INTRODUCTION
The film and video sector comprises several industries, some of which focus on the creation of new products (e.g. the film production industry) while others are more service-orientated (e.g. the film and video distribution, motion picture exhibition and video hire industries).
The Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications (ACLC) (cat. no. 4902.0) define film and video production as businesses and organisations whose main activity is the production of films, video tapes, or other media containing moving images for theatre or television projection. The industry includes production of feature films, documentaries and drama series, as well as videos for advertising and corporate training. It also includes businesses providing post-production services such as casting, film editing and titling.
Film and video distribution is defined as businesses or organisations mainly engaged in leasing or wholesaling motion pictures on film, video tape and DVD to organisations for exhibition or sale. Motion picture exhibition is defined as businesses and organisations whose main activity is the screening of motion pictures on film or video tape.
Data for this chapter have largely been sourced from ABS surveys. The Australian Film Commission also provides substantial detail on many different aspects of the film, television and video industries through their publication Get the Picture which is available on their website at www.afc.gov.au.