New Zealand and Korea Co Productions Come One Step Closer
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KOFIC's Korean Academy of Film (KAFA) held its first NZ/Korean co production workshop. The event held amongst the towering skyscrapers of the Digital Media City in Sangam Dong hosted two renowned NZ international producers – Bridget Bourke and Robin Scholes. Both producers have unique experience not just with international/NZ productions but in particular with Korean productions.
Bridget Bourke has production managed on a host of NZ productions with international involvement including Peter Jackson's, Robert Zemeckis produced The Frighteners (1996) and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 – 2003). She also is one of a few foreign production staff who have worked in the TV industry in Korea, in her case for 18 months. The Great King Sejong, a KBS historical drama about the much loved King used Bourke's skills to set up systems and implement CG technology during production. Robin Scholes on the other hand has been involved in a Korean/NZ co production and also created NZ's first co production with Singapore, The Tattooist (2007). Back in 1994 Scholes produced the international NZ hit Once Were Warriors and has spent nearly 30 years in the industry.
One of the major points raised during the workshop was that Korean/NZ co productions are not just going to happen just because of the new co production treaty signed last year - much more has to be done. Relationships need to be built and a certain amount of intercultural bravery needs to take place. However, because of the language and cultural divide we were counselled that clarity in all aspects of contractual, copyright and development issues need to be the focus. Along with clarity, intense detail must also be sought. In other words, when dealing with different cultures, assumptions about what the other is thinking, planning or doing could lead to significant problems. From the beginning co production producers should be clear that the aspirations and even the types of films that each other want to make are aligned. Given the differences between the two industries, producers must be clear about the timeline of production, development and who owns what in the relationship. Intrinsic to this is having a clear 'out' clause – who will take what away and how will the contract be terminated should the two producers decide to end their film making relationship.
By the end, what was pointed out was that with careful planning, the termination of such a relationship should never happen. The point of a co production is to create a film that could never be made in just one of the countries. The fact that we are able to showcase both cultures, which remain fascinating to the other side and perhaps audiences around the world, gives us our intrinsic competitive advantage. In the current world recession and Korean industry woes, such international co productions could provide a much needed life line and be an abundant source of creative inspiration.
David Oxenbridge (KOFIC)
Bridget Bourke has production managed on a host of NZ productions with international involvement including Peter Jackson's, Robert Zemeckis produced The Frighteners (1996) and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 – 2003). She also is one of a few foreign production staff who have worked in the TV industry in Korea, in her case for 18 months. The Great King Sejong, a KBS historical drama about the much loved King used Bourke's skills to set up systems and implement CG technology during production. Robin Scholes on the other hand has been involved in a Korean/NZ co production and also created NZ's first co production with Singapore, The Tattooist (2007). Back in 1994 Scholes produced the international NZ hit Once Were Warriors and has spent nearly 30 years in the industry.
One of the major points raised during the workshop was that Korean/NZ co productions are not just going to happen just because of the new co production treaty signed last year - much more has to be done. Relationships need to be built and a certain amount of intercultural bravery needs to take place. However, because of the language and cultural divide we were counselled that clarity in all aspects of contractual, copyright and development issues need to be the focus. Along with clarity, intense detail must also be sought. In other words, when dealing with different cultures, assumptions about what the other is thinking, planning or doing could lead to significant problems. From the beginning co production producers should be clear that the aspirations and even the types of films that each other want to make are aligned. Given the differences between the two industries, producers must be clear about the timeline of production, development and who owns what in the relationship. Intrinsic to this is having a clear 'out' clause – who will take what away and how will the contract be terminated should the two producers decide to end their film making relationship.
By the end, what was pointed out was that with careful planning, the termination of such a relationship should never happen. The point of a co production is to create a film that could never be made in just one of the countries. The fact that we are able to showcase both cultures, which remain fascinating to the other side and perhaps audiences around the world, gives us our intrinsic competitive advantage. In the current world recession and Korean industry woes, such international co productions could provide a much needed life line and be an abundant source of creative inspiration.
David Oxenbridge (KOFIC)
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