Australian Screen News April 2023: Location Spotlight on Tasmania/lutruwita, screen industry career resources, farewell Nick Herd & more

April 2023

Hi Ausfilm friends,

This month, we'll take you on a journey to the wilds of Tasmania (lutruwita)'s West Coast, where the rugged beauty of this isolated region has enchanted filmmakers and adventurers alike.

We're also excited to feature the remarkable Danielle Maclean, a screenwriter and producer from the Luritja and Warumungu communities in the Northern Territory. Her unique content is elevating First Nations voices and captivating audiences worldwide.

Join us as we dive into the world of Aussie-made visual effects, exploring the impressive work of FIN and MPC on Marvel's Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, incredible Hogwarts Legacy and Gotham Knights game trailers from Plastic Wax, Myriad's innovative cast and set scanning on The Portable Door, and the VES award-nominated work of Rising Sun Pictures on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Oh, and don't forget to meet Framestore's Head of Effects, Alex Whyte!

Ausfilm has developed Career Resources for both Physical & Post-Production and VFX, Animation & Virtual Production aimed at promoting the diverse range of opportunities available for rewarding careers within the Australian screen industry.

We've got some exciting news on projects produced across Australia, including Queensland's The Portable Door and Victoria's Late Night with the Devil, as well as the success of South Australian films on the international stage.

And we farewelled Nick Herd after 10 years at Ausfilm. A very special thanks to Nick for his wonderful contribution to the Ausfilm family and the Aussie screen industry!

We hope you all enjoy this edition,

The Ausfilm team

LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

TASMANIA (LUTRUWITA): EXPLORING THE WILDS OF THE WEST COAST

Tasmania is the island state of Australia, also known by its original name, lutruwita. In this Location Spotlight we explore the West Coast of Tassie, a rugged region that evokes a sense of complete isolation despite being within reach of the state's capital city. With stunning backdrops and raw natural beauty, it's no wonder filmmakers are captivated by this area. Find out why!

EXPLORE TASMANIA (LUTRUWITA)

Ausfilm is delighted to announce the release of two Australian Screen Industry Career Resources aimed at promoting the diverse range of opportunities available for rewarding careers within the Australian screen industry. Additionally, these resources aim to support capacity-building strategies for below-the-line crew.

Comprising over 400 industry roles, these resources provide detailed descriptions and more than 20 department hierarchy maps to showcase career progression opportunities within the sector. They were developed by Ausfilm in response to key findings from research conducted on behalf of the Workforce Capacity Working Group, in collaboration with Australia's Screen Craft Guilds and senior members of the below-the-line workforce.

Special thanks to Susan Danta, who finished up at Ausfilm this month and developed these invaluable resources.

FIRST NATIONS SPOTLIGHT

DANIELLE MACLEAN, SCREENWRITER & PRODUCER FROM LURITJA & WARUMUNGU COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

Danielle MacLean is a Luritja and Warumungu woman and principal of Tamarind Tree Pictures in the Northern Territory. She creates unique content that elevates First Nations voices while balancing fact with compelling narrative. Her passion and obligation to ensure these voices are heard drives her work.

MEET DANIELLE

VFX IT IN AUSTRALIA

FIN BRINGS QUANTUM REALM TO LIFE IN MARVEL STUDIOS' ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

Marking Phase 5 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, FIN Design + Effects delivered stunning shots for key sequences in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Hear from the team how they did it.

CHECK IT OUT

FRAMESTORE HEAD OF FX, ALEX WHYTE, ON NAVIGATING A CAREER, AND ISLAND CHEESEMAKING

In this Q&A, Alex Whyte, the Head of FX at Framestore, shares a candid and inspiring look into his life and work. From unexpected career twists, to his passion for Houdini and movie magic.

MEET ALEX

MPC TRANSPORTS VIEWERS TO THE QUANTUM REALM IN ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

MPC Adelaide played a key role in the creation of the impressive world of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. MPC's team consisted of over 1000 artists delivering more than 800 shots.

CHECK IT OUT

**MYRIAD’S INNOVATIVE SCANNING TECHNOLOGY BRINGS THE PORTABLE DOOR TO LIFE**

Myriad Studios recently supported the production of The Portable Door, shot in Queensland. With their innovative LiDAR and Cyber Scanning technology, Myriad created highly detailed and accurate digital doubles of sets and the full cast.

CHECK IT OUT

TURNING A UNIVERSE INTO A TRAILER WITH PLASTIC WAX

Catch the incredible game trailers for Hogwarts Legacy and Gotham Knights from Plastic Wax, a full turnkey studio providing services to create cinematic video games and so much more. Going strong for over 25 years, their team is experienced and versatile.

WATCH THE INCREDIBLE TRAILERS

RISING SUN PICTURES HAD A BLAST WITH THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER

Rising Sun Pictures contributed explosive VFX to Amazon Prime's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, earning a VES award nomination. Their work includes a 50-shot sequence of a volcano devastating a village in Middle Earth.

CHECK OUT THE BEFORE AND AFTERS

AUSFILM THANKS NICK HERD

CELEBRATING NICK HERD’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AUSTRALIAN SCREEN INDUSTRY

Ausfilm's Head of Policy & Research, Nick Herd, retires after a decade in the role and a 50-year career making significant contributions to the Australian screen industry. Enjoy this lovely Q&A with Nick.

MAKE IT IN AUSTRALIA

THE PORTABLE DOOR: MAGIC CREATED IN SOUTH-EAST QUEENSLAND

The Portable Door, a fantasy adventure co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and Story Bridge Films, highlights the diverse landscapes and architecture of the Queensland region. Take a look behind the scenes!

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FILMS SHINE ON INTERNATIONAL STAGE: THE NEW BOY SELECTED FOR CANNES

Warwick Thornton's The New Boy, shot in regional South Australia has been selected for this year's Cannes Film Festival. New trailer for breakout horror Talk to Me, directed by South Australian filmmaking twin brothers. Plus Limbo impresses at Berlinale.

**MELBOURNE-MADE HORROR, LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL TAKES ON US FILM FESTIVAL CIRCUIT**

With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%, Melbourne-made Late Night with the Devil from Colin & Cameron Cairnes sent critics wild at SXSW & the US film festival circuit.