Chairman appointed of body to champion postproduction sector

Mike Luckwell has been appointed Chairman of a new, and as yet unnamed, association charged with representing and supporting the development of the UK’s postproduction sector, both at home and internationally.
A recent report commissioned by the UK Film Council and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) revealed that the world-renowned UK postproduction sector has helped to generate £1.39 billion for the UK economy and 15,000 jobs. The sector provides editing, sound, graphics, music, and physical and visual effects for film, television, commercial and corporate sectors across the globe.
The report also found that more than 96% of postproduction companies surveyed backed the creation of a new industry organisation to raise the profile of and expand the sector still further.
Mike Luckwell has over 30 years experience in the feature film and television production industry. In 1970 he set up The Moving Picture Company, which is now one of the world’s leading postproduction facilities creating high-end digital visual effects and computer animation for the advertising, music, television and feature film industries. When the company was sold to Carlton Communications in 1983, Luckwell became Carlton’s Managing Director, a post he held until 1986. He is currently a director of various private, and publicly quoted media companies and has a portfolio of investments in the media sector both in the UK and US.
The postproduction trade body will initially be jointly financed by the DTI, UK Film Council and companies from the postproduction community.
The new body aims to represent the sector to government on fiscal, legislative and workforce issues, and technical standards; identify and tackle current and future skills gaps within the sector; provide coherent, specialised support to a sector which is predominantly made up of small and medium-sized businesses; and further strengthen international awareness to encourage increased use of UK postproduction facilities.
An open meeting will be held with postproduction companies at BAFTA in London on March 4 2004 at 6.30pm to outline the aims and objectives of the new association and to encourage involvement across the sector.
Speaking about the appointment, Steve Norris, British Film Commissioner and Head of the UK Film Council’s International Department, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Mike Luckwell has agreed to chair this vital new organisation which will play a major role in ensuring that the UK post-production sector builds on its current success in the future.
"Mike brings to the role an unparalleled knowledge of the sector and has the wider business experience that will be crucial to the evolution of the association. He’s the perfect person for the role, I know the sector itself will see this appointment in the same way, and I look forward to working with him on the challenges ahead.”
Mike Luckwell said of his new appointment: “Postproduction and digital effects have become an increasingly important part of the film and broadcasting industries. The sector now represents a much higher proportion of production budgets than ever before. I am pleased to take on this important role and delighted to make a contribution by giving something back to the industry sector that did so much for me. I look forward to the challenge.
“The first key step will be our inaugural meeting at BAFTA next month where we will discuss the structure and objectives of the association in partnership with the postproduction sector.”
(GB)