Question Time in association with the Production Guild

On Thursday 30^th March, members of the Production Guild gathered at the May Fair Hotel in London for a Production Question Time event, held in association with Sargent-Disc.

The panel, chaired by Dr. Laurence Sargent, looked at some of the main issues facing production today; in particular rising costs, and the lack of training, skills and diversity in the workplace. The panel of industry experts included:

• Frith Tiplady, Joint Managing Director, Tiger Aspect Drama, Tiger Aspect Productions
• Fiona McGuire, Head of Physical Production, Pathé
• Iain Smith, Producer,Mad Max: Fury Road, 24: Live Another Day, Children of Men
• Julie Baines, Producer,Triangle, Detour, Creep
• Fiona Francombe, Site Director, The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol

(Panel: Fiona Francombe, Julie Baines, Iain Smith, Fiona McGuire, Frith Tiplady and Laurence Sargent introduced by Alison Small, CEO of the Production guild)

Photo Credits: Katie Affleck

A summary of the discussion highlights are detailed below:

Costs:

The UK entertainment industry is healthy and thriving, however as a service industry it is also very vulnerable. Iain stated that inward investment has put pressure on production infrastructure and it is important that the proper controls and industrial agreements are in place to cover crew costs. Laurence expanded on this revealing high value talent in the workforce require compensation - such as construction and set building workers. There is a growing struggle to keep up with production growth. Rising crew costs (40% increase) could put pressure on productions choosing to locate in the U.K. On another note, it was believed that production ambitions for films and TV shows have remained high, but Fiona McGuire commented that budgets have increased from £8.5m to £10/£11m for Pathé's independent productions.

Modern viewing habits such as digital streaming have had an impact on increasing budgets. Netflix, for example, is altering the entire filmmaking business model - a recent deal with Scorsese involved Netflix fully funding his $120m film in its entirety. With deals such as these set to increase in number, it is changing the way sales are done and will impact on the role of international film markets like the Marché du Cannes. Frith Tiplady added that talent royalty cheques could decrease as streaming platforms operate buy out contracts in part due to more limited distribution channels, for which they tend to withhold viewing figures.

The conversation turned to the impact of currency fluctuations on production. The weak pound currently adds to the incentives for filming in the UK, however with recent political developments such as Brexit, this could change dramatically.

Continuing on the subject of incentives, Fiona Francombe added that Bottle Yard Studios is owned by Bristol County Council, and so they can offer very good deals. However, a recent issue for Bristol has arisen from the impact of filming subsidies in Wales. Crews are temporarily relocating to plug the gaps in Welsh infrastructure and lack of experienced crews, resulting in a skills shortage in Bristol.

Training/Skills:

The panel then moved on to examine the training and the production skills base in the UK. Concerns were raised about the recently launched Apprenticeship Levy as it has been designed as a 'one size fits all industries' initiative and not specifically for the entertainment industry. This leaves companies unsure how it will affect them in the near future.

Iain pointed out that the Studios need to be educated, not just on how to pay the levy but also on how to get involved in discussions surrounding it and the organisation of how the levy will be used. He also noted that if used correctly, the resources could be very helpful in addressing industry skills development. The other panellists agreed and reiterated that there are skills gaps - with production accountants as an example - and that there is a general lack of awareness surrounding job opportunities within the industry. The panel's key message was that education is crucial, with the need to communicate and alter training to avoid people progressing before having built up enough experience.

Bottle Yard Studios has already begun their own training apprenticeships. Two of whom have already progressed further into the industry. Fiona revealed that they also hold a work experience day for all those who write in throughout the year requesting experience. The skills academy nearby also organises training that includes one day studio placements. It is another example of how the UK has a good skills agenda in comparison to many other countries.

Frith was concerned that the ecosystem of long running dramas, seen as the training ground for many production roles, now no longer exists. She added that on top of this, the new apprenticeship levy focuses on people new to the industry, but that it takes several years to produce an experienced worker. It is important not to lose sight of the intermediate level as this will not only boost skills within the industry, but also diversity such as encouraging women to return to work after having a family.

Diversity:

Encouraging diversity within the industry has become a high priority in recent years, with producers contractually obliged to meet quotas from broadcasters and public funders. Frith pointed out that whilst these targets can be fairly straightforward to meet in an ongoing office environment, it is extremely hard on production with crews changing from project to project. Typically, people choose to contract the same crew with whom they have built up trust on previous productions. As an industry, we need to continually look to new crew members to develop both skills and diversity on production.

Julie added that one of the big issues with diversity quotas is that there are not yet enough people to fill the roles. She revisited the need to target entry level roles, but pointed out the importance of not losing sight of the middle level. There is a lack of support to recognise potential and align what is needed for the wider industry community. At the same time, new entrants must be supported to stay within the industry so that not only those with a private income can weather the peaks and troughs of freelance working.

It was also noted that some companies, such as Sky, are very committed to training people on the job, although the industry as a whole is not good at providing feedback and nurturing inexperienced crew members in order to better their development.

The panel covered a lot of ground throughout the session, examining the consequences, both negative and positive, of current issues and changes within the production industry. They also addressed some of the potential solutions, urging the audience to educate others on the variety of jobs available in order to increase diversity and skills within the industry.