nullarbor
4. Two Laps
5. Peekaboo
6. Cropped
7. At The Formal
8. Comfortable

It's no surprise that the top 3 on my list are all animations. Not only do I have an unrequited love for this genre, but I also believe it is the best form for short films to be made in. Adam Elliott's shorts Brother, Cousin, Uncle and Harvie Krumpet are the epitome of what I believe short films should strive to achieve - quick, immersible stories which reverberate throughout your core for years to come. There are many more examples of animations that I can attribute this success to but I shall focus on the three mentioned above for clarity.

Fragments is an apocalyptic narrative similar to Wall-E in its disuse of dialogue to tell the story of an old man in search of life amongst debris. The film was shot amazingly using (and excuse me for my lack of knowledge of animation terminology) a combination of stop-motion animation with painting which I believe was superimposed over real footage. Its been a long time since a short film has made me cry but Fragments did this well. The circular narrative worked efficiently to draw you in as soon as possible (a must-do technique for short films) and carries you throughout the remainder of the film in a way which allows you to become attached to the old man and his quest for companionship. I automatically connected with the story and I believe everyone can relate to the idea of "the search" which fuels our reason for living.

The Missing Key was not so much a short as a short feature. Set in Venice, Italy, it details the story of a wannabe composer who attempts each day to write the perfect melody for the approval of his strict lecturer. The aim? To win the coveted award given each year to the most outstanding musical piece. The Missing Key is visually gripping, with a degree of detail to the art I have not seen since The Cat Piano in 2009. As well as this, the film uses a number of inter-textual references which adds another meaning to the narrative. I believe it is important for shorts to do this because they act as signifiers for the audience to connect with and lessens the time required to explain narrative elements. I enjoyed the ending of the film, though expected, because of its beautiful climax which was timed extremely well and finished, like an orchestral flourish, with gusto and passion. The character of the cat was also a touching addition.

Finally, Nullarbor would be my third choice in the lineup however I'm not going to write about it again only to comment on the great reception it received. That shot yet again got everyone and it is so pleasing to hear that audible gasp rise up from everyone in the room.

Having never seen the Dendy's before, I was pleased to see the wide variety the festival employed in their selection. I believe it could have been topped off by an inclusion of Nash Edgerton's Bear but maybe another time. Read on for my thoughts on Saturday nights proceedings.

Everyone's Talking About...Sleeping Beauty

Yes, I know. I still haven't finished Sydney Film fest but after seeing Julia Leigh's latest catastrophe, I just had to write down all the thoughts buzzing about my head like a swarm of angry wasps.


First of all, I. CANNOT. BELIEVE. ANYONE. MADE. THIS. FILM!!!!

I know it's artsy and indie and different and all the rest of it but seriously?! The whole thing doesn't make any sense!!

Now I know that this is completely going against my better judgment and my promise to never speak of films badly through this blog but I really do need to set an example here of what I'm talking about when I say the film industry needs to wake up and smell the freekin dog shit before they pack it off to an audience.

With all the hype, I was extremely excited about the film. I'd been waiting desperately for the release date to be announced so that I could pencil a session into my diary. I defended the bloody thing over and over again in front of people who had managed to catch the sessions at SFF when they tried to put it down, the whole time me believing that there was no truth in their accusations. I even went so far as to like the page on Facebook. Oh Julia, how could you have let me down so badly?!

Let me back up a little and explain the film for those of you who have been living in a shoebox all your life. Sleeping Beauty is the brainchild of Julia Leigh, a novelist turned screenplay writer/director, which was made by a great production company headed by none other than our very own whimsical Jane Campion. A great cast (Emily Browning, Ewen Leslie, Rachel Blake) and a great crew (Geoffrey Simpson DOP, Nick Meyers Editor, Annie Beauchamp Production Designer) supported the seemingly great narrative which follows the story of Lucy, a down and out student working 4 jobs to support herself for some unknown dilemma who is propositioned to work for a company who provided sexual gratification to the upper class.

That word, unknown, is probably the best adjective to describe the film which had so many plot holes and gaps that it was almost impossible to work out what was happening from one moment to the next. The film jumps between separate parts of Lucy's life as she becomes more involved with her new profession and during this journey, we witness her interaction between various people including her colleagues at her various jobs, her friend, Birdman (played by Leslie), the people she meets through her new job, and various other random individuals. With them all Browning plays off this "devil may care" attitude which is neither provided with a context nor explained as to why she is so cold. And I'm sorry Julia, you may not feel that you need to explain yourself when it comes to your film but when the film doesn't do it for you, you have to help the audience out someway. Not knowing Lucy's background meant her actions and the motivations for them were just completely lost on the audience.

The whole film incorporates this meaningless attitude. The one thing I will say Leigh has going for her is her ability to direct her cast well enough to survive the excruciatingly long, wide angle takes that feature so prominently throughout. Other than that, the film is merely an uncomfortably voyeuristic look into a young girl's life for which no reason is given as to why we should be looking. Unfortunately Julia, you may have fooled Cannes, but I'm not convinved.

SFF 2011 Day 2 - Thursday

Short film - Cropped ***
Feature film - A Common Purpose ***

I think the theme for tonight's screening was 'controversial' brought on by the subject matter of both films and the fact that they were screened together. Neither one made a resounding impact on me but I think that was more to do with the fact that I was extremely tired from having worked in the Inside Film office all day and less to do with the actual films themselves.

Cropped is a dark comedy based on the director's experience with a mate who's wife used to quell her drought-caused boredom by solving jigsaw puzzles. The film doesn't centre around this event but like every story, sparks a whole other narrative which builds progressively to the climax which has the whole audience in rapture. Like Nullarbor, the film does well to serve the audience and it's insecurities, exploring themes around the recent 2009 drought and the effect it has on the people closest to it. Added to the mix is the idea that people from the outback are slightly kookoo to begin with which is why they can stand such extreme conditions. This all forms the basis for the film's primary narrative which centers around the discovery of a man's head in the family's backyard. The film gives its best to make the situation comical but I felt at times the story got a bit muddled with the constant crisscrossing back and forth between different time periods and settings. It would have almost been just as great to have been situated around the one time period when the head is discovered and had all the subsequent events roll out from there in real time. Does that make sense? What I mean essentially is that the film could have told the story within a space of half an hour of the diegesis rather than a few days. Other than that, the actors did a great job and it was lovely to meet them and the director at the screening.

A Common Purpose is a feature documentary which examines the apartheid era of south Africa in the 1980s, focusing in particular on the case of the Uppington 26, 26 men and women charged with the death of one man. 'You've got to be kidding me' I hear you say and rightly so. This story is insane. The very idea that so many people can be responsible for the death of one man I ludicrous but then again, so is the situation in South Africa. I find it very difficult to comment on documentaries which were created not so much as a political campaign but rather a documentation of a political campaign. For this reason, the film felt more like an ABC four corners production then an artistic work but I doubt that was the point of it. The story is shocking and told in a way that eases the audience into the terrible situation in SA. I unfortunately did not get to watch the ending as I had to prepare for the IF awards handouts. As a result, I'm not able to fully comment on the film overall but for me, the biggest question I felt compelled to ask was 'who do you believe?' I know the film was not trying to achieve this reaction as obviously the filmmakers wanted us to believe the defendants but coming from a film critic background of the documentary genre and with a knowledge of that community, there were times where I found myself playing devil's advocate.

Both films were great refreshing additions to the program and I feel that is important for the purpose of film festivals. Showing the same story over and over is just plain boring for one and two, doesn't incite people to do things differently. One of the big pat-on-the-backs SFF deserves is it great curating ability.

SFF 2011 Day 1 - Tuesday night

Short film: Nullarbor - ****
Feature film: I'm not dead yet - ***

After getting over the excitement of the Bridesmaids premiere, I settled into Event Cinemas 9 for the premiere of I'm Not Dead Yet preceded by the previously screened Nullabor. The way SFF works is they allow short film makers to present their films before a major feature which gets exposure for the film that may not necessarily be included in the Dendy awards screening. Nullabor I believe preceded every Australia documentary as I know it screened on another night after tonight's screening.

The film is magical. For an animation to capture the raw beauty of the Australian landscape with such detail is a rare accomplishment but Nullarbor achieves this with confidence. I believe the reason for this is because they have kept the action relatively simple, focusing on the clownish activities of two unlikely characters who meet during separate road trips. Like a classic Charlie Chaplin film, the story rumbles along the Great Ocean Byte with the characters until the triumphant conclusion which has this brilliant shot that gets the audience every time (I don't have spoilers in this blog so you'll just have to go watch the film). I think my only criticism would be that at times, the CGI technology just had that tad too much detail, particularly on the faces of the characters, which doesn't bode well with film and the expectation one has of the medium to present a more 'prettified' view of the world. Other than that, it ticks all the boxes for a slap-stick comedy with Australian roots and the reaction it's had from audiences this week has been encouraging for the genre.

I'm Not Dead Yet is brilliant. You don't need to be a fan of country music to connect with this powerful documentary. Using a range of mediums, the film presents the story of Chad Morgan in a fashion just as entertaining as the man himself. 35mm, video, photographs, music and after effects animation all combine to tell the tale of a simple from an outback town in Queensland who refused to fit in. The director and producer, Janine Hosking, takes us through the Chad's life, beginning with his current state of frustration in life at consistently being reported dead when he is still very much alive, then taking a look back at the young boy from the bush who became a superstar. The film explores many of life's major themes from old age, to the perils of fame, to the comfort of a simple life. Many audiences will enjoy this film for it's crass Aussie humor and narrative which imbues everyone to believe that even the butt-ugly can make it big in this world.

Questions, questions...

Im hoping that by writing this all down it may help my decision easier to make in regards to what the hell I should be doing with myself at the end of this year. Over the past few weeks, you'll have noticed a number of posts have been about my concerns over my impending doom due to arrive at the end of 2011. A time when I officially step back into the real world. I say step back as opposed to stepping into because I feel I have done my fair share of industry experience in the past. The unfortunate reality of this situation is that besides moving to a more profitable area for jobs, I have essentially put off my career by 3 years doing my degree. Don't get me wrong. It's been great. Fantastic even. It just hasn't been the amazing boost my career needed.

So back to square one again. Where no one knows who you are, your resume looks about as stale as last week's newspaper and The Loop has become your new homepage. It's a scary place. To help me try to figure out what the fuck to do with my life, I've asked every person I've met over the past few weeks to give me some insight into the pathway they took to get to where they are now in their careers.

My mentor who got me all my jobs in Perth recently moved over to Sydney to begin a new career at Film Finances Australia as a trainee film guarantor. As I was here, I knew it was about time I caught up with her to see how things had been going for the past 3 years. In particular, I wanted her advice which I have always respected on what she thought I should do with my life next year.

She asked me what I wanted to do and I said that eventually, I wanted to end up owning my own production company for Australian film and television projects with the intention of broadening the company overseas. She then asked me what my original plans were for straight out of uni and I explained that I don't have that desire quite yet to make my own stuff and thought my time would be better spent learning from others on their sets as a production manager or producer's assistant until that desire strengthened. Her response makes so much sense. She said that what tends to happen is people who get into those roles stay there. The reason for this is because when they eventually decide to make their own work, everyone has placed them in the 'producer's assistant' role and they don't take them seriously as a producer.

Seriously scary stuff. Making the problem more complicated, she acknowledged the benefit of work experience in this industry and knew how important it would be for me to just get a foot in the door to meet the right people.

My response? AGHHSGSJABAHHHJGHAJAHHAHAH!!!!!! In a nutshell.

So rather than helping me make my final decision, she's added another option for me to consider for next year. This is the list so far:

1. Move back to Perth to start at the very bottom again with the few contacts I have over there (not supported by anyone)
2. Apply for a traineeship with the BBC
3. Apply for a graduate program with MacQuarie or Deloitte (not very appealing but it'll pay the bills)
4. Apply for the VCA producing Postgrad course
5. Apply for the VCA directing Postgrad course
6. Work casually and try to get work experience with film and tv production companies
7. Make my own stuff with the hope that it gets some notice and my company develops from there

Ugh! Too many decisions as you can see and not enough time to consider all the pros and cons. I think I'm kinda lucky in the sense that hopefully 6 and 7 can blend together so that I can work on my own stuff during the downtime between working on other people's productions. My friend did warn me about this however as she said that when you're working on other people's projects, your own work gets left on the shelf. Crap.

So basically I'm not one set further to figuring out what the hell I'm going to do with my life next year. But I do have more confidence within me to reconsider my many, many ideas which have been building up over the years and start to develop them into real films. The road ahead is still not paved but I've found another brick to get one step closer to the process.

Sydney!!!!

They say that everything happens in life for a reason. Following the events of this week, I can't even begin to to tell you how true this statement is.

5 weeks ago I booked my flight to Sydney on a whim as a form of encouragement to get me through the end of semester. The plan was to spend time with my beautiful girlfriends who I'd met on my exchange to the University of Florida last year. Checking the dates, I realized that the Sydney film festival was also on during this time and so I decided to call up the Inside Film Awards office and see if they would like some extra hands for the festival. Their response was immediate - "of course! We would love to have you!" Encouraging.

So it was set. I was to fly to Sydney at 2pm on Sunday the 12th of June where I would be until Monday the 20th of June. Unless you've been living under a rock recently, you will know that on that particular day, an extraordinary phenomenon caused almost every airline in Australia to shut down for a 48 hour period thanks to the impressive eruption of a 'nearby' volcano. Goodbye Sydney flight TT6115. Hello Melbourne (again) for at least 2 more days. To say the least, I was bummed. I had been so excited to see my friends and to start at SFF on the Monday night and it was that cold slap of realization that I just would not be doing that that got me a little down. But only for a moment. Realizing there is absolutely nothing you can do about a situation is sometimes the best remedy for a crappy event. In action mode now, I called my darling friend who drove all the way back to Tullamarine to pick me up (again), called my boss asking if I could come in to work (it was the queens birthday weekend for Melbourne) and called IF to let them know I wouldn't be able to come until Tuesday.

The next two days I spent resting, sleeping, catching up with friends and re-preparing myself to fly up to Sydney on the rescheduled flight Tiger put me on for the Tuesday. It wad bizarre but I could feel myself slowly becoming more relaxed. The thing about the last few weeks of uni is you get so used to running around like a headless chook that it takes you a while to stop and realize you don't need to run so fast anymore. Missing my flight allowed me to slow down and I was much more relaxed for my flight on Tuesday which went off without a glitch and I arrived in Sydney on time at 5pm.

Now this is the amazing part. Knowing my shift for SFF was starting at 8:30pm, I didn't see the point in trying to get to my friend's house all the way out in Manly and then back again so decided to head straight to the George St Event Cinemas were with the intention of dumping my bags there and finding something to entertainment myself with until the session. Entertainment could not have come in a better form than the 'pink carpet' premiere of Bridesmaids. I kid you not, the first thing I see walking into the theatre is a long pink carpet, flowers, a bridal arch and posters everywhere for the latest blockbuster movie. I was ecstatic! I love premieres! They're just so...inspiring! They make you want to be that person that everyone wants to talk to which yes, I'll admit sounds a bit narcissistic, but it's a respect thing as well.

So I find a good spot, nestle in quick knowing full well that everyone else in the theatre would catch on to what was happening sooner or later and waited for the guests to arrive. Rose Byrne, Kristin Wiig, Rebel Wilson, Wes Carr, Ricki-Lee Coulter and the director Paul Feig all made their appearances and were super awesome with the crowd. I can never think of what to say to actors and actresses in person unless I'm working with them so just was happy to keep my mouth shut (which kept sliding to the floor each time I saw a new celeb) and snapped away with my newly charged camera.

How could this get any better you think? As some of you may know, I am absolutely obsessed with Damian Walshe-Howling who you should know, played Andrew 'Benji' Veniamin in season 1 of Underbelly. And he was the last celeb I got to see walk the pink carpet. I was beside myself. I don't know where I went but it was a very happy place and I think I am still there now.

So that was the first 3 hours of Sydney! Crazy where life can take you isn't it? Now I've finally settled in, I can go on to tell you all about what I have been up to for the past 3 days (which have been just as jam-packed as my first 3 hours)

Everyone's Talking About...2011 Fall TV Season

Yes folks its finally here. That time of the year when all of us TV fans go bonkers for the new American lineup of TV blockbusters heading our way. Whilst the Australian networks haven't yet released just who they will be picking up for their second round of ratings, the American news publications have been going crazy over the wave of great American television coming out this year. In an era where TV is slowly becoming the more dominant focus of drama production, TV is becoming more entertaining, more exciting, and more accessible to the average viewer. Here are my top 5 picks for this year's Fall lineup:

1. Pan Am - ABC Studios

This is coming straight out of my obsession with the Mad Men series. I can't help it. I am genuinely in love with the 1950s era and am so excited that there is now a trend emerging of television productions exploring life in these times.

2. The Playboy Club - NBC Studios

Read above.

3. Charlie's Angels

I love shows which have women as their main focus (Desperate Housewives, Winners and Losers, Offspring) and I am also in love with the Charlie's Angels movies of the Noughties. This show will hopefully bring all of these elements together.

4. Apartment 23

This has such an interesting concept and such a bizarre combination of actors (in the form of Krysten Ritter, James Van Der Beek, and Dreama Walker) that it should hopefully be a brilliant comedy.

5. 2 Broke Girls

I love Kat Dennings and think she is absolutely sexy as hell which is probably why I am more drawn to her in this show than the show itself. Still, it looks like it can carry through with the laughs so hopefully will be a good one to watch.

Honorable Mentions:
Good Christian Belles - ABC
Terra Nova - Fox
New Girl - Fox
Awake - NBC
Smash - NBC

There are many more due to be released (slash picked up) and thankfully, the wonderful people at the LA times have produced this fantastic online list for us all to drool over. Some of the links don't work but it gives you an idea of what's going on: Los Angeles Times

Free Movie Tickets

No, I don't have a stash of double passes to giveaway. Rather, I thought I would share my extensive knowledge of Melbourne's best deals when it comes to getting out to the movies. Listed day by day, here is where I would go for less than $20.

Monday:
Cinema Nova (BEST DEAL):
If you don't know about this yet well then your life is about to get MUCH better. Tickets bought before 4pm are $6 and after 4pm are $9. Boys, best option for a date with a new love (she'll think your romantic while you get to save some dough.)

Event Cinemas:
Every Monday at Event Cinemas students get a fantastic deal of $8. Event cinemas generally have newer releases and more mainstream movies than Nova however, you do need a student card.

Tuesday:
Hoyts:
Super Tuesdays at Hoyts means every session is just $11

Village Cinemas:
Village also has $11 movies

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday:
Ok, this is a bit of a cop out but these are really not the best days to try and go see a movie. I do however, have a special offer for you if you do need a movie fix. Sign up to Palace Cinemas movie club and you'll receive $10.50 for you and a friend every time you go to the movies, for just $13 a year (student club price). I know, you're probably asking why didn't I mention this before. Well for a start, Palace unfortunately do not have the best range of movies as they are only an independent cinema. But other than that, this really is a great option.

It really helps to be a student (or at least get a mate to come with you who is still a student and who can buy the tickets for you.) Generally, student tickets are at least $5 cheaper than adult tickets so you can save heaps just by using your brain 12 hours a week (I am seriously going to miss these discounts next year.) Other than that, check out these sites for free weekly giveaways for double passes to movies:

Inside Film
AFI
What's Playing
Watch Out For

Everyone's Talking About...Snowtown

For finishing my cinema essay on time, I decided to reward myself by going to see Justin Kurzel's Snowtown at the Nova on Lygon St. I now realize that this is not the best sort of movie for a reward.

Snowtown is a mind-numbing, toe-curling, wife-beater of a movie. You walk in super excited at seeing a movie so many people are speaking so highly of and you walk out feeling like someone pushed you off the rocks at Cott beach into 5m surf without a life vest. In other words, you feel as beat up as the victims depicted in the movie.

Don't be put off by this however. This is just what makes this movie so great. For a movie to make you feel so many different emotions in one hit is pure genius. I couldn't help but be reminded of David Michod's Animal Kingdom, another great Aussie film that plays with your emotions like a cat with it's prey.

Snowtown details the dramatic events of the early to late 90s when John Bunting committed over 11 murders with the assistance of his friend Robert Wagner and the unintentional involvement of James Vlassikas, the son of Bunting's love internet, Elizabeth Harvey. The murders were gruesome, with the details remaining sealed until a suppression order was lifted at the request of the filmmakers in 2010.

The film depicts the lives of these people involved in the most real and gritty way I have ever seen achieved in film before. Beginning in a manner similar to a series of vignettes, we are introduced to the small town of Salisbury North, the real locations of the original murders. The shots are beautifully constructed which is one of the reasons Snowtown is so sickening. One moment you are watching this amazing photographic montage. The next, some guy is getting beaten to a pulp.

Justin Kurzel and Shaun Grant are super lucky that they had Lucas Pittaway and Daniel Henshall on board to depict Vkassikis and Bunting. Henshall in particular is just as haunting as Ben Mendelsohn in Animal Kingdom and I apologize for comparing the two films so much but there are a lot of similarities. Unfortunately, this is my one criticism of Snowtown. I don't know how they could have dealt with the subject matter any differently from how they did but to me it just felt a little too much like Australia's other successful psychological thriller. A solution may have been to have held off the release for another year when the effect of AK had died down a bit.

Other than that, Snowtown is truly a brilliant film. It was made the way Australians know how to make films best - by torturing the audience until they squirm in their seats but hooks them in so that they know they won't be able to leave until the end. Don't be put off by me or any other critics for that matter. Go and see this film and prepare for the ride of your life.

Hot Off The Press...Aussie Box Office

In line again with the new direction I am taking for this blog, I have created another category called "Hot Off The Press." Literally it is just me replicating articles I have seen online in other sites which I either do not have the time to reflect upon (As I do in my 'Everyone's Talking About' category) or discuss. Instead, here is the article verbatim with the necessary references:

Aus films fail to keep pace with inflation-adjusted total box office - Inside Film Online.

[Fri 03/06/2011 11:10:34]

By Brendan Swift

The performance of Australian films has failed to keep pace with the spectacular rise in inflation-adjusted box office returns over the past three decades, according to new research.

While local films’ total box office returns have more than doubled from $24.2 million in 1981 to $54.8 million in 2009, the total box office has grown at an even faster rate (see graph below).

“The exponential growth has been nothing short of extraordinary given the period has spanned the rise of home entertainment, from VHS to DVD to online distribution,” Convergen managing director Anton Andreacchio, who conducted the research, said.

“It does though paint a fairly bleak picture of the competitiveness of Australian product at the box office, which has failed to capitalize on the soaring overall demand.”

Local films' proportion of total box office peaked in 1986 with 23.5 per cent (due to Crocodile Dundee) and recorded a low of 1.3 per cent in 2004. In the past decade, Australian films take of the total box office has exceeded five per cent just twice (in 2001 with 7.8 per cent and 2010 with five per cent).

Andreacchio said the inflation-adjusted domestic box office, compared to the total box office, is almost completely flat, suggesting issues with distribution.

“It could be argued that we should have seen strong volatility in the domestic component over the past few decades given the level of volatility in the total box office, which should also have been compounded by the changes in tax incentives, funding sources, government intervention, etc.

"The absence of this and stability of domestic box office turnover clearly suggests that there are constraints on the demand-side (distribution) that are not affected by all the supply-side (production) manoeuvring."

Convergen’s technology services include feature film visual effects and architectural and urban planning applications. It is based in South Australia in the same offices as AMPCO Films, which recently produced Australian-Chinese co-production The Dragon Pearl.

The Screen Producers Association of Australia is lobbying the government to introduce a $60 million Producer Distributor Film Fund (PDFF), which it hopes will increase the number of locally-made mid-budget, commercial films.

The PDFF is aimed at producing more mid-budget films in the $7 - $30 million budget range, potentially doubling the Australian share of the $1 billion local box office to about 10 per cent, while creating about 900 jobs.



A five year moving average and area graph have been used to aggregate the short term fluctuations in both the domestic share and total box office.Source: Convergen.

Everyone's talking about ... TV

So this is going to become a new column for my blog (not sure if blog's have columns... category?) because I figured that you, the reader, should know that whatever I write in these posts isn't necessarily going to be earth-shatteringly unique but more likely, just a rumination about what everyone is saying. Ironically, this article is actually about something I have been meaning to comment on for a while but it works in my favor just as well to cite the article that gave me inspiration. Here's what we're talking about today:

[caption id="attachment_547" align="center" width="300" caption="Television in a golden age"][/caption]

I stumbled upon this from The Australian's Arts section and its a great exposé on the rise of television as the new dominant medium for creative expression. The article proposes many interesting theories about the rise of television and its subsequent effect on everyone's new attraction to the ol' "talking box." Entertainingly, the reporter writes "There was a time when Marty would have laughed you out of town for suggesting he'd do television," says a collaborator of Scorsese. "Today he sees it's where the action's at." The new attitude we are seeing from the movie studios towards television drama production and television's capacity to provide a new platform for distribution is attributed by the article's writer to the fact that over the years, our box office attendance ratings have been the highest for the studios' sequel releases. The article says:

"The biggest earning film of this year has been Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The fourth instalment of a Disney franchise, it has made more than $US400m worldwide. The surprise hit has been Fast Five, the fifth film in the Fast and the Furious series, which has made more than $US360m. Last weekend two more sequels battled it out: The Hangover: Part II and Kung Fu Panda 2. In Australia, the Hangover sequel has topped the box office after its first week, taking $11.3m in its opening weekend, while Pirates of the Caribbean has taken $17.3m since it opened two weeks ago."

It's a great idea and one which definitely could be said to hold up in many circumstances. The article's downfall is the writer avoidance of why sequels are such an attractive option for audiences but I'm going to give it a go. It's a stretch but I believe that because we are so immersed in this high-tech, fast-paced world, we no longer have the time anymore to devote ourselves to new experiences. Sounds contradictory doesn't it? What I mean is that even when we make that commitment to go see a movie, it is generally not with the intention of watching the film in the way film as originally meant to be shown. We will be thinking about the dishwasher, the bills, the cat and its veterinary appointment, the kids and their schoolwork (for you parents out there), and the last post we made on Davo's wall (for you Gen Y'ers.) Our brain's have managed to achieve an even smaller attention span than witnessed when television was first released. Now, we can't do anything without fidgeting, reaching for the nearest handheld device, and trying to do 3 things at once. Our brains are so overstimulated, when thrust into a new environment which requires their single, undivided attention, they go crazy. I believe this is what happens when people watch new films with new narratives, new characters, and new faces. Going to watch a sequel such as the Pirates of the Caribbean is much easier because half the work has already been done for us by the brain's memory recall center. Knowing half the story, or at least a back-story, means we don't have to focus so much attention on the film itself and can allow our brains to wander (which is what we want them to do. Its a self-preservation thing to know you did put out the bins, deflating the potential future conflict with the ol' ball and chain.)

Taking all of this into account, we can now turn our ATTENTION! (that's right, focus now), to the role of TV in these shenanigans. TV has always been associated with the idea of a limited attention span. It's why we have adverts. It's why we have remote controls. By producing TV shows, the American studios are tapping back into the audience that abandoned them at the box office, instead financing the same quality of production for a different medium with some astounding results. Already this year we have seen and heard of some amazing new shows, either heading our way or hopefully soon to be (This I shall discuss in another post.)

My final thought on the article? The point made about the fact that TV is not watched so much on the set itself but rather online is the concluding, and most important, reason I believe audiences are staying home. The American studio system has not embraced the concept of video-on-demand as well as their Televisual counterparts and thus, it is much more accessible (and easy) to watch a show than to watch a movie. This is why we can see a decline in box office numbers. This is why more people are watching TV. And its why, more than ever, studios (TV and film alike) need to start reinventing their traditional ideas of drama production to save themselves.

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - First Glance

I know I shouldn't have even clicked the link. I should have immediately averted my eyes from the audacious portal which would lead me to this trailer. But I couldn't help it. The remake of Yellow Birds' The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo film has been described by many as the biggest kick to the gonads for the international film circuit in the history of the industry. And rightly so. With the last film having not even been released, a remake was considered a massive insult to the original producers. So why have I posted the trailer here? Because it actually looks pretty damn good! The thing about a remake that is great is that the premise is the original movie itself, rather than the narrative that movie grew from. The downfall of this is that the original source for the original movie will probably be lost in transit. I think this movie is going to be great at highlighting the work of Niels Arden Oplev and the Yellow Birds crew but it will have Stieg Larsson turning in his grave. Ladies beware: Daniel Craig is here and looking sexier than ever.

The New All Media Fund and what it means for future jobs

On the 3rd of May (yes I realize that this was a while ago), Screen Australia announced it would be soon launching a new initiative within its organization known as the All Media Fund. According to the new guidelines

"The objective is to support narrative content in both linear and non-linear forms that pushes the envelope of creative storytelling, and to provide practitioners with opportunities to take risks, extend their skills and explore new storytelling tools and platforms."

Sounds great doesn't it? So why do I have a problem with this new set up?

Whilst Screen Australia and the Federal government have taken many steps towards the safeguarding of our industry (such as introducing the producer's offset then reducing it from $1m to $500,000; increasing the location offset and PDV offsets; and abolishing the thieving Division 10B/10A incentives), there are still many hurdles across which filmmakers and television producers must clamber over before receiving a cent for their productions. Over the past 3 weeks, I have been attending many seminars and talks with various filmmakers and even Heather MacFarlane herself (Project Manager for Screen Australia), all of which have outlined to me the frustration Australian filmmakers are experiencing when it comes to getting well-needed funds for their films. The reason why the industry is struggling is due mainly to the fact that it is so difficult to achieve the requirements Screen Aus outlines its funding guidelines before they even settle an agreement with the funding body.

Here are a few of the guidelines and why they are a problem for Aussie films:

1. "Screen Australia generally requires the commitment of an experienced producer as part of the team, and that the application should come from the producer."
Sounds simple enough but here's the problem. First of all, Screen Australia's definition of an "experienced" producer reads as follows: "An ‘experienced producer’ is defined as having at least one credit as producer on:

* a feature film or theatrical feature documentary that has been released on a minimum of five commercial screens in one territory, OR
* a primetime broadcast drama miniseries or telemovie.
Why is this an issue? First of all, in 2009, only 12% of movies screened across Australia's 1,989 theater screens were Australian. This accounts for just 238 screens and with theater numbers dropping each year (Numbers dropped from 525 to 492 between 2004-2009), this number is expected to decrease over the years.

So 238 screens, for the WHOLE year, to screen 37 Australian made films. At best, these films could manage to get on to 6 screens if they we

"You're Terrible Muriel" - The Problem With Australia's Film Industry: Part 1

Whilst Screen Australia and the Federal government have taken many steps towards the safeguarding of our industry (such as introducing the producer's offset then reducing it from $1m to $500,000; increasing the location offset and PDV offsets; and abolishing the thieving Division 10B/10A incentives), there are still many hurdles across which filmmakers and television producers must clamber over before receiving a cent for their productions. Over the past 3 weeks, I have been attending many seminars and talks with various filmmakers and even Heather MacFarlane herself (Project Manager for Screen Australia), all of which have outlined to me the frustration Australian filmmakers are experiencing when it comes to getting well-needed funds for their films. The reason why the industry is struggling is due mainly to the fact that it is so difficult to achieve the requirements Screen Aus outlines in its funding guidelines for their Features Development Funding Scheme.

This is issue #1 (more to be explored later):

1. "Screen Australia generally requires the commitment of an experienced producer as part of the team, and that the application should come from the producer."
Sounds simple enough but here's the problem. First of all, Screen Australia's definition of an "experienced" producer reads as follows:

An ‘experienced producer’ is defined as having at least one credit as producer on:

* a feature film or theatrical feature documentary that has been released on a minimum of five commercial screens in one territory, OR
* a primetime broadcast drama miniseries or telemovie.

Why is this an issue? First of all, in 2009, only 12% of movies screened across Australia's 1,989 theater screens were Australian. This accounts for just 238 screens and with theater numbers dropping each year (Numbers dropped from 525 to 492 between 2004-2009), this number is expected to decrease over the years.

So 238 screens, for the WHOLE year, to screen 37 Australian made films. At best, these films could manage to get on to 6 screens if they were in equal competition with eachother. However, factoring in the number of prints for each of these films, we soon realize that is not possible. The number of "prints" made by production companies each year is a particular strategy adopted to offset of stock processing and distribution. According to the Screen Australia report titled Analysis of Release Strategies and Box Office Performance 2009, "Around 82% of Australian feature films over this period were given either a limited release (less than 20 prints) or specialty release (20–99 prints)." The figures from this report show that all in all, 38 films were released on 0-19 prints, 42 were released on 20-99, 12 were released on 100-199 prints and just 5 made it into the "wide" and "blockbuster" ranges of over 200 prints (total of 97 films released on 0 - 400+ prints.)

But wait! I hear you say. You said that only 37 films were screened on Australian cinemas last year... What happened to the other 60?!

During my research, I wasn't able to come across these figures (all of these numbers by the way have been collated from the Screen Australia website.) And trying to provide an estimate as to the number of prints made from all 97 films would be foolish. We can say for certain however that a good number of them did not make their way into Australian cinemas. Popular guesses as to the current location of these rejects are that they have now been converted into draft extinguishers, footstools and stubby holders.

So how the hell can we work out then which films and their producers made it only more than 5 screens?! And more importantly, how many of these producers are still accessibly to small, independent directors/writers/production companies. Let's have a look at the top 5 highest grossing Australian films of 2009 and their associated producers:
1. Mao's Last Dancer. Executive Producer: Sue Mackay (Australian)
2. Australia. Producer: G. Mac Brown (American)
3. Knowing. Executive Producer: David Alper (American)
4. Charlie and Boots. Executive Producer: Thomas Augsberger (German)
5. Samson and Delilah. Producer: Kath Shelper (Australian)

So out of the top 5 grossing Australian films of 2009, 3 of the 5 E.P's and Producers were not Australian. And Mao's Last Dancer wasn't entirely Australian either (it was co-produced with Geng Ling from China.)

I hope you can see where I am going with all these statistics and facts. It is hard enough trying to find an idea, develop it, turn it into a script, find people who want to make it into a film, make the damn thing, and then try and convince a dwindling Australian audience to go out and watch it. How, in all of that, are Australian filmmakers expected to get an "experienced" producer attached to the project as well?

This is my argument against the very first guideline posed by Screen Australian for their Features Development Funding Scheme. Yes, there is a potential guarantee of success for the film if they are attached to an "experienced" producer. But this should be a sweetener for Screen Australia, the cherry on top. The rest should be made based on other factors relating to the concept of the film's narrative itself. Anyway, I hope this has been enlightening for you. I know I am exhausted trying to get all those numbers around my head but be warned, there are more to come, as I endeavor to expose our industry's main problems and pose solutions to them too.

(Its interesting to note that Samson and Delilah, the list's only truly Australian production, were not financed through the Features Development Funding Scheme.)

St Kilda 2011 - Top 100 Session 16

I'll make this quick as I have many films to get through and I am still feeling the effects of last nights closing awards so here goes:

1. Flash
A cute short film using the technique of drawn animation coupled with 3D technology. The film was nice and short (just how I like it) and without dialogue too which was good because the animator clearly put a lot of hard work into the timing and facial expressions. All in all, a nest piece of work.

2. The Bris
I find it difficult to relate to films like this because of my lack of knowledge of the culture it features. This is an extremely ignorant attitude to have towards film in general and I will admit that first up. However, I believe that the best films are the ones that have a universal theme attached to them and the film's ability to do this depends on how well they have balanced their cultural commentating with the broader universal themes. For this film, I don't think they succeeded too well or in other words, I think the film could have been made just as well, or, even better, by removing the cultural references completely. We can all relate to close relatives of ours making uncomfortable demands and the core theme of this film could have been adapted to that. In saying that, I thought the lead actor was brilliant and I think Mullinar's or Chameleon casting need to get on to him for their next feature because, as I mentioned in twitter, he is Australia's next Greg Kinnear.

3. Hooked
This film was absolutely disgusting. Terrifying. And I couldn't watch it. Yes I'm a woose and no I have not seen Saw so I should not be used to filmmaking of this sort. Just to warn you all, Hooked features large fish hooks ring inserted into the skin of really,really freaky people who swing around by their skin (not figuratively like as in the skin of their teeth) and you the audience can do nothing about it.