SCREEN PRODUCTION Cover Mad Max: Fury Road Image courtesy of Kennedy Miller Mitchell This page Joan Chen in Serangoon Road. Courtesy of Serangoon Road Productions Pty Ltd. Facing page Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill in The Hunter. Courtesy Porchlight Films Pty Ltd. Photographer Matt Nettheim DISCLAIMER Austrade does not endorse or guarantee the performance or suitability of any introduced party or accept liability for the accuracy or usefulness of any information contained in this Report. Please use commercial discretion to assess the suitability of any business introduction or goods and services offered when assessing your business needs. Austrade does not accept liability for any loss associated with the use of any information and any reliance is entirely at the user’s discretion. ©Commonwealth of Australia 2016 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth, available through the Australian Trade and Investment Commission. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Marketing Manager, Austrade, GPO Box 5301, Sydney NSW 2001 or by email to [email protected] Publication date: November 2016 2 SCREEN PRODUCTION AN AWARD- WINNING EXPERIENCE SCREEN PRODUCTION 3 INTRODUCTION Screen production is a global industry. As audiences increasingly watch INDUSTRY movies and television programs at a time and on a platform of their choosing, OVERVIEW producers are responding by creating high-quality content that works all around the world - stories that keep local preferences in mind but can cross INDUSTRY STRENGTHS international and cultural boundaries. These shifts in production and In high-end television drama, children’s On top of all that, Australia possesses WORKING WITH distribution are creating global programs, documentaries and web an unsurpassed diversity of production THE AUSTRALIAN opportunities, and the Australian industry series, Australian production companies locations, from urban to rural, beaches is well placed to contribute. and creative talent are making their to mountains, desert to the tropics and INDUSTRY mark, from the BAFTA award-nominated everything in between. Some of the world’s most Top of the Lake and International recognisable faces are Australian: This industry capability statement CASE STUDIES Emmy® award-winning Nowhere Hugh Jackman (X-Men series, provides an overview of Australian Boys, to London Film Festival Best The Wolverine), Nicole Kidman capability in the screen production Documentary Sherpa: Trouble on Everest PRODUCTION (Eyes Wide Shut, The Hours, Australia), industry, including examples of some and Mighty Car Mods, a top-performing Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, Carol), of the many companies with CENTRES AROUND do-it-yourself auto show on YouTube. Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful specialist expertise. AUSTRALIA Mind), Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the With strong support from Australian Talk to your local Austrade representative Caribbean), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and governments at national, state and local for more tailored advice and information Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games). levels, the industry has developed a MAKING about connecting and partnering with depth of experience and a sophisticated CONNECTIONS The recognition extends behind the the industry. filmmaking infrastructure that makes it an camera as well. Australian directors such ideal partner or service provider. as Peter Weir (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World), Bruce Australian crews are world-class and Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy) and its studios have hosted productions Philip Noyce (Patriot Games) have been including The Matrix, Mission Impossible acclaimed for their work on Hollywood and Pirates of the Carribean, while the films for decades. Australian talent has vibrant post-production, digital and also attracted international finance to visual effects (PDV) sector is behind the local films such as George Miller’s Mad success of some of Hollywood’s biggest Max series, Jane Campion’s The Piano, blockbusters, from The LEGO® Movie to Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, the X-Men: Days of Future Past. Spierig brothers’ Predestination and Alex Proyas’ Knowing. 4 SCREEN PRODUCTION Sherpa. Renan Ozturk filming Sherpas training. Courtesy Felix Media 5 SCREEN PRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Australia’s screen production industry is acclaimed around the world. INDUSTRY Experienced production companies and talented creatives are at its OVERVIEW core, supported by sophisticated filmmaking infrastructure, skilled production services and generous financial incentives. The industry is INDUSTRY STRENGTHS also renowned as a global partner, with comprehensive distribution networks. It’s a winning combination. WORKING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY CASE STUDIES PRODUCTION CENTRES AROUND AUSTRALIA MAKING CONNECTIONS 6 SCREEN PRODUCTION AT A GLANCE CREATIVE & EXPERIENCED AUSTRALIAN TALENT Page 8 INTERNATIONAL - FEATURE FILMS & TV SERIES - CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS INDUSTRY INDUSTRY - DOCUMENTARIES - DIGITAL / INTERACTIVE PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS Page 14 - OFFICIAL CO-PRODUCTIONS - UNOFFICIAL PARTNERSHIPS ATTRACTIVE INCENTIVES Page 16 - PRODUCER OFFSET - LOCATION OFFSET & PDV OFFSET - STATE INCENTIVES WORLD-CLASS INFRASTRUCTURE Page 18 - STUDIOS - PRODUCTION SERVICES - POST-PRODUCTION & VFX DIVERSE LOCATIONS Page 22 SCREEN PRODUCTION 7 Australians are in demand for international Studios) was shot in Indonesia and INTRODUCTION TALENT AND productions as well. After working with Singapore with post-production in Perth EXPERIENCE star Michael Fassbender on the critically and Sydney, and was nominated in seven INDUSTRY acclaimed Macbeth, Australian Justin categories at the 2014 Asian Television The engine room for Australian screen Kurzel (Snowtown, Macbeth) was chosen Awards.8 OVERVIEW production is an industry of around to direct the highly anticipated big screen Goalpost Pictures’ sci-fi drama 2,500 creative businesses working adaptation of game franchise Assassin’s Cleverman, a co-production with New INDUSTRY across a range of content: feature films, Creed in 2016.4 television drama, children’s progamming, Zealand’s Pukeko Pictures, generated STRENGTHS documentary, light entertainment, news, There are more than 300 currently significant attention after its premiere at sport and advertising. Free-to-air and active feature film producers in Australia the Berlin International Film Festival. It WORKING WITH subscription broadcasters also produce (around 70 with at least three feature was one of six television series from THE AUSTRALIAN content in-house as well as contributing credits), 190 directors and 250 writers.5 all over the world invited to the festival to production budgets of commissioned This talent, as well as key creative in recognition of television’s ascendancy INDUSTRY programs.1 and technical crew, works across both as a platform for new drama. Australian and international production. Feature films CASE STUDIES Television series Averaged over a five-year period, “Whether it’s just PRODUCTION around 50 feature films are produced More than 450 hours of local Australian in Australia each year. This comprises television drama are made each year a sound stage and CENTRES AROUND 30 Australian films, three co-productions (not counting programs for children) a great technical AUSTRALIA under formal treaty arrangements, and with an average annual production 17 international productions – with a total expenditure of $274 million. An additional crew you’re after, production spend in Australia of $390 $21 million is spent each year by foreign MAKING million annually. In 2014-15, the latest TV productions in Australia.6 or a production CONNECTIONS films from the Pirates of the Caribbean High-quality Australian series such as and LEGO® franchises drove foreign the BAFTA-nominated Top of the Lake partner and a whole spend to a record high of $397 million.2 (See-Saw Films), and the stylish period range of talent Australians regularly win international series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries awards for feature film work, across (Every Cloud Productions) have found and relationships, cinematography, production design, international success. Almost 2.4 million editing, music and sound as well as viewers watched the debut episode Australia is a really writing, directing and producing. Most of FremantleMedia’s prison drama fantastic place to recently, eight Australians took out Wentworth on the UK’s Channel 5 in Academy Awards® in five categories 2014, nearly doubling the timeslot’s usual make a movie.” for their work on Mad Max: Fury Road, audience.7 Emile Sherman, Producer, The with the film’s English costume designer Drama series Serangoon Road, an King’s Speech, Tracks, Top of the winning a sixth. The film was nominated Australia-Singapore co-production (Great Lake, and the forthcoming Lion9 in a total of 10 categories.3 Western Entertainment and Infinite 8 SCREEN PRODUCTION The outback roadhouse in Wolf Creek. Courtesy Screentime Pty Ltd 9 SCREEN PRODUCTION Offbeat Australian comedies like Wilfred Children’s programs Australia’s Flying Bark; and the pre- INTRODUCTION (Renegade Films), A Moody Christmas school animated series Sydney Sailboat, Australia has a strong international (Jungleboys), The Strange Calls from Essential Media and Entertainment reputation for children’s drama, both live (Hoodlum) and Laid (Porchlight Films), (see case study page 34). INDUSTRY