NZ on alert as SPAA moves to make Australia more competitive in international TVC production

The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) announced today a move to make Australia more attractive for international television commercials production.

Geoff Brown, Executive Director of SPAA, said that in response to feedback from international advertising agencies and a rapidly evolving marketplace for international production, Australian producers had decided to withdraw from the SPAA/MEAA Commercials Offshore Agreement which sets out terms and conditions for contracting of Australian performers for international commercials.

“This decision will enable Australian TVC production companies tonegotiate flexible terms with performers working on internationalcommercials.  We believe it will be easier to do business in Australiaand that Australia will immediately become more competitive as aproduction destination,” Mr Brown said.

Mr Brown said that Australian TVC companies pitched for but lost morethan $60m of offshore commercials work in the past 12 months.   “Thisis a highly lucrative sector. If Australia had secured just half ofthis production, it would have meant hundreds of well-paid jobs foractors, crews and production companies.

“But the reality is that despite the best intentions of all parties,the Commercials Offshore Agreement has been working as a barrier toemployment. International agencies have been telling us that, despitethe appeal of using Australia’s highly regarded performers, our worldclass crews, production facilities and diverse locations, they havebeen choosing to make commercials in competitor countries such as NewZealand, South Africa and Canada because it has been too expensive andcomplex to employ actors here.

“By signalling that Australia has responded to international marketconditions, we believe we will be better placed to bring millions ofproduction dollars to Australia annually, creating more opportunitiesfor our performers, production companies, directors and crews.”