Encore Magazine articles from November 2005

Encore Magazine archives from November 2005

Editor's note.
November 1, 2005... Awards season kicks off this month, and a strong group of contenders should make for interesting results and maybe a couple of upsets--although the AFIs have already done their bit before any envelopes are opened. The new awards format sees the...

SPAA takes independent drama fight to Canberra.(NEWS)(Screen Producers Association of Australia)(Federal Government)(Geoff Brown)
November 1, 2005... THE Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) has warned that two-thirds of the independent production sector could be wiped out within a year, which much of the film industry soon following, if the Federal Government ignores SPAA's...

Jury out on new-look AFIs.(NEWS)(Australian Film Institute)(Geoffrey Williams)
November 1, 2005... THE Australian Film Institute's (AFI) bold move to split the program of its 2005 AFI Awards across two separate events should not be seen as a segregation, according to AFI general manager Geoffrey Williams, who was responding to criticism that...

'FISH' leads noms in larger AFI Awards pond.(NEWS)(Little Fish)(Australian Film Institute)
November 1, 2005... THE Rowan Woods-directed Little Fish leads the list of nominees for this year's AFI Awards, with 13 nominations to its name. Little Fish scored the most nominations but an increase in the number of critically acclaimed local features in...

Campion directs 'Diary' short.(The Water Diary)(Movie Review)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Production has been completed on writer/director Jane Campion's short film The Water Diary with the project now heading into post production in Sydney. Shot over two weeks on location just outside the NSW country town of Cooma on a budget of...

Ten and Screentime commit 'Society Murders'.(PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... Network Ten and Screentime are now in production on the telemovie The Society Murders, which is shooting in Melbourne and stars Georgie Parker and Alex Dimitriades. Based on the book, The Society Murders, by Melbourne barrister Hilary Bonney,...

ABC gets all 'Dusty' over new musical.(PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... ABC TV and Screentime have commenced production on an eight-part series that focuses on Australian-originated Dusty: The Musical, which is based on the life of pop singer Dusty Springfield. Produced in Melbourne by Karen Willing and Dusty:...

Australia is the new 'Biggest Loser'.(PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... Network Ten has announced it will be producing an Australian version of the reality series The Biggest Loser in association with Crackerjack Productions. The producers have already opened the application process for contestants in the series,...

Fox plans to trap kids on Mars.(PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... Fox World Australia and UK production company, Zenith Entertainment, are developing a new children's series. The series, which is called Defenders of Mars, follows a group of kids who are left behind on Mars after the failure of a colonisation...

Journey into 'Middle of Nowhere' gets underway.(Middle of Nowhere)(Movie Review)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Production of the feature Middle of Nowhere, directed by Ringan Ledwidge, is underway with the film to be shot on location in Sydney and Byron Bay in NSW and Longreach and Winton in Queensland. A thriller about a young British couple travelling...

Milton calls last drinks: Australian Cinematographers Society historian John Leake ACS remembers friend and industry stalwart Milton Ingerson ACS, who passed away in September.(OBITUARY)
November 1, 2005... Friends and relatives of Milton gathered in the Chapel of Berry's Funeral Home, Northwood, SA, to farewell Milton. Many of his friends from the motion picture industry attended from interstate as well as from South Australia. South...

Independent drama.
November 1, 2005... From the incoming National President: It was with a great sense of responsibility and a strong dose of optimism, that I took on the role of National President following the excellent leadership of Stephen Smith. But already after only a...

Drought puts the heat on country characters: Mandy Chang is a London-based Australian documentary maker. Here she speaks about her latest effort, Remembering Rain, which she directed and co-produced.(DOCUMENTARY)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2005... As ash from bushfires floated over an ominous crimson sky in Sydney in 2002, I had a light bulb moment. I wanted to make a film in my own country, but it wasn't until that long dry Christmas that I finally found my subject. After months...

'Cinderella' Man gives Russell something to Crowe about.(ROUGH CUT)
November 1, 2005... Cinderella Man is a big, honourable, bracing, suspenseful and, yes, inspiring film and it failed in America, I suspect, because of what it said about America, and capitalism and what the profit motive during the Depression did to the working...

Kerner caught in Melbourne's 'web'.(Jordan Kerner talks at Ausfilm's October Reception )
November 1, 2005... With more than 30 film and television productions under his belt and two of those in Australia, it was an honour to have Jordan Kerner as the special guest at Ausfilm's October Reception in Los Angeles. Kerner, whose credits include Fried...

Formats define post workflow: post production work is becoming increasingly customised to handle emerging capture formats and grading processes. David Hull reports.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... The recent busy period enjoyed throughout the post production sector has been characterised as much by the diversity of the work as the quantity of jobs passing through. Complementing the increased amount of long-form production in 2005 has...

High def post solves 'Solo' conundrum: Frame, Set & Match came up with an economical digital grade and finish for Morgan O'Neill's Project Greenlight Australia feature Solo.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... Restricted to an overall production budget of $1 million, Sue Seeary, the producer of the Project Greenlight Australia-funded feature Solo, faced some difficult decisions when selecting a viable post production process for the film. Seeary was...

Digital wasps prove 'irresistible': the psychological thriller feature irresistible features 3D wasps and sections graded by Complete Post using the digital intermediate (DI) process. David Hull reports.
November 1, 2005... Melbourne-based post/VFX facility Complete Post took on the task of digitally creating and integrating the hundreds of wasps that attack Susan Sarandon's character, Sophie, in writer/director Ann Turner's feature Irresistible. In the film,...

Safety in numbers: co-operation is the key to Australia's post sector attracting an increased amount of overseas feature work.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... According to the technical staff of Los Angeles-based SonyImageworks--one of the largest film effects houses in the world, "The process of managing a VFX project is now more complex than any one shot in that picture". The complexity of...

Natural feel to drug romance 'Candy': a strong visual style was a priority for the local feature Candy but the filmmakers were keen to avoid anything that might appear manipulated.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... The unique approach theatre director Neil Armfield brought to his feature film debut Candy extended through to the post production phase in that his "whole approach to the film was something that changed and was somewhat dictated by...

'Typhoon' score sweeps through Sydney: Sydney's leading orchestral recording facility drew a Korean composer down under to record the score for the big-budget feature Typhoon.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... In early October, Trackdown Scoring Stage hosted composer Hyunsuk Kim for the recording of his score for the Korean feature Typhoon, which, with a production budget believed to be around US$20 million, is reported to he the country's most...

Growing the digital pie: Remco Marcelis* mounts an argument as to why the current 12.5 percent offset scheme should be expanded.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... In 2002, the Australian Government introduced a refundable tax offset for film production in Australia. The offset provides a financial incentive for the producers of large budget films to locate to Australia. Since it was introduced, more than...

Engine IDs Qantas channels: while Qantas was upgrading to an on-demand television service it took the opportunity to give each of its channels its own identity.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION)
November 1, 2005... Sydney-based design and VFX company Engine was enlisted by long-standing client Qantas to create individual channel idents for its expanded Q in-flight television service. The job involved combining 3D work with live action and 2D animation....

ebay spot takes immersive Postmodern journey: Postmodern Sydney created a CG cityscape in the space of a month for eBay's China launch campaign.(eBay Inc)
November 1, 2005... The month-long post/VFX job on ebay's big-budget launch into the Chinese market required the creation of interiors and exteriors of an immersive CG cityscape environment for the entire TVC. This extensive task was undertaken by Postmodern...

Cutting Edge bares TVC teeth: post and VFX on recent campaigns furthered Cutting Edge's relationships with advertising agencies in Brisbane and Asia.
November 1, 2005... Among Cutting Edge Gold Coast's latest TVC jobs are a motion control shoot for a Suncorp campaign for Y & R Brisbane and animation for Pepsodent with Lowe, Indonesia. Directed by Dave Barker for Taxi Film, the Suncorp spot tells the story...

Quantel Pablo / Eiger.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2005... Quantel's latest colour correction product, The Pablo Suite, features an intuitive interface and a broad colour correction toolset. Built on the foundations of eQ and iQ, it can also serve as a complete digital intermediate system. The...

E72 Smart console.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2005... Australian audio console manufacturer Smart AV has introduced the E72 product, which sits in between the high-end E96 and smaller E48 consoles. Within a smaller footprint, the new console offers all of the features and benefits of the flagship...

Autodesk 3ds Max 8.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2005... The latest upgrade to Autodesk's 3D modelling, animation and rendering software, 3ds Max 8 includes a range of enhanced asset management, character development, UV pelt mapping and scripting and SDK development features. The software...

Alias StudioTools 13.(FEATURE: POST PRODUCTION PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2005... Alias' Studio Tools software provides a range of creative design tools, from sketching to production modelling, within an intuitive working environment. This latest version features enhancements in the areas of productivity, sketching, 3D...

Production report.(directory)(Directory)
November 1, 2005... 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...

Famous film fest pulls a crowd.(PEOPLE)
November 1, 2005... THE RIVA BAND AND ROXANNE FROM AUSTRALIAN IDOL ENTERTAINED THE CROWD AT OCTOBER'S FAMOUS FILM FEST IN SYDNEY. 1. Daniel Louison and Australian Idol contestant Roxanne Lebrasse 2. Tommy DeSilva and Brearne Cavarllo 3. (Left to right) Bill...

Delahunty launches Melbourne on screen.(PEOPLE)
November 1, 2005... VICTORIAN MINISTER FOR THE ARTS, MARY DELAHUNTY, LAUNCHED THE MELBOURNE ON SCREEN PROGRAM OF EVENTS AT ACMI ON OCT 17. 1. Jacinta Stapleton and AFI CEO Geoffrey Williams 2. President of Film Victoria John Howie and Minister for the Arts...

Spaa meets, greets industry post-agm.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... THE SCREEN PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA THREW A PARTY AFTER ITS SEPTEMBER 29 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN SYDNEY. 1. Leanne Bushby (I) and Maza Kotarac of industry recruitment agency Entertainment Personnel. 2. Producers Charles Hannah...

Melbourne goes big for mini party.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... MINI STUDIOS, MELBOUNE PRODUCTION SERVICES CO. AND THE GUILD OF COMMERCIAL FILMMAKERS PARTIED AT MELBOURNE'S ASTOR. Melbourne filmmakers turned out for Mini Studios' first birthday and the launch of both the Melbourne Production Services...

TV success: just a matter of timing; 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)
November 1, 2005... The future of TV is a worry to some. To others it remains an interesting challenge. This year's ratings winner, Nine, is worried sick that Seven has a big list of winners already in place for next year. Seven is worried that its revenue...

Welcome to Encore magazine's inaugural feature on the New Zealand film and television market.
November 1, 2005... WELCOME to Encore magazine's inaugural feature on the New Zealand film and television market. This month our neighbours across the Tasman will descend on windy Wellington to attend the annual conference of the Screen Production and...

Industry looks to maintain the rage: as the end products of feverish endeavour begin to hit cinema screens there is both excitement and uncertainty within New Zealand's screen production industry. David Hull reports.(NEW ZEALAND: SUPPLEMENT)
November 1, 2005... Financing issues relating to both domestic and international runaway production are clouding what would otherwise be a time for the New Zealand screen sector to sit back and enjoy the fruits of a prolific year for the nation's feature film...

Plot thickens for NZ television: a diversity of broadcasting opportunities for local content in various genres is creating an interesting New Zealand television environment. David Hull reports.(NEW ZEALAND: SUPPLEMENT)
November 1, 2005... In early October leading New Zealand drama producer Dave Gibson resigned from the post of managing director at his Wellington-based company The Gibson Group, leaving it in the sole hands of co-director and Gibson's former wife Yvonne Mackay...

Skies begin to clear: the time is nigh for the screen industries on both sides of the ditch to sharpen up their collaboration skills.(Australian and NewZealand movie industry)
November 1, 2005... Despite the close proximity of the two countries and the fact that an official co-production arrangement has been in place since 1994, joint-venture production activity between Australian and New Zealand has remained minimal to the say the...

Everything's gone green: a program to engage the screen sector in environmentally friendly practises gains momentum this month having benefited from a leading Auckland production company's role as a guinea pig.(NEW ZEALAND: SUPPLEMENT)
November 1, 2005... Screen-related businesses are being encouraged to implement environmental responsibility and corporate sustainability programs as part of a new initiative to be launched officially at this month's Screen Production and Development Association...

Screen and very much heard: New Zealand was a couple of years ahead of Australia in forming a Screen Council. Encore spoke to executive director Tim Thorpe about the Council's structure and activities.(NEW ZEALAND: SUPPLEMENT)
November 1, 2005... AS THE leading lights of the Australian production industry attempt to strengthen its performance through the establishment of a representative lobby group, they will have no doubt have observed similar experiences on the other side of the...

Mixed times post stellar year: large feature projects continue to tide over Wellington facilities but overall the New Zealand post sector is going through tough times. David Hull reports.(NEW ZEALAND: SUPPLEMENT)
November 1, 2005... Capitalising on the popularity of New Zealand as a destination for runway US features, the local post production sector has obtained a strong reputation for the skill of its work. Leading the way are of course the Wellington-based businesses...