Today, the Commercial Film Producers of Europe (CFP-E), the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) and the Advertising Producers Association (APA) published the Universal Principles of Engagement at the World Producers Summit in Cannes, France.
In a first-of-its-kind document, the Universal Principles of Engagement will outline a recommended set of global principles for production companies and the agencies, clients and other organizations they serve to adhere to in order to ensure structure, clarity and fair practices in worldwide commercials production.
Now in its ninth year, the World Producers Summit is a fringe event held during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where 100 production company owners from around the world gather to share insights about industry affairs. Previous summits have addressed issues such as procurement, the pitching process and slow payments, but this year the discussion will transform into action.
For the first time ever, producers associations from around the world have worked on and will endorse a set of core principles aimed at establishing a foundation for producing commercials that transcends borders and is truly universal.
“We saw the same basic issues coming up over and over again and in different markets, so decided there was value in addressing those in a document that could be applied to any production market in the world,” says Matt Miller, Chief Executive of the AICP; Steve Davies, Chief Executive of the APA; and Francois Chilot, Chairman of the CFP-E. The three executives have spearheaded the initiative.
The Universal Principles of Engagement (click here for PDF) is focused on a written contract, something that exists in some territories but not in all. “The contract is beneficial to all parties because it ensures that what the production company thinks it is providing and what the agency/client thinks it is getting is the same thing, minimizing the risk of misunderstanding, costs that are in dispute and/or an unhappy client,” say Miller, Chilot and Davies.
“Other basic principles – such as an upfront payment of at least 50 percent of the budget – are vital to create a basic structure in which a production company can operate,” they continue. “As we do not have retained clients but rely on projects, the 50 percent upfront is crucial to both the fiscal survival of production companies resulting in allowing our people the space to remain passionate about producing great work and set new agendas.”
The Universal Principles have been endorsed by producers associations around the world, including (but not limited to) the AICP (US), CFP-E (Europe), APA (UK), Produzenten Allianz (Germany), APFP (France), AMFI (Mexico), APRO (Brazil), CPAT (Canada) and many others. It will be each association’s responsibility to propagate the use of the principles in its own region, although it is not essential for a company to be a member of its local association to adopt them in its business approach. Other associations will be bringing this document and philosophy back to their regions from the summit.
“Territories with the least developed production frameworks will benefit most from the Universal Principles of Engagement,” say Miller, Davies and Chilot. “However, production companies in the markets with sophisticated business and contractual structures will benefit too because when they work in other markets it will give them a better basis for contractin
Contact:KRISTIN WILCHA AICP Chief of Staff Contact Kristin via email
“Ǝvolution” Comes Full Circle At The Chelsea Film Festival
The Chelsea Film Festival, running from October 16th through October 20th, 2024, at Regal Cinemas here in Union Square, is set to host the East Coast premiere of Ǝvolution, a thought-provoking experimental micro-short film that proves big ideas can come in small packages and in perfect circles.
In just 1 minute 16 seconds, this cinematic gem by Award-Winning Director Romina Schwedler, with original music by Argentine Composer Ignacio Montoya Carlotto, explores a cycle as old as time: life leads to progress, progress leads to destruction, and destruction, well, leads back to life. But is this vicious circle unbreakable? Ǝvolution suggests the answer is yes, unless we decide to open our eyes.
Inspired by the overwhelming number of recent events that threaten human existence, Ǝvolution, possibly the shortest film in this 12th edition of the festival, plays out entirely through the symbolism of circles, cleverly illustrating —in the blink of an eye— the repeating patterns of history, and confronting viewers with the uncomfortable truth that our so-called “progress” may, in fact, be guiding us to our own ruin.Premiering at the Regal 14 Union Square, New York City, on October 18, 2024, at 11 a.m., Romina Schwedler's micro-short, featuring Leah Young with cinematography by Alan J. Carmona, will be sure to spark conversations longer than the film itself! Forcing viewers to reconsider the true meaning of evolution, not just as a biological process, but as a reflection of our collective journey as humans.
With a string of festival appearances across the globe, including CineGlobe at CERN (Switzerland/France), Oscar®... Read More