Screen Queensland was seen as a safe haven for many film and TV productions during Covid. Now that restrictions are being eased around the world, the production body’s chief executive Kylie Munnich has ambitious plans to maintain investment momentum in the state.
One of those plans is revealed today – staffing up to best cater for the increased production activity.
“Our growing content team has progressively joined us over the past six months,” Munnich told Mediaweek. “These are the content directors who deal directly with industry when it comes to screen finance and development.
“We have a good cross-section of skills now when it comes to scripted and factual and our new First Nations lead.”
[See below for content team details]
Munnich said the new arrivals help the department cope with the growing demands to use the state’s production facilities from both new domestic and international business. “As the team developed we wanted to make sure we were really well covered in all the skills. We always had good experience in scripted, we have now expanded that, and in particular we are now giving increased support to factual producers.
Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich
“Getting back-to-back seasons of Australian Survivor in Queensland last year gave us a reason to make sure we had people who are skilled in all areas of television and film.”
The Network 10 series had previously never filmed in Australia, but conditions motivated the broadcaster and production house Endemol Shine Australia to work in Queensland. “The rebates [for filming Australian Survivor] in Fiji are very compelling, but there were a lot of other great reasons to remain onshore and film in Australia and Queensland,” explained Munnich.
Increased Screen Queensland production
“We have had our best ever financial year of production in Queensland, almost double the previous year. Just under $500m in Queensland production expenditure. That made us the second-biggest state in terms of value of production behind only New South Wales.”
Munnich said the new arrivals shot both on location all over the state and used studio facilities.
“We have some long-running projects. Nautilus, the Disney+ series which is at Village Roadshow Studios now, is there for close to 12 months giving a lot of work to a lot of people.
“We are always busy trying to attract new business into the state. Just last week we announced the Godzilla v Kong sequel that will be on the Gold Coast in mid-2022.”
On set with Aquaman in Queensland
Screen Queensland is working hard to maintain recent momentum. “The inquiries about working here haven’t slowed down. Australia lacks enough stage space to accommodate everything that wants to come into the country.”
The state production head has just returned from a trip to the UK where Munnich visited all the big sound stages including Pinewood Studios and Shepperton Studios. “The scale of production in the UK is eye-watering. Australia has a lot of opportunity to increase the arrival of international productions. We always want to support local producers too of course, but there is a big chance to grab more of the international market.
“That requires a commitment to more sound stages and a commitment from all levels of government to incentivise that work.”
One of the biggest construction projects for the UK industry is Sky Studios Elstree with 13 sound stages launching this year. Munnich, who previously worked in the UK at Sky, noted they are planned to be the greenest studios in the world.
“Every studio complex in the UK is expanding – Pinewood Studios, Shepperton Studios, and Warner Bros Studios Leavesden – to meet demand.”
Munnich noted that NBCUniversal-owned Sky has such an ambitious originals content slate that Sky will be the biggest customer at the new facility.
Village Roadshow studios
Screen Queensland production facility expansion
“We are building a studio at Cairns and we are currently hoping to have the site up and running later in 2022,” said Munnich about local expansion. “There is also a commitment from the Queensland Government to build a production hub on the Gold Coast. We have Screen Queensland studios in Brisbane which have been full for most of the pandemic.
“We have a smaller footprint than places like Village Roadshow Studios, and we are targeting local production hubs with the new facilities in Cairns and the Gold Coast.”
Queensland is also looking at investing in an LED volume stage. Munnich explained: “We saw what they had at Warner Bros Leavesden which I believe is the biggest in the world. The Mandalorian for example was filmed on an LED stage. These are big LED screens that sit behind a scene and can project with absolute clarity, much more than a green screen, a background. It’s virtual production. AFTRS has launched their own LED screen in a partnership with Matchbox Pictures and some funding from the federal government.
“We are very determined to get one in Queensland and we have been talking to industry about how we can provide it.”
More industry professionals needed
Along with much needed new production facilities is the need for more skilled staff. “Every state and territory production agency and Screen Australia are all looking at solving the skill shortage challenge,” said Munnich. “We are part of a workforce capacity working group that is being driven by Ausfilm. We are taking a long-term look at increasing capacity across skills in the industry.
Screen Queensland’s growing content team
Screen Queensland head of content Mags Scholes said that the new appointments give the agency in-house expertise and the capacity to extend its commitment to local production support and talent development across games, factual, scripted series, feature films and shorts, including First Nations and diverse content.
“I’m thrilled to introduce this talented group who between them bring broad industry understanding and fresh ideas to a wide range of storytelling platforms,” said Scholes.
Screen Queensland’s recent content team appointments include:
Jed Dawson – Games and SQhub Director
Dawson began his career at Halfbrick Studios as a designer with team lead and product manager roles following. He then co-founded indie games studio Affable Games, where he worked for over four years. Dawson has orchestrated partnerships with local and international publishers to launch games to new markets and led multiple international marketing campaigns.
Phil Enchelmaier – Content Director
Enchelmaier began his career as a freelance writer and script coordinator on series such as Mako Mermaids 2 and Wanted. He is co-creator/co-writer of the International Emmy award-winning miniseries Safe Harbour (Matchbox Pictures/SBS). More recently, he was the co-creator and lead writer of the 10-part Audible audio drama Sunshadow, produced by Hoodlum.
Ian Lynch – Content Director
Lynch joins Screen Queensland after a career in the UK that spans over two decades, as well as working on projects for US and Australian broadcasters. He is an experienced producer, director, and manager of teams in the creative production of network broadcast, online, and streaming content. Lynch’s Australian credits include the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent and Four Corners, as well as work for SBS and Audible Australia. His international credits include the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITN, Sky, Discovery, National Geographic, PBS and HGTV.
Lucy Markovich
Lucy Markovich – Content Director
Markovich joins Screen Queensland from Chop Shop Post where she was an EP on projects including Ludo Studios’ award-winning children’s animation Bluey. She has worked in the arts and entertainment sector in Australia and overseas as a producer, writer, director, digital art curator, event producer, marketing consultant, and even as a roadie.
Joseph Meldrum – Program Lead, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Content
Northern Territory-born Meldrum was raised in rural areas around Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, and Katherine and his family is Gangulu from Central Queensland. He joins Screen Queensland after three years in Vancouver, Canada, working in film and television as an assistant producer, camera operator, and set lighting technician. His Canadian credits include indie feature JFC (Lionsgate), big budget reality series Gold Rush (Discovery Channel), and major Hollywood production Peacemaker (HBO).
Destination Queensland
• During 2020-21, Screen Queensland secured 41 productions (including games) in total, injecting an estimated $478 million into the local economy and creating approximately 5,500 jobs for Queenslanders.
• In the 2020-21 financial year, 8 of 13 international productions attracted to Australia via the Federal Government location incentive filmed in Queensland.
Recent projects include
Young Rock Filmed at Screen Queensland Studios, Brisbane with some scenes on the Gold Coast
Joe Vs Carole On Screen now on Stan in Australia and Peacock in the US
Irreverent Gold Coast
Thirteen Lives Gold Coast (releasing 18 November)
Spiderhead – Gold Coast
The Portable Door – Gold Coast
Nautilus – Gold Coast filming now
The Wilds – Gold Coast (releasing 6 May)
Godzilla vs Kong sequel coming to Queensland