Graham McNeice
Executive Producer, Graham McNeice Productions
Written by Chris Edwards on 2008-10-14
What do you see happening in the next five years in the documentary production industry?
What the documentary film production industry has witnessed over the past decade is the emergence of a trend for documentary films to be pitched, produced and marketed as a series rather than as one off documentary films. Of course there will always be one off blockbuster-type documentaries typified by the IMAX documentaries, but increasingly the industry is tending to produce documentaries as a series rather than individually.
There are a number of reasons for this industry shift, the most significant or influential is the broadcasters’ desire to market a series of documentaries, target an audience, develop that audience and reduce their costs whilst simultaneously maximising their viewership
The other big trend in the documentary production industry, I’ve observed, is for documentaries to be outsourced to private production companies like my own.
What are the biggest challenges you and your organisation face?
The biggest challenge my company faces in the short term relates to maintaining a balanced and productive work schedule. There is a very fine line between having too much going on and not enough. I think this is probably the hardest aspect for an independent production company to manage. Obtaining a balance is, it seems, one of those unattainable ideals in the documentary production industry. I think it is the same throughout the creative industries and I know this to be the case in the entertainment business. There are slow periods, full of research, consulting and negotiating and then there are the high pressure and incredibly fast paced periods when you go into production and post production. You are always operating to a deadline with any one production and on top of this you’re juggling a number of them at the same time trying to stay ahead of schedule.
What are the most important/valuable skills that graduates can bring to your industry?
For someone just getting stared in the industry the most important thing is to get involved as much as possible. Like any job, if someone shows an interest, is keen to learn, to get involved and get their hands dirty they will no doubt, be valued by their employer and succeed in the business. This in turn will open a variety of doors to them.
In the documentary production business there isn’t any one optimal combination of skills or assets that an individual can strive to possess. One of the beautiful things about this business is that the end result really is a team effort. I’ve been in this industry for over thirty years and I have always maintained that I can only be as good, the end result can only be as good as the sum of the efforts that the team of people working on the project can produce.
How would you rate the performance of Australian independent documentary production companies in comparison with international companies?
Well, it’s hard to compare the Australian industry with say the American or British industries. The size of our market is such that it allows for fewer industry players. There is however a tendency for programming regardless of their genre, to possess a local relevance. The focus of GMP over the last few years has been on producing the crime documentary series Crime Investigation Australia. The impetus for this series was to provide an element of local content to a channel that is dominated by American and European crime stories. Nonetheless, Australia has a vibrant and competitive film making industry, a part of which includes documentary filmmaking. Given the scope of the question the Australian documentary production industry is healthy and growing. There remains plenty of room for growth in the industry. Success however is dependant upon the creativity and commercial sensibilities of the individuals involved.
How has new media such as the Internet and mobile communications revolutionised your workplace?
I can’t fathom operating my business without the technological developments that have taken place over the last two decades. I was involved in the industry when you physically had to splice film to edit it. The pace and economics have completely changed as a result of the emergence of new media technologies; the audio equipment, video recording equipment, and the way my office collaborates with free lance writers and PR practitioners. Just about everything we do right down to internal communications is dependent upon new media technologies. I’m no computer wizard, the people I work with will testify to that. But I can appreciate just how vital new media technologies are to the everyday running of my business and the role they have played and will continue to play in changing how documentaries are produced, recorded, edited and broadcasted.
What advice can you offer to students and emerging documentary film makers to help them become successful participants in the documentary production industry?
The best advice I can give to student wanting to make their mark is to never let go of their dreams, to follow their instincts, to take the necessary risks and to not let anyone convince them that something they have their heart set on is impossible or unworthy. Forty years ago I never would have believed someone if they told me that I’d be a relatively famous TV presenter and documentary film producer, but I made a variety of decisions that have lead me down this path and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and the experience. Documentary film making brings you into contact with some truly incredible people who have lead truly incredible lives and I find that that particular aspect of my work will never stop inspiring me.
If there was one thing you could change about the documentary production industry what would it be and why?
The only thing I would change about the industry as a whole at the moment is the tendency for production values to be sacrificed in the name of profitable production practices. I started off producing surfing documentaries in Hawaii in the 1960’s. My love of surfing and the culture surrounding it instilled in me a hunger, analogous to a surfer’s, who is always chasing the perfect wave. I am a perfectionist in many ways and my pet hate is sacrificing the truth or an aspect of the truth because of editorial or financial limits. It’s a reality that all idealists have to come to terms with sooner or later. For those just getting started in the industry, the sooner they realise that there will always be trade-offs the better they will be able to deal with the realities of the industry.