Victoria’s screen industry is roaring back into action with filming now underway on the drama series La Brea, the biggest television series to come to the state in more than a decade – supporting more local jobs.
Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson today visited the set at Docklands Studios Melbourne with Federal Minister for the Arts Paul Fletcher to meet the cast and crew.
“After a challenging year, our screen industry is well and truly back with a strong pipeline of projects now shooting across the state and more projects on the way, supporting Victorian jobs and talent,” said Minister Pearson. “We have a long-standing relationship with NBCUniversal and we warmly welcome them back to Melbourne with their series La Brea.”
“The filming of La Brea in Victoria will allow us to accelerate upskilling the next generation of screen industry professionals,” added Minister Fletcher.
The Universal Television drama series will see Melbourne double for Los Angeles and follows a family’s survival after they are separated by a massive sinkhole that mysteriously opens in the city.
With the shoot, post-production and visual effects taking place in Victoria, the project is expected to inject more than $71 million into the Australian economy, with more than $60 million in Victoria alone. It will create work for around 295 local businesses, with jobs for 290 local cast and crew members and more than 1,000 local extras.
Alongside a cast of US TV actors including Nicholas Gonzalez, Eoin Macken, Natalie Zea and John Seda, Victorian actor Rohan Mirchandaney will make his US TV debut without leaving home.
La Brea is one of four major television productions currently underway in Victoria including the Paramount Television and Apple TV+ series Shantaram shooting at Docklands Studios Melbourne, NBCUniversal and Matchbox Pictures series Fires shooting in Melbourne and regional Victoria for the ABC, and the Netflix series Surviving Summer shooting along the Surf Coast.
La Brea was secured for Victoria through the Victorian Screen Incentive which was part of the Victorian Government’s $33.8 million boost to the state’s screen industry announced last year. The production has also been backed by the Federal Government.
“Film Victoria is proud to play a role in enabling our state’s screen industry to reap the benefits of local employment, rewarding careers, and inward investment,” said Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher.
Image: Rohan Mirchandaney (IMDb)