Michael Kill

"UK Live Concerts Thrive While Independent Festivals & Events Struggle to Survive, Warns NTIA" NTIA comment on the new report from LIVE which highlights that spending on the UK live music sector and associated businesses has hit a record £6.1bn. "Surpassing £6bn in revenue for the first time is a significant achievement for the live music sector, demonstrating the immense economic impact and continued popularity of major concert performances like Taylor Swift's tour and the upcoming Oasis reunion," says Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association. "However, this success starkly contrasts with the severe challenges facing the independent events sector. Rising operational costs have led to the cancellation of 60 festivals this year alone, highlighting the precarious situation smaller festivals and events are in. While it's encouraging to see large-scale concerts thriving, we must address the widening gap to ensure the entire live music ecosystem remains vibrant and diverse. The loss of independent festivals, events and venues is a critical issue that threatens the cultural fabric of our industry, and we must take action to support and sustain these vital contributors to our nightlife economy."

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3 Surprising Costs That Are Squeezing UK Festival Budgets As production and infrastructure costs rise year on year, festival planning is harder than ever with some unexpected costs putting a tight squeeze on budgets. Here are three areas where costs have surged, along with some ways to overcome these challenges: Security and Crowd Management The costs for security have gone up by nearly 20% compared to previous years, driven by a shortage of qualified staff and increased regulatory requirements .Safety standards are top priority, and this cuts into budgets more than ever. Transportation and Fuel Fuel costs have risen by over 30% since 2019 and this affects everything from equipment delivery to artist travel Transportation costs are especially tough for festivals held in remote locations, where good logistics are critical. Utilities and Infrastructure Costs for setting up infrastructure like stages, sound systems, production have gone up significantly. The cost of materials like steel and wood has risen sharply, and energy costs have surged, impacting generators, lighting, and other vital utilities . Festivals need to diversify their income streams to mitigate against rising costs. Adding branded experiences, VIP offers, sponsorship can help offset costs before budgets are spent, and reduce reliance on ticket sales. If you are an event/ festival organiser and want to add new income streams to your business, raise £20k+ through sponsorship and ensure the sustainability of your event DM me to find out more

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A new debate on the cost of cool, which digs into the environmental impact of increasing vinyl sales and rising concerns among several major artists. In summary, some counter-argue that the tech behind vinyls is significantly evolving, notably with BioVinyl, whilst others mention the environmental cost of storage data from streaming platforms. For me, it is entertainment, it is what consumers want, and it is the same debate as EV cars vs. good old gas. It’s evolution meets nostalgia. What do you reckon? 

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A car brand has upset a lot of people, even the ones who will never buy the car in the first place. What is Jaguar trying to do? Who is their audience? Are they starting over again and building up an entirely new brand and audience? For one, I've not given the car brand a single look until now. Why is that? The art direction, on paper, is excellent. It looks like what a lot of fashion brands do. Jaded looking models doing their thing on the catwalk promoting fashion. That's not my thing. But then again, marketing cars on the whole are not so different. How many times have you seen a half-naked woman with boobs hanging out of barely there lingerie with legs spread eagled open? That's not my thing either. Maybe when I was 13. But sex sells, right? I think in this case, the 'sell' is inflaming the audience with androgynous looking people not doing much. In turn, there is now an audience of people who will never actually buy the car now having something to say. So, Jaguar seems to be building up a huge audience of people by inflaming them without even showing the product. They've even removed the cat. Why? My bet is that the cat returns and the product will end up being as amazing as their cars have always been. Maybe the androgynous models take a backseat again? Or maybe woke culture is Gen Z culture and they will feel seen? Perhaps Jaguar will grow with that generation for the next 50 years? Whatever may be, it is probably worth sticking around to see what happens next. That's storytelling. #jaguar

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Over the last three years our web design and build business has grown threefold, alongside a rapidly growing digital marketing portfolio of clients. So much so, that our specialist digital services now account for almost 50% of our turnover. I’m especially proud of our team here, as many ‘traditional’ advertising and creative agencies have struggled to make the switch to the digital world, especially for more complex technical delivery. (And we were no exception, starting out as a pure-play ad agency in 1996.) Thanks to a team of really smart people here (plus some who are no longer with us) we are now breaking through to a higher level of technical capability, where no project is too big or too complex for us. An example of this was the Traffic Scotland website [https://lnkd.in/e3P77giA] which was awarded a Silver at last year’s Marketing Star Awards. With a huge volume of data feeds and integrations, complex mapping and filtering, and the top level of DSSS accreditation required, the two-year project was a significant challenge. But our team took it in their stride, supported by a wonderfully collaborative client. The last six months or so have been especially productive. We have launched or relaunched no less than 14 websites - the production line has been at full capacity. From time to time our Technical Director had moments when he went all Scotty - “She canna take any more, Cap'n! She's gonna blow!” as the team juggled and worked extra hours to keep to deadlines. I’m proud to showcase these sites, in no particular order: https://www.rzss.org.uk; https://lnkd.in/eFpfm-rn ; www.edinburghzoo.org.uk ; www.homeenergyscotland.org ; www.parentclub.scot ; https://www.lostshore.com ; https://lnkd.in/e8NCGS3C ; https://www.rhspt.org ; https://www.jacobite.co.uk ; https://lnkd.in/eUsEBwBW ; https://lnkd.in/ewycMGuf ; https://www.software.ac.uk ; https://childlight.org ; www.pensionmirror.co.uk . This level of productivity and quality could not have been achieved without the combined skills or our account and project management, strategy and insight team, UX specialists, designers, SEO specialists, copywriters, front and back end developers, and our systems administrator. And of course, the clients who a) put their trust in us and b) worked so openly and productively alongside us. Forgive the cliche - teamwork really does make the dream work. We have another batch of sites ready to roll off the production line in the next few weeks. Watch this space. #webdesign #UX #SEO #webdevelopment

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AN UNEXPECTED PLEDGE FROM AN UNEXPECTED SOURCE!! WELCOME ALL THE SAME... The Green Party has today pledged an extra £5bn over 5 years for local government spending to keep local museums, theatres, music venues, libraries and art galleries open and thriving. The Party says its Green MPs will push for VAT to be axed on local theatre and cultural events and for hospitality. Greens are also calling for musicians to have access to visa-free travel to the EU. Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: “Our cultural and heritage venues have been victim to savage government cuts over the years. That's why the Greens are pulling back the curtain to reveal our offer for arts, heritage and culture. We want to give local authorities a £5bn boost over 5 years to help keep local museums, theatres, small music venues, libraries and art galleries open and thriving. “Arts, heritage and culture are important to many people's enjoyment of life and help boost mental health and wellbeing. These sectors also make a valuable contribution to the UK economy. “Green MPs will also push for cultural events – everything from theatre and museum tickets to gigs in local pubs – to be exempt from paying VAT. We also want to see hospitality served up VAT free. We believe this will give these sectors a much-needed further boost. “Finally, since Brexit, British musicians have faced costly bills to obtain visas if they wish to play in some EU countries. Greens want visa free travel to the EU for musicians and will press the next government to negotiate an arrangement for this at the earliest possible opportunity.”

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The project I am most proud of having been involved in & yet the one I am most saddened at ever having had to make, “Surviving October 7th: We Will Dance Again”, has been nominated for Best Current Affairs programme at the Broadcast Awards. If we ever needed a reminder of just how important standing up, speaking out, being unafraid to show pride in who we are & the importance of calling out antisemitism wherever we encounter it is, then the response from some on this platform to this nomination speaks volumes. “Best propaganda programme maybe. Current affairs not so much.” That from someone who until recently worked in the TV industry as a commissioning editor & is now a practicing psychotherapist to the creative industry. An unprompted attack on the veracity of a documentary made up entirely of footage shot either by victims of the Hamas massacre or by the Hamas murderers & rapists themselves. A documentary that doesn’t seek to find equivalence or explanation, which engages only with those who were there on the day and experienced the tragic events firsthand. Yet here we see an attempt to discredit & position the murder, rape, torture & kidnap of over 1400 people as Israeli propaganda! If we cannot have empathy for the innocents who have lost their lives on both sides of this conflict, then what possible hope do we have? If our hate distorts our ability to be human, then we cannot heal. If we shut down any ability to open up dialogue, then we may well find that society has gone past the point of no return. Huge congratulations to everyone involved in the making of this powerful & important film & congratulations also to all those involved in the making of “Kill Zone: Inside Gaza”, nominated alongside “We Will Dance Again” in the same category. Maybe as filmmakers we use this opportunity to show that there is an alternative to the myopic hate some have shown on here & use these two nominations to start a dialogue. Lets begin by discussing the veracity of our sources & the need to be above reproach with regards to contributors. Condemn racism, reject hate, come to the table & lets start the conversation. #StandUpSpeakOutBeProud #NeverAgainMeansNeverAgain #RejectHate #broadcastawards Sipur Bitachon365 BBC MGM Paramount+

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Some great news for British culture with the announcement of a new government backed levy. In future tickets to premium/ large scale venues will help fund smaller/ grass roots venues. Great to see vocal support from some larger venues. This is also a MASSIVE opportunity for brands and marketers to collaborate with smaller venues and influencers to boost grassroots culture. Great quote from Paul Michelmore from The Harrison near Kings Cross in London: “You wouldn’t expect Britain to build airplanes if you shut all the universities where the engineers train. If you want Britain to continue producing arena quality artists then you have got to support the ‘universities’ where they reach that stage.” This model should apply to more sectors, especially across tech, hospitality, sport and media.

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If Marketeers/Content Creators had a magic wand, it would look something like this ✨ It was great to be invited to The Kings Head Theatre in London yesterday, to film some content for New Wolf Productions as they install the set they constructed for the production of Buyer & Cellar. Video content is truly on the rise, and we at Five Twelve Marketing love to see it 🤩 Even better? We love creating it and watching how in just a few seconds, a video can completely transform and enhance the content strategies we're generating for our clients. #Marketing #Video #ContentCreation #SocialMedia

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Are you fearful of stepping into the spotlight and putting yourself out there? For award-winning TV producer Yvonne Alexander, that feeling of staying behind the scenes was very real when we first started working together. Yvonne had recently launched Jet TV Ltd, an independent production company in Cardiff, after an incredible career producing some of the UK’s top-rating shows—Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, Welcome to HMP Belmarsh with Ross Kemp, The NHS Heroes Awards, and The Pride of Britain Awards. But despite her success, she realized something was missing. She hadn’t been taking time to “produce her own life” and create moments for herself. While she loved working with big-name talent, she had focused so much on showcasing others that she lost touch with what truly made her feel joyful and alive. Through our coaching, Yvonne made a powerful shift: she began to recognize that she herself is her company’s biggest resource. Investing in herself wasn’t indulgent—it was essential to her continued success. We worked together on: • Helping her treat herself the way she would a valued executive producer—someone whose well-being and self-expression are key to the company’s overall success. • Giving herself permission to invest in herself, leading her to attend a creative retreat in Greece, where she tried stand-up comedy for the first time and discovered a new passion. • Setting clear goals to make space for her self-expression and creativity, rather than always putting others first. Now, Yvonne is performing stand-up comedy in clubs across the UK. She’s no longer just producing the spotlight—she’s stepping into it. In her own words: “I always felt like I should be in the shadows, working behind the scenes to make others look good. It wasn’t a fear of performing, but a belief that I shouldn’t stand out or put myself in the spotlight. Coaching helped me realize that I’m good at presenting myself, that I’m funny and charismatic—and I don’t need to dial that down or be embarrassed about it. Getting on stage still terrifies me, but it’s exhilarating. I finally feel like I’m doing something for me.” Yvonne’s journey shows the power of recognizing your own value and making space for your self-expression. She’s now thriving creatively, with more exciting projects on the way. Ready to invest in yourself and step into your own spotlight? If you’re a media professional struggling to prioritize your own needs or feeling stuck behind others, I can help you unlock your full potential. DM me a 🌟 emoji to schedule a compatibility call today

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FREE PREVIEW TICKETS 🎟️: The incredible GRAND THEFT HAMLET will be the next Escapes film. This captivating staging of Shakespeare's Hamlet inside ‘Grand Theft Auto’, which went on to win the audience award at SXSW, will be playing in hundreds of independent cinemas across the UK next Monday, December 2nd. You can claim your 2 FREE tickets and find more on the film in the comments. After GRAND THEFT HAMLET, Escapes will be screening a 4K restoration of POINT BREAK, playing across the country on January 20th - which is all set to help the UK get over the misery of "Blue Monday". -- Escapes, backed by the BFI and National Lottery, offers over 150,000 free cinema tickets to the UK across the year, with each event delivering 3 million in paid social media reach, + a dedicated PR campaign around each film - letting millions of people know they can sample the joy of a trip to the cinema for FREE!!  Latest Escapes audience stats: 98% would recommend Escapes to friends, family and other people 94% rate their Escapes experience 4* or 5* 40% hadn’t previously been to the cinema visited for Escapes 87% are likely to return to the cinema to watch a non-Escapes film within 3 months. 23,790 have opted into cinema mailing lists. --

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An action-packed week kicks off with political drama and impromptu accusations around MP behaviour, as industries, businesses, and the public continue to grapple with the rising cost of daily living & operating. Enough finger-pointing—let's get on with the job! With a flurry of meetings across Labour and Conservative MPs, all eyes are on the budget, with fresh speculation about an £800 million duty raid by the Chancellor. The business rates cliff edge still hangs over everyone, leaving the non-bricks-and-mortar sector wondering where they fit in. Will dip into the Security Expo at Olympia on Wednesday to catch up with colleagues in the security sector! As we move closer to 30th October, the stakes keep rising... #Budget2024 #CostOfLivingCrisis #BusinessRates #PoliticalDrama #SecuritySector

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#indiefilmmakers in #Scotland lets start a conversation about creating a sustainable industry. Please spread the word and repost this and more importantly... Come and join us! #IndieFilmInScotland #FilmTwitter #supportindiefilm #indiefilm

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Very good news. Additional support for the creative sectors The measure The government announced a package of over £1 billion of additional tax reliefs for the UK creative industries together with additional support for the sector, including: a new UK Independent Film Tax Credit (IFTC); increasing the generosity of the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) for visual effects costs; permanent extension of higher rates of tax relief for theatres, orchestras, museums and galleries; 40% relief from business rates for eligible film studios in England for the next 10 years; and £26 million of funding to upgrade the National Theatre’s stages and infrastructure. The Government also announced that the Tees Valley Investment Zone will focus on the digital and creative sectors. New UK Independent Film Tax Credit The new UK IFTC will provide a higher rate of credit of 53% for ‘independent films’ which pass a new test administered by the British Film Institute (BFI). The test is intended to target films that have projected core expenditure of £15 million or less and is expected to require that either key talent on the film, such as the director and writer, must be from the UK, or the film must be an international co-production. Films that do not qualify for the 53% rate for independent films can continue to claim AVEC at the basic rate of 34%, or the uplifted rate of 39% for animated films. Companies will not be able to claim both the IFTC and the additional relief for visual effects expenditure in respect of the same film. Increased support for the visual effects sector Following a call for evidence on the visual effects sector announced at Autumn Statement 2023, the government has announced that it will provide additional tax relief for visual effects costs in films and high-end TV. Under the AVEC, visual effects costs will receive tax credit at a higher rate of 39%, compared to the basic rate of 34%. The 80% cap on qualifying expenditure will also be removed for visual effects costs. A consultation will be published shortly on the types of expenditure that will be within scope of the additional tax relief.

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U.K. Cinema Market: The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK House of Commons is to hold an Evidence Session looking at the challenges facing UK #cinema. UK cinemas are in a precarious position, with challenges posed by changing audience behaviours, shorter theatrical release windows, rising costs and the need for investment in skills development. The Committee may seek to understand how the exhibition market has changed in recent years, the performance of local British films at the box office and the financial health of large cinema chains” https://lnkd.in/evgqk-cm #leisurepropertyESS

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I need to watch this! It reminds me of when joined Dolby Europe in 1997 and how far the industry has come in a relatively short (27) years, such big changes… My first job was to transfer the 6-track master sound ‘hot off the mix’ of an upcoming feature film called ‘The Avengers’ from a 6-track magnetic tape master onto the Dolby Magneto Optical Disk (via the Dolby DS10), then run it through the Dolby Stereo Matrix Encoder (mixing down the 6-track sound to 4 channels and creating Dolby Stereo; a 2-channel, encoded version for the optical back-up sound), add Dolby SR Noise Reduction and transfer that on to the MO master disk, so that the master (digital/analog) sound could be transferred to optical film, which would in turn, be married with the picture to create a MASTER negative, in which copies would be created, the trailer that would then go into all the cinemas around the U.K. to promote the upcoming release of the film. It was my first introduction to 35mm film, projectors and mag-audio playback; Kinoton (FP30/38), Cinemeccanica (Victoria 5/8), Sondor. Aligning the 6-track heads (azimuth/focus/dolby level), lacing up the projectors, checking sync, focus, light levels, A-Chain & B-Chain alignment of the projector, sound replay and the room/electro-acoustics alignment. A very in-depth, rather technical process. There was a certain respect for film, a ‘measure twice, cut once kinesthetic approach’ like a top savile row tailor who knew their way around the materials, the creative and the tools. These editors understood the look and feel of the end product from the design process, working with the director to implement their vision right through to the Final Cut, with a legacy understanding of the ‘end to end’ rather complex process. I wish the whole team involved with MOVIOLA the very best of luck.

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"The introduction of a voluntary ticket levy backed by Government to safeguard grassroots music venues is a welcome and long-overdue step in recognising the value these spaces bring to our cultural and creative industries. Grassroots venues are not just the foundation of the UK’s music ecosystem; they are vital hubs for nurturing new talent and fostering community. However, while the concept is promising, its success will depend heavily on the scope and implementation of the levy. To truly make a difference, the scheme must encompass the entire grassroots ecosystem—including venues, promoters, and artists—ensuring that funds are distributed equitably and transparently. We also need clarity on critical questions: How will the funds be allocated? What mechanisms will be in place to ensure accountability? How do we ensure this initiative doesn’t inadvertently disadvantage smaller promoters or local events? This must be approached holistically, as an ecosystem, considering the interconnected roles that venues, promoters, and artists play in sustaining the live music industry. Collaborative action is essential to ensure the levy achieves its full potential without unintended consequences. We support the call for swift action and look forward to working with stakeholders to design a framework that supports not only survival but the growth and innovation of grassroots music in the UK." Michael Kill CEO of the NTIA

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