Docklands Studios Melbourne will celebrate its 10th anniversary this month as the major international film The Moon and the Sun, starring Pierce Brosnan and acclaimed Chinese star, Fan Bing Bing, begins shooting in its sound stages.
With a site comprising five purpose-built, world-class sound stages, production offices and a large workshop, the Studio plays a critical role in attracting domestic and international productions to Victoria and has accumulated a list of enviable credits in its first ten years of operation.
Major productions have included: I, Frankenstein; The Pacific; Ghost Rider; Knowing; Where the Wild Things Are; Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark; Killer Elite; Patrick; Kath & Kimderella; Crawlspace and the soon-to-be-released Predestination, starring Ethan Hawke.
Demonstrating its versatility, 120 hours of television drama and more than 650 hours of audience-based television programming have been shot on site which include: Winners & Losers; Satisfaction; As the Bell Rings; Millionaire Hot Seat; Australia’s Got Talent; Slide Show; Talkin’ bout your Generation and The Footy Show.
“The Studio is a state-of-the-art facility that helps bolster Melbourne’s position as the screen and arts capital of Australia and equips Victorian screen professionals with globally competitive skills,” says Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business, Louise Asher MP.
“Winning a film client like The Moon and the Sun reinforces the Studio’s position as one of only three major studio complexes in Australia with the capacity and facilities to cater for large-scale international projects.”
Stimulating the local economy, Docklands Studios Melbourne caters for both domestic and international film and television. Productions shot at the Studio over the last ten years have made a direct project investment of well over half a billion dollars into the Victorian economy. International productions have spent $351 million within the state, while domestic productions have spent $278 million.
In 2012 the State Government invested $10 million to further enhance the Studio’s facilities. Upgrades included improvements to Stage 5 to better service audience based television, and partitioning the workshop building to house multiple clients simultaneously.
“The Studio is available for domestic and international clients and is now a permanent feature of the Victorian film and television landscape,” says Rod Allan, CEO of Docklands Studios Melbourne.
“Our goal is to provide the optimum environment where film-makers can do their best work. We have a long-term vision to develop a sixth sound stage with water filming capabilities and a commercial hub that will house businesses from the film, television and other creative industries.”
International actors who have filmed at Docklands Studios Melbourne include Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Richard E Grant, Katie Holmes, Jason Statham, Robert De Niro, Aaron Eckhart, Catherine Keener and Bill Nighy. Local artists include Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Susie Porter, Gina Riley, Jane Turner, Rachel Griffiths, Colin Friels, Miranda Otto, Sharni Vinson, Garry McDonald, Jack Thompson and Rebel Wilson.
For more information, visit: www.dsmelbourne.com for details.
Image: Docklands Studios Melbourne