Based in the Northern Rivers, Anderson joins Byron Studios following a 17-year career with Network 10, where he was most recently chief executive officer Network 10 and executive vice president Viacom CBS Networks Australia & NZ.
Studios founder Will Gammon said: “The Byron Studios board and team are exceptionally proud to welcome Paul as our chief executive officer as we approach a new era in the company’s growth. Paul brings a tremendous wealth of screen industry experience to our executive team and a personal passion for the content sector that will be an exceptional asset to the development of our studio plans and the Northern Rivers creative industries business community at large.”
Anderson will work alongside founders Will Gammon and Mark Holden to position and grow Byron Studios as a key driver in creating a sustainable creative industry in the region.
Located in the Northern Rivers, Byron Studios is the first and only film studio in the area with four studios across locations in Byron Bay and Alstonville.
“I am extremely excited to be taking on this new opportunity in the dynamic screen industry hub of the Northern Rivers. I look forward to working with community and industry stakeholders to accelerate the role Byron Studios has to play in not only attracting and servicing high profile local and international film and television productions to this growth corridor of the Northern Rivers, but importantly developing sustainable long term opportunities in the creative industries sector in our region,” Anderson said.
The Studios currently offers four distinct studio facilities, catering to a range of production needs, budgets and locations around the Northern Rivers areas of Alstonville and the Byron Bay industrial estate. The Alstonville studio complex contains two large studios with vast pillarless spans that have provided clients including Netflix with the opportunity to create sound stages of modular size and scale.
New management team
Along with the appointment of Anderson, the company has announced the appointment of Charlotte Brigel as general manager and national and international marketing & sales executive. Brigel joined Byron Studios in 2020 from Endeavor (IMG) after a 20-year career where she held various roles including vice president and head of sales and operations.
The management team is rounded out with Steve Mitchell as director of operations and engineering. Mitchell is a seasoned international outside broadcast specialist and headed up the Broadcast Operation for the Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast, as part of the Organising Committee and remains involved in other major international projects.
The Studios has also appointed operations manager Steve Bocking to run the Alstonville Studio complex.
Byron Studios joins Ausfilm
Byron Studios has joined Ausfilm, furthering its development in the sector’s production and facilities ecosystem, and extending its reach with the international production community.
Netflix and Melissa McCarthy’s On the Day production company were the foundation clients at the Alstonville studio, recently completing filming on the series God’s Favourite Idiot.
Netflix’s APAC director of production policy Debra Richards said the need for strong infrastructure will continue to grow alongside the increasing global demand for content.
“Australia has always had a great reputation for punching above its weight when it comes to the screen industry. It was an excellent opportunity recently working with Byron Studios, and this investment in world-class infrastructure will leave a long term legacy in the Northern Rivers region and Australia,” Richards said.
See also: Byron Studios opens new film studios in the Northern NSW region