FILM VICTORIA – NEW GUIDELINES
by Mark Poole
This article was published on Screenhub, the online journal.
Film Victoria hosted an information session about some key changes to their guidelines on Monday 2 April at the Hyatt in Melbourne.
While the session was packed with details (as well as industry professionals) there were three key strands to the proposed changes which bear scrutiny.
As CEO Sandra Sdraulig said in introducing the proposed changes, the three main thrusts to the proposed changes are:
1. A cross platform approach to digital media, which is now being integrated with other development and production programs instead of being a separate strand;
2. Increased funding available for many components of development and production, but at the cost of being able to fund fewer projects overall; and
3. More funding for producers and production companies in an attempt to reward success and support companies and businesses so that they can survive and thrive.
As well, there are a host of other changes, such as changes to the attachment and internship programs (with a new fellowship program announced), and minor rejigs to other programs.
PRODUCER SUPPORT
To me, the most fundamental of the proposed Film Victoria changes are the obvious attempts to assist producers and production companies become viable business entities.
The most fascinating part of the day was when General Manager Industry Development and Investment Ros Tatarka put up a number of slides onto the screen behind her showing a number of graphs. One showed how much the 26 or so production companies who had received CSDS funding since 2000 had repaid of their investment. One company had repaid 100% of the amount. Another ten or so had repaid around 40%, and around ten had not repaid anything at all, according to Ros’ graph. The graph didn’t stay visible for long, and included a projected figure of how much the production companies had promised to pay in 2007- 08 as well as an indication of how much they had actually paid.
Another graph compared the two options Film Victoria is considering to assist producers who have received production funding – the first option is for Film Victoria’s interest in the copyright of the project to revert to the producer after seven years, and the second option is to fund a producer’s corridor of an additional 10 per cent from day 1 of recoupment.
This area provoked the most spirited discussion of the day, as several producers in the audience have the view that it would be preferable for Film Victoria to align with the Australian Film Commission and the Film Finance Corporation in providing a 10% recoupment corridor – for one reason simply that having all the funding agencies having the same policy maximizes clarity and minimizes complex financial accounting and recoupment schedules. As well, the documentary community in particular has spent years debating this issue and decided that the 10% recoupment corridor is the best way to go.
Film Victoria told us that they felt the return of copyright better rewards success than the 10% recoupment corridor model, and also it would cost them less according to their modeling – and that’s important as any money flowing to producers via this policy will be money no longer available for project development or other forms of production investment.
The Producer package system is now three-tiered, with producer support packages available up to $35,000 for emerging producers – and this is for overheads but not for project development.
The next tier is company support, which will provide up to $70,000 for established businesses, and this can include project development.
The third Producer Package tier is slate funding of up to $300,000.
Ros said that Film Victoria wants to target business with a potential for growth to the extent that in the future they will have grown to a size where they could help emerging producers down the track. The aim is to assist companies to grow to a level where they are able to sustain themselves.
Film Victoria have also adjusted the guidelines for larger companies to be able to reapply for funding, with the possibility that they will be able to reapply for funding if they have repaid their slate loan of $300,000. If they haven’t reached that level yet, they will still be able to reapply if they have repaid over 40%.
DIGITAL MEDIA
Amelia King introduced the changes to Digital Media, taking a place at the front table regularly throughout the day to explain the detail.
Essentially Film Victoria is moving to integrate digital media into its other programs to encourage a cross-platform approach instead of having digital media as a ghetto separate from the more traditional media of film and television. Film Victoria has $2 million available over the next financial year to support digital media projects.
In the proposed guidelines up to $5,000 will be available for digital platform scoping to assist producers to research ideas on how to proceed in making digital media versions of their film and television projects. Amelia explained that digital media includes mobile, online, and games delivery platforms. This fund will enable producers to research potential audiences for their project in the digital realm, and map out how to achieve its technical development.
Via the new guidelines, support for digital media projects will be available across Film Victoria’s range of funds, to maximize the opportunities for producers to exploit the multimedia opportunities of their projects.
Late in the afternoon the audience were introduced late in the afternoon to incoming Script Manager Charlie Carman, who walked us through the new guidelines for script development. Essentially the major changes are the funding of producers through the development process, where previously producers received very little or no funding during development.
Steve Warne briefly addressed the audience as well, announcing that changes to the documentary area were similar to other areas, with producers able to now apply for funding during the development process. As well, some of the fees that can be earnt by writers in developing documentary have increased.
Throughout the day it was stressed that these proposed changes will be modified according to submissions made by industry practitioners to Film Victoria. Comments can be emailed to idi@film.vic.gov.au by close of business tomorrow, April 5. A pdf of the proposed new guidelines is available from Film Victoria’s website at www.film.vic.gov.au.
MARK POOLE
Mark Poole is a writer and director of drama and documentary. His latest film Fearless, about the remarkable 92 year old playwright Julia Britton screened last month on Ovation. www.markpoole.com.au
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