As
everyone working in the Irish Film Industry is aware, there's been
a tailing off of productions this summer in comparison with the
level of activity over the last few years. Crews are finding themselves
back on the £55 a day special projects rate and head of Ardmore
studios, Kevin Moriarty, was recently quoted as saying that business
was down 50% on last year and that future bookings were sporadic.
Some blame the recent legislation regarding Section 481, some blame
the infrastructure, while others maintain that the last few years
were the exception to the rule. While all this is being debated
however, the Isle of Man would appear to have become the 'new' choice
for a wide variety of productions that one would have expected,
due either to Irish content or Irish involvement, to have been shot
on our green isle. 'Waking Ned Devine' seemed to start it all off;
an intrinsically Irish story, set in Ireland, starring Strumpet
City's very own Rasher's Tierney, David Kelly and garnishing quite
a bit of PR stateside. Mary McGuckian shot 'The George Best Story',
in Manx land starring Cal's own John Lynch as everybody's favorite
lush (following Ollie's demise) and the new Irish cinema's leading
youngblood Paddy Breathnach is due to shoot Simon Montifiore's new
hairdressing script in the land of the tailless cat.
So what's brought it
all about?
The Isle of Man Film
Commission, that's what. It's current equity investment offers up
to 65% of the budget as direct equity investment, 25% by way of
loans and equity and 40% by way of 'other financing instruments'.
On top of that they're also offering production credits (which replace
transferable tax credits) up to the value of £350,000 per television
production. The main criteria to avail of these incentives are;
that the applicant must be an Isle of Man resident production company
(though for how long before becoming eligible isn't mentioned);
that more than 20% of the production budget (excluding the costs
of principal cast, story and script and producer's and director's
fees) must be island based expenditure; that the production must
be made wholly or in part in the Isle (Annex 1 6.19. "The producers
to undertake that at least 50% of all principal photography will
be completed on the Isle of Man"); that the production must not
be contrary to the laws of the Isle of Man nor prejudicial to the
interest of the Isle of Man and that the producers will undertake
to employ at least four Manx workers in recognised trainee roles
for the duration of the filming in the Isle of Man. Sounds like
a swell deal to me. Couple that with the fact that courier and lab
costs are going to be well down on similar costs in Ireland and
you can see why any production company in its right mind would choose
to shoot there. And I mean that without any of that old Scottish
Braveheart begrudgery. The Isle of Man Film Commission has compiled
a directory of local services which covers everything from Armourers
to Avids, Cameramen to Cherry pickers and Prop dressers to Nurses.
Admittedly a lot of the studio support is on the mainland, but hell,
they're still a lot closer than they are to Dublin.
There's a number of other
interesting criteria as you get into the fine print of the Department
of Trade & Industry's Annex 1 on it's film & television fund.
The production must be
produced in the English language and in colour. The producers shall
permit the Department of Trade and Industry to view the weekly rushes
at a laboratory of their choice !
And one that I find particularly
fascinating;
"The producers to undertake in the event that the Film fails to
secure a United Kingdom theatrical release within eighteen months
from the date of delivery and completion of the Film, the Department
of Trade and Industry shall be granted such theatrical rights in
the Isle of Man. The Department of Trade and Industry shall be responsible
for the costs of such theatrical release in the Isle of Man and
shall be entitled to all net receipts resulting there from in addition
to all other payments due to the Department of Trade and Industry
under this Agreement etc etc..."
Now there's one for Sile.
If one of Bord Scannan's undernourished prodigy is deemed too appalling
to be set free on the world, then we should have our own Department
of Arts, Culture, the Gaeltacht & the Islands Cinema which can run
all year round screenings of those dark and brooding children who
should have been given a good script edit in the womb and force
the film Intelligentsia who green lighted them to watch them at
least twice a week... until they say sorry.
