Screen Australia's CEO makes some interesting remarks about the future of local film production

A little while ago I mentioned that Screen Australia announcedit is workshopping some new approaches to building pride in Australian film. I had a further email exchange. One element was that a PR consultancy had been hired to help. The chosen firm advertises on its website that it is “for shaking things up. Disrupting industries, creating new markets and new companies. We're for culture that fuels creativity and innovation. We help build trust and get teams to work harder and be happier. We're for new models, new theories, new ways of working for this century, not the last one.” ...and on it goes.

 

So onward. SA’s Chief Executive has just spoken about the future and released a new discussion paper which you can find here. He didn’t seem to go to building pride in Australian film. Here’s part of what SA’s press release said. Local independent films are facing an increasingly tough, and crowded, marketplace. Audience expectation of where and how they see these films is changing rapidly. The benchmark for specialist film box office has been drastically lowered. We are not alone here, these trends are international.” ...: “Long-heralded transformations wrought by digital disruption are well and truly upon us. Blockbusters dominate an increasingly crowded theatrical environment while the traditional DVD market is in sharp decline. Newer ancillaries, like VOD platforms, are yet to deliver back recoupment dollars into the ecosystem. It is becoming harder for independent films to find their audiences amidst an avalanche of content, and it is harder for them to attract marketplace finance.” A key part of Screen Australia’s role is to assist screen businesses to navigate these changes and to take advantage of the opportunities they present. - See more 

 

I cant help wondering just what is meant by "the benchmark for specialist film box office has been drastically lowered". That's an interesting development....