Università degli Studi di
Ferrara
Master Universitario
Audiovisiva Digitale
IL FUTURO DEL DOCUMENTARIO
Relatore
Antonio Ciano
Angelo
Argenziano
Argenta,
15 Marzo 2005
________________________________________
Anno Accademico 2003-2004
The
future of documentary
In 1998 Tele+ began to introduce into their
“slot” reportages and documentaries.
Fabrizio Grosoli was Acquisition &
Programming Manager of documentaries at Tele+ from 1997 to 2003 and thanks to
him from 1998 to May 2003 Tele+ transmitted more than 400 documentaries. About
140 of these were Italian productions and
80% pre-acquisitions. There were 5 out 34 in 1998 and 47 out 99 in 2001,
close to 50%.
Mediaset began to pay attention to
documentaries and, for the first time, their programs were composed of
documentaries or programs containing documentaries. Simultaneously Doc.It was
founded (The Association of Italian documentary makers). This organisation has
members all over Italy representing authors, producers, Institutions and bigger
organisations working with documentaries. Doc/it was created for the common
purpose of creating "visibility" of the huge and fragmentised world
of Italian documentary making. In the founding documentation for doc/it, there
were three objectives:
· seek a precise place for non fiction
productions on national TV, as dictated by law n° 122 del 30 April 1998 under
EU directives;
· gain access for non fiction movies to funds
in respect of Italian Cinema law (L. 1213 dated 4 November 1965);
· be a stable reference for all initiatives
about documentaries in Italy.
This prolific and luxuriant time was brought to a halt in Paris in
October 2002 with the acquisition of Tele+ by News Corporation belonging to
Rupert Murdoch (80%) and Telecom Italia (20%).
The takeover of Tele+, reduced production and distribution
opportunities. For 5 years Tele+ had had the role of the Public TV Service
provider, demonstrating that it’s possible to combine quality with
entertainment.
Doc/It
continued following the objective to claim a bigger role into the audiovisual
world. Last October in Bologna there was, an event called “Stati generali del
documentario“ (General State of Documentary Making). For the first time it
created a place were directors, critics, producers and sellers, could discuss
the state of Italian documentary making. Centre of the event was the Michael
Moore documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11 in USA, which earned more than $100 millions
in the US. Without prejudging, I am worried about the classic style documentary
making, with core interviews supported by voice overs, where editing is simple
and less experimental. This is not bad, but risks to fall into a popular
language.
International documentaries are experiencing a time of artistic
productivity, Italy is moving in this direction in spite of the conflicts with
actual market conditions and awaits a new way of working to be determined.
Unfortunately a growing doubt concerning the
installation of Sky platform that is mainly oriented on sport and reality shows: what's the future of
documentaries?
Meanwhile doc/it is moving into the field of
negotiations. It appears that Rai Tre will give weekly slot of 100 minutes on
its second night. This 3 years agreement foresees broadcasting 64 hours of
Italian documentaries, or ones co-produced by Italian producers. At Rai Tre it
was agreed that 50% of scientific and nature programmes should have been
produced by Italian authors or co-produced by Italian producers.
Rai Uno will devote an evening slot of 52’ titled “Album – portraits of
a country” where there will be last 30 years worth of documentaries. The
Ministry of Communications is looking into law to insist on approximately
35\40% of output to be documentaries before granting satellite licenses, or for
those presented on an Italian platform. This mean that Sky Italia will not only
give space to Italian documentaries, but also National Geographic and Discovery
have to accommodate to this possible future law.
The effect of “deregulation”, the progressive growing of digital
technology, and the wider capacity of EU satellite system has allowed
multiplication of digital output (about 3000 channels in Dec. 2004). European
Audiovisual Observatory, states that documentaries on digital TV have grown
from 1990 to 2003, with 94 channels.
Data shows digital TV is becoming a big
reality, but now showing them: which kind of productions will be needed and
which documentaries will find more space? Personally I think that available
slots will grow significantly but we have to see how each satellite TV will
approach the issue. I believe that tradition at documentary channels will focus
on quality, but pessimistically I believe the new trend will be to create
“container” programs where freely spread low cost programmes of 10min/25min.
This because a fixed TV format gives secure coherence and product warranty. To
keep a structure like this standing means that acquisition has to be low cost.
Satisfying the demand of the growing digital TVs is a must. Future projections
about proliferation of local emitters, lead us to believe that there will be
more space for local producers on local issues, more than international issues.
Since ‘90 there has been a separation between
two categories that Rofekamp, President of Film Transit Montreal Canada, called
“First and Second Market”:
- to the First Market belongs to high
profile, fully promoted and honoured, documentaries of an hours length;
- the Second Market is based on TV channels which are hungry of
documentaries, they pay less but offering more chances for acquisition, but
only after protracted negotiations. What comes out is a fragmentation of the
market that sees on one side the big producer with the tools, and ready money,
on the other small producers oriented to the local market greed for
documentaries to fill the schedules.
How does one survive in the Second Market and
balance investments of production. Jan Rofekamp answers briefly and
pragmatically: ”The future is controlled, formatted, indigenous and low
cost production”.
Producing documentaries like this means
making a virtue out of a need. Controlling production would allow to analysis
of specific fields in order to not lose time and money. Formatting would be
close to customer specifications. Indigenous productions are the future for the
Italian documentary makers because they offer many ideas (art, culture, nature
etc) and low cost products, but with low profits. This looks like detail, but
it isn't, small producers are constantly dependent on financial acumen to
survive.
Those not interested in this Second Market
have to face to First one instead. They need a high profile movie, with
universal appeal and unique, the subject has to be exceptional. The producers
have to attend conferences and festivals, in order to get a reputation. Philippa Kowarsky
of MD of Cinephil a distributor of Tel Aviv says: “Films that have the most to gain are narrative films,
ones that are simple and straightforward. Everyone can understand them and
they’re easy to access. The films that have the least to gain are the more
experimental films - anything that’s not mainstream.”
A thematic newspaper reports that Historical
documentary is the most sought after in the countries like USA, UK, Germany,
France followed by Wild life/Science documentaries. However it is worth noting
that in the USA and UK Reality Shows are better paid $44454 in UK and $268500
in USA.
Italy will follow the same trend of the
others EU countries, this because the broadcaster SKY is a multinational broadcaster in many
countries.
This will however not be true on local digital TVs as they are based on
small economies that hardly could buy expensive historical and scientific
products.
Italian broadcasters prefer acquisition to producing their own, because
it's cheaper and with no risk of failure. This drives sometimes Italian
producers to create poor output because of a lack of funds: quality depends on
budget.
Media programme of EU for its own projects offers to contribute a
maximum of 50% of total costs. How are beneficiaries to pay the remaining
amount?
It is possible to reach indirect funds, but any medium cost project for
a small producer that faces projects with no pre-acquisition become a gamble.
It is important to know the buyer and the
target market, seeking the most wanted and better paid versions, then write an
universal appealing or local and formatted idea, before starting a project.
Considering that the “one offs” formula is
not request much, it seems hard to visualise a single episode fitting into the
TV programme schedules, as this opens up new questions on programming contents
and budgets for the producer.
We are currently
witnessing the metamorphosis of the documentary market, one with more dynamism,
more concurrence, ask and offer. With an objective strategy and valid programme
every producers should achieve his slice of the market.
Angelo Argenziano
Doctor in Multimedia & Audiovisual Communication. Master Degree in
Digital & Audiovisual Communication. Job experience with Irish filmmaker,
recent Job experience with Italian documentaries maker (EDN member). Writer of
documentaries and audiovisual ideas with Docuwriters (www.docuwriters.tk).