Time for a little British anthropology. I found this amusing, but the author’s evolutionary fatalism irritating.
Having said that, this is a problem in the British film industry and I see little to address it. And yes, of course, this is a British filter on a worldwide problem it’s just that I can’t see anyone from Texas talking about it in terms of Poshos and Chavs!
The author talks of the need for networking and what better place for a chav (although I prefer Lad) like me to be, than on Stage32.
This is part of his Disclaimer:
“My upbringing was a mix of working class and lower middle class with long stints on council estates and then in slightly improved circumstances. I have been broke and poor more times than I am willing to write here. I was absolutely broke when I entered the Film Industry, I lived in Hackney, in a council flat, when it still sold bacon rolls for breakfast and lived next door to a crack dealer called Zac. Therefore, this blog will be subjective and working class orientated. It is what I know, but I appreciate that it is tough for everyone, particularly at the moment.”
Anyway, it’s a fun read. Please share your thoughts, particularly if you are British and have penchant for saying “Whatoh!” Or “by gum, it’s parky out, ain’t it?”
https://www.locationhq.co.uk/blog/poshos-versus-chavs-the-battle-of-clas...?
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"Hand your business cards out like Willy Wonka." :D Things are rough for a lot of creatives, Geoff Hall. Networking is definitely important in finding opportunities. And "Go to everything" doesn't always mean in-person networking events. It can mean virtual networking events.
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Geoff I was surprised with that demographic as in Australia the arts is dominated by the working class and lower middle classes.But as you Pommies say Australia is classless in every way.But as a none American you have all these advantages that most Americans would never consider.Most Americans in my experience only write for the North American market.Being English you know the culture the history and dare I say it the Geography of the world.So you can look at any domestic film industry in the world and write a low budget thriller etc that's targeted as a co-production between a small British production company and their film industry and it's funding.If you chose a story that got funding from a Commonwealth countries film industry I'm guessing funding from the British government would be a fairly strong possibility.Pinewoods isn't the only game in town and thankfully Americans leave so much on the table for the rest of us without even realising it, bless their little hearts.Find a space that's open build knowledge and connections in that space and get very familiar with Facetime.Best of luck.
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Craig Prickett ah, Craig mate, that would be the Posh Toffs talking about Oz as Classless. Or maybe it was a compliment, to say that you didn’t fall for the absurdities of a class-based society?
Generally what happens in dear old Blighty, is that the upper class have all the connections to money and the gatekeepers of the industry, as well as the financial resources to fund a venture or at least live in a house with food on the table.
Funding in the form of grants from the British Government is hard to come by and very limited.
To build connections? That’s why I’m with Stage32. I’ve already met my Exec Producer on here.
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Geoff in Australia it's a strange system.And traditionally unlike other small players the gate keepers usually only supported historical or art house films.More commercially viable films had to be financed privately which is difficult.Crocodile Dundee was only made due to financial support from players from the Australian cricket team.That has some British similarities with 1 of Monty Pythons movies lost finance and George Harrison gave them the money at the last moment to make it.So the exploitation end of our industry operated seperate to the grant system.There's a doco on it called not quite Hollywood that heavily features Tarantino due to his heavy use of ideas,scenes etc from Australian exploitation films.And even with Tarintino signing up to do it it took them 5 years to get funding to make a documentary through the government arts funds.So you don't need posh pricks to screw your funding chances all beuracrats will do it.Basically how it works know is pre covid I'm not sure but suspect the figures are still similar between 50-100 foreign films are shot in Australia per year usually closer to 100.They range from blockbusters like Pirates of the Carribeans to tiny micro budget films.Countries from all around the world film here and pretend they're somewhere else because of several reasons experienced professional crews etc but mainly because Australia is so cheap due to government tax breaks and incentives if they meet certain requirments.And that is also the case for New Zealand,Italy and Greece.That has changed our industry so a film maker here may choose to try and get government funding probably waste 5 or more years of their lives and not get the funding anyway no matter how good their project is.They can potentially get a well known hollywood star who is Australian to get envolved to bring in foreign capital.Or they can use connections they have gotten from all these foreign films being made here to potentially bring in some foreign investment which increases the chance of domestic investment and as the government loves cultural exchanges in Australia it also increases your chance of some arts funding.I assumed you would have some similar opportunities in the UK.I used to actually work for the British Government in consuls a long time ago and that whole Empire/Imperial guilt was a real thing.So maybe wrongly I assumed due to that doing a co production with any National Film organisation from a Commonwealth country potentially could increase your chances of Arts Funding.Geoff I was called a convict by just as many working class people as posh pricks Australians just laugh about this shit.Only the English would send their criminals to paradise and stay in that cold miserable place you call home.Anyway I hope you do well. I think you'll do well on stage32 meeting people/contacts although I did get a laugh a few weeks ago I was going to watch a stage 32 webinar entitled Global Film & TV Production Summit I was thinking they'll probably have a european an asian a Sth american maybe and I went on the link and it was like someone from Hawaii,Alaska etc I cracked up.I didn't realise regional US equaled global but now I know.On the platform itself I've met a lot of people who are very sucessful in their local markets and have a wealth of information about their local markets.Always useful to know stuff.
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I think if the writer is writing from a place we all resonate with, soul based truth it transends class distinctions. :-)
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Thanks for the post Geoff Hall. Will certainly take a look into this.
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Rachel Walker It may transcend the class distinctions, but it still leaves us with a lack of financial resources to support our life style. And then there’s the whole thing of financing a production and access to the right people.
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Eon C. Rambally thank you, sir.
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Though I know VERY LITTLE about this field, this sense of "still not having accomplished what one is trying to put out in form of reciprocity",... feels BLEAK. AND then leaves me to this thought of what I DO believe IS why their are points in OUR HISTORY, that "SOMETHING" comes along to make a major shift or as we say, TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD, so it can be more fair... LIKE THIS PLATFORM per se.
Thank you Geoff, for educating me way beyond what I know (though some of it is often still convoluted to my mind). I will PRINT IT OUT as I usually do, to someday have in a personal booklet (printed) to help remind me to see THIS MAJOR IMPORTANT JUNCTURE in the Entertainment Industry...
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Hi Maurice & Eon!! I know, I know, have not been on very much... moved to SC finally! SO many changes... but needed NEW ENERGY in surrounding spaces... my daughter and arrived near the Greenville SC area about 4 weeks ago? WOW, interesting move as well...
Still trying to see how MY STORYLINE for my film SUCCESS AFTER INSANITY (SAI) is going to play out!! SO MUCH TO PUT INTO A FILM?!! HOW DO YOU GUYS DO IT?!! LOL
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ONE WAY, I've come up with ~ to create some kind of timeline? for my film in order to break it down to some kind of ? LOGIC? and have some kind of basis to start from or work with - was to mark down ALL THE IMPORTANT ISSUES I WITNESSED and often EXPERIENCED in this LIFETIME, (of course of what many others have too in THIS time period on Earth)!
MY mother, Sandy Musser (Human Rights Activist and imprisoned for her work, then on 60 Minutes with Leslie Stahl)... WE HAD MANY INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS... so quite a few will be injected in the film... SOME way different thoughts and ideas covering major issues we face during out times and most political, YET I do not step into the political arena meaning I BELIEVE ITA ALL A CIRCUS, just a huge distraction to keep us all under control...THESE thoughts and ideas I feel will make a massive change in our socity at large, though not for another half century or so? (hoping not!) BUT SURELY worth the film.... (not sure why I put all this here but? felt to do so).
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Hi, Sherri ZImmerman. Great to hear from you. Congratulations to you and your daughter on making the move!
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YES! We have but not SO EASY however... it will be a little more time before the adjustment is complete. Love the new energy here but staying on board in all ways, keeping mind positive, financially working with very little LOL again! LOL, car repairs going to need again... (saw in dream, that my brakes will need to be done soon)... they ALWAYS give me stuff in my dreams... all kinds of stuff! LOL
ITS A JOURNEY for sure!
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Craig Prickett yes, I love that story about George Harrison. And a classic film it was too!
I’m not sure if the Commonwealth status works in that way, but surely there must be some perks derived from our Imperialistic past! ;-)
Yes, sending criminals to paradise is an unusual twist with the British sense of justice, although I did read that the accommodation on board the ships would have fallen short of luxury liner style!
Ah the summit. Yes I did comment that maybe it would be good to have a European representative on the panel. (Yes, I know, how terribly bourgeois and Western of me).
Local markets. Well, my current project has an Exec Producer, Sandra, who lives in Lisbon on the November Write Club last year. Things are going well.
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Sherri ZImmerman thank you Sherri. In the UK, it’s how the establishment maintains its position of power and control. Those that have, have the means to make things, those who have-not have the power to create things in secret and maintain their anonymity! I used to feel like an intruder (15 years ago) now I feel like an outsider in my own country - so much so that I’m writing an essay about it called — The Outsider. (Thinking of posting it on the site).
This is why Stage32 is important to me, as it seeks to democratise the industry that we still love so much. I believe exciting times are ahead.
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Geoff Hall, what a captivating subject and "Artwork". I'll say this! Anthropology is such a technical but fascinating field and subject! However, I also simply like the depiction in artwork the writer used. Why is the esteemed character, using such a heavy rock for a “platform”, supported by mere human muscles. Wisdom!
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Eon C. Rambally It looks to me like a homage(?) or reference to Dziga Vertov’s ‘Man with a Movie Camera’. Although it’s interesting then as it would make the rock the Soviet State. Even a Socialist Government can oppress its workers!!
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Controversial 1929 film, with the “conceptualized symbolic eye” way back then. Well Geoff Hall, then “concerns”, application of psychological with physiological matters contributes and applies. There obviously were much more individuals holding up that r,/platform initially! That’s how he got up there “supposably” in the pinnacle of pride, in the first place. What a culmination! Sort that dilemma and situation, or there will no longer be a camera or cameras respectively! Interesting however the writer excluded involvement and interest in politics. Technicalities!!
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Geoff Hall ... that essay you mentioned about yiu... "The Outsider" ... sounds like it ought to be A MOVIE?!!
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Sherri ZImmerman Ah, Sherri. I first have to finish it! It’s on the back-burner at the moment, as other matters are taking all my energy and focus. It’s probably going to be a long way from the type of story that Albert Camus wrote of the same title! More a stream of consciousness and delve into the essence of Geoff and his worldview. A very personal piece.