Tag Archives: documentary

Grand Designs – Building egos as well as homes

Documentary, Latest News,

Grand Designs – Building egos as well as homes

OPINION: Michael Duffy – SMH – February 20, 2012

I have a recurring dream in which the television program Grand Designs becomes
mixed up with Midsomer Murders. A serial killer is taking out all those irritating
couples in their North Face leisure wear, splattering viscera over the bare white
interiors of their concrete brag boxes in the English countryside.

This uncharitable vision stems from my love-hate relationship with Grand Designs,
which cleverly applies the hero’s journey to home building. In a typical program
Kevin McCloud, a natural television presenter, takes us through the journey of a
wealthy couple who overcome adversity to complete their building. He manages to
express telegenic surprise when deadlines are missed and budgets exceeded – as
though this were completely unexpected – and, at the end, blesses the enterprise with
an emotional, if somewhat vague, homily, such as: ”Although it is a very assertive
building, it’s also very subtle and sensitive” and “this brilliant, if unfinished, building

was snatched from the jaws of doom … buildings like this need heroes and heroines.”
The show is watched by a million Australians and its success tells us a lot about the
way we live now.

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Storytelling in Documentary

Documentary, Screenwriting, ,

STORYTELLING IN DOCUMENTARY – THE UK’S JOHN SMITHSON

One of the late entries to AIDC 2011 was this masterclass with UK producer John Smithson, of 127 Hours and Touching The Void fame. As the publicity announced, John would arrive in Adelaide hot from being nominated for 6 Oscars – and unfortunately he didn’t win any. Even more unfortunately, he had been pipped for Best Oscar by the Aussie film (sort of) The King’s Speech.

Despite that, his session on storytelling was one of the best at AIDC.

“It’s really stating the bleeding obvious that the story is the heart of everything we do,” John began. “Storytelling is what gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me in too many bars at the small hours of the night.”

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Screen Australia at AIDC in 2011

Documentary, ,

Last year Screen Australia held a session at AIDC to talk about their new documentary guidelines. Here is my coverage of that session in Screen Hub:

SCREEN AUSTRALIA

Today Screen Australia posted their brand spanking new draft guidelines for Documentary Programs.

The surprises?

A few.

Ross Mathews announced that he is not the Colonel Gaddaffi of the film industry, and Screen Australia is not going to dictate to the industry or decide what is going to be made. However they do reserve the right to make a decision when faced with more projects than available funds, which is increasingly the case.

Screen Australia have maintained the funding available for documentary at $16.5 million over all programs, but they have shaved funds off existing programs to make room for a new program, All Media, which will cost $500,000 a year. Details on this new program to be advised.

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