Encore Magazine articles from August 2004

Encore Magazine archives from August 2004

Editor's note.(News)(Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA))( Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC))(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Now that the 2004 Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) Conference will immediately precede the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC) on the Gold Coast, this month's issue of Encore includes previews to both events as well...

SPAAmart names 2004 participants.(News)(Screen Producers Association of Australia)
August 1, 2004... THE Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) has announced the 20 projects set to participate in the SPAAmart film market that will take place at this month's SPAA conference in Queensland. Market director Duncan Thompson described...

'Eucalyptus' adaptation grows.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... PRODUCERS Lynda House and Uberto Pasolini (The Full Monty) are developing a feature for Fox Searchlight based on the Miles Franklin Award-winning novel Eucalyptus, with Jocelyn Moorhouse set to direct. The novel, written by Murray Bail,...

Ikin, Brady get FFC NOD.(News)(Filnm finance corporation)
August 1, 2004... Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC) chief executive Brian Rosen has ended weeks of speculation and named producer Bridget Ikin and distribution executive Tait Brady the organisation's new evaluation managers, to select projects suitable...

AFC develops film data: the Australian Film Commission has conducted research into the development of local features. Here's a snapshot of the data.(News)
August 1, 2004... Research released by the Australian Film Commission (AFC) into the development of Australian feature films, an update on data compiled in 2000, has confirmed that most films are still originated with a filmmaker in the key writing role, with...

Fox inks 'Super' BBC deal.(Production)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Fox World Australia has signed a deal to produce a homegrown sitcom for UKTV and UK broadcaster BBC2, Supernova. Developed by Fox World's Harry Cripps, Supernova follows the attempts of five 'crackpot astronomers' to unravel the mysteries of...

b:j films raises 'The Fare'.(Production)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Bill Bennett and Jennifer Bennett, through their production company b:j films, are set to produce the $6.86 million thriller The Fare. The film, which Bill Bennett will direct, is about a cab driver who picks up an American woman from the...

Foxtel 'loves' Karvan.(Production)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Foxtel has commenced production on the 10-part Claudia Karvan vehicle Love My Way, a drama series produced exclusively for pay TV subscribers. Karvan is producing the project with Southern Star's John Edwards. Foxtel's Kim Vecera and Southern...

Aust/UK convict co-pro.(Production)(Granada Film Production)(Screentime Communicado)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Screentime and the UK's Granada are set to co-produce Mary Bryant, a two-part mini-series about the life of a female convict, for Network Ten and UK broadcaster ITV1. Production has been slated for September but hinges on the project receiving...

Sherman, Powell co-pro.(Production)(Scala Productions Ltd.)(Emile Sherman)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Emile Sherman is collaborating with UK producer Nik Powell's Scala Productions on a feature adapted from the 2000 Booker-prize nominee English Passengers. Scala optioned the rights to the Matthew Kneale novel in 2002 and signed veteran UK TV...

Zubrycki Vietnam doco.(Production)(Film Australia)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Film Australia has commissioned a one-hour Tom Zubrycki documentary, Vietnam Symphony, to mark the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of US troops from Saigon and the reunification of Vietnam. Vietnam Symphony has an SBS presale and will be...

Boyle takes on 'Multiplex'.(Production)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... A film about the antics of a group of cinema ushers as they come to grips with their station in life is set to go into production in early November, according to writer/producer/director Tim Boyle. DOP Casimir Dickson will shoot the privately...

Since we're all in the mood for change ...(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... The Editor, "If we're going to have a Government-funded film industry, why not have a Government owned-Twentieth Century Fox-style of operation...?" I proposed this approach to a productive film funding body now being mooted by Brian...

AIB summit talks global trends: the Association for International Broadcasting held its annual summit in Prague during May. Ian Robertson* was there.(Conferences & Events)(Association for International Broadcasting)
August 1, 2004... Established in 1995 as a trade association for the cross-broadcasting industry, the London-based Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) has a membership that covers all sectors of the international broadcasting industry. The...

Serenity Cove Studios.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... Serenity Cove Studios will be the newest and most advanced film and television studio facility in Australia. BASED in the southern suburb of Kurnell in Sydney, it is only 15 minutes from the airport and 40 minutes from the centre of Sydney....

Warner Bros Studios.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... Warner Roadshow Studios are situated on Queensland's Gold Coast. One hour flying time north of Sydney or forty-five minutes south of Brisbane airport. ALL sound stages are equipped with current industry standard facilities including air...

Huzza Sound.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... Huzzah Sound is a post production facility catering for all aspects of sound post production. Conveniently located at Fox Studios Australia within the Spectrum Films complex, it offers sound post services to all film and television--with...

CCTV.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... CCTV is committed to making your next studio shoot easy. Their 10 metre by 12 metre studio is the perfect location for recording your next project. NO matter what it is, be it film, broadcast television or corporate video, CCTV can service...

Incubator Studios.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... The studio space at incubator is vast and versatile, over 4,000 sqft and 5 mins from the city. IT'S perfect for photographic and film shoots, product launches, corporate events, castings, fashion and art shows. There are few places in...

Cascade Film.(Advertising Supplement)(Cascade Studios)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... Melbourne Film Studios has been home to many local and international productions for the past 30 years. OWNED and operated by Nadia Tass and David Parker's Cascade Films, the studio sits half a block from the sea, in the historic Sandridge...

ABC Resource Hire.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... From East Coast to West Coast, the ABC offers studio and soundstage solutions. SOUNDSTAGES are located in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, and digital TV production Studios are in all metropolitan cities. On offer is 21st century resources for...

Broadcam Australia Pty Ltd.(Advertising Supplement)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... Broadcam Australia Pty Ltd has grown considerably over its 8 years of operation. Our High Definition department leads the way in Sydney--the only rental company to offer both the Sony "CineAlta" HDW-F900/3 HDCAM cameras as well as the...

Lakes' SFF swansong a triumph.(Sydney Film Festival (Australia) )
August 1, 2004... Geoffrey Rush's microphone didn't work and then didn't work again and then didn't work some more, and he haplessly shouted at the audience and did comic sign language at them and finally went away, and then his film came on and all the people...

2004 SPAA: positivity and passion are key themes of this month's Screen Producers Association of Australia SPAA conference, Tracey Prisk reports.(SPAA)(Screen Producers Association of Australia, Australian International Movie Convention )
August 1, 2004... This year's Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) conference will mark the first time the event has been held in conjunction with the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC). According to SPAA executive director Geoff...

AFC puts producers on Inside Track.(SPAA Conference Screen Producers Association of Australia)(Australian Film Commission (AFC))
August 1, 2004... As major sponsor of the SPAA Conference's feature finance market SPAAmart, the Australian Film Commission (AFC) has provided a financial allocation for guests to travel to the event from overseas. This year, it is additionally offering...

SPAA Fringe 2004.(Conference)(Screen Producers Association of Australia)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Preceding the SPAA Conference, this year's SPAA Fringe event for emerging and low-budget film and television producers (held from August 5-7 at The Brisbane Powerhouse) features three days of seminar sessions and a wide range of participants....

SPAA Conference program.(Conference)(Screen Production Association of Australia)
August 1, 2004... SUNDAY AUGUST 8 0900-0930 BUSINESS BREAK Sheraton Mirage Ballroom 1 & Foyer 0930-1100 KEYNOTE ADDRESS Sheraton Mirage Ballroom 2 & 3 Welcome Geoff Brown, Executive Director, SPAA Hon Margaret Keech, MP...

Lawyers: predict tough times as private investment loses its shine.(Business)
August 1, 2004... According to the veteran Sydney entertainment lawyer Lyndon Sayer-Jones, in the last 20 years there's "been a pretty strong escalation of difficulty in financing films. The last five or six years [that escalation has] been quite dramatic." ...

Market changes halt premium hikes: insurance premiums have reached a plateau after the rapid hikes of recent years. Fiona Williams reports on changes in the business of insuring film and television production.(insurance industry)
August 1, 2004... The main talk of the film insurance industry at the moment is the June blaze that gutted Warner Roadshow Movie World Studio eight when a pyrotechnics stunt on the US feature House of Wax went awry. The fire broke out on June 27 at 6.40pm...

Completion guarantors feel pinch in downturn.(Business)
August 1, 2004... First Australian Completion Bond Company (FACB) principal Rob Fisher admited it hasn't been a brilliant financial year with the company experiencing a decided lull throughout May to June. According to Fisher, anecdotally the down turn is...

AIMC: keeps exhibitors up to speed; Previews of upcoming releases, briefings on key industry issues and networking opportunities await delegates at the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC). David Hull reports.(Australian International Movie Convention)
August 1, 2004... Bringing together the distribution and exhibition fraternities, this year's AIMC will again kick off with 'Australia On Show', which provides a selection of filmmakers with a chance to discuss their work. With comedian Sean Micallef...

Sequels: bolster box office.(Australian International Movie Convention)
August 1, 2004... The June 30 release of Columbia TriStar's Spider-Man 2 struck another emphatic blow at the Australian box office in what has been a hugely successful 2004 blockbuster season, augmented by a clutch of high-earning documentaries. Managing...

04 Movie Convention: Royal Pines resort, Queensland August 10-14.(Australian International Movie Convention)(Directory)
August 1, 2004... ATLAB IMAGE & SOUND TECHNOLOGY-30/31 Unit 5, 151 Granite Street, Geebing, QLD 4034 Phone: (07) 3265 2415 Fax: (07) 3265 4751 Contact: Ben Wilson AUSTRALIAN CINEMA PIONEERS--21 C/-M.P.E.A.Q. PO Box 1031 ...

Agenda_04.(Australian International Movie Convention)
August 1, 2004... Tuesday, August 10 8.00am Trade show set up Royal Benowa Foyer 8.30am Charity golf tournament East Course 10.00am Registration Office open Norfolk Hall 12.00-2.00pm Trade show open for...

Distributors reveal full slates: hectic release schedules for the second half of the year are expected to cement a strong 2004 for most distributors. David Hull spoke to each distributor about how their films have performed and what they have in store for cinema audiences.(Australian International Movie Convention)
August 1, 2004... BECKER, DENDY, GLOBE Co-managing director Andrew Mackie said Becker and Dendy is having a great year, listing the standouts so far as Swimming Pool (which grossed $1.2 million); Strange Bedfellows, the local comedy featuring Paul Hogan and...

'Radar' fixed on youth market: the youth-targeted promotion for comedy/thriller Under the Radar included a stand-alone TVC, as well as street and print campaigns. David Hull reports.(Australian International Movie Convention)
August 1, 2004... Prior to last month's theatrical release of Under the Radar (through Hoyts Distribution), marketing consultancy Libby Rhys-Jones and Associates ran a diverse campaign to grab the attention of 15-25 year olds--a demographic whose attention it is...

'Bondi' filmmakers: prove its ok to fund and distribute own film.(Australian International Movie Convention)
August 1, 2004... Unable to get their movie funded by traditional film funding bodies and without a distributor on board, the filmmakers behind the Japanese surf film Bondi Tsunami hatched a bold plan to both self-fund and self-distribute their film. The...

Wincer's learning curve: his love of horses and the lure of Nascar racing enticed Simon Wincer outside the 35mm format and into the worldof IMAX. David Hull reports.(IMAX technology)
August 1, 2004... Directing features specifically for exhibition on IMAX screens exposed US-based Australian producer and director Simon Wincer (Phar Lap, The Lighthorsemen, Free Willy) to a challenging medium he believes yields spectacular results. "The...

On the trail of movie pirates: an anti-piracy trailer shown to cinema audiences is the first step in an industry campaign to counteract an upsurge of this crime. David Hull reports.(Australian International Movie Convention)
August 1, 2004... As the illegal sale of pirated DVDs and online download of films emerge as increasing problems for the global film industry, Australia became the first of around 40 countries to launch a cinema trailer alerting audiences to the consequences of...

Production report.(televison programmes)
August 1, 2004... ENCORE's production report includes all known features and television drama and non-drama television programs which have a network presale. Projects in the planning stage appear once only and the listing ends when a project goes into post...

Holding Redlich Sydney turns 10: law firm Holding Redlich held its annual Sydney party at macchiavelli on June 10 with industry types and political heavyweights in attendance.(People)
August 1, 2004... 1. The Australian Broadcasting Authority's Michael Gordon-Smith (left) let loose with KPMG's Roger Amos. 2. (L - r) Stephen Smith, SPAA, with Serenity Cove Studios chief executive Kingston Anderson, NSW Premiers Department's Vivienne...

Cinema: international box office.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 1, 2004... australian box office [week ending: july 7, 2004] This Last % week week Film (Distributor) Weeks Total $ Change Screens 1 (-) Spider-Man 2 (Columbia ...

DVD rentals.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 1, 2004... DVD rentals [week ending: july 11, 2004] This Last Week Week Film (Distributor) 1 (-) 50 First Dates (Columbia TriStar Home Video) 2 (1) School of Rock (Paramount Pictures) 3 (-) Cold Mountain (Buena Vista...

Calendar.(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... MELBOURNE INT. FILM FEST 21 July-8 August The 53rd Melbourne International Film Festival is held over five venues and will feature over 400 films from over 50 countries. Info: www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au BRISBANE INT....

Video rentals.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 1, 2004... Video rentals [week ending: july 11, 2004] This Last Film (Distributor) Week Week 1 (-) 50 First Dates (Columbia TriStar) 2 (1) School of Rock (Paramount Pictures) 3 (-) Cold Mountain (Buena Vista) 4 (-)...

Moneypenny parties at fox: Moneypenny financial services threw a party at its Sydney office on June 23 to celebrate the company's expansion into New Zealand and South Africa.(People)
August 1, 2004... 1. (L-r) Granada producer Lucy Bedford with Cold Feet writer Mike Bullen and producer Sandra Alexander. 2. (L-r) Moneypenny chief executive Jane Corden with producers Greg Ricketson and Lorrie Graham and AusFILM chief executive Trisha...

Lifestyle serves up food launch: pay TV channel the lifestyle channel celebrated the launch of the lifestyle food channel and the sale of restauranteur Bill Granger's bills food to BBC1 in June.(People)
August 1, 2004... 1. (L - r) Bill Granger, with LifeStyle Channel marketing director Sonia Andersen, Hugos' Peter Evans, LifeStyle Channel general manager Sandra Hook and chef/presenter Neil Perry. 2. Neil Perry (left) with LifeStyle Channel head of...

Runaways may still stay away: well connected industry columnist Harvey Shore keeps his ear close to the ground for the latest gossip doing the rounds at the major broadcasters.(Harvey's Hearsay)
August 1, 2004... Runaways are starting to trickle back to Australia. WWE Films (a branch of the WWE wrestling empire) has just opened a production office at Movie World on the Gold Coast for two films, Eye Scream Man, and The Marine, which will start shooting...