Thursday 18 December 2008

DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS GROUP ... NEW COURSES 2009

Hello Everyone,

Here is some information about TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES from January 2009:

Upcoming courses include:

Production Management Week - save £50!
Research for Factual - save £30!
FCP Editing Week (includes Grammar of Editing Day) - save £50!
Advanced Camera and Lighting Techniques - save £30!

Further information on these courses is provided below.
In the new year DFG will also be offering courses in Sound, HDV Camera Techniques, and Advanced Camera and Lighting Techniques, plus our Intensive Producers Week with top EP, Richard Sattin. Please visit www.dfgdocs.com/training for more information.

INTENSIVE PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT WEEK (9th - 13th FEB) - SAVE £50
Do you want to upgrade your skills as a Production Manager in factual television? Or are you a producer looking to manage the production of your own documentary? DFG’s Production Management Week is an intensive course that will equip you to successfully deal with the many, diverse challenges you will face in this role.

Led by top PM, Linda Stradling and supported by visiting guest speakers, you will undertake in-depth practical training in planning, scheduling and budgeting for factual programming and documentaries and the various complex issues they raise.

Other topics covered in this week include:
Co-Production and co-funding;
Re–versioning; Insurance;
Compliance;
Health and safety, Risk assessment;
Finance and cost control;
Setting up shoots – in the UK and overseas;
Dealing with equipment and crew;
Editing process for broadcast;
CGI;
New media;
Copyright/ clearance of music and archive; and Troubleshooting.

Past speakers have included a representative from PACT who discussed agreements, contracts and rates for freelancers/employees; a health and safety expert; experts in new media and archive; an insurer; a BECTU spokesperson; a DoP and an editor.
Save £50 if you book by 19 December!
For more info visit:
www.dfgdocs.com/Training/Short_Courses/Production_Management_Week.aspx

RESEARCH FOR FACTUAL (14th JAN) - BOOK NOW, SAVE £30!
High quality research is everything when it comes to making factual TV.
In this intensive workshop, led by Clare Cameron, you will discover the different approaches to research needed for different documentary genres from historical, investigative and cultural to international documentaries. Through practical exercises, you will also learn how to access, analyse and use information in a confident manner; how to make the best use of the Internet for film research; how to access archive footage and stills; and how to find contributors and locations.

As well as developing your research skills, you will gain an understanding of the roles of the different people you will work with from independent producers to media lawyers and archivists. The legal framework that can inform production will be examined as well as how to get results when you are researching under the constraints of time and tight budgets.
Whether you are keen to develop and improve your research skills for your own documentary, or wanting to enter the industry, this course will get you researching creatively and effectively.
Book by 19 December and save £30!
For more information visit http://www.dfgdocs.com/Training/Short_Courses/Research_for_Factual.aspx

FCP EDITING WEEK (19th - 23rd JAN) - SAVE £50
DFG is delighted to announce the return of FCP Editing Week, with the fantastic Anton Califano and Steve Stevenson as tutors. Book before 23rd December and you will save £50!
This intensive practical workshop teaches you how to use industry relevant equipment and Final Cut Pro software, as well as the fundamentals of documentary editing in important areas such as preparing a project for the edit and the Grammar of Editing.

Each participant will have their own Mac workstation to ensure maximum hands on practice. You'll be guided through essential elements of Final Cut Pro including: non-linear systems; hardware; interface; deck control; capturing and digitizing; working on timeline; working with audio basic effects; and printing to tape.

Additionally, you will learn about:
1) The Grammar of Documentary Editing (bookable also as a single day);
2) Preparing to edit your film, pre-selecting rushes, paper-edits, etc;
3) Writing commentary, finding music, effects, animation, stock footage and archive material;
Participants will end the week having edited a finished sequence to broadcast standards. (You are welcome to bring along your own material if desired or footage can be provided by DFG).

For more information visit:
http://www.dfgdocs.com/Training/Short_Courses/Final_Cut_Pro_Editing_Week_.aspx

ADVANCED CAMERA AND LIGHTING TECHNIQUES (5-6 FEB) - SAVE £30!
Master the art of shooting and lighting your documentaries professionally.
This highly practical course is for those who already know how to use a DV camera. It will be taught by top DOP and camerawoman, Belinda Parsons, on the industry standard Sony Z-1. Using shooting exercises, you will learn how to create a customised ‘look’ for your film using the settings on the menu, when and how to use filters, wide angle lens and matte boxes, principles of composition and much more.

You will also learn the basic principles of lighting, particularly for interviews, and you will get a chance to put this into practice with lighting exercises.
Book by 9 January and save £30!

http://www.dfgdocs.com/Training/Short_Courses/Advanced_Camera_and_Lighting_Techniques.aspx

TO BOOK OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ALL OF DFG’S COURSES INCLUDING PRODUCERS WEEK:
t. 020 7249 6600
e. training@dfgdocs.com
www.dfgdocs.com/training

ABOUT DFG:
The Documentary Filmmakers Group (DFG) is the UK's leading provider of industry focused training in documentary filmmaking and the national organisation working to promote talent and innovation in the industry. DFG and its partner, Goldsmiths, University of London, are members of the elite Skillset Media Academy Network.

Best regards,

Elle

GABRIEL MEDIA International www.gabrielmediainternational.com

DIGITAL VISUAL ARTISTS ...

Hello Everyone,

Thought this might be of interest:

Calling all AfroPean Digital Visual Artists:

Mr Darren Taylor of Jazz Reloaded fame is looking for AfroPean digital visual artists to collaborate with and construct an AfroPean vision of the future….

What if you found out that you've been living a lie?
What if this lie sentenced people to death?
What if your history could save their future?
What if your true identity had been suppressed?
What if someone who loved you had the truth?
What if there were millions just like you?
What if we're all pawns in the Horizon Venture?

Are you an AfroPean Digital Visual Artist?
Do you have a vision of the future you would like to share?

Taylormade studios is looking for the next generation of AfroPean digital visual artists ( animators, 2D illustrators, 3D modellers, video producers ) to collaborate in bringing an AfroPean-centred view of the future to life via music, spoken word and visual imagery, in performances in 2009 as part of The Horizon Venture.

About The Horizon Venture

The Horizon Venture is inspired by Vidal Montgomery's The Horizon Venture, a futuristic retrospective novel of intergalactic speculative fiction, which transposes the issues and agenda of the Middle Passage and triangular transatlantic trafficking of human beings onto modern and futuristic constructs.

Next year The Horizon Venture will be performed live - an epic suite of works of music, spoken and written word and visual imagery constructed for performance by an improvising electroacoustic ensemble. Such contributions will take place either in the format of post performance discussions, jam sessions, or, where appropriate, as a part of the main performance.

The key themes of the music (to which the visual imagery will be synchronised are)
(A) Industrial military expansion
(B) Futuristic cities and landscapes
(C) "Alien" breeds and life forms
(D) Cloning, genetics, and synthetic humans
(E) Serfdom, servitude, oppression
(F) Biomedical research, biomedical advances
(G) Futuristic machines of war and destruction(
H) Space, planets, stars, the cosmos
(I) Mass control, mind control, mass subjugation
(J) Robots, technology, automation
(K) Partying, sex, drugs, lifestyle, fashion, pop culture
(L) Battle (inner struggle)
(M) Battle (between two people)
(N) Battle (between two armies)
(O) Explosions (something that could destroy a continent)
(P) Explosions (something that could destroy a planet)
(Q) Explosions (something that could destroy a number of planets)
(R) Aftermath (rebuilding after war)

You can read a preview of the book and see some of the key characters at http://www.lulu.com/browse/preview.php?fCID=1434590

If you have already constructed visual artwork around these themes, or if they inspire you to construct new artwork forms, please get in touch:
Email Taylor directly: taylor@taylormade-studios.co.uk

What sort of Artwork am I looking for?
Work that is selected from the shortlist for presentation will most likely have the following qualities:i) Originality (the expressions are all free and clear of existing copyright, and the artist holds the copyright)ii) Innovation (the expression looks at a topic in an uncommon way and shows alternative thinking)iii) Indicative of states (the idea is to express the condition or emotional state of humanity, not to relate it to any specific place or time)I am most likely to select work that is not timebound. (i.e. I don't want historical paintings of slavery or holocaust, I want expressions about how these victims must have felt, and how they will feel when it happens to them again in the future.

I have found it useful to think about it in the following terms:
(1) What is the attitude or idea about humanity that I want to express?
(2) How did it look in the past?
(3) How does it look now?
(4) How will it look in the future?
(5) How can I portray or express point (4) above??

Submissions can be in any digital format, but please ensure your submission can be made into broadcast quality if required.To protect your copyright, consistent with the artistic integrity of the show PLEASE DO NOT send original work.Please post the originals to yourself ( or secure some other form of proof of copyright) if you have not done so already, and THEN send LOW RESOLUTION COPIES ONLY by email to
taylor@taylormade-studios.co.uk As and when higher resolution copies are required, I will ask.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOUR WORK?

All work selected will be short listed for inclusion in a live performance, where images are projected onto a screen while musical artists perform.All work submitted will by stored securely at www.thehorizonventure.ning.com , which is a social network exclusively for people invited to work on the projectYou will be credited as a contributor to the artwork wherever it is displayed.

Best regards,

Elle

Sunday 14 December 2008

Brand Name

After reading Lorraine's post which was very interesting. I want to comment on the inclusion of Asian within a brand name. I can understand what Lorraine has said, this I have quoted in red below:

It must also be suggested that the move to consider others and form a collective with a brand name that incorporates Africa alongside Asia really needs to be resisted! For a start there isn’t one exhibitor of Asian film on the programme, and I’m mythed as to why within a programme under the moniker of ‘black’ we would feel a need to incorporate a market that stands alone, is doing quite well thank you without ‘our’ help and wouldn’t for an instance evoke the same consideration. Furthermore, I’m called to question what this invisible allegiance is that appears to exist within the community (for some) to be so achingly harmonious to audiences and industries that neither, need, or want our embrace.

The reason this was suggested, is that I was discussing this with Kevin & Suhail and they felt maybe it should have been included in the course programme. I have members on East End Film Society, who are British Asian film exhibitors and they do not look at themselves as Bollywood!

Munsur Ali - Director of Spotlight UK who set up Limelight Film Festival a year ago has successfully built a brand that looks like it will stay. However, I was surprised not to see him on the course, as he would offer a lot to participants on how he has gained partnerships, sponsorship etc for his festival that incorporates not only Asian talent, but black too!

Maybe Gavin can get him on board as a panelist when we come round to the festival seminar.

A national organisation for exhibitors of African (black), Asian and non western films (I'm sure Peter specialises in the latter field) would help each market to learn off each other as well as support each other to cross over to mainstream audiences as well.

Regarding the use of the black or African in the name. Don't African mean African or African - Carribean origin, related descent or connection?

Can we really define what black means???

Anyway, it would be great to hear other participants views. Please comment as only Lorraine has contributed so far.

Duncan

www.eastendfilmsociety.co.uk

Saturday 13 December 2008


AND THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS ... An introduction to The New Black

“Drums please”

All together now:

Dur…nur…nur…nur…nur…nur…nur…nur…nur…nur…nur…nur…nur…nur and saw history in the making.

Much to the anger of some who felt it quite inappropriate early on in the year for Film London or any white led institution, come to think of it, to create a ‘fund for black exhibitors’ and a training programme, the “New Black” as it’s been termed, finally gave birth in the boardroom at HQ and was attended by fifteen of the UK’s leaders of black film exhibition.

I must address this point quite early if only because in having a blog we have opened the group to the eyes of the world, and to make it clearly obvious and apparent that ‘big brother and his sisters, cousins, nieces, and nephews, not forgetting grandma and grand-dad’ are watching, had been waiting quite anxiously for this industry to get it’s act together and get over the continuous thumb sucking and throwing of toys out of prams, albeit justified in most cases, I hasten to add!

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!!!

Business is business. The money’s out there for the taking and to fund the ideas of BLACK EXHIBITORS within the industry. An ever increasing, vast and growing market, which has for some time, it seems, left the industry baffled as to how best to work with, feed and capture this diversely rich and eclectic market. The distributors, and producers are clear, it’s about the bottom line – money, money, money. Films cost a lot, and need to generate a lot of income in return. This has meant the mainstream have left these audiences starved of food and drink and been happy with box office turnover. In turn as with human nature to have the thirst quenched, this led to piracy, and other infringements of copyright. Infact the new generation of film buffs have found their own way to meet demand through the internet, downloads and a host of other mediums that have left the industry wanting.

Conversant to this, black exhibitors decided to do for themselves across the UK and organising their own events to meet the demands of their audiences, in some cases, to meet their own needs that they felt others must share. This is reflected by the make-up of the ‘course’ (another questionable feature, that I shall leave someone else to address) attendees who exhibit Wales, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Kent, Essex, and various London locations serving the north, south, east and west with the founder of the black film industries annual award ceremony amongst. These screenings and festivals come in various forms, and take place mainly, in alternative venues, mainly using independent cinemas and the odd mainstream, have been happening for some time, only more increasingly so, albeit to date we’ve merely whet the appetites of our audiences.
By stark comparison and someone who uses mainstream cinemas for her screenings, I’m all too aware of the move by some independents to turn the current idea and feel of cinema as we know it into something that has an entirely different experience and where popcorn, the industry’s must have and real means of business are contemplating doing away with popcorn entirely.


GOOD BUSINESS SENSE

So Film London in its wisdom alongside Skillset, BFI, UKFC to name a few cut right down the middle of all the crass, saw the business opportunity, seized the bull by the horn, did what some us have wanted to do for some time, but decided not to – perhaps a good thing in hindsight – who knows, time will tell, and created what they term ‘The New Black!’ a cultural leadership training programme.

Having spent the week on the newly formed CULTURAL LEADERSHIP training programme, it has left me wondering, amongst other things, what the old black was...? The words to a song by the Beatles comes to mind ... help me if you can I’m feeling down, but I do appreciate your being round … if only for the humorous connotations. By the same token it does seem that if we were to be informed as to what this was, it may leave room for swift advancement. Dare I say, that perhaps there wasn’t a former, and TNB as I shall term it from hereon in is simply the bright…ish idea of someone in marketing, and whilst for some it causes offence and for me an initial reaction of what the ….! And conjured up a number of questions, having had time to get a feel for the potential within TNB it leaves me feeling this newly formed collective should call on the scriptwriters and producers amongst us and start penning what will be feature films for TNB James Bond, Steven Seagal, Robert De Niro etc etc etc and yes, it does seem to have quite a male feel about it.

However we will feel about the title, the true resonance within the opportunity and potential within areas of marketing, pr and all the p’s mustn’t be overlooked!

As for me the creative juices and flow have taken the concept from movies to perfume aftershave and advertising and all the fluff and bumph that comes with promoting, marketing and selling a brand – which, whilst we’re on the tip doesn’t actually have to come literally as TNB. In thinking outside of the box (as I do) and in going forward it would seem quite sensible during this time of advent, rest and making of plans for 2009 that we all take some to think about us, our product, branding and project forward five to ten years.

DOMAIN NAME

It must also be suggested that the move to consider others and form a collective with a brand name that incorporates Africa alongside Asia really needs to be resisted! For a start there isn’t one exhibitor of Asian film on the programme, and I’m mythed as to why within a programme under the moniker of ‘black’ we would feel a need to incorporate a market that stands alone, is doing quite well thank you without ‘our’ help and wouldn’t for an instance evoke the same consideration. Furthermore, I’m called to question what this invisible allegiance is that appears to exist within the community (for some) to be so achingly harmonious to audiences and industries that neither, need, or want our embrace.

I would further suggest that where an opportunity has been created for ‘black’ exhibitors that the embrace be given to self acceptance and advanced accordingly towards self value, and sufficiency in numbers and distribution. Broader still should instances of commaderie and allegiance to what I don’t know be necessary that it might be an idea to test the water through invitation to exchange the same. I for one don’t feel it necessary to embrace my heritage as a Carib within the black film industry. My focus is driven more to what is this industry? Having posed the question to the right panellists this week, and not received an answer it seems clear to me the opportunity to dictate, inform and or establish is beaming, flashing and even slapping us in the faces.

WHAT’S THE DEFINITION?

Is it not more poignant to be addressing Africa in all its contexts as it relates to film and come to a point where we are able to define African film and cinema more definitely as well as the Caribbean say?

What about the ‘wood’

Whilst on the theme of new, might it be an idea to create taglines for ‘the’ ‘new’ ‘black’ film industry that is befitting say, to Ghana as the ‘wood’ doesn’t work here, or in a lot of other instances as it does with Holly, particularly as the ‘N’ word is reflective of one aspect of the African film industry?

Again, I feel taking ‘the new’ on board if we really want to make a mark, then the view must be this is a time of change for which the seeds have been planted.

INDUSTRY

Increasingly so, it seems we should be drawn more towards considering definition of TNB, and the true context within the potential for this industry, and not shy away from extensive opportunities to be pioneers for the future and present generations. There is room for all industries and requirement from within that, for leaders, role models and voices to be heard. We must, as I’m sure the industry is, remain mindful of the multi cultural society we live in. In addition we must take heed of and remove the need for those with the knowledge, capital and ability within the creative industries or sectors (as some would term it) as a whole to pilfer ideas in order to inform their direction and leave the minority wanting.

It is time to STEP UP to the mark, collaborate with the mainstream, which for me is and has always been the only route forward and build TNB together. No one comes knocking on the door of an empty barrel.


OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Film industries in the UK and USA are in collaboration, ready to take the market by storm.

- We have the audiences, knowledge, accessibilities, and initiatives.
- We’re already creating the new experiences that draw audiences of all ages and races to our screenings.
- We’re already working with the next generation of talent.
- We’re already providing the-feel-good-factor and understand the essence of the link to back in the day late night screenings and the need to provide for a wanting market, which in my mind is what the Chinese understood at the time.

Whilst I love ‘Drunken Master’ and all the other listings the reality is, as with now, any good product would worked at the time that fed the appetites of a waiting market.

It is for this same reason, to lead by example that my ‘Tribute Bob Marley’ screening at the Rio cinema was successful.

Chicken, Chips and no wings please …

It had an all round entertainment package, with a rum punch reception sponsored by Wray and Nephew. The ‘event’ started at ten in the evening, with lots of entertainment around the film, including performances by an international reggae artist, and compeer in the form of a good comedian etc. Doors closed at two in the morning everyone went home happy, and felt like they’d been to a party – because they had been! NEWS FLASH! The next ‘Tribute to Bob Marley’ screenings take place in February and May respectively – what this space for updates times locations.

Better still, akin to the thinking around ADULTHOOD, the aim was to capture a mainstream audience within a few screenings. Quite poignantly, the audiences came mainly from Belsize Park, St. John’s Wood, Notting hill, Islington and other locations en route and surrounding the borough of Hackney and were majority Caucasian, Asian, then Black and other cultures.

The opportunity within ‘the interval’ to eat quiche, chicken and other cuisine, as well as the choice of the obligatory popcorn and ice-cream was a welcomed one.

Ensuring the right certification meant families could attend with children once they were fifteen and over. To add value to the story one family used the event to celebrate their sons’ sixteenth birthday and brought along a group of his friends.

Recipes need the right ingredients and not everything has to be baked!


THE LIONS GATE

The need and crucially the thinking say at Lionsgate to reach out and marry the two – distributors with exhibitors with regards to Tyler Perry is a step in the right direction, long over due and one that needs to be piloted! OVER HERE MATE!! :o) We’re all aware of how quickly this mindset will lead to success.

It must be said however, that alike the distributors thinking behind the film AKEELAH AND THE BEE which I was pleased to learn of from Andrew Woodyatt, it would serve the industry well to have advanced screenings with ‘black exhibitors’ who will in turn inform the direction marketing should take is of essence.

Two screenings of the film through my film festival FFISH ’07 in association with Odeon cinemas made it very clear to me that although it was marketed as a film for children, Lionsgate would have done better in marketing this as the ‘must see’ family movie of the year – the film has everything and covers areas of bullying to excellence, throws in a bit of romance, educates through the spelling bee and use of prose and pertains to black authors, informed through the teachings of tutor (Lawrence Fishburne). The film gets real about the struggle of a single Mother (Angela Bassett) and embarks on the challenges of friendship ensuring to incorporate the community.




INNOVATORS

Let us not recreate the same scenario that conjured up the stance within the business opportunity for funding and training through Film London.

Exchange is a two way medium in which both parties glean from the other. The dichotomy in forming distribution networks and provision of real content for audiences, old and new, delivered through black exhibitors is one that must be swiftly mastered and manoeuvred into a quick succession of gear changes, aligned and mapped out within the timeline allocated for duration of the course.

I’m encouraged by the open doors and the information exchanged across the board this week. One thing’s for sure the potential is so vast that if you can’t taste it you must be sleeping.

The market place is wide open for creators, this has been confirmed. So what are we waiting for?

WEALTH DYNAMICS

In closing we must look at the wealth dynamics within this group. Infact, through some of the other work being conducted through other Gabriel Media International partnerships; I’d welcome the opportunity to look at the psychometrics of this group? We’ve connected for a reason and must maintain the momentum over this period.

It’s important we begin advancing the ideas and relationships in order to maximise the potential and use the nuances to our advantage, and would do well to begin structuring the calendar of events for 2009 by ensuring, as discussed, there is an event taking place monthly. We must remain true to our word, for ourselves, not others, as in building and establishing it is this that will see whether we stand the test of time. Moreover it is this that forms the confidence needed to build on the foundations that are The New Black.

Stay tuned in ...

Have great weekend everyone!

Elle

My First Post

Hello everyone

First I have to write: Kevin, the blog is a great idea. Thank you for starting it so soon :)

It was great to meet and mix with so many people across the UK working in black & asian film exhibition. I miss you all already!!! It was also amazing to have high profile panelists so early in the course. I found them all very helpful.

I was thinking today, I had a one-to-one with the head of Pathe, one of the biggest studio distributors in the world. It was like christmas came early :)

I have to thank Film London & partners for getting this course off the ground. Big shouts go out especially to Rebekah, Gavin, Tracey and our Tutor Karen (dont worry the homework will be done).

Listening to Lorraine's suggestion of a domain name of the group... My suggestion could be African & Asian Cinema Exhibitors UK (AACE) .

I found out that the .com and co.uk is gone, but www.aace.org.uk is available. What does other members think of the name and please let us know your name suggestions too?

See you all in the new year and a have a peaceful christmas

Duncan

East End Film Society

www.eastendfilmsociety.co.uk

PS:
Please participate everyone to grow this network

Friday 12 December 2008

The Bottom Line (The New Black - day 1)

    Led by Karen Alexander. A group of people who do black film festivals (whatever that means). Funded by ukfc , to bring together the cultural with the commercial. Held at Film London. A good bunch people it seems to be sharing time with. So far nothing to go on but vibe. It's good.

    Panel

    Peter Buckingham - head of uk film council

    Justin Marciano - md, revolver (chair of panel)

    Bryony Duncan - Audiences london

    Grace Carley- allfilms?marketing?

    Revolver did kidulthood . I'm feeling remarkably under-researched and under loving of the film industry by not knowing what any films are and any directors. This lack of passion for film is compensated by a love of the idea of film and how its used and can be used. I hope. Still love a good film though , like the next person, and must see more. My list of films to watch just grows.

    Like the next person, I am also full of too much to do. While i can see how this whole network of people and sharing of this particular knowledge could work with past and ongoing projects and ideas, it has to be followed through. This will be the real test after all is said and done.

    THE ESSENCE OF IT ALL

    Distribution is a key word here today. And that's all about rights! Rights I say. Not prints, dvds, posters, slots on telly, on billboards, events, festivals, trailers, talent tours and talks, press and public relations and all that. That's just the cost of exercising those rights. So the brutal business equation leads to the question. Can the film take more than the cost of all that? And then much much more to make the bankers smile. So this is the basic question with any project. It's the business proposition. Will it be worth our while financially? And that is the basic lesson of the whole course. So do we have to spend three months to learn that?...

    And furthermore, what is the point of this group and course?

    CULTURAL LEADERSHIP?

    It is peddled as 'cultural leadership'. The best take-out for me from the leadership part, is the idea, as Karen suggests that we have strategic view of the overall landscape. A landscape which is changing fast. even as we talk Justin Marciani from Revolver says that they have collapsed all the distribution windows into one for a hundred thousand pound piece of work from the ukfc 'microwave' scheme called Mum and Dad. A horror. Genre piece.

    My take on Karen's general framing of the cultural leadership was the idea of us all knowing the bigger picture of what's going on, how the industry is structured, how you have to play, and who you have to play with. Well at least to interface with that particular the traditional business model. That tower of the business. And the language and core concepts at the basis of this industry were outlined in the morning, with promise of more demystifying throughout the programme. This programme was also about not suffering in silence, and sharing pain, knowledge and resources. It was not! Just about funding. Hear Hear!

    THE BUSINESS

    This business of being in their business was of course was questioned. Do we have to be like them and do things their way? Or do we do things differently? Or course we , in the light of the changing landscape, were encouraged to embrace this possibility. With Karen's original introduction being to have a 'yes' mentality about approaching all this of this course. While Peter Buckingham didn't see any evidence in market research surveys that black audiences consumed mainstream film very differently. He could see that a network of players such as ours could reach black audiences as a niche which could have an angle in the industry. However , whatever, it's all going to be about the tills ringing at the end of the day. In that respect we are being 'them' anyway. It's not about black or white, it's about green!

    CULTURAL PRODUCT - BLACK FILM - WHATEVER THAT MEANS?

    With the cultural product now. A good rich time at the top of the panel chat was the discussion about a black film. Karen later pointed us to the definition that she supplied to ukfc for a recent study, but the question was the inevitable starting point for the afternoon. Kidulthood was a Youth film says Justin Marciano. He built the Revolver business by importing youth themed videos and dvds (Well getting the rights, and then putting them on the shelves ). His company also recently distributed Richard Pryor stuff, which i think have at home. Bought and paid for. But overall the question is unresolvable. Black film, what is that? We don't really know but we know it when we see it. The definition (Karen/UKFC) is going to be somewhere else on this blog. I'm sure.

    FILM FESTIVAL and DISTRIBTORS

    Justin from Revolver thought that a film just had to be a 'good film' to pass his distributable test. While there was some questioning of this, presumably from people who know of good films that distributors have rejected, or has never heard of. Which is where the Relationship amongst us and them come in. He thought the key thing between distributors and festivals was relationship. They actively cultivate this with London and Edinburgh film festivals because he can get something from them for his business. They are key festivals. Good festivals might be characterised by new films, new talent, hype opportunities and critical appraisal of new releases. This get much needed Press and PR that fuels those all important opening weekends in the cinema that are so fundamental to the established business model.

    If people in a festival are paying to see the film then it's straight business. Then the distributors get their percentage. Otherwise a distributor might use a festival for market/audience testing. If it's just that (i.e. Free for audiences to see, or just minimum guatantee payments), then the distributor would not want to put it about too much before free/discounted screenings starts 'cannibalizing' their film's natural, most likely audiences. Ideally for the distributors the festival should generate good word-of-mouth, which just needed stimulating. He's of course now deploying viral marketing techniques from his modern distributor arsenal. In a word Street.

    There's loads of stuff about release windows and such depending on the pecking order of the distributors, which Karen spoke about later in the afternoon, but essentially festivals can be 'acquisitions' people for them too. He's looking for hits, with audiences he can identify and sell to markets he understands too. Content he can get rights for to distribute and sell profitably.

    The current issue for him is in what form: theatrical release (which has lost a lot of its business glint of late, in fact is was never really profitable, hence why cinemas sell popcorn), dvds, television, online, ipod , mobile etc. These are all competing for attention , all jumbled up and the film marketeers are finding ways of putting it back together in ways that still make the tills ring. People got mortgages and all that. Meanwhile the established business model collapses and new models are created in the production-distribution-exhibition line. More like production-exhibition. Or in the youtube-webcam world, just straight exhibition. So the all-powerful distributor of films are looking for ways to ensure they remain so.

    FESTIVALS / EXHIBITORS - COMING CORRECT

    Either way individual festivals or even a network of festivals could be useful partners for distributors. It's all about how you step to them.

    Some of it is in the gloss of a brochure, presentation, telephone manner or most usefully to him, feedback on the audience's qualitative reaction to the film. It's all such things, but most of how you step to him has to be in the attitude. He needs you like you need him. As a festival partner you can exhibit, talent scout, research audiences, test them, feedback and other useful things that a distributor might need.

    The attitude thing therefore is not in going in there all feisty and arrogant. You present a business proposition. The attitude begins way before you ever meet him. It's on the basis of your (reliable) research and audience understanding, professional bearing and ability to put it in a language he understands. Which is where this course comes in. It's a window into their world. Which me may be in though maybe on the fringe. We have to sell ourselves.

    These words won't even sit easy with deep ideas about enslavement so present in people's thinking, but that's what it it. As people once interested primarily in cultural product, we have been thinking about, motivated by and effective in raising the cultural side. The time has come (once again) to look at the product, or business side of the black film festival. Since we also have the mortgages, are also therefore motivated here by the business opportunity.

    Of course black means so many things and it changes by the minute. And we know black has been culture-marketeered into urban and youth. It was Grace and Bryony looking at audiences to state that unlike Bollywood, (and Nollywood,) there was no 'Black' audience. You couldn't really go on colour as a judge of what would appeal because there's diversity in the diversity. We already know Black becomes meaningless quite quickly. Futher 'segmentation' would have to be considered. They could not market a film to a White audience. There is no such thing as far as the marketing people are concerned either. Gender, Age, Cinema going habit , genre lover, star-followers come into play.

    Kunle did also point out that Africans were soon to outnumber African-Caribbean. This is an interesting thing in itself. Which also reminds us that even as a colonially imposed concept, there is enough cultural identification to make Nigerian films, with questionable production values, still generate such a following. We forget! It's not all about Brad and Angelina (and Jennifer). It's about knocking out cult-ural product profitably. Like Hollywood and Bollywood, Nollywood just keeps familiar product coming. And coming. It has it's own star system, genre expectations, mythologies , distribution network and expectant audiences. It's the prolific factor that makes it an industry. That's not to say Nigerians cant be found watching mainstream film, and will be caught by a marketeers survey from time to time. But they also watch their own films, with language and cultural bearing they enjoy. What 's that all about?

    Now UK 'black' mainstream films try to reflect the lifestyles of those descendents of migrants who are now more immersed in the playstation with their white friends and cousins and become urban. Meanwhile the game industry is seen as different again. It's Parallel. But we didn't talk about that. In the context of this discussion, games were more competitive attention-seeking choices for consumers to draw them away from film. Basically as far as the mainstream distribution business is concerned, in the UK, there is no black film.

    The Matrix I asserted is a black film because not only was it written by a black woman before being nicked by the coen bros. I said that but... Actually since looking it up i can say it was Sophia Stewart whose film was stolen by the Wichowski bros. And Warner bros. Anyway the substance of the point was that it fitted a fear of the evil state, who exploits us as a people, and destroyed or realities to suck our energies away. Powerful figures played by black folk but not the central character. That would be too black they must have thought. Meanwhile the people try to free themselves from the soul-sapping devices of some Babylon, the Matrix. And with it's fair spattering of kung fu, it's a black film through sensibilities, form, style, cast and story. Not sure anyone was buying my argument though. Maybe after i got all the names wrong, they weren't listening.

    Lots of potential US imports are not arriving. Tyler Perry kept on coming up. Why was his stuff not available? And there was some chat about piracy. Well it was acknowledged as a big issue for anyone who wanted to make money out of film sales in some 'black' communities.

    Kunle was the one who mentioned the R word. He acknowledged that we seem to be skirting round the issue of racism. There is after all a basic institutional misunderstanding of a black audience. 'No body knew that was going to happen' thought Peter about Kidulthood. It was make apparently as worthy cultural product. We heard later how it was marketed to cinema-goers rather than audiences that reflected where the film's characters came from. They made it a success because the industry have some very set ideas about who their audiences are, and how to reach them. It doesn't really know black people. It's forgotten about Blaxploitation and the hunger to see black characters, settings, stories and sensibilities. After all, the Blax came before the ploitation, which is the point the industry took notice of the numbers in the light of dwindling mainstream sales.

    I still don' t know why Revolver is called revolver and wondered I was trying to make it anything more than a Gun! I forgot to ask that one.

    Anyway bottom-line. We have to have an even more entrepreneurial attitude. Of course we are already pretty enterprising to have been doing what we were doing and to have found our way onto the course. But the business grasp and attitude. Knowing we have lots to offer other than a begging bowl.

    Suhail rightly questioned the value in an informal networks. As in whether we would like to become on and carry on linking up in between the sessions.

    So let's define what that could be (initially):

  1. Sharing films and programmed content.
  2. Collaborative bargains with distrubutors
  3. People supporting the People side of us.
  4. Operation support with events and film events.
  5. Shared marketing materials.
  6. .... We could go on. But save that for the group.

    Well there will always be a need for people to get together and meet. Like i-robots we feel the need to be social while doing nothing even. We congregate. Well mostly. Going to the cinema is part of that. Or community centre of art gallery or library to watch a film. And as far as the 'black' bit. We know there are audiences for our stories. We just have to live the making films and finding audiences part in very dragon's den kinda way. That bottom line. Here is a business waiting to happen.

Thursday 11 December 2008

Day 3, Panel - View from the Studios



Panelists (right to left): John Fletcher (MD, Pathe), Michael Gubbins, Chair (Editor Screen International) and Andrew Woodyatt (Lionsgate).

Chair, Michael kicked off by talking about 'Turf theory', i.e. concepts around target audiences, geo-demographics and 'tribal' buying behaviours. 

Andrew introduced himself talking about some of the films they distribute, including talking about how the work with Tyler Perry in the US, noting the practical challenges of bringing his films to the UK, also noting that his audience is 90% black.

John began by explaining the process that Pathe go through in putting together the numbers behind a purchasing and distribution investment decision.
Also talked about the flexibility an independent has in terms of the artistic choice and diversity of films they can go with, but qualified it by emphasising that the numbers still need to work.
Highlighted that Adulthood very much surprised them at the success it had; recouping it's 'lifetime' projected income target of £1m in just a few weeks.

John: "Our job is to access the risk".

Michael talking about the assumptions inherent in marketing and pushing certain films: "There is an assumption that this film is for white middle class Guardian reader", implying that this needs challenging more regularly; as in the case with Adulthood and Revolver's deliberate strategy to not go the art house route.

Michael: 'I've never met anyone in the industry who is overtly racist, yet some of the decisions made (in terms of targeted distribution and marketing) are based on simplistic views of the audience or appropriate placement' - 'the finger in the air strategy....have they done the mapping?'

Lorraine added that there needs to be a more considered approach to packaging and marketing films to the right audiences, using the example of the 'Secret Life of Bees', saying that was very successful when she screened it - for families, rather than how it was promoted in more of a Art House context.

Andrew talked about Bollywood & Nollywood and the particular cultural behaviour and film-making 'formula' that seems to have led to a certain sustainability.
Michael added that there is also a culture of piracy, that ironically, arguably ends up supporting the Bollywood industry in that people share and become loyal to the product and consume on a number of levels?

Andrew made an interesting point about contemporary economic and social constraints leading to changing consuming behaviours and gave the example of a people, cash rich but time poor - going out during the day, whilst a film downloads, comes back late and watches it at home, rather than go to a cinema.

Michael: "80% of film-makers only make one film"

Michael: "Invisibility is what kills.....therefore is it better to give content away and/or be pirated - in order for film-makers to build up a base"
John: "....as long as you can anticipate income stream at the end"

John: "Will cinema become like fringe festival?"
Suhail: "It's partly about cinema in unconventional places....but there IS a large market, in for example the 'urban' market"
Zachary: "....be creative, there's different ways to show films - diversify your ways to engage audiences and diversify the ways you make money from it"

Rob: "Immersiveness is changing, and therefore there are new and different opportunities- thinking about the cinematic experience, virtual reality, digital media, other live immersive spaces such as clubs & festivals"

John talking about how people are watching films in different ways, particularly young people. E.g. watching films on iPods - check this view from David Lynch below!



Rob: "..but bear in mind that a lot of people just want to say they've seen it....film tourists"

John: "Word of mouth is  the right strategy for some films".

Day 3, Morning session


Pre Panel session with Karen

We started off by watching a fascinating short film from the late 1800's called 'Sambo and two girls'. A 2 minute document with a central black character 'clowning' up a stereotype of a black male.

Interesting point about the pervading cultural norms & etiquette of typical cinema environments not necessarily tallying with the audience expectations. 
For example, why is it less usual for people to be able eat, drink, talk and interact in a cinema space - particularly when this is what is expected, desired or considered the norm from some audiences.

Essentially, this point is about both flexible and broad access to cinema and the quality and relevance of the experience.
Are traditional cinema environments geared up, suitable or open to this? 

This discussion brought out the varied and more sophisticated approach that exhibitors of Black film often naturally or have to consider; be it choosing using more flexible spaces, that sit outside the normal cinema network or using existing and direct relationships to particular communities and outreaching them both via face to face contact and through digital/social networks.

Secondly we watched a 30 minute documentary about Olaudah Equiano.
Followed by a really illuminating exercise where were challenged to explore three scenarios of how we would market the film, looking at it in terms of youth audiences, Current Festivals and Art House cinema audiences.
It was interesting to see the different strategies the groups explored, in terms of how we described the film according to our target groups.  
Early submission for a quote of the day came from Peter Fraser who engagingly pitched the marketing strategy for Art House audiences including the interesting suggestion that "Morally speaking you should see this film"!
We've been asked to write up our notes on the piece - which will hopefully be linked from this blog - so check back!

Third film to digest and consider how we would pitch/market/disseminate according to the three scenarios of Current Festivals, Youth and Art House was by Charles Burnet called the Horse from 1973.



 





Day 2 - another post match debrief....


Claire Stewart (Watershed), Suhail Khan (Process/Breaking Cycles) plus Kevin Da Costa & Duncan Isaac (not pictured) discuss the days programme and panels...

Something that come up was a discussion contrasting Asian cinema in the UK to Black cinema  (meaning Afrcan/Afro-Caribbean Diaspora).
It was generally felt that Asian cinema both world wide and in the UK has been much more successful in establishing itself, creating and sustaining an infrastructure, building an audience anddoing this, largely without compromise to the product.
Why is this?   
As touched on in the day, this might have something to do with the success and customer loyalty of Bollywood and the innovative cinematic achievements of say Chinese cinema; but perhaps also something to do with being better organised, stronger relationships with distributions networks in addition to their own distribution networks and generally more critical peer review in the media and favourable responses from the mainstream industry to exciting Asian directing talent? - If this is the case, then what can we learn from it?


  

Wednesday 10 December 2008

Day 2, Panel 2 - What's at stake; Black Fourth Estate


Panelists (left to right): Donna Morgan (UK represntative for BET)Brenda Emmanus (BBC London), Ope Bankole (Head of Marketing, GV Media Group, who publish the Voice).

Ope began by responding to a question about accessing the black media, discussing the necessity of making the business case when approaching the media, not just the merit of the work.
Donna spoke about how BET are moving into Europe & Africa and developing specfic content for these territories.

Key point, I think, that Ope raised, was that we should visualise beyond the boundaries of just the UK market, in particular relating to how digital media has opened up world wide distribution and the dissemination of work

For me, this was one of the most interesting discussion so far, with a wide variety of aligned and opposite views. 
It occurred to me that as an all black media panel we seem to have much greater expectations of them. This could because we're aware that there was greater knowledge and passion for the subject on display, so we project a much greater hope onto them and expect more help then we would perhaps  from the mainstream media....are we, letting the mainstream media of the hook? Or is that dynamic simply inevitable?

Brenda: "We want to use you, not just your product"

Top tip from Ope: Send your story not just to Editorial, but to Marketing also!

Interesting to hear from Brenda how she has to be much more creative and build a strategy in order to regularly get Black success on the agenda and profiled.

Ope: "We need to flip the whole perception of race on it's head...." - discuss.



Day 2, Panel 1 - Independent Visions


Panelists (left to right): Margaret Deriaz (BFI), Gemma Spector (Revolver)  and Julia Short (Verve).

Julia Short (MD, Verve Pictures) is a hugely experienced independent film distributor of 20 years.
Gemma (Head of Marketing) started off talking about her latest film just completed and about to be launched a dramatised biography about Mike Tyson, simply called Tyson.
Margaret (Head of Distribution for BFI) introduced herself by speaking about the general work and resources of the BFI, touching on it's archive. library, support & work with festivals such as the London Film Festival, it's education programme and it's publishing & distribution arm that releases films and print such as Sight & Sound. 
She explained how they hire out films and give access to archive materials to venues, festivals & programmers. They also offer advice/support in how to acquire the rights from copyright holders to gain full permission to screen.

Picking up on Rob & Zachary's earlier analysis of the SWOT exercise around the strengths & weaknesses of Black Film exhibition/distribution - I thought the point about the dearth of critical analysis of Black film in the wider or more mainstream public domain is key.

I thought Margaret's point discussing the difficulty of translating (and therefore marketing & selling) a film effectively in a trailor was interesting; showing Mario Van PeeblesBaadasssss! film (a film about his pioneering father Melvin Van Peeebles ) as an example.

See the trailer for Baadasssss! below:



Julia mentioned an interesting film 'Talk to Me', starring Don Cheadle - that was artistically successfully, but which had trouble being picked up by mainstream cinemas due to perhaps not successfully 'translating' the film to cinemas and audiences - being neither mainstream nor quite arthouse and the 'materials not matching the sell of the film'.

See the trailer for Talk to Me below:



Julia broke down how films rights holders & distributors make their money and where the profit is (essentially through post theatrical release merchandise, eg DVDs and licensing to TV such as Sky.

Day 1, Panel 1 - You talking to me? Cinema facts, figures & strategies


Really interesting panel to kick us off, giving an overview of the Industry view and experience of Black film.
Left to right: Grace Carley (MD, All Industry Marketing/AIM), Bryony Duncan (Audiences London), Peter Buckingham (Head of Distribution, UK Film Council) and Justin Marciano (MD of distributor Revolver)

The panel discussed recent experiences with successes with Black film such as Kidulthood & Adulthood and the explored the reasons that other high quality films, such as the recently released 'Secret life of Bees'  have not had the public response or distribution hoped for.

See the trailer for Secret Life of Bees below:



Of particular interest to me was the Geo Demographic Profiling  discussion which explored using precise population data and audience research to enhance marketing strategies.

Generally I thought that the panel was extremely useful, however there were certainly times that I became aware that there is still a lot of work to do in order to really see change in the mainstream industry towards a more proactive and consistent take up and support for black product.
Yes, I think we all acknowledge the economic argument, in that distributors, cinemas and funders need to feel confident that the product will be financially successful - in order to justify the investment; however, I felt the case for investment needs to also acknowledge the 'what you put in you get out' argument, in terms of development investment, marketing etc, plus the need to consistently offer a more sophisticated approach and understanding of target audiences and marketing strategies in order to build and maintain audiences. 

I hope to be able to post up & share the full video recording of the panel (all two hours) soon - check the links on the right regularly.

What did everyone else feel about panel 1?



Tuesday 9 December 2008

Kev, Suhail, Duncan & Ashton post New Black day 1


...after the first day of the New Black programme, Suhail Khan, Duncan Isaac, Kevin Da Costa and Ashton Merryfield (writer, working on a film project with Duncan)...had a bit of a post match debrief.

At various times animated, in agreement, hilarious, passionate and sometimes intelligent discussion about the first day of the course, black film in general and Duncan & Ashton's great new film development - 'We are the Mods'. 



More info on Film London's New Black scheme here

The New Black begins!

The New Black is a Film London initiative and is all about up-skilling and promoting people & organisations in the UK that are exhibiting and promoting films from the Black Diaspora.

This blog aims to record the thoughts of those on the course, start to network and grow the sector.

Keep checking back ya'll!