Posts Tagged ‘BBC

Tough Times for UK Indies

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

UK Film Council Statistical YearbookThis week the UK Film Council stated that the number of feature films funded in the UK fell from 77 in 2008 to 71 in 2009. The figures were released as part of the Film Council’s first fully-searchable website with comprehensive statistics.

Median budgets for UK domestic feature films also fell from £1.7 million in 2008 to £1.5 million in 2009.

“Overall it’s clear that British cinema has been weathering the global recession well,” said UK Film Council chief executive John Woodward. He added that the sectors of production, distribution and exhibition were “firing on all cylinders”.

For a small country, the UK film industry has an astonishing creative track record. Of the top 200 global box office successes of 2001-2009, 30 films are based on stories and characters created by UK writers, which together have earned more than $16 billion at the worldwide box office.

The UK Film Council report showed that independent UK films were at their most popular in 2009 - both in the UK and global markets - since records began.

As mentioned on the BBC website this week, with the success of films such as Slumdog Millionaire, indie films took 8.2% of the UK and 2.3% of the global market share. Other top performers included Nativity and The Young Victoria.UK Film Council

The Film Council report also showed that British film talent - including actors, writers, directors and crew - continued to shine on the international stage. Some 14% of all major awards won around the world between 2001-2009 were won by British films and talent.

John Woodward commented that, “Low budget independent production is a tough business - it always has been,” noting that figures for the first half of 2010 showed a continuing pressure on smaller film production. The marketplace for financing small and independent films has always been difficult and the recent economic slowdown has not helped the situation, along with world broadcasters paying less for feature films and the slow erosion of the DVD market.

Heggessey Departs from Talkback Thames

Friday, June 11th, 2010
Lorraine Heggessey

Lorraine Heggessey, beginning of a new chapter after five years at Talkback Thames.

Shock waves rippled across the UK television industry with the news that Lorraine Heggessey would be leaving her post as chief executive of Talkback Thames; producer of Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, The Apprentice and The Bill.

Heggessey - an industry heavyweight - took over from Peter Fincham in 2005 and led Talkback Thames to huge successes through some of the nation’s biggest brand shows.

A spokeswoman for Talkback Thames said, “We can confirm that Lorraine Heggessey is stepping down as the chief executive of Talkback Thames. Sara Geater will now take over as interim chief executive for Talkback Thames reporting into Tony Cohen. No further comment at this time.”

Heggessey’s TV career began in 1979 as a BBC News trainee. Highlights include the Channel 4 show Hard News, editing science series QED, and a producer of Panorama. Her posts as Head of BBC Children’s and Director of BBC Factual and Learning lead her to become controller of BBC1, the first female in the role. As controller she helped the channel successfully revive Doctor Who as well as introducing Strictly Come Dancing. And it was her controversial move of the evening news bulletin to 10pm that paved the way for 9pm drama hits including Spooks, Cutting It and Hustle.

A report in Broadcast stated, “It was known that the Talkback boss fought hard to save The Bill, and if owners Freemantle are making her the scapegoat for its loss, it is more than a little harsh.” ITV’s decision to cancel the long-running police series (26 years old) had a huge impact on the company, to which Talkback owned the rights.

Sara Geater, the company’s chief operating officer, is to take over as interim chief executive. Like Heggessey, Geater will report to Tony Cohen, chief executive of Fremantle Media, the production, distribution and rights arm of RTL, which is Talkback Thames’s parent company.

The next few months will be telling for Talkback. Replacing Heggessey will demand a new media-minded leader with a host of creative ideas to fill the void of the axed shows. With the industry coming through one of the slowest periods for commissioning, there is real emphasis on finding new creative talent. A new and successful long-running series is just what ITV - and perhaps more importantly - Talkback Thames, need.

Hoffman Takes To Director’s Chair for British Comedy

Friday, May 28th, 2010
Dustin Hoffman

Hoffman on the BBC's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross

At The Cannes Film Festival the BBC announced that Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman will make his official directorial debut with a British comedy entitled Quartet. The film will star British acting legends Dame Maggie Smith and Albert Finney in a tale about ageing opera singers who are reunited, after a disagreement in their youth, in a retirement home. Written by Oscar-winner Ronald Harwood, the film will follow events that culminate in the one-off reunion concert of a once world-famous foursome of opera singers.

Although Hoffman is listed as an unaccredited director of 1978 film Straight Time, this is his first official foray into directing.

The BBC also announced plans for a film about Charles Dickens, an adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s book We Need to Talk About Kevin and a project from writer and director of In the Loop, Armando Iannucci.

Commenting on the line-up, BBC Films creative director Christine Langan said, “I’m really proud of the range, quality and diversity of our slate. These collaborations, alongside Vertigo’s Streetdance 3D represent our determination to deliver as eclectic, innovative and dynamic a mix as possible from established and brand new talent.”

Other projects include Three Sixty, from screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Deal, The Queen), which has been described as a “multi-stranded tale of love and sexual obsession”.

All thoroughly exciting and wonderful news for the BBC and British film industry.

TV Talents Out The Door

Friday, January 29th, 2010

1So Simon Cowell is leaving American Idol, Jonathan Ross is leaving the BBC, Conan O’Brien is set to leave NBC and Archie Mitchell was killed off from Eastenders – so therefore left little choice. I mean, where are we going to find people who want to be on television?

Amid intense speculation over his next career move and Jay Leno’s widely criticized return to late night, O’Brien stepped down as host of The Tonight Show to his biggest audience ever. The final episode attracted 10.3 million viewers, with final guests including some actor named Tom Hanks and a curly, ginger comedian apparently called Will Ferell.

Cowell inked a deal with Fox earlier this month that will end his American Idol judging role. “We reached an agreement formally at about half past 10 this morning,” said Cowell, who confirmed his new deal in front of reporters at the Television Critics Association’s press tour on Monday, Daily Variety reported.

Wossy announced he was leaving the BBC after 13 years working for the corporation. As the BBC’s highest paid star (by some distance), he said in a statement that he had decided not to renegotiate his contract. The presenter added his decision to leave was not “financially motivated”.indianidol

Apparently, both Britain and America have new talent though, or so Cowell, Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden, David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel (it’s okay, I’ve never heard of him either) keep trying to tell us.

Of course, when one door closes another one opens, and just because such TV powers are moving on does not mean we’re left empty handed, lacking sufficient prime-time personalities and missing pizzazz. There’s baggy entertainment whose sole purpose it is to both find new talent and to exploit those who were once famous (or at least to have supposed to be. It all depends on whether you read Heat magazine or receive daily alerts about wags and Z Listers). Big Brother, All American Girl, I’m A Celebrity, Fear Factor, The Amazing Race, Survivor, all create entertainment, albeit in a very different manner than the TV judge or talk show host. There’s even Indian Idol now, already in its fourth season.

So, while the big earners are moving on to pastures new (personally I’d opt for an early retirement), there’ll always be those trying to discover new talent. Uncovering individuals, who, may never have long and successful careers at the worlds leading networks, but in the search, will create light entertainment for the millions who will watch it. Fame and celebrity is constantly being stumbled upon, but very little of it is truly sustained.

Wossy’s Gone: Are multi-million pound TV contracts a thing of the past?

Friday, January 8th, 2010
Jonathan Ross: a colourful personality.

Jonathan Ross: a colourful personality.

So, Jonathan Ross is set to leave the BBC. We’ll miss him. Despite his loquacious manner and entertaining wit, his last four years at the Beeb have been notable for the array of infantile pranks and borderline crude interviews. As The Daily Mail comments, “in his manner of leaving at least, he has finally attained a degree of dignity.” Ross’s announcement that he had decided not to renegotiate his contract with the BBC was uncharacteristically measured and composed.

In truth, although the BBC will probably claim to be sad to lose their highest-earning star, there are likely to be “a few executives not too bothered about losing a man whose waywardness and multi-million-pound contract had become an embarrassment.”

Days before the confirmation of his departure, sources reported that Ross was concerned by the prospect of having his yearly pay slashed by £3million. True or not, he was the BBC’s highest earner and many at the BBC were said to have cheered on hearing the news of his decision not to renew his contract. Perhaps there is now a new pot of money available to fund new talent, dramas, comedies and documentaries?

Outside his London home, Ross told reporters he “would have liked” to stay at the BBC. He continued, “It has been a great 13 years at the BBC. I think it’s not a bad time for me to move on. It’s possibly not a bad time for them either.”

Though £18 million, three-year contracts for TV personalities are now firmly in the past, what we got from Ross was brash with a cutting humour and a wonderful talent. But is that deserving of the taxpayer’s money and £18 million? There is an argument to spend the money on discovering new talent, yet, does money equal talent? Is there even a necessity for talent on television? Reality TV leads the way in the ratings and Z list celebrities (if we can still call them that) actually make their living from such reality dramas. If Ross was host for Channel 4’s Big Brother and then moved on, would the show still draw in the millions, watching, gasping and cringing? Presumably, yes?

Life after Ross then is likely to be business as usual, musical chairs as Norton, Kermode and even Evans step forward to host the chat shows, radio programmes and film reviews. And perhaps Ross will still grace the screens to present the odd BAFTA or even Children in Need? Whether the BBC will see fit to grant a similar sized contract in this age of austerity is doubtful.

Party Time for Sky with HD

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Sky TV have gone all festive and are in bountiful spirits, giving their UK high definition customers a complimentary ticket to watch Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Angels & Demons and The Hangover on Sky Box Office HD in their homes the same week that the films are being released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK.

As part of the Sky+HD Party campaign, Sky hope for customers to share the Sky+HD experience with friends and family. To help the party give customers the best experience, Sky are offering a complimentary Sky Box Office HD movie (worth £3.91) and a £10 Marks & Spencer’s voucher. Now that’s just not any voucher, that’s an M&S voucher (said with a seductive commercial voice).

Sky+HD Party

Sky+HD Party

So are we all ‘HD Ready’?

HD services are already on-air in some parts of the world and they are about to be launched across the UK. To view HD you need a high definition display with HDMI or DVI connectivity, and there is an industry ‘kite mark’ to show whether a particular display is ready for high definition broadcasts.

High Definition TV (HD) is part of the latest digital revolution. HD television brings cinema quality into the home with greater picture quality and sharper images. Like 3D promises (look to the 30th Oct blog entry), there is the hope that such advancements produce a more colourful, exciting and immersive experience when watching television and films.

Sky HD

Sky HD

Standard definition digital TV displays a picture consisting of 720 by 576 pixels. This means the screen is made up of slightly less than half a million points of light.

High definition can display a picture of 1920 by 1080 pixels - well over 2 million - which adds clarity to scenes never before possible with either the old analogue system or standard definition digital.

Large television companies such as the BBC, Virgin, FX, ESPN and the National Geographic Channel have already launched themselves in high definition, magnifying the vibrant colour and quality of such events as the NFL, NHL, NBA, and many more American acronyms that are too tiresome to type. The National Geographic Channel - or NGC - has aired it’s HD content to great success: Alien Worlds, Earth Shocks, Alaska’s Fishing Wars and Inside Nature’s Giants - where a team of experts examine the nauseating anatomy - in full - of an elephant, crocodile and a giraffe, there’s even a 55-tonne whale.

Pixel Value Comparison

Pixel Value Comparison

ESPN HD soon launches on Sky+HD, with the service now offering customer’s access to up to 35 HD channels. That’s a lot of high definition sport! You can see them sweat, up close and in detail.

The Sky+HD Party offer (http://sky.com/hdparty/) is subject to availability and limited to the first 10,000 parties.

The Rich and The Poor

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Mark ThompsonWhile we in the UK are concerning ourselves with the news that many BBC executives earn over £100,000, with Director General Mark Thompson, topping the list at £647,000, their counterparts in the US blow them right out of the salary pond.

CEO at CBS Leslie Moonves, made a whopping $31.9 million last year, followed by Disney CEO Robert Iger at $30.6 million and Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes at $19.9 million.

All companies, ‘struggling’ to find the money to make programmes, but kinda puts the Brit salaries into perspective.

Now excuse me while I book my ticket!

Pan Left…Pan Right…Pan Left…Pan Right

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Wimbledon 2009It’s the time of year when BBC’s OB’s (Outside Broadcasts) has a field day.  Or I should say a field and court day.  Or maybe a field and many courts day.  It’s Wimbledon and Glastonbury time and interestingly, last year the entire BBC OB department was sold to indie OB provider, SIS Live who now provide facilities for both events.

I was wondering what it’s like being an OB cameraman, especially the guy who does the static wideshot of the tennis court?  I assume it is a guy and not a remote camera?  It’s a guy on, Have I Got News For You, you see him at the end, sitting there behind the camera pointing at the presenter.  Maybe it’s a trainee?  There are probably worst shows to be an OB cameraman on, darts, snooker, though I’m sure they all have their demands.  Surprisingly, they even have slow motion replays on darts and snooker.

This year’s Wimbledon goes fully HD, whereas in previous years only centre court and court one have been HD. There are the four trucks including the ominously sounding OB7, dedicated HD truck, along with 70 HD cameras, 8 slow motion cameras, 31 HD video recorders and 20 networked EVS recorders, allowing slow motion replays to be accessed by any user.  And the obligatory 50 miles of cable, riggers, etc, etc.  It’s complicated and of almost sci-fi proportions.  Indeed the BBC trailer for the event seems to be inspired by just that, having been made in the style of Tron.

The Wimbledon championships started in 1877, twelve years before even film was invented, but early coverage in the thirties, was very similar to that of today.  A little shakier maybe and in black and white, and of course, not exactly live, but otherwise…

If you think the HD coverage looks good, maybe the next big thing will be Wimbledon 3D, then the cameraman on the static wide shot really will have something to say. Which brings me to Glastonbury.

3d-discoThe big thing at Glastonbury, is the silent disco. Seriously!!  And 3D, for the ultimate clubbing experience.  Two thousand clubbers, surrounded by huge screens, will wear radio linked headphones and 3D glasses to immerse themselves into the one hour, audio visual extravaganza created by DJ’s and motion graphic and visual artists. Already tried out in Trafalgar Square in 2007 it’s expected to be the experience of the Glastonbury experience.

Meanwhile, the BBC’s 117 hours worth of coverage of the event will present a different perspective to the OB cameramen here.  I have a picture of them in rock concert black, as opposed to their Wimbledon counterparts in white Fred Perry shirts and slacks.  I wonder if they swap jobs?

The BBC started pGlastonburylanning for Glastonbury in April, and have a crew of 275 people on the event.  This year they’re using a half hour delay for some of the acts who might use offensive language, after two years ago, Arctic Monkeys let rip before the watershed.  Apparently they’re standing by for Lily Allen.

I bet they wished they had that piece of equipment at Wimbledon!

On Canvas

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

japaneseyoutubejpg1If you thought YouTube was just for crazy, gimmicky videos, think again.  For YouTube, along with Google, have made submissions to the BBC Trust as they want part of the action on the BBC’s plans for a future IPTV platform.  Internet TV, on your TV.

Since February, the BBC, at the request of the BBC Trust, has been investigating the potential for what’s called, Project Canvas, and published its findings today.  A bit like IPlayer, but direct to your TV, Canvas will give viewers ultimate choice and interaction and has been tipped as a service that could provide many options for Pay Per View and Video On Demand.  Finally this would mean the use of specific internet video and film material could be monitored and charged for, whereas currently it’s free access all areas.

Responses from industry big boys has been mixed,  production conglomerate All3Media wants it to allow viewers to buy content by simply pressing their remote, radio mast company Arqiva is concerned the BBC would become a gatekeeper, while audience research done by the BBC in Northern Ireland suggests viewers are happy with Virgin and Sky+.    The BFI is very happy that its archives may be made available to a greater audience, while concerns about the technical specifications, lack of industry involvement and an underestimation of the task, are high on the lists of many including Tiscali who said, ‘the consultation document is lacking in substance on technical, market and commercial aspects, the apparent timescales are impossibly ambitious, no answers are yet available as to how the Canvas concept would work with ISPs and their networks, especially with respect to traffic management.’

In the light of the responses, the Trust has told the BBC to go away and come back with a more detailed report.

On a more positive note, the UK Film Council are confident it will help prevent copyright theft and will bring culture to the nation.

Well that’s something, though I think sport may be more popular.

Beeb On Your Phone

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

BBC LiveTV on mobile phoneBeing at the cutting edge of digital delivery with iPlayer and previously with one of the most advanced websites, BBC.co.uk,  the BBC has started beta testing its TV to your mobile service, LiveTV.  Thing is, do you need a licence?? Well, kind of.

Apparently if you’re watching something while it’s being broadcast, you do, but if you’re watching something streaming or downloaded, you don’t.  Doesn’t matter what on.   The clue for LiveTV is of course in its name.  So how will they check mobile users have a licence?  Check them against their records when they buy a phone,  have access to all the web providers so they can find out who’s watching?  Well if they can invent such advanced technology, I’m sure the BBC will find a way to get paid.