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.
Frank Cox - biography
Frank Cox is the co-founder and co-owner of Melbourne’s Kino Dendy Cinemas, and a driving force behind two of Australia’s most successful independent distributors, NewVision Film Distributors (est. 1983) and Hopscotch Films (est. 2002).
Through NewVision, Cox imported and marketed over three hundred features and introduced the Australian public to a large number of landmark films. Hopscotch Films, formed as a partnership with Troy Lum and Sandie Don, has enjoyed tremendous critical and commercial success, and has gone on to expand into DVD distribution.
Over the years Cox has been involved in supporting and developing new talent within Australia, including co-producing the seminal hits Love and Other Catastrophes and Better Than Sex. 2006 saw the launch of Hopscotch Productions, dedicated to producing quality content across all delivery platforms.
Audio download
Chapter 1 - Early days - 12 minutes
- Starting out as a rock promoter in 1971
- Bought first film in 1976 – made money, more music films
- Losses after John Lennon’s death, new directions
- Looked at arthouse- acquired Mephisto before its award wins
Video downloads
Chapter 2 - A growing business - 9 minutes
- Mephisto a box office hit
- Started practice of paying overages – good for business
- Relationships critical
- Business grew, staff grew
- Regular and complete reports on film performance
Video downloads
Chapter 3 - Trial and error - 8 minutes
- Trial and error process, no scientific rules
- Acquired films that meant something to me
- Not always profitable
- Always analyse your failures
- Wanted to introduce new directors, eg Coen Brothers, Steven Soderbergh, Jim Jarmusch, Mike Leigh, Gus van Sant
- Expanded with theatrical deal with Virgin
Video downloads
Chapter 4 - Hopscotch - 10 minutes
- Forming new distribution company, Hopscotch with Troy Lum
- Got lucky start with Bowling for Columbine
- Hopscotch structure
- Started involvement in production
Video downloads
Chapter 5 - Necessity and negotiation - 13 minutes
- Exhibition – a natural extension of distribution (Kino)
- Never able to expand into exhibition
- Learnt how to negotiate
- Necessity made me hungry
- Father was best mentor: be honest, pay people
- Luck a big thing; the harder you work, the luckier you get
Video downloads
