Australasia’s commercial production companies set to get tough with agencies and their clients
At a meeting of the Australasian Union of Television Commercials Production Companies (AUTCPC) held in Sydney on the weekendall Australian and New Zealand commercial productioncompanies have agreed to be represented under the auspices of theAUTCPC.
All TVC production companies, along with Directors and Producers, arebeing made to comply under the authority and mandates of AUTCPC and itsassociate Unions.
All production companies must comply with tough new mandates and allagencies, and consequently their clients, failing to comply will face scrutiny from the brotherhood of unions associated with AUTCPC.
Apart from many new and revised mandatories covering issues such asworkplace safety, compliance and insurance, above are some key points agreed by all attending the meeting (leaked to the CB Blog)that will affect agencies and their clients.
47 Comments
Serious question. How will this mandate sit with with someone like the ACCC as it relates to issues like price fixing within industries and anti-competition legislation? Any lawyers out there care to proffer an opinion?
You’re fucking kidding. The last clause about lunches cannot be right. I’ve got a big one on today with an NZ outfit. When does this law come in? Stuff this union crap, If production companies want my business, they’ve got to play the game.
Interestingly the newly introduced CPC production company agreement has been amended in collaboration with P3 and the Communications Council to support 120 day payment of second 50% payments to production houses.
there’s some seriously good ideas in this.
I look forward to more attending shoots overseas.
I look forward to more international shoots.
So let me get this right, if a production company does a charity job for an agency (presumably a one day shoot mentioned) they then HAVE to get given the two next jobs (two day’s shooting) out of the agency regardless of whether or not they are actually suited for the work? Or the agency gets charged, sorry FINED $25,000. So much for charity work being done, you know, to help others.
And the entertainment budget…no one is forcing production companies to take agencies out to lunch. Generally, it’s done after a shoot and presumably budgeted into the fees so the agency pays anyway. If the production company wants to schmooze an agency team in the hope of getting some business, does that automatically oblige the agency to pay for it if no work ends up coming their way? Surely that’s the price the production company pays in an effort to build relationships, this is just how business goes.
There is no way in hell I am ever going to feel obliged to hand a half million dollar job over to a production company because they bought me a $10 drink. Smacks of guys who take women out for dinner and then get upset when she won’t sleep with him because, you know, SHE OWES HIM.Give me a break.
Sounds like good news for New Zealand production companies…these new rules are going to screw the Australian TV production industry as to be competitive Agencies will now have to look offshore. Typical bloody unions. They don’t understand our business at all….
Yeah $25k fines to agencies for not rewarding a charity job… long overdue!
Where do i join AUTCPCATUP?
So the tradition of getting three directors to pitch for the job is dead? Unless you want to cough up $15K of your production budget? Wow, huge repercussions.
It would seem there are rotten few out there ruining it for everyone else….
3 x 60′ treatments a week.
That’s a sweet 24k for photocopying some pictures out of a book from Ariel.
Sweet. Good on em.
No wonder they’re all driving around in discos while i’m on the bus chief.
See you on the blacklist. I love a fuckin lunch me.
Productions companies are finally getting the picture that they cannot be screwed anymore. Well done guys. To the agencies, well you mugs are now up shit creek as knw one is going to do your work for you for nothing… Ha Ha…. This is great news……. ha ha ha ha…….. I am almost falling off my chair…..
Sound like a defamation lawsuit for naming and shaming.
Agree that a director rollover fee.
I look forward to shooting overseas earning more freq flyers
Dreams can come true…. why not.
i think this is good all the way around. When times are tough for clients, things still aren’t free.
I also think the “ha, ha, ha” comment above was written by an absolute wanker.
I agree production companies need to protect themselves, but this isn’t going to be something they have to sell to clients, agencies will.
What this will mean is that those shitty production companies with weak directors, will get less work as agencies are forced to be more selective, again, I think that’s a good thing all the way around.
Nice one guys. You nailed em. A union in advertising…priceless.
This is bullshit. I’ve checked with two NZ production companies that do all our charity jobs and small client work and they assure me this union has no jurisdiction in New Zealand. They’ve never been contacted by AUTCPC or any other body. Which is a relief as I’m of to lunch today with one of them!
All that’s going to happen is creatives will now start enjoying their production lunches and shoots in Thailand and Aussie production staff will learn to say “Would you like fries with that?”
As a director I’d like to run through the points suggested by the AUTCPC.
mark up – good if there’s a standard amount agreed. too many
prod co’s get screwed here.
director’s fees – sounds reasonable.
treatments – sounds too high. maybe 2k for any treatment and extra for changes (we often end up writing two or three versions).
check quotes – a totally reasonable idea. this has long been a way to mine prod co’s for favours and nothing to do with fair business practise.
single bids – yep, totally fair. maybe 7k too high (5K?).
charity gigs – can’t see agencies coughing up 25k if they don’t use the same guy on the next one. that would be restricting the agency too much, and the fine is a bit heavy. no one has to do a charity gig if they don’t want to.
entertaining – can’t see this as relevant. we know lunches don’t create scripts, but they do build relationships. we only lunch people who are worth lunching with. won’t work.
p.s. if anyone thinks that the answer to some fairer business practises for an Aus industry that is getting ripped off daily is to shoot abroad I feel sorry for your mercenary souls.
To Bullshit…. So I was in a strategy meeting with the AUTCPC till 10:30pm in my imagination? No.
Are they kidding? To reimburse production companies for lunches we would be out of pocket by thousands of dollars a year. At our agency we get at least three a week (not cheapies either). The bill for the team and agency producer is usually over $100 per head, so that’s $300 per person per week. Over a year, you do the maths! (leave you to work that out, I’m just a – very pissed off – art director).
Fuck it’s April 1st…!!!!!
there’s me gettin’ all happy.
Does this apply to interstate visits? I’m a CD in Perth and do regular trips to Sydney for post production (but sometimes for the full production if we get the budget). Sure there’s a few big lunches and night time entertainment but isn’t that the normal part of the business? Anyway, if this is the case, I’ll seriously be looking even further west to South Africa or north to Asia where production companies are even more accommodating, especially at this time. They’ll literally do anything for a shoot.
April what?
Yes, surely we should get exemptions for Brisbane as well. Without the generosity of the Sydney or Melbourne industry there would be no real benefit to shoot there. I think I’ll stick wit the locals, none of whom have signed with this union – or that’s what out agency producer assures me. By the way, she is very upset about this situation as she has built up great relationships with Sydney/Melb TVC companies over many years and is always looked after like a queen.
I like all these comments.
Jeez’like man, this is great fucking news! Pull in over to this side of the pond and we’ll really look after you, lekker bru. Durb’s, Joey’s Capetown and Trips to Sun City, the Kruger is just up the road, all the boom you can smoke on a lekker safari all thrown in. And all the skirt – or borwors – you can handle – any shade of our rainbow nation!
Go Bokkie!!
Hunrey Van der Merwe
Executive Producer
Less Boks Productions
Hoedspruit
RSA
“‘ll seriously be looking even further west to South Africa or north to Asia where production companies are even more accommodating, especially in this current economic crisis. They’ll literally do anything for a shoot.”
We already are accommodating! What more do you want from us? Blow jobs???
Anyone checked the date?
April 1
but rollovers r great idea
The last thing I want to do is waste a production company’s time, so could AUTCPC please publish a list of all the production companies who have signed up to the above measures. This will save me and them a lot of time and heartache. Any chance AUTCPC?
Anyone checked today’s date?
What’s the date?
april fools!
This is called price fixing and I’m pretty sure it’s illegal.
Ela re malaka..! Take a break from ‘don’t do this don’t do that land’ and come to Greece instead, we show you real Greek hospitality the Greek style way! We do all support the productions, also we invented them twenty thousand years ago! Forget the Skippies stupid laws they are all crazy…come to Ellas!
Demitri Kostandinolopulous
Ellas Acropoly Now Productions
Plaka
Athens
Come to Asia instead!! We’ll love you long time properly – I will personally take you to Pattaya, lots of bars you like with treat you good jobs….
Big Kong Productions
Bangkok
pretty sure this is april fools day related
The truth will be told in 5 minutes.
Three words. April Fools Day.
Fools Day anyone?
This maybe an April Fools joke, but problem for the production companies is that most agency people believe this is exactly how production companies really think anyway.
So the joke was lost on 90% of the people it was intended for.
http://autcpc.blogspot.com.au
nice sentiment. well played
Haha, giving production companies a fair break – hilarious!!
Of course it’s an April Fool joke. But boy, did all you gullible idjits bite – and bite hard!
The hysterical pouty reaction from everyone above just highlights how it is considered an agency’s right to screw production houses.
As if we’d get away with this stuff!
Still. Whoever came up with the rules for the gag cheered me up for a moment, even though it’s April 1.