Sounds good to me.
Though I wonder what they'll do with movies like "All is Lost" which has literally 1 dude (Robert Redford) in it. Whether it would be straight up disqualified or if they'll look at some movies on a case-by-case basis.
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Bafta changes criteria for two awards to increase diversity
- Thread starter Enzom21
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Sounds good to me.
Though I wonder what they'll do with movies like "All is Lost" which has literally 1 dude (Robert Redford) in it. Whether it would be straight up disqualified or if they'll look at some movies on a case-by-case basis.
Charles Brandon
Member
Thanks. If I was the producer and I wanted to get round this with minimum effort, socio-economic status looks like the easiest way to do it.
Messofanego
Banned
You have to take the production crew into account even if the cast is small, and even then sizes of less than 25 get an exception.
triplestation
Member
Good luck Terrence malick!
Messofanego
Banned
The most British of filmmakers!
If this causes just one film to go outside the industry bubble when hiring, does it really matter?
People who immediately react negatively to news like this often fail to realise it most likely applies to them too. This country has massive amounts of classism, and the arts/entertainment is one of the worst offenders. I don't know anything about you, but it's highly likely you do not fit the profile (are you upper-middle class? went to the right schools? is your family already connected/experienced in the industry?) to break into film should you ever want to.
This country has gotten very good at making the average man on the street fight against his interests under the guise of "political correctness gone mad".
triplestation
Member
LmaoShh I'm just waiting for Wes Anderson fans to come in
Prototype Viktor
Member
JonStewart.gif
Charles Brandon
Member
Good points, well made. No it doesn't matter and yes this probably will have a positive effect. I imagine any wrinkles will be ironed out.
Having said that I am a white, privately-educated, upper-middle-class male with connections to the film industry so this stuff is designed to fuck me over. Fortunately I have no interest in working in film so I don't care. Also I'm not a cunt.
Yeah, speaking as a Scott I don't have the confidence in British infrastructure to believe that.
I clicked the link about the small crew exception but couldn't find the specific Q/A answer in the PDF. Doesn't really matter I guess, being disqualified for an award doesn't infringe on anybodies rights to make an all white man movie if they wished. The BAFTA's can do as they like.
MikeHattsu
Member
It's on the upper right on page 7 in this document:
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org...fi-diversity-standards-faqs-2016-05-11-v1.pdf
Alright, cool. I figured they'd have a rule like that because it's probably what I'd do if I were making these rules.
CyclopsRock
Member
This seems so hard to avoid filling already that it's a wonder why they even brought it in at all. Quite aside from anything, the majority of producers are already women.
This thread is going to be split between those reading detail of OP and those who don't I suspect.
Anyway bold move indeed. Not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand there's nothing wrong with encouraging diversity and for those categories I can see the goal of pushing for new talent and British centric films to embrace diversity.
On the other hand I'm worried it could be limiting and too much positive discrimination - although that will depend on how its applied. For example what about a film set in a time period/location that would preclude diversity?
Overall I think the better option would be to have clause allowing films that obviously whitewash, etc. to be disqualified from lists but let's see how it pans out. There's a while to go before it hits as policy.
Anyway bold move indeed. Not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand there's nothing wrong with encouraging diversity and for those categories I can see the goal of pushing for new talent and British centric films to embrace diversity.
On the other hand I'm worried it could be limiting and too much positive discrimination - although that will depend on how its applied. For example what about a film set in a time period/location that would preclude diversity?
Overall I think the better option would be to have clause allowing films that obviously whitewash, etc. to be disqualified from lists but let's see how it pans out. There's a while to go before it hits as policy.
Messofanego
Banned
Are only white people writers?
Discotheque
Banned
Even if you could argue that perhaps it would be tough on certain areas to hire diverse ethnicities this rule also takes into account gender too
And if you don't have at least one woman in your crew at the least then you must be living in some fantasy polar opposite of Amazonian territory
And if you don't have at least one woman in your crew at the least then you must be living in some fantasy polar opposite of Amazonian territory
NHarmonic.
Member
Read the article, diversity in the film crew works too.
Sarcastic Poster
Member
David Mamet is lucky he didn't come up in Britain today. Glengarry Glen Ross wouldn't have fared well.
I'd rather they not publicize it. I mean, you're a critic award no? Then don't write it out, just never give out awards to those production you feel are not pushing toward inclusivity. Putting numbers and hard rules just make so you can be attacked for them because of some exception that will always exist, especially in such a context about "art" and not plain work.
If this get mud-dragged to hell and back you can certain that they'll have to revise it in shape or form, and people saying things that are not true about this will eventually become so. Perception for those things is extremely important, especially now where a lot of people have been convinced by "certain" propaganda.
EDIT: that part about historical settings is so tone-deaf it hurts jesus. Sigh. I guess i'm becoming and old man yelling at clouds. How do those people even work in real life, do they never have to compromise? Or just ignore everything? Like, there's nothing in between.
If this get mud-dragged to hell and back you can certain that they'll have to revise it in shape or form, and people saying things that are not true about this will eventually become so. Perception for those things is extremely important, especially now where a lot of people have been convinced by "certain" propaganda.
EDIT: that part about historical settings is so tone-deaf it hurts jesus. Sigh. I guess i'm becoming and old man yelling at clouds. How do those people even work in real life, do they never have to compromise? Or just ignore everything? Like, there's nothing in between.
No, but most movies have 1 or 2 writers, so it doesn't really make sense to talk about diversity on a movie by movie basis, more in a general industry wide basis.
Wuthering_Heights
Banned
BAFTA1: Wow, that film might be the most powerful, inspiring film I've ever seen in my life.
BAFTA2: Nevermind all that. Does the cast and crew meet our minimum percentage of underrepresented peoples requirements?
BAFTA1: Well, no, but..
BAFTA2: Throw it away.
BAFTA2: Nevermind all that. Does the cast and crew meet our minimum percentage of underrepresented peoples requirements?
BAFTA1: Well, no, but..
BAFTA2: Throw it away.
Ok looked it up https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_the_United_Kingdom
It's higher than I thought as the UK is over 87% white.
The census, it's a lot more diverse in London and the Midlands.
It's actually not all that hard to hire women or people from a lower socio economic background. As discussed in this thread, non-white is a bit more of a challenge for some areas in the UK, but there's no shortage of women or underprivileged people.
"too much positive discrimination" is a laughable concern, especially if you know anything about this industry.
Also, I don't think you read the OP either? This applies to behind-the-camera too, so period set productions could easily navigate it.
and:
this. If anything, the categories are too lax. But it's a good, symbolic message to the industry.
That is a silly point.
Anyway since it includes the crew behind the camera and is probably aimed at bigger productions, i dont see it getting in the creative process' way, not significantly.
Plus it seems like "diversity" includes a lot of stuff, by their standards.
Yeah I'm in Nottingham so that would explain the feeling of dissonance.
I'd hate to live in a city or town that isn't diverse,maybe if film companies set up shop in places with more diversity then it'd would help the industry as a whole. The over reliance on London (edit: upper middle class London) is telling
Huw_Dawson
Member
So does this include production staff or just actors and themes?
B-B-Bomba!
Member
I think this is a positive move to cement our society and all its endeavours as being more diverse and inclusive for the future. In the short term this may be painful, and cause projects with high artistic merit to be ineligible for certain awards. They unfortunately fall foul of being at the tail end of a worse system and the transition to something better. Easy for me to say but if it was my passion project involved I would probably be livid. However, dispassionately, and thinking long term, I think this is great.
Charles Brandon
Member
it's 87% white not 87% white British, although the white British figure I would guess would not be that much lower, depending on how you define British. The census doesn't categorise in those terms. There is a section for "national identity" but only 7% of people identified as having a national identity that wasn't at least partly British, English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish, which leads one to conclude that many non-white people consider themselves to have least a partial UK national identity.
I find in the US there's a propensity for everyone to aspire to be middle class; it's endemic of the American dream, perhaps.
Here, to be 'lower class', or working class, isn't something to really be ashamed of. Even at my University, which is a member of the prestigious Russell Group and where over a quarter of students were privately educated growing up, you'll find students who are proud of have come from nothing. After I graduate I'll probably be earning enough to economically be considered middle class, but I'll still label myself as working class. It's the situation I grew up in, and I can never forget that.
As an example related to film, I don't film something like 'I, Daniel Blake' would find the acclaim and success in the US it found here.
I might be wrong though, I'm just basing my opinions off what I've seen Americans say and write in person and online.
Diprosalic
Banned
There goes my hope of winning a bafta with my one man project.
i'm not british
This could be a nice summation of why the UK is falling apart. Fits all requirements of the cancerous mentality:
1. Assumes to know what problem X is
2. So sure their opinion on X is correct, they don't take the time to read up on it
3. But has the time to mock it, because 'PC society' is the root of our problems.
Yup. It's such a twisted, biased, gross simplification of the information being presented it really is depressing.
No... But if you're a white male writer who would like to compete for the "Outstanding debut" award, it seems you would have to either
1) Make sure your debut movie has enough minority characters in the story to qualify or
2) Hope that the studio which produces the movie hires enough minorities behind the camera, which you have no control over
Former.
If it was that powerful of a film it would likely not need the BAFTA, this is an institution looking to inspire positive change by making a hard decision. The Oscars could stand to learn a thing or two to be honest
His Majesty
Banned
is this BAFTA in any way related to the BAFTA that awarded Fallout 4 GOTY 2015?
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