Prism

Facilitated by Dr. Simon Lonstaff, four questions were addressed in detail focusing on new ideas, innovative solutions and broadening understanding between the different players.

  1. What’s the best model for sharing critical audience data that enables access and also safeguards (or even increases) revenue streams for data owners and aggregators?

  2. What’s needed to improve cut-through for Australian film releases?

  3. What is an acceptable risk/reward ratio for each industry sector (production, distribution, exhibition, investors) that would attract more investment to support a more prosperous and consistent local production sector?

  4. Can streaming services successfully co-exist with theatrical releases and serve to fully exploit the potential of Australian films?

For further information about how you can be involved in the next steps, then contact us at info@filmartmedia.com

Why:

Coming at a pivotal moment in our industry, Prism asked if we are willing now to make some commitments to change. Change that goes beyond doing business as usual in order to grow the success of the Australian feature film sector and enable all players, including audiences, to benefit from that success. 

Building on the two enormously successful and popular Australian Feature Film Summit events held in October 2021 and May 2022, the third event in this “trilogy” is designed to drive change by turning principles into practice, suggestions into strategies and opinions into outcomes.

How:

The two previous Summits hosted by the Australian Feature Film Group (AFFG) identified the challenges faced by local feature film producers, distributors and exhibitors.  It’s time to explore the solutions by teasing out several ‘What if’ scenarios - interrogating new strategies in relation to the business models currently intersecting theatrical production, distribution and exhibition.   

The discussion was led by Dr Simon Longstaff AO, Executive Director of The Ethics Centre who has run similar Prism policy round-tables for Screen Producers Australia. In fact, it was one such Prism that led to the formation of the Australian Feature Film Working Group.

Who:

Prism brought together a select gathering of key industry leaders, decision-makers and innovators with a diverse range of skills, knowledge and experience together with a passion for the Australian film industry.  

With Dr Longstaff curating, conducting and challenging panellists in a round-table think tank, this event helped drive a comprehensive overhaul of “business as usual”.

When & Where:

Tuesday 7 June 2022, 08:30-12:30 at the Swissotel, 68 Market St, Sydney.

 
 

Dr Simon Longstaff

Dr Simon Longstaff has been Executive Director of The Ethics Centre for 30 years, working across business, government and society. He has a PhD in philosophy from Cambridge University, is a Fellow of CPA Australia and of the Royal Society of NSW, and an Adjunct Professor of the AGSM at UNSW. Simon was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2013.

The Background Of Prism

For almost twenty years now, I have been using an approach that gives members of the audience a 'seat at the table'. The process was originally developed by Royal Dutch Shell as a tool for scenario planning. For reasons that will become obvious, they called the process the 'fishbowl'. SPA Decided to call this process, for their purposes, The Prism.

Instead of placing formally invited speakers on a stage, they are seated at a round table located in the centre of a series of concentric circles formed by chairs. The round table is only slightly raised - just a step or two above the floor where the audience is seated.

The table is the focus of all discussion. There are no speeches - just conversation. Whatever number of participants might sit at the table - each facing the others - there are always two 'empty' chairs. These are reserved for members of the audience who wish to take a seat, for a short time, to make their contribution. The convention is that they must make way for another audience member should they seek a turn.

Most members of an audience attending an event organised these lines will just listen - drawn in by the air of intimacy that surrounds the conversation taking place at the table. Usually, you cannot hear a pin drop. In every session there are also a few who wish to join in - and by the end, there is usually a queue of people who would like to speak if only there was more time.

The key point is this: in every case where I have used this technique, the audience has regulated its own behaviour - knowing that bad behaviour does not close down the speakers but also the opportunity for the audience (their 'peers') to be heard.

The Process

As suggested above, the process is simple. One table. A relatively small number of formal participants who engage in a facilitated conversation ... and two empty chairs reserved as temporary seats at the table that members of the audience may occupy.

When the audience is large in number, then I will reserve one seat for men and one for women - ensuring equal opportunity for men and women to speak.

The key to the success of the process is the availability of good moderators - people willing to serve the purpose of the session by guiding conversation so that it does not wander too far off track and covers the most important points. The moderator needs also to ensure that no one at the table tries to deliver a speech or dominate the conversation. Success in the role is as much a matter of personal presence and a kind of 'moral authority' as it is of technical ability. The person must project a sense of fairness to people at the table and in the room. Also, the 'host' must be adept at synthesising the points made - recognising points of difference and agreement.

The format is ancient - only the setting is new!