Iluminace 2019, 31(2):25-44 | DOI: 10.58193/ilu.1618
The Beginning of a New Era. Creating a Stable Background of Documentary Production for Cinemas in the Czech Republic
- Masarykova univerzita
This text focuses on the results of a study of production strategies of documentary films shown in cinemas in Czech Republic from 2012 to the 2016. The year 2012 is determined as the beginning of the monitored period because at that time the new Czech Film Fund was established; therefore, the state support of film industry was finally stabilized.
The analysis revolves around the relationships Czech production companies and producers have with all the (mostly public) institutions dedicated to documentary production, such as Czech Film Fund, Czech Television, and HBO Europe. For this purpose, a method based on semi-structured interviews with producers, economic/industrial analysis, and contextual analysis of documents dealing with the production process of Czech documentary films was applied.
Based on the analysis, it is possible to declare that Czech producers are dependent on the Czech Film Fund - only one of the producers could imagine how to make a film without its support. HBO Europe is perceived as a more respected partner for coproduction than the Czech Television and all the producers are aware of possible higher demands related with the cooperation with HBO Europe. Crucially, the producers realize that the most important thing is the film's subject matter, and therefore they do not adjust it to the requirements of the respective institutions, or even to potential spectators.
Keywords: documentary film, production analysis, production strategy of documentary film, The Czech Film Fund
Published: June 1, 2019 Show citation
References
- John Caldwell, Production Culture: Industrial Reflexivity and Critical Practice in Film and Television. Durham: Duke University Press 2008.
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