Cost of Australian drama hitting networks as future of quotas called into question
From left: Bob Campbell, Ian Robertson, Ross Crowley and Fiona Cameron
The cost of producing and buying Australian TV drama is in danger of becoming prohibitively expensive, while maintaining and enforcing the current quotas for local content is likely to become increasingly difficult, industry experts have warned.
Speaking during a panel discussion on content funding at the ASTRA conference in Sydney last week, Screentime managing director Bob Campbell, a former chief executive of Seven Network, said he was “proud” to produce Australian programs, adding the quality is rising and demand is growing.
But he confirmed the costs of funding Australian programs was also climbing and it was “not easy” to find the cash. His comments followed remarks from Screen Australia chief operating officer Fiona Cameron who said the cost of buying local content was at least four times more expensive than acquiring drama from overseas. The result is that 70 per cent of drama on Australian TV is foreign, she said.
Why ?????????
Why is Australian drama so cost prohibitive or expensive to produce compared to overseas ?
we are not importing anything and we dont have to ship it anywhere
we make it with local talent and expertise, is it an equipment factor ?
I thought we were selling the affordability of big production down under only a few years ago….
and now we are saying it costs more to make Winners & Losers than it does house of Cards ??
it feels like someone is taking the piss…
If it is a licensing fee, why are Australian fees so exorbitant ??
I’m not surprised cost is getting out of hand with so many people now fast forwarding through ad breaks – this is where most of the revenue comes from – with this becoming an increasing problem, where will the money for local productions come from?
First …. it’s Ross Crowley and not Cowley. Understandable mistake … I mean he’s hardly been in the industry for long!
Lionel, go back and read what Ian Robertson said. He said the ACQUISITION cost of overseas content is $200k-$300k per hour. Australian PRODUCTION costs north of $1m for a quality production. If you read articles for overseas it is not uncommon for the stars to get $1m per episode each (Modern Family, Big Bang Theory). Orange Is The New Black was $4m+ per episode. House of Cards was rumoured to be $100m+ for 13 episodes. Acquisition costs are lower because the commissioning network(s) – the ones that underwrote the risk – are basically selling the same content to a new broadcaster.
You mean dumping it here don’t you John?
so, we need to sell more of our content to overseas markets to shore up the Acquisition costs ???
Jump on oDesk.com. Find your self a better priced editor and after effects producer. Think global for production resourcing or you will go broke.
But a couple of years ago Matt Baxter was calling for local content rules to be abolished .. using the logic that the rules weren’t needed because they would always be creating local content without the rules:
https://staging.mumbrella.com.au/call-to-remove-safety-net-of-local-tv-content-quotas-72230
Now it turns out that the original statements weren’t accurate
Is Matt Baxter going to write another opinion piece to admit that he was totally wrong about it?
— Mac
Ken, if you call House of Cards, Orange Is the New Black, Grand Designs etc. etc. dumping then I suppose you are right. What is crap to you is entertainment to others – it all depends on the prism you look at it through. And, by definition, not all programmes can be as good as the best programme. I have no doubt that the quality of the dramas being produced now greatly exceeds those of my youth (but Baird had only recently invented television at that stage).
Lionel, I think it would be fair to say that virtually every piece of content produced in Australia is already sold overseas prior to the first frame being recorded. Virtually nothing gets made without a co-production arrangement with overseas backers and broadcasters. There is a minimum 30% content rule (for both parties) but due to the size of our market we’re normally the 30%. And on order to get it made you need a local broadcaster. There are basically five FTAs and one or two Foxtel channels that have the size to be able to invest in commissioning content. So let’s say you have a quality drama that will cost $1m an hour episode. Under the 30% rule the local broadcaster will have to find $300k an hour – again more than an off-shelf (and often proven) acquisition. The problem is that unlike US and UK programmes most Australian content is sold to the co-producer and if you are lucky a few more markets – and that money can arrive years after the production has been completed, broadcast here, and either into a follow-up series or not get a second series.
Steve. Do you REALLY think that Australian producers don’t know about oDesk.com and the like. The Australian production community is pretty close knit and everyone tends to know everyone else, both her and overseas, or know someone who does. Do you really think that a $1m programme would be commissioned without the backers knowing exactly who has been contracted as Producer, Director, DOP, writers, costumes, lighting etc. Your naivete is breathtaking! Though I suppose John Longmire, Alastair Clarkson, Paul Roos etc. could all forget the AFL draft and jump on oDesk.com and be guaranteed of premiership success.