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The volume of post-production work on feature films and television series is gaining traction in Queensland with the latest data from Screen Queensland revealing expenditure has more than doubled over the past year.
While the government-owned screen agency has not revealed specific data on the post-production spend, it says local operators in the sector have been processing a “high volume of work” from local, national and international producers with the support of its Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) incentive which was expanded in 2021.
In the first quarter of FY15, Screen Queensland has already approved post-production funding for six films and series across seven local businesses, including Chop Shop Post, Pixel Zoo and Serve Chilled.
Together, these projects are estimated to generate $7.8 million for the state’s economy and support 146 high-tech jobs.
Since the PDV Incentive was expanded in 2021, Screen Queensland says post-production expenditure from local, interstate and international producers has grown from $38.5 million to more than $69 million, up almost 80 per cent, with more projects going to an increasingly larger cohort of providers.
The agency says the 15 per cent incentive, along with a reduced minimum threshold of $250,000, has equipped Queensland-based businesses in the lucrative post-production sector with a “commercially competitive edge”.
“Queensland has a remarkable talent pool for intricate, highly technical post-production work, particularly across sound, picture, music and visual FX,” says Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney.
“We also have incredible, award-winning animation companies that are supported through the incentive, including Like A Photon Creative, Ludo Studio and Fade In Media who recently returned to the sunshine state from the US.
“Our PDV Incentive has enabled our local businesses to secure work on significant projects filmed here including Nautilus and Mortal Kombat 2, as well as interstate and overseas projects like Last King of the Cross and Yu Yu Hakusho.”
The most recent Screen Queensland annual report shows that in FY23 the agency generated an estimated $582 million in film and series production and post-production, while supporting more than 4,000 Queensland-based jobs.
The growth of the post-production sector has led to companies such as Alt.VFX being recognised at the 2024 Queensland Premier’s Trade Export Awards, while also attracting the likes of Rising Sun Pictures, Fatbelly VFX and Fin Digital + Effects to the state.
The Brisbane-based Alt.VFX, part of the Alt Group, also has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles and Tokyo. Takeshi Takada, founder and executive producer at Alt Group, says that funding from Screen Queensland has been “impactful” for the company.
“The strategic backing provided by Screen Queensland’s PDV incentive has played a crucial role in our global success in recent years, enabling us to bring major projects like Amazon’s FOE and Netflix APAC’s Yu Yu Hakusho to Queensland,” says Takada.
“As a proudly Queensland-owned and Australian company, we are particularly pleased to see the continued backing of local companies through these incentives.
“These incentives are crucial not only for keeping us competitive on both national and global levels but also for allowing us to create jobs and nurture young talent, building a sustainable industry for the future.”
The standard of work from Queensland post-production companies is also putting the state on the map with Chris McClintock, the visual effects producer on The Fall Guy, noting that Rising Sun Pictures’ Queensland team has been an essential partner on the Universal Studios' action-comedy film.
“The scope was complex and Rising Sun Pictures delivered on the challenge; their quality of work brought the film to another level,” says McClintock.
“The talent at the Queensland facility as well as their technology are key factors that make them industry leaders and the local incentives were a main reason that we were able to engage Rising Sun Pictures on this project.”
To help keep pace with demand, Screen Queensland is supporting local post-production houses such as Cutting Edge, The Post Lounge and The Rebel Fleet to establish or expand their Gold Coast operations through the recently announced $5 million capital grants program.
This initiative is providing matched funding of up to $750,000 to 12 small-to-medium screen businesses, assisting the sector to maximise opportunities in the state.
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