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Made in Australia
By Matasha McConchie
The Matrix trilogy, Peter Pan, Star Wars Episodes II & III: Attack of the Clones, and the Farscape mini-series have more in common than big budgets, thrilling action sequences, special effects wizardry and universal appeal-they have all been produced in Australia!
And the list doesn't just stop at these fantasy and sci-fi blockbusters. Did you know that Australia was also the production location for Scooby-Doo, George of the Jungle 2, Inspector Gadget 2, Ghost Ship and Salem's Lot?
But, rest assured, there is no Hollywood takeover. Australian actors, crew, production companies and service industries are taking part in the heady movie-making experience and gaining valuable skills and experience working with overseas talent and new media. At the same time, Australians are gaining international renown for their work on high-profile films.
It should come as no surprise why Australia has become one of the most sought-after locations for offshore filmmakers. We not only offer a producer's dream of location choice-desert landscapes, alpine wilderness, rainforests, historic townships, urban jungles, and cosmopolitan streetscapes-we also have highly professional crews, world-class studio facilities and competitive financial incentives.
One financial incentive, in particular, has stirred the interest and enthusiasm of a number of filmmakers. The refundable tax offset for large budget film production in Australia is worth 12.5 per cent of a film's qualifying Australian production expenditure. Michael Lake, President of Village Roadshow, has called the offset, '...the best incentive for film production in the world. [It is] competitive, clear-cut, and offers a direct avenue between producers and government that cuts out the middle-man'.
Since its introduction in 2001, the offset has proven very popular with offshore producers such as Joel Silver ( The Matrix films) who apparently loves the rebates, the crew, the locations and the sound stages in Australia-the whole package! And that's great news for Australian business and the economy. Peak association, AusFILM, estimates that the economic impact of the offshore film industry in Australia was worth $589 million in 2001-02 and provided 12 099 full-time jobs for the same period.
Making more in Australia - extending the offset to television series
Building on the success of the offset in film, the Australian Government announced an extension of the offset to include big-budget television series in the 2004-05 Budget. The details of the extended offset are being discussed with industry at the moment, but the offset should attract more television series like Farscape to Australia.
Big budget television series made in Australia provide some fantastic opportunities for members of Australia's film industry, including longer term employment and the possibility of first class training for keen young industry actors and technicians.
With these high-profile film and television projects coming to our shores, there are growing demands for film production infrastructure. Recently completed is Melbourne's Central City Studios. Located at Docklands, Central City Studios has seven sound stages, buildings to house art departments, wardrobe facilities, a construction workshop, production offices and storage occupying a six-hectare area.
Also new is the Trackdown sound stage facility in Sydney, which provides a specialist stage for music scoring.
Inset at top: The Matrix series of movies were shot at Fox Studios in Sydney. Image courtesy of Roadshow Entertainment/Village Roadshow Pictures.