Your complete guide to making film and TV ‘Down Under’
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CONTENTS
IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Your complete guide to making film and TV ‘Down Under’
04
17
30
Find your way around this big brown land.
But wait, there’s more – state governments have financial incentives too.
Producers who’ve shot in Australia before outline the pros and cons.
GET YOURSELF ORIENTED
06
WHY AUSTRALIA? We assess the benefits of bringing your project to our shores.
11
SHOW ME THE MONEY A breakdown of Australia’s key financial incentives.
SHOW ME MORE MONEY
20
A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD Where to find studio space.
25
FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH
32
LOCAL TALENT Our local industry has much to brag about, and can make pretty good partners too.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING MATE? Check out how good our locations look.
IF: AUSTRALIA 101 3
GET YOURSELF ORIENTED
Get Yourself Oriented FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THIS BIG BROWN LAND
A map - that is in no way to scale - to help you work out where the various state government screen agencies, studios and landmarks are located. More information on the state agency bodies are on pages 17-18, and the sound stages 20-23.
4 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Writer Sandy George
Cover image:
Jason Charles Hill
Editor
Jackie Keast jkeast@if.com.au
National Sales Manager Cameron Boon cboon@intermedia.com.au
Senior Designer Adrian Tipper
Publisher
Mark Kuban
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Prepress
Tony Willson
Production Assistant Natasha Jara
Copyright
© 2021 Communico Media Group Pty Ltd ABN 69 6478660 91
Communico Media Group Executive Chair Simon Grover
Managing Director and Group Publisher Mark Kuban
IF was founded by David Barda and Stephen Jenner, co-founded by Martin Zoland. IF magazine | Inside Film
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IF: AUSTRALIA 101 5
Photo: Tourism WA
WHY AUSTRALIA?
Why Australia? Words by Sandy George
Kooljaman at Cape Laveque
WHY AUSTRALIA IN GENERAL When someone feels like going out for dinner, they might think about pubs and restaurants that are generally acceptable because of proximity, style of food or atmosphere, and then they pick one from their mental shortlist. Same goes for producers and studio execs when thinking about where to shoot a movie. Since the birth of footloose production, Australia has always been on the location shortlist. There are many reasons for that: the national language is English; cast and crew are experienced, skilled and hardworking; there’s good infrastructure, including sound stages and visual effects and post companies; the diversity of locations is mindblowing; and the society and the economy is stable and ordered. For decades Australia has also made its 6 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
own film and television, some of which has thrilled viewers across the world. There are also things that lurk in the back of the mind of – not the bean counters – but the creatives that will be on the ground in Australia. They think of Australia as a fun place to go for a while in terms of weather and lifestyle, even if they will be working their butts off. And the inhabitants don’t take themselves too seriously. If it’s an American or a Brit who is pondering the shortlist, they may also think “Australians are just like us”. But in the end, what moves a territory from shortlist to “winner” is whether it has what a project needs in terms of locations and/or studios. and whether it makes financial sense, which means considering exchange rates and incentives.
What’s the point? This 101 guide to Australia as a location is a menu of what can and can’t be offered. Think of clicking on the dozens of links included as asking a waiter for more information. It is written with a non-Australian in mind. If you don’t know what expressions such as “crikey” or “fair dinkum” mean, just Google them.
WHY AUSTRALIA?
Australia is currently inundated with enquiries about footloose production. The power and intensity of this flood of enquiries would alter the opinion of a climate change denier. Two events have led to this onslaught. Firstly, someone or some creature, maybe a bat, has flung COVID at the whole world and Australia has, so far, managed to keep itself safer than many, many other countries and this is attractive. Secondly, in July 2020, the Australian Government slapped $400 million* on the table. And let’s face it, when that money was slapped down the government envisaged board rooms across LA. There had been plenty of lobbying for this money from the business owners in the service sector of the Australian production industry who depend on government largesse to keep them busy. But ultimately the decision was all about export earnings and the economy. Such decisions always are, but now they are against a backdrop of increased unemployment and increased government spending, due to lockdowns. As Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, said at the time: “The additional $400 million will help Australia capitalise on a growing demand to produce films and television series in Australia, attracting an estimated $3 billion in foreign expenditure and creating 8,000 new employment opportunities for Australians each year.” *All figures throughout this guide are in Australian dollars. For reference, $1.00 AUD = $ 0.76 USD
Photo: Chris Crerar
MONEY TALKS: WHY AUSTRALIA NOW
Stanley, Tasmania, as featured in 'The Light Between Oceans'.
Photo: Mark Rogers
The crew of ‘Children of the Corn’, which shot in Sydney through COVID-19 lockdowns.
Snapshot: Australia in a Pandemic The first known case of COVID-19 in Australia was confirmed on January 19, 2020. More than 12 months later, here are Australia’s statistics. • 29,385 total cases (61 per cent locally acquired and contact with confirmed cases, 24 per cent from overseas, 15 per cent locally acquired and contact not identified.) • 28,331 cases recovered • 909 deaths • 5 new cases in previous 24 hours • 1 locally acquired and 55 overseas acquired last seven days • 145 (estimated) still active cases (76 hospitalised) • 44,549 tests in previous 24 hours (Source).
BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY: COVID-19 PROTOCOLS An absence of shared borders with other countries was one reason that prevented COVID getting its claws too deeply into Australia. Another was that people don’t live cheek to jowl. Further, when the virus first appeared and then later flared up again in Victoria, the lockdown was swift and enduring. So, in a nutshell, things are pretty fabulous compared to other countries – touchwood – but in these unprecedented times, things can change on a dime. At the time of writing, all international visitors have to spend 14 days in hotel quarantine, irrespective of where they have come from or why, although there have been at times exceptions for those travelling from largely COVID-free New Zealand. With regard to screen production, industrywide COVID-Safe guidelines have been thrashed out by a taskforce and provide advice on eliminating and minimising risks during production. Producers are expected to use these guidelines to devise their own risk mitigation plan to suit particular production scenarios. All this is probably not much different to what’s happening in other sophisticated film hubs but in Australia, when cast and crew escape set and enter the wider world, they are likely to be safer. IF: AUSTRALIA 101 7
WHY AUSTRALIA?
‘Mystery Road’. ‘Tanna’.
AND NOW FOR THE BLEEDIN’ OBVIOUS: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM AUSTRALIA Australia is large by land mass. Australia is the sixth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, China, the US and Brazil. It is about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the US and 50 per cent larger than Europe. (Source). Australia’s First Peoples have lived on the continent at least 60,000 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is said to be the oldest surviving culture in the world. Colonisation brought disease, massacres and other conflict, pollution of the environment and an enormous amount of resistance. As of 2016, there were nearly 800,000 Indigenous Australians, or 3.3 per cent of the population. There are many unresolved matters between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people as indicated by some fabulous Australian film and television, including comedy. (Source) Australians have a lot of room to themselves. Australia has few residents, compared to most other countries of its geographical size, as well as a large land mass. As a result it has one of the lowest population densities in the world: three people per square kilometre! It is very easy to drive 300 kilometres and see only people in other vehicles, few signs of human habitation and only trees, sheep, cattle and goats. This especially applies away from the Eastern seaboard: about 20 million of Australia’s 25.65 million people live in either New South Wales, Queensland or Victoria, and about 13 of those 20 million live in the state 8 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
capitals of Sydney (NSW), Brisbane (Qld) and Melbourne (Vic). (Sources: Wikipedia, ABS) Australia is culturally diverse. According to 2016 figures, nearly half of the population was born overseas or at least one of their parents was. Of the 6.2 million people born overseas: 18 per cent arrived since the start of 2012; 83 per cent were likely to live in a capital city (compared to 61 per cent of the rest); and they were most likely to be from England, New Zealand, China or India. More people reported that they were Christian (52 per cent) compared to any other religions. Islam (2.6 per cent) and Buddhism (2.4 per cent) were the runners up. All this is good for casting of course. (Source). Australia is linguistically diverse. About 21 per cent of Australians spoke a language other than English at home in 2016 and there were more than 300 separately identified languages spoken. After English, the most common were Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese and Vietnamese. Tasmania had the highest rate of people speaking only English at home (88 per cent); the Northern Territory had the lowest rate (58 per cent). Further, in Australia there are more than 250 Indigenous languages, and around 800 dialects. Thirteen Australian films have been submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the best foreign language category, with Tanna earning a nod in 2017. Note that some have been filmed abroad. (Source: Wikipedia, ABS) n
Our funding programs include the incomparable $16 million Western Australian Screen Fund and PDV, as well as production funds for scripted, documentary and on-demand content. CONTACT SCREENWEST TODAY filminwesternaustralia.com.au | screenwest.com.au
Image credits: (Top to bottom) 1: Western Beach, Kooljaman at Cape Leveque, provided by Tourism Western Australia 2: Bluff Knoll, Stirling Range National Park provided by Tourism Western Australia 3: Natural Bridge Western Australia Provided Screenwest Photo by Alex Bell 4: Pemberton, South West (Christian Fletcher)
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Words by Sandy George
SHOW ME THE MONEY:
HBO's 'The Leftovers' season 3 shot in Melbourne. Australia has very sexy financial incentives on offer in order to lure projects to our shores. Bear in mind, however, that the preference of those giving out the money is and always has been for large budget film and television, because the larger the project, the more jobs it creates, the more chance for local crews to build skills, and the more money injected into industry infrastructure and the economy. Australia has never been a ‘cheap-aschips’ alternative but you get what you pay for. It is a fine place to make film and television and – fingers crossed – a safe place in a worldwide pandemic.
WHAT’S ON OFFER:
• Grants of up to 13.5% of what’s known as qualifying Australian production expenditure (QAPE), drawn from a $400 million* Location Incentive • A tax rebate of 16.5% of QAPE known as the Location Offset • A tax rebate of 30% of QAPE for post, digital and visual
AUSTRALIA’S FINANCIAL INCENTIVES effects (PDV), known as the PDV Offset, available irrespective of where filming took place. Think of the PDV Offset as being for one set of projects that are filmed abroad and the Location Incentive and the Location Offset – do the maths, together they’re worth 30 per cent – as being accessed simultaneously for another set of projects made in Australia. Applicants must be an Australian resident company or foreign company with an Australian Business Number (ABN) working through a permanent establishment in Australia. There is another rebate, the Producer Offset, but it is only for Australian projects or official co-productions. It is currently worth 20 per cent of QAPE for television and 40 per cent for features. However, from July the government intends to lift the rebate for television and streaming services to 30 per cent. None of the offsets can be claimed concurrently. n *As mentioned, all dollar figures in this guide are in Australian dollars.
IF: AUSTRALIA 101 11
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Australian-Chinese co-production 'The Longest Shot' saw parts of Victoria double for 1930s Shanghai.
FIRST: AN EXPLANATION OF QUALIFYING AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION EXPENDITURE (QAPE) The foundation of all the incentives is QAPE. It is used both to calculate whether a production has spent enough to access the offsets and to calculate the exact size of the resultant rebates. This applies to the Location Incentive too, even though it is a grant. Expenditure has to be in Australia if it is to be classified as QAPE. In the case of the Location Incentive and Location Offset, production expenditure might include the cost of the personnel, equipment, facilities and activities; perhaps also development, insurance, general business overheads, legal expenses, travel and freight. Excluded are the costs associated with financing, marketing and promotion once a project is completed, distribution, the travel costs of crew if they are in Australia for less than two consecutive weeks, and entertainment expenses. The definition of PDV expenditure is given as the creation and manipulation of audio and vision other than principal photography, pickups and physical elements such as sets and costumes. It includes animation. Expenditure might include or partly include staff, freight, the licensing of additional material, travel and equipment hire. 12 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Picking through the fine print can mean a world of pain. Rest assured people can be hired who relish the task and are good at it. (More info on the Location Offset here, and the PDV Offset here.)
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE
Various state and territory governments throughout Australia, and even local councils, also offer their own production incentives, discussed on page 17-18. These can be used simultaneously with federal incentives, which can make for pretty competitive packages.
THE NEW MONEY ARRIVED IN JULY 2020
While the $400 million Location Incentive windfall came in mid-2020, the incentive has been in place for a number of years. So while the $400 million wasn’t a surprise, how much was tipped into the bucket was, even if it is expected to last seven years. The intention is to provide a pipeline of production by handing out a total of $60-80 million to two to five large budget international productions per annum.There have been times in the past when the money has run
out, causing studios to turn off their lights, lighting trucks to get locked up, caterers to turn to weddings, and top personnel to flee overseas. That wasn’t good. Apply here.
Put Ausfilm in your database Ausfilm is the best door to knock on for information about filming in Australia in general. They are friendly but also a strange creature that’s neither fish nor fowl; Ausfilm is not a government agency, although government agencies are among its members. It is a marketing body but it has to be straight up and down because it represents Australian fight-to-the-death rivals. It has no local competitors, not in Australia anyway, although there’s people selling against it everywhere from Budapest to Beijing, Canada to the Czech Republic, London to LA. There is an Ausfilm office in Los Angeles: www.ausfilm.com.au
SHOW ME THE MONEY
'The Lego Movie', animated by Animal Logic.
THE 30% POST, DIGITAL AND VISUAL EFFECTS (PDV) OFFSET The stated aim of the 30 per cent PDV Offset is to enable Australia’s VFX, post and animation sector to continue to develop its reputation as one of the best and most cost-effective in the world. Where a production was filmed is irrelevant. Productions that meet the criteria get a rebate. Again, as with all the offsets, in theory at least, no discretion is involved, which is a good thing. A better thing is this: there is no cap! Something that’s often touted when it comes to the PDV rebate is that hiring both Australians and Americans means that production can be done around the clock – without paying people to work through the night! To be eligible productions must: • be either a feature film or telemovie, excluding feature documentaries, a drama miniseries or a scripted or documentary series • spend at least $500,000 of QAPE (Note that this is expected to rise to $1 million by 1 July 2021 however.) Making a claim follows the same procedure as the Location Offset above. Payment is usually made 6-8 weeks after lodgement with the ATO. Read the guidelines here.
'Mortal Kombat', shot in Adelaide.
Everything you wanted to know about PDV in Australia but were afraid to ask Everything you wanted to know about PDV in Australia but were afraid to ask We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again anyway: Ausfilm is a top place to find out more about how to use, abuse and drive Australia’s VFX companies nuts with your PDV needs. Ausfilm also has many of Australia’s key VFX geniuses as members: • Alt • Luma Pictures • Animal Logic • Method Studios • Fin • Mr. X (formerly Mill Film) • Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) • Resin • Kojo • Rising Sun Pictures For the record, ILM only recently set themselves up at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney. One of their neighbours on the busy lot is Animal Logic. VFX is just one of Animal Logic’s many arms and seeing all the Lego and Peter Rabbit paraphernalia in their HQ hints at the big achievements of other parts of the business. Access Ausfilm’s PDV info here. IF: AUSTRALIA 101 13
SHOW ME THE MONEY
THE $400 MILLION LOCATION INCENTIVE The stated aim of the Location Offset is to entice large budget international features or television series to Australia for filming. It is openly acknowledged that, at 16.5 per cent of QAPE, it is not globally competitive unless combined with a Location Incentive grant, which is 13.5 per cent of QAPE. Yes, it’s messy but that’s the story. Why the government doesn’t just increase the Location Offset to 30 per cent depends on who you listen to – and they won’t say. Perhaps they think it will turn the sector into the Wild West. To be eligible for either or both, productions must: • be either a feature film or telemovie (excluding feature documentaries), a drama miniseries or a scripted or documentary series • spend at least $15 million in QAPE and, for television, at least $1 million per hour • be genuinely footloose, that is, not locked into production in Australia – so if Uluru or the Sydney Opera House were written into the script from day one go for the delete button before applying! To be eligible for the Location Incentive, productions must also: • utilise the services of at least one Australian PDV provider • secure support from the relevant state or territory government
generate jobs, skills development and support for Australian businesses. Having a tourism, regional, infrastructure or new technology benefit could also be advantageous. Each application is judged on its merits. In other words, the process is discretionary. This creates uncertainty – “Pick me! PLEASE pick me!” – and adds decision-making time. What is said is that assessments can take “up to eight weeks”. A payment schedule is included in the grant agreement: in some circumstances an initial partial payment will be made on execution of the agreement but, usually, all of the grant will be paid on completion of the project. Grants are classed as income and taxed. Read the guidelines here.
BTS of 'Aquaman', directed by Aussie James Wan on the Gold Coast.
According to the documentation, projects being considered for the Location Incentive are judged on whether they bring significant financial investment from abroad and
Photo: Tim Grey
LOCATION INCENTIVE BENEFICIARIES
14 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Liam Neeson on location for 'Blacklight' in Melbourne.
• Blacklight, a live-action thriller starring Liam Neeson, filmed in Melbourne. (It received $5.8 million under the Location Incentive) • Escape from Spiderhead, a live-action feature set in the near future, and Pieces of Her, an eight-part series, are both for Netflix. The former was filmed on Queensland’s Gold Coast and the latter is being made in Sydney. The two high-profile Australian stars Chris Hemsworth (Spiderhead) and Toni Collette (Pieces of Her) have been cast. ($21.58 million in total) • The Tourist, six-part mystery thriller, is produced by Two Brothers Pictures for the BBC/Australian streaming service Stan, in association with Highview Productions (Australia). ($3.6 million) • Thirteen Lives is a live-action feature directed by Ron Howard of Imagine Entertainment and backed by MGM. It is based on the daring rescue of a group of schoolboys from a flooded network of caves in Thailand. ($13 million) • Young Rock, Joe Exotic and Irreverent is a package of three scripted television series for NBCUniversal’s Universal Studio Group led by NBCUniversalowned Australian-based Matchbox Pictures. ($19.5 million in total) • Australian Survivor, previously filmed in Samoa and Fiji, has relocated to Queensland. ($3.9 million) • Netflix workplace comedy God's Favorite Idiot, produced by Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy, will shoot in NSW's Northern Rivers. ($10 million) • Amazon's The Wilds season 2 will shoot on Queensland’s Gold Coast ($9.8 million), while Julia Roberts and George Clooney flick Ticket to Paradise will film in the Whitsundays and Southern Queensland ($6.4 million).
SHOW ME THE MONEY
THE 16.5% LOCATION OFFSET Productions that meet the criteria for the Location Offset get a rebate – that is, unlike the Location Incentive, no discretion is involved. And there is no cap on what’s paid out. So providing investors or lenders are cool about stumping up the money until it’s paid back, that’s cause for dancing in the street. As per above, to be eligible productions must: • be either a feature film or telemovie, excluding feature documentaries, a drama miniseries or a scripted or documentary series. • spend at least $15 million of QAPE and, for television, at least $1 million per hour • be genuinely footloose, that is, not locked into production in Australia. The process for claiming the Location Offset usually starts in earnest when no more QAPE is being incurred. It is necessary to apply to the government for a certificate. When one is granted the QAPE is recorded on it – in ink not pencil. This can take up to 15 weeks. Claims are then made directly as part of the company’s annual tax paperwork that has to be submitted to the Australian Tax Office (ATO). A refund is provided as long as the amount due exceeds any tax liabilities owing. (A non-binding provisional certificate can be applied for prior to or during production.) Read the guidelines here. n
Get in contact The Location Incentive and the Location and PDV Offsets are administered by the Screen Industry Section of the Creative Industries Branch of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. Email: filmenquiries@arts.gov.au Tel: +61 2 6271 1543 Website: www.arts.gov.au GPO Box 2154 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
From the government coffers
‘Preacher’ season 4, which shot in Victoria.
These figures, provided by the Federal Government, indicate the extent of its support to the film and television production industry: • The 128 final certificates issued during 2019/20 represent a total of $103 million in rebates under the PDV and Location Offsets. • The 151 final certificates issued during the same period represent a total rebate of $196 million under the Producer Offset. • Between May 2018 and October 2020, 13 film and television projects have received or been promised a total of $142.5 million under the Location Incentive. • The government also supports Australian production with additional funding through the agency Screen Australia. IF: AUSTRALIA 101 15
One last heist...
All the makings of a great story. Bring your creative vision to life on the Gold Coast. Get access to diverse filming locations, world-class production crews and the internationally renowned Village Roadshow Studios. Plus, with financial incentives and fast-tracked permit approvals, your next project is now even easier.
Make believe it here. cityofgoldcoast.com.au/screen
SHOW ME MORE MONEY
Set construction on ‘Dora & The Lost City of Gold’ at Village Roadshow Studios, Gold Coast.
Words by Sandy George
Show Me Where There’s More Money:
In The State Government Coffers TRIGGER HAPPY: THE STATES HAVE TO COMMIT FIRST
It is not possible to even apply for the Australian Government’s lucrative Location Incentive without securing support from a relevant state or territory government. It is very clever of the Australian Government to use this trigger, because it means the states and territories have to have skin in the game too and this, in turn, means that they vet projects initially, separating the wheat from the chaff. It is also good for producers because the state agencies would not want to suffer damage to their reputations by enticing productions that their respective states don’t have the infrastructure or skills to properly service, or by encouraging too many productions to come at once.
EACH TO THEIR OWN: EACH STATE IS UNIQUE
Each agency sells itself in a different way. Screen NSW emphasises that it is in Sydney, Australia’s filmmaking hub, and that’s where all the action is. Victoria paints itself as having a very strong capability in high-end TV drama, and also a real
and palpable culture that goes way beyond just filmmaking. Oh, and it’s got some of Australia’s best restaurants. Queensland’s picture of itself is paradise on earth and, yes, as well as the biggest studio complex in the southern hemisphere it does also have tropical beaches and a lot of sunshine. South Australia (SA) is not known for continuous large budget production but in 2019 it very successfully accommodated its biggest ever, Mortal Kombat, and it’s selling that fact for all it’s worth. All the skilled people needed for mega projects won’t be available in SA, but living costs are lower once they are flown in. It’s much the same in vast Western Australia (WA), where there is a Western Australian Screen Fund (WASF) that encourages filming in regional areas and can provide up to $2 million; the wild and picturesque island state of Tasmania; the everythingin-its-place Australian Capital Territory (ACT), where the Australian Parliament is found, and the Northern Territory (NT), home to the iconic Uluru. On the other hand, when these states win a big production they wrap their arms around it. Another way of putting that is a big fish in a little sea gets all the attention it wants. >> IF: AUSTRALIA 101 17
Photo: Ben King
SHOW ME MORE MONEY
Who you need to know Film Victoria
film.vic.gov.au Caroline Pitcher, CEO caroline.pitcher@film.vic.gov.au
Virtual production on the ‘Blacklight’ set in Melbourne.
Screen Canberra
screencanberra.com.au Monica Penders, CEO monica@screencanberra.com.au
Screen NSW ‘Dora & The Lost City of Gold’, shot on the Gold Coast.
Liam Neeson on the set of ‘Blacklight’.
screen.nsw.gov.au Grainne Brunsdon, head grainne.brunsdon@create.nsw.gov.au
Screen Queensland PLAYING BY THE RULES; AND THE RULES VARY
All state and territory screen agencies will provide location surveys, perhaps also accommodation and domestic flights when providing these services, but from there the differences begin. Not all have funds for attracting international or locking in domestic production, but Screen NSW does; it’s titled Made in NSW, was launched in 2016 and in November 2020 got a $175 million injection of cash for use over five years. Victoria similarly launched a $19.2 million incentive recently that will be targeted at attracting interstate and international physical production over the next two years, and visual effects, animation, post-production and digital games within this financial year. In both Queensland and Victoria minimum state expenditure has to be $3.5 million before either will provide funding to visitors but this isn’t the rule everywhere. Some states are keen to reward producers for filming in regional areas, and others offer cashflow loans. SA is the only agency that has a payroll tax exemption for films and a PDV rebate that includes games, while WA’s PDV rebate is set higher than others at 20 per cent. There are three layers of government in Australia: national/federal, state and local. One local government, City of Gold Coast, also offers incentives.
IT IS A MATING DANCE, AND NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY
Yes, the agencies want the injection of cash and jobs that international production brings, in order to please their political masters. But they want other things too. They might want to build particular skills that the local industry is lacking or help particular businesses buy new equipment with a surge of earnings. In short, they want the internationals to leave their local industries in a better state than when they found them. Also given the interest in Australia right now, those government authorities have a choice about what they decide to back and coming up with innovative ideas to benefit the state could be the ace up an international producer’s sleeve. n 18 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
screenqueensland.com.au Kylie Munnich, CEO ceo@screenqld.com.au
Screen Tasmania
screen.tas.gov.au Alex Sangston, executive manager alex.sangston@screen.tas.gov.au
Screen Territory
screenterritory.nt.gov.au Jennie Hughes, director jennie.hughes@nt.gov.au
Screenwest
screenwest.com.au Willie Rowe, CEO willie.rowe@screenwest.com.au
South Australian Film Corporation
safilm.com.au Kate Croser, CEO kate.croser@safilm.com.au
City of Gold Coast
cityofgoldcoast.com.au Gabrielle Jones, business and investment attraction officer gjones@goldcoast.qld.gov.au
A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD
‘Thor: Ragnarok’, shot at Village Roadshow Studios, Gold Coast.
A Roof Over Your Head: Words by Sandy George
Sound Stages
THE BIGGEST BARRIER to Australia winning more international work is the lack of quality sound stages. The shortage of accommodation that hit the globe a few years ago because of streamers commissioning material has finally hit Australia. The mad scramble driven by enquiries has an intensity never witnessed. Studio managers can’t get the grins off their faces, convention centres and sports stadiums are being utilised for both whole films and pick-ups, and location managers are scouring the suburbs looking for disused warehouses, decommissioned powerhouses – anything. Village Roadshow Studios in South-East Queensland and Fox Studios Australia in Sydney are the two studios with the most credible and colourful history of accommodating blockbusters. VRS recently hosted Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis for Warner Bros, while Fox recently accommodated Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for Disney/Marvel and is now accommodating Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder. It’s amusing how a small change of ownership – Disney buying Fox – destroyed and replaced loyalties. Our Baz, a former Fox stalwart, was banished to the Gold Coast and Kiwi Taika was welcomed into Fox’s arms after making the first of his Thors in Queensland. There is much more to Australia’s sound stage scene than these two behemoths but they’re either not quite built yet or full. The creative team behind New Line Cinemas’ Mortal Kombat had a splendid time at the Adelaide Studios in South Australia in 2019, and Docklands Studios Melbourne is soon to embark on construction of a $46 million super stage measuring 3,700sqm, courtesy of the Victorian Government. That will bring the total number of sound 20 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
stages at Docklands to six, for a facility that prides itself on their service to television and leaving space for Melburnians. Government agency Screen Queensland has also built its own studios, opened in 2019, and Paramount Pictures’ Love and Monsters was the first one in. Various consortia, governments, companies, individuals and dreamers are also hatching plans all over the country. Byron Studios is planned for the Northern Rivers region, also known as the (gorgeous) far north coast of New South Wales, which has grown into a very nice production hub that recently serviced our Knickers (Nicole Kidman) and the rest of the cast and crew of Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers. Oh, and did we mention that Chris Hemsworth has a home up there? On the other side of the country, the state government of Western Australia intends to build a studio in Fremantle. n
The set of ‘Aquaman’ at Village Roadshow Studios, Gold Coast.
A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD
THE OLDEST AND THE BIGGEST: VILLAGE ROADSHOW STUDIOS
Currently in-house: Amazon's The Wilds, season 2. The purpose-built complex in South-East Queensland is less than one hour by car south of Brisbane and less than half an hour west of the (glitzy) Gold Coast, a popular holiday destination for those who like that sort of thing. The 15 hectare site is situated in lush hinterland; no other studio has so many locations – or theme parks – on its doorstep. It prides itself on its long history of servicing US production – president Lynne Benzie has been there for three decades. Fair dinkum! Opened in 1986. Privately owned, as the name suggests, by one of Australia’s biggest entertainment conglomerates. Nine sound stages, the biggest being 3,716 sqm. Overall floor area is 15,380 sqm. The complex is also renowned for its three water tanks. www.villageroadshowstudios.com.au President Lynne Benzie: benzie@villageroadshowstudios.com.au, +61 7 5585 9666
One of the three water tanks at VRS.
Blockbusters made in Australia • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Aquaman The Great Gatsby Happy Feet, Happy Feet 2 The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie, The Lego Ninjago Movie The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions Mission: Impossible II Moulin Rouge! The Chronicles of Narnia – Voyage of the Dawn Treader Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (Episode II), Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) Superman Returns Thor: Ragnarok By the way, many of these were directed by Australian directors, including George Miller (Happy Feet), Baz Luhrmann (The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge) and James Wan (Aquaman).
Village Roadshow Studios.
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A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD
Adelaide Studios.
STATE-OF-THE-ART MEETS MADNESS: ADELAIDE STUDIOS Recently in-house: Thomas M Wright’s The Unknown Man. Biggest recent production: Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat for New Line Cinema. Australia’s newest purpose-built complex is located in suburban Glenside at the back of a restored sandstone mansion built in 1846 to house the mentally ill. The so-called nearby Adelaide Hills limit the suburban sprawl, making the countryside easily accessible. So too is the beach, the airport and the CBD. Opened in 2011. Owned by the South Australian Government. Managed by the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), which is housed there. Two sound stages, the biggest being 1,000 sqm. Known for post sound, including Dolby Premier 7.1. www.safilm.com.au/adelaide-studios Production executive Julie Ryan, julie.ryan@safilm.com.au, +61 8 8394 2012.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: SCREEN QUEENSLAND STUDIOS
Currently in-house: A trio of Universal Studio Group television series. Biggest recent production: Love and Monsters. The paint is still drying at Australia’s newest studio, managed by government agency Screen Queensland. The facility is a refurbishment of existing buildings in the suburb of Hemmant, about 10 kilometres east of Brisbane’s CBD. Opened in 2019. Owned by the Queensland Government. Managed by Screen Queensland. Two sound stages, each 3,000 sqm. screenqueensland.com.au/sq-studios/ Head of studios, Derek Hall, studios@screenqld.com.au +61 7 3248 0500
Screen Queensland Studios, Brisbane. 22 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD
UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP: FOX STUDIOS AUSTRALIA
Currently in-house: Disney/Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder, directed by Taika Waititi. Situated in the heart of (spectacular) Sydney, Fox Studios was constructed on an iconic 13.2 hectare site that previously housed Sydney’s Royal Easter Show for more than a century. Several of the stages were created from old show pavilions. (Rupert Murdoch has almost limitless power in the country of his birth.) Adjacent to major freeways and within easy access of the airport. Many American producers want a piece of Sydney and clamour to get into Fox. Opened in 1998. Privately owned by Disney since 2019. Nine sound stages, the biggest being 4,000 sqm. Overall floor area is 15,000 sqm.
Fox Studios Australia, Sydney.
www.foxstudiosaustralia.com Head John Hughes, john.a.hughes@disney.com, +61 2 9383 4200
Docklands Studios Melbourne.
EXPANDING SOON: DOCKLANDS STUDIOS MELBOURNE
A CGI impression of Dockland Studios Melbourne Stage 6, currently under construction.
Recently in-house: NBCUniversal and Matchbox Pictures’ Clickbait for Netflix, and Easy Tiger’s third season of Jack Irish for ABC TV; and Anonymous Content and Paramount Television’s Shantaram. Purpose built in an industrial area two kilometres from Melbourne’s central business district. Adjacent to major freeways, allowing easy access to the airport – and an easy escape from Melbourne’s suburban sprawl. Prides itself on its service and given its compact size it probably deserves points for this. Opened in 2004. Owned by the Victorian Government. Five sound stages with the biggest being 2,323 sqm. Overall floor area is 6,318 sqm. A sixth stage measuring 3,700sqm is in construction and due to open in 2021. www.dsmelbourne.com Chief executive officer Rod Allan, rod.allan@dsmelbourne.com, +61 3 8327 2000 IF: AUSTRALIA 101 23
LOCATIONS
Elsey National Park, Northern Territory.
Photo: Jason Charles Hill
Words by Sandy George
Locations
Where Are You Going Mate? IF: AUSTRALIA 101 25
TAG TAG
Kings Canyon, Northern Territory
ith a land mass the size of Australia’s, the variety of landscapes is huge. Up north it’s tropical, down south there’s snow, and in the middle there’s either vast expanses of nothing (if you’re a city slicker) or vast expenses of bliss (if you love the natural world and ecology). There’s rolling countryside, salt-encrusted lakes, untouched rainforest, dramatic waterways, red earth as far as the eye can see, dramatic rock formations. Photographs are included throughout because seeing is believing. One warning: some of the most extraordinary locations are isolated. That has financial and practical consequences in terms of per diems, accommodation, flights, and so on. Grandma, suck eggs! It’s also important to note that to shoot in some locations, particularly in areas of remote Australia, you may need to first seek the permission of the traditional owners, that being the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the area. Establishing these relationships will assist you in knowing what areas are sacred and what the appropriate protocols are for access and filming. Perhaps the only type of location that’s lacking in Australia is seemingly endless expanses of snow-capped mountains, in part, because of our very prolonged erosion by wind and water. Bring in the visual effects geniuses or send a second unit to nearby New Zealand! >> 26 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Melbourne CBD
Wylie Bay, Western Australia
Photo: Tourism WA
LOCATIONS
Photo: Luke Tscharke
Cape Huay, Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania.
Hosier Lane, Melbourne.
Mount Buffalo National Park, Victoria
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LOCATIONS
East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory
Photo: Aaron Arila
Given that Australia has about 47,000 kilometres of coastline – putting aside the 8,000 Australian islands that are less than 12 hectares – there is extraordinary variation to how the sea and the land look when they meet. Ask online how many beaches there are, and the general consensus is about 10,000. Some of the most beloved include Wineglass Bay in Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park, Refuge Cove in Victoria’s Wilson Promontory National Park, Whitehaven in Queensland’s Whitsundays, Aldinga in the South Australian capital of Adelaide, Bondi Beach in Sydney, and Eighty Mile Beach in Western Australia, which is actually 220 kilometres. Crikey! So typical of Australian nomenclature. Sydney and Melbourne are Australia’s biggest cities and they tend to sprawl rather than push up into the sky except in the central business districts. But aided, again, by clever production design and the magic of filmmaking, most urban looks are possible in Australia. With a big multicultural population, pockets of Chinese, Greek, Islamic and other kinds of architecture are at hand. n
Broken Hill, New South Wales
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ANZAC parade, ACT
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FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH
From The Horse’s Mouth: Visiting Producers Speak
We can say all we want about filming in Australia, but better you hear from the people who’ve actually done it. Here are three US producers who’ve brought projects ‘Down Under’. Words by Sandy George
JON KUYPER, PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE, THE GREAT GATSBY, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD When Jon Kuyper ushered politicians around the set of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby at Sydney’s Fox Studios Australia, one of the things he would show them was the yellow Duesenberg belonging to Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Jay Gatsby. To show just how much money pours into the economy as a result of big US studio films, he would emphasise that 100 small businesses had had a hand in creating the car. Two replicas of what he calls “a luxury car that was like a Bentley or Rolls Royce on steroids” were bought from the US and every component was rebuilt, replaced or refurbished by a range of trade and craftspeople from researchers to tyre manufacturers, upholsterers to panel beaters. At that time, Kuyper was senior vice president of physical production for Warner Bros with responsibility for the Southern Hemisphere. Now he is a production executive for hire who has worked on other big films by Australian directors since, including Gods of Egypt (Alex Proyas) and Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller), which was relocated to Namibia after unseasonal rains in Australia turned the normally barren landscapes around Broken Hill into a carpet of greenery that was unsuitable for a post-apocalyptic action-adventure film. Kuyper is such a fan of working in Australia that he successfully applied for residency and now has a home in Sydney’s beachside suburb of Bondi. He, in turn, is a big asset to Australia: “I’m always trying to get projects to consider Australia.” 30 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
'The Great Gatsby'. 'Mad Max: Fury Road'.
FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH
E. BENNETT WALSH, PRODUCER, MORTAL KOMBAT Four principal vendors across three states are worked on the VFX for New Line Cinema action film Mortal Kombat: Rising Sun Pictures and Mr X in Adelaide, SlateVFX in Sydney’s Fox Studios precinct and Method Studios in Melbourne. Four smaller Adelaide vendors were also involved, which will do wonders for their reputations. So says producer E. Bennett Walsh, who has been using Method constantly since making Ghost Rider in Melbourne then Stealth in Sydney 15 years ago – Method was then Iloura. The lack of available sound stages on Australia’s east coast led to the “out of the box” decision to make Mortal Kombat in the small production centre of Adelaide. That said, Walsh was impressed that films had been made in South Australia since the 1950s, including some very iconic titles, Sunday Too Far Away, Breaker Morant, The Last Wave and Picnic at Hanging Rock – although the spectacular rocky outcrop of Hanging Rock is located in Victoria so some of the shoot occurred there. One advantage was that the infrastructure and living costs are comparatively low in Adelaide. The creative team – which includes director Simon McQuoid and fellow producer James Wan, both US-based Australians – “leaned in” to what South Australia had to offer and changed the script accordingly. A colosseum from 10 AD became a 14th Century Japanese pine forest, for example, and cast and crew travelled far afield to the extraordinary landscapes in and around Leigh Creek and Cooper Pedy.
“Every type of film can fit in Australia,” says Walsh. “It can’t handle five $100 million plus movies but it can handle three and a range of other stuff OK.” He said studio executives visiting from overseas would not be willing to do two weeks of government quarantine in Australia, preventing them from “swooping in and out”, and he wondered out loud how that would affect the country’s ability to attract production. He noted that the pandemic has made producers and US studio executives more comfortable doing other kinds of work remotely besides VFX, such as post sound, which has traditionally been done in LA.
'Mortal Kombat'
DAN COHEN, PRODUCER, LOVE AND MONSTERS The pandemic hadn’t hit the world when it was decided to film Love and Monsters in Australia. The creative team needed somewhere that would deliver high production values, have the right locations and provide a financial incentive. South Africa, Vancouver, New Zealand and other territories were also considered. “The story is set in a post-apocalyptic Northern California and the Gold Coast [in Queensland] did quite well at resembling that,” says producer Dan Cohen, who was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for drama series in 2017, 2018 and 2020 for Stranger Things. “The movie feels like a big adventure because of all the different terrains.” About 60 per cent of the 42-day shoot took place on location. Finding a street of houses that looked American
was challenging, and the kelpie had to be dyed to look more like an American dog. However, the Australianness of one of the lead actors, Dan Ewing, was not disguised. Cohen had already worked with Australian DP Lachlan Milne – on Stranger Things 3 – and “inherited” crew from an earlier Paramount Pictures film made in Queensland, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which shared the same Paramount executive, Ali Bell. Asked what his personal attitude to filming in Australia had been before leaving the US, Cohen said he’d been to Sydney and Hamilton Island for his honeymoon not long before: “The only conflict was my wife was pregnant with twins and LA was so far away.” He left Australia early to be there for the big day. Love and Monsters christened Screen Queensland’s new Brisbane studio complex in the Brisbane suburb of Hemmant, built from refurbished warehouses: “Getting to ‘own’ the studio was good.” n IF: AUSTRALIA 101 31
LOCAL TALENT
Australians Are Pretty Talented and Make Good Partners Too Words by Sandy George
'Babyteeth'.
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LOCAL TALENT
ne of Australia’s attractions as a location – and as a producing partner – is that it makes great film and television of its own that attracts global audiences and awards alike. There’s a long history of success from perennial serials such as Home and Away and Neighbours through to a variety of wildly different films such as The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, The Proposition, the Mad Max series, Animal Kingdom, Lion and Babyteeth.
AUSTRALIA AT THE OSCARS: HIDING BEHIND THE CAMERA
Australian films and filmmakers have won about 60 Oscars over the years. Two Australian films were nominated for best picture in 2017: Lion (producers Emile Sherman, Angie Fielder, who are Australian, and Iain Canning); and Hacksaw Ridge (Australians Bruce Davey and Paul Currie were among the many producers). Neither film won, but for any country outside the US – and maybe the UK – to have two films in contention in the category of all categories is a very big achievement. Sherman and Canning had already won best
picture for The King’s Speech nearly 10 years earlier, and Davey for Braveheart nearly 25 years earlier. Also in 2017, Australian film Tanna (Bentley Dean and Martin Butler, who also both directed, and Carolyn Johnson, all Australians) was nominated for best foreign language film, and in 2016, Australian film Mad Max: Fury Road, (Australians PJ Voeten, Doug Mitchell and George Miller, who also directed) received nominations in 10 categories, including best picture and best director. Tanna went away empty handed, but Fury Road won six of the craft categories. Miller already had an Oscar anyway because Happy Feet won the category for best animated feature in 2007. Australia also produces fine craftspeople who work all over the world: looking at the same five-year period, Lee Smith and John Gilbert won the Oscar for editing for Dunkirk (2018) and Hacksaw Ridge (2017) respectively. The sound mixing team on the latter, Kevin O’Connell and the Australians Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace also won an Oscar for Hacksaw Ridge. And then there’s Australia’s writers. Again, within the last five years, Tony McNamara was nominated for best original screenplay for The Favourite (2019) and Luke Davies for adapted screenplay for Lion. >>
'Animal Kingdom'
Andrew Garfield and Mel Gibson on the set of 'Hacksaw Ridge'. IF: AUSTRALIA 101 33
LOCAL TALENT
AUSTRALIA AT THE OSCARS: CAVORTING IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA
There are so many outstanding Australian actors working on the world stage that in most years at least one of them is nominated for an Oscar. Jackie Weaver being nominated for Animal Kingdom and Nicole Kidman for Lion were particularly thrilling because they are both Australian films. Here is the line-up for the last 10 years: • Margot Robbie, Bombshell, 2020, I, Tonya, 2018 • Nicole Kidman, Lion, 2017, Rabbit Hole, 2011 • Cate Blanchett, Carol, 2016, Blue Jasmine, 2014 (And the winner is... ) • Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables, 2013 • Naomi Watts, The Impossible, 2013 • Jackie Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook, 2013, Animal Kingdom, 2011 • Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech, 2011 One wonders if the talented Heath Ledger would have been in this list if still alive, given he won for The Dark Knight in 2009. Sad. Blanchett has been nominated for six Oscars, also winning for The Aviator, Kidman for four, winning for The Hours, and Rush for four, winning for Australian film Shine.
AUSTRALIA AT THE FESTIVALS
If a year goes by when Australia has nothing in an A list festival, it thinks its throat has been cut. H is for Happiness got a special mention at Berlin in 2020, Babyteeth won an award in Venice in 2019. Also in Venice, The Nightingale and Sweet Country won the special jury prize in 2018 and 2017 respectively. Samson & Delilah, the debut feature of Sweet Country director Warwick Thornton, won the Camera d’Or at Cannes in 2009. 52 Tuesdays won the Crystal Bear at Berlin, and the directing award for Sophie Hyde at Sundance in 2014. The future augurs well with the number of short films getting attention around the world. (Source).
PARTNERSHIPS WITH AUSTRALIA
It has been mentioned that the Australian Government uses offsets/rebates to stimulate local as well as international production. The most attractive rebate of all, claimable under the Producer Offset (PO), is worth 40 per cent of QAPE and is for Australian features, including those made under official co-production arrangements. As also mentioned, the rebate available for television under the PO is to be increased from 20 to 30 per cent.
'Mad Max: Fury Road'.
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LOCAL TALENT
'Lion'.
A significant Australian content (SAC) test is used to determine if a project is Australian. Among its considerations is whether a project is being made by Australians, subject matter, location of filming, and production expenditure in Australia. An official co-production has to pass a different test and is automatically regarded as Australian. Australia has treaty and other arrangements with 12 countries and additional countries are slowly being added. The US isn’t and will never be a co-production partner – combating the might of Hollywood is one reason that co-productions came into being. Australia undertakes few co-productions compared to Canada, the UK and many European countries. Whether a film or television show is Australian or international is not always clear from the outside.
AUSTRALIA ON THE BIG SCREEN
Two big-budget, studio-backed films intending to claim the PO are New Line’s Mortal Kombat and Warner Bros’ Elvis. Mortal Kombat is considered Australian in part on the strength of Australian director Simon McQuoid, a newcomer to features, and the very busy US-based Australian producer James Wan. Elvis is directed by Baz Luhrmann, one of only a handful of directors who have consistently convinced the major studios to heavily invest in his films despite them being made on the other side of the Pacific. Think The Great Gatsby, Australia and Moulin Rouge! – Romeo + Juliet was filmed in Mexico.
Screen Australia can tip up to $2 million into a film – funds that are in addition to the rebate – but probably only a third or a half of the national slate successfully score agency money and rarely that much.
AUSTRALIA ON THE SMALL SCREEN – IN INTERNATIONAL SHOWS
Two recently filmed projects that received the Location Incentive, which is intended for international production, have strong Australian elements: the 10-part Paramount Television/Anonymous Content series Shantaram is directed by Australian clever cat Justin Kurzel; and the Matchbox Pictures/Tony Ayres Productions/Heyday Television eightpart series Clickbait for Netflix and NBCUniversal is co-created by gifted Australian showrunner Tony Ayres. The Location Incentive for these projects was $7.4 million and $4.9 million respectively – this was before the $400 million cash injection. A package of three scripted television projects, Young Rock, Joe Exotic and Irreverent, was the first supported by the $400 million incentive. Matchbox Pictures will have a big hand in all of them. Once a defiantly independent Australian company, it is now owned by NBCUniversal International Studios so can only claim to be based in Australia. Irreverent was developed in Australia and the story is set in Australia. Several local television companies have been bought by international businesses in recent years. n IF: AUSTRALIA 101 35
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AUSFILM:
Connects you to Australia The Australian Government added $AUD400 million in funding to its Location Incentive Program in July 2020, delivering a rebate of up to 30 per cent for international productions. Meet Ausfilm: the organisation that will help you navigate Australia’s incentive and guide the way for international productions wanting to shoot in Australia.
'Mortal Kombat', shot in Adelaide.
AUSFILM HAS BEEN connecting filmmakers worldwide to Australia since the mid ‘90s. In that time, it has built significant relationships with its industry partners; everyone from the US studios to global independent producers, major TV broadcasters and the streamers. The organisation is a unique partnership between government and private businesses, working within the production sector through which it markets Australia’s globally competitive incentives, locations, facilities and talent to the film community worldwide. The makeup of Ausfilm’s membership includes Australia’s federal and state government screen agencies and screen service businesses encompassing the country’s five major studio complexes in Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Adelaide; production services; and leading post, VFX, music and sound studios. Check out Ausfilm’s member directory of creative and expert screen industry companies and facilities here. As Ausfilm represents both government and industry, it is well placed to provide international producers with the big picture story about of Australia’s screen sector, from the varied state and federal government incentive schemes to Australian talent, crews and the private sector’s facilities and expertise. That’s achieved by having offices in both Sydney and Los Angeles, where staff facilitate the following services for international production companies: 36 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
• one-to-one business meetings to provide expert advice on filming in Australia • recommendations on engaging expert service companies • facilitating location packages with all of Australia’s state and territory screen agencies • budget comparisons on request • location scouting and familiarisation visits on request • guidance on visa and immigration process • introductions to Ausfilm member companies. With restrictions on travel due to COVID this work continues in a virtual environment from both the Sydney and Los Angeles teams.
“Australia continues to have an excellent reputation of being able to support high-end large and medium budget TV and feature films efficiently, creatively and effortlessly.” Erin Stam
AUSFILM
“We get repeat business from Warners Bros; Disney; Marvel Studios; Legendary; and Paramount Pictures. But we don’t just service US tent polefeatures. Australia has also worked on some stellar high-end international episodic TV,” says Erin Stam, EVP of international production of Ausfilm’s LA office. Within the last two years the Australian Government has supported international TV productions commissioned by Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, NBC Universal, ABC International Studios, Sony Television and Paramount Television. These productions have been eligible for either Australia’s Location Offset and Location Incentive grant, or the Federal Government’s post/VFX offset (PDV) of 30 per cent, combined with up to 20 per cent from state government post and VFX incentives. Sony Pictures Television, through its local Australian based subsidiary Playmaker Media, made both season 4 of Preacher (Victoria doubled for Israel and the USA); and Reckoning (NSW doubled for the USA) in Australia; ABC International Studios based its US.summer TV series Reef Break in Queensland (Gold Coast doubled for a Pacific island) and NBCUniversal and Netflix’s Clickbait saw Melbourne, Victoria double for Oakland. With the Location Incentive grant topped up with $AUD400 million in July 2020 and extended to 2027, the country has seen a significant uplift in international activity. Twelve international film and TV series have been announced since July 2020, attracting more than $AUD500 million in production expenditure into Australia and employing more than 11,000 Australia cast and crew. Late last year the action feature Blacklight, directed by Mark Williams, starring Liam Neeson, filmed in Melbourne;
NBCUniversal filmed the first of three TV shows: Young Rock which wrapped in early 2021 starring Dwayne Johnson, Joe Exotic and Irreverent will film in Queensland in 2021 and all three shows will be produced by its local Australian based company Matchbox Pictures. Netflix filmed Escape from Spiderhead starring Chris Hemsworth on the Gold Coast in Queensland in late 2020 and Netflix has commenced filming its TV series Pieces of Her starring Toni Collette in January in Western Sydney, New South Wales; and BBC One and Stan will commence filming the six-part drama series The Tourist in South Australia in autumn. The long running reality show Australian Survivor will shoot its sixth season in remote Cloncurry in Queensland this year and Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone’s 16-ep TV comedy God’s Favorite Idiot will film in northern NSW. “We continue to show the industry worldwide that Australia continues to have an excellent reputation of being able to support high-end large and medium budget TV and feature films efficiently, creatively and effortlessly,” says Stam.
If you are interested in filming your project in Australia, developing partnerships with Australian producers or completing VFX, post, sound or music production in Australia, Ausfilm is here to help. n
Contact: Erin Stam
Executive Vice President, International Production Erin.stam@ausfilm.com +1 (310) 229 2362
Legendary’s ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’, shot on the Gold Coast.
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Queensland:
Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
The SUNSHINE STATE
Since July 2020, Queensland has secured eight of the 12 international productions attracted into Australia, with demand to produce in the sunshine state at a record high. With major films and television series lining up for picturesque, film-friendly destinations such as the Gold Coast, Brisbane, the outback and tropical north, there’s more to Queensland’s production boom than its COVID-safe status.
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Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.
OR DECADES NOW, Queensland has attracted highend productions from around the world, earning its enviable reputation as a global screen hub. While the latest influx of international production can certainly be attributed in part to the state’s strong health response – resulting in low-to-no active COVID-19 cases– it’s easy to count the reasons why Australia’s sunshine state is securing the lion’s share of footloose production. ABC Signature Studios chose the Gold Coast for season two of the Amazon Original series The Wilds, over their original New Zealand location. Series executive producer and showrunner Amy B. Harris said, “The idea of filming on Australia’s Gold Coast was so exciting to me, and the reality of this beautiful place has exceeded all expectations. “The stunning beaches, talented and skilled crews, and welcoming community make filming here in Queensland a dream come true.” Universal Studio Group series Young Rock, filmed in Brisbane’s Screen Queensland Studios and on location around the capital, premiered on NBC in the US this February. The widely-anticipated comedy series, based on the life of international superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, saw Brisbane and its surrounds double for 1980s Hawaii, alongside 1990s Pennsylvania and Florida. Series co-creator and executive producer Jeff Chiang (Fresh Off the Boat) had much to say about his first experience filming in Queensland, and at Screen Queensland Studios. “It’s really terrific,” said Chiang. “The facilities are
SCREEN QUEENSLAND
great and there are so many amazing locations so it all works together really well.” Asked if he would return, Chiang’s response was enthusiastic. “Shooting in Queensland, I’d definitely do that again. It’s been an incredible experience. “I can’t speak more highly of it. It’s been just a total pleasure to work here,” he said. Joe Exotic, a fictional series based on the bingeable Netflix sensation Tiger King, is the next Universal Studio Group production bumping into the Brisbane-based Screen Queensland Studios. Nearby locations in the state’s SouthEast will stand in for Oklahoma and Florida on screen. The production will be followed by yet another series, Irreverent, which will not only use the Studios but also locations in and around the idyllic coastal town of Port Douglas near Cairns, in tropical Far North Queensland. Altogether, the three back-to-back productions will have Universal Studio Group calling Screen Queensland Studios home for a total of 18 months—a flying start for the newly constructed facility, which is currently the third-largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It boasts a total lettable area of 173,000 square feet (16,000 square metres), including two sound stages and ample support facilities. The first production to shoot at the studios, Paramount Pictures’ Love and Monsters, is available now in the US on Amazon Prime Video. Although the state is widely renowned for sweeping seaside panoramas, Queensland’s rural and desert landscapes impress, enticing Endemol Shine to think differently for their eighth season of the popular reality juggernaut Australian Survivor. They will be swapping out
Cloncurry.
their usual beach setting for the sunburnt, red plains and rocky hillsides of Cloncurry, in outback Queensland. Australia’s second-largest state is also the destination for blockbuster feature films. Netflix Original feature Escape from Spiderhead, starring Australia’s own Chris Hemsworth, is in post-production now, having filmed at the Gold Coast Convention Centre as sound stage space and on beach and water locations nearby. Filming also took place in The Whitsundays, a popular tourist paradise along the northeast coast, known for lush green rainforests, pristine white beaches and crystal-clear waters. Producer Tommy Harper confirmed that Queensland’s COVID-safe status is only one aspect of the overall appeal of the film-friendly destination. “It feels very at home for me. In California you can have a lot of different locations in one place, and I feel like Queensland in particular is just like that. “I love the crews here, I feel safe here. I think for doing a movie here, for me, in a pandemic, I couldn’t be >>
“I cannot emphasise enough how lucky we feel in the current climate that the state of Queensland and Queenslanders have been so supportive.” Baz Luhrmann
Whitehaven Beach, Whitsundays.
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in a better place. Even if I wasn’t in a pandemic I’d be very fortunate to be here.” Of shooting in the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Harper had high praise for the converted sound stage, as well as for the support of Screen Queensland and the City of Gold Coast for their assistance in finding the facility. “We came very fast to the country, mounted the movie very quickly and we never would have been able to do it without the support.” “Everything is under one roof, so we are extremely lucky to have found this place. I hope they continue doing movies here!” he added. From one thrilling feature film to another, Imagine Entertainment and MGM’s Thirteen Lives, directed by Academy Award-winner Ron Howard, will re-create the gripping true story of the 2018 Thai boys’ soccer team cave rescue. For this production, the wide availability of lush, tropical, coastal locations on the Gold Coast provided an ideal double for northern Thailand. This in conjunction with skilled local crew with deep expertise in water and tank work, sealed the deal. Ron Howard said: “I would like to thank Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Screen Queensland for their support of Thirteen Lives. I am thrilled to bring this film to Queensland and to work with many talented and skilled Australian artists over the coming months.” Meanwhile, at the original heartland of the Queensland screen industry, Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast, filming has recently wrapped on Warner Bros.’ Elvis film starring Tom Hanks and Austin Buter, and directed by Baz Luhrmann. Elvis is repeat business for the state, with Luhrmann having filmed scenes for his epic Australia in outback Bowen in 2007. Production on the much-anticipated biopic was temporarily shut down due to the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, resuming in September under the Queensland Screen Sector COVID-Safe Work Plan, developed by the Queensland Government and Screen Queensland.
Village Roadshow Studios.
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“Shooting in Queensland, I’d definitely do that again... It’s just been a total pleasure to work here” Jeff Chiang “I cannot emphasise enough how lucky we feel in the current climate that the state of Queensland, and Queenslanders in general, have been so supportive of this film,” said Luhrmann. “We thank our partners in the Queensland Government and Queensland Health for their extremely diligent process, so that we can be an example how creativity and productivity can proceed safely and responsibly in a way that protects our team and the community at large.” So how can Queensland’s appeal in the context of a global health crisis be summarised? Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich says although the state’s current health record places the state on a shortlist out of hundreds of potential locations globally, securing production is due to a “highly competitive synergy of safety, lifestyle and a strong track record built over 30 years.” “It in the end, it’s our attractive Queensland Government incentives, genuine service from the Screen Queensland team, diverse locations, ideal climate, depth of crew, two world-class studios (with a Cairns studio and Gold Coast TV production hub on the way), award-winning post-production facilities and a stellar reputation amongst industry giants, that keep a pipeline of productions flowing into the state.” Through the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland offers incentives and location services for productions with a minimum spend of $AUD3.5 million in the state. n For more information, visit screenqueensland.com.au
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Tropical jungle.
In focus:
Queensland’s Gold Coast With the only local government production rebates in the country, and fast-tracked permit applications, the Gold Coast is the most screen-friendly city in Australia. The city’s unique combination of natural and built attributes makes it the perfect location for cost-effective, high-impact screen production. The Gold Coast boasts easy access to experienced local crew, world-class studios and production infrastructure, diverse locations and almost 300 days of sunshine each year. Here, two Gold Coast location managers speak on the challenges of mounting recent productions locally: Imagine and MGM’s true-life thriller Thirteen Lives and Netflix’s chic sci-fi Escape from Spiderhead.
Swamplands. 42 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Cane field. Stradbroke Island.
With all the makings of a great story, bring your creative vision to life on the Gold Coast. Get access to diverse filming locations, world-class production crews and the internationally renowned Village Roadshow Studios. Plus, with financial incentives and fasttracked permit approvals, your next project is now even easier. Make believe it here – cityofgoldcoast.com.au/screen or film@goldcoast.qld.gov.au
QUEENSLAND: GOLD COAST
Escape From Spiderhead
Thirteen Lives
Veteran location manager Duncan Jones helped steer Netflix’s visually ambitious sci-fi film Escape from Spiderhead to a range of natural Gold Coast locations. Starring Chris Hemsworth and directed by Joseph Kosinski, it was also the first film to utilise the 4000sqm Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre as studio space.
As supervising location manager on Imagine Entertainment and MGM’s Thirteen Lives, Gold Coast local Nick Smith leads a locations team of three. Ron Howard’s dramatic thriller, which recounts the miraculous 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, will utilise the Gold Coast hinterland to double for rural Thailand and shoot the complex cave sequences on local stages.
What looks were the filmmakers chasing? And how did the Gold Coast meet those needs? Escape from Spiderhead is science fiction; it could have been shot anywhere in the world, but the Gold Coast has a range of diverse backgrounds, and that helped the director a lot. We found some really unique locations that strengthened the script and really enhanced the look; some of our locations have never been seen on film before. Locally we were at Advancetown, Arundel, Jacobs Well and Tallebudgera Valley. To have access to such a diversity of looks in such a small geographical space is unique. We also spent time on the water at the Whitsunday Islands.
What were your first location challenges on Thirteen Lives? With the wonderful Village Roadshow Studios occupied, we needed to piece together substitute floor space. That meant our first focus was a search for several commercial facilities to house stage space, workshops and a production office. With the assistance of a fantastic local commercial property agent, we managed to create a hub of five facilities at the northern end of the Gold Coast: four within two minutes of each other, and the fifth eight minutes away.
With the Gold Coast’s Village Roadshow Studios already occupied, how did you solve your stage space issues? There were some phenomenal sets for the film, so we knew warehouse space was not going to work. We were incredibly lucky to take over the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre for our stages and production offices. It’s the first time a film has used the space like a studio. We worked on 4000sqm of stage space, and half of that was taken up by the film’s biggest set. How did the City of Gold Coast support the production? The City of Gold Coast has a full-time film and television adviser, who’s an invaluable resource for inbound and domestic productions. They’re always proactive in supplying information on infrastructure, and that helped to bring Netflix here. Does the Gold Coast present any environmental advantages to shooting under COVID? COVID has increased demands for space, but in saying that, the Gold Coast is well positioned to maintain production because we have so much space, even in our CBD. We’ve worked hard as a community to be able to keep filming and working: virus case numbers have been kept incredibly low, we have outstanding local crew, and can accommodate these large-scale films safely and effectively. We had several hundred crew on Spiderhead without a single case. Productions in COVID hotspots are shutting down or turning over big numbers of crew – we haven’t had to do that here.
How have COVID protocols forced you to think or work differently as a location manager? More space… and luckily the Gold Coast has plenty of space! Locations and our unit base need more area around them for social distancing and COVID testing, plus more temporary infrastructure and more vehicles to safely move crew to and from set. On the Gold Coast, we’re grateful to be working during COVID. But at the same time we’re aware of productions shutting down overseas and how hard that instability would be on crew and their families. We appreciate how lucky we’ve been here, and hope the broader industry recovers quickly. What looks were the filmmakers chasing? And how did the Gold Coast meet those needs? Rainforest, mountains, tropical clearings and creeks – and the Gold Coast provided a staggering selection, all within our production zone. Of the COVID protocols currently in place around location management, might any actually stay post-pandemic? Much of the early scouting presentations for Thirteen Lives were via Zoom meetings and sharing photos and drone footage with the creative team on the other side of the world. They are smart people and did a great job of making it work. How has the City of Gold Coast’s film unit supported the show? City of Gold Coast always provides amazing support to the film and television industry. They offer in-kind support by providing a location scout for a couple of days while productions consider the Gold Coast as a film destination, as well as mostly free city-owned locations for filming and parking of unit base. The City also provides a financial incentive to attract productions, and all of their departments take a collaborative approach to problem solving location issues. City of Gold Coast covers the whole of city too; it’s a massive benefit to only deal with one Council for the entire shoot. n
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Make it in Winton 2013 film ‘Mystery Road’, directed by Ivan Sen, filmed in Winton. 44 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
IMAGINE ROLLING MITCHELL grass plains, suddenly interrupted by mesa formations. Beautiful red earth and channel country and undulating plains as far as the eye can see. You could easily place yourself in the American West, the African Savannah or even Afghanistan. These landscapes are what make Winton, in Central Western Queensland, an ideal filming location. You could be 10 minutes from town and see nothing other than amazing landscapes. Winton is located in on the Landsborough Highway, 180 kilometres northwest of Longreach, 472 kilometres southeast of Mount Isa, and approximately 1,500 kilometres from Brisbane; covering 53,935 square kilometres and boasting a population of around 1,100 people. Growth of the film industry in Winton is a current priority for the Winton Shire Council to support and advance regional growth. It is the council’s aspiration for the Winton Shire to become the “Outback Film Capital of Australia” due to its history of feature films, commercials and documentaries, and a unique landscape that continues to attract filmmakers from all over the world. Winton’s ancient and spectacular landscapes have been the backdrop for many of Australian cinema’s most moving moments. Its sweeping golden plains and rugged rocky outcrops speak to Australians and cinemagoers the world over. Some of the films shot in Winton include The Proposition, Mystery Road, Goldstone and Texas Rising as well as six-part series Total Control, from Australia’s ABC.
QUEENSLAND: WINTON
Middleton, Winton.
Get to Winton BY AIR
REX airlines flies into Winton via Townsville on a Tuesday and a Thursday. Winton airport is located five kilometres from town. Transfers to and from town can be organised at the visitor’s Information centre. An alternative to flying directly into Winton is to take the daily QantasLink flight from Brisbane to Longreach, where there are hire cars available through Avis and Budget. Winton Shire Council is also in talks with Alliance Airlines for direct charter flights into Winton.
BY RAIL
Queensland Rail Travel operates the ‘Spirit of the Outback’ rail service twice weekly to and from Brisbane to Longreach. There is a rail coach link to Winton. As for filming gear and trucks, Winton Shire Council have arranged a deal with Linfox to get equipment from Brisbane directly to Winton via rail at some reasonable prices.
BY BUS
Bus Queensland coach services operate from Brisbane to Mt Isa and return daily, stopping in Winton. Greyhound operate services between Rockhampton and Longreach.
Other great filming locations within the Winton Shire are Rangelands and Bladensburg National Park, recently rated as one of the top five national parks in the world. Winton has also been rated the eighth best place in the world to stargaze. In recent years, the town has embraced film culture wholeheartedly. For the last six years it has hosted the annual Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival attracting students from Beijing Film Academy, the Film and Television Institute of India, Griffith Film School and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) film school. Winton Shire Council are also at an advanced design stage in developing a film studio and production offices, allowing filmmakers a ‘plug and play’ facility. The hope is it will become a hub for any visiting filmmakers, television production companies and students from around the world. The council is also also in the process of securing funds for Australia’s only permanent American-style ‘Western Town’. Winton boasts a high-speed dark fibre internet facility, which allows a minimum of 10GBs per second to be sent anywhere in the world. The people of Winton are extremely film-friendly and are a great source of extras and hands-on crew. We can make almost anything happen in a short period of time. If you plan to make a film, Winton Shire Council can show you what Winton has to offer. n
Get in contact:
Adam Head, tourism and economic development officer Winton Shire Council AdamH@winton.qld.gov.au www.winton.qld.gov.au Waltzing Matilda Centre +61 1300 665 115 waltzing@matilda.centre.com.au IF: AUSTRALIA 101 45
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Photo: Tourism WA
Go West for locations,
Perth City.
TAKE A MOMENT to picture yourself, after a long day on set, walking barefoot along a pristine, white beach, the fresh salt spray cooling your face as the sun sets over the water. Or perhaps you’re reviewing dailies, cuddling up by an open fireplace overlooking a beautiful forest vista.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA - YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME!
As the world grapples with the impacts of COVID-19, Western Australia really does bring truth to idea that the grass is greener on the other side of the world. With its capital, Perth, once known as the most isolated city in the world, Western Australia has largely been able to return to the new normal, with minimal restrictions. Heralded as the California of the land down under, Western Australia boasts stunning weather, incredible light, spectacular, unseen locations, skilled crew and competitive incentives. Although it’s the friendly communities and laid-back lifestyle will have you searching for real estate and your own permanent slice of heaven. Just ask Hollywood Actress and star of Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and The Umbrella Academy Kate Walsh. With the state government committed to keeping the state’s economy growing, there are newly announced plans to develop a studio and grow the local screen industry, meaning the only way is up for Western Australia. 46 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
From conception to completion here are the three reasons that Western Australia should be your next production location.
1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
As the biggest state in the country, with diverse unseen locations and a new studio on the horizon, Western Australia has something unique to offer every production. From deserts that double as extra-terrestrial terrain, mountainous ranges depicting highlands, dense and adventure inspiring forest, mystical period townships, sprawling white sand beaches and thriving metropolitan streets. Connecting flights from Asia and direct flights from the UK have made it easier and quicker than ever to travel to WA. With the time zone aligning perfectly with the east coast of China, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia it is a seamless match for productions visiting from or working with companies in Asia. The time zone complements the USA and Canada, allowing productions to be worked on 24/7 globally. You can film during the day, whilst shots are reviewed or decisions are made overnight, enabling a seamless workflow. Western Australian screen funding agency Screenwest runs a ‘Film Friendly’ program, providing workshops and resources to local government authorities. This means there are a wealth of experienced communities across WA, excited and ready to welcome productions with streamlined processes and local knowledge.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA: SCREENWEST
stay for the lifestyle
Photo: Tourism WA
Western Beach, Kooljaman at Cape Leveque.
The state government plans for new studio infrastructure within the Perth metropolitan area, to ensure WA is at the forefront of the latest technology with ample sound stages and post-production facilities.
2. FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION – BOLSTER YOUR PROJECT WITH COMPETITIVE INCENTIVES
Screenwest provides support to inbound productions through the Western Australian Screen Fund (WASF), designed to promote production across its diverse regions, boost local economies and drive tourism. The fund primarily provides production funding but assists with regional location scouting and community liaison assistance. Productions can apply for WASF funding through two stages: • Stage 1: Regional Scouting and Community Liaison Assistance Up to AUD$10,000 • Stage 2: Production Funding Up to a maximum of AUD$2,000,000 Why stop at production? The WASP also encompasses one of the most competitive Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) rebates in the country. Eligible applicants can receive 20 per cent of the first $AUD500,000 of expenditure and a further 10 per cent
rebate for all expenditure over $AUD500,000 on post work undertaken in Western Australia.
3. SKILLED CREW AND CREATIVES
Western Australia’s talented key creatives and crew have the local knowledge and international experience to bring your production to life. Our directors have created distinctive content such as festival titles Hounds of Love, The Furnace or I Am Mother. Our talented and thriving industry of post-production, digital and VFX professionals boast credits that include What Men Want, Dumplin, I Am Mother, 1922, Hotel Mumbai, 100% Wolf, The Shallows, and many more. These practitioners are complemented by well-connected local heads of department who will have your production crewed with highly skilled professionals boasting a West Aussie ‘can-do’ attitude ready to realise your vision on time and on budget. With production space limited around the globe, Western Australia is ready for you. Now is your chance take advantage of the incredible incentives, locations and lifestyle on offer. n What are you waiting for? For more information on filming in Western Australia get in touch with Screenwest via www.screenwest.com.au or give the production attraction team a call on +61 8 6169 2100. IF: AUSTRALIA 101 47
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Killen Falls.
The Northern Rivers THIS IS THE BEST REGIONAL LOCATION IN AUSTRALIA FOR YOUR NEXT PRODUCTION TO CALL HOME
The Northern Rivers region in the far north-east corner of New South Wales has become one of the busiest regions for film and TV productions over the past 12 months. The region offers a diverse range of stunning and dramatic tropical coastal and rainforest locations: lush towering forests, stunning green valleys, rivers and creeks, tropical cane fields, plantations and mountains. It is also home to accessible private jungles, spectacular beaches and the world’s second-largest extinct volcano, Mt Wollumbin. Combine this amazing range of locations with the largest professional regional crew base in Australia, new studio facilities now on offer, easy-accessibility with four airports nearby, an abundance of accommodation available and the unique local support services offered by Screenworks (Australia’s leading regional screen organisation) – it isn’t surprising that the region has been home to numerous recent productions including Nine Perfect Strangers, Eden, Aquaman, SeaChange, Sweet River, The Gods Of Wheat Street and Deadlock. 48 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
LOOKING FOR UNIQUE LOCATIONS? WE’VE GOT THEM
Photo: Colin McDougall
Go regional:
The Northern Rivers offers spectacular and extraordinary locations, so diverse in nature that they can easily double for rural England, the tropics, Europe or North America. They include: • Private tropical jungles & dramatic rainforests • Pristine beaches and rugged rocky coastlines • Scenic lakes and wide rivers • Mountains and rolling green hills • Deserted rural roads and busy highways • Quaint hinterland villages and contemporary urban buildings • Palm tree-lined streetscapes and eclectic architecture • Coffee and macadamia plantations • Sun-drenched cane fields and lush farmlands • Hidden waterholes and towering waterfalls • Cape Byron Lighthouse • Majestic Mount Wollumbin – the second largest extinct volcano in the world Location photos of the Northern Rivers region are available on the Screenworks website.
NEW SOUTH WALES: SCREENWORKS
THE LARGEST REGIONAL CREW BASE IN AUSTRALIA
One of the most breathtaking parts of Australia, the Northern Rivers region has the highest number of screen industry practitioners and services outside the major metropolitan centres. You could easily find most of your crew right here. The region is well known as a hotspot for skilled film professionals, with numerous facilities, infrastructure and support services also available. Screenworks’ website provides free access to a database of the local screen industry professionals available for work in the area. If you are intending to film in the Northern Rivers and are looking for cast, crew, equipment and services simply search the Screenworks database online or contact the Screenworks’ office on +61 2 6611 1188 for local and current advice.
As a nationally recognised organisation, Screenworks maintains strong relationships with the state and federal government screen bodies to ensure we can clearly communicate the up-to-date processes associated with filming in the Northern Rivers region. The region comprises seven film-friendly councils who welcome open dialogue with visiting productions with the aim of facilitating the filmmaking experience for all parties. Screenworks is able to provide this as a free service. Staff have the expertise to connect your production with the local resources it needs. It is also able to introduce and connect productions to the local council contact, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community leaders and facilitate introductions, conversations and engagement with the local community. >>
HOME TO AUSTRALIA’S LEADING REGIONAL ORGANISATION - SCREENWORKS
Photo: Colin McDougall
For the past 20 years, Screenworks has been supporting incoming productions to the Northern Rivers region by providing advice on locations, professional crew, infrastructure, facilities and engaging with the local community.
Photo: Colin McDougall
Photo: Colin McDougall
Brunswick Heads.
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Byron Studios Alstonville.
Productions are flocking to the Northern Rivers as it boasts a reputation as a safe haven for A-list actors and a solid filming destination.
Byron Studios Now Up And Running The Northern Rivers region has always delivered on unsurpassed beauty, talent and locations, and now has a film studio infrastructure for complete turnkey shooting and delivery. With a vision to build multiple modern purpose-built sound stages in this region, Byron Studios has been overwhelmed with production interest and has commenced operations with interim stages. A state-of-the-art studio complex will be built in 2022, with the full support of the local film-friendly council (Ballina) and stages to range between 1000 to 2500 sqm. Currently, Byron Studios can offer four varied, air-conditioned and sound treated studio spaces for hire across two different locations:
BYRON BAY (INDUSTRIAL ESTATE):
• Studio 1 - a 150m2 facility with Green Screen Cyc, edit suites, sound booth and production offices, bathroom and kitchen • Studio 2 - a 100m2 facility that can mimic a house set along with three offices, bathroom and a flying curtain rail. • Both studios have parking and are located next to each other.
ALSTONVILLE (30MINS DRIVE SOUTH OF BYRON BAY AND 15MINS FROM BALLINA):
• Studio 3 – a 975m2 and 10m H clear span • Studio 4 – next to and connected with Studio 3, a 400m2 space with a lovely parquetry floor 4.5m H clear span room above • Both studios are set alongside extensive outdoor areas, which allow for significant unit parking and external shoots and also offers a secure set construction space (750m2, high roof). High-speed fibre internet connection is available at all sites, along with full Post and VFX services, data wrangling, screening room and secure file management and delivery systems. For more information about Byron Studios and its future plans, please visit: W: www.byronstudios.co E: enquire@byronstudios.co P: +61 459 589293
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NEW SOUTH WALES: SCREENWORKS
PAST PRODUCTIONS
High-profile national and international productions are flocking to Northern Rivers, as it boasts a reputation as a safe haven for A-list actors and a solid filming destination. Some of the area’s recent productions include: SeaChange, Sweet River, Eden, Aquaman, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Nim’s Island, Return to Nim’s Island, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here (Australia, UK and Germany) and NBC’s Camp. The region was also recently home to Nine Perfect Strangers, a Hulucommissioned production by Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films and Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories, starring Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy and Luke Evans.
ACCOMMODATION
As a popular destination for filmmakers, residents and tourists
alike, there is an abundant and diverse range of accommodation options in the region for cast and crew, including the areas of Byron Bay and Ballina.
GETTING TO THE NORTHERN RIVERS
The Northern Rivers is the most northeasterly region of New South Wales, 370 miles (590 kilometres) north of the state capital, Sydney. By plane: There are many flights daily from Sydney (1.5 hrs) into Ballina Byron Gateway Airport, just 30 minutes south of Byron Bay, and the Gold Coast Airport (Coolangatta, Queensland), which is just minutes from the northern gateway into the Northern Rivers. Two additional airports (Lismore and Grafton) service the area. By car: The Northern Rivers’ northern border is an easy drive from Coolangatta (20 minutes), Brisbane (1.5 hrs), and Sydney to Byron Bay is 8.5 hours drive. n
We Look Forward to Welcoming You For assistance on local locations, crew, studio spaces, post-production, visual effects and any other aspect of filming in the Northern Rivers, please get in contact with Screenworks: W: screenworks.com.au E: info@screenworks.com.au P: + 61 2 6681 1188 Screen NSW offers incentives to attract footloose production and post-production to NSW and offers location and production liaison services to eligible productions considering locating in NSW. For further information contact: E: production@screen.nsw.gov.au P: + 61 2 8289 6443
Photo: Colin McDougall
Victoria Park.
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Quintessential outback: Broken Hill and Silverton
Photo: Destination NSW
Mutawintji National Park.
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NEW SOUTH WALES: BROKEN HILL
EW SOUTH WALES’ Broken Hill, the ‘city in the desert’, has welcomed film and television production since the 1930s. Its landscapes can be seen in classic Australian films like Wake in Fright, Mad Max II and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, as well as international blockbusters like Mission Impossible II. However, in 2021 the town is more poised to receive production than ever before. Broken Hill is today essentially a ready-made film lot; a workshop primed to support the most ambitious of film making endeavours, and the “can-do” attitude of its residents makes it one of Australia’s easiest cities for filmmakers to work in. Surrounded by big sky and sparse, arid landscapes, the outback town boasts wide streets, alleyways, character houses, mining headframes and parklands. It is renowned for its perfect light; by day the sun and at night the stars. The natural and constructed light, refraction and reflection. The desert moon and the city lights. It is this perfect light that attracts artists, photographers and filmmakers to the ‘Silver City’. Broken Hill is also surrounded by red dust and a desert landscape that lends itself to replicating international locations and has an industrial landscape that offers filmmakers a plethora of opportunity to replicate mining and industrial scenes. >>
Old mining headframes.
Getting around BTS of 'Wake in Fright'.
Photo: John Platt/Network 10
Broken Hill is the largest regional centre in the western half of New South Wales and the strategic centre of Far West NSW. It lies close to the South Australian border and midway between the Queensland and Victorian borders. The nearest population base is Mildura in Victoria, 300 kilometres to the south on the Murray River. The nearest capital city is Adelaide, approximately 500 kilometres to the southwest. The city is connected by air, rail and road. Although located within NSW, Broken Hill has strong cultural and historic connections with South Australia and operates on Central Australian Time, half hour behind Eastern Standard Time.
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Filmmakers can leave the heart of the city and be in the “middle of nowhere” in 15 minutes. According to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert producer Al Clark: “Broken Hill offers an outstanding range of locations which reinforced our belief that it was possible to shoot economically in remote areas.” The town of Silverton, 25 kilometres from Broken Hill, is also a favourite location for filmmakers. From the expansive Mundi Mundi Plains, to the 19th Century buildings, wide dirt streets and the famous Silverton Hotel, the little town that boasts a population of about 50 has been the star of many of Australia’s feature films and advertisements. From location management, casting support, and makeup services, to printing, accommodation, catering, electrical, truck driving and traffic management, Broken Hill is set up to service the industry. There are a number of warehouses and office spaces for lease, gyms, halls and studios, an Aquatic Centre and many restaurants, cafes, hotels, access to hire vehicles hardware stores, set builders and trades to support crews while filming in the city. Broken Hill City Council has developed a streamlined process for permits and a film-friendly focus for the city. There are minimal film permit charges for working within the city, and the council seeks to turnaround permits within five working days. This is supported by the locals, who are accustomed to high profile actors visiting and living in the community. Actors can move freely around the city without being harassed. Council acts as a conduit between the industry and local contacts to connect industry to the people, tools and the knowledge they need to film in the city and surrounding region. Council also works closely with Screen Broken Hill – the industry-led collaborative that coordinates location scouting, casting and production. n
Pinnacles.
Broken Hill Post Office.
Photo: Broken Hill City Council
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A lane way in Broken Hill Town Centre.
Get in contact:
Broken Hill City Council Anne Andrews P: +61 409 316 103 E: anne.andrews@brokenhill.nsw.go.au E: council@brokenhill.nsw.gov.au
Photo: Broken Hill City Council
Screen Broken Hill Jason King Locations/film services contact P: +61 414 917 793 E: jk@jasonking.net.au E: create@screenbrokenhill.com.au
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CANAL ROAD FILM CENTRE
Offering Offering dedicated dedicated pre-production pre-production offices offices and and full full production production accommodation, accommodation, workshop workshop space space as as well well as as container container and and truck truck parking parking facilities. facilities. Our centre offers a flexible package of Our Our centre centre offers offers a a flexible flexible package package of of dedicated production facilities ideally dedicated production facilities ideally dedicated production facilities ideally located located within within 10 10 minutes minutes of of Sydney’s Sydney’s located within 10 minutes of Sydney’s CBD, 15 minutes from Fox Studios CBD, CBD, 15 15 minutes minutes from from Fox Fox Studios Studios and 20 minutes from Sydney airport and 20 minutes from Sydney and 20 minutes from Sydney airport airport by road. With professionals from by road. road. With With professionals professionals from from all all by all areas of the industry, we provide areas areas of of the the industry, industry, we we provide provide access to service tailored to your access to service tailored access to service tailored to to your your needs. Our facilities are under needs. Our facilities are under needs. Our facilities are under constant constant review review and and development. development. constant review and development.
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1 Canal Road 1 1 Canal Canal Road Road Leichhardt NSW 2040 Leichhardt NSW Leichhardt NSW 2040 2040
2 1300m 2 of production facilities, including 1300m 1300m2 of of production production facilities, facilities, including including set construction, art department and set construction, art department set construction, art department and and wardrobe wardrobe areas. areas. wardrobe areas. 2 600m 2 of production offices with 3 separate 600m of production production offices offices with with 3 3 separate separate 600m2 of office spaces. office spaces. office spaces.
Container rental and truck parking on site. Container Container rental rental and and truck truck parking parking on on site. site. Includes all furniture, full kitchen, full Includes Includes all all furniture, furniture, full full kitchen, kitchen, full full bathroom bathroom facilities, facilities, broadband, broadband, phone phone bathroom facilities, broadband, phone and fax lines, reverse cycle air-conditioning. and and fax fax lines, lines, reverse reverse cycle cycle air-conditioning. air-conditioning.
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Photo: Nick Wood
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The best of
Blue Mountains
Photo: Nick Wood
landscapes
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Photo: Nick Wood
INE YEARS BEFORE Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson made their historic trek across the Blue Mountains in 1813, a naturalist named George Caley – curator of the colony’s first botanic gardens at Parramatta – forged a route along the northern rim of the Grose Valley, the first European to penetrate the mountains west of Sydney. His mission was to collect botanical specimens; and on November 10, 1804, Caley reached a place of great beauty, a summit cloaked in magnificent tree ferns known to the Darug people as Tomah. Several days later, however, Caley’s party aborted their mission at nearby Mount Banks, thwarted by the rugged, seemingly impenetrable terrain. More than 200 years later, the lush rainforest-clad slopes of Mount Tomah that so captivated Caley continue his legacy, with the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden playing an important role in the conservation of endemic botanical species. Located on the Bells Line of Road – the quieter, ‘road less travelled’ route from Sydney to the Upper Mountains via Richmond – the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden is, at an altitude of 1,000 metres, not only the highest botanic garden in Australia but also the only one in the world located within a World Heritage-listed area. >>
Photo: Nick Wood
NEW SOUTH WALES: BLUE MOUNTAINS
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Specialising in cool climate plants from Australia and around the world, it features more than 6,000 species spread across 28 hectares of cultivated land as well as an additional 244 hectares of wilderness.
A HAVEN FOR FILMMAKERS
Photo: Nick Wood
There’s something about the light at The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden. A haven for photographers and film crews from around the world, this is an all-season location bound by World Heritage views and boundless locations from rainforest trails and woodlands, to formal gardens and waterfalls. The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden offers a comprehensive “one stop shop” experience, with every broad attraction of the region covered. There are incredible views, both of the escarpment and sweeping vistas towards Sydney; cool, fresh, clean air; magnificent Australian wildlife, including more than 150 native bird species; and glorious seasonal colour, from spring blossoms to the changing foliage in autumn. During spring a blooming carpet of around 35,000 yellow bulbs heralds a Daffodil Festival; while the signature Waratah Festival in October celebrates NSW’s official floral emblem over nine days. Throughout summer until late April, dozens of varieties of dahlias create a spectacular floral rainbow in the Formal Garden. Accommodation is available within the grounds, with two self-contained houses – the four-bedroom Jungle Lodge, accommodating up to 10 guests in an exclusive private area of the garden; and the newly-renovated Camellia Cottage, which, as the name suggests, looks out over the spectacular camellia reserve.
FOREST TRAILS
Get in contact:
Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mt Tomah Bells Line of Road, Mt Tomah +61 2 4567 3000 bluemountainsbotanicgarden.com.au 58 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Photo: Nick Wood
From the terraces of the Formal Garden, a tranquil trail called the Plant Explorers Walk winds through a dappled forest of exotic maples, rhododendrons and camellias, with plaques dedicated to 14 intrepid explorers who risked their lives in remote corners of Asia to bring these now household names to the New World. It’s a fascinating journey through a littleknown history, and a reminder of the important work still being undertaken by the Botanic Gardens in preserving rare species. For instance, on the Gondwana Walk – featuring plants dating back 60-80 million years when the southern supercontinent was still intact – a pocket of rare Wollemi Pines illustrates the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden’s important role in one of the most important botanical discoveries of the past century. Rediscovered in a rugged canyon in the Wollemi National Park in 1994, seedlings collected from the few remaining Wollemi Pine strands in the wild were brought to Mount Tomah, where a successful propagation program resulted in the species being brought back from the brink. n
The best of Blue Mountains landscapes at one location. The best best of of Blue Blue Mountains Mountains landscapes landscapes at at one one location. location. The
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Cam den Camden Town Farm. 60 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Photo: Don Sheil
An era gone by:
CAMDEN IS HOME to a number of spectacular locations and has provided the perfect backdrop for a variety of highprofile filming projects over the years. Conveniently located less than an hour’s drive from Sydney, Camden and its surrounds flourish in unique landscapes, vistas, view corridors and a wide variety of architectural styles that reflect an eclectic mix of contemporary living, rural character, and heritage charm. Known as the birthplace of Australian agriculture, Camden remains at the heart of rural Australian history. A true working country town with a village-style main street reminiscent of an era gone by. Camden’s assets include an equestrian park, meat-based farm, vineyards and livestock sales yards – to name a few. A variety of heritage properties can be found peppered across the landscape. Historic Belgenny Farm deserves a special mention as the place where John and Elizabeth Macarthur pioneered the Australian wool industry over two centuries ago. Belgenny farm boasts the oldest group of farm buildings in Australia, which have proven to be the ideal location for TV commercials, films and photoshoots. Camden Airport presents the perfect opportunity to shoot combat and other air scenes for aerospace films. According to the Camden History Notes, air scene filming in Camden dates back to 1921, when filming took place at Arthur Macarthur Onslow’s Macquarie Grove (now Camden Airport) for John K Wells’ silent wartime film Silks and Saddles. Did you know that the 2018 acclaimed movie Peter Rabbit features scenes filmed on Camden’s Macquarie
NEW SOUTH WALES: CAMDEN
Camelot, Camden, which featured in Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Australia’.
Grove Bridge? This bridge, which crosses the Nepean River and its surrounds, exhibits a traditional English villagestyle that the film’s production team used for digital compositions. The resonating success of the Camdenbased filming of Peter Rabbit led the way to its sequel, Peter Rabbit 2, also partially filmed in Camden and due for 2021 release. The Peter Rabbit duology demonstrates Camden’s landscapes’ capabilities to double for locations around the world. Camden Park House is one of the grandest estates in Australia and has been the filming location for several movies and TV commercials, as well as photoshoots over the years. The property features extensive grounds which date back to 1819 – 1840 when construction began on John Macarthur’s 5,000-acre land parcel. According to Heritage NSW, Camden Park is the oldest post-1788 property still owned and occupied by descendants of its original ownerfamily. Further, the gardens surrounding Camden Park are the largest and most intact Australian colonial garden. Classic films Smiley (1956) and Smiley Gets a Gun (1958) were both filmed at this spectacular location. Years later Camden Park House was the backdrop for My Brilliant Career (1985) and more recently The Daughter, starring Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill and Miranda Otto. Camden is also a favoured filming location for the television industry. Local TV series Doctor Doctor (known as The Heart Guy internationally) has filmed in the area for several years now. In 2018, long time running Australian TV show Home and Away featured a local historic house for its haunted house storyline. >>
Belgenny Farm.
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Foxtel series A Place to Call Home was also shot in the area. The Bligh family’s fictitious home, Ash Park, was filmed at the very real, heritage-listed, local property, Camelot. Located in Kirkham, just a 5-minute drive from Camden, Camelot is a late Victorian three-storey brick house of romantic design, built around 1888. Associated buildings and structures include a smoke house, hen house and large stables. Camelot was also home to the Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 film Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Interior and exterior scenes were filmed at the romantic mansion and the large 18th and 19th century surrounding gardens respectively. Camden’s surrounds have also been homes to various shoots over the years, including the historical homestead Denbigh located in Cobbitty, an exquisite early farmhouse was built around 1817-1822. Onslow Oval became the set for Angelina Jolie’s World War II drama Unbroken in 2014, with the sports field was transformed into a 1930s setting Following on from Australia, Hugh Jackman returned to Camden to film scenes for X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
and The Wolverine (2013), including in nearby Brownlow Hill. The latter was also the chosen location for Wayne Blair’s 2012 wartime movie The Sapphires starring Jessica Mauboy. In 2016, Mel Gibson shot scenes for his war movie Hacksaw Ridge at a private property in Bringelly. If you’re thinking that Camden is all about rural properties, think again. In 2019, the Australian streaming service Stan aired The Commons, which was partially filmed at Narellan Sports Hub, home to the Narellan Jets. The Commons is a science-fiction drama series set in the future telling the “story about motherhood as the ultimate act of faith in humanity.” Over the years Camden has opened its welcoming arms to filmmakers from all over the world. The local community is diverse and friendly. Camden Council is reputed to be innovative and forward-thinking and offers a filming officer who can liaise with producers and process filming applications. There are no filming application or permit fees. n For more information contact the Film Contact Officer on 02 4654 7777 or visit http://bit.ly/filmingincamden.
A true working country town with a village-style main street reminiscent of an era gone by.
Camden. 62 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
NEW SOUTH WALES: CAMDEN
Photo: Ian Hollis
Cawdor Road.
Camden Park House, featured in films like Gillian Armstrong’s ‘My Brilliant Career’.
Photo: Brett Atkins
Cawdor Valley.
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Griffith: 64 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Photo: Destination NSW
Mediterranean Calabria Family Wines.
NEW SOUTH WALES: GRIFFITH
poultry producer in Australia. Other unique industries include almonds and walnuts, cotton, Murray cod, olive oils and quails, just to name a few. Griffith and its surrounds provide an enviable suite of locations to colour and inform endless narratives; from breathtaking vistas to familiar to day-to-day settings; from sensational, historic homesteads to endearing community localities. The range and scope found in Griffith is undeniable. Over the years, it has been an attractive location for tourism filming and photography. Agriculture and manufacturing are key industries in the region and so provide a variety of potential looks including vineyards, fruit and nut orchards, rice and cotton fields and more. The accompanying buildings and structures can also provide options for industrial locations such as factories, gins, and processing plants.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Cocoparra National Park is a short drive from the city and offers dramatic, rugged, scenic views, spectacular woodland and cascading waterfalls. It features a range of flora and fauna including a variety of wildflowers, and is home to the majestic Peregrine Falcons during nesting season. Pioneer Park Museum is an expansive, open-air museum of around 44 acres, housing an extensive collection of preserved buildings and artefacts from the region. Open to the public, the Museum is a living, breathing glimpse into local history offering backdrops, scenery and relics dating back to the late 1800s. Hermit’s Cave and Scenic Hill provide dual opportunities for city-lookouts and bushwalking scenery. The cave itself was once home to local recluse, Valerio Ricetti who (as a keen gardener) transformed the rocky escarpment into >>
Photo: Destination NSW
NINHABITABLE AND USELESS to civilised man.” - John Oxley, European explorer, 1817. 200 years later and Griffith has become more than Oxley could have ever imagined. An abundant oasis at the heart of The Riverina, Griffith is a vibrant cosmopolitan centre. A powerhouse in agriculture and manufacturing; the city has a vibrant, rich blend of cultures and traditions that span over 60 nationalities and celebrate food, wine, sport and family. Griffith is centrally located within the Riverina region of NSW; 450 kilometres from Melbourne, 570 from Sydney, and 350 from Canberra. The airport services flights from Qantas and Regional Express to Sydney, and Sharp Airlines to Melbourne. Griffith is easily accessible to metro areas, but it also acts as the “Gateway to the Outback” via the Kidman Way, an important north-south touring route through inland Australia from Jerilderie up to Bourke. Griffith sits on Wiradjuri Country, whose people are known as “people of three rivers”; the Macquarie, the Lachlan, and the Murrumbidgee. Griffith is part of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, a system constructed in the early 1900s, which has transformed the region from what John Oxley originally experienced. As a result, Griffith is now headquarters to some of Australia’s most innovative and sustainable companies. As part of the Riverina, Griffith is one of the most diverse and productive regions in Australian contributing over 1.7 billion annually to the national economy. The region produces 90 per of Australia’s rice, 95 per cent of Australia’s prunes, and is the largest citrus region in Australia producing 30 per cent of the country’s citrus, and the largest
Get in contact:
For more information about filming in and around Griffith contact the Economic Development Unit at Griffith City Council.
Hermit’s Cave and Scenic Hill.
griffithed.com.au visitgriffith.com.au +61 2 6962 8100 Follow ‘Griffith City Council’ on LinkedIn and Facebook
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a collection of areas now known as The Garden, The Chapel, and the Main Cave. Just south of the city centre, The Willows and Centenary Walk provides a natural and artistic streetscape along one of the many canals throughout Griffith. The Willows is a picturesque resting area popular with travellers, locals and common waterfowls. Centenary Walk was created in 2016 when seven master sculptors from around the world gathered in Griffith to create a series of granite sculptures celebrating the progress of the city. These sculptures reflect the theme ‘Griffith’s cultural diversity and the meaning of water’. Campbell’s Swamp is a wetland found in the eastern part of Lake Wyangan. Campbell’s Swamp forms part of the Wetland Complex that is home to an array of birds and is recognised as an important habitat both nationally and internationally for migratory ‘shorebirds’.
which is now part of the annual Griffith Spring Festival. Since 1991, Griffith residents have been opening their gardens to the public as part of this festival with some gardens having been tended to for generations. From water features, expansive lawns, striking architecture and historic structures, there is a garden backdrop to suit a range of styles. Griffith’s centralised location makes it a perfect base for access to the wider Riverina region. With a range of accommodation options, restaurants and cafés, health and public services, retail, manufacturing and industry services, the city is well-placed to cater to productions of many sizes. Griffith has a diverse population and community that are committed to economic growth, supportive of art and culture, and who are passionate about history and storytelling. n
Street art in the city.
The city of Griffith was designed by Sir Walter Burley Griffin, the renowned architect from Chicago, who also designed Australia’s capital city, Canberra. Amongst the usual hustle and bustle found in a regional city, touches of art and history can be found in and around the city centre. Art deco buildings and features can be seen at the War Memorial Building, which also houses the Griffith Regional Art Gallery, and also in the clock tower which used to be home to the Rural Bank of NSW. Strolling through the backstreets of the city, you will come across a succession of large-scale murals born from the Banna Lane Festival, a public arts initiative in 2019.
PRIVATE SPACES
In addition to a range of public spaces, Griffith features various private properties and homesteads, some dating back to the early 1900s. Many property owners regularly open their homes during public events such as the Festival of Gardens,
Photo: Karly Sivewright
THE CITY
Private garden in Griffith.
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UNINHABITABLE
AND USELESS TO CIVILISED MAN... Sir John Oxley, European Explorer, 1817
Credit: Destination NSW
Credit: Destination NSW
Credit: Destination NSW
TELL YOUR OWN STORY
Credit: Destination NSW
Griffith City Council Economic Development I griffithed.com.au
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Chasing fast cars with the Shotover K1.
Aerial Film Australasia:
UNPARALLELED EXPERIENCE 68 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
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Peter Beeh and the Shotover K1.
HE AERIAL FILM AUSTRALASIA (AFA) team is the Asia-Pacific region’s premier provider of high-end, dynamic aerial solutions. AFA combines a breadth of experience in aerial cinematography with an unparalleled understanding of production needs. With AFA’s help, producers can more confidently identify the best locations for aerial work, solve logistical challenges, and ultimately achieve
exceptional, uncompromised shots for their production. Aerial Film Australasia is fully Australian owned and helmed by AACTA nominated aerial DP Peter Beeh (Alien: Covenant, Unbroken, Lion) and multi award-winning, director, producer, Gregory Read (Like Minds, Eye of the Storm, Own the Sky). This is coupled with experienced flight crew and a wide variety of aircraft across the entire region.
ANYWHERE, ANYTIME AND COST-EFFECTIVE
The AFA team has extensive location knowledge, having coordinated aerial shoots across the far reaches of Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Their unsurpassable credits in this region attest to this (see panel on the next page). Aerial DP Peter Beeh has spent thousands of hours filming across both Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
“Having literally flown the length and breadth of the Australian continent by helicopter, I’ve had the good fortune to experience just how spectacular, and remote, the landscapes of Australia are,” says Beeh. “With camera on board, I’ve had the opportunity to work in some of the most brilliant locations – many of which are quite simply inaccessible without long range aircraft.” With extensive knowledge of all regional aircraft operators with film work experience, the AFA team can advise on the most cost-effective solution for your production. In the situation that there are no operators in your chosen location, the team can help co-ordinate the most cost-efficient transfer of appropriate aircraft and specialty pilots. Whether it is shooting the remote Tasmanian wilderness (Lion), Lord Howe Island (The Shallows), Central Australia (Strangerland), remote Western Australia (Rams) or far Northern Territory (Coast Australia) we can get to your location. Beeh says: “We have traversed this amazing country many times and are happy to give advice on the most cinematic landscapes. On many occasions the most incredible locations are not accessible by road. For a recent shoot we had to land the helicopter on a spectacular rocky outcrop in remote Tasmania. The closest road was a solid day’s walk. Thanks to the helicopter’s speed and manoeuvrability we managed the total shoot in two hours.” Another big advantage of being in a helicopter is the “bird’s eye view”. “Once you are flying over a location, you can spot areas that are not visible by road or the direct field of view of a drone. We have a 360-degree view of the landscape below us and can explore angles at any altitude within minutes. It is amazing the amount of great footage we can acquire in a short period of time,” Beeh says. “Weather is also another factor that you do not have to worry about. We can fly in most weather conditions and if the weather will not ‘play ball’ we will work closely with production to navigate the costs to ensure that you are not charged for excessive crew and helicopter hold costs.” >>
Air-to-air shooting in southern Tasmania.
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Surfers Paradise from the air.
“On many occasions the most incredible locations are not accessible by road.” PRECISION. SCALE. POWER. SPEED.
Combined with its experienced cinematographers and aerial crew, AFA’s helicopter platforms prevail whenever there is a call for scale, speed or precision. Australia is a vast continent with majestic landscapes. If epic scale and powerful moves are what you need, then it is essential that you work with the most powerful and advanced tools. AFA’s inventory centres around the Academy Awardwinning Shotover Camera Systems. Cutting edge, these systems have quickly become the industry standard demanded by productions seeking high-end aerial cinematography, thanks to their breakthrough tech, super stability, and ability to support virtually any cinema camera and lens combination. Designed with six points of rotation, the Shotover mounts are engineered to drive full-sized payloads, including the largest multi camera arrays, ARRI Alexa 65 and IMAX camera packages, at unsurpassed speeds while maintaining total precision and stability. In fact, the Shotovers are so stable, even the biggest lenses with focal lengths in excess of 1000mm will deliver glassless shots without any image vibration whatsoever. The ability to run large high quality zoom lenses increases speed and flexibility. “We can fit all cine lenses from anamorphic to ultra-long zooms like the Canon 50-1000mm,” says Beeh. “Combined with the precision controls and extreme stability afforded by the Shotover systems, we’re able to deliver highly finessed camera moves with beautifully a nuanced level of form and composition.” Crew and equipment can move quickly between farreaching locations, operate super efficiently in remote areas, 70 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
AFA’s unparalleled credits include: Escape from Spiderhead Alien: Covenant Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell no Tales Aquaman Pacific Rim: Uprising Unbroken Rams Peter Rabbit Lion San Andreas The Meg Finke: There and Back Adrift Strangerland The Shallows A Few Less Men The Whistleblower At Last Bleeding Steel Chasing Wonders Upgrade Down Under Oddball Tracks Son of a Gun Wolf Creek 2 Healing The Fear of Darkness Kill me Three Times Own the Sky Great Barrier Reef (IMAX) The Story of Earth (IMAX) The Search for Life in Space (IMAX) Hidden Universe (IMAX) The Indian Pacific: Australia’s Longest Train Journey The Ghan Australia’s Greatest Train Journey Wonders of the Monsoon Wonders of the Tarkine
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remain airborne for hours and, when executing a shot, deliver anything from a peaceful drift through to moves with speeds of up to a couple of hundred kilometres per hour. Shots can be taken from as low as a meter or from as high as 3,000 metres. In addition, when operating in restricted airspace, as an added bonus, our helicopter-based systems are frequently able to do so under standard aviation rules – no complex, obstructive permits required. Beeh adds: “Nothing is more exciting than utilising the flexibility of choppers to create shots that expose city locations from a fresh viewpoint too!” All this enables Aerial Film Australasia to execute camera moves in an incredible variety of locations with unsurpassed flexibility, finesse, form and composition.
NOW EVEN FASTER WITH XTJET
In their ongoing quest to deliver the most powerful tools available across the regions diverse locations, this year AFA launched XTJet – the fastest-ever customised aerial camera platform stationed Down Under. XTJet features the high-performance Shotover F1 Rush combined with a specially modified Aero-L39, making it
possible to execute camera moves at speeds in excess of 600 kilometres an hour. The platform is tailor-made to fly high and fast. It’s ideally suited for shooting other high-speed aircraft, or delivering unique camera moves that feature anything from pin-point-accurate lines of flight to eye-watering rolls, enhancing locations to breathtaking effect.
AERIAL FILM AUSTRALASIA – ADVANCED AERIAL SPECIALISTS
AFA can provide: • Highly credited aerial crew and cinematographers • Epic landscapes, high altitudes, extreme speeds. • Shotover’s advanced tech streamlines complex VFX work • Air-to-air Filming with XTJet. • Shotover K1 for the largest cinema camera packages and multi camera arrays • Shotover F1 for faster, more mobile and more flexible shooting options. • Shotover F1 Rush for high-speed air to air and ultradynamic aerials n www.afa.film
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At the cutting edge WHETHER IT IS visual effects, sound or picture post-production, Cutting Edge has been delivering the highest level of creative service on projects across the globe for over 25 years from their studios in Sydney, Brisbane and Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast. Cutting Edge offers access to the world’s most accomplished professionals and coordinates them through a seamlessly integrated pipeline. Our superpower is when our creative services are combined. Our ability to bring any project under one roof makes for an unparalleled experience. No matter the size and scale of a project, every production receives the same world-class service Cutting Edge is known for. From large scale VFX features like The Invisible Man, to dailies and editorial for a feature film such as Dora and the Lost City of Gold, to full post for an epic war film like Danger Close or Australia’s most awarded Drama, Lambs of God, through to intimate documentaries like Warwick Thornton’s The Beach, we have the team and know-how to honour each’s production vision. We are at the forefront of an everchanging industry, and we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in post-production. With our experienced team of creatives, producers and technical specialists, we are equipped and ready to serve each production with unique and customised workflows and creative 72 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Photo courtesy Universal Pictures/Blumhouse
'The Invisible Man'.
solutions. We can take a project from pre-production through to the theatre or broadcaster with everything in between. We do this with imagination, ingenuity and innovation. As Australia’s largest turn-key post-production studio, we work with emergent technologies such as UHD, 4K, Dolby Vision & High Dynamic Range (HDR) colour. We have partnered with all the major Hollywood studios and delivered to a range of streaming services such as Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon and Stan. Our services span all areas from on set dailies processing, supporting colour and data management, VFX, remote equipment hire to full picture post; Cutting Edge is your trusted post-partner. With state-of-the-art facilities and a creative team spanning three studios, productions and clients have available to all of Cutting Edge’s resources and equipment readily available to facilitate any productions style. Editorial and production suites at all Cutting Edge studios can be tailored to specific production requirements. Cutting Edge is also excited to
introduce its newest venture into virtual production, Edge Lab. A research and development hub for industry professionals utilising an Unreal Engine powered virtual production stage with a high resolution 12m x 4m LED wall with moveable LED side panels. This production hub is available to all industry professionals to receive first-hand experience, an introduction to the LED stage, and virtual production capabilities. Behind the Features & Television division at Cutting Edge is a close-knit team that is sincerely passionate about what they do. We’ve had the privilege of working with leading storytellers and creatives across iconic Australian and International feature films and television series. When working with us, you will always be greeted with warmth, professionalism and the knowledge that the creative is of a world-class standard. Our passion drives us every day and is recognisable in every person at Cutting Edge. On their own, our services are the best in the business. Together, the creative synergy is unrivalled. n
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After
'Operation Buffalo'.
Before
From Nuclear Blasts to the Miracle of Life
Blackbird’s Scope Knows No Limit SYDNEY’S BLACKBIRD WAS established out of a desire to build a highly skilled, highly trained, highly responsive, nimble and creative VFX team. Recent projects have seen Blackbird deliver brilliant VFX sequences on two great Australian dramas. Overseen by Blackbird’s visual effects supervisor Nick Ponzoni the team created outstanding VFX on the ABC TV comic-drama series Operation Buffalo and the dystopiandrama series The Commons, on Australian streamer Stan. Both shows have since picked up international sales that will ensure the work is showcased internationally. Originally commissioned by the ABC, Operation Buffalo is written by Peter Duncan and produced by Porchlight Films’ Vincent Sheehan and Tanya Phegan, who co-created the series with Duncan. For Operation Buffalo, the key VFX sequences centred around major story points in the opening episode. Firstly, 74 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Blackbird recreated a Bristol Freighter carrying British army officers landing at a desert-based airstrip where a Rolls Royce is driven from the belly of the aircraft. Ponzoni knew the Bristol Freighter sequence had to be achieved through high-quality photo-real VFX. “Due to budget constraints it wasn’t possible to fly a WWII plane to a remote location, and this specific Bristol Freighter didn’t exist in Australia. Even if the actual plane was accessible for the shoot, it would need to look as it did in the 1950s. A full CG approach was the most efficient solution,” he said. Blackbird modelled a 3D Bristol Freighter based on photographic reference to study its design, accompanied by archival footage of the real plane to see its aerodynamics in action and how it landed. The team also composited multiple live-action plates of the Rolls Royce and the actors against the 3D plane asset, with detailed dust FX used to
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help integrate all of these elements into a world which was unquestionably the Australian outback. The biggest VFX challenge of the series was creating the nuclear blast for the climax of episode 1 in an immersive close-up. This particular shot was intended to emphasise the destruction and devastation caused to this vast landscape, followed by death and radiation sickness to the communities that inhabited the area. Achieving the atomic blast involved a lengthy FX R&D process to generate a cinematic but realistic explosion that accurately matched historical references, followed by blast FX, dust simulations and comp integration to make this nuclear event as intimidating and visually arresting as possible. The Commons is a drama set in a not-so-distant dystopian future where global warming has led to frequent extreme weather, food shortages, mass population displacement and disease. But at its heart, the series explores the concept of motherhood and the importance of hope in the face of multiple adversities. Blackbird helped to capture these concepts in the opening sequence of the first episode. “We created a fully CG sequence where ambiguous moving shapes on closer inspection are revealed to be a baby in a mother’s womb. We worked closely with the director Jeffrey Walker and writer/creator Shelley Birse to set the tone of the series through this opening sequence,” Ponzoni explained. A full CG build was required to create the baby inside the mother, originally envisioned as one shot. One of the key VFX challenges was achieving the right balance between reality and cinematic beauty of the miracle of unborn life for this sequence. After developing the sequence through pre-visualisation, the overall look was then finessed in animation, lighting, FX and compositing, with particular attention paid to the surfacing of the CG baby with details such as fingernails and wrinkles, and to the way amniotic fluid in the womb diffuses the light. “Additional VFX details included contraction and stretching of the uterus walls as the baby moves and kicks, and the team worked hard to finesse the fine and beautiful
'The Commons'.
details of eyelashes catching the light and the baby’s hair moving realistically,” said Ponzoni. Other VFX work was crucial throughout the series to transform Sydney, where the series was filmed, into a dystopian landscape in the future, highlighting the irrevocably damaged landscape and hazardous weather events. To create this world, Blackbird augmented live-action aerial plates turning lush forests and green fields into dry, desolate vistas riddled with spot fires. Each plate was carefully selected with a terrain that would lend itself to the most impactful transformation. River systems gave a clear indication of how dry things could become, and from there, Blackbird worked outwards drying up the trees via procedural CG tree systems and utilising projected matte painting techniques to alter the surrounding areas of either grass or suburban structures. The team eroded coastal neighbourhoods, created massive sinkholes in Sydney, built an army of CG police drones and constructed a CG ‘tent city’ where families from the scorched and dusty wastelands of the surrounding countryside had come to take refuge in a converted stadium. The Commons is distributed by Sony Pictures Television, poduced by Playmaker Media, directed by Jeffrey Walker, Rowan Woods, Jennifer Leacey and written and created by Shelley Birse. n
Before After
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SERVICES DURING PRE-PRODUCTION:
• Workflow and media management consultation to define the production pipeline from camera to post to distribution. • Effective management of technical resources and media workflows for remote teams for editing, grading, post-production. • Defining services and personnel required.
SERVICES DURING PRODUCTION:
A Digistor engineer at work.
Digistor: A one-stop shop WHEN UNDERTAKING PRODUCTIONS in another country, it can be complicated putting in place the technical facilities and services required to ensure success. Sydney’s Digistor can act as a single point of contact for all technical advice, procurement, rentals and services while you’re shooting and in post-production Down Under. The company, which specialises in solutions for the creation, management, storage and distribution of digital assets, has been technically assisting the production of film, drama, reality, documentary, VR/AR, games and more in Australia for over 30 years. Among its close working and key vendor relationships are Avid, EditShare, Adobe, Dell, Apple, HP and Autodesk. If there is a product or service requirement Digistor is unable to assist with directly, it can point production companies to the right people, calling on broad industry contacts and intelligence. This can range from advice and contacts for DIT services, production companies, equipment hire, editors, post houses, workspaces, and logistics and warehousing. “You can’t beat local knowledge,” says Digistor managing director Andrew Mooney. “While working with many, many productions undertaken in Australia, we’ve developed extreme expertise in defining and implementing technical workflows, plus we’ve developed the local contacts needed to fill any gaps. My main advice to anyone starting out is to talk to the experts early. It makes all the difference and provides the confidence that things will run smoothly.” n 76 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
• If a production is providing their own equipment, Digistor engineers can locate/relocate the equipment, set it up and test for correct operation. • Technical support from highly trained engineers, providing a customised level of support structured for the needs of the production, whether on-call, onsite or a combination of these. • Defining and configuring cloud infrastructure for media acquisition, storage, transfer, backup and archive or for compute requirements such as rendering, and remote editing and post-production • Providing and configuring networking infrastructure • Defining and implementing secure, reliable and high-speed data transfer for rushes, dailies, and remote collaboration
PROCUREMENT
• workstations, laptops, monitors, control surfaces for colour correction and editing • media servers, encoders and transmission/distribution equipment • storage • software licensing
RENTAL
It is sometimes more effective to rent part or all of a production’s technical requirements. This might include Avid, Adobe or Resolve editing systems, storage and peripherals.
Undertaking production or post in Australia? First, get technical advice from the experts. Digistor has technically assisted film, drama, reality, documentary, and game production for over 30 years. Using our experience and contacts, we can help you plan and implement the technical workflows, products and services required to ensure your production’s success. Technical Services • Pipeline planning – from camera to post to distribution • Workflows for remote teams • Equipment location/relocation • Technical support – on-call or on-site • Cloud infrastructure setup • Networking infrastructure • High-speed data transfer for rushes, dailies, and remote collaboration
Procurement Hardware and software at competitive pricing – workstations, laptops, and peripherals for colour correction and editing; media servers, encoders and transmission/distribution equipment; storage; software licensing Rental Avid/Adobe/Resolve editing systems, storage and peripherals
Contact Digistor on 02 9431 6000 today to discuss the technology for your production.
digistor.com.au
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Pow Wow Film Studio.
Peter Purcell in studio.
A creative space: Pow Wow Film Studios “WE’RE NOT CORPORATE, but we’re professional”. That’s how sound designer re-recording mixer Peter Purcell describes the boutique style and relaxed environment of Sydney-based post-production house Pow Wow Film Studios, where he is part of the dedicated in-house creative team. In sound, Pow Wow leans on Purcell’s decades of experience gained on productions such as Mad Max: Fury Road, Farscape, The Water Diviner, The Lego Movie and The Railway Man. Pow Wow is owned and operated by Purcell’s old schoolmate Chris Fitz-Gibbon, with whom he rose through the ranks in the 1970s at Australian public broadcaster ABC. There, Fitz-Gibbon followed his passion in camera as a DOP, and Purcell sound, working together on projects like Brides of Christ, Police Rescue, Aunty Jack and rock shows like GTK and Countdown. In some ways, the creation of the Pow Wow was borne from a desire for the duo to collaborate again. Not only that, it allowed them to combine their depth of experience to custom build a boutique facility. “Most of the studios we’d been in weren’t capable of we can do. We believe we’ve got the most functional and high-tech studio around,” Fitz-Gibbon says. Right now, Pow Wow is busy at work on Netflix feature documentary Microworlds: Reef after just finishing Australian sci-fi actioner Ascendent, starring Bella Heathcoate. Other recent projects include Australia’s Ocean Odyssey, a three-part ABC series now being cut for IMAX, with Purcell doing the 12.0 Dolby mix, as well as other IMAX features Lion Spy, Out of Bounds, and The Dream. The studio now is one of the two theatrical Dolby Atmos studios in Sydney. Pow Wow boasts four re-recording mixing stages capable of all popular formats including theatrical 3D audio, 5.1, 7.1 and 12.0 IMAX, as well as now Dolby Atmos 7.1.2, and an ADR stage with Source Connect. The largest theatre is 35 feet long by 20 feet wide with an 18 feet ceiling, and has an 8,000 Watt QSC Audio system including a THX certified projector. In addition to its sound capabilities, Pow Wow offers also two grading and two editing suites, built to take on any sized project, offering DaVinci, Avid and Premiere and boasting high-speed fibre NBN connectivity, DCP authoring and television mastering. The studio is currently in the process of an upgrade to HDR, so will soon be able to offer both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Inhouse colourists include Jarryd Hall CSI (Peter Rabbit 2) and Luciano Marigo-Spitaleri CSI (Life on Earth, Trial of Life). Fitz-Gibbon has put time and effort into building a space that is modern, comfortable and “makes people feel creative”, with large entertainment and meeting spaces, including a kitchen and bar.“It’s a creative space. We say this facility is a place you’d never want to leave, it’s so luxurious and friendly.” All suites are available for wet and dry hire, and are multi-purpose, with one of the audio suites converting to a green screen. Fitz-Gibbon is also happy for productions to come in and block out the entire studio. Owning the studio, it means overheads are low, allowing Fitz-Gibbon to put together lower cost production packages for smaller to medium size projects. In addition to post-production, Pow Wow is able to help with location scouting, line producing and equipment supply, including HD cameras, lights, audio gear and autocue. n 78 IF: AUSTRALIA 101
Camden Camden FILMING FILMING
Camden locations and hashas Camdenisishome hometotoaanumber numberofofspectacular spectacular locations and
provided ofof filming projects over providedthe theperfect perfectbackdrop backdropfor fora avariety variety filming projects over
the less than anan hour’s drive theyears. years.With Withitsitsconvenient convenientlocation, location,just just less than hour’s drive from choice. fromSydney, Sydney,Camden Camdenhas hasseen seentotobebethe theobvious obvious choice.
Camden landscapes, vistas and Camdenand anditsitssurrounds surroundsflourish flourishininunique unique landscapes, vistas and view and heritage viewcorridors corridorsthat thatreflect reflectthe thetown’s town’srural ruralcharacter character and heritage charm. agriculture, it it charm.Often Oftenconsidered consideredthe thebirthplace birthplaceofofAustralian Australian agriculture, isisno of of anan expanding nosurprise surprisethat thatCamden Camdenisisstill stillthe therural ruralheart heart expanding region. region.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Tourism and Visitor Services Officer Tourism and or Visitor Services Officer 02 4658 1370 02 4658 1370 or filming@camden.nsw.gov.au filming@camden.nsw.gov.au www.visitcamden.com.au www.visitcamden.com.au bit.ly/filmingincamden bit.ly/filmingincamden
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