Silver screen gold
15Aug06 |
MAKING movies and television series on the Gold Coast is back in fashion.
We've got the talent, the right tax incentives and, when filmed from the right angles,
we look just like southern California.
That's the opinion of executive producer Mike Murphy, who is on the Coast filming
a 20-part US TV drama.
Bianca: Journey To Paradise began
filming at Main Beach and Currumbin two weeks ago and moved to an opulent Broadbeach
Waters mansion, in Monaco Street, yesterday.
The series, in hour-long episodes, is being made on a budget of less than $1 million.
"The TV networks in America are looking for low-cost, high-production-value
TV," said Mr Murphy.
"In America, where some television dramas cost $4 million per episode to make,
it just isn't possible to do things cheaply and keep the quality.
"That's why we came to the Gold Coast, purely based on cost, and it looks very
similar to southern California."
The series tells the story of a woman wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of her
father. She is released from jail after six years, returns home to her family, which
has fallen to pieces, and begins the search for the real killer.
Featuring luxurious cars and sprawling mansions, it's no surprise Mr Murphy calls
the show a cross between Desperate Housewives and a murder mystery.
"It's kind of a guilty pleasure for viewers," he said. "It's sexy,
fast paced. People have described it as Melrose Place on speed."
The show, which is providing jobs for 500 crew members, has Virginia Williams, an
American TV actress, playing the lead role of Bianca Foster, surrounded by actresses
including Rachel Ward and Samantha Sheldon.
"It's an American show, so we have a core American cast, but the rest of the
actors and crew, including the directors, are Australian," said Mr Murphy.
"They'll be with us until we finish in Nov-ember. That's 14 weeks of shooting,
which is a long time in the film world to have a steady job."
He said tax breaks were an incentive for production crews to come Down Under.
"The Gold Coast has been fantastic to shoot in. It (incentives) helped sway
our decision.
"Obviously, the locations still have to be right, but it helps."
The Beattie Government spent $98 million on film and television production in Queensland
last financial year.
The co-operation of the US film unit yesterday, which welcomed The Gold Coast Bulletin
on to the set, was in stark contrast to the obstacles usually encountered by the
media in gaining access to Australian productions. |
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