Artificial intelligence is transforming many sectors of the economy and farming is one of them. Its hoped that precision farming will help to reduce waste and improve welfare for example, using technology to track the Mental Health of livestock as well as their physical health and also helping to decide which crops are ready to harvest. Our environment correspondent Claire Marshall takes a closer look at farmings future. What are these pigs thinking . How do they feel . This scanner acts as an eye for a machine that is analysing their expressions. Soon, it should allow us to understand the pigs emotions. This technology, in its research phase, was conceived in the west country. The vision of the future of farming is one where the well being of the animals and their comfort is the priority. Just look at the facilities here. The cows movement is monitored to check its health. This tech is already on the market. The facial recognition is coming next. We will be able to see whether or not an animal that is lame, you can infer that its going to be an unhappy animal, and whether that animal has a different face to an animal that isnt in pain. So we are looking to try to tease out those differences between the faces. Heres another glimpse into the future. Watch this disease spore. It enters a sensor biologically engineered to mimic the crop. Like a kind of fire alarm, the sensor sets off an early alert. They can all be linked up, warning otherfarmers weeks before any damage is visible. And they can be sd printed. Weve got some very clever, cutting edge engineering. But at the same time, theres cutting edge biology as well. And only by bringing those two together can we actually start addressing what will need to be done in the future. 1. 3 million broccoli plants are growing on this land near doncaster. We were given exclusive access to field trials of a scouting device that gathers data about each specific plant. Its the latest in precision farming. Most of us as consumers, we dont buy wonky veg. If its too big or too small or misshapen, the supermarkets wont accept it. We can know which plants are of saleable quality directly, and then if its too small we can leave it behind and if its just right we can harvest it. This could save millions of tonnes of food from being wasted and cut pesticide use. As the climate grows more unstable, scientists warn humans do need to take more care of the land. Claire marshall, bbc news. Now on bbc news, talking movies explores the role of the producer in both big hollywood productions and smaller independent films. Hello and welcome to this special edition of talking movies, devoted to the producer, one of the top jobs in the Film Industry. What does the public think the producer actually does . Do you know what a producer does . Do you know what a producer does . Not at all. Not at all. Do you have any idea what a producer does . Not really. Do they help set up the film and make sure the lighting is 0k . All the production stuff, i guess . Movie producer. Do you know what a producer does . Produces a movie, right . Assembles the crew to produce a movie. He is in control of everything. He calls the shots. You have to produce and create everything, technically. I believe im right. I know they handle the financials as the director handles the execution. They make it happen. They get the money and hire the people and make sure everything happened on the and on time. May be. Someone thats producer credits as favours. I dont know what he does. Thats how the industry works. Evidently, there is confusion when it comes to the producer. That on the biggest night of the year for hollywood, the oscars, the producer is always there and grabbing the limelight by picking up the best picture prize. The cult of the producer began with the decline of the studio system in hollywood. As the studio system in hollywood. As the studios began to lose their power and diverse set of their theatre chains et cetera, as more at is started to become free agents and directors became free agents, producers became more important because a producer had to put the movie together. A producer could not merely rely on what the studio provided, they had to package it themselves. There are many different ways to evaluate the success of a producer. The first is, obviously, did the movie make money . The second is was the movie any good . And there are plenty of producers who keep working because even though their movies have not made money yet they make good movies. Another metric is did the producer managed to attract serious talent in front and behind the camera . Did the producer actually run a good set . Did people oii actually run a good set . Did people on the set have a good experience . So much that they would work with the producer again . There are many different ways to judge. As far as hollywood is concerned, it usually comes down to the movie making money. One of the most dynamic producers in hollywood today is will packer who has established himself as one of the successful African American producers in the world. We went to meet him. How did you get started in the movie business . I met a buddy in college andi business . I met a buddy in college and i helped him make a small movie on our campus. That movie was called chocolate city. No one in hollywood cared about the movie, it was a terrible little movie shot on super 16 millimetre film, grainy with Bad Production value. But those who cared about it with the students at a university. We were actually able to sell tickets to our little movie starring asked about this and that was how my film career got started. Will packer and his then partner made a few more independent films together before landing the First Certified hit. Ultimately we did make a film which caught the attention of hollywood in a real way and that movie was called stomp the art. We sold it as a dance movie but at the core it was about kids at a historically bad college pledging sororities and fraternities and then we wrapped it up in a boat. That is what you need to do in hollywood. You need to figure out an angle they can use to market it. That was successful for us. That movie opened number one. Finding that angle has been the speciality of packer. Since that film he has achieved numerous openings using his knack for marketing and enlisting the help of his collaborators and film stars. Some may argue the placement in his movies help boost the careers of now well known faces like idris elba, kevin hart and tiffany had issued in the 2017 hit girls trip. Historically, this symbiotic relationship between actor and producer has been common in the Film Industry. So hollywood is changing and that stars are not as much of a safe bet to fill seats at the theatre. You feel this is happening . How do you respond to this phenomenon . I have never been somebody who has been beholden purely to the Hollywood Star system. I have given some starring leading roles to actors and actresses who have not gotten them before but who deserve them who i knew there was an audience who wanted to see them and i knew they had the skill set to do it. Other people were not giving them that opportunity and that meant it was a chance for me to do it. So the star system does not affect me in the same way. I have always been somebody who makes concept driven content. Do you see it as a positive development . It is part of what i call the great democratisation of media. I think it is a good thing because it means that consumers have the power in a way that they never had before. It means that filmmakers like myself need to adjust and recognise that and make our contact content until our narrative accordingly. Critics do not always appreciate your films and movie goers use sites like Rotten Tomatoes to decide what to see. Does that affect job rocks tomatoes to decide what to see. Does that affectjob rocks offers numbers . Definitely. Every filmmaker todayis numbers . Definitely. Every filmmaker today is affected by the critical aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes because people do look. Doesnt have a strong effect on the box office of my films . Probably not. It is usually the people on the fence that make the decision based on well, let me see what the Rotten Tomatoes score is. I try to make films with an urgency to them. That i want to see, when does come out . put the day down, i am going to see that movie girls trip was a comedy certified fresh, that was great. Did that help the box office . It certainly did not hurt it at the audience who wanted to see it, they we re audience who wanted to see it, they were going. They did not need Rotten Tomatoes to validate them wanting to see what they saw on that screen. Packer is confident that the largely white male credit whose reviews populate these sites do not represent his core audience. Although the Film Industry on the sofa seems to be championing underrepresented artists, many filmmakers still voiced frustration about an industry. Packer has been making profitable films that feature black people prominently in a time when the industry was less inclusive. There is a bass of dearth of actors who look like me and what that means is that these are stories and perspectives that are not being told. I think that hollywood traditionally has not valued having that voice in the movie. In the room. If you are not telling a story that feels like the world, that sta rts that feels like the world, that starts to feel dated. Audiences want stuff that feels current and very much like the Global Society we are all connected in which we live. For 30 years, Rebecca Obrien has worked with filmmaker ken loach is a producer to make socially conscious 01 producer to make socially conscious or provoking movies which together with writer paul laverty have brought them the palm door, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival twice. What is it like to work as an independent producer . Well, we went to meet Rebecca Obrien. Hello. Come on in. This is 16 films. This is the office where everything happens. Soho london is not the obvious place for revolution. But this is where Rebecca Obrien and her director have been fighting what they believe isa have been fighting what they believe is a good fight for three decades. Ken loach was already celebrated when they met. I was a huge fan. Isil come home go out on television and when it went out i saw in the mid 60s and when it went out i saw in the mid 6051 and when it went out i saw in the mid 60s i saw, i went to see kes when i was 13. People sometimes ask me if when i was 13. People sometimes ask me if i produced it and they give them a short trip. London born Rebecca Obrien oral ways had a desire for difference even as she worked her way up the Film Industry. She was location manager on my beautiful laundrette. Dont get too involved with that crook. Ourjob is done. A shared interest in ireland eventually led her to produce loachs 1990 film hidden agenda and they have been together ever since. A dozen of their films have completed a can including two palm door winners. Wind that shakes the barley and 2016s i, daniel blake. Most recently they made sorry we missed you, a classic ken loach tale about the injustice of insecure zero hours contracts in britain. |j about the injustice of insecure zero hours contracts in britain. I am there from the inception, right through all the way to the archive and looking after the film and i am the first Second Opinion all the way through at each stage of production. And it is a family, really. Together, loach, obrien and their long time long term writer have told stories that few filmmakers in britain would dream of and shooting in corners of the country that are often overlooked. I, daniel blake was a film of blazing fury at britains benefit system and was shotin britains benefit system and was shot in newcastle as was ourjob sorry shot in newcastle as was ourjob sorry we shot in newcastle as was ourjob sorry we missed you. In many ways, its companion piece. The political side of the films is very important to me. I, daniel blake, the one thing we asked for and we got was we asked for it to be made available for community screenings. So that people could get in touch with a distributor and say we want to do a little screening as a fundraiser for oui little screening as a fundraiser for our local food bank or little screening as a fundraiser for our localfood bank or in little screening as a fundraiser for our local food bank or in the church hall. There were probably about 700 of those. Getting a completely different audience to go and see the film that way was very special and it meant that the film was owned by its audience and i think to me that is really important. Why did you choose independent film . Have you never been tempted to take the studio dollar . Funnily enough i did do that when ken was making carlas song i did anotherfilm for working title, the first mr bean film. That is probably as close as you can get toa is probably as close as you can get to a studio film. And myjob was to keep it, keep it the british film it was. And basically go and work with that team in la. Which was bonkers. But that was my studio experience. I have been there, done that. Bought the t shirt and very happy to be back here making independent films. The nature of working independently and film is too often walk a hard path alone. Rebecca obrien is lucky, she is part of running a successful fa m ily lucky, she is part of running a successful family business. While women may be encountering resistance in the Film Industry when it comes to directing, opportunities are opening up or producing. Kitty cox has been speaking to two independent producers who are very excited by changes taking place in the Film Industry pertaining to women. Producers gangly is celebrating the release of the film already gone. Just seven years out of film school, she has worked with actors, won the nora efron awarded tribeca and launched her Production Company 88 bringing fresh perspectives to storytelling. Why did you decide to become a producer . Was it something you always wanted to do or did you fall into it . I am a producer and a director and its not a very typical combination. Where years people have thought you could even be a producer 01 thought you could even be a producer or director. You cant be both. And strangely, i found more or director. You cant be both. And strangely, ifound more of or director. You cant be both. And strangely, i found more of that resista nce strangely, i found more of that resistance being a woman. In fact, someone even resistance being a woman. In fact, someone even told me, you cant produce and direct or you know what, just go marry your boyfriend and then you can do whatever you want. And i remember just then you can do whatever you want. And i rememberjust kind of racing the type of resistance and they are stories that i really want to make, that i want to write and direct and then at the same time, they are stories that my friends really want to make and i know how to get them made because i also do have a producer braden, im not scared by the numbers, the dealmaking and of looking at the big picture of how to make a project happen and bring it from idea or script to screen. Ganguly is copping her own unique path but she has a theory about why some women gravitate to producing rather than other filmmaking rules. I think women have a great night multitasking. Its like grace under pressure, grace under fire and multitasking. Its like grace under pressure, grace underfire and i think that is something that women are very good at managing and ballasting. Expect balancing. When things are going a little awry, how can you guide that process and lead with kindness and in a certain way, that just ultimately gets with kindness and in a certain way, thatjust ultimately gets the movie made and done and managing those situations. Creating a supportive environment for women in film and presenting diverse stories on screen is something that producer Christine Vachon has championed in that ideas and industry. When she started as a Production Assistant in new york in the 805, she had little support or mentorship from women but now with her Production Company killer films, 5he regularly works with female direct i5 and has backed critically acclaimed films boys dont cry and 5till alice. Labour well before it became the buzzword, killer wa5 working with more female directors and other companies, for example. The other thing im very proud of a5 well is we talk a lot about female directors because its important. But its also important that women are shooting films, that women are designing films, that women are producing films. Vachon thinks a lack of support for mothers, particularly in the role of director which requires gruelling hour5, steers more women into producing but 5he steers more women into producing but she is careful not to pigeonhole producing a5 she is careful not to pigeonhole producing as female. She is careful not to pigeonhole producing as femalelj she is careful not to pigeonhole producing as female. I think reducing maybe allows women a little more flexibility because you can juggle more flexibility because you can juggle a couple of different project and you can spend some of the time you want with your family and still get yourjob done. I know there is also things around women and producing, the ability to multita5k, the ability to nurture, all those things but i dont love to lean into things but i dont love to lean into things that we say are typically female as, you know, as why we are good at one thing or another, you know what i mean . Because itsjust too broad a spectrum. What is someone, too broad a spectrum. What is someone, particularly a woman, need to do in order to be successful in producing . I think really whats important as a producer is you have to have a certain fearle55ne55. There is a lot of risk involved and you kind of, you have to have a bit ofan iron you kind of, you have to have a bit of an iron 5tomach about it and of course, you have to have a really good eye and good taste and the ability to really say no and walk away from some ring if its not good enough. The movie industry is changing rapidly the5e enough. The movie industry is changing rapidly these days, providing challenging times for young producers want to make sure the death elms reach audiences. Despite the obstacles, they are forging ahead as noah cattell reports. Producing i5 forging ahead as noah cattell reports. Producing is the art of getting things done in these determined young producers are finding their way determined young producers are finding theirway in determined young producers are finding their way in an increasingly volatile industry. Rowan bibby i5 finding their way in an increasingly volatile industry. Rowan bibby is a young producer with a single future under his belt in the brow5ing effect. The film, a comedy drama about dating in the era of tender, did not receive a Theatrical Release but its now streaming on amazon prime which can mean a larger audience. I watched prime which can mean a larger audience. Iwatched him prime which can mean a larger audience. I watched him work on the 5et audience. I watched him work on the set of his latest film, the surrogates, and sought producer who places a high value on setting the tone for the day, making sure eve ryo ne tone for the day, making sure everyone is relaxed and ready to work. Ok, that is a cut. It is all morale, especially on lower budget projects. No one i5 morale, especially on lower budget projects. No one is doing this on high day rate5 projects. No one is doing this on high day rates or for their immediate career so i think being gracious and calm and making a fun environment for the crew is pretty paramount, executing the day or getting good stuff. I kind of grew up getting good stuff. I kind of grew up with an innate sense of life leadership is important and some ba5ic leadership is important and some basic skills and after that, just practice, i think, basic skills and after that, just practice, ithink, i5 basic skills and after that, just practice, i think, is a basic skills and after that, just practice, ithink, is a necessity because if you are in that role, you need to be a leader and need to mobili5e people and motivate and keep morale up. Rowan studied Film Production in college but he says he learned how to produce by doing it i5 learned how to produce by doing it is more than comfortable operating in the shadows. In fact, he says thats how it should be done. Part of producing i5, thats how it should be done. Part of producing is, sometimes it does help to kind of keep the curtain up a little bit and to keep an air of mystery. You dont necessarily want to show all your cards all the time. I dont know if theres anything people need to know. I also dont wa nt to people need to know. I also dont want to make my competition any harder. Producing a film at any level is hard work young independent producers face 5ome level is hard work young independent producers face some unique challenges. The digital revolution has changed producing for good. Digital visit video has made some aspects of Film Production simpler and less expensive but its also lead to an exponential increase in the number of films made which makes it harder to single project to stand out. My name is mark until, i am one of the producers and directors. This i5 of the producers and directors. This is the biggest challenge faced by juliu5 playa and marty sill, a young new york based producing team with two films under the elt, cronie5 and how to tell you are a de bag, which of both found success on the circuit. I attended a table read on their next feature when i talk about their next feature when i talk about the challenges they faced the filmmakers of previous generations may not have encountered. The industry has changed so much over the last decade or so since you guys have been making movies. What issues do you think you face that a relatively new to producers . Something that we deal with is the new generation of filmmakers i5 figuring out how our projects can cut through the noise. Because everybody has got a camera, everybody has got a camera, everybody has got an iphone and i5 watching youtube and figuring out how can i make my short film look amazing with my iphone and 100 . And figuring out how can we take the project5 figuring out how can we take the projects that we are self generating and collaborating on and making them original and unique that can make their way through the gamut of other films and stories and people trying to make films today. Even though the5e producers have their eyes and the5e producers have their eyes and the challenges ahead, one thing that keeps them motivated i5 the challenges ahead, one thing that keeps them motivated is the satisfaction that comes from working with ra5h voices. Satisfaction that comes from working with rash voices. Any collaborative endeavour, its a marriage of sorts, its a journey and a5 endeavour, its a marriage of sorts, its a journey and as great as any 5cript its a journey and as great as any script can be, you want to make sure the people you are going to war with our great as well so i think the people certainly are supplementing access to a project. We may be interested in a filmmaker with interactions with had with not knowing full well what theyve written what they are working on but thatll be window. What are you working on and how can we maybe enhance it . While the last decade has seen a radical transformation in the landscape of Film Production, no one knows of the biggest changes are already behind us or if in this digital age, the medium will continue to rapidly develop. Whats clear is whatever problems arise, filmmakers will continue to rely on their producers to turn those challenges into opportunities. Well, that brings a special producer edition of talking movies to a close. Hope youve enjoyed the show. Please remember you can always reach us on please remember you can always reach us on line at bbc. Com talkingmovie5 and you can find us on facebook a5 well so for me, tom brook, and the rest of the Production Team here in york, its goodbye a5 rest of the Production Team here in york, its goodbye as we leave you 5ome york, its goodbye as we leave you some images of producers from the 5how. Hello there. On friday, the temperature reached 28 celsius in hull but it could be a record breaking bank holiday weekend. Weve got a lot of heat and 5un5hine to come this weekend but there is the risk still of one or two showers because not only are we drawing in the heat from the near continent around that area of high pre55ure, we are also increasing the humidity. And weve still got low pressure sitting towards the north west of the uk and this weather front is hanging around too. For a while, itll be quite breezy in the north west corner of the uk but away from here, it looks like well have clear skies and those temperatures will dip away to 11 14 degrees. Now, weve still got more cloud for the north west of scotland and Northern Ireland on saturday and maybe a few showers to come. For the highlands and islands, as well as fermanagh and tyrone but away from here, lots of sunshine acro55 other parts of scotland and across england and wales and that heat will build very quickly in the light winds and strong 5un5hine so warming up across the eastern parts of Northern Ireland, the central belt of scotland, highest temperatures for england and wales widely the high 205, peaking at 30 or so in the south east of england. Very warm for the ashes day three at headingley. 27 degrees or so in the afternoon in the blue skies and light winds, and itll be lovely end to the day for many parts of the country. A fine evening to come. The showers in the north west and across Northern Ireland, probably tending to fade away overnight. Some of the cloud will drift its way into western parts of england and wales, mind you. Probably not producing any showers and temperatures again, 1114. There is the risk of one or two showers popping off from this cloud, for west wales and 5outh west of england and Northern Ireland but its a lower risk and you can 5ee elsewhere there should be a lot of sunshine again, light wind5, that heat building further north into scotland with the sunshine in the north west as well but again, the higher temperatures probably in the midlands, eastern england, 30 or 31 around the london area. On monday, while weve got the risk of a shower, that too is reduced. Still, a lot of uncertainty about monday. There could be one or two showers around but on the whole it looks like its going to be dry and sunny. Not quite as warm perhaps acro55 we5tern scotland and Northern Ireland, we5tern fringes of england and wales, but the heat is still there towards the east and south east and again, we could be close to 30 degrees. Some uncertainty then through monday and into the beginning of next week. The threat of showers coming up from the 5outh reduced. Thi5 weather front is going to bring rain into scotland and Northern Ireland 5lowly but surely, but still largely dry 00 29 25,719 4294966103 13 29,430 and warm in the south east
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