ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXWhy isn't BBC Films a fully fledged production studio?
7 years, 3 months ago - Matthew Prince
Since we all have to fund the BBC yearly, their annual revenue is an estimated £4 BILLION from licence fees, international TV sales, merchandise and clip/footage licensing:
So why isn't BBC Films a fully fledged production studio?
The majority of their films are co-productions with the BFI and a Hollywood studio, but how hard would it be to take £100-150 million from the pot (we know where's it's being wasted (cough "too many managers" cough) and establish it as an actual studio?
Set film budgets of £1-5m each, team up with British investors like Lipsync and Ingenious for up to £15m productions and cut individual deals with UK cinemas for exhibition and maintain their existing deals with DVD/Bluray/Digital Download providers.
This could and should be replicated at ITV, Channel 4 and Five (through Viacom) at different scales.
In the last decade, it has become clear that thanks to Netflix and Amazon Video it is all about content and how it is invested in and owned.
I honestly believe the only and best way for new and struggling independent British filmmakers to thrive is if the British network channels provide decent budgets for them, guarantee wide (or limited wide) cinema releases, physical and digital release and then regular screenings on any of their digital terrestrial channels as it will be in their library, generate revenue for the filmmakers and easy to show.
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7 years, 3 months ago - Mark Wiggins
Why would Viacom what to create a competitor to Paramount?
Response from 7 years, 3 months ago - Mark Wiggins SHOW
7 years, 3 months ago - Mark Wiggins
That should be want to - typo, sorry.
Response from 7 years, 3 months ago - Mark Wiggins SHOW
7 years, 3 months ago - Matthew Prince
@Mark Wiggins what I mean is through Viacom, possibly a Channel Five Films division, as part of Paramount Pictures UK.
Response from 7 years, 3 months ago - Matthew Prince SHOW
7 years, 3 months ago - Mark Wiggins
@Matthew Prince But that would be part of an American Studio, it wouldn't be a British one.
Response from 7 years, 3 months ago - Mark Wiggins SHOW
7 years, 3 months ago - Tony Oldham
The BBC I’m guessing allocates its own budgets I’m guessing with a simple remit of trying to engage new talent and make small cultural films. As such it spreads that risk with the other uk Film agencies. Channel 4 did once upon a time play a vital role in the British film industry back in the 1980’s. Since then the TV landscape has changed dramatically with the money available spread across 100’s channels rather than just three back then. And then of course websites etc dilute the funds available further. The truth is that the BBC is fighting with declininging budgets and higher costs from a hostile Government in times of austerity.
Response from 7 years, 3 months ago - Tony Oldham SHOW
7 years, 3 months ago - Vasco de Sousa
Let's see this from the BBC's point of view. Murdoch, Miramax, The Daily Mail and others have been enemies of the license fee for a long time.
If the BBC even makes it look possible that they can make a profit, and still provide the same quality programming, without the license fee, they can kiss that license goodbye. Countries like Portugal, New Zealand and others have seen their equivalents "privatised" and license fees abolished.
Also, the BBC took a disastrous investment in the computer industry once, which seemed only to hurt other British computer manufacturers.
There are many influences that want to completely open the UK's television industry (the way America's television industry was opened in the 1990s) to foreign investment.
Ironically, Netflix wouldn't have been possible 40 years ago because of America's anti-trust legislation. (HBO and Blockbuster were too used to the old rules to take full advantage of them being abolished.) Reagan and the presidents before him saw danger not only in foreign investment in the media, but in allowing distribution, exhibition, and production. This separation helped keep America's film and television industries competitive.
I think the way forward would be to once again separate the three parts of the film industry. Force tv stations to commission or license all of their content.
Response from 7 years, 3 months ago - Vasco de Sousa SHOW