| Reference Type |
The Weekend Australian
newspaper
|
| Title |
Dire projections |
| Author(s) | Lynden Barber |
| Publication Date |
12-09-1998 |
| Page Number |
28 |
| Comments |
Independent cinemas
Vertical integration
Distribution-exhibition industry in Australia |
| Synopsis |
Barber documents the struggle or several independent cinemas around Australia and their fight to secure fairer distribution-exhibition practices through the ACCC. Barber appeals the reader's sympathy as he highlights the 'David v Goliath'-type struggle that independents are fighting against the "corporate giants" of the distribution industry. The writer warns that "operators with a deep knowledge and love of cinema...are in danger of being rolled by a more corporate style."
Apart from highlighting the dominance of the majors through factual evidence on the distribution-exhibition industry in Australia, Barber also explores the tactics that several independents have employed in an effort to stave off imminent closures. The Chauvel in Sydney is "going into distribution and reviving old classics", while Perth's Luna is developing a specialist market by "targeting druggy types (with leaflets in bong shops) and baby boomers." Melbourne's Lumiere is seeking new niches, but Barber highlights that the corporate giants are now "creaming off the most lucrative niche films and leaving the independents to fight over the scraps." This then leads to Barber's exploration of vertical integration and the ACCC's voluntary code. But as Chauvel co-owner Meskovic exemplifies, most independents see the voluntary code as "a joke...most people who have read that report almost say it has been written by Hoyts". |
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