CSB has been working for months on an exciting project with film journalist Andrew Urban of Urbancinefile. We’re interviewing film and television practitioners about their business experiences.
Our aim is to develop a deeper understanding about the history of business decision-making in film and television and to share with our audience the wisdom from the accumulated mistakes, experiments and achievements of the contributors.
Geoff Watson - biography
Geoff recently stepped down as the Managing Director of Flying Bark Productions (formerly Yoram Gross EM.TV). Prior to this role he was General Manager and a Director of Yoram Gross-EM.TV for 5 years. Before that he was the head of business affairs.
Geoff was also the founder and Managing Director of Forest Interactive, a creative multimedia production company, now wholly owned by EM.TV (Germany). He has and continues to be Managing Director and a shareholder of Trackdown Digital and Trackdown Scoring Stage, a recording studio complex that provides full audio production services for film, TV, multimedia and music recording, a position Geoff has held for over 20 years.
With over 20 years association with the entertainment industry, Geoff has had dealings with broadcasters, distributors and licensees worldwide on a regular basis, as well as with international co-production partners. Geoff has overseen the transformation of Yoram Gross-EM.TV from being an animation studio to a multi-format production company; this has included the production of over 200 hours of animation and live action over the last 5 years. Most recently he has overseen the development of a new mobile phone content delivery technology called Mobistax.
Audio download
Chapter 1 - The genesis and growth of Trackdown - 10 minutes
- Started in a band, created rehearsal space
- Rented out to other bands, expanded to 5 spaces
- Set up band studio
- Stumbled into niche, took advantage
- Moved into film and TV music – to stay viable
- Joined forces with Iva Davies of Icehouse and Yoram Gross Studio
- Thinking outside the technology square
Video downloads
Chapter 2 - Expansion - 19 minutes
- Working capital, expansion, move to Fox
- Financing studio equipment
- Business plan
- Yoram Gross Studios buys out Iva Davies’ share
- Moment of serendipity – empty space perfect for scoring stage
- Tested with orchestra and forward finance planning
- A long wish list
- Market assessment
- US studios prefer recording outside US
- The last piece of the filmmaking infrastructure puzzle
- Renovation biggest cost - $2 million budget, $3 million actual
- US $ vs AU $ changes impact
- Convincing studios what we can do it
- Took 2 years to gain trust
- Getting network of orchestras
- Happy Feet put us firmly on the map
- Using space for events – eg Spider-Man launch
- Movie score creates other work
Video downloads
Chapter 3 - Happy Feet - 10 minutes
- Happy Feet as a business driver
- Recording dancing, voices, etc
- International real time link for voice recording
- Music supervision and music editing
- Negotiating the fees – no template, build in contingencies
- Costs increase 50%
- Core staff of 6, access another 6 freelance
- Set aside 5% for marketing – it’s a small market
- Satisfied customers are our ads
- Baz Luhrmann and Phil Noyce looking to use Trackdown
- Capacity for up to 20 films p.a.
- Australian industry budgets growing
- Top directors working here
- Next level down, mid budget, hoping to work more
- Mixing orchestra and synthesizers
Video downloads
Chapter 4 - Forest Interactive - 12 minutes
- Launching Forest Interactive (at Yoram Gross EM)
- Growing interest at that time with CD Rom
- Blinky Bill ideal subject
- Hired astrophysicist as programmer
- Went to market in Cannes, went into profit
- Expanded to other Yoram Gross characters
- CD Rom market declined – moved into DVD board games
- Found experts to help us; one creative, one business
- Financed development ($50,000 - $80,000), went to market
- Atmosphear sold 500,000 units – 200% profit zone
- Sequel now launched, feature film in development
Video downloads
