Commercial Producers Ireland (CPI) is a collection of the top commercials producers and post-production producers in Ireland who champion outstanding talent, expert knowledge, craft and creativity in Irish commercials production and post-production through CPI member companies, all working towards a shared vision of elevated standards and excellence.
The recent announcement that Windmill Lane Pictures is to close is a very significant development within the industry. CPI members feel that it’s a situation that requires comment and evaluation.
In light of this, CPI have issued an ‘Open Letter’ from CPI Members, to the wider advertising industry and requested our support in circulating this to IAPI Members.
The recent shock announcement that Windmill Lane Pictures is to close with immediate effect has weakened the advertising industry.
Commercial Producers Ireland (CPI) members are deeply saddened at the loss of one of our most valued members, and the difficulties and challenges that our friends and colleagues, from within, must now face.
Four decades at the forefront, pushing the boundaries, innovating and investing, nurturing incredible talent, giving clients, agencies and production companies access to cutting edge technology, gave us the tools to play big. Together with our other fantastic post-production houses in Ireland, they played a seminal role in bringing the Irish advertising industry to maturity.
Let’s be honest, ‘we can fix that in post’ has become an industry cliché. But, more often than not, it’s true. We have all benefitted from the creative genius of post-production making us look good. Yet, their position at the end of the advertising production food chain, has resulted in them being expected to survive on the scraps that fall from the table.
There’s something fundamentally wrong with this.
The advertising industry is our, all of us collectively, industry. It’s not the client industry, separate from the advertising agency industry, separate from the commercial production industry, separate from the post-production industry. It’s us, all together, as a unit, collaborating, innovating, creating. We’re all bound by the same mission to break ground together and produce the best God Damn piece of communicative, persuasive film that we can. Brilliance is our united goal.
It takes a village to raise a child. Every newborn idea needs its village, its community, its champions, to play their roles in nurturing it, raising it, and helping it realise its full potential. And, at the end of the day, there is nobody more invested in that than your own village, your own community.
It’s time for all to make a very conscious decision to play their necessary, individual but essential, roles in reinvigorating that vital sense of community. The survival of an independent Irish advertising industry hinges on all sectors within the industry making that conscious, positive bias, decision to support your own community.
Support the Irish advertising community to maintain a strong Irish advertising industry.
