Regional focus: Northern Ireland

Broadcast 

New initiatives to bring network commissions to Northern Ireland could finally help local indies fulfil their broadcasting potential.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/regional-focus-northern-ireland/911822.article

Northern Irish indies are more ebullient now than at any time in the past decade as efforts to boost the region's share of network output appear tantalisingly close.

Armed with Ofcom figures which reveal that PSB productions from Northern Ireland in 2006 accounted for only 0.2% of programming or 14 hours, the region's producers are confident that their persistent calls for proactive investment will finally be met. By contrast, according to Ofcom in 2006, Wales landed 1.10% broadcast hours, Scotland 1.7% and London 65.10%.

“Previously all our complaints might have been assumed to be griping but Ofcom's figures have demonstrated the extent of the problem,” says David Strachan, the managing director of Tern TV, which operates production offices in Belfast and Glasgow. “For the first time we have an evidence-based argument that the way commissioning has been handled is part of the problem.”

The argument is not that commissioners are overtly prejudiced, more that the London-centric nature of the process has hindered the building of vital informal relationships with indies across the regions. “There has to be an institutional response to assist in building relationships which commissioners can be confident in,” asserts Strachan.

These feelings are unanimously and passionately held across the community in Northern Ireland.

“Living here doesn't make me any less creative but it's wrong to ignore the fact that our geographic location has affected us,” says Hot Shot Films managing director Brendan Byrne. “We lack commissions and commissioners lack confidence in us because we haven't been producing on a regular basis.”

“Northern Ireland has not been getting its fair share,” contends Wild Rover managing director Philip Morrow. “The problems run a little bit deeper than simple meritocracy. The low perception of the sector and its talent has meant that it's been allowed to dwindle. In order to get ourselves back on a level track we need serious focus.”
This is a crucial period for the region as it awaits the results of the network supply review from the BBC. And C4 director of nations and regions Stuart Cosgrove has chaired a task force inviting the input of local indies which is feeding into C4's review of its public service remit.

Handily timed to coincide with these reviews is a new political initiative in which leading NI indies are seeking to emulate the success of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission (SBC) in getting political representation for independent production in Scotland.

“Our aim is not to form a local body like the SBC but to seek a formal linkage between the SBC and the NI government so that the under-representation of the nations and regions as a whole is on the political agenda,” explains Double Band Films managing director Dermot Lavery. “The issue must be seen as one that affects the whole region not just the narrow televisual sector.”

Political pressure
Among signatories to the lobby group is Tern TV, with its Irish and Scottish bases. “SBC acts as a forum for issues to be aired in public which in turn creates political pressure,” says Strachan. “We think politics can deliver results.”

There are calls for the BBC to ringfence 3% of its commitment to spend 17% of its budget on network commissions from the nations and regions for Northern Ireland. In 2006 NI produced 0.2% of the corporation's output.

“We would expect 3%, which would completely transform the landscape,” says Morrow. Sustained investment at 3% over a few years would, it's argued, make the region “network competitive” by building the skills base and forging tight links with commissioners.

“We do have a unique problem in terms of attracting long-term talent to the region when there's so much uncertainty,” insists Byrne. “There's no way the industry can grow unless networks take their commitments seriously and home in on genres, slots and channels.”

Scale is such a key issue - without a super-indie there's a perception that the region lacks the critical mass to take on a large scale commission. “That's a pretty pointless argument,” declares Wild Rover's Morrow. “There's obviously not the infrastructure here waiting for a commission. Infrastructure follows commissions. The talent here is beyond question.”

One project that has not waited for a network commission is Lifeboat Luke, a 52 x 5-minute CG animation due for completion in April. The series was set up as a co-production between Holywood-based LTL Productions and Dublin-based Kavaleer Productions in order to access funding both north and south of the border.

LTL carried out pre and post-production while Kavaleer was responsible for animation and the series is in the process of being sold to a number of broadcasters including Irish broadcaster RTE. According to LTL Productions director Alastair McIlwain, the company has its ambitions set not just on network commissions but on projects such as Lifeboat Luke that will sell internationally.

Building trust
Elsewhere, there's no denying the track record of some of the region's producers. Waddell Media, Wild Rover and Green Inc are led by executives who have produced or commissioned at network level.

Waddell currently has development funding for a BBC network Saturday night show as well as development deals with Fremantle and Discovery US for which it's to make Future Weapons.

“Getting access to UK commissioners isn't a problem, getting them to buy into NI indies is,” believes the producer's head of programmes, Jannine Waddell. “Partly that's because most of the companies here are too small to compete nationally and commissioners like to deal with what they feel are reliable suppliers.”

Already the largest Belfast indie, Waddell Media acquired animation producer Flickerpix last month “as part of our strategy to make more of an impact”, says Waddell. “One of the ways for indies to expand is for indigenous companies to merge.”

Stephen Stewart, managing director of Green Inc, directed Chris Evans projects including Don't Forget Your Toothbrush and is awaiting a decision on a pilot Saturday night entertainment show Green Inc produced for ITV. “We want to be seen as individual companies not as one mass or treated as a special case,” he maintains. “We simply have to be better than London indies to get a commission.”

DoubleBand's Lavery agrees: “We don't want the investment to create some sort of centre of excellence because that can be a shackling process. It's important that any network targets are applied across different genres. Clearly that's achievable since indies here have expertise across genres.”

Local producers like these have the ear of BBC NI head of programmes Ailsa Orr. She is widely credited with bringing a much needed focus to the needs of the community. At her post for less than a year, Orr has slashed the number of local suppliers from over 200 to seven and created a new programme strategy which launches in April, expressly to encourage network ambitions.

“Traditionally our network target [40% of the broadcaster's output is externally sourced] has been for drama and current affairs but that doesn't take into account the diversity of talent - much of which has migrated back to Northern Ireland,” Orr says. “We wanted to expand our network remit to include a wider genre base [in factual, comedy and daytime] which would play to the strengths of our indigenous talent base and ultimately help us to reach our [anticipated new] network targets,” says Orr.

Focused investment
More money, she says, is being invested in fewer projects to fit consistent, regular programme slots.

“Positioned correctly, these programmes are designed to have maximum impact, with strong BBC branding and values and major marketing, radio and online opportunities, as well as co-production potential,” she declares.

These include a Landmark Factual slot on Monday nights for which DoubleBand and Tern are seen as key suppliers.

“These are the programmes we want to put our key investment into in terms of branding and online opportunities - so they've got to count,” she insists. “We want suppliers to raise their sights, think more broadly and increase the ambition of their programme-making.”

The 35 annual factual slots have to have both local and network resonance and are granted£80,000 to£120,000 budgets - relatively high by local standards.

Orr cites examples including a BBC NI/BBC2 factual drama about George Best, a film about the notorious Irish priest Father Cleary for BBC4/RTE, as well as a film with Darlow Smithson about suicide pacts.

Entertainment and comedy are scheduled for Fridays (Wild Rover and Waddell Media will be core suppliers) with a low budget Innovation berth available later that night where the emphasis is on risk and “trying something new”.

Orr says, “It's designed for young film-makers, self-shooters and editors who can turn stuff around really quickly and are not afraid to try out bizarre ideas. Anything that works well here could potentially migrate into a more mainstream slot.”

The unofficial ringfencing of work does not, she says, preclude pitches from outside the seven main suppliers: “This is a small place so we need to get together and co-ordinate to achieve network objectives.”

As far as drama is concerned the BBC can point to the recent presence of Fairy Tales and to the fifth series of Messiah from Great Meadow. Both were deliberately diverted to shoot in the region, thereby accessing Northern Ireland Screen funds. Orr, who produced Super Volcano and Pompeii The Last Day for the BBC, is keen to develop a slate of factual drama. “We have leaders in both drama and factual so this is exactly the strength we should be playing to,” she says.

With renewed BBC NI support and moves to put the commissioning issue on the political agenda gaining momentum, producers are optimistic that the tide is turning. Dublin's Tyrone Productions, producer of Riverdance the Show, has read the runes and is opening a Belfast office “primarily to deliver network commissions”, says chief executive John McHugh.

“We've come a long way in the past 10 years but we feel we get painted as an irritant,” says Hot Shot Films' Byrne. “We can't be relentlessly positive in the wake of all the statistics but we can at last envisage a sea change in the principles that have underpinned production in the nations and regions.”

NI's second cityDerry - the forgotten production base?If Belfast producers sometimes feel they're an afterthought for London broadcasters, spare a thought for those in Northern Ireland's second city, Derry.

Situated at the opposite end of the province with a population of 100,000, the town contains a handful of producers, among them Westway Film Production, Ambient Light, Northland and Besom Productions.

“Derry has a reputation for whining about being a hard-done-by, poor relation of Belfast and there's an element of truth in that,” admits Westway's Joe Mahon. “It's a four-hour round trip by car to Belfast which is sometimes a disadvantage when it comes to editing.”

He adds: “We've survived well enough on local commissions by making programming which has a strong affinity to the city and its rural hinterland, such as UTV's long-running current affairs series Lesser Spotted Ulster.”

Derry doesn't have the critical mass to sustain a post-production business, although multimedia training group The Nerve Centre offers offline facilities. “I don't think we struggle to get work commissioned,” says Vinny Cunningham, who runs Open Reel Productions, the production arm of crewing outfit Northland. “If an idea's good, it's good.”

Future uncertainty
Is Irish Language funding drying up?The government-backed Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF) is widely credited with re-energising local production. It had£12m in guaranteed funding to allocate through Northern Ireland Screen until 2009 but concern is being raised about whether the pot will be replenished.

“It's been a big boost,” says Maeve McAdam, creative director, Ikandi. “Having a minority language helps enhance our application for EU Media funds. But the ILBF isn't infinite and we need to know what happens beyond next year.”

Intended as a one-off payment as part of the Good Friday Agreement, the fund has created a thriving new market. “I don't think anybody's clear about what, if anything, will replace it,” says Westway producer Joe Mahon. “The DCAL [Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure] isn't in a position to invest further. We should be lobbying politicians to find another source for it. Over the past four years the fund has provided training for new directors and camera crew and boosted post-production. Audience demand has been considerable. All that is now in jeopardy.”

The idea that the fund will disappear completely is not seriously entertained but there's some twitchiness while uncertainty prevails.

“The ILBF still has a year to go,” says Jannine Waddell, noting that Waddell Media opened a new Irish language development unit. “I can't believe a political commitment won't be made [to safeguard its future].”