11.01
The magnificent Freerick Forsyth, author of Day of The Jackal and of the superlative The Odessa File, says this in his Daily Express column
” I analyse it at three levels. In 70 years I have never seen the establishment held in such loathing by the broad masses of the people. And I have never seen our governors treat the governed with such contempt. For democracy and homeland that is deeply unhealthy. And it leads to level two.
I have never seen our people so utterly disillusioned, disenchanted and demoralised, so devoid of self-confidence, self-esteem, quiet pride and sense of self-worth”.
See full article here: http://www.express.co.uk/ourcomments/view/137074
The point is that moving Pinewood Studios expansion to The West Midlands will combat and reverse this. Moving the Pinewood Studios brand to EVERY county in The UK will reverse this. It is about political will not logistics which are simple to arrange. It is about the decision to go to the moon NOT the technological logistics which solved themselves very quickly ONCE the decision has been made and resolutely made at that.
Let us look at Frederick Forsyth’s Level Three,
“And level three? We seem to head every league table of shame. The most violent, the most abusive, the most foul-mouthed, the most drunk, the most drug-abusing people in Europe. Add top of the division for teenage pregnancies; teen abortions; teenage single mothers; venereal disease; divorce; child abuse; yobbery; and vandalism without hindrance” .
http://www.express.co.uk/ourcomments/view/137074
Is this linked to a sense of US and THEM ? Can moving Pinewood Studios brand to the provinces, to the centre, really make a difference, a real regeneration and transformation.
We think it will make all the difference. Energy and emotion can not be squashed. Neither can creativity. They become positive or negative. Some people have suggested that we see this Pinewood Studios issue and the expansion of film making facilities to every county in the UK as “a battle between good and evil”. In many ways we do.
Jonathan Stuart-Brown
www.savethebritishfilmindustry.com
Moving Pinewood Studios expansion to The West Midlands is FINE
Moving the Pinewood Studios brand to EVERY county in The UK is a BRIGDE TOO FAR
Pinwood runs a studio NOT a employment project
I rejoice you support moving the expansion to The West Midlands. This in itself makes it much more accessible to over half of The UK population.
“Pinewood runs a studio”…if only it did.
Well it runs a factory facility for hire. It does NOT put money into making films, i.e. financing production NOR does it arrange getting the products into shops, i.e. getting films into cinemas also known as distribution.
It is totally dependent on film financiers to rent its facilities for the films they want to make AND can only compete on price, capacity and quality. SO the more options of cheaper the better for them in competing for medium, low and micro budget. The more capacity the better viz market share. As regards quality this will increase dramatically outside the tiny pool of the UK they presently occupy.
Pinewood has in the last few decades, is now and intends to be financed heavily by the public purse while disguising it brilliantly. This public purse money comes from every county in The UK.
A pure studio finances manufacturing, organises distribution to retailers and takes the profits to finance more and better product.
Pinewood finances nothing. If the financiers will not use its factory facilities, it is just a warehouse. There are much better warehouses in every county in the UK.
If Pinewood had entered film finance in the last 15 golden years of consumer demand for for cinema products THEN fine. BUT it did not.
The reason they will move the expansion to Birmingham and The West Midlands is that they follow the subsidies.
They have a BRANDNAME which dazzles and inspires.
It is a fair exchange.
They run an empty studio
We will see what next week brings us.
http://www.savethebritishfilmindustry.com/2010/09/aruna-shields-is-the-new-angelina-jolie-and-a-must-for-the-next-007-james-bond-movie/
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Pinewood-Shepperton-Film-Studios-To-Build-Film-Studio-In-Malaysia-To-Make-Films-For-China-And-India/Article/200912315501803
http://www.savethebritishfilmindustry.com/please-pray-for-the-peace-and-prosperity-of-jerusalem/