Studios Pull The Plug On Films

[manxchatterbox]

the FT reported on Monday that soaring film costs and stalling sales of DVDs have hit studios hard.

It says there is a nervous mood owing to the fact that the film industry is downsizing.

Notwithstanding big budget blockbusters the problem is that on the revenue side of the equation things are flat.

Ticket sales are still hovering at the levels of four years ago.

DVD sales are stalling.

To improve finances studios will be doing away with mid-sized films - say with budgets in the $50m range and focus on mega blockbusters.

 

hmmm....$50m....isn't that the sort of budget IOM film has been looking to attract? ah well we lived without the film industry so I guess we can again....

[Rhumsaa]

I'd say we still attract the low budget independent films

[ade]

There will always be a market for smaller, maybe more independant films that cost way less than $50m to finance. The IOM is well set up to supply the demand.

 

MCB, B+!

[scittney]

fs, MCB has gone into posting frenzy mode

[simon]

IOM films are actually making a return for the island - according to what I've been told. They haven't been very good about making this news more public, if true.

 

The proliferation of broadcasting outlets and the never ending sale and re - licencing of DVDs and future formats will, IMO, ensure an ultimate return for nearly all content. Even if it takes decades. There will always be a place to sell content because the proliferation of outlets, channels and new formats demands ever more content. Even if sales of one format slow - the long term selling potential of the actual content is infinite. And piracy is really just a version of viral marketing.

 

And who can say for certain that, one day, something like 'The Libertine' won't be recognised as years ahead of it's time. I don't see it now (I thought it was crap) - but maybe in the future it will be recognised as a classic. Maybe years later we understand how it was so clever or definitive. Even if it not - it will be playing somewhere, for ever. And generating income.

 

And even a crap film will one day be sold as a classic example of crappyness.

 

Films (all media content actually) seem like a good long term investment in many ways. At one level it brings immediate hinterland employment .... at another level it potentially provides a never ending drip feed of rights revenues.

 

Piracy and short attention span might mean that all media content is ultimately sold for less $$. But piracy also works as a form of marketing. You maybe sell more in the longer term because piracy increases the audience. Even if you sell for less, selling more still makes sense.

 

I might be very wrong.

[Conceptor Hewitt]

I had cause to be up the film studio during the last shoot, and apart from a couple of drivers, there were few locals involved. I didn't expect any actors: the woman who was complaining about the lack of local "talent" involved in Manx productions is quite frankly on a hiding to nothing - she'd have as much luck if she was wanting employment for local Rhino hunters. (I suppose someone will now tell of their neighbour, who hunts rhino)

But I suppose the refusal to use locals has to be expected. Film companies coming over here are taking advantage of the financial incentives offered by government, and, well, sod all else.

Think about it, what is the advantage of using a studio on the island for interior shots but for financial reasons?

They have a shooting schedule, time is tight and scourcing locals who have real experience in the technical side - from painters and decorators to carpenters or riggers is just not worth their while. A local firm is unlikely to drop everything to work odd hours for a week or two, and obviously being an unknown quantity, the production company are at the very least going to be nervous - so they bring the labour with them. A few hotels might make a couple of bob, materials could be bought locally (from B&Q, whose profits go off island - ha!) but how much, realistically, the film industry contributes to the island is debatable.

A logo at the end of the credits when the cinema cleaners are sweeping up the popcorn ain't going to have location tarts flocking over for a look-see.

Stormbreaker has been getting rave reviews this week, but the island doubles for Devon. In Waking Ned, the most successful production, the island doubles for Ireland. The crappy Lee Evans vehicle, that actually featured the Isle of Man as a part of the plot was total shit and disappeared into ITV4 early morning territory and the war-time drama on ITV last year (Quick! what was the title of the series???) had Castletown doubling as the Channel Islands. So we are not going to get many visitors looking for any of those locations.

The vast majority of the other productions have gone straight to video (Have any gone to DVD?) So that begs the question, if the island is on a cut of the profits, how much have we actually made over the years?

Despite this tirade, I'm not advocating ending the enterprise. The government scrapped the film school in Peel, where youngsters were at least getting some grounding in the industry. Loch House Animation has disappeared and an American animation studio is working here, but IMO it is just on a jolly, employing a couple of locals to do menial tasks, then having the production finished off in the far east.

So now the island has no facilities whatsoever that can train people in any of the disciplines of film making.

What is needed is a professional body to oversee the whole industry - people who have some idea of the markets and the business, and that means bringing them in from the Uk, Europe or the US and setting up a proper commission and we need a film school, where kids can learn the black arts - from make-up to set design, It needs to be staffed by professionals who know the industry. What experience do the members of the present Film Commission actually have? Does anyone know?

[manxman8180]

I didn't expect any actors: the woman who was complaining about the lack of local "talent" involved in Manx productions is quite frankly on a hiding to nothing

In fairness, what do you expect on an Island with virtually full employment?

Film companies coming over here are taking advantage of the financial incentives offered by government, and, well, sod all else.

Well done Einstein. That is the whole point isn't it. The Govt should be applauded for it's initiative in this area. If you actually bothered to research comment from the UK film industry, you would find that many small to medium budget (10 - 50 million £) films simply would not be produced if it weren't for IOM Film. Of course, you cannot forget the variety of scenery as a huge asset of the Island.

but how much, realistically, the film industry contributes to the island is debatable.....................how much have we actually made over the years?........

The Exchequor benefit from IOM Film since it's inception exceeds £100 million, in effect paying for the new Nobles Hospital. Add the expected income from 2006-7 and you can include the new prison in that figure as well.

 

In 2005 the income was £11million alone, with some 16,000 bed nights taken up by visiting crews.

 

Is there more to do? Yes, of course there is. The creation of viable resources here is a step forward, but let's not forget the good foudations that already exist.

[Cold]

I know lots of manxies in full time employment in the film industry. the crew that build and strip the sets are manxies,the locations manager manxie,plus lots of people who get occasional employment by them from extras to site builders

[finlo]

I see the office's of the film studio's are up for rent with Chrystals??.

[Mission]

There's a film being made as we speak 'The Mutant Chronicles' or something like that.

[Rhumsaa]

oh right

 

I saw all those signs pointing to Foxdale with Mutant written on them but..... well..... I assumed it was a warning

[Bombay Bad Boy]

oh right

 

I saw all those signs pointing to Foxdale with Mutant written on them but..... well..... I assumed it was a warning

 

I've fallen off my bike enough times at the Deads, hasn't harmed me in the slightest.

 

Braaaaain!

[Beckett]

There will always be a market for smaller, maybe more independant films that cost way less than $50m to finance. The IOM is well set up to supply the demand.

 

MCB, B+!

 

See I don't know anyone who watches these sorts of films, or buys them. Beats me how they make money.