Encore Magazine articles from February 2007

Encore Magazine archives from February 2007

Don't mourn, organise: Screen professionals have taken these lyrics of well-known 'troubadour of discontent' Joe Hill to heart in a bid to improve their circumstances--but they've got a long way to go.(Editorial)
February 1, 2007... THE NATIONAL PRODUCTION SECTOR HAS embarked on its tentative first steps towards self-determination in the establishment of the Australian Screen Council, in the hope that a single voice representing an entire industry would make it send a...

Outrage over 'Wrong Girl' bad press: newspaper reports questioning the right of filmmakers to dramatise a much-publicised Sydney rape case have drawn howls of protest from the industry. David Hull reports.(PRODUCTION)
February 1, 2007... THE INDUSTRY HAS EXPRESSED OUTRAGE over press reports questioning the use of taxpayer funds to back a feature film based on an infamous gang rape trial in NSW. In January both The Sunday Telegraph and The Sydney Morning Herald ran stories in...

Seven ahead of Nine in ad dollars.(TELEVISION)(Seven Network and Nine Network Australia Ltd.)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
February 1, 2007... THE SEVEN NETWORK HAS TRUMPED THE RIVAL Nine Network for advertising revenue for the half-year period from July to December 2006. According to figures published on January 29 by the free-to-air body Free TV Australia, Seven captured 35.89...

'Clubland' snapped up at Sundance.(DISTRIBUTION)
February 1, 2007... WARNER INDEPENDENT HAS SNAPPED UP AMERICAN AND UK RIGHTS TO DIRECTOR CHERIE Nowlan's Clubland for $5.06milion (US$4m), in one of the biggest deals to date at this year's Sundance Film Festival. UK-based sales agent Goalpost Film handled the...

Beyond exits film sales.(DISTRIBUTION)(Beyond Films Ltd. and Bankside Films contract)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... BEYOND FILMS IS CUTTING ITS LOSSES IN THE feature distribution business, having struck a deal with London-based Bankside Films, which will see the latter will take over as sales agent for Beyond features. Bankside is a subsidiary of...

Get the Picture.(Close Up: HEADLINES)(number of documentaries produced)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... TOTAL NUMBER OF SINGLE AUSTRALIAN DOCUMENTARIES PRODUCED 1997/98 188 1998/99 163 1999/00 176 2000/01 ...

Odell to head up Arclight production in Melbourne: Arclight Films has recruited instinct entertainment founder Nigel Odell to run its Melbourne-based production office.(PEOPLE)
February 1, 2007... SALES AND DISTRIBUTION company Arclight Films has opened a new Melbourne production office with founding partner of Instinct Entertainment Nigel Odell brought in to head up its Australian and New Zealand production division. Arclight Films...

It's wrap for 'Dogstar'.(PRODUCTION)(Media World Pictures celebrates end of program)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... AFTER TWO YEARS IN PRODUCTION, MEDIA WORLD PICTURES WRAPPED ITS 26 x 30-minute animated series Dogstar with a party a Melbourne cabaret venue, the Blue Diamond. Pictured (from left) are voice director David Cameron, the voice of "Simone Clark"...

Brandis takes on Arts and Sport portfolio.(PEOPLE)(George Brandis is now Minister for Arts and Sport)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... QUEENSLAND SENATOR GEORGE BRANDIS WILL OVERSEE THE FEDERAL ARTS portfolio in the wake of Prime Minister John Howard's January 23 cabinet reshuffle. Brandis was appointed Minister for Arts and Sport and officially took over from Senator Rod Kemp...

BBC to take Freehand stake.(BUSINESS)(BBC Worldwide Ltd. acquires Freehand Group)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... BBC WORLDWIDE HAS AGREED TAKE A 25 PERCENT EQUITY INVESTMENT IN independent production company the Freehand Group in a move that strengthens its local activities. As part of the deal Freehand will have a first view option on all BBC and...

Long cuts short his stint at AFTRS.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... Malcolm Long has announced plans to step down from his position as director of the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in mid-2007. Long was initially appointed in March 2003 for a three-year term, which was later extended. Long...

'Thank god you're here' sold to us.(IN BRIEF)(National Broadcasting Company Inc, NBC Television Network launches Thank god you're here )(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The NBC Network has commissioned six episodes of the hit improvisational comedy format Thank God You're Here from Working Dog Productions. The series delivered average audiences of 1.7m each week during the program's first two series aired on...

Maier lands senior role at dSPBeyond.(IN BRIEF)(Rick Maier appointed at dSPBeyond)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Television production company dSPBeyond has appointed Rick Maier to a senior development in which he will report to director Of Production and Development Stuart Clark in Sydney. Maier has 28 years industry experience including a six-year spell...

Correction.(Correction notice)
February 1, 2007... In Encore's December 2006 issue (page 6) we incorrectly identified the recipient of the 2006 APRA/AGSC International Achievement Award as the managing director of Best FX, Pete Best. It was in fact the composer Peter Best (pictured with the...

O'Flaherty swaps Arclight for Kojo: Adelaide's Kojo Pictures has stepped up its feature film operations with the appointment of ex-arclight staffer Dean O'Flaherty.(PRODUCTION)
February 1, 2007... FORMER ARCLIGHT FILMS MARKETING manager Dean O'Flaherty has joined Kojo Pictures to help further the Adelaide-based production company's push into feature film work. He will work closely with producer/executive producer Kent Smith in the role...

Aussies eye Oscar.(AWARDS)
February 1, 2007... A HANDFUL OF AUSTRALIAN FILMMAKERS ARE in the running to take home an Oscar this month, following the January 23 announcement of nominations for the 79th Academy Awards. George Miller's Happy Feet is in contention for the Best Animated...

Much ado about royal bedrooms: Bob Ellis' gaze falls upon on royal bedrooms in the form of Sofia Coppola's sumptuous portrait of 18th century Versailles and Stephen Frear's film about a dark week for the Windsors.(Rough Cut: REVIEW)(Marie Antoinette, The Queen and Belatedly, Kenny)(Movie review)
February 1, 2007... THIS MONTH BOB ELLIS REVIEWS: MARIE ANTOINETTE (DIR: SOFIA COPPOLA, PRODS: COPPOLA AND ROSSA KATZ), THE QUEEN (DIR: STEPHEN FREARS, PRODS: ANDY HARRIES, CHRISTNE LANGAN AND TRACEY SEAWARD) AND BELATEDLY, KENNY (DIR: CLAYTON JACOBSON,...

Brit hits lead to a royal flush of success: the UK industry is in the midst of a resurgence, following clarification of tax laws and a number of high profile hits. UK writer Julian Newby reports.(Euro Insider: FILM)(Industry overview)
February 1, 2007... THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY HAS REVERSED THE DOWNWARD trend of two years ago, securing the second-highest production spending figures on record. This, thanks to a raft of recent major Hollywood productions, and a last-minute re-think of...

Keeping a close watch on the competition: Tracey Montgomery looks at the experiences of film commissions only now introducing production incentives in comparison to established incentive regions such as Australia and Canada.
February 1, 2007... WHEN A MAJOR STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT production company looks at locations outside of Los Angeles to shoot, pretty much their first questions to film commissions who have a location that may work for their production is, "What are your...

With all due respect it's 'outrageous': SPAA executive director Geoff Brown clarifies the argument against the nine network's controversial 'dumping' of Kiwi content on our screens to fulfill local quota obligations.
February 1, 2007... SPAA'S STAND ON THE NINE NETWORK'S BROADCAST of the NZ series Outrageous Fortune has provoked some interesting responses. The press has taken it up, particularly in NZ, where I have been on radio a number of times to discuss our views. Some NZ...

Preparing for convergence: technology-specific legal agreements are increasingly rendered insufficient in the age of convergence. Ian Robertson and Sonia Borella outline some approaches to re-negotiating contracts and rights.(Legal: CONVERGENCE)
February 1, 2007... CONVERGENCE OF DIFFERENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES HAS BEEN actively discussed and anticipated for more than a decade. However, most of the agreements used in the film and television production industries in Australia and internationally are still...

Ask the experts: some of the country's best digital effects artists and supervisors step out from behind the console to assess current techniques and look ahead to the future of their craft.(Digital effects: TECHNOLOGY)(Interview)
February 1, 2007... AS SOFTWARE BECOMES SMARTER AND MORE FLEXIBLE, THE possibilities of what can be achieved with visual effects seem limitless. How do the VFX artists working at the coalface feel about the increasing and more varied demands this may bring with...

Filmmakers unite for South Australia's future: plans to develop the screen industry of South Australia are beginning to take shape. Fiona Williams reports.(South Australia: PLANNING)
February 1, 2007... THE PRODUCTION CRISIS IS A NATIONAL PHENOMENON, BUT IT has been een more keenly felt in other states than in South Australia. Last year the state managed to buck the national downward trend; figures sourced from the Australian Film...

SA gets in on the act: attractive government incentives, inexpensive locations and a film-friendly environment are three of the reasons South Australia remains in demand for feature film production. Tracey Prisk reports.
February 1, 2007... HEY, HEY IT'S ESTHER BLUEBURGER PRODUCER MIRIAM STEIN was blown away by the generosity and enthusiasm of the people of South Australia when she shot her yet-to-be-released feature in the state late last year. According to Stein, "the...

'Incentive-ise' success, says PACT: the chair of formidable UK lobby group PACT will bring some sage advice for Australian producers when he comes to Adelaide for the Australian International Documentary Conference, Fiona Williams reports.(Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television)
February 1, 2007... GET ORGANISED OR GIVE UP. THAT'S THE MESSAGE ALEX Graham, chair of the mighty UK producer's lobby group PACT, will be spreading when he heads to Australia this month as a keynote speaker of the Australian International Documentary Conference...

Film fest comes of age as funding bears fruit: the third Adelaide Film Festival will have a strong local presence, with the world premiere of films financed by the festival. David Hull speaks to festival director Katrina Sedgwick about what's in store.(South Australia: AFF)
February 1, 2007... THE 2007 ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL (AFF) PROGRAM HAS ALL THE hallmarks of a maturing equity investment fund as it premieres the 12 films that were produced with festival funds. The 12 projects were backed by the Adelaide Film Festival...

Brennan jumps ship from ABC to Nick.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... ABC Kids Programmer Deirdre Brennan has quit her post to take up a position with rival kids production powerhouse Nickelodeon. Brennan had been with the national broadcaster for 20 years, six of which were spent overseeing the programming and...

New series to track aspiring actors.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... Movie Extra has commissioned a fly-on-the-wall series that follows a group of actors. Short & Sweet will follow an acting competition involving both recognised and emerging Australian talent from the Melbourne finals of the Short & Sweet...

Fto backs new crop of Young Filmmakers.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... A film about controversial 1980's filmmaker Stephen Cummins is one of four short films to receive funding under the New South Wales Film and Television Office's Young Filmmakers Fund (YFF). Writer/director Walter McIntosh's Dances In Time: The...

Spierigs work with Weta on latest horror project: the filmmaking Spierig brothers are working on a $15 million-plus budget follow-up to the low-budget zombie flick Undead. Tracey Prisk reports.(Script: DAYBREAKERS)(Michael Spierig and Michael Spierig get Lionsgate contract)
February 1, 2007... MICHAEL AND PETER SPIERIG'S 16-PAGE treatment for Daybreakers, a script set in a world dominated by vampires, was enough to secure the Queensland-based filmmakers a pre-sale deal with US production and distribution outfit Lionsgate and trigger...

Viper captures far east for Hallmark telemovies shoot: a high-end 4K digital camera got put through its paces by NZ-based cinematographer tom burstyn in a gruelling shoot in tough conditions as he shot two us telemovies.(Shoot: CAMERAS)
February 1, 2007... CINEMATOGRAPHER THOMAS BURSTYN TREKKED with a crew of more than two dozen people for a gruelling shoot in China in late 2006, where he subjected a Grass Valley FilmStream digital cinematography camera to some tough conditions. He described...

Animated 'Zigby' series all set to go.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... Flying Bark Productions' creative arm, Greenpatch, will partner Canada's Thunderbird Films and Big Communications from Singapore to animate the 52 x 10 minute kid's series Zigby. The series, targeting four to six-year-olds and due to be...

Student DOP takes out Kodak gong.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... Australian Film Television & Radio School graduate Carl Robertson has taken out first prize in the Australian national competition of the 2006 Kodak Filmschool Competition. Launched in 2000 as an extension of the Kodak Student Filmmaker...

JVC teams with Quinto.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... Equipment manufacturer JVC Professional has appointed Quinto Communications as a reseller of its products in Australia. Quinto will represent JVC's full range of professional products including the ProHD range of camcorders HD projectors, LCD's...

'Bullet Boy' gets finishing funds.(IN BRIEF)(Australian Film Commission finance)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Writer/director Benjamin Gilmour's The Bullet Boy has received Australian Film Commission (AFC) post production funding that will enable it to be finished to a 35mm print by mid-2007. Funded through the IndiVision Production Fund and produced...

McGowan to head Quantel in the US.(IN BRIEF)(Tom McGowan appointed at Quantel)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Tom McGowan has rejoined Quantel as its North American CEO. McGowan first joined the company in 1982 as a district sales manager and his tenure as vice president of broadcast sales, rounded out 18 years with the company. He was recently...

Da Vinci upgrades 2K Plus software.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... Da Vinci system has released an updated version of its 2K Plus colour enhancement software offering increased support for a DI workflow. Version 1.2 features support for digital projection standards, greater support for the Grass Valley Spirit...

Autodesk introduces Maya 3D upgrade.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... Autodesk has launched a new version of its Maya 3D animation software. Maya 8.5 is now available as a Universal application release for Intel- and PowerPC-based Macintosh computers, as well as on the Windows and Linux platforms. Maya 8.5 offers...

Subtle post keeps family saga in the main frame: the detailed post production work on the drama Romulus, My Father includes the carefully crafted atmospheres of sound designer Sam Petty. Tracey Prisk reports.(Sync: ROMULUS, MY FATHER)(Richard Roxburgh)(Interview)
February 1, 2007... A FILM ABOUT THE DELICATE RELATIONSHIP between a father and his son, set in the difficult Australian landscape, offered plenty of challenges for first-time feature film director Richard Roxburgh, and the post production team behind Romulus, My...

2007 Ratings Conference puts censors in full view: ever wondered how censors apply local standards in a global Marketplace? An International Ratings conference will attempt to shed some light.(Screen: CLASSIFICATION)
February 1, 2007... DEPENDING ON WHO YOU TALK TO, FILM CENSORS are either the arbiters of good taste and decency or they're scissor-wielding wowsers at the mercy of morals crusaders. In Australia alone, a number of controversial films (and equally controversial...

Nine plays 'Catch-Up' for daytime crowd.(IN BRIEF)(Nine Network launches talk show)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The Nine Network will launch a local female-skewed chat show, in the vein of hit US program The View, to fill a void in its daytime television slot. The Catch-Up will premiere this month and is claimed as the brainchild of Nine Network creative...

Skype founders launch Joost.tv.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... Net telephony pioneers Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis have commenced beta testing of their new Internet television startup, Joost.tv. Joost.tv was developed under the codename The Venice Project and is billed as a "secure, efficient,...

ASTRA sets date for annual talkfest.(IN BRIEF)
February 1, 2007... The 2007 Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) Conference will be held at the Hilton Sydney on March 15. The event, now in its eight year, will consist of sessions featuring representatives of the Austar, Foxtel and...

Listings.(Production Report)(television programs)
February 1, 2007... EVERY MONTH 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...

Michael Lombardi.(CREW CUT)(question and answers with Michael Lombardi )(Interview)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Name (and nickname, if applic)/Job Title Michael Lombardi "Lambi" Animator & scene planner First Break Dogstar--animated series Industry Mentor/s My animation team colleagues Best Piece Of Advice You've Ever...

Copycat commissioning alive and well: industry insider Harvey Shore reports on the latest round of 'copycat' dealings undertaken between Australian independent television producers and the networks.(Hearsay: TRENDS)
February 1, 2007... IT'S AMUSING HOW TV NETWORKS PRETEND TO IGNORE each other, yet rush to copy a rival's success. Look at A Current Affairl Today Tonight Today/Sunrise. Dancing with the Starsl Skating on Thin Ice. Ground Forcel Backyard Blitz. Getaway/Great...