Ethnic content: the other Australia
Our society is constantly being shaped by a constant influx of immigrants from all cultural backgrounds, and the influences they bring with them. But for a country that prides itself on its multiculturalism, there is a very limited amount of ‘ethnic’ content in the media, aimed specifically at these groups. Aravind Balasubramaniam reports.
The statistics are well known,” said audio and language content director at SBS, Dirk Anthony. “One in four Australians is either born overseas or has parents of migrant backgrounds, so it is very important that we recognise that fact and continue to be able to communicate Australian messages in the relevant languages”. Read more »
Actor-director relationship: we can work it out
The quality of the relationship that is built between the director and actor can mean the difference between a pretty good performance, and a fearless performance that takes everyone’s breath away. Actor Gina Morley explores the ways to best build that relationship.
When I think of directors that I love working with, directors that have the ability to help me fly, the feeling that comes to mind is fearlessness. But sometimes directors don’t know what actors are thinking and feeling… Read more »
Laid: death by sex
Animal Kingdom producer Liz Watts has made her TV series debut with the black comedy Laid. Aravind Balasubramaniam reports from the set in Sydney.
Set to debut on ABC1 on February 9, Laid is the brainchild of Marieke Hardy and Kirsty Fisher. Its death-related premise – about Roo, a young woman (Alison Bell) whose previous sexual partners begin to mysteriously die off, making her think she’s cursed – provides the black comedic tone to the series. Read more »
Animal wranglers: keeping the instinct alive
Animals are an important part of the human experience and therefore, they play a vital role in many screen productions. But their trainers are struggling, so are animal wranglers the next endangered species? Georgina Pearson reports.
The old show business saying “never work with children or animals” is a reminder of the power of an animal performance, which can connect with audiences in ways that humans rarely can. Read more »
Sanctum: VFX, a wet, dark challenge
David Booth, VFX supervisor on Sanctum, discusses the challenges of shooting both in caves and underwater, while doing it all in stereoscopic 3D.
I was involved from pre-production right through to final VFX delivery, which gave me latitude in how the sets were prepared and what requirements were necessary for post. With most of the shots in darkness, we had to adjust our lighting to cover exposure for the green screens and also the foreground images. This enabled better keying and gave us a better range for grade matching. Read more »
Sanctum: Developing the workflow
Encore spoke with the team from Digital Pictures, about their work on Sanctum.
How did you prepare for this project?
Rachel Knowles, head of post production: We met with Andrew Wight, line producer Brett Popplewell and post-production supervisor Marc Van Buuren back in early 2009. Our GM John Fleming had 3D on his radar for a long time and we were ready to make the investment; Sanctumwas the perfect opportunity. Read more »
Sanctum: With a little help from Hollywood friends
The name James Cameron is one that anyone would want in the credits of their film, and it will certainly shine the spotlight on what is Australia’s first live action 3D feature, Sanctum. Georgina Person reports.
Cameron is making international headlines during the worldwide promotion of Sanctum - due to his role as executive producer. However, director Alister Grierson and writer/producer Andrew Wight have little objection to the interest the project is attracting because of his involvement. Read more »
Faces to Watch – 11 out of 10
Gareth Calverley and Andrew McInally
That’s the score that all of these screen industry professionals will get this year with their work, as their profiles rise to new heights. These are Encore’s 11 faces to watch in 2011.
Boilermaker: ANDREW McINALLY (Producer) & GARETH CALVERLEY (Producer/writer)
Getting their first major series up and running wasn’t easy, but McInally and Calverley (The Team, Spy Shop) are the driving force behind Movie Extra’s upcoming crime comedy Small Time Gangster (in partnership with Ewan Burnett), and they’re determined to keep making good television, with an interesting slate of projects. Read more »
Web series: destination online
Online is no longer a detour for television content; it is now a destination in its own right. Georgina Pearson reports.
Barely five years ago, to suggest that a series created purely for an online platform could outperform a top rating US TV show would be almost laughable. Now, with the internet swiftly becoming a primary source of video content, video is not just being replayed online – it is being produced specifically for it. And as online audiences grow faster than anyone can keep up, a gap of opportunity has opened for the taking. Read more »
Editing: Like cutting off three fingers
The work of editors is often overlooked. Miguel Gonzalez found that, as if that wasn’t bad enough, they now have more footage to work through but not more time to do so, and tight budgets mean assistant editors are becoming a rare luxury.
“It’s like cuttting off three of an editor’s fingers,” said Underbelly editor Deb Peart about the absence of assistant editors during the crucial moments of the editing process. Read more »