Encore Magazine articles from July 2007

Encore Magazine archives from July 2007

Documentary in the doldrums: the film industry package has raised more questions than it has answered, with documentary makers concerned that the changes will leave the sector out in the cold.(Editorial)
July 1, 2007... THERE ARE WIDESPREAD CONCERNS AT THE FATE of the documentary sector under the impending restructure of federal support agencies. Industry groups have been in and out of meetings for several weeks (since the May Budget announcement) to...

Woods to exit Ausfilm via MIFF: Mark Woods sees the announcement of positive outcomes achieved through the Government review as the ideal time to end his stint as CEO of Ausfilm. Tracey Prisk reports.(PEOPLE)
July 1, 2007... AUSFILM CEO MARK WOODS WILL LEAVE the organisation next month and has signed on with the Melbourne International Film Festival as the consulting Market Manager of its inaugural 37 South: Bridging the Gap industry event. Woods opted out of...

Local feature gives nod to Genesis.(PRODUCTION)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... PLAYING FOR KEEPS, A PRIVATELY-FINANCED coming-of-age drama will be the first wholly Australian feature to use Panavision's Genesis camera, a fact described by producer Franziska Wagenfeld as "a real coup for a small film." Set amidst the...

'Lucky' local wins over SFF crowds.(FESTIVALS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... MICHAEL JAMES ROWLAND'S DEBUT FEATURE FILM LUCKY MILES TOOK OUT THE AUDIENCE AWARD AT this year's Sydney Film Festival (SFF), which concluded in late June. Pernille Rose Gronkjaer's The Monastery--Mr Vig and the Nun won the FIPRESCI Best...

Ten's landlords decide not to sell.(BUSINESS)
July 1, 2007... THE CONTROLLING INTEREST OF NETWORK TEN, Canadian media company CanWest Global Communications, has given up trying to sell its interest in the broadcaster and its other holdings, such as its outdoor advertising group. Instead, CanWest will...

Doco sector sidelined in new finance scheme: lack of federal support sets alarm bells ringing in the doco sector.(LEGISLATION)(documentary)
July 1, 2007... ACCORDING TO LEADING PLAYERS IN THE documentary sector, the future for the form is looking very gloomy if the proposed changes to financing are made legislation without significant alterations. With the end of the last financial year, the...

Levy succeeds Long at film school: producer and former TV executive Sandra Levy takes on the AFTRS directorship.(PEOPLE)(appointment of Sandra Levy,Catherine Millar at Australian Film Television and Radio School)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE ABC SANDRA LEVY HAS TAKEN OVER THE REINS of the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) from the long-serving director Malcolm Long. Levy, whose appointment was made public on June 16, commenced her new role...

Tatarka calls it quits at Film Victoria.(IN BRIEF)(resignation of Ros Tatarka and appointments of Sue Edwards and Eleanor Philpotts)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Film Victoria's general manager of Industry Development and Investment Ros Tatarka will depart her role on August 31 following four years in the role to make a return to the production sector. The agency will now begin advertising for a...

Projekta on board Yahoo!7 project.(IN BRIEF)
July 1, 2007... Yahoo!7 is partnering with the Projekta production team to produce original video content for online distribution from a new studio facility co-managed by the two companies. According to managing partner of Projekta Nathan Richman, the aim of...

Taylor to replace Lang at Network Ten.(IN BRIEF)(resignation of Adam Lang and appointment of Christopher Taylor at Network Ten Proprietary Ltd.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Christopher Taylor has replaced the departing Adam Lang in the position of commercial airtime manager Network Ten. The role carries responsibility for yield management, overseeing the network's integrated broadcast management system, sales and...

'Kelly Gang' joins UNESCO list.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Australia's first feature film The Story of the Kelly Gang has been added to UNESCO's Memory of the World register, which formally acknowledges historical heritage of world significance. The 1906 Charles Tait production, recently restored by...

Film Vic rejigs funding programs for new media age: Film Victoria has refuted claims from the local industry that changes to its funding programs unfairly favour producers.(FUNDING)
July 1, 2007... FILM VICTORIA HAS ANNOUNCED A STRING of changes to its funding programs--many skewed to what it is calling "the global trend towards media convergence", though non-producers have questioned the benefits the changes offer them. The changes,...

Music doco to get Orpheum run.(DISTRIBUTION)
July 1, 2007... TIM SLADE AND JOANNA BUGGY'S FEATURE-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY 4 HAS secured an exhibition run at Sydney's Cremorne Orpheum cinema to follow its world premiere at this month's Sydney Film Festival (SFF). Directed by Slade (with whom Buggy co-wrote the...

'Underbelly' underway.(PRODUCTION)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... THE NEW NINE NETWORK SERIES DEALING WITH MELBOURNE'S bloody gang war, which has claimed up to 33 lives over the last decade, is currently in production in the southern capital. A 13-parter, Underbelly is based on the book Leadbelly by true...

Wathen lands production role.(IN BRIEF)(appointment of Jo Wathen at Ambience Entertainment )
July 1, 2007... Ambience Entertainment has appointed Jo Wathen to the position of head of production, effective immediately. Wathen's experience includes a stint as program director for Nickelodeon in 2005, during which time she oversaw the 2005 Kids' Choice...

Seven Media joins forces with TiVo.(IN BRIEF)
July 1, 2007... Seven Media Group, a group venture in partnership with Yahoo and owned in part by the Seven Network, has stitched up a deal with TiVo, the US-based creator of the digital video recorder, to enable its services in Australia, to be launched in...

AIDC heading back to Fremantle in 2008.(IN BRIEF)
July 1, 2007... The next Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) will be held at the Esplanande Hotel in Fremantle, Western Australia in February 2008. The decision to stage the event in West Australia marks its return after a four-year hiatus....

Gen Y doco projects announced.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Story ideas and project teams have been announced for the Generation Y documentary series initiative, which will result in a series of half-hour documentaries airing on SBS in July 2008. The selected projects include: (from South Australia)...

'Swing' takes top St Kilda prize.(IN BRIEF)
July 1, 2007... Christopher Houghton's short film Swing took out the $10,000 award for Best Film at this year's St Kilda Film Festival, which closed on June 10. The film tells the tale of a blind Vietnam veteran's growing friendship with his Vietnamese...

FTO funds four young projects.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The New South Wales Film & Film and Television Office (FTO) has announced the recipients of round 21 of its Young Filmmakers Fund. The projects funded are: Grey (producer Tristan Waley and writer/director Luc Anthony), which looks at the twists...

'Access all areas' the theme for SMPTE 2007: the biennial trade show SMPTE is on again this month at Sydney's Convention and Exhibition Centre. Fiona Williams previews the event.(TECHNOLOGY)
July 1, 2007... BROADCASTERS ARE FOREVER LOOKING for ways to ease the transition from traditional broadcast technologies to IT-based 'solutions' At industry events the lines are blurring constantly; a case in point was the recent BroadcastAsia trade show...

Prime buys Becker stake in film biz.(BUSINESS)
July 1, 2007... THE DISTRIBUTION INDUSTRY HAS EXPERIENCED THE END OF AN ERA WITH regional broadcaster Prime Television's acquisition of the Becker Group of companies. In late June the Becker Group's major shareholders, Russell and Richard Becker, accepted a...

Viper adds bite to local teen thriller: Jon Hewitt has always been keen to push the boundaries of digital acquisition. The writer/director's latest project, Acolytes, is the first local feature to be shot with the Viper FilmStream camera. David Hull visits the set.(On Location: ACOLYTES)
July 1, 2007... Hollywood films such as Michael Mann's Miami Vice and David Fincher's Zodiac have been shot with the Thomson Grass Valley's Viper FilmStream digital camera system. The camera system's use in Australia has been limited, at best, but local...

Sydney Film Festival falls short: Bob Ellis reports on the 54th Sydney Film Festival, which was beset by ticketing issues, projection glitches (and the author's personal gripe against the executive director).(Rough Cut: REVIEW)
July 1, 2007... THIS MONTH: BOB ELLIS REVIEWS: LA VIE EN ROSE (DIR OLIVIER DAHAN); IN THE COMPANY OF ACTORS (DIR IAN DARLING); RESCUE DAWN (DIRECTOR WERNER HERZOG); ME (DIR RAFA CORTES); HOW IS YOUR FISH TODAY? (DIR XIAOLU GUO); THE HOME SONG STORIES (DIR...

Incentives package generates heat: Tracey Montgomery canvassed offshore reaction to the upgraded tax incentives package announced by the Government in May.(LA Insider: CO-PRODUCTIONS)
July 1, 2007... THE NEW AUSTRALIAN SCREEN PRODUCTION incentives continue to be the hot topic in the international filmmaking community and all sectors, including major studios, independents, banking and finance packaging agents, are looking to see how they can...

Viral AD campaigns get real: European correspondent Julian Newby reports from the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, where the standout film proved that viral campaigns have crossed over into the mainstream.(Euro Insider: ADVERTISING)
July 1, 2007... THE CANNES LIONS INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING Festival, held last month in the city on the French Riviera best known for its annual Film Festival, raised some interesting questions about the future of advertising, the production sector that has...

A chance to spread our wings: Screen Producers Association of Australia executive director Geoff Brown says it's important that the new tax guidelines are not too finicky about what qualifies as an 'Australian' project.(Above The Line: REBATE)
July 1, 2007... THE HEAT IS ON FOR THE INDUSTRY TO COMMENT ON aspects of the tax rebate qualifying expenditure provisions prior to legislation. Without going into the minutiae of the various arguments, SPAA's position can be distilled to a very clear message;...

DOPs dragging their feet on digital: the digital revolution has taken the post production world by storm and in television, HD shoots are becoming the norm. But the tide is yet to turn on features, where few cinematographers are shooting in HD when it comes to local features. Peter Galvin poses the obvious question: why?(Cinematography: SHOOTING HD)
July 1, 2007... THE INDUSTRY, AND INDEED, ITS PROFESSIONALS ACROSS ALL production roles would happily attest that the digital revolution is happening right here and right now. The digital intermediate process is now commonplace but there is a real scepticism...

Feds get Paranoid as digital growth takes shape: Sydney production company The Feds is collaborating with a French partner to aid a business model with a heavy focus on digital content.(Script: BUSINESS)
July 1, 2007... SYDNEY-BASED COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION COMPANY The Feds has teamed up with innovative French company Paranoid Projects in a deal that will see both companies offer transatlantic production capabilities, creative cross-fertilisation and a "cultural...

Six features in the AWGIE mix up.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Tony Ayres, Greg McLean, Matthew Saville and Keith Thompson will vie for the award for best original feature film script at the Australian Writers Guild's 2007 AWGIE Awards, which will be held at Doltone House, Sydney on August 31. The four...

Nick Australia seeks animation pilot.(IN BRIEF)
July 1, 2007... Pay TV television channel Nickelodeon Australia is offering up to $20,000 towards the production of an animation pilot. Nickelodeon is looking for ideas that will appeal to both boys and girls between the ages of seven and 13 years old. The...

Ayres' 'Home Song' Awarded in NSW.(IN BRIEF)(Tony Ayres )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Filmmaker Tony Ayres was recognised in the scriptwriting category at the 2007 NSW Premier's Literary Awards for his work on the feature film The Home Song Stories, which he also directed. Based on a true story, the film tells the story of Rose...

Disney Channel Aust launches local series.(IN BRIEF)
July 1, 2007... Disney Channel Australia has commenced production of the 40 x six minute live-action comedy series, As The Bell Rings, which is being filmed at the Melbourne Film Studios. The original short-form series will offer a fly-on-the-wall look at the...

ABC redemption tale shoots in rural VIC.(IN BRIEF)
July 1, 2007... Filming is underway in Melbourne on December Films' new ABC TV telemovie, Valentine's Day. The 90-minute film tells the story of a drifter named Ben Valentine (Rhys Muldoon) who heads to a small Victorian country town and runs into trouble with...

'Nine Weeks' shoot underway in QLD.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Production is underway on director Simone North's feature How to Change in Nine Weeks, which stars Guy Pearce, Miranda Otto and Sam Neill. Tony Cavanaugh is producing the true crime drama that depicts the disappearance and murder of a...

Filming in the danger zone: making 'Bomb Harvest'; The makers of Bomb Harvest risked life and limb in their bid to tell the story of the removal of the unexploded bombs that litter Laos. Peter Galvin reports.(Shoot: BOMB HARVEST)
July 1, 2007... ACCORDING TO THE EXPERTS LAOS IS THE MOST bombed place on the planet. While the US and its allies waged war in Vietnam, they were fighting a secret war by remote control on its neighbour, dropping two million tonnes of high explosive on the...

'The Black Balloon' stays in tune with the nineties: self-confessed 'dag' Elissa Down couldn't resist a selection of local songs from the early 90s to complement the score for her debut feature.(Sync: THE BLACK BALLOON)
July 1, 2007... COMPOSER MICHAEL YEZERSKI HAS BEEN ATTACHED to Elissa Down's debut feature The Black Balloon since very early in its production; originally he was hired to write a musical that is staged within the film. "We had to create a show from...

AFC survey to focus on PDV action.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The Australian Film Commission (AFC) is undertaking a survey of post production, digital and visual effects (PDV) activity for the local feature and TV drama sectors across 2005/06 and 2006/07. The research has been prompted by the Department...

Editshare adds Final Cut capabilities.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... EditShare has added Apple Final Cut Pro (FCP) Project Sharing capabilities to the EditShare product family. The system makes collaboration easier by enabling multiple editors to work on the same project simultaneously. To date it has been...

RSP gets busy with three features.(IN BRIEF)(contracts of Rising Sun Pictures with Baz Luhrmann, Dreamworks and Walden Media)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Rising Sun Pictures is currently producing VFX shots for three feature projects: Baz Luhrmann's outback epic Australia, Dreamworks' The Ruins and Walden Media's The Dark is Rising. Set in Mexico, The Ruins focuses on two young American couples...

Hartley's 'Fay Grim' to open up BIFF 2007.(IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Hal Hartley's new film Fay Grim will open this year's Brisbane International Film Festival on August 2. The thriller, featuring Parker Posey and Jeff Goldblum, is a follow up to 1998's Henry Fool. Fay Grim stars Posey as a single mother afraid...

'Home Song Stories' picked for Toronto.(IN BRIEF)(contracts of Tony Ayres and Toronto International Film Festival )(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Tony Ayres' The Home Song Stories has been selected to screen in the Contemporary World Cinema program at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September. The film is one of the 32 international selections that have premiered at...

Women in Film call for WOW shorts entries.(IN BRIEF)
July 1, 2007... Women in Film and Television (WIFT) NSW is calling for entries to this year's World of Women (WOW) short film festival, which will take place at Sydney's Chauvel cinema on October 25 and 26. Directed and coordinated by Sil-Nyin Cameron, the...

Moore's latest polemic to to premiere at MIFF 2007: the new executive director of the Melbourne International Film Festival, Richard Moore, is keen to make a mark with this year's event, Fiona Williams reports.(Screen: FESTIVALS)
July 1, 2007... SICKO, DOCOMAKER MICHAEL MOORE'S ESSAY ON the US health care crisis, will set the scene for fierce debate when it opens the 2007 Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) on July 25--and the event's new executive director, Richard Moore,...

Listings.(Production Report)
July 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...

Different formats cut from the same cloth: television correspondent Harvey Shore muses on the inspirational medium that is television, where a successful format inspires like-minded thinking from a rival network.(Hearsay: FORMATS)
July 1, 2007... THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE, NINE'S LATEST REALITY TV series, may be wedded to an historical tradition. Historians note that Nine has the distinction of being the first Australian network successfully prosecuted for pinching a TV format (the case...