Metro Australia — January 2018

(avery) #1

122 •Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM


VDQD FNHMF NEE
(S V@R KHJD ADHMF @S @ !NM )NUH BNMBDQS
(S V@R
RNLDSGHMF VDC MDUDQCNHM TRSQ@KH@
3GDHQDLOG@RHRHRQD@KKX
NML@QJDSHMF

+H WKHQ WRXUHG WKH FRXQWU\ DIWHU WKH ĺOPpV UHOHDVH DQG UHPHP
EHUV EHLQJ RQO\ RQWR KLV WKLUG FLW\ ZKHQ KH oJRW D WH[W RQ >KLV@
phone saying, “[!@HS #@ LV WKH QXPEHURQH ĺOP LQ &KLQD ,WpV WKH
ELJJHVW LQGHSHQGHQW ĺOP HYHU UHOHDVHGrp 7KH PRYLH SURFHHGHG
WR PDNH 86 PLOOLRQ LQ &KLQD GHVSLWH ĻRSSLQJ HOVHZKHUH^7
5HQGDOO ZDV VR LQVSLUHG E\ WKH &KLQHVH UHDFWLRQ WR!@HS #
WKDW KH ZHQW GRZQ WKH FRSURGXFWLRQ SDWK DJDLQ IRU KLV QH[W
movie,&T@QCH@MR NE SGD 3NLA  RULJLQDOO\ WLWOHG3GD -DRS).
As China is a highly competitive market for the screen sector,
D IXUWKHU NH\ DGYDQWDJH RI DGRSWLQJ WKLV DSSURDFK LV WKDW ĺOPV
can be released through the country’s normal domestic chan
QHOV LQVWHDG RI ĺJKWLQJ WR EHRQHRIWKHWKLUW\IRXUIRUHLJQĺOPV
allowed in each year.^8

Double the trouble?


There are downsides to international
FRSURGXFWLRQV DV ZHOO 6XH 7D\ORU ZKR
ZRUNHG DV SURGXFHU DQG H[HFXWLYH SUR
ducer on3GD 3QDD -XOLH %HUWXFFHOOL
  VD\V WKDW FRSURGXFWLRQV PHDQ
H[WUD ZRUN GXSOLFDWLRQDQGKHDGDFKH
inducing red tape:

8NTQD CD@KHMF VHSG SVN RDO@Q@SD FNU-
DQMLDMSR RN HSR CNTAKD SGD O@ODQVNQJ
@MC CNTAKD SGD KDF@KRŪ
%NQThe Tree
VD G@C SGD @CCHSHNM@K BG@KKDMFD NE SQX-
HMF SN DWOK@HM SGD : TRSQ@KH@M< /QNCTBDQ
.EERDS m VGHBG V@R RSHKK @ E@HQKX MDV
ENQL NE S@W QDA@SD m @MC SGD kM@MBD
O@QSMDQR NM SGD %QDMBG RHCD VDQD MDQUNTR ADB@TRD SGDX CHCMS
QD@KKX TMCDQRS@MC GNV HS VNQJDC
)TRS SN @CC SN NTQ VNDR SGD
@ESDQRGNBJ EQNL SGD :FKNA@K kM@MBH@K BQHRHR< V@R RSHKK ADHMF EDKS
RN SGD DWBG@MFD Q@SDR ADSVDDM SGD BNTMSQHDR V@RUNK@SHKD@MC
:L@CDHS<UDQXCHEkBTKSSNBKNRD@KKSGDCD@KR

Todd Fellman – a producer on!@HS#and the forthcoming
Australian–Chinese titleAt Last <LZHL /LX t HFKRHV WKHVH VHQ
WLPHQWV FLWLQJ WKH IDFW WKDW FRSURGXFWLRQV oDGG D ZKROH OD\HU
RI FRPSOH[LW\ WR WKH SURGXFLQJ VLGH RIWKLQJV<RXHQGXS}ZLWK
a lot of overlap in certain areas.’
According toAFew Less Men 0DUN /DPSUHOO  SUR
GXFHU 7DQLD &KDPEHUV FRSURGXFWLRQV DUH DOVR OLPLWHG E\
whether Australia has an existing agreement with the country
in question:

3GD BG@KKDMFD HR VHSGNTS @ BNOQNCTBSHNM QDK@SHNMRGHO VHSG
SDQQHSNQHDR HSR CHEkBTKS SN RDBTQD ETMCHMF EQNL SG@S SDQQHSNQX
MC HSR CHEkBTKS SN SDKK RSNQHDR HM SGNRD OK@BDR ADB@TRD HSR UDQX
CHEkBTKS SN Q@HRD kM@MBDR
( G@UD @ OQNIDBS @S SGD LNLDMS m
7DQJR 8QGHUSDQWV:,HQ@MC@  *GQNA $CLNMCR < m SG@S
CHC VDKK @KK @QNTMC HM SGD VNQKC
3GHR RGNQS kKL V@R RGNS HM
!TDMNR HQDR
6D VNTKC KHJD SN L@JD SGD ED@STQD :UDQRHNM<
HM QFDMSHM@ NQ 4QTFT@X ATS TRSQ@KH@CNDRMSG@UD@MXSQD@-
SHDRŭVHSG QFDMSHM@NQ4QTFT@X


In all, however, Taylor contends that out of this sort of
adversity can come true collaboration:

(S V@R @M HMBQDCHAKX RSQDRRETK SHLD NM ANSG RHCDR ATS VHSG GHMC-
RHFGS OQNA@AKX GDKODC ENQFD NTQ O@QSMDQRGHO
6D CHCMS QD@KKX
CHUHCD TO SGD OQNCTBDQ QNKDR :NMThe Tree< NSGDQ SG@M SGD E@BS
SG@S ( SNNJ FQD@SDQ QDRONMRHAHKHSX ENQ SGD RGNNS ADB@TRD VD
kKLDC DUDQXSGHMF HM TRSQ@KH@ @MC 8@ėK %NFHDK L@M@FDCSGD
ONRS OQNCTBSHNM VGHBG V@RCNMDHM/@QHR

Lost in translation


:KDW DERXW WKH GD\WRGD\ GHDOLQJV ZLWK D IRUHLJQ FDVW RU
FUHZ" %DVHG RQ KLV H[SHULHQFHV ZRUNLQJ LQ &KLQD 5HQGDOO
GHVFULEHV FRSURGXFWLRQV DV KDYLQJ oD GLIIHUHQW UK\WKPpt
WKRXJKXOWLPDWHO\oZHDOOVSHDNĺOPODQJXDJHp

( CHC TRD "GHMDRD #./R SGD DMSHQD BQDV V@R "GHMDRD @MC
VD VDQD RGNNSHMF @BSHNM RDPTDMBDR SGQNTFG SGD CDRDQS
!TS HS CNDRMS L@SSDQ VGDQD SGDX BNLD EQNL HSR @ RHLHK@Q
OQNBDRR :w< 8NT G@UD SGHMFRSG@SGDKOXNTRSNQXAN@QCR 
BNMBDOSR ŭSQ@MRK@SNQR

Taylor found the cultural differences
refreshing:

6NQJHMF VHSG @ %QDMBG SD@L ( SGHMJ NTQ
kKLL@JHMF @OOQN@BGDR @QD @ KHSSKD CHE-
EDQDMS @MC NAUHNTRKX K@MFT@FD BG@MFDR
NTQ TMCDQRS@MCHMF @MC LD@MHMF RNLD-
SHLDR
%QNL LX KHLHSDC DWODQHDMBD SGD
%QDMBG SDMC SN S@JD @ LNQD ?NQF@MHB
@OOQN@BG SN SGD OQNBDRR @KKNVHMF
SGHMFR SN G@OODM HM TMDWODBSDC V@XR
VGDQD@R HM TRSQ@KH@ ( SGHMJ VD G@UD
LNQD NE @ QDFHLDMSDC @OOQN@BG VHSG
CDS@HKDC OK@MMHMF @MC NQF@MHR@SHNM
(L MNS R@XHMF NMD V@X HR ADSSDQSG@M
SGD NSGDQ ATS SGDX @QD BDQS@HMKX PTHSD CHEEDQDMS

The death of Australian stories?


:KHQ LW FRPHV WR $XVWUDOLDpV WUDFN UHFRUG ZLWK FRSURGXFWLRQV
WKHUH DUH DUJXDEO\ WZR WHPSODWHV IRU VXFFHVV 7KH ĺUVW LV WR
HQVXUH WKH VWRU\ LV QRW URRWHG WR D VSHFLĺF FXOWXUH RU SODFH
instead emphasising action and universal experiences. The
storyline of!@HS#, for example, is essentially ‘sharks in
D ĻRRGHG VXSHUPDUNHWp WKLV FRXOG EH DQ\ VXSHUPDUNHW
DQ\ZKHUH LQ WKH ZRUOG (YHQ WKRXJK LW KDSSHQV WR EH VHW LQ
D 6LQJDSRUHDQ PDUNHW ZLWK D PRVWO\ $XVWUDOLDQ FDVW WKHUHpV
nothing to particularly stamp it as being of either culture. The
VHFRQG LQYROYHV WKH ZHOOZRUQ WURSH RI RQH FXOWXUH EHLQJ VHHQ
through the eyes of another. InAFew Less Men, three British
EHVW PHQ ĺQG WKHPVHOYHV VWUDQGHG LQ WKH RXWEDFN ZLWK D
FRIĺQ  ZKLOHAt Lastrevolves around a Chinese couple look
LQJ WR FRQFHLYH D EDE\ EXW IDOOLQJ IRU D VFDP LQ 4XHHQVODQG
'LVFXVVLQJ WKH ODWWHU ĺOP )HOOPDQ H[SODLQV o,W JLYHV DXGLHQFHV
D SHUVSHFWLYH RI $XVWUDOLD EXW WKURXJK&KLQHVHH\HV>fDQG@
brings those cultures together.’
%XW GRHV WKLV PHDQ WKDW PRUH FRQYHQWLRQDO $XVWUDOLDQ VWR
ries are being ignored in favour of stories that will resonate in
WKH LQWHUQDWLRQDO PDUNHWSODFH" :LOO FRSURGXFWLRQV OHDG WR D
homogenisation of Australian storytelling – a loss of the nuances
and cultural understanding, in favour of broad stereotypes that
ZLOO DSSHDO WR QRQORFDOYLHZHUV"0RVWRIWKHUHVSRQGHQWV,VSRNH
to thought not.

‘You need the project
to creatively suit a co-
production structure
... Whether it’s the
locations, the technical
expertise, or cast or other
creative elements, a co-
production needs to
organically make sense


  • not be something
    that’s forced.’


TODD FELLMAN
Free download pdf