Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/413175
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 2014 10 News HAS the globalisation of audio-vis- ual entertainment left us spoilt for choice, or has it spoilt our choices? Anybody interested in long-form televised drama must be at least dim- ly aware that we're undergoing some- thing of a renaissance in that field at the moment. Coupled with the flow- ering of digital distribution options, as well as – it must be said – the facil- ity of pirate networks, anybody with a decent TV service provider, or even just an internet connection, can be privy to the cream of the TV show crop. And what a crop it has been, these past couple of years: Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, True Detective… the list goes on, and even incorporates non-US hits like Sherlock (UK) or The Killing (Den- mark). But though the 'TV renaissance' has already yielded more than enough quality dramas to last us a lifetime – I myself still have to get around to watching the already-minted classics like The Sopranos and Six Feet Un- der – it has also led to a glut of pre- dominantly US/UK shows on the in- ternational airwaves (and, erm, pirate networks). And for a place like Malta, which counts English as an official language, the decision to just ignore local pro- duce in favour of international offer- ings is all too easy… and that's before we even get into its intrinsic merits. Money talks It's a disconcerting fact that while the inferior – to not say cringe-wor- thy – quality of local television drama has become something of a given, those who notice it waste little time dwelling on it since they can easily avert their eyes elsewhere. So it con- tinues to putter on in the background, by virtue of a persistent percentage of casual viewers who will tune in re- gardless. So what's its biggest problem? Is it the fact that Maltese audiences will be small by proxy, thereby leading to an over-reliance on sponsors to get by? Or is the problem in fact budgets, period? "As anything else it all boils down to budgets," Pierre Portelli of Water- melon Media, who were responsible for 'Angli' and 'Ic-Caqqufa', said. "TV stations expect a high standards and production houses do their utmost to deliver but low budgets and time constrains pose a huge challenge," he added, while playing down the impact of sponsors, "because most of the rev- enue comes from direct advertising in prime-time". "There is some dependence on product placement but its no big deal. The worst situation is related to cash flow because production houses depend on the inflow of cash to pay their current expenses." However, Charlene Azzopardi of DarC Productions – responsible for 'Rifless' – isn't so cavalier about the role sponsors play in the equation. "Sponsorship can deliver a consist- ency of audience, time of day and environment that is expensive to rep- licate through the traditional media. If the creative idea for the credits is engaging and relevant to them, view- ers of all ages welcome sponsors as supporters of their favourite TV pro- grammes," she said. Steven Dalli and Justin Farrugia of Sharp Shoot Media ('Rajt Ma Rajtx') were even more direct. "Sponsors mean money and ultimately a better budget to produce and pay off a dra- ma. Lack of sponsorship means the premature closing down of a project. Veteran television producer – now department manager at One Produc- tions – Mark Doneo was more suspi- cious about this, pointing to the fact that product placement in Maltese TV – an often mocked feature of lo- cal TV drama – unfortunately comes as a "ready, rude solution" given the compromised financial landscape lo- cal producers have to work under. "Producers stretch their euro as much as they can to the point where it's ridiculously evident on screen. They end up channelling their crea- tivity into making money from alter- nate sources," Doneo said. This picture is not encouraging, es- pecially when we consider that local productions have to compete with the international scene, even among Maltese viewers. Pierre Portelli sug- gests that more international collabo- ration may be the key. "What I believe is needed is the op- portunity for joint productions with foreign producers. When Watermel- on Media produced the international format 'Divided' with top European producers Endemol we had the op- portunity to learn and aim at high levels of production," Portelli said, adding that while budgets play an im- portant factor, "there are some basic rules of production which shouldn't be ignored". However he remains largely optimistic about the future, pointing to the fact that cheaper technology has helped to train more film and television technicians, while initiatives like the Valletta 2018 Foundation's scriptwriting workshop Storyworks may paved the way to a more polished approach towards screenwriting. Doneo, however, claims that any improvements have been worryingly negligible. Conceding that technolog- ical developments may have helped local TV shows to look sleeker, he be- moans the poor basic storytelling that still plagues local productions, claim- ing that when it comes to, "creativity and technical excellence, we've turned the clock backwards yet again". "I hate to sound pessimistic, es- pecially since most of the talent out there are colleagues and friends of mine, but I can't stomach more than five minutes of any local drama at the moment," Doneo said. "If I strip everything away and con- vince myself that everything is being done properly, I still can't fathom or accept why so many dramas take ages to say whatever they have to say. You watch an entire episode and you learn absolutely nothing of the story. It's either just exposition or filling up time." He added that while it may be true – as some may argue – that local Mal- tese drama remains popular, this kind of "blind support" may turn out to be toxic in the long run. "It might give the false impression that things are being done right. But I sincerely and seriously beg to differ." On the front lines Another person who may beg to differ is a source we spoke to on The ascendancy of American television drama as the quality entertainment choice du jour has only brought the shortcomings of local television into starker focus. Does it all come down to budgets, or are there other, more intrinsic factors to blame, TEODOR RELJIC asks? 'I can't stomach more five minutes of Maltese Scare tactics: Rajt ma Rajtx "The worst situation is related to cash flow because production houses depend on the inflow of cash to pay their current expenses" – Pierre Portelli "I got the role because they saw a photo of me on Facebook. My poor Maltese speaking ability and lack of a driving license were ignored. They then made a big deal out of the fact that I sounded funny and got me a pick up truck to drive that I had to turn down" Mark Doneo: "When it comes to creativity and technical excellence, we've turned the clock backwards yet again"