Post by Teddy Bear on Aug 4, 2013 16:10:04 GMT
Most people reading this and aware themselves of BBC output would have had the thought
'BBC chiefs wouldn't know a good show if it hit them in the face'.
Now it's official.
The new director general Tony Hall asked his friend, an award winning film maker, to advise him about why he thought the existing BBC process in selecting new programmes yielded less than desired results.
His friend, Tony Palmer, didn't hold back and pronounced a damning verdict on the BBC bureaucrats who controlled what was accepted.
'The rudeness and arrogance of many of your commissioning editors beggars belief', and warns that creativity is being stifled by a culture of ‘arrogance’ among commissioners of arts programmes, who prefer form-filling to film-making.
He also observed - ‘An invitation to pitch [ideas] is just box-ticking,’ he said. ‘Some idiot – probably paid £200,000 a year – has devised this, and some idiot – also paid £200,000 – is checking it.’
So far Tony Hall has not commented on this scathing feedback but his spokesman said: ‘The BBC has a rigorous commissioning process and all producers are asked to pitch in the same way so that everyone has an equal opportunity to put forward ideas. This is an extremely successful system.’
Clearly not! But if the BBC knew what success really was they wouldn't have needed the opinion of Tony Palmer.
'BBC chiefs wouldn't know a good show if it hit them in the face'.
Now it's official.
The new director general Tony Hall asked his friend, an award winning film maker, to advise him about why he thought the existing BBC process in selecting new programmes yielded less than desired results.
His friend, Tony Palmer, didn't hold back and pronounced a damning verdict on the BBC bureaucrats who controlled what was accepted.
'The rudeness and arrogance of many of your commissioning editors beggars belief', and warns that creativity is being stifled by a culture of ‘arrogance’ among commissioners of arts programmes, who prefer form-filling to film-making.
He also observed - ‘An invitation to pitch [ideas] is just box-ticking,’ he said. ‘Some idiot – probably paid £200,000 a year – has devised this, and some idiot – also paid £200,000 – is checking it.’
So far Tony Hall has not commented on this scathing feedback but his spokesman said: ‘The BBC has a rigorous commissioning process and all producers are asked to pitch in the same way so that everyone has an equal opportunity to put forward ideas. This is an extremely successful system.’
Clearly not! But if the BBC knew what success really was they wouldn't have needed the opinion of Tony Palmer.
'BBC chiefs wouldn't know a good show if it hit them in the face': Film-maker's damning verdict after new director general asks him for tips on rescuing arts coverage
By Dalya Alberge
An award-winning film-maker has launched a blistering attack on BBC bureaucrats who treat experienced producers like beginners and would not know a good programme ‘if it hit them in the face’.
Tony Palmer, who has made dozens of acclaimed films, warns that creativity is being stifled by a culture of ‘arrogance’ among commissioners of arts programmes, who prefer form-filling to film-making.
Mr Palmer made the comments after being asked by his friend Tony Hall, the BBC’s new director-general, to prepare a brief on what is wrong with the BBC’s arts department.
The written response could not have been more scathing. Mr Palmer wrote: ‘I speak on behalf of legions of hard-pressed independent producers. The rudeness and arrogance of many of your commissioning editors beggars belief.
‘I could give countless examples of phone calls made, letters written, emails sent, which are ignored – my experience is common to every single independent [film-maker] I know, and that’s lots.
‘The present lot give the impression, at least in the arts, that they couldn’t care less, except if it reflects well on them.’
He finished his diatribe by saying: ‘Along with most people I know we are all hoping you rescue the place, so GOOD LUCK!!!’
Mr Palmer has been showered with Baftas and international awards for his films on arts figures. His 1983 production on composer Richard Wagner, starring Richard Burton, was described by the Los Angeles Times as ‘one of the most beautiful films ever made’.
Mr Palmer sent the letter a few weeks ago. The director-general has reassured him: ‘I’m doing my best.’
Ironically, Mr Palmer has since received a routine invitation from the Corporation that he judged so patronising he opted not to attend the event in question.
The invitation, to a general meeting on how to pitch factual ideas to BBC commissioning editors, advised recipients to ‘think about the audience’.
Mr Palmer said the main criteria for commissioning a programme used to be whether the film-maker could convey passion for the subject, but now the BBC relies too heavily on focus groups.
Creativity is further stifled by form-filling. Mr Palmer said he was asked on one form if he understood the relationship between the BBC Trust and BBC management. He was not able to submit it until he ticked ‘yes’.
‘An invitation to pitch [ideas] is just box-ticking,’ he said. ‘Some idiot – probably paid £200,000 a year – has devised this, and some idiot – also paid £200,000 – is checking it.’
He described Lord Hall as ‘the best hope they’ve got’, but added: ‘I just hope he doesn’t get overwhelmed by the size of the problem.’
Lord Hall was unavailable for comment, but his spokesman said: ‘The BBC has a rigorous commissioning process and all producers are asked to pitch in the same way so that everyone has an equal opportunity to put forward ideas. This is an extremely successful system.’
Mr Palmer also criticised Sky Arts for its handling of two recent films of his. He is furious that editors cut political content from Falls The Shadow: The Life And Times Of Athol Fugard.
He has also been told that Sky wants to edit the anti-war content of Nocturne, his new film on Benjamin Britten. The public can at least see the film at the National Film Theatre on September 2.
A Sky spokesman insisted that any changes to Nocturne will ‘comply with Ofcom guidelines’.
- Tony Palmer was asked for advisor by new director general Tony Hall
- He described the BBC's commissioning editors as 'rude and arrogant'
By Dalya Alberge
An award-winning film-maker has launched a blistering attack on BBC bureaucrats who treat experienced producers like beginners and would not know a good programme ‘if it hit them in the face’.
Tony Palmer, who has made dozens of acclaimed films, warns that creativity is being stifled by a culture of ‘arrogance’ among commissioners of arts programmes, who prefer form-filling to film-making.
Mr Palmer made the comments after being asked by his friend Tony Hall, the BBC’s new director-general, to prepare a brief on what is wrong with the BBC’s arts department.
The written response could not have been more scathing. Mr Palmer wrote: ‘I speak on behalf of legions of hard-pressed independent producers. The rudeness and arrogance of many of your commissioning editors beggars belief.
‘I could give countless examples of phone calls made, letters written, emails sent, which are ignored – my experience is common to every single independent [film-maker] I know, and that’s lots.
‘The present lot give the impression, at least in the arts, that they couldn’t care less, except if it reflects well on them.’
He finished his diatribe by saying: ‘Along with most people I know we are all hoping you rescue the place, so GOOD LUCK!!!’
Mr Palmer has been showered with Baftas and international awards for his films on arts figures. His 1983 production on composer Richard Wagner, starring Richard Burton, was described by the Los Angeles Times as ‘one of the most beautiful films ever made’.
Mr Palmer sent the letter a few weeks ago. The director-general has reassured him: ‘I’m doing my best.’
Ironically, Mr Palmer has since received a routine invitation from the Corporation that he judged so patronising he opted not to attend the event in question.
The invitation, to a general meeting on how to pitch factual ideas to BBC commissioning editors, advised recipients to ‘think about the audience’.
Mr Palmer said the main criteria for commissioning a programme used to be whether the film-maker could convey passion for the subject, but now the BBC relies too heavily on focus groups.
Creativity is further stifled by form-filling. Mr Palmer said he was asked on one form if he understood the relationship between the BBC Trust and BBC management. He was not able to submit it until he ticked ‘yes’.
‘An invitation to pitch [ideas] is just box-ticking,’ he said. ‘Some idiot – probably paid £200,000 a year – has devised this, and some idiot – also paid £200,000 – is checking it.’
He described Lord Hall as ‘the best hope they’ve got’, but added: ‘I just hope he doesn’t get overwhelmed by the size of the problem.’
Lord Hall was unavailable for comment, but his spokesman said: ‘The BBC has a rigorous commissioning process and all producers are asked to pitch in the same way so that everyone has an equal opportunity to put forward ideas. This is an extremely successful system.’
Mr Palmer also criticised Sky Arts for its handling of two recent films of his. He is furious that editors cut political content from Falls The Shadow: The Life And Times Of Athol Fugard.
He has also been told that Sky wants to edit the anti-war content of Nocturne, his new film on Benjamin Britten. The public can at least see the film at the National Film Theatre on September 2.
A Sky spokesman insisted that any changes to Nocturne will ‘comply with Ofcom guidelines’.