Travis DuncanAFI: On Knees or Alive and Well
March 22nd 2008 04:37
The Australian Film Industry has been criticised, insulted and laughed at throughout its introduction onto the International film stage. Being ridiculed for poor scripts, casting no talented actors and lack of financing has left many in Australia believing that the industry is in a limbo and running no where, or is it just the calm before the storm.
In 2007, the Australian box office brought in a total of 895.4 million dollars. However the revenue received from Australian films alone was 36 million, which is just four percent of the total box office grossing income. This has been in constant with its ten year average of 772.1 million from the total box office at 4.5 percent making 34 million the Australian film share. The years 2000 and 2001 proved to be the highest of the Australian box office share at 7.9 and 7.8 percent respectively, although these two years were two lowest total box office grosses of the ten year average. If these numbers illustrate anything, it’s that there is money to be made in Australia, earning it is another matter.
We have all heard at numerous times that we are witnessing a ground breaking Australian movie break through, a film that will bring the Australian film industry back to its feet, yet here we still are. Late 2006 and early 2007 saw Australia’s biggest grossing film hit the screens. The animated feature Happy Feet grossed an unprecedented 31.8 million, 11.1 million in 2006 and 20.7 in 2007, far above any other film in either year. The second highest grossing film in 2006 was Kenny with 7.6 million and in 2007 it was Romulus, May Father along way behind Happy Feet with 2.6 million. All other films in 2007 failed to reach the 2 million dollar mark. Happy Feet is the example of how to make an excellent movie, great script, great cast and a big budget. However the 31.8 million grossing at the box office doesn’t quite compare to its estimated cost of a 100 million dollars.
When compared to other International film industries such as the US, the Australian film industry is just a grain of sand on a beach. Previously stated, Happy Feet was Australia’s largest grossing film in Australia. In 2007 in the US, the largest grossing was Spider Man 3 bringing in 336.5 million. That is ten times more then Australia’s percentage at the box office for 2007. There were four other movies that grossed around the 300 million dollar mark in 2007, Shrek the Third, Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Comparing Happy Feet being the highest grossing animated film for Australia, the highest animated film for the US was Shrek 2 in 2004 grossing 436.4 million placing it third on the list of highest grossing films of all time.
It isn’t all bad news for the Australian film industry when comparing it to the rest of the world. Australia is ranked third internationally in the control of the box office shares, behind the US domination of box office shares with 85.9 percent and the UK just in front of Australia with 5.3 percent respectively. All other countries control less then one percent of the box office share demonstrating this just isn’t Australia’s problem.
Australia has released an average of 23 film titles per year and the average box office per film being 1.3 million. Through all of these facts and figures, a picture is drawn that unless you’re given a budget to work with, then there is a high possibility that your film will not succeed, there in lies the problem. Due to this fact we are losing all of our great actors and actresses, directors, scripts and so on to different countries. Is the Australian film industry in danger, you be the judge.
Travis Duncan
In 2007, the Australian box office brought in a total of 895.4 million dollars. However the revenue received from Australian films alone was 36 million, which is just four percent of the total box office grossing income. This has been in constant with its ten year average of 772.1 million from the total box office at 4.5 percent making 34 million the Australian film share. The years 2000 and 2001 proved to be the highest of the Australian box office share at 7.9 and 7.8 percent respectively, although these two years were two lowest total box office grosses of the ten year average. If these numbers illustrate anything, it’s that there is money to be made in Australia, earning it is another matter.
We have all heard at numerous times that we are witnessing a ground breaking Australian movie break through, a film that will bring the Australian film industry back to its feet, yet here we still are. Late 2006 and early 2007 saw Australia’s biggest grossing film hit the screens. The animated feature Happy Feet grossed an unprecedented 31.8 million, 11.1 million in 2006 and 20.7 in 2007, far above any other film in either year. The second highest grossing film in 2006 was Kenny with 7.6 million and in 2007 it was Romulus, May Father along way behind Happy Feet with 2.6 million. All other films in 2007 failed to reach the 2 million dollar mark. Happy Feet is the example of how to make an excellent movie, great script, great cast and a big budget. However the 31.8 million grossing at the box office doesn’t quite compare to its estimated cost of a 100 million dollars.
When compared to other International film industries such as the US, the Australian film industry is just a grain of sand on a beach. Previously stated, Happy Feet was Australia’s largest grossing film in Australia. In 2007 in the US, the largest grossing was Spider Man 3 bringing in 336.5 million. That is ten times more then Australia’s percentage at the box office for 2007. There were four other movies that grossed around the 300 million dollar mark in 2007, Shrek the Third, Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Comparing Happy Feet being the highest grossing animated film for Australia, the highest animated film for the US was Shrek 2 in 2004 grossing 436.4 million placing it third on the list of highest grossing films of all time.
It isn’t all bad news for the Australian film industry when comparing it to the rest of the world. Australia is ranked third internationally in the control of the box office shares, behind the US domination of box office shares with 85.9 percent and the UK just in front of Australia with 5.3 percent respectively. All other countries control less then one percent of the box office share demonstrating this just isn’t Australia’s problem.
Australia has released an average of 23 film titles per year and the average box office per film being 1.3 million. Through all of these facts and figures, a picture is drawn that unless you’re given a budget to work with, then there is a high possibility that your film will not succeed, there in lies the problem. Due to this fact we are losing all of our great actors and actresses, directors, scripts and so on to different countries. Is the Australian film industry in danger, you be the judge.
Travis Duncan
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Comment by Optomistic Opportunism
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Optomystic Opportunism
I enjoyed reading the stats, but at the same time I refuse to believe a big budget is where its at. The concept, screenplay development industries is where we could do with investing our time.
With a good screenplay, the actors will come.
Opto
Comment by Harry
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