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INDEXSo I was wrong
10 years, 6 months ago - Vasco de Sousa
In another discussion, I said that there were a million jobs related to the media and print industry in the UK, and so you don't have to work for free on some crappy horror film.
I was wrong, in 2013 there were over a million jobs in the creative industry. About 117 billion dollars in the economy. Whatever that is in pounds, it's no small number. And, I think it's higher than the BFI budget.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/uk-creative-industries-worth-record-763568
The number, if anything, probably is going up.
All those people who say that the money isn't there in the UK industry basically don't see the industry. Most film jobs are not advertised online.
I did work for free on a kid's film the other day, my daughter's. She's in primary school, and so couldn't afford a cinematographer or an actor. But, yeah, most of us couldn't make a film on our incomes. A low budget film is like 50 houses. And, I haven't yet taught my daughter how to approach investors.
That said, all the people saying "the money isn't there" should instead be saying "I don't know how to shake the money tree."
We made a film for less than 5 grand in 2013-2014, so did many of you for similar amounts. I don't think the films made on SP or with crowdfunding even count as part of the creative industry. Most of us have a lot to learn about raising cash.
If someone has tapped into that 117 billion, I'd like to hear your story. If you just doubt the money exists, I'd like to know how we faked the fact that the world is round and that Armstrong landed on the moon.
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10 years, 6 months ago - Vasco de Sousa
The creative industry is over five percent of the UK GDP.
As for your fictitious post-house transaction, the same BS could be applied to the construction industry, gas extraction, or whatever. A chef could buy food at his own restaurant.
These numbers for the creative industry don't tend to include crowdfunded or self-financed films. They don't include youtube movies which have some "participation."
In fact, they don't include the vast majority of video editing jobs, or cinematography photography jobs, which are in other industries.
The question I'd have is whether advertising is included in that figure. There are plenty of high paying advertising jobs on LinkedIn that I've been applying to. From further research, I suppose it is.
Here's a UK government opinion on it. "The Creative Economy accounted for 2.55 million jobs in 2012, or
1 out of every 12 jobs in the UK."
Details:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/271008/Creative_Industries_Economic_Estimates_-_January_2014.pdf
10 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
There doesn't seem to be a heap of detail as to what those figures mean. Is it like GDP where I buy your sheep for £50, you buy £50 worth of my pumpkins, and we 'create' £100-worth of GDP despite both being in the same position as we started with no 'wealth' created? Without knowing the detail of what those figures mean, they don't mean anything!
For instance, let's say I produce a film with a £500k cash budget. As a part of that I get a post-deal where the post-house invoices £100k, but also invests £50k back in to the project as a co-producer, potentially creating £150k of activity for a £50k transaction. Then they employ people with that money - that adds jobs and economic activity to those numbers too, despite the 7 interns getting pocket money. Maybe I also claim a tax credit on the £500k, and so get £100k extra in circulation. I spend £10k of that on hotel rooms for cast - are those hotel staff now in the jobs numbers? What about the hotel's suppliers? Selling the film, do the numbers include ticket gross sales? UK-only or global? What about the cinema cut? Distributor cut? Popcorn? Where are the lines. Without the lines, it's just numbers :-)
It's in everyone's interest to talk up big numbers, so big numbers will bandy about. Our industry thrives on big numbers. Stars earn big number deals (sometimes out of back-end first money out - ie not actually cash spend) so we can have more big numbers to coo about in the press. 'The most expensive film ever made' brought as many people to Titanic as Leo's slightly clunky performance. We're in an industry of smoke, mirrors and dreams - if you look too close you can see the joins.