PRODUCING DOWN UNDER

Australia's production community has consistently delivered product that performs successfully both at Home and Away!
- Tim Avis Reports

Australia's capacity to deliver in the production and co-production stakes stems from its ability to produce high-quality programming at very low cost. Producers have also mastered high volume production, particularly in the series arena, according to Linda Stone, ABC's new head of business affairs.

A weak Australian/US dollar exchange rate coupled with an English language environment and the depth and breadth of the production talent pool, have also played an important role in driving Australia's international profile, particularly as a bona fide supplier of children's and youth-oriented programming.

"We have to focus on achieving international sales because there simply isn't enough money available locally," reports Mike Willesee Jnr., executive director of Australia's Trans Media Productions. "In the past - even five or ten years ago - you could do well making television for the Australian marketplace alone. That simply isn't the case anymore."

But like producers are finding the world over, life is becoming tougher. "Production budgets are increasing," Says Dr Patricia Edgar, a director of the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF). "However, due to increased competition in the market as a result of globalisation, licence fees paid by broadcasters have generally remained static or even decreased. Additionally, many broadasters now seek more runs, rights and territories for their licence fees."

Screentime partner Bob Campbell echoes the point: "There is a real issue that the production community, via the Screen Producers Association, is endeavouring to address, namely the size of deficits for drama productions - TV movies, miniseries and series."
Nowithstanding, the Australian production community is almost universally upbeat about the role and importance of the government's funding body, the Film Finance Corporation (FFC).

Marian Bartsch, who helms MAGO Films, Says: "It appears to be a successful marriage between broadcasters who commission documentaries and put up a limited licence fee, which in turn helps to trigger the majority of funding for the documentary from the FFC."

But as both Bartsch and Dr Edgar agree, international slots for Australian content are coming under increasing pressure in today's marketplace.

"In some European territories, regulation designed to protect against the flooding of the local market by overseas product has limited the number slots available for international content. This makes it more difficult for producers to secure production financing," explains Dr Edgar.

But what about the future? "Global media is changing dramatically. Audience fragmentation, channel proliferation and new interactive media are creating fundamental challenges for traditional media and enormous opportunities for new media companies," says John Gregory, CEO of Pacific Imagination Online (PIO).

He adds "Lack of funding - whether by way of broadcaster licence fee or government support mechanisms - the rise of global vertically integrated media companies with undue market leverage and the increase of self-publishing media entities are all real concerns felt by the majority of Australian independent producers."

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MAGO Films
MAGO Films, helmed by Marian Bartsch who executive produced the widely sold food/culture series Appetite for Asia, has carved out a niche for herself in the documentary realm. Recent productions include the ABC destined one-hour documentary X-Pats: The Alien Connection, about ex-pats in Asia, which will air on UK Horizon later this year.

The company has moved into production on What in the World is Feng Shui? The 52-minute special examines the history of Feng Shui in China and Hong Kong and looks at how the practice is being embraced in the West. With filming taking place in China, Australia, the UK and the US, the one-off features interviews with Feng Shui masters, high-profile architects, business leaders and academics.

What in the World is Feng Shui?, distributed internationally by Carlton International, will be delivered in time for MIPCOM.

MAGO Films' development slate includes the six-part series, Spa Trek - Ancient Wisdom for Modern Well Being, which explores traditional Eastern medicine and its different approach to health and healing. "The series, to be filmed in exotic parts of Asia and focusing on cultures both past and present, is designed to have wide international appeal," says Bartsch.

Other projects in the pipeline looking for co-finance include Asian Mind Games, based on the best selling book by Chin-Ning Chu. The concept behind the show is to provide an insight into the hidden agendas of Asian business cultures and the intriguing relationship which exits between the high-finance fliers in the East and West.

Further down the line, Mago Films is developing the film, American Legend (Two Wheel Outlaws) to coincide with the centenary of the Harley Davidson, as well as All Aboard the Mid-Life Shuttle, a documentary focusing on three individuals who are looking to change their life's direction regardless of a mid-life crisis.

MAGO Films' emphasis is on subjects that have international appeal is market driven. "It is interesting to note that it's difficult to achieve international distribution of films that have solely an Australian focus - outside of natural history programming," comments Bartsch.

She adds: "So many fine documentaries about Australia and Australians rarely get broadcast elsewhere, yet our own broadcasters frequently schedule overseas programmes that cover local issues in another country. They should be applauded."

- Tim Avis, Channel 21 International, April 2001.