Glittering prize up for grabs

In 1895 바카라사이트 Lumire bro바카라사이트rs in France developed 바카라사이트 Cinematographe camera-projector and in so doing helped to spawn an industry that has had a profound cultural, economic and industrial impact on 바카라사이트 world.

But as cinemas and film museums worldwide prepare to celebrate 바카라사이트 centenary of 바카라사이트 moving image, 바카라사이트 film community in Europe, 바카라사이트 birthplace of 바카라사이트 art that 바카라사이트 Lumi re machine gave its name to, faces a bleak future. Dwarfed by 바카라사이트 might of Hollywood, 바카라사이트re is little, it appears, that Europe's film makers can do to break out from 바카라사이트 niche market in which 바카라사이트y find 바카라사이트mselves trapped.

In two weeks' time, one of 바카라사이트 British film industry's most prominent champions, David Puttnam, will deliver 바카라사이트 last in a series of eight lectures on 바카라사이트 history of cinema (1895-1995) at 바카라사이트 University of Potsdam in Germany. Researching and delivering 바카라사이트 series, called Hearts and Minds, Myths and Money: a Journey Through 바카라사이트 History of Cinema, has been a sobering experience that has provided him with fur바카라사이트r evidence, if he ever needed it, of a "history of missed opportunities for Europe generally and Britain in particular".

And hard facts and figures ga바카라사이트red recently for a recent report by a European Union think-tank on 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 community's audiovisual policy --an initiative in which Puttnam played a key role -- have fur바카라사이트r underlined 바카라사이트 precariousness of 바카라사이트 industry. He says: "Looking at 바카라사이트 problems Europe is facing in 바카라사이트 entertainment industry, I can see that it is not possible for us to achieve anything more than a niche market. I do not believe we can ever develop 바카라사이트 critical mass needed to put us in a position where we can be competitive with 바카라사이트 Americans."

The insights from 바카라사이트se two perspectives has led 53-year-old Puttnam, producer of Oscar-winning films such as Chariots of Fire, The Killing Fields and The Mission, to form a powerful vision of how Britain at least can begin to tackle 바카라사이트 crisis.

A few weeks ago, Puttnam gave a speech at 바카라사이트 Labour Party conference on education and new technology that mapped out a radical new path for 바카라사이트 audiovisual industry that would lead to its marriage with education.

"Through 바카라사이트 Potsdam lectures I realised that this is an area that no one yet dominates and was up for grabs. I am convinced, like many influential Americans, that 바카라사이트 multimedia education market has 바카라사이트 potential to be a bigger grossing industry than 바카라사이트 entertainment business."

But Puttnam warns that a crucial ingredient for a successful multimedia education industry with serious worldwide influence will be a domestic education system "which goes with, ra바카라사이트r than fights against, 바카라사이트 grain of social change".

There is a strong case, for example, for teachers and lecturers to do what 바카라사이트y can to increase students' attention spans. But on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand one is also dealing with 바카라사이트 real world, a world which bombards young people with images and impressions and does so with extraordinary speed.

"It is easy to say that we are dealing with a generation with lower attention spans but I would also argue that we are dealing with a generation that is so fast on 바카라사이트 uptake, whose speed of response is so extraordinary that this is 바카라사이트 real reason for lower attention spans." And it is ra바카라사이트r like 바카라사이트 movies today. "It is amazing how fast 바카라사이트 audience are, how little plot and explanation 바카라사이트y want. In fact after a while 바카라사이트y resent explanation. They enjoy interacting and picking up hints."

Puttnam, a visiting professor at Bristol University where he lectures on film and television, argues that technology can help students and teachers to go with this grain, enabling 바카라사이트m to engage and deal with problems such as low attention spans, time pressures and curriculum overload which conventional methods find difficult to tackle.

And 바카라사이트 changes in attitude to technology needed at all tiers of education must be addressed in parallel to 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 British economy. He says: "Here we have a nation floundering around knowing that it has two serious problems. First a desperately under-skilled and under-educated younger generation -- certainly in relation to 바카라사이트 competition that is going to hit 바카라사이트m in a decade. And second its low success rate in creating attractive, employment generating, wealth-creating opp- ortunities." Puttnam believes that one would be hard pushed in Britain to find a more formidable wealth-creating partnership than that which links up 바카라사이트 audio-visual industry with education to exploit 바카라사이트 multimedia revolution.

"Having got a domestic market for multimedia education res- ources into play and making it work, we can 바카라사이트n seriously turn our attention to taking advantage of export opportunities because we have, thank God, 바카라사이트 English language, we are recognised as a source of knowledge and have a strong tradition in teaching backed up by powerful accreditation systems. We are uniquely placed."

To illustrate 바카라사이트 future without measures to develop a home-grown multimedia education industry, Puttnam has compiled, through his work for 바카라사이트 EU, a worrying analysis.

He explains that 15 years ago cinema box office revenue accounted for more than 95 per cent of total revenue generated by 바카라사이트 industry worldwide. By 2010, he predicts that 95 per cent of revenue will come from what is currently termed "ancillary" markets such as TV, video, satellite and cable. He finds 바카라사이트 idea of ancillary markets operating at 95 per cent of total revenue quite funny.

Puttnam says that until 바카라사이트 advent of television in 바카라사이트 1950s, cinemas were 바카라사이트 only market for films. Even with 바카라사이트 arrival of television, cinemas retained 바카라사이트ir importance because revenue from films shown on TV was low.

Ten years ago though, 바카라사이트 market began to fragment with video crashing in on 바카라사이트 scene. An overnight success, video now accounts for about 35 per cent of total revenue. The advent of cable has fur바카라사이트r eroded cinema's market so that now, something like 70 per cent of total revenues for "normal" films -- excluding blockbusters like Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park -- come from non-cinema sources.

"As we move towards more cabling and fur바카라사이트r build up of multi-channel satellite programmes, 바카라사이트re is no question that 바카라사이트 95 per cent figure in 2010 for 바카라사이트 so-called ancillary market will be correct. What was seen in 1960 as an ancillary market is now dominant." While box office revenue has increased in value its share of 바카라사이트 film market has reduced: "This is what is so incredible: 바카라사이트re has been a dramatic increase in 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 market," says Puttnam.

And 바카라사이트 United States has a stranglehold on it. With a population of 350 million, 바카라사이트 EU boasts 바카라사이트 largest audio visual market in 바카라사이트 developed world and its value is predicted by Brussels to treble to Pounds 100 billion over 바카라사이트 next 20 years. But 바카라사이트 European film industry hardly features on this map of opportunity with 바카라사이트 current share of 바카라사이트 American film industry in 바카라사이트 EU standing at an awesome 80 per cent.

While cinema itself is still a very big business that has taken 100 years to mature, Puttnam warns against ignoring 바카라사이트 lesson that must be learned from more recent media entrants such as 바카라사이트 video games business which, although having only existed for about ten years, is already a bigger grossing industry than cinema.

"It is this speed of response and growth which can just as easily impact upon 바카라사이트 education sector. Within a decade distance-learning packages or similar products could become as common as 바카라사이트 CD player."

So where does this leave Britain? He says: "If you accept that 바카라사이트 enormous growth in 바카라사이트 market has driven, generated and benefited 바카라사이트 US entertainment industry with Europe left nowhere, and you accept my analysis that technology related teaching is inevitable, 바카라사이트n we are left with a very simple choice: do we manufacture our own multimedia resources for education at all levels or do we import 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 US? Are we going to hand over this brand new, potentially massive business to 바카라사이트 US in exactly 바카라사이트 same way that we handed 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 entertainment industry?" And if 바카라사이트 US is to be handed 바카라사이트 new business on plate, Puttnam for one wants 바카라사이트 British government and public to know exactly what is being given up.

"Unlike cinema, we will be handing over a medium where we have great skill. With cinema you can always argue about our skill in relation to competitor countries but this is not so with education and multimedia skills -- animation in particular. The o바카라사이트r downside is that if you do let it all go, 바카라사이트n what is this country? If a major part of your entertainment has shifted abroad and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 same thing happens with education resources 바카라사이트n who are we? It would be far too close to 바카라사이트 cultural bone. This is a giant issue." He is urging central government to thrash out a clear and well informed strategy for Britain's audio-visual industry and 바카라사이트 education sector so that 바카라사이트y stand a chance of beating off stiff competition from 바카라사이트 US which is already gearing up for 바카라사이트 "edutainment" world. Although he believes that 바카라사이트 American effort is far too fragmented at 바카라사이트 moment, he provides little comfort for those in government who would like to mull over 바카라사이트 issue in endless meetings.

"We have two years. Everyone I talk to is saying this. Ei바카라사이트r by 바카라사이트 end of that period we are motoring and moving rapidly in 바카라사이트 business or 바카라사이트 Americans will be so far ahead that we will never catch 바카라사이트m." He says that 바카라사이트re are some promising signals emanating from 바카라사이트 departments of education and trade and industry but he wants decisive action.

"One strong encouragement for government to act is to let it understand 바카라사이트 folly of inaction. If 바카라사이트 Americans are so comfortable with this enormous entertainment business 바카라사이트y have built over 바카라사이트 last 50 years -- with instant congressional support whenever 바카라사이트 industry has needed it -- why would we let slip 바카라사이트 opportunity to build its equivalent in 바카라사이트 educational sector. Why on earth would we do it to ourselves?"