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Irish Macleod celebrates 20 years in the industry
IRISH MACLEOD CELEBRATES 20 YEARS
Guy MacLeod and Farren van Niekerk, Directors of Irish MacLeod Inc, share their thoughts on their last two decades of serving the local and international film industry.
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What have Irish MacLeod’s highlights been over the years?
Although we are a small firm, we punch well above our weight locally and globally and an ongoing highlight (and something we are really proud of) is that Guy is largely regarded as the top film and television lawyer in South Africa. As a result the firm boasts a formidable catalogue of clients as well as over 200 films and TV series. In terms of entertainment, a real feather in our cap is the success of some of the films we have been involved in on the international stage, such as Tsotsi and Invictus garnering Academy Awards.
How was Irish MacLeod founded and when did it begin to specialise in entertainment law?
The firm was founded in 1999. Guy joined in 2001 as an associate and has been a director of the firm since 2003. Farren joined the firm in 2016. Until 2008 the firm was a general law firm, with a conveyancing, litigation and labour law department until Tony Irish (one of the founding partners) and Guy decided to focus the firm on sport and entertainment. With Tony’s departure to SACA full time, the firm has become even more focussed on entertainment. As a firm, we have had great joy and seriously fun times. We have also had immense sadness when one of the partners died back in 2007. We are proudly South African and hope to be around for another 20 years at least!
Guy MacLeod(left) and Farren van Niekerk(right)
You’ve worked on some incredible productions – which of these stand out for you as memorable?
It’s hard to know where to start. Currently we are on movie 206 which is an incredible achievement for any firm anywhere in the world. The most memorable moments are always closing the deals and cracking open that champagne. It sounds crazy, but when a US$50 million plus movie rests on us being able to close the deal, that’s a big moment and also our favourite moment when we pull it off – often to a massive thanks from our clients. The toughest moments are the counter of the closings; when sometimes years of work with a client just don’t deliver a result. It’s a tough business but we have learnt to be as resilient as our clients.
What are some of the trends you have noticed in this sector to date?
The DTI rebate was a game changer since 2004. It’s a real pity,
though, that it has not been embraced as positively as it should be by film producers and we have a real concern that in a few years the rebate will cease to exist as we know it or take on a very different form. While for a long time, the rebate led to an upswing in production both local and foreign, for various reasons we have seen a decline in co-productions and local films, which is a shame because it is these that provide genuine residual value and future opportunities for all South Africans. On the international front, the big films and series will keep coming and why shouldn’t they – South Africa has so much going for it.
At the same time, we have noticed a massive shift in how movies and series are financed. 5 years ago we really had to roll our sleeves up and find ways to finance projects, now everyone wants the Netflix deal. To be fair, the film and television business is in a state of flux. The problems are global and we share the same financing challenges that our colleagues do throughout the world.
To find out more about their services, visit www.irishmacleod.co.za, or email or call them on info@irishmacleod.co.za or +27 21 462 5151. Read more about Irish MacLeod Inc’s journey on www.thecallsheet.co.za.
