FUTURE VISION 2024 PAPER

It was universally acknowledged at FUTURE VISION that the best work comes from a specific and united vision, so it is critical that the primary creative players are in sync from the outset. How do we ensure the “voice” of a show is supported through production and post, especially in a smaller industry with limited financial means? How do we encourage multiple stakeholders to pull in the same direction and not “sand the edges” off what makes a work unique in the first place? How do we give directors “skin in the game”? There were suggestions that we bring directors into the development process early. Equally, there were other suggestions that brought writers into the production process. If this is a question of financial resources, can we learn to value these propositions in the budget – ensuring excellence also increases the worth of the final product?

Creative coherence also requires that we combat an “us” vs “them” mentality – whether it’s producers vs commissioners, writers vs. producers, or writers vs directors. A project is not served by disunity among the core participants. In our best collaborations, we assume that our collaborators are talented professionals who have something to offer. What can we do to better align? How can we keep clear and transparent channels of communication going throughout the process? Blackfella Films’ Head of Scripted Penny Smallacombe jokingly dubbed the relationship between producer, director and writer the “Triangle of Sadness”. How can this become a “Triangle of Creativity”?

Smallacombe conceded that there is clearly work to be done to build trust between writers and producers. She said that's not to say there aren't amazing collaborations out there, but there is a real misconception that one is trying to rip the other off. Smallacombe thinks greater transparency is needed: writers need to know that very few producers are making lots of money, and producers need to recognize that it all starts with a script.

The recurring subtext of every FUTURE VISION session was collaboration. As part of fostering a coherent creative vision, we need to develop conflict resolution skills.  Part of this is learning the fine art of compromise.

There were discussions on various panels about when to fight and when to yield. How do we collectively create an environment where people can speak honestly without fear of retribution? We want healthy debate, where the best ideas get shared and elevated towards a collective “North Star” of achieving excellence. 

Is there a role for screen agencies in this process – helping creatives broker stronger relationships between each other? Can commissioners also assist in generating a creative model where writers, directors and producers are more integrated in the ideation and creation of a project?  

A repeated wisdom from some of the world’s biggest showrunners at FUTURE VISION was that we all need to put in “the reps” — the 10,000 hours — and treat writing as a craft which requires an extremely high skill set.

There are rarely natural-born geniuses who know everything at the beginning of their career. Consequently, how do we bake in respect of craft as fundamental to our storytelling culture?  And how do we ensure it is central to our development processes? Especially as the industry looks for ways to bring new and diverse voices into our storytelling, can we champion meaningful collaborations between experienced and emerging writers?    

It was noted that ultimately craft is what makes television premium and consequential, not necessarily a production’s budget size. This is an important note for the Australian industry where we are always trying to “think big” with smaller budgets.   

Another observation – at the heart of the creative process is emotion. Writers fall in love with an idea because it moves them deeply. Whether the writer can transmit their passion to a buyer, and then to an intended audience is predicated by the writer’s command of craft.   

Many of our most experienced panelists emphasized the relationship between the written word and its financial viability (budgets and practical implications on cost and schedule).

If writers understand how budgets work, they can write to problem solve and optimize the money on screen. Thinking creatively about how to write to scope helps ensure a project feels rich and fully realized and not compromised in its production value (a turn off to audiences and international opportunities). Working closely with directors and producers could be invaluable in terms of understanding how stories are told beyond the page.

The writer’s involvement can actually be a boon for production rather than a hindrance. How do we find ways to involve screenwriters through more of the production process? 

A recurring point raised at FUTURE VISION was the importance of time for development — excellence is not possible when the written material isn’t excellent. How can the business part of our sector (funding agencies, commissioners, and producers) allow writers time and space to fully realize the ideas they are developing, given the limited resources of the Australian industry? Can we tailor unique development pathways for each unique project, rather than have a templated standard?  

Many FUTURE VISION participants agreed that there is an international appreciation of what is perceived to be uniquely Australian — our irreverence, rough-hewn “jaggedness”, salty humor (not as ‘hopeful’ as the U.S. nor as dark as the U.K.), unique cultural diversity, and history.

With audiences indicating a desire to be transported to unfamiliar worlds that still feel true, could this be the perfect time to take advantage of the international push to find new takes, original characters and unmined worlds, by leaning into our specificity, our unique characters and idiosyncratic, diverse, cultural identity?

In particular, Australian content could be making an incredible impact with First Nations storytelling, taking viewers from around the globe into a variety of indigenous worlds that are distinctly Australian but have yet to be seen or explored.

How can we tell more uniquely Australian stories and elevate them to a level that garners more international appeal?

Blackfella Films’ Head of Scripted Penny Smallacombe believes that at the same time, for a tiny industry in Australia, we do work incredibly hard at telling our screen stories and should be proud. But behind-the-scenes, diversity and inclusion across both producing and writing roles in Australia requires significant improvement.

Many FUTURE VISION participants expressed a desire for the consideration of new methodologies for development and production. If the system is not currently serving the ambitions of the project (in the time allocated to development or production, the availability of human resources or the amount of money obtainable), how can creatives rethink approaches to process, resourcing and collaboration? Several FUTURE VISION participants suggested possible innovations.

Producer, director and writer Robert Connolly wondered if we should look at other production models, such as independent feature film models, that are leaner and lower cost which may buy us more creative freedom. He also believes we need to continue to push the role of the director on authored TV in Australia, with not every project needing to be helmed by a writer/showrunner. Connolly is excited by the idea of “auteur television”, which is a model already operating successfully in the Australian market.

Writer, director, producer, actor and editor Nash Edgerton essentially agreed with Connolly and proposed an indie film for TV model that worked well on his hit series, Mr Inbetween. Edgerton was the director and showrunner, they had one writer, and treated each season like a film. He directed every episode and they blocked it like a film rather than episodically. Edgerton says one director and one writer gave the show an authorship and meant there was a consistency of look, feel and tone. He conceded this isn’t necessarily something that would work for every show but believes it helped the series stand out on the global market.

Writer, showrunner and producer Sarah Lambert believes to make great, bold and visionary dramas, there needs to be flexibility in how we develop and run series. She raised the prospect of a different writer/producer development model that borrows from the best of the U.S. and European models.

For instance, can we employ a U.S. model where there is more time spent in the writers’ room, but way less allocated to write the script? U.S. writers write with fully developed and rigorous plots, far more depth of character and synchronization of tone. As a result, there are less surprises on delivery of the draft. In Australia, writers can end up with a lot of notes and rewriting that cost time and money.

Writer Andrew Bovell prefers a development model with a core team (including the key creative producer/s) that will go the distance, and be there from start to finish, sharing the vision and building it together. He wonders what opportunities are available to bring a director into the development process earlier, to dream up the series and film with them? But at the same time, acknowledging that not all directors want to be a part of that process. Bovell also floated the idea of looking at theatrical development models which include workshopping ideas with actors.

Blackfella Films’ Head of Scripted Penny Smallacombe noted all the FUTURE VISION participants spoke loudly and clearly about the need for more time in development, and that this could actually save money in the long run. We won't know until we start to test new development methodologies.

What other models can we draw upon to redefine processes and practices? Should we be studying screen industry models from countries such as Scandinavia, Mexico or South Korea? As a greater provocation, can we lead new trends instead of following them?

Another recurring question during FUTURE VISION was defining the role of a showrunner and whether it applies to the Australian model. Writer Anchuli Felicia King contends that whatever we call it (and whether writers are given a formal producer credit or not), the “Showrunner Model” or “Head Writer Model” vastly improves a production’s outcome.  King says there is a concerted move towards this model in the Australian industry. 

King also noted that the international guest screenwriters had benefited from a robust staffing system on long-running series in the U.S. She believes we need to think about creating similar pathways for writers (particularly POC) in Australia on longer running shows so they can get the same experience, eventually write their own episodes and run their own shows.

How can we encourage our Australian industry to go to the edge when we take bold swings? Even though the risks are high, the rewards for success are even greater.  It was suggested that to open ourselves to fresh ideas, that we also look at new avenues for development. For example, can we foster partnerships between producers and Australia’s theatre, arts festival and publishing sectors?  Can we also look at content from social media?  YouTube and Tik Tok are often the frontrunners for the next set of trends.  

Several FUTURE VISION participants remarked on how much The Bear seemed to benefit from minimal creative intervention from FX, and as a result it is a show. As its co-showrunner Joanna Calo said: “If you’re going to ‘poke it’, ‘fuck it’.”