Unique landscapes, stories create tourism showreel

The growing number of films produced in WA has created opportunities for local talent, employment and tourism.

The sweeping coastline and heaving swells of the state’s south will be showcased to the world later this year with the release of Breath, a screen adaptation of Tim Winton’s book of the same name.

Oscar-winning American producer Mark Johnson, known for movies Rain Man, The Notebook, and more recently the television series Breaking Bad, shot the feature film in and around coastal town Denmark last year, employing more than 150 locals as crew members, actors and surfing doubles.

Breath is just one of 13 feature films shot in Western Australia over the past two years.

The past financial year delivered record-breaking results for Screenwest and the state’s screen industry; 59 projects (14 more than 2015-16) were filmed or post-produced in WA, with production budgets totalling $69 million, backed by a near $8 million investment from Screenwest.

In addition to six feature films, projects included 13 documentary series, five documentaries and 16 Aboriginal community stories.

Screenwest chief executive Ian Booth said market forces of the past decade had helped WA’s film industry evolve, from being a sector heavily focused on children’s television and producing one feature film every three years, to one contributing almost 20 per cent of the nation’s locally made annual cinema releases. 

“Screen has a huge role to play in creative industries development in WA and helping to diversify the economy,” Mr Booth told Business News. 

“There have been lots of people who developed their skills here but the production opportunities were elsewhere, so filmmakers gravitated towards those.

“Screenwest has been trying to provide more opportunities and I think we’ve been successful, given the recent growth in film (production) here.”

Mr Booth said local films had consistently received international recognition, with at least one WA film featuring in each of the world’s top five film festivals during the past eight years, including Cannes, Berlin and Toronto (see table end of article).

“We are creating content the world wants at the highest level,” he said.

“With the right conditions and support, we can do more.” 

Breath, starring internationally acclaimed actor Simon Baker, will put a spotlight on WA's southern region. Photo: Nic Duncan

The state government has recognised the role film can play in contributing to the economy by allocating $16 million (over four years) in the last budget to the establishment of a WA Regional Film Fund.

Mr Booth said funds had previously been allocated on a project-by-project basis, and that the establishment of the fund not only increased the flexibility and speed of the process taken to deliver resources to filmmakers, but would encourage more to pursue regional backdrops, which were known to be logistically expensive.

Ben Elton’s Three Summers was the first production to be backed by the fund, while feature films Wonderful Unknown, a major Hollywood production, and Dirt Music are also lined up to utilise the incentive.

Meanwhile, major ABC drama Mystery Road – The Series will start filming in the East Kimberley later this year.

Opportunity 

Two weeks ago, Screenwest formalised its transition from a government agency to an independent not-for-profit organisation. Chair Janelle Marr said the move would help sustain the sector and provide further growth and opportunities now the organisation was responsible for its own governance and strategic direction.

“The diversity of our landscapes, places and people is attractive to storytellers and buyers of content around the world,” Ms Marr told Business News.

“Now we have greater ability to connect some of those dots and opportunities, such as tourism, education, and community services.”

According to Screen Australia’s 2016 report ‘Screen Currency’, film and television content was estimated to attract upwards of 230,000 international visitors to Australia each year.

For example, the increase in visits to a 30-year-old plus statue of a dog just outside the town of Dampier in the state’s north-west prompted its restoration and the revamp of its surrounding area into a place for tourists to stop and read about the town and its canine legend.

Red Dog, a novel by Louis de Bernieres loosely based on the true story of a hitchhiking dog from the Pilbara region, was adapted for the screen in 2011 and went on to become one of the highest grossing Australian films ($21 million), and the biggest-selling Australian DVD, of all time.

Nelson Woss says the Red Dog movies have attracted international audiences, who are blown away by the landscapes and community in WA’s north west. Photo: David Darcy

Its prequel Red Dog: True Blue was released nationally on Boxing Day and producer Nelson Woss, who had worked in Los Angeles for several years before returning home to Perth, said it was opening in cinemas across Europe, with a date yet to be confirmed for China.

Mr Woss said he had included a section celebrating location shoots on the DVD menu of both films, which have been distributed widely and have since played at many international film festivals.

“When we made the first film the statue was somewhat forgotten, just rusting away,” Mr Woss told Business News.  

“Now there’s a line of camper trailers and people taking pictures with the statue. 

“Audiences are blown away by the landscapes and the nature of the community. Red Dog has become an iconic Australian story, which has put the spotlight on the Pilbara region.”

Mr Woss said he had been working with Pilbara stakeholders to update the statue and surrounding area, with works expected to be completed later this year. 

Both films he said had been supported by Screen Australia, Screenwest, Royalties for Regions, the Pilbara Development Commission, as well as Rio Tinto, Woodside and Pedigree.

“If you find partners to get the film made and there’s a mutual benefit, you can get a lot of momentum that way,” he said.

“We partnered with companies that thought getting a film made in their backyards would bring excitement and impact their communities.

“Films generate a lot of jobs and revenue; wherever there’s a film there’s going to be an economic benefit.

“There’s a multiplier effect with a film crew; you’ve got to locate, feed and pay them.”

Despite tight funding Mr Woss said it was an exciting time for the WA industry, with films being produced across a range of budgets, thanks to the help of Screenwest.

“I definitely think WA punches above its weight compared with other states,” he said.

“The be-all-end-all challenge is piracy; film piracy has really corroded the potential to generate revenues from film, and now that technology has caught up you can stream and download 'legal' content easily.

"Consumers should not think that illegally downloading for free does not have harmful consequences for Australian stories. 

“If it’s not addressed it will seriously impact what stories are told. Filmmakers’ work is being stolen and if we cannot make a living making films then we will not be able to make Australian films in the future."

Mr Woss said he had worked with distributors such as Village Roadshow in an attempt to educate the public, with reels at the beginning of a DVD featuring Red Dog and other characters from Australian films.

“If you can embed your film in an exciting industry that wants to help you get your film made, there’s a real opportunity there,” he said.

“Now the mining boom has ended, tourism has become more of a priority.

“Filmmakers should be innovative and think what areas of WA the government has prioritised for tourism.

“There’s an opportunity if you tell good stories that connect on an emotional level, it’s a really unique time to be making films here in WA.”

Mr Woss said he was currently working on a big musical project in Palm Springs, California, which would feature Australian talent, as well as a documentary that he is hoping to work on with some young WA filmmakers.