Why is Post-Production Important?

Why is Post-Production Important?

Cinematography-Bravo

A cinematographic best work is the fruit of a work of artistic creation which notably involves writing and then putting a scenario into images.

But cinema is also an industry. In this case, it belongs, as well as music or publishing, to cultural industries whose main object is the production and marketing of goods, services, and activities that have a cultural, artistic, or heritage. These goods and services are protected by intellectual property law. They are also characterized by an extreme form of economies of scale, namely high fixed costs for their design but relatively low variable costs for their reproduction, with nuances depending on the medium or the channel was chosen for their distribution. Their profitability, therefore, requires mass production or distribution. This reasoning applies perfectly to cinema: a film is expensive to make but not to reproduce and relatively little to broadcast.

In Belgium, and in particular, in French-speaking Belgium, the production and consumption of domestic films remain low. This shortage of feature films stems from the contradiction between the high costs of film production and the low depreciation capacity of the national market. The narrowness of the market and the cultural division into three Communities constitute historical handicaps for the development of cinema in Belgium. In addition, unlike the American market, the European market remains fragmented and marked by local languages ​​and cultures, so that European films are struggling to seduce audiences outside their national markets. In general, the film industry is deeply rooted in the process of cultural globalization. American domination of the production and broadcasting sector is a reality in the Western world and the French-speaking Belgian market is no exception. The particularity of the French-speaking Belgian market, it adds the significant weight of the productions coming from France.

Despite the narrowness of the market, the successes and rewards of French-speaking Belgian films during the 1990s (Toto the heroin 1991, It happened near you in 1992, Farinelli in 1994, Le eighth day in 1996 or Rosetta in 1999) led the public authorities, at the beginning of the 2000s, to reinforce their policy of support for the film industry, and more particularly for production and distribution, based on the idea that this sector could be a vector job. Today, many observers speak of a revival of French-speaking Belgian cinema. But what about it really? Can we attribute this dynamism so claimed to the sector support policies implemented at the community, regional, and federal levels? The purpose of this Dossier is to study cinematographic production in French-speaking Belgium while trying to provide some answers to this question.

The cinematographic best product should be understood to mean the production of works intended primarily for exhibition in cinemas. Therefore, this File does not intend to study works intended directly for the small screen (television and computer). However, in view of the growing porosity of the borders between film and television production, this will not be entirely overlooked.

The first part will provide an overview of the organization and actors in the film industry. It will describe the different stages that make up the sector, namely the three traditional sub-sectors of production (including the technical industries), distribution, and exploitation. This section will also discuss the dematerialization of content which, for the past ten years, has disrupted the value chain of the film industry.

The second part will focus more specifically on film production in French-speaking Belgium. It will provide an analysis of the sector and its development, both in terms of companies and jobs and types of production. She will also discuss the role of professional associations and film schools in organizing the sector.

The third part will be devoted to sources of financing for production. Among these, public support occupies a prominent place. Each level of power has in fact developed specific formulas for aid to the sector, meeting sometimes cultural, sometimes political or economic objectives, or even all three.

Note that the French Community chose, in May 2011, to adopt the name "Wallonia-Brussels Federation" in its internal and external communications.