Moneychangers & Merchants

Yesterday I attended a NZ Film Commission sponsored seminar in Auckland, entitled 'Wowing the Buyers'. It featured several international acquisitions people from companies such as Metrodome and Fox Searchlight. It was a fascinating insight into their world. The highlight was definitely NZ satirist Tom Scott speaking about his 25 year journey to try and get a film about Ed Hillary up. And especially his story about an American producer who had pubic hair transplanted to his head.

Another positive was to learn what high regard the NZ Film Commission's sales department was held in by all of the distribution companies. Big ups to Kathleen Drumm, who does a brilliant job.

Lots of networking happening of course, with a big crowd of NZ film production celebs, as well as the usual cast of wannabees. I was surprised by how many people I knew, having always considered myself an outsider.

I'm not sure about these acquisitions guys, I have to say. I have this tragic feeling that they are people who used to love film for its own sake, but have now sold out and see nothing but dollars. All of them are living off the back of the creative work of filmmakers, but somehow they seem to me to have crossed over to the dark side.

One of them was the very person who stifled a deal on Insatiable Moon, because it had been proposed by his predecessor. Maybe that contributes to my jaundiced view.

The commercial aspects of the industry are a necessary evil, but it's not a pleasant world to encounter. I think Gerald Manley Hopkins had it right:

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod:

And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.