Australian Directors Guild calls on Australian Government to step in and stop FIFO directors
As reported in The Australian today the Australian Directors Guild (ADG) has called on the Australian Government to step in and restrict foreign directors being brought in to direct Australian companies advertisements and in order to protect Australian directors.
Historically, Australian directors like Fred Schepisi, Ray Lawrence, Kriv Stenders and Garth Davis have been able to develop their directing skills and capabilities by filming advertisements for Australian companies.
Many major Australian companies have opted for foreign directors rather than using home grown talent. These companies include: Woolworths, NAB, Meat & Livestock Australia, ALDI, Target, Kmart, AGL, BUPA, Origin Energy, Energy Australia, NRMA, GIO, Holden and Ford.
Says Kingston Anderson (above), chief executive, Australian Directors Guild: “It started a few years ago only with some of the really big ad campaigns. But now, it is increasingly across the board.
“In recent times, some Australian companies and their advertising agencies are importing “fly in, fly out” foreign directors to make their key ad campaigns. Unlike the USA and UK there are simply no barriers to entry for foreign directors wanting to fly in, shoot an Australian job, then fly out. And this loophole is being exploited.”
The ADG estimates that up to 40 per cent of big budget local commercial campaigns of $1 million-plus are being directed by foreigners.
Says Anderson: “It is not a level playing field. And it will have major economic and cultural impact.”
Australia has an entertainment visa regime for foreign directors and other talent that requires there be a “net” employment benefit to the local entertainment industry. But the problem, according to Anderson, is that the test is not being enforced by the Department of Immigration and Border Patrol, particularly when it concerns directors of commercials.
Says Anderson: “Despite the Directors Guild’s objections, each and every visa application on behalf of a foreign director that the ADG is aware of has been successful.”
The Guild has requested urgent action by the Australian Government to address this loophole in the system.
5 Comments
Nearly every tvc director works globally and nearly every Australian director works overseas.
And all of them have hastily arranged 01 Visas for the US and loosely documented visas for the UK. In Europe the visas obtained don’t hold up to much scrutiny.
Any overseas director working in Australia works through an Australian production company – and if they are being brought into Australia they obviously have a talent or skill set that is not necessarily found in an Australian director. Just like the Australian director, actor, art director, composer who works in another part of the world.
Stopping O/S director from working here sounds like something Donal Trump would bring in….and will result in Australian productions being shot with the O/S director shooting in another country.
Much as I agree with this initiative, I find it difficult to see how directors could make a special case for themselves.
Same happens all the time with photographers and any other creative discipline.
If someone is from O/S they are seen as automatically better then an Australian.
Crazy I know, but the old cultural cringe carries over even today.
A contributing factor might be O/S directors having worked on bigger, more impressive projects that gives them credibility and gets them over the line.
Careful what you ask for. If Australian clients and creative directors can’t bring the desired / requested directors to Australia, then we may see more entire productions going overseas. That would have a vastly larger negative effect on the industry as a whole. I also note that each of the four talented directors you mentioned above have all worked overseas for international companies in foreign markets honing their skills. In fact most of Australia’s top awarded directors spend a substantial amount of time building their careers and profiles outside of Australia.
I am all in favour of supporting our local industry but cutting off access to directors and forcing entire productions offshore is not the way to do it.
The fact that your objections to VISA applications are not impacting their approval rate maybe an indication that your position does not in fact support the greater industry.
If you truely want to keep the all the work local then you should lobby to have only Australian commercials shown on Australian TV like the good old days.
I’m sure all local prod cos with legal contractual agreements to their international directors to get them work here are going to be stoked about this!
Kingston,
I assume that you would then hold the directors in the ADG to the same standard, and request that they cease working overseas markets, taking locals jobs there?
Your approach is small-minded and antiquated.
This is a globalized world, where talent is sourced on a global level.
All you’re doing is grandstanding, and making an even stronger case for producers to take their productions elsewhere, in essence, costing far more jobs than that filled by a single director.
Time to retire Kingston, you are completely out of touch.