Northern Alliance - BFI
Northern Alliance - BFI
Northern Alliance - BFI
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Appendix XV Access and diversity<br />
Part of the public value of short filmmaking is its ability to be more diverse than<br />
feature length filmmaking has tended to be. A commonly held belief among<br />
interviewees was that the writers, directors and producers of short films are likely<br />
to come from a broader cross-section of the population than those of feature<br />
films. Some stakeholders observed that the lower cost, coupled with the ability to<br />
undertake proactive diversity selection procedures in short film schemes, ensure<br />
that people from diverse backgrounds are given opportunities to gain filmmaking<br />
experience and tell their own stories.<br />
While there is general consensus among stakeholders that short film schemes<br />
contribute to access and diversity objectives, opinion amongst those consulted<br />
tended to fall into two broad camps:<br />
1. Those who feel that access and diversity are at the very heart of the work<br />
that short film schemes should be delivering;<br />
2. Those who do not talk in terms of access and diversity, but focus almost<br />
exclusively on talent. When prompted, access and diversity are described as<br />
“implicit” or, as one focus group respondent stated, “we are running a<br />
talent scheme... we would be foolish not to look everywhere for talent.”<br />
“Diversity is in your head the whole time – it is „just what we do‟. Diversity is<br />
implicit in our remit to find talent.”<br />
Regional Screen Agency Digital Shorts, Production Executive<br />
There is some sensitivity about collecting diversity data alongside creative<br />
information; according to one strategic partner executive, “these are not issues<br />
that should be driven by monitoring, ie a need to tick boxes. This could result in<br />
turning away better filmmakers to meet diversity objectives.”<br />
In some genres, without shorts there would be very little opportunity in the UK<br />
for cinematic presentation. For example, animation intended for the cinema in<br />
the UK is dominated by shorts, and formal experiment and artists‟ film is largely<br />
confined to short formats. However, there is disquiet at the limited diversity still<br />
evident in short films and among their makers, and that both latitudinal and<br />
longitudinal constraints exist.<br />
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