Gunpowder svarer Bjerkestrand: - Why so personal?
Giampaolo Formentin i Gunpowder Entertainment gikk denne uke ut i Ballade, og mente at det ofte var vanskelig for mindre foretak å komme seg inn blant begunstigede søkere hos bl.a. Kulturrådet og Fond For Lyd og Bilde. Han kritiserte også at de store, multinasjonale plateselskapene til tider fremstår som faste mottagere av offentlig støtte. Formentin fikk svar av Arnfinn Bjerkestrand i MFO, som mente at Ballades sak var ensidig vinklet, og at Forentins egen forretningsidé dessuten synes å være basert på forholdsvis mange hatter. Forentin svarer her at Bjerkestrand selv burde ha gjort bedre research - og dessuten med fordel kunne ha konsentrert seg mer om selve problemstillingen.
Av Giampaolo Formentin, Gunpowder Entertainment Group, Oslo
After the article I see that the response is again against us directly.
While we have only recently registered the name Gunpowder we have actually been working in the industry for over three years in Norway. The three years that have passed have been very difficult ones, but we believe what we are doing and stick it out. Perhaps Mr. Arnfinn Bjerkestrand should speak to us before making unfounded statements.
I do not recall having discussed my business plan with this gentleman or having ever met him. Once in a while there are people in this world that do things for a genuine reason. If our plan is so bad perhaps he would also like to speak to all the artists that are interested in working with us and get their point of view.
In fact, if anyone wants, they are welcome to talk to me and get a direct response. In this business too many people complain but do nothing about it. We are trying to do something about it and obviously this is not acceptable in this closed circle.
Researching the facts is important, he states; well he should practice what he preaches. He has obviously not researched us very well. Has he perhaps failed to speak to the journalist himself? He has no idea what my background is or how I am connected in the Entertainment Industry overseas. Perhaps he would care to find out before being critical.
We are trying to make some changes to the industry that favour the musicians for a change rather than the record labels.
He also failed to understand some of the comments made. I suggested that it sometimes seems that it is a group of friends passing money to each other. I didn’t say that this is actually the case.
No comment was made on the fact that the major labels get a lot of funding every six months. To me it is like wealthy people in line at a soup kitchen for the poor and when the poor person finally gets to the front of the que there is no food left.
Would someone like to actually answer the question;
WHY DO MAJOR OVERSEAS CORPORATIONS REQUIRE FUNDING?
AND WHY SO OFTEN?
Before trying to put us down maybe he should try and talk to us to see what we are actually doing and how this is a direct benefit to the artists. Which is what he represents.
His focus on the Management aspect of our company is based on his perception of what we are doing rather than the facts. We do not offer direct Management but as he would be aware, not all artists have managers and we try to work with them to help them in the best possible manner.
Mr. Arnfinn Bjerkestrands direct verbal assult on the journalist was a surprise. Having spoken with Mr. Carl Kristian Johansens it seemed to me that he was raising some important issues and he asked our view. It was in our case a follow up on his previous article and we stated what we felt based on our recent experience with the Fond for Lyd og Bilde. How this is taken as Mr. Johansens personal point of view is a little baffling.
In closing it would also interest me to know why he is taking this to a personal level. Does he have something against me personally? We have seen it, as a comment on the system and feel that the system should be reviewed. We have not attacked any individuals.