The British producer of Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness has sounded the alarm on the state of the UK’s independent film industry.
This comes as the UK enjoys a boom due to respected British craft skills and tax incentives. The recent box office behemoth Barbie was made at Warner Bros studios near Watford, north London, and those studios are being expanded. Netflix is also planning to expand its studio space at Shepperton, south of London. Such investment from overseas translates into a huge boon for local economies and for training, and bringing new talent into the business.
However, veteran producer Mike Goodridge, who made the recent hit Triangle of Sadness, told the BBC’s Today Programme:
“The industry is essentially on its knees. On the upside, British actors, crew, are working at the highest level, but all for American companies. Theoretically, that’s wonderful, however, on a more philosophical level, British stories are not being supported.”
That’s great for the craftspeople, crew and actors being employed, but the independent sector is starting not to be able to afford these people. The prices are being driven up by the American companies.
He reported a conversation he has every day with his crew:
“Shall we shoot in Belgium, or Iceland, anywhere there’s an amazing tax credit? It’s not what we want. We are a nation of storytellers who end up going to Hollywood or struggling to get our films made through the independent system.”
Triangle of Sadness, a comedic satire targeting the thoughtless rich, was made on a production budget of $15.6million, and went on to garner $32.9million in ticket receipts.