Screen Australia report opens with, 'lack of data a major constraint'.

You wouldn't notice unless you were looking for it that Transparency Australia was cited in Screen Australia's latest report, 'Issues in Feature Film Distribution'.

"The importance of reporting and information sharing

One of the things that makes it difficult to devise a commercially viable distribution strategy is the lack of data about the performance of titles across different platforms and the performance of the platforms themselves.

In particular, with the emergence of online video services and new business models, the home entertainment market has become increasingly fragmented and complex, and more information is needed about the performance of film titles in this market, including online revenue. Without a common measurement such as box office takings or television ratings that provide a guide to audience engagement, the industry as a whole will remain in the dark about the reality of online release.

There is also a movement towards the creation of a scheme to share information on local films' global revenues across all platforms, enabling producers to compare data for similar films.5 This can only be as successful as the quality and amount of data producers and sales agents provide. Producers may be unwilling to share commercial-in-confidence information, particularly on those films that did not perform as well as expected. However, it is an important first step towards industry-wide cooperation on breaking down the information barriers.'"

In the cited article, 'Call for greater transparency in screen industry' (Don Groves), Greame Mason, CEO Screen Australia says:

"The agency already publishes about 10 research publications, releases and infographics about production, policy levers, audience trends and performance every year.

"We are constantly looking at areas of information gaps and the ‘known unknowns’ of our industry to resource everyone with new information. Just last week we published two new infographics about online viewing habits and the business structures that deliver content online," Mason said.

"We are, of course, limited by deals struck by our partners in this space (and tax secrecy law), but despite these restrictions we work actively with industry within these constraints to release as much market intelligence as possible – for example we provide consistent annual data on where the money is coming from for drama and documentary projects, and in 2012 released a detailed report on how producers are cash flowing and using the offset.

"We are open to broader conversations with industry about making relevant information available. It also requires industry to take an active role in not only providing but also seeking this information.” "

BUT - as acknowledgement that their data is simply NOT adequate, the Screen Australia report opens, in the very first paragraph, 'About this Report', with:

"This paper sets out some of the challenges of the contemporary distribution landscape for feature films and how filmmakers and distributors are trialling new ways to reach audiences. It aims to summarise new developments for the benefit of the broader industry and, where possible, provide useful case studies – acknowledging that the lack of data and available information in this area is a major constraint."

There you have it. Opening paragraph of a 37 page official report acknowledges that lack of data is a major contraint.