Tomorrow, When the War Began: birth of the Aussie blockbuster
Tomorrow, When the War Began delivers a nearly seamless transition from print to screen, with just the right amount of Hollywood-style gloss. Georgina Pearson spoke to its creators about the challenge of making Australia’s first teenage blockbuster.
Adapting a book into a film is one thing, but taking an internationally acclaimed, award-winning novel of ongoing popularity and turning it into a potential movie franchise is a completely different ball game. Such was the case with John Marsden’s Tomorrow series; set in a remote area of rural Australia, the books tell the story of a group of teenagers and their struggle for survival when their lives are suddenly and violently upended by war. With no one to lean on but each other, they must learn to escape and fight back against a hostile military force. Read more »
IPAF: Targeting ‘accidental pirates’
After the success of the What Are You Really Burning campaign, the Intellectual Property Awareness Foundation decided to move away from the finger-pointing approach that anti-piracy materials usually take.
“Content theft is not a message that people are queuing up to hear,” admits IPAF CEO Gail Grant. Read more »
Matching Jack: Nadia Tass, hard to match
Director Nadia Tass is hard to match, with her multifaceted career and her will to pursue a project, even if it takes 10 years like Matching Jack – her first Australian film in 13 years.
Matching Jack is the story of a woman (Jacinda Barrett) whose marriage falls apart just as her child (Tom Russell) is diagnosed with leukaemia. She begins a search for potential bone-marrow donors, including the offspring that her husband’s (Richard Roxburgh) infidelities may or may not have produced. She also shares a connection with the father (James Nesbitt) of another sick child (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Read more »
TVC: Commonwealth Bank, Amelie style
There is an ongoing love affair between established filmmakers and TVC work, and the new Commonwealth Bank campaign is a perfect example of this phenomenon, having been helmed by acclaimed French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, Micmacs).
How did this high-profile filmmaker end up shooting a poodle in the streets of Melbourne? Miguel Gonzalez writes.
On location: Packed to the Rafters – a familiar feeling
Now entering its third year, Packed to the Rafters has become the Seven Network’s flagship drama. Its creators told Eleeza Hooker that making a hit TV show might be difficult, but maintaining it over the years is even harder.
The series, about a couple whose adult children come back to live at the family home, has been a hit with audiences, averaging 1.9m viewers in 2008 and 2009 – with a peak of 2.07m for Episode 41, a number surpassed only by Nine’s Underbelly. Read more »
Finance agreements: painful but necessary
There is no standard way to finance a film – any deal can be made as long as all parties are commercially satisfied and the deal isn’t in breach of any laws. Gene Goodsell writes
Finance agreements can be painful, but unfortunately, they are also crucial because they start the production funding flowing so that production of a project can begin in earnest. Read more »
South Solitary: no film is an island
Director Shirley Barrett didn’t get to shoot South Solitary on her dream island, but she found that Plan B is sometimes better. Miguel Gonzalez writes.
Eight years ago Barrett stayed at the first cast concrete lighthouse in Australia, Green Cape, in southern NSW – it now provides accommodation for visitors. She was there doing research for a film she had written, about whaling in the early 1900s. Read more »
Focus on South Australia: looking south
The wheels have been turning in South Australia to bring the state’s film industry to the forefront of the entire nation. Micah Chua reports on the state’s progress and finds out just how this ambitious goal is being acted out.
The vision for the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) as stated in their Strategic Plan for 2012 is to have SA ‘recognised globally as the most dynamic screen industry in Australia’, with measurable targets such as doubling the state’s feature production by 2014 and increasing the number of credited producers and writers in the state. Read more »
Television: Marketing battlefield
Gone are the days when TV networks only had to compete with a few rivals to get the attention of potential viewers. Creating compelling content is only the beginning; in a world of fragmented audiences and thousands of platforms and products competing for the same eyeballs, everyone is trying to stand out. Miguel Gonzalez reports.
It’s no secret that television has become a segmented market where audiences are no longer limited by the offerings of the five networks that for years were Australia’s preferred source of entertainment and information. It is a world of multi-channels, pay TV, IPTV, games and an explosion of local and international content available at home or on the go. All of these options are competing for the same viewers so, more than ever, broadcasters must remain visible and attractive. Read more »
The complex future of TV
The advent of digital technologies has redefined the media landscape, not least our concept of television. As consumers embrace content across multiple platforms, industry stakeholders must continue innovating to stay in the game. Brett Savill, strategy and corporate development director for Broadcast Australia writes. Read more »