SURVEY
PRODUCTION 100 INTRODUCTION
have all gone up.” Pulse Films says the slashing of budgets in the UK, particularly in non- fiction, means that it’s “becoming difficult to make commercial sense of making shows domestically.” Windfall notes that broadcasters are increasingly looking for co-production funding to be brought to the table. New Pictures reports that commissioners are much more cautious resulting in much less activity and more development.
Streamer focus While UK broadcasters remain key partners for many producers, the international streamers represent an “incredible opportunity for our industry,” says Red Production. Streamer budgets are cited as a key attraction, helping to meet the ambition that many indies have for their shows – although many, like Sister, point out that it is harder to retain rights with the streamers and US buyers. Spring Films says the
international marketplace is “coming back to life much more quickly than the UK…The BBC and C4 now seem to be scared of their own shadows and less willing to take on challenging subjects.” True North says: “Strategically,
Covid-19 has accelerated the shift in power from the terrestrials to the SVODs – and going forward our development focus will undoubtedly need to follow that trend.” Adds Remarkable: “Reducing budgets and opportunities at UK linear channels make it a tough market. We’ve yet to see the true impact of non-scripted growth at the streamers.” Nevertheless, many producers
– such as Arrow – say the pandemic has strengthened their relations with key clients as they work with them to find solutions to production and delivery. Initial
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televisual.com Autumn 2019
says Zoom has meant it has been “far easier to get face time with commissioners, particularly those outside the UK.”
Genre winners In terms of genres, factual is cited as a potential winner by many indies as it is easier to produce than drama. “Broadcasters are starting to commission in the non- scripted space,” says Lime. “Drama production remains somewhat uncertain.” Other indies, such as Initial and Lightbox, have won orders for archive based shows. Animation has also continued during the pandemic, with Magic Light saying crew have been working remotely from home on its CGI projects. Meanwhile, Thames reports
that tapes sales are doing well as a direct response to Covid-19, with international buyers seeking more content as production is halted. Dragonfly says that it has lost roughly a third of its turnover from production, but has seen a small upside in tape sales.
Key concerns Covid-19 so dominates the thinking of indies right now, that there is barely space to mention other key concerns. Brexit is once again rearing its head as worrying issue, while others cite growing competition within the industry, and many – such as Stellify – say that “getting more diversity behind the camera” is a major focus. London indies worry about
the broadcaster focus on regional production. “It’s particularly challenging for small to medium London based indies who don’t have any built in advantages in such a competitive market,” says Firecracker. Meanwhile, Covid-19
continues to throw up challenges. Fullwell 73 cites many of them: there are
Autumn 2020 P09
limitations still on certain kinds of productions while lockdown restrictions remain, such as those with live studio audiences or that require international travel; the furlough scheme comes to an end in October, which could leave many UK production companies in a precarious position, leading to job losses or closures; there’s the potential for some consolidation as struggling businesses are bought at a discount, or join forces to create more sustainable businesses; and a lack of government support for freelancers is likely to damage the freelance production sector in the long term.
2021 optimism Looking ahead, though, it’s surprising how many indies say they are cautiously optimistic about 2021. A lot depends on whether the ad market improves, and if Covid-19 sparks a full blown recession next year. There is a sense that many producers have weathered the worst of the storm. A number say there is pent
up demand for content to make up for the lost year that 2020 has been. “Our understanding is that the studios are fully booked at this stage, which gives you a sense of the pent up demand to recommence full scale production,” says Element Pictures. Another major outbreak of
Covid-19 is the big fear. “It all depends on whether there is a second wave,” says Blast. For Nutopia, 2021 looks “positive assuming no huge resurgence of lockdowns.” Perhaps HCA Entertainment
– which is busy making six series from its Oxfordshire base – puts it best: “The mantra still remains – if you have a great idea and the right contacts, the future is always bright. Rubbish ideas? Best go into landscape gardening!”
televisual.com
Looking ahead, a suprising number of indies say they are cautiously optimistic about 2021
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