Australia provides a model for Canadian production, CMPA conference hears

OTTAWA–Australia has followed a different path to film and television production that could be a lesson for Canadian producers. That message was delivered at the Canadian Media Producers Association’s Prime Time conference Thursday. CEO Graeme Mason is about to retire from Screen Australia after a decade at the cultural body. The 25-year veteran has worked in Britain, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States as well as in his native country. He said that Australia and Canada face a double-edged sword on selling content abroad. On the one hand, they mostly produce programming in English which is easy to sell. On the other hand, they face competition from the big American studios. Mason believes the situation in Canada is slightly more dire. “We obviously look at you with fear because I feel your pain,” he said. “You’re right next door to America and we totally get that.” Canadian stars can get lost in the shuffle, he said. Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds don’t have the same global recognition as performers from Down Under. “No offense to Chris Hemsworth, he’s amazing but everyone knows he’s Australian. The two Ryans, people forget they’re Canadian. Everyone knows Nicole Kidman’s Australian,” he asserted. Developing local stories for new audiences is a regular challenge for Screen Australia. A recent study of viewing patterns showed the Australian Broadcasting Corp. does well with children and with seniors but the in-between ages were not tuning in. Australian content rules are different from Canadian content regulations. That has resulted in a 75-25 ratio of domestic versus international programming. Streaming services are also showing a great deal of local content. Disney+ has 10 Australian programs on its service and is promising another 10 next season. “We’ve probably been a little more fortunate than you at this point,” Mason stated. Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a new cultural policy for Australia last Monday. New obligations will be placed on streamers starting next year. Screen Australia is looking for dramas, children’s programming and factual shows, as opposed to reality or light entertainment. Mason gave contrasting examples of what qualifies as Australian under their rules. Under those regulations, control of the process is paramount. Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis is considered an Australian production. The movie is nominated for eight Oscars this year. “Every shot of that film was made in Queensland. Not one shot was done in Memphis or anywhere in America or Las Vegas,” he told delegates. “The origination was Australian, it was made in Australia. It’s Australian.” Yet an American film about life in the Outback was rejected because it did not pass the significant content test. It was made by non-Australians and only featured Aussie scenery in the screening. He acknowledged that consumers want international programming but stressed the need for native stories. “You’ve got to have White Lotus, you’ve got to have Euphoria but you’ve got to have something in our voices,” he said. It is cheaper to buy foreign shows but necessary to have domestic product. This is especially true for children’s programming which cannot be monetized through advertising. Screen Australia covers film, television and internet programming. It is essential to reach audiences where they are, Mason stated, and these days younger viewers are online One of the predecessor agencies to Screen Australia set up an indigenous office three decades ago. It has done an outstanding job of getting aboriginal stories portrayed in television and film. “We over index for first nations people on screen, that means there are more first nations peoples appearing in our dramas than there are as a representation of the population,” Mason asserted. “That is an awesome thing.” Session moderator Valerie Creighton of the Canada Media Fund pointed out that there is talk of amalgamation among Canada’s cultural bodies. She asked Mason how that has worked out in his nation. “I can’t imagine not doing it. We’re too small. It allows us to have an overview across the sector as a whole,” he said. “I think it’s essential. In Australia it’d be crazy without it.” He urged Canadian producers to collaborate with one another more. That does not have to mean formal partnerships but the creative community should hold discussions of what they are working on and what challenges they face in getting their product to market. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca and editing by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca.

Australia provides a model for Canadian production, CMPA conference hears

News | 02/03/2023 4:35 pm EST

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