After a dry spell, studios full to capacity: a period in which major studio facilities are filled to capacity again raises the question whether there's enough sound stage space available in Australia. David Hull reports.(sound studios)

It has been a bright start to 2005 for Australia's major sound stage facilities with offshore films in residence in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, but the flipside of attracting these projects--Aquamarine, to Warner Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast; Superman Returns, to Sydney's Fox Studios; and Ghost Rider, to Central City Studios in Melbourne--is that local and overseas production companies are faced with a distinct lack of studio space on the eastern seaboard, for the time being at least.

The dilemma facing state film agencies and studio execs is that while lean spells, such as those experienced throughout the industry in the last 12 months, suggest there is huge risk involved in building new sound stages, the studio industry can become hamstrung by long-term projects filling existing capacity. This situation is especially apparent in Sydney where the Superman shoot is expected to last all this year, the long wait for the ten-stage $80 million complex Serenity Cove Studios to open its doors continues and Sunrise Film Studios, previously promoting a large floodable sound stage, has aborted its Sydney venture altogether.

Superman Returns is using seven sound stages and most of the major support facilities at Fox Studios. The project is expected to be in residence up until this year's fourth quarter. While local features Little Fish, Candy and Eucalyptus have used Fox Studios as a base for their production offices. Fox Studios Australia CEO Michael Harvey admitted the facility is "the best part of 100 percent full" save for "a couple of minor little spaces".

According to Harvey, Fox has "a number of …