Contemporaneous Culture Australian flicks - Research Paper Example

Film Industry and Culture in Australia Name Institution Instructor Course Date Film Industry and Culture in Australia Introduction The film industry has been one of the economic backbones of Australia as well as a medium for displaying the rich Australian culture. The industry spans through a long history since the advent of visual, sound and film technology. The Australian film is firmly rooted in the Australian culture, with most films produced highlighting the Australian culture (Rayner 2000, 175). However, the quest to promote culture and at the same time make economic gains has resulted in conflicts of interests, with some producers veering away from the culturally acceptable film productions because of financial gains. In this paper, the conflict that exists between the economic viability and cultural value of the industry will be addressed. The arguments for both the economic viability and cultural value will be presented. The history of the film industry in Australia will also be discussed. The Australian Film Industry The film industry in Australia is as old as the film technology. After the introduction of film technology at the end of 1800s, Australia took advantage of the medium to develop the film industry. This saw a rapid development of the industry and before long, film industry in the country became very powerful. The industry grew even more under the patronage of renowned directors such Ken Hall, Charles Chauvel and Raymond Longford who pioneered the industry during the silent stage (Kindem 2000, 78). These directors were responsible for production of films such the sentimental bloke and for the term of his natural life. However, the competition was stiff especially from British and American film industries, which dominated the market through buying of distribution and exhibition chains. This made it hard for local films to receive screenings. The industry received a further boost through the introduction of television. This is because the introduction of television provided an avenue for the local film producers and directors to gain experience in film production. This is because the government required that the content to be aired on TV should be locally produced (Sarwal & Sarwal 2009, 86). This provided an opportunity for local filmmakers to horn their skills in the field. In 1960s, the industry was nearly ruined by the government which was conservative and artistically stifling. This was coupled with American cultural imperialism that dominated the industry in the country. Most of the films produced in 60s were foreign dominated. However, in 1970s, the industry received a reprieve when the conservative government of Menzies was ousted by Gorton. Gorton valued arts and saw in them a rare opportunity that could help the Australian citizens discover and express their identity and culture both locally and abroad. He set up the experimental film fund that was to be used to foster creative talents in the country. This program led to discovering of good filmmakers who were in turn taken to the national film school to receive further training (Sarwal & Sarwal 2009, 34). This was the start of the revival for the film industry. The subsequent regime after Gorton’s under the leadership of Gough Whitlam was even more enthusiastic and supportive of the industry, which even boosted it further. Whitlam provided financial support to the industry and set up a number of institutions and programs that could help the industry to grow. In 1980s, the government of Australia realized the commercial potential of the industry and it set up a tax incentive system in order to encourage local film production. This saw a boom in the film industry where so many films were produced in that decade. However, it also resulted in the production of poor films because people who had little knowledge in film production ventured in the field purely for financial gains. However, in 1990s, more emphasis was placed on quality and this led to production of quality films. The establishment of the film school also resulted to talented film producers and directors such as Jane Campion, Geoffrey Wright, P.J. Hogan among others. These graduates from the film school produced films that were well received both locally and internationally. Economic Viability of the Australian Film Industry There are a number of arguments that support the economic viability of the film industry in Australia. The film industry has been one of the economic backbones of the country. The country has been earning the country a lot of revenue through production of films. The film products sold locally has been a source of revenue for the country. The film industry is one of the major economic sectors that are found in the country (Sarwal & Sarwal 2009, 56). The film industry has also been providing the country with one of the most successful exports. The industry has been producing high valued products that have been exported to over 50 countries worldwide. This has ensured a regular flow of foreign income. Another economic value of the film industry is tourism. The film industry has helped in the promotion of tourism. The value of the film industry to tourism can only be measured in billions (Given 2003, 193). Films created about the tourist sites and wildlife has helped promote tourism to other countries, which in turn has raked in billions of dollars. Apart from promoting tourism, wildlife films have been known to sell highly in other nations thereby being a source of income to the country. Cultural Value of the Australian Film Industry Apart from the economic viability of the film industry in Australia, the industry has also cultural value in the Australian society. One of the cultural values of the industry to the society is the preservation of the rich Australian culture. Since the 1970s under the leadership of Gorton, the film industry has been used to record the cultures and traditions found in the expansive Australian society. For instance, the aboriginal culture, which has had little record, has extensively been recorded on film (Donovan & Lorraine 2002, 123). This beautiful culture was almost lost due to lack of any books or any record that has been kept about it. The cultural policy on film in Australia puts emphasis on the production of culturally rich films, which can serve as a means of promoting the culture, make people rediscover their identity and preserve the rich culture. Another cultural value of the Australian film industry is the promotion of the Australian culture and identity internationally. Through production of culturally rich films that are sold internationally, the country has been able to display its identity worldwide. This has paved way for exporters because it has created an impression of Australia to the world. Education has also been of the cultural values of the Australian film industries (Hoo, Smaill & Yue 2013). The industry has been used to impart some cultural knowledge to the schoolchildren in the country. Most of the programs that shown on television are heavily laced with cultural content, with some of these programs used in schools and at homes to educate children on their cultures and traditions, which in turn helps them to gain a cultural identity. From the arguments presented above, it can be deduced that the Australian film industry has both the economic and cultural value to the Australian society. However, globalization of the film industry has put pressure on the cultural policy in Australia, which puts emphasis cultural content and quality rather than commercialism and entertainment. The need for the Australian film industry to venture into foreign markets requires that more emphasis be focused on commercial rather than cultural value (Given 2003, 211). There are a number of reasons why the focus of the Australian film industry should be biased more towards the economic value. One of the reasons is globalization of the film industry. Globalization requires that countries produce goods or products that have an international appeal. Not all people appreciate or even understand the cultures of other people. This therefore implies that films that are heavily laced with cultural content might not appeal to all people in other countries. Generally, cultural production of films does not suit the commercial filmmaking practices and enterprise development. Extending of public subsidy to cultural filmmakers has hindered development of sophisticated enterprise structures because the filmmakers are dictated on what to produce as spelled out by the cultural policy. There is also generational problem that bedevils the cultural production of films in Australia. The young generations in Australia who are the main target of the film industry prefer films that are entertaining and not ones that concentrate more on educating them about culture. This explains why there has been a rise in the popularity of horror movies although they lack in cultural content (Mayer & Beattie 2007, 124). In an effort to commercialize the industry and turn it into a profitable enterprise, there is need to move away from putting too much emphasis on the cultural value of the industry and instead look at the economic viability of the industry. The government sponsorship of the industry through reduction of taxes and offering of incentives to filmmakers through tax returns has been on the decline. This has resulted in the mushrooming of privately financed and independent film makers who depend on sales to cater for the production expenses. These private film producers can therefore not afford to stick to the culture policy that requires film production to stick to the content that promotes Australian culture. The narrowness of the cultural films that can be produced limits the film industry from venturing in other lines of production. For instance, the cultural policy cannot allow the industry to engage in the production of horror films, high-end genre films, action movies, and science-fiction films. This is because these lines of production make it hard for the films to contain culturally relevant content. Moreover, films that have veered away from the cultural norms of the Australian film industry have proved to have a competitive advantage over other international movies or films. Since the 1970s, the Australian film industry has always struggled against well-established film industries like Hollywood both locally and internationally (Moran, Vieth & Moran 2009, 93). This is partly because of the emphasis of the Australian film industry to produce culturally relevant films as dictated by the culture policy. This emphasis on production of cultural films meant that the films had relevance locally only but very little impact internationally. The local market was not also totally guaranteed especially among young people who preferred action filled films. This meant that the films produced by other companies like Hollywood had more impact and were well received in the Australian market than the locally produced films. The only way to combat the stiff competition from the other film industries in other countries was to abandon the production of films that were strictly cultural and venture in other fields and genres like action filled films and science-fiction movies. Other genres like horror movies have proved to be cheap to produce while at the same time to well on the market. Horror movies produced in Australia have proved to be cheaper in terms of production. although culture oriented movies have been subsidized by the government, the private film producers have found it hard to sustain business when it comes to producing culturally relevant movies or films only (Given 2003, 83). This is because these movies have proved to be more expensive to produce yet they do not perform very well on the market. The main source of conflict between the economic viability and culture value in the Australian film industry is value. Value is at centre of the problem in the film industry in Australia. Cultural policy has always advocated and encouraged the production of high culture films through extending financial aid to the industry. This is in a quest to promote the cultural heritage and identity of the Australian people. However, as the film industry in Australia becomes more integrated with global film sector, the content of the films produced require changing to meet the market demands of the different nations. Furthermore, in a multicultural society like Australia, national identity is hard to be defined because there is no single culture that defines the cultural values held and valued by all the people (Mcgregor 2010, 127). What the rural Australia values in terms of culture is different from what is valued by the urban Australia. Similarly, the different communities in the Australian society have different cultural ideals they value. This makes the culture films to be received feebly even in the local market. This therefore requires the film industry to shift its emphasis from producing culture-oriented films to films that are market and economic oriented. This will ensure that the industry sustains itself as well as gain a competitive advantage against other film industries in the world. Bibliography Donovan, T. G., & Lorraine, B. T. (2002). Media ethics, an aboriginal film and the Australian Film Commission. New York, Writers Club Press Sarwal, A., & Sarwal, R. (2009). Creative nation: Australian cinema and cultural studies reader. New Delhi, SSS Publications. Kindem, G. A. (2000). The international movie industry. Carbondale [u.a.], Southern Illinois Univ. Press. Rayner, J. (2000). Contemporary Australian cinema: an introduction. Manchester [u.a.], Manchester Univ. Press Moran, A., Vieth, E., & Moran, A. (2009). The A to Z of Australian and New Zealand cinema. Lanham, Scarecrow Press Hoo, O., Smaill, B., & Yue, A. (2013). Transnational Australian cinema: ethics in the Asian diasporas. Mcgregor, A. (2010). Film criticism as cultural fantasy: the perpetual French discovery of Australian cinema. Bern, Peter Lang. Mayer, G., & Beattie, K. (2007). The cinema of Australia and New Zealand. London, Wallflower Press. Given, J. (2003). America's pie: trade and culture after 9/11. Sydney, NSW, UNSW Press. Read More

In 1980s, the government of Australia realized the commercial potential of the industry and it set up a tax incentive system in order to encourage local film production. This saw a boom in the film industry where so many films were produced in that decade. However, it also resulted in the production of poor films because people who had little knowledge in film production ventured in the field purely for financial gains. However, in 1990s, more emphasis was placed on quality and this led to production of quality films.

The establishment of the film school also resulted to talented film producers and directors such as Jane Campion, Geoffrey Wright, P.J. Hogan among others. These graduates from the film school produced films that were well received both locally and internationally. Economic Viability of the Australian Film Industry There are a number of arguments that support the economic viability of the film industry in Australia. The film industry has been one of the economic backbones of the country. The country has been earning the country a lot of revenue through production of films.

The film products sold locally has been a source of revenue for the country. The film industry is one of the major economic sectors that are found in the country (Sarwal & Sarwal 2009, 56). The film industry has also been providing the country with one of the most successful exports. The industry has been producing high valued products that have been exported to over 50 countries worldwide. This has ensured a regular flow of foreign income. Another economic value of the film industry is tourism.

The film industry has helped in the promotion of tourism. The value of the film industry to tourism can only be measured in billions (Given 2003, 193). Films created about the tourist sites and wildlife has helped promote tourism to other countries, which in turn has raked in billions of dollars. Apart from promoting tourism, wildlife films have been known to sell highly in other nations thereby being a source of income to the country. Cultural Value of the Australian Film Industry Apart from the economic viability of the film industry in Australia, the industry has also cultural value in the Australian society.

One of the cultural values of the industry to the society is the preservation of the rich Australian culture. Since the 1970s under the leadership of Gorton, the film industry has been used to record the cultures and traditions found in the expansive Australian society. For instance, the aboriginal culture, which has had little record, has extensively been recorded on film (Donovan & Lorraine 2002, 123). This beautiful culture was almost lost due to lack of any books or any record that has been kept about it.

The cultural policy on film in Australia puts emphasis on the production of culturally rich films, which can serve as a means of promoting the culture, make people rediscover their identity and preserve the rich culture. Another cultural value of the Australian film industry is the promotion of the Australian culture and identity internationally. Through production of culturally rich films that are sold internationally, the country has been able to display its identity worldwide. This has paved way for exporters because it has created an impression of Australia to the world.

Education has also been of the cultural values of the Australian film industries (Hoo, Smaill & Yue 2013). The industry has been used to impart some cultural knowledge to the schoolchildren in the country. Most of the programs that shown on television are heavily laced with cultural content, with some of these programs used in schools and at homes to educate children on their cultures and traditions, which in turn helps them to gain a cultural identity. From the arguments presented above, it can be deduced that the Australian film industry has both the economic and cultural value to the Australian society.

However, globalization of the film industry has put pressure on the cultural policy in Australia, which puts emphasis cultural content and quality rather than commercialism and entertainment.

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