No images? Click here March 2023 Hello there Ausfilm friends, Welcome to our March newsletter! This month, we are excited to celebrate the incredible women in the industry who are shaping the future of film and TV. Featuring Emma Daines, Founder/CEO of Fin Design + Effects, Luma's Head of Culture/VP, Jamy Zink, Consolidated Media Services welcome their new Head of Production, Naomi Cleaver and Disney Studios Australia's Commercial Manager, Melissa Thirtle sits down for a Q&A. Plus articles from Framestore, TAG, Show Group, Stage & Screen, Village Roadshow Studios, CATO, Cutting Edge, Heliguy and Avatar Factory. We are thrilled to share their inspiring stories with you! Our Location Spotlight shines on the very top of Australia, in Northern Territory's Darwin (Garramilla). Meanwhile, our First Nations Spotlight is on a very talented Pakana writer who hails from the southernmost part of the country, Tasmania. In this issue, we also take a look at some exciting developments in the industry, including Docklands Studios Melbourne's new LED volume screen, showcased by VicScreen at SXSW, and Rising Sun Pictures' stunning visual effects for Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. New Holland creates innovative futuristic designs for Sony's sci-fi film 65, and South Australian Film Corporation-supported projects shine on the world stage. Lastly, allow us to introduce you to our newest members, Servo. Founded by a group of industry experts, they're here to help you with all your production service needs. Thank you for joining us on this journey through the world of film and television. We hope you enjoy reading our latest articles. The Ausfilm Team LOCATION SPOTLIGHT NORTHERN TERRITORY'S DARWIN, THE FRONT DOOR TO AUSTRALIA Darwin (Garramilla) is situated at the northernmost point of the country and is the capital city of the Northern Territory of Australia, making it a strategic location for transportation and trade with Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. Darwin offers a range of benefits to filmmakers looking to shoot their productions, with its unique landscapes and diverse multicultural population. FIRST NATIONS SPOTLIGHT PAKANA WRITER ADAM THOMPSON, LEADING FIRST NATIONS VOICES IN TASMANIA Adam Thompson is a rising First Nations Pakana creative talent in Tasmania's film industry. He co-established the first Tasmanian Aboriginal production company, Kutikina with Screen Tasmania's admiring support. Adam discusses his transition to screenwriting and how Kutikina aims to tell First Nations stories authentically. MEET OUR NEWEST MEMBERS Servo is a premier Production Service company founded by industry experts Dean Hood, Jon Kuyper, and Jamie Hilton, who joined forces with Genevieve Hofmeyr and Marvin Saven to offer a simplified way of shooting international projects in Australia. Servo provides a complete range of end-to-end production services, including production planning, budgeting, scheduling, location scouting, incentive management, and more. SHINING A LIGHT ON OUR LEADING WOMEN WOMEN LEAD THE WAY AT AVATAR FACTORY: FAMILY BIZ WITH A CREATIVE EDGE Avatar Factory has a unique edge, thanks to the creative and technical talents of its family members, especially the women at the forefront of it's success. From producing and documentation to capturing and quality control, find out how this family team is taking digital scanning to the next level. CATO LOCATION SERVICES CELEBRATES WOMEN CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS CATO Location Services, a prominent provider of production support services to the Australian screen industry, has seen a surge in demand. This success is due in no small part to the company's talented & dedicated female team members, who occupy a high percentage of management positions. NAOMI CLEAVER: BREAKING BARRIERS, EMPOWERING WOMEN IN FILM AT CONSOLIDATED MEDIA SERVICES Naomi Cleaver, the newly appointed Head of Production at Consolidated Media Services is a seasoned executive with decades of experience in the Aussie and international film industry. She's a passionate advocate for gender diversity and empowering women in the industry. IN HER WORDS - SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON THE INTEGRAL WOMEN OF CUTTING EDGE Cutting Edge is celebrating its talented female employees in honour of International Women’s History Month. Meet two outstanding women in the team who exemplify leadership, patience, and professionalism: Features & TV Executive Assistant, Nicole Hargreaves, and Senior Online Creative, Jo Spillane. BTS WITH MELISSA THIRTLE, COMMERCIAL MANAGER AT DISNEY STUDIOS AUSTRALIAMeet Melissa Thirtle, Commercial Manager at Disney Studios Australia who looks after all the tenant relationships at the studios while championing sustainability and doing it with a smile on her dial. In this interview, Mel shares her career journey, proudest projects, favourite things to do in Sydney and more. MEET EMMA DAINES: THE LEADING LADY BEHIND FIN DESIGN + EFFECTS Founder and CEO of Fin Design + Effects, Emma Daines is an entrepreneurial pioneer and experienced VFX producer who founded Fin over 21 years ago as a single mother. Her inclusive leadership style is characterised by trust, integrity, and inclusivity. She shares some insights about her journey as a leader in the VFX industry. FRAMESTORE VFX RECRUITMENT TEAM: LINDSAY COWIE, CARLA RIZZO & ROXY PROPHET The Framestore VFX Recruitment team, led by Lindsay Cowie with teammates, Carla Rizzo and Roxy Prophet, are instrumental in shaping company culture and driving diversity and inclusivity at Framestore. Gain insight into the industry from the women who work in it! HELIGUY’S PRODUCTION COORDINATOR AND LICENSED DRONE OP, ALLIE BARDES Heliguy's Allie Bardes, Production Coordinator and licensed Drone Operator has worked her way up from Office Assistant to her current role. Allie shares her journey, including how she manages the work/life balance as a young mum in the workforce. LUMA'S JAMY ZINK, ON CULTIVATING A PEOPLE-FIRST CULTURE IN THE VFX INDUSTRY Jamy Zink, the VP/Head of People & Culture at Luma Pictures, has shaped the company by fostering a culture that puts people first. With over a decade of experience in the VFX industry, Jamy has a great passion for people and for cultivating an inclusive work environment. THE WOMEN BEHIND THE MAGIC: MEET SOME OF SHOW GROUP’S UNSTOPPABLE TEAM Show Group celebrates International Women's Day by highlighting two exceptional women in their team, Lorraine Ashdown and Devi Bywater, who coordinate film travel arrangements and provide a seamless travel experience for productions. TWISTS AND TURNS IN TRAVEL & LIFE WITH STAGE & SCREEN’S HEAD OF SUPPLY, LINH TRAN Stage and Screen's Head of Supply, Linh Tran, has navigated challenges in the travel industry and life. When faced with a personal health crisis, Linh relied upon her data analysis skills to calculate and reduce her potential risks. By sharing her story, Linh hopes to offer reassurance to others who may face adversities of their own. TAG CELEBRATES WOMEN WHO TELL THEIR STORIES TAG travel and event team celebrate Women's History Month by recognizing the women behind the scenes. TAG acknowledges its female-identifying staff members, making up 66% of its total staff, with 42% in leadership roles. Including Allie Pratt, Head of Entertainment Strategy, Deanna Williams, Head of Production, Lorraine Greig, Director of US Ops and Mandy Armstrong, Team Leader/Production. MEET LUANE LUCAS, EOA AT VILLAGE ROADSHOW STUDIOS Luane Lucas is the talented Executive Operations Assistant at Village Roadshow Studios in Queensland. Her passion has made her a valuable asset to the team at VRS. Raised by a powerhouse woman herself, Luane's mother instilled in her the values that shaped her own career path. MAKE IT IN AUSTRALIA DOCKLANDS STUDIOS MELBOURNE WELCOMES WORLD'S LARGEST LED VOLUME Melbourne just welcomed the world's largest LED volume screen, built by NantStudios. Comprising 6,000 LED panels stacked 12m (40ft) high, the new facility at Docklands Studios Melbourne is set to revolutionize the way virtual production is approached. NEW HOLLAND CREATES FUTURE INTERFACE DESIGNS IN SONY’S SCI-FI ADVENTURE, 65 New Holland Creative has done it again with their innovative work in Sony's sci-fi adventure, 65, starring Adam Driver. New Holland's team worked closely with the directors, production team, and lead vendor to create future interface designs in the film and more! RSP DIVES INTO THE QUANTUM REALM IN MARVEL'S ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA Check out the stunning visual effects created by Rising Sun Pictures for Marvel Studios' latest film, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. With over 270 VFX shots, RSP tackled some of the film's most challenging and complex scenes like creating CG extensions and replica of the practical set, and complex RBD simulations with smoke and energy effects. Take a look at how they did it! FROM SCI-FI TO CHILDREN’S SERIES: SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SCREEN PROJECTS SHINE South Australian screen projects have been making headlines and captivating audiences and critics worldwide. From horror to children's series, SAFC-supported productions showcase the strength and diversity of the SA film industry. With Talk to Me, Beep and Mort, Monolith, and The Survival of Kindness leading the way. VICSCREEN PRESENTS THE INFINITE FRONTIER OF VIRTUAL PRODUCTION AT SXSWVicScreen recently announced the world's largest LED volume for virtual production at the SXSW festival in Texas. VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher joined other industry experts to discuss the infinite possibilities of virtual production and how the technology can be used to generate photorealistic 3D environments and visual effects in real-time. With virtual production, the most ambitious and imaginative stories can come to life in Melbourne. Connecting film & TV makers worldwide to Australia Ausfilm Ausfilm USA |