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.
Nick Murray - biography
Nick Murray is the CEO of Jigsaw Entertainment and Executive Producer with Cordell Jigsaw. Over the past 14 years Nick has acted as Producer or Executive Producer of 25 productions comprising over 200 hours of television. Nick has produced such shows as the highly acclaimed cable ratings hit sitcom Stupid Stupid Man and the telemovie series BlackJack Trilogy – Murder Archive, (for Ten and BBC Worldwide). He has also been executive producer of factual series including The Two of Us (SBS), Two Men in a Tinnie (ABC), Bondi Rescue (Ten) and Sleek Geeks (ABC) and the comedy show The Ronnie Johns Half Hour (Ten)..
Prior to establishing Cordell Jigsaw, Nick was the foundation CEO of The Comedy Channel, and was instrumental in setting up ASTRA, the Pay TV industry peak body. Nick joined the Artist Services Group in 1990 and was appointed to the position of General Manager of all Group companies in 1994. He also worked at Network Ten after a period in radio and live concert promotion. Nick is a former President of the Screen Producers Association of Australia. Jigsaw was named the 2003 SPAA Independent Producer of the Year; Cordell Jigsaw was named 2006 SPAA Factual Producer of the Year.Audio download
Chapter 1 - Starting Jigsaw Entertainment - 12 minutes
- Starting Jigsaw Entertainment – treating creatives as partners
- Co-venturing with creatives was part of the business model
- Used house mortgage for working capital
- Aimed at TV production, not features
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Chapter 2 - Developing content - 13 minutes
- Selecting projects, funding development
- We meet & listen first, then develop relevant pitch
- In-house development
- Jigsaw primarily comedy-oriented, with some drama
- Cordell Jigsaw – 50/50 joint venture for factual projects
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Chapter 3 - Relationships among producers, networks and creatives - 14 minutes
- Independent producers act as filter for networks
- Networks focus on short term ratings drivers
- Critical size, managing expansion & overheads
- Still using mortgage
- Artist Services & Jigsaw – corporate culture differences
- Jigsaw enjoys good relationships with creatives & cast
- Planning ahead in TV very hard
- Mobile phones and internet clients cost expectations are unrealistically low
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Chapter 4 - Markets and measuring success - 10 minutes
- Jigsaw in the international market – formats have potential
- Relationship with distributors important
- America different – you need an agent
- Grand plan to make shows we like
- Strategic relationships with some networks
- Measuring success – creativity, happy clients & making profit
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