How Can Regulation Ensure The Ð''Australianness' Of Australia's Media?

Introduction

Through the course of the essay I will separate and discuss the Ð''media' as two main parts, namely the Film and Free-to-air Television industries.

I intend to highlight the problems with current regulation that I feel does not protect the Australianness of Australia's media. Then proceeding to outline and debate why my recommendations of possible regulatory and general work practice changes can ensure and protect Australia's Film and Television industries from foreign influences.

In each section of the essay, I will look at the current state of affairs in the particular industry, also referring to history and seeing how the industry has progressed through the ages. Moreover, what can be done to improve the future of the particular industry and the people involved.

Australia's Film Industry

Looking at the mission statement for the Film Finance Corporation Australia, it's clear that the Film Finance Corporation (FFC) do have cultural identity at the top of their agenda, highlighting three key areas for attention: "supporting a highly professional and creative Australian screen production industry; entertaining and informing Australian audiences with a diversity of screen images; showcasing Australia's screen production industry to the world." (FFC Online: 2005)

Searching for an Identity

Since its first feature film production in 1906, The Story of the Kelly Gang, the Australian film industry has somewhat struggled to find an identity like the one that so aptly defined Australian life in the early 1900's. Nearly a century later, after many developments in the country and its culture, there is a struggle to see itself as one particular identity, without resorting to stereotypes that seemingly continue to flood our screens. Whereas cinema goers could relate to the characters on screen, thus making it a success, now the opposite is occurring.

Despite a heavy American influence and a British dominated history, Australia is now its own country and aspects of that can be seen in everyday life. However, this is not depicted on our cinema screens. Creating an identity that every, or a large number of Australian's can relate to, will increase audience numbers, and stereotypes must be avoided at all costs. Elizabeth Jacka writes about "Contesting the bush legend", where the popular narrative device of a particular era isn't necessarily the Australian perspective of a cinematic identity, but rather catering to how European's or American's see the Aussie way of life. (Jacka. 2000: pp132-36) Let's face it, who wants to see another Bush tucker story that depicts Australians as time warped, living hand in hand with mother nature in the bushlands or alternatively as a population of beach goers, with men all tanned and toned, carrying a surfboard under one arm and a beautifully bronzed bikini clad girl on the other. Despite how appealing these characteristics are to the writers, it certainly isn't appealing to audiences and it shows in box office figures.

Opposition to this statement would say Australia is now too multi-cultural to find one identity. Then take for example France, probably one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world and the French Film Industry. A film industry that was literally a mass of rubble only 60 years ago. Now produces over 200 films per annum, although not all are successful, it does give young filmmakers the chance to experience making a feature film. Those that are successful generally achieve worldwide acclaim and clearly state to world cinema, what is to be French.

France had crippled under the pressure of the Hollywood market, after being badly hit by the lack of investment during the war. Also, Germany's occupation of France shattered the French cinema, whereas the British and allied forces would go to the theatres to watch the news, the French, despite the resistance, were subject to German propaganda in their theatres.

In the years after the war, France had to basically renovate the nation, and thus entered its rebuilding stage after the war (Forbes 2000:pp77-81).

However, France's investment through the 1990s has seen an increase in French cinema being strewn across the western screens and a large number of critically acclaimed movies being produced. Whereas, Australia still have no form of investment through the public, like their French counterparts. The current plan in France sees a subsidiary added onto the ticket price of watching a movie to fund the French Film Industry (Cowen1998). Whereas, Australia now has little investment after the Division 10BA, 100% tax concession was dropped in June 2003 and heavily relies on outsider's investment as private funding toward their productions (AFC Online: 2005).

Monetary Issues

In contrast to the mission statement is the annual report, despite trying to make the figures a little more appealing, it is clear budgets are in place due to monetary constraints in the industry as a whole.

"14 feature films with a total budget of $101.3 million" (FFC Online: 2005), however overwhelming that may seem, only equates to an estimated $7 million per film. Bearing in mind, a low budget feature film production in the UK is considered to be roughly AU$10 million (BECTU Online: 2005). Put this together with an Australian industry struggling for storylines and a national identity on the big screen. Not helped by a field of aging filmmakers who begrudgingly allow young film graduates/filmmakers to aid their productions. One might argue with this statement and say funding is an issue and to have such inexperienced workers assisting with a film on such a tight budget, there is little time to experiment and no mistakes can be made.

If Australia where to recognise what was going on around the world and not just the current affairs of established film industries such as US and UK. Then like the French they could exploit the public's preference for Hollywood blockbusters. Take for example, "Matrix Reloaded may not have pleased all the critics, but it certainly proved a winner at the turnstiles, breaking several box-office records over the weekend. In Australia, these included the biggest Friday box-office haul of all time ($4.1 million), the biggest Saturday of all time ($3.85 million) and the biggest opening three-day tally ($11.07 million)" (The Age Online: 2003). Now add a mere 30cents to the ticket prices for funding Australian cinema and over that opening weekend of Matrix Reloaded the Australian Film Industry would have earned