Gov't seals deal with Rocksteady filmmakers
Steven Jackson, Observer Staff Reporter
Friday, July 04, 2008
The Jamaican government has imposed a number of conditionalities to the filmmakers GRTR INC, in order to ensure that the island benefits from the Rocksteady documentary.
The filmmakers have guaranteed government a percentage of the gross sales and conditional distributor rights. They also agreed to pay the artistes merchandising royalties and to premiere the film in Jamaica or transport stakeholders worldwide to the premiere.
The government, as part of its guarantee, had organised last month's concert at the National Indoor stadium, during which musicians were flown in including: Dawn Penn (No No No) from London; singer Hopeton Lewis (Take it Easy) from New York; and guitarist Hux Brown (The Dynamites) from California.
Although the documentary is not expected to be a blockbuster, culture minister Olivia Babsy Grange said that the principle was important and reflected government policy: "I am determined that under my administration, my leadership, every film that is made in Jamaica if its even one percent gross (of what it) generates overseas, something will come back to Jamaica."
Stakeholders have long been vexed of Jamaica's inability to capitalise on the potential earnings from its indigenous culture and music. For instance a United Nations/UNCTAD sponsored study estimated that of the US$1.2 billion in world-wide annual reggae sales, a decade ago, only US$300 million went to Jamaican artistes, musicians and stakeholders. The study added that an additional US$150 million was earned from concert tours, ancillary merchandise and production services.
So, with this in context, Grange spoke to a crowd of music stakeholders on International Reggae Day in Kingston.
"A group came in to do the story of Rocksteady, and they asked for support. I said, 'we will give you all the support you need. We will stage the event and we will share in the proceeds that will be generated from this documentary'," said Grange to a gathering at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel. "So we negotiated a percentage of the gross, we also negotiated that the premiere be in Jamaica. And to ensure that we get the money, they had to agree that the distributor pays direct to us and not through them. We are also ensured that within that agreement they would have to negotiate separately with the performers for a royalty of all merchandising. We have negotiated where, if in two years if they don't release the film in the Caribbean, we also have rights for the Caribbean. We also negotiated that the premiere be in Jamaica, and if it's not in Jamaica that they involve the Jamaican government and the artistes located in Jamaica and take them to wherever the premiere is being held. We have negotiated many little things in there to ensure that whatever happens to this film that we be a part of it and we would have a piece of the action," she declared.
Rocksteady, a musical form which emanated from a slowing down of the ska beat, was popularised in the 60s with hits such as One Love, No No No, The Tide is High, By the Rivers of Babylon and many other musical gems.
The documentary is to be entitled Get Ready to Rocksteady.
Steven Jackson, Observer Staff Reporter
Friday, July 04, 2008
The Jamaican government has imposed a number of conditionalities to the filmmakers GRTR INC, in order to ensure that the island benefits from the Rocksteady documentary.
The filmmakers have guaranteed government a percentage of the gross sales and conditional distributor rights. They also agreed to pay the artistes merchandising royalties and to premiere the film in Jamaica or transport stakeholders worldwide to the premiere.
The government, as part of its guarantee, had organised last month's concert at the National Indoor stadium, during which musicians were flown in including: Dawn Penn (No No No) from London; singer Hopeton Lewis (Take it Easy) from New York; and guitarist Hux Brown (The Dynamites) from California.
Although the documentary is not expected to be a blockbuster, culture minister Olivia Babsy Grange said that the principle was important and reflected government policy: "I am determined that under my administration, my leadership, every film that is made in Jamaica if its even one percent gross (of what it) generates overseas, something will come back to Jamaica."
Stakeholders have long been vexed of Jamaica's inability to capitalise on the potential earnings from its indigenous culture and music. For instance a United Nations/UNCTAD sponsored study estimated that of the US$1.2 billion in world-wide annual reggae sales, a decade ago, only US$300 million went to Jamaican artistes, musicians and stakeholders. The study added that an additional US$150 million was earned from concert tours, ancillary merchandise and production services.
So, with this in context, Grange spoke to a crowd of music stakeholders on International Reggae Day in Kingston.
"A group came in to do the story of Rocksteady, and they asked for support. I said, 'we will give you all the support you need. We will stage the event and we will share in the proceeds that will be generated from this documentary'," said Grange to a gathering at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel. "So we negotiated a percentage of the gross, we also negotiated that the premiere be in Jamaica. And to ensure that we get the money, they had to agree that the distributor pays direct to us and not through them. We are also ensured that within that agreement they would have to negotiate separately with the performers for a royalty of all merchandising. We have negotiated where, if in two years if they don't release the film in the Caribbean, we also have rights for the Caribbean. We also negotiated that the premiere be in Jamaica, and if it's not in Jamaica that they involve the Jamaican government and the artistes located in Jamaica and take them to wherever the premiere is being held. We have negotiated many little things in there to ensure that whatever happens to this film that we be a part of it and we would have a piece of the action," she declared.
Rocksteady, a musical form which emanated from a slowing down of the ska beat, was popularised in the 60s with hits such as One Love, No No No, The Tide is High, By the Rivers of Babylon and many other musical gems.
The documentary is to be entitled Get Ready to Rocksteady.
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