movies - together we all can win

TOGETHER WE ALL CAN WIN
TODAY Weekend • June 28, 2008

Kenneth Tan

HERE in Singapore, the annual European Union Film Festival once showcased a delightful film from Luxembourg, set and shot there, entitled Elles (Women). Several years later, the same film re-appeared in the festival programme, this time representing Portugal. The British Film Institute lists Dances With Wolves as a British movie. Director Jan De Bont, renowned for Speed and many other blockbuster hits, is at the helm of Point Break 2 — to be made by Singapore. Geographical boundaries and traditional country-of-origin definitions are becoming less and less distinct in the movie production industry. The phenomenon is deeper than what happens, for example, in the consumer electronics arena, where DVD players from a Japanese manufacturer are assembled in, say, Thailand. Movie co-productions involve collaboration between two or more countries in terms of financing, creative, and commercial promotion and releasing activities. There are many compelling reasons for taking a feature film project down this path. The fundamental need of any filmmaker is money. The more countries and companies involved, the more money there is. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, for example, couldn’t have looked as good without Hollywood’s financing. Crucial exposure, training and learning ensue when both on-screen and off-screen personnel from the same industry in different parts of the world (and at different stages of industry development and sophistication) come together to work on a common project. Singapore dreaming, for instance, marshalled talent from Singapore and New York, and, as a result, that film’s scoring and editing are unique among our local productions. Furthermore, commercial distribution is usually assured in all the countries participating in a co-production. This gives artistes from each territory incremental audience exposure beyond the domestic front — especially important for countries with young/developing film industries. The same benefit applies to those working behind the camera. Kelvin Tong’s Rule Number One gave him the opportunity to direct two of today’s top names in the Hong Kong film industry — Ekin Cheng and Shawn Yue. Tourism can benefit as well. At a recent industry networking session in Cannes, Austria was one of several countries reporting healthy increases in tourist arrivals, which were closely correlated (in timing and quantum) to increases in movie co-production projects involving them. Our own “Film in Singapore” scheme can provide reimbursementsof up to 50 per cent of production expenses incurred, for suitable projects that showcase contemporary Singapore. What about the downside of co-productions? They usually lead to higher budgets than single-country projects. So more money is needed, and more money is spent — sometimes to the detriment of efficiency and return on investment. Co-productions entail more complicated logistics. Personnel, equipment and facilities have to be moved to and used in often vastly contrasting locations and infrastructural environments. Forcing incompatible styles and subject matter together can result in movies which are neither fish nor fowl. Sometimes, stars from lesser-known co-production countries are limited to stereotyped/supporting roles. So while it might be argued that incremental exposure doesn’t hurt budding talent, it may not add very much to such artistes’ career development either. A more serious and subtle issue could be over-zealousness in attracting big names to a particular territory — not only bloating out the budgets in the process but also channelling finite funds into projects less useful to the “developing” country than other more modest, indigenous films. Local talent development is important; for any national film industry to grow, its creators must “ramp up” to stand on the world stage for long-term sustainability, not just play permanent second-fiddle to visiting guest celebrities. Active and informed consultation and collaboration between policymakers and industry practitioners is indispensable if this balance is to be struck. Singapore needs co-productions. Our domestic market is small. Our media content must travel. We have a growing pool of creative talent, business skills and financial resources. We’ve never fought shy of working with the biggest and best from all corners of the globe. What’s needed now is an even closer partnership among all players and stages of the movie industry food chain. I am confident that if Singapore applies the same intelligence and rigour that made possible the economic miracle of our industrial development, Singapore’s film production scene will be as big and as internationally revered as our national carrier — which “even other airlines talk about”.

The writer is chairman ofthe Singapore Film Society.