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Biography
Frances-Anne Solomon has made a considerable contribution to the regional and global ?lm industry. The director, writer and producer behind A Winter Tale (2007), has a long list of credits including directing Peggy Su! (BBC Films 1997) and producing Heart Beat (Bravo! 2007-2008). Frances-Anne trained in Theatre Arts at the University of Toronto, and the Lecoq School of Mime in Paris before moving to Great Britain where she built a successful professional career with the BBC as a Producer, Director and Writer. Since her return to Toronto in 2000, she has continued to create, direct, write and produce television and ?lm projects through her own company, Leda Serene Films. In 2002, she established CaribbeanTales, an innovative multimedia not- for-pro?t that promotes and celebrates the rich tradition of Caribbean-heritage storytelling through a variety of multimedia products, including an annual CaribbeanTales ?lm festival and marketplace. CaribbeanTales Wordwide Distribution Inc. was established in May 2010 to provide a platform for Caribbean-themed ?lm and television content in the international marketplace. Known for her savvy way of addressing controversial and taboo subjects in our society, Frances-Anne's ?lms deal with race, class, sexuality and violence from a Caribbean and Diasporic perspective.
with a familiarity with developing global digital technology. Given the transformations in the global industry, (e.g - technological changes, global economic recession) where do you see your business going in the next 2-3 years? Endogenous television production has only one future: State subsidy and/or larger markets. The regional and local markets cannot sustain production above a certain quality. To achieve higher production values Caribbean ?lm and television has to enter a larger market to access a more sustainable revenue base. The ?rst and most obvious expansion is into the Caribbean diaspora in North America and Europe. A lot of hot air has been generated by this over the years but no one has achieved it. We believe this is because until Gayelle no one has generated suf?cient original Caribbean content. Gayelle does and the region is on the verge of a ?ood of amateur generated content taking advantage of the new technologies. We would expect within 2-3 years to have Gayelle available to cable viewers in these markets. If we are successful in this it is possible that Caribbean production can be sustained beyond a period of novelty and become an accepted presence in world television. What are the key lessons that you have learnt from working in the industry that new entrants should know? Entering the world of television or ?lm production is increasingly easy as the technology is more and more accessible. Earning a living and sustaining one’s efforts is correspondingly increasingly dif?cult. Without signi?cant funding and access to new and bigger markets new entrants will not be able to sustain themselves ?nancially and the industry will not be able to absorb the ?ood of graduates from the ?lms schools.
If the audiovisual sector in your country was granted US $10 million, over a 3-5 year period, what should be done with it? There is no doubt that market penetration is key to the sustainability of a growing economic sector. There are two areas to which funds should be directed: production and distribution. Production needs to be subsidised to improve production values and build local competence. This would increase the marketability of both the products and the services in the regional industry. If say, $3 or $4 million US was put in a feature ?lm fund it could conceivably produce ?ve or six feature ?lms of quality – many more than has emerged from the region in decades. Five good features from the region in a ?ve year period would attract tremendous attention and funding for future production. There is no doubt that the Caribbean Diaspora is thirsty for access to Caribbean content. There are many ways being developed to deliver such content but the business infrastructure to give the Caribbean some measure of control over distribution and marketing of its content is almost non existent and where it may exist is still in the realm of the ‘hustle’ rather than credible organisation based on sound business principles and expertise. Development of the Diaspora market is only a step towards a presence on the wider global market as production values improve.
Christopher Laird - Gayelle
Biography
Christopher Laird, has been a teacher, published the arts journal Kairi and ran a theatre in Port of Spain during the 1970s. He has produced over 300 documentaries, dramas and other video productions with Banyan Ltd. over the past 30 years garnering a score of national, regional and international awards.
What innovations have your company brought to the industry in recent years? GAYELLE completely opened up the television environment in the Caribbean by showing that 100% local content on television is feasible and welcome. In doing this within the limitations of the present market Gayelle had to pioneer the use of appropriate technology, new production work?ows and techniques and also a new relationship with the television audience – all developed from an indigenous base and intimacy with Caribbean culture combined
Volume 1 September - November 2010
How was your company ?nanced in the He has overseen the establishment of what is initial stages and what are your key sources arguably the world’s largest collection of Caribbean culture on video in the Caribbean of income now? Film and Video Archive. He is now CEO of Gayelle was ?nanced in the early stages by Gayelle: The Channel, the region’s ?rst all four sponsors who each put up $300,000TT to Caribbean free to air television station which be associated with the station over the ?rst year. This was enough to purchase a he co-founded with Errol Fabien in 2003. In transmitter and basic equipment to start 2009 Christopher was awarded an Honorary operations. Lack of proper capitalisation has Doctorate from the University of the West dogged us ever since and become most telling Indies as competition suddenly arose inspired by our example and as the recession hit. Most of all we have been ?nanced by a mixture of sponsorship, airtime sales and the enthusiasm and sweat equity of those that work with Gayelle.
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