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Tag: production

  • Mipcom 2021: Stage set for world’s largest content market

    Mipcom 2021: Stage set for world’s largest content market

    CANNES: All the naysayers must be regretting not hoofing it down to the south of France for the annual jamboree of the content trading and production community – Mipcom 2021. Not only were the planeloads coming into Nice full of TV, streaming, and feature film executives, the weather gods too seemed to be playing fair, by keeping the sun out blazing strong, and the rain away.

    The streets of Cannes were bustling with people most unmasked, the restaurants overflowing onto the sidewalks. Tables at favourite restaurants were hard to get.  Welcome Back, read the signs everywhere. It felt like the old times of the content market were back. The Palais was playing host to screening some of the most premium series and TV films. Conversations were being struck in bistros, on the Croisette, on sidewalks. There were smiles everywhere as new acquaintances were made, and old friendships revived.

    The reality, however, is that RX France (into which Reed Midem has now been absorbed) announced that it was expecting 4,000 attendees for MIPCom from 11-14 October. That may pale compared to the 13,000-14,000 professionals, it attracted in Mipcom 2019, but once again if truth be told, the number is impressive in pandemic times:

    – when only select vaccines are recognised in Europe;

    – when media and entertainment companies are still reeling from the financial side effects of covid 2019;

    – when travel red alerts and bans continue to be in place between nations;

    – when corporate cutbacks have not been reversed,

    – when fear and confusion continue in the minds of all about the stage we are in conquering the virus

    – when the virus continues to mutate and the new Delta Plus bug now seems to lay millions to waste the world over.

    For those not in the know, the Palais’ basement or P-1 where almost 30-40 per cent of the exhibitors used to collect in their booths, is shut this year on account of safety protocols. Riviera 7 area is this year’s new basement as the premium area has been reorganised to accommodate as many booths as possible. But it is here where some of India’s leading content producers, distributors, has decided to locate themselves.

    Zee Entertainment (called Zee Content Sales), Indiacast, and AnimationXpress (part of Indian Television Dot Com group) have set up the tent in this very premium location. Around 35 Indians are slated to attend this year’s extraordinary Mipcom. Among some of the known professionals: the new head of Zeel content syndication Ashok Nadmboodri, the new Indiacast distribution boss Sheetal Mehra. Of course, Mipmarkets India, Pakistan Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh head Anil Wanvari was seen going from stand to stand to resolve any issues Indian clients face or requests they may have.

    Hopes were running high that offers would be made; deals and collaborations would be struck from 11-14 October.

    For those in the Riviera 7 and eight sections of the Palis de festival, however, things were buzzing as the clock counted down to the opening of the exhibition. And those who have chosen to stay back home can also be part of the Mipcom experience by signing up for the digital version of MIPCOM.  With a simple-to-use user interface and networking tool, RX France has outdone itself, corrected, whatever errors popped up in the previous edition.  

  • Hollywood Scrambles to Avert Strike

    Hollywood Scrambles to Avert Strike

    Los Angeles: Negotiations between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), which represents film and television crew members throughout North America, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Televisions Producers (AMPTP), the bargaining unit for producers with studios, have now resumed in Hollywood in order to avert a threatened strike which would affect film and TV productions nationwide.

    As widely reported, members of the IATSE voted overwhelmingly over the weekend to authorise a strike, bringing film and TV productions one step closer to shutting down if a contract negotiation with major studios is not resolved soon.

    It was the first time in the 128-year history of the IATSE that a nationwide strike has been approved and with the support of 98 per cent of the voters. The outcome is a clear indication that the 60 thousand members who work in television and film will keep pressing for better working conditions. Talks between the two organisations broke down earlier last month.

    “The members have spoken loud and clear. This vote is about the quality of life, as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry,” said IATSE president Matthew Loeb of the strike authorisation.

    IATSE’s recent three-year contract expired in July and the two parties have been trying to craft a new one, however, IATSE said the AMPTP needs to address issues such as excessively unsafe and harmful working hours, fair wages for all production workers, and reasonable rest periods and meal breaks.

    It is well known that individuals that work in film and television productions don’t usually have set hours, often skip meals, and are forced to work on weekends and holidays. In addition, many of these workers are in the lowest-paid positions.

    In a statement after the strike authorisation, the AMPTP said by leaving the table, the IATSE “walked away from a generous comprehensive package.” They further stated that the contract offered included improvements in rest periods, as well as increases in wages and benefits.

    The threat of a strike comes as Hollywood productions are starting to boom again after being shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Soundstages are beginning to, once again, be in short supply and productions are now having trouble finding enough workers to keep shooting.

    This fact has further emboldened the IATSE, with members arguing that the pressure to work long hours has grown worse in the streaming age, particularly as studios scramble to ramp up production time lost during the Covid-19 shutdowns. The union said it received over 50 reports of 14+ hour workdays during the first seven months of 2021 as reported by Quartz News.

    “I hope that the studios will see and understand the resolve of our members,” Loeb said. “The ball is in their court. If they want to avoid a strike, they will return to the bargaining table and make us a reasonable offer,” the IATSE president stated as talks were set to resume with the AMPTP.

    The last major Hollywood strike was from 2007 to 2008 when 12,000 writers walked off their jobs. It lasted for 100 days and caused productions to be delayed, shortened, and even resulted in shows being canceled. It’s too soon to know how long an IATSE strike would last but it would affect significantly more workers with 60,000 crew members, ranging from editors to make-up artists to camera operators, potentially walking out.

    Film and television shows produced by studios including Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros, Apple TV, Netflix, Disney+ and others could be affected by the strike which could extend through the United States and Canada and could have ripple effects on shows worldwide.

  • Content spending to top $250 billion by year-end, amid soaring demand

    New Delhi: Despite a year of uncertainty and production hiatuses due to the global pandemic, streaming platforms have set the global film and TV industry on a trajectory of accelerated growth with no imminent ceiling in sight. According to a latest assessment by London-based fin-tech platform, Purely Streamonomics, audience demand, production spending, and TV budgets reached all-time highs during the pandemic.

    While the actual number of films that went into production dropped last year, and TV series experienced shooting delays, more cash than ever was committed to content, reflecting continually rising production budgets and greater rights-buying activity.

    Production spending to top $250 billion by year-end

    Based on current trend lines, Purely expects production spending to top $250 billion by year-end, and then keep rising beyond that, especially as media mergers: Warner Bros Discovery, Amazon-MGM and Televisa-Univision start to flex their combined muscles around the planet.

    “What is remarkable about these record numbers is that the industry’s spending has yet to bump up against any natural ceiling. Every year there is talk of the industry being on the cusp of ‘peak television’ and yet it is clear from our own business dealings that the streaming of films and TV shows is only now starting to reach escape velocity,” said Purely, founder and CEO, Wayne Marc Godfrey, “Streaming is not just displacing traditional sources of entertainment revenue such as pay-TV and linear broadcasting, it is actually expanding the global marketplace for video.”

    The research shows that gross cash amount spent producing and licensing new entertainment content (excluding sports) soared by 16.4 per cent in 2020 to reach $220.2 billion, setting yet another milestone that is on track to be surpassed again this year. “But this is only the start of what’s to come. Even more spending growth is on the short-term horizon as a new wave of ad-supported platforms start gaining a stronger foothold around the world, alongside the subscription-funded services that have been driving the streaming marketplace until now,” says the report by the London-based fin-tech platform.

    Four emerging trends:

    Deluge of new streaming platforms:

    Since 2019, the number of global customers subscribing to streaming video platforms (has grown from 642 million to more than 1.1 billion, a 71 per cent leap that has been turbo-charged by months of enforced lockdowns at home. The pandemic not only drove rampant growth on existing platforms, it also accelerated the acceptance of powerful new global competitors including Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, Peacock, Discovery Plus, Paramount Plus and Star. Joining these global platforms in the hunt for monthly customers are several regional Champions. Total number of subscribers is expected to reach at least 1.6 billion by 2025—representing about a fifth of the planet’s total projected population by then.

    Content Spending Reaches a New High

    As more platforms entered the streaming market and audience demand reached all-time highs in 2020, overall Film & TV production spending increased worldwide.

    According to the research, The Walt Disney Co remains the biggest single spender on content, with a grossed-up total of $28.6 billion for 2020 – which is more than spend across the whole of Asia ($27.7 billion) last year, followed by recently formed Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix. Once Amazon completes its own acquisition of MGM, that combined entity would rank as the fourth largest North American production. On that basis these top four companies alone, with combined spending of $75.3 billion, almost equates to the entire worldwide spending outside of North America ($77.3)

    Spending On Indie Content Surges

    As much as Netflix and the five major Hollywood studios spend producing their own content, independently made and acquired content accounts for twice as much money globally. According to Purely Streamonomics’ global research, indie content spending jumped by 25.3 per cent year-on-year in 2020 and now accounts for 65.5 per cent of the world’s film and TV production activity.

    Budgets Are Soaring for TV shows

    As audiences continue to grow, and more competition enters the market, the stakes keep getting higher. In order to stay competitive, producers face pressure to up their production spending. As a result, budgets have risen in recent years, especially for TV shows. According to the research, average budgets across all new series in the US– scripted, unscripted, daytime and kids – was on the rise, up 16.5 per cent in 2020. The cost of introducing and monitoring COVID protocols in 2020 also added 20-30 per cent to production budgets.

    The findings of the research were presented in the form of infographics by Purely Streamonomics and created by digital publisher Visual Capitalist. The data is based on SEC filings by U.S. media conglomerates and tech giants, as well as reports published by national film and TV data-gathering organisations around the world.

  • Amazon Studios launches inclusion policy & playbook

    Mumbai: This is one production studio which is putting its money where its mouth is. And it should even get a nod of appreciation from the Indian ministries of information and broadcasting, electronics and information technology, and even education. Even as many companies are talking about inclusion and diversity, the Culver City (California, US)- based Amazon Studios released on 16 June a comprehensive inclusion policy that extends its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity for its content and productions, as well as a playbook with guidelines for its collaborators in the creative community.

    These guides offer detailed and actionable recommendations as Amazon Studios continues to seek out stories and storytelling that amplify voices across race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability (including mental health), body size, gender, gender identity, and gender expression for the global Prime Video audience.

    “Amazon Studios has long prioritised telling innovative and inclusive stories from a diverse range of creative talent, delighting our global audiences. We wanted to move beyond good intentions to creating mechanisms that hold us accountable to a high bar. This inclusion policy and inclusion playbook adds important, additional depth and guidance for our internal teams and external partners to ensure we continue to advance our shared mission of amplifying the best creatives and content around the world,” said Amazon Studios executive head of diversity, equity & inclusion Latasha Gillespie in a press release.  

    “With the establishment of our inclusion policy and inclusion playbook, Amazon Studios has committed itself to being a thought and action leader in the transformation of our industry,” said Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke. “We know how much work there is to be done to improve representation both on-camera and behind the scenes, and it starts at home, with us. With clear directives and a commitment to accountability, these guides provide a path toward a more equitable future, both on- and off-camera.”

    Amazon Studios shared the policy and playbook with creators, including Gloria Calderón Kellett, creator and executive producer of the upcoming Amazon Original series With Love. Said Kellett, “I am so proud to be a part of a creative community at Amazon that understands the importance of what I’ve been doing my whole career. Inclusive hiring is what makes a change. Opportunity and an eye towards changing things through action is what makes a change. Thrilled that Amazon has put together this playbook to start important conversations with their other creatives. This is real action and commitment and I’m thrilled to see it!”

    Upload’s creator and executive producer, Greg Daniels said: “Having worked with Amazon Studios for several years, I can confirm their commitment to inclusiveness is deep, sincere, sensitive, and practical. These new guidelines should encourage talented people from historically underrepresented groups to feel more confident about making a career in Hollywood.”

    Establishing expectations for Amazon Studios and its creative partners, the inclusion policy covers four primary areas: developing stories and characters, hiring and production, reporting and documentation, and meeting goals. The policy ensures meaningful visibility in Amazon Studios’ content and throughout all aspects of the production process — both in the stories being told and the people hired to tell them. The policy includes specific goals for Amazon Studios productions, including:

    • Each film or series with a creative team of three or more people in above-the-line roles (directors, writers, producers) should ideally include a minimum 30 per cent women and 30 per cent members of an underrepresented racial/ethnic group. This aspirational goal will increase to 50 per cent by 2024.
    • Casting actors whose identity (gender, gender identity, nationality, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability) aligns with the character they will be playing.
    • Aiming to include one character from each of the following categories in speaking roles, with a minimum 50 per cent of these to be women: LGBTQIA+, a person with a disability, and three regionally underrepresented race/ethnic/cultural groups. A single character can fulfill one or more of these identities.
    • Seeking at least three bids from vendors or suppliers on productions, one of which must be from a woman-owned business and one from a minority-owned business.
    • Pay equity across casting, behind the camera staff and crew, and vendors and suppliers.

    Amazon Studios will provide a report template for each production to indicate whether these expectations were met, which will be submitted within one month of the completion of principal photography. This reporting exceeds the minimum standards set by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences but ensures Amazon is poised to report on the diversity of their films for Academy Award contention.

    Through the setting of goals and tracking of adherence to these policies, Amazon Studios, says “it is expanding its commitment to increasing representation on camera and behind the scenes, contributing to efforts to move the industry forward to a more inclusive future.”

    The inclusion playbook puts in place intentional practices to minimize and disrupt biases, providing specific guidance that will help everyone within and working with Amazon Studios to meet the expectations set in the inclusion policy. The playbook provides direction on how to make inclusive decisions while telling authentic stories and hiring the best people for the job; knowledge of where to go for help, including tools to make inclusive decisions; tools to identify criteria for making creative choices, leading to balanced, consistent and informed decisions; and ways to foster curiosity and ask questions to disrupt the status quo about “how things are done.”

    Amazon Studios worked closely with Dr. Stacy Smith and Dr. Katherine Pieper of USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, and with Brenda Robinson of the International Documentary Association and Gamechanger Films on the creation of the policy and playbook. The studio also consulted with leading organizations devoted to advancing the visibility and responsible depictions of underrepresented or marginalized people, including GLAAD, Illuminative, Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity, and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.

    “Frankly, the outcomes of DEI work within the entertainment industry have not been swift or sweeping. In part, that can be attributed to disingenuous approaches to address the systemic barriers to entry that have long plagued Hollywood,” said Smith. “But now, Amazon Studios has created a comprehensive new blueprint that will change Hollywood by elevating those who have historically lacked access. I’m immensely proud of this new policy and I know it will be a gamechanger throughout an industry often resistant to real change.”

    One will have to wait and watch whether Amazon’s new inclusion policy will be applicable to its Indian productions as well. The diversity, equity, and inclusion team within it which was instrumental in drawing up the changes has “telling inclusive narratives to globally diverse audiences” as one of its main focuses.

  • Zee TV’s Aparna Bhosle on changing the content game in television

    Zee TV’s Aparna Bhosle on changing the content game in television

    MUMBAI: Traditional television broadcast has long been a staple of entertainment. But as the fast-growing internet and over-the-top (OTT) video platforms make inroads into the consumer market, more and more people are beginning to cut the cord and move to a digital viewing experience. The rules of the content game have changed. Digitisation has lifted barriers and offered a multitude of opportunities to tell stories that were once impossible to tell and it has become more important than ever for broadcasters to up their game in terms of content quality.

    Indiantelevision.com’s Shikha Singh spoke to Zee TV business head Aparna Bhosle on how this transformation has impacted the audiences’ demands, the use of newer technologies, shooting techniques to meet the ever-growing need of viewers for quality entertainment and more.

    Edited Excerpts:

    On what has led to the growth of TV shows.

    Technology has evolved over the years and has certainly contributed significantly to our shows looking much better visually. We have more sophisticated cameras and lenses today, much better visual effects, and cutting-edge post-production software. But, at the end of the day, it is more about a maker's intent. Our audiences are far more exposed to global content than they ever were. Hence we, as makers, have started putting in a lot more effort into every small detail which makes the content look more aesthetic and visually appealing. It is not only about monetary investment but also investment in terms of time and thought. A lot more thought goes into production design which overall results in shows looking much better.

    On changes they have introduced to improve the look and feel of the shows.

    Shooting on Sony F5 is a standard in today's time. We even shoot on more sophisticated cameras such as Arri Alexa, Sony FX9. These are some cameras that have given great results even in low lighting conditions and the picture quality is top-notch. And with the advent of specialty equipment such as drones, Go-Pros, one can bring alive the scale of production values.

    Apart from that, more and more technicians are now experimenting not only with cameras but also lighting techniques. The days of flat lighting are long gone. Today's storytelling requires different shows to have different lighting. It is not just about having the latest technology at your disposal, it is more about how one leverages it to narrate a story more effectively. Technicians today love to experiment and create new looks for the show. They play with camera angles, lighting techniques which overall helps in achieving a new contemporary look. Sound, too, plays a very important role in storytelling. Today, our shows come with a Dolby digital 5.1 output which gives our viewers a high-quality sound experience while watching TV.

    On advantages of shooting in 4K.

    Shooting in 4K means more resolution, deeper colours, more creative options to work with during post-production. But the 4K files are heavy, which means more time to grab, hence for daily shows, it becomes time-consuming and not viable as a process. Shooting in 4K is possible in the case of certain events or promos that provide sufficient timelines between the dates of the shoot and on-air telecast.  

    On what kind of discussion goes on with production houses before creating any property.

    Detailed discussions between the channel and the production house right from the concept of a show, the narrative and the pace at which the storytelling should unfold, the key drama spikes, the characterisation, casting, core communication pitch, the production design, and the overall look and feel of the show are an integral part of the show’s making. As one moves closer to the show going on the floor, aspects such as set design, art direction, costume styling, camera treatment, and edit patterns get discussed.  

    Today, with the audience being far more exposed and discerning,  it is imperative for every broadcaster to display their A-game to hold and sustain audience interest.

    On how shows are made and changes introduced in the script.

    Just a few years ago, a tape used to be delivered from the editing studio to a channel’s office for transmission. Today, the same is achieved by a simple file transferring process. Content production is a dynamic process, and we are always eager to introduce new technology into our ecosystem. The journey from envisioning to execution is always a challenging one. As far as scripting is concerned, technology has given far more creative freedom to content creators as a lot of sequences that were earlier unthinkable in terms of execution have now become possible and even cost-effective.

    On how digitalisation has changed content production on TV.

    It has certainly lifted a lot of barriers. The camera quality is far better. Cameras can now shoot much better in low light conditions; they are lighter in weight, there is sophisticated equipment to shoot underwater, action sequences, etc. Our requirement for lights has considerably reduced. Shooting in uncontrolled environments, outdoors has become far easier. Footage transfer has become faster. The advancement in visual effects has empowered us to bring our viewers stories that were once impossible to tell.

    The post-production process has gone through a mammoth leap. The process of DI (digital intermediate, or digitising filmed content and manipulating the colour and other image characteristics), colour grading, sound effects, and background music were all very time-consuming and today can be achieved in a decent timeline. From a viewer's point of view, they are experiencing content with never-seen-before visual and audio quality and further advances in digitisation will only help us to up our ante.

  • Eros STX reports $144 mn revenue for first 6 months of FY21

    Eros STX reports $144 mn revenue for first 6 months of FY21

    KOLKATA: Multinational media entertainment company Eros STX Global Corporation has reported $144 million revenue million for the six months ended 30 September 2020, compared to $210 million in the prior year period. 

    The decline in revenue has been attributed to significant reduction in global film releases resulting from the negative effects of Covid2019, partially offset by revenue growth from the STX film library.

    Operating expenses stood at $152 million and, excluding merger related costs, were $134 million, for the period, compared to $276 million in the prior year period. This decline was driven by significantly lower film release marketing and distribution costs due to the pandemic.

    “The company is in the process of finalising its complete financial statements for the six months ended 30 September 2020. Completing the full financial statements has required additional time and resources due to the complexities associated with converting legacy Eros from IFRS to US GAAP and to legacy STX’s accounting policies, and the ongoing deployment of a new and integrated SAP accounting platform. The company expects to issue complete and reviewed financial statements for the interim period by 30 April 2021,” it stated in a filing.

    As legacy STX was deemed the accounting acquirer in the business combination, the consolidated financial results for the six-month period ended 30 September 2020 include only two months of legacy Eros, starting on 31 July 2020 when the merger of Indian film and entertainment studio Eros International, and the American film studio STX Entertainment closed.

    Net cash provided by operating activities was $13 million and, excluding merger related cash costs, was $27 million, for the six months ended 30 September 2020.

    Operating Loss of $7 million and, excluding merger related costs, operating profit of $10 million, for the six month period compared to an operating loss of $65 million in the year ago period.

    As of 30 September 2020, total debt was $384 million and cash on hand was $82 million. The company’s fiscal 2021 ending net debt balance is expected to be below the $325 million guidance provided on the investor call held on 4 November 2020.

    These interim results are a subset of the previously announced preliminary financial results for the first nine months of fiscal 2021, ended 30 December 2020. 

  • Paramount names Michael Ireland & Daria Cereck co-presidents of production

    Paramount names Michael Ireland & Daria Cereck co-presidents of production

    MUMBAI: Paramount Pictures has named former New Line Cinema executive Daria Cercek and former 20th Century Studios executive Michael Ireland as co-presidents of production at the studio.

    Both Cercek and Ireland will report to Paramount motion picture group president Emma Watts. Ireland joined the studio in late November, and Cercek begins her position effective from 11 January.

    “I’m thrilled to be working again with both Daria and Mike,” Watts said in a statement. “The key to success is having the right team, and having watched Daria and Mike grow over the years, I am quite confident their combined creativity, enthusiasm and extensive talent relationships will be a huge windfall for Paramount. They believe passionately in people and projects, which makes for better films.”

    Prior to joining Paramount, Cercek worked in New Line Cinema, where she served as executive vice president of production and development. In her role, she oversaw Olivia Wilde’s upcoming next film Don’t Worry Darling starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles and Chris Pine.

    “I am absolutely over the moon to be joining the incredible team at Paramount, and working again with some of my most esteemed and beloved friends and colleagues,” Cercek said in a statement. “It is truly an honor to step into this role alongside Mike at such a historic studio, and to continue the legacy of making top-notch movies with world-class talent.”

    Cercek was formerly senior vice president of production and development at Twentieth Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), having risen through the ranks after starting as a creative executive in 2010.

    Ireland, began his career as a network executive at MTV in 2003.

  • Josh Goldstine is new Warner Bros worldwide marketing president

    Josh Goldstine is new Warner Bros worldwide marketing president

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros has named Josh Goldstine president of worldwide marketing, replacing Blair Rich, who vacated the position in December.

    Goldstine will officially join the California-based studio later this month. He will report directly to Warner Bros Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich, and work with the division’s senior management team.

    Previously president of worldwide marketing for Universal, Goldstine will oversee the studio’s global theatrical release slate including all Warner Bros, New Line, DC, Warner Animation group and HBO Max original features. His oversight will include Warner Bros Pictures’ worldwide creative advertising, publicity, media, global digital, global promotions, worldwide research and multi-cultural groups.

    Emmerich lauded Goldstine as an “outstanding marketer” who led a broad range of movies to great success in both theatres and on streaming platforms.

    “He loves cinema, is a believer in the continued importance of the theatrical experience, and is incredibly deft at understanding and distilling filmmaker’s visions and intentions into attention-grabbing and results-delivering marketing campaigns,” said Emmerich. “He has a future-focused skill set that will help us strategically navigate our evolving business, launching both our theatrical films and HBO Max original movies. He is a great addition to the Pictures Group, and we can’t wait for him to get started.”

    Goldstine is a widely known marketer, who launched campaigns for Despicable Me, Jurassic World, and the Fast and Furious franchises. During his time seven-year stint at Universal, his team had more than 30 films reach No.1 at the US box office, including Snow White and the Huntsman, Ted, The Bourne Legacy, Mama, Oblivion, Fast & Furious 6, The Purge, Ride Along, Neighbors, Dumb and Dumber To and the Academy Award-winning Les Misérables.

  • UK producers bid to extend Covid2019 insurance scheme

    UK producers bid to extend Covid2019 insurance scheme

    MUMBAI: UK producers are in discussions with the government to extend the landmark £500 million ($664.6 million) Covid2019 insurance scheme for film & TV production.

    Media reports said that producers have sought permission to extend the deadline for the Film and TV Production Restart Scheme to June 2021. If approved, it will ensure coverage for the spring production rush when filmmakers take advantage of longer daylight hours. UK producers’ body Pact is currently gathering information to support the extension, which will be presented to the country’s department for digital, culture, media & sport (DCMS), the government body in charge.

    When the proposal was first announced, the deadline was originally 31 December and has since been extended to 28 February. The extension is intended to “help even more productions access the scheme, reflecting ongoing uncertainty and the continued inability of productions to secure private insurance for coronavirus-related risks,” said a statement from the DCMS at the time.

    Under the scheme, productions can receive compensation for future coronavirus-related losses including filming delays from illness among cast and crew. There is a total cap on insurance claims per production of £5 million ($6.65 million), and production houses need to pay an “appropriate excess” when seeking to claim under the scheme, as well as an “appropriate fee” when joining the scheme. Productions also need to purchase other, more standard insurance to cover non-Covid2019 risks to ensure their production is adequately insured.

    Insurance claims are expected to significantly reduce as the Covid2019 vaccine, which began rolling out across the country last week, expands and reaches maximum people.

  • Film & TV shoots resume around the globe under Covid2019 protocols

    Film & TV shoots resume around the globe under Covid2019 protocols

    MUMBAI: The Covid2019 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the film and television industry, shutting down or delaying production of movies and programmes in many countries, with consequent negative ripples on revenues (through rights and advertising sales) and employment. But now, as countries across the globe gradually lift restrictions, filmmakers are heaving a sigh of relief.

    Let’s take a look at how film and TV production is faring in key markets as the media and entertainment industry slowly comes back to life.

    New York

    New York City, one of the most densely populated states in the US, was one of the epicentres of the Covid2019 outbreak. As shoots restarted, New York state has implemented various regulations to ensure film and television productions could be conducted safely.

    In October, the state introduced a three-tier rating system under which locations based on the infection rates are assigned red, orange or yellow colours. With red notifying the highest rates and yellow being the lowest, different restrictions are placed on the production set based on what colour area the studio is located in.

    Although filming has resumed, increased costs of sanitisation during the pandemic have led to small projects making up a large portion of ongoing productions. Bigger projects like Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are in pre-production stage until the beginning of 2021.

    Producers in New York can still benefit from a tax credit program to incentivise the creation of shows in the state. The program gives eligible production companies credit for 25 per cent of production costs. An additional 10 per cent credit is available in certain counties.

    But Gotham soundstages such as Silvercup and Kaufman Astoria are reporting more bookings. And New York City is seeing such series as Blue Bloods, and new series The Equalizer, NBC’s Manifest and New Amsterdam, Showtime’s City on a Hill, and Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost back in the shooting process.

    California

    In March, all approved projects under the California film and TV tax credit program requested force majeure, meaning that their status for receiving tax credits won’t be affected. Ten, including TV series The Orville, Animal Kingdom and Good Girls. The films include King Richard and Macbeth, have resumed production since June. But projects that had been disrupted by the pandemic are still working on stricter timelines.

    Greece

    Although there was a sudden surge in the number of Covid2019 cases in Greece, which pushed it towards a second lockdown on 7 November, production has continued since early summer, with the government putting out safety protocols to ensure cameras continue to roll on despite the pandemic.

    Woody Harrelson-starring Triangle of Sadness, directed by Oscar-nominee and Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund, wrapped its shoot on 13 November. The Lost Daughter, written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Olivia Colman and Dakota Johnson, wrapped just days earlier. It is an adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel.

    The film commission and the ministry of culture have worked together to introduce strict guidelines for all film and TV shoots, while the Greek government this summer raised the cash rebate from 35 per cent to 40 per cent. A new 30 per cent tax relief for incoming film and TV productions has also been finalised, it can be used in combination with the rebate.

    Italy

    Italy, initially hit hardest by the deadly pandemic, is responding to the second wave well with film and TV production churning out relatively more content with adherence to safety protocols and government incentives.

    Culture minister Dario Franceschini has allotted a good sum of money to support production, upping resources to fund the Italian tax rebate from €400 million ($474 million) to $652 million for 2021; while raising the incentive’s cap from 30 per cent to 40 per cent of a local production’s budget (for international productions, Italy’s cash-back rebate remains capped at 30 per cent, which is still attractive). The tax rebate provided by the government is Italy’s main tool which has helped it to combat the rise in economic costs.

    Meanwhile, Paramount’s Mission: Impossible 7 shot in Italy for several weeks in October and November.

    South Africa

    After partially lifting travel restrictions in early October, South Africa is now fully open for business, with international film and TV productions resuming in time for the southern hemisphere. As the country went into semi-lockdown, shooting kicked off on the sets of Nudes, and Wild Bunch TV’s first Italian production.

    The new guidelines allow entry for all foreign travellers who are tested Covid2019 negative within 72 hours of departure. Domestic production was given the green light as early as May, allowing the industry to prepare necessary health and safety measures for international shoots to return.

    Moonlighting restarted production in early October and is currently in pre-production on an international TV series that will begin shooting early next year.

    Recently, South Africa has emerged into one of the world’s leading hubs for international film and television shoots, with the help of financial incentives, skilled English-speaking crews and a spectacular range of locations. Foreign productions can claim a 25 per cent cash rebate on all qualifying local spend, while the rebate for South African co-productions starts at 35 per cent. For productions that meet the requirements for the emerging Black filmmakers incentive, the rebate rises to 50 per cent.

    Recent projects that have started in the country include Good Omens, Bloodshot starring Vin Diesel, and Sony’s fantasy action film Monster Hunter.