The Boys Are Back: the long way home
Scott Hicks’s filmmaking magic still shines in South Australia, and he brought Clive Owen along to engage audiences in one of the most heart-warming films of the year. Miguel Gonzalez writes.
The Boys Are Back based on a memoir by Simon Carr was first offered to Hicks by British production company Tiger Aspect (Billy Elliott) back in early 2004. Read more »
Industry education: best of both worlds
Different schools at different levels provide vastly different experiences for their students, but there are common elements that become evident when discussing trends with the heads of the sector. Miguel Gonzalez reports.
At a time when anyone can grab a camera to create and distribute an audiovisual work, it is essential for the industry to remain rofessional and ensure that those amateur practitioners get the chance to polish and develop their natural talents and interests. Read more »
Into the Shadows / Back into the light
Everybody has an opinion about why independent cinemas are disappearing and most Australians films fail with mainstream audiences, but until today, nobody had made a documentary about it. Paul Hayes spoke with the one man who did, Andrew Scarano.
This has been a banner year for high quality Australian cinema, with one of the most impressive slates of local films in years. What would be even more impressive is if more people had seen them. Read more »
VFX: keeping the illusion
VFX Houses may have tighter budgets, but their work has to be more integrated and refined than ever, sue to increased client and audience expectation. Matthew Griffin reports.
From the early days of the moving image, writers directors and studios have continued to push the boundaries of storytelling. From painted backdrops to green screens, or animatronics to complex CGI, filmmakers are always on the search for the next technology that can fulfill their vision. Read more »
Coffin Rock: suspense on a budget
Rupert Glasson and David Lightfoot took the premise of what could have been a typical family drama and turned it into an effective thriller. They told Paul Hayes why they went down that path.
The new thriller from the first time writer/director Rupert Glasson, Coffin Rock, fits very comfortably into the genre film category. Read more »
Prime Mover: keep on truckin’
Dubbo Gypsies with Bright Halos and roaring 200 tonne vehicles inhabit David Ceasar’s Prime Mover. Paul Hayes put on a trucker cap to talk to the man behind this unusual combination.
Don’t let the title- or the setting, the world of middle-Australia’s long haul truck driving industry – fool you. Prime Mover is not a film just about truck driving. The film’s writer/director, David Caesar, will be the first one to tell you that.
New Zealand: under the mountain
That’s how much pressure small screen industries are under this year and New Zealand is no exception… but a number of reviews and Peter Jackson’s touch are reason enough to be optimistic about the future. Miguel Gonzalez reports.
The global recession has been unkind to small domestic markets and, according to Penelope Borland, chief executive of the Screen Production and Development Association, the NZ industry is “particularly vulnerable”, especially the television sector.
TV production: small screen, big hits
Networks are still thinking big and spending bigger for quality television. Laine Lister questions the sustainability of the model.
Despite the endless talk of belt-tightening in Australian television, it was hard to notice the recession during 2009. Thrifty networks did economise by downsizing production crews and switching to up-to-the-minute technology. Read more »
Packed To The Rafters: one of the family
Jo Porter knows what Australian families want so it’s no surprise that the Seven Network producer has strick gold with the most successful local drama in recent years. Miguel Gonzalez writes.
Statistics show that more and more young Australians are choosing, and sometimes being forced to stay at or return to the family home. What could be seen as a worrying effect of a challenging economy, has also been a blessing for Seven, which needed a new drama and saw considerable potential in the topical story of the Rafters, whose children return home just when they thought they’d finally be on their own.
Van Diemen’s Land: the heart of darkness
The darker corners of Australia’s short history have typically been left just there, in the dark. Paul Hayes spoke with Jonathan Auf Der Heide, the director who’s bringing a missing chapter to life.
To most Australians, the mention of colonial Australia will conjure images of Burke and Wills discovering the breadth of the land, or Ned Kelly heroically railing against a tyrannical English rule.