Wednesday 25 November 2015: Screen Queensland (SQ) has attracted another international production with Sony Pictures Television and Tribune Studios pre-Civil War television series Underground to complete visual effects work in Queensland and as attracted via SQ’s Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Attraction Grant.
‘We are excited to be welcoming US-based Sony Pictures Television and Tribune Studios to Queensland,’ said SQ CEO Tracey Vieira.
‘Queensland boasts some of the most talented and experienced people in feature film visual effects and Post Production and by attracting productions like Underground, we can generate new innovation and growth in our visual effects sector.’
Underground centres on a group of slaves who plan a daring 600 miles’ escape from a Georgia plantation to freedom, aided along the way by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad, as they evade those tasked with bringing them back, dead or alive.
‘As well as positioning Queensland as being home to some of our country’s finest key creatives including producers, directors and screenwriters, we are also home to some of the finest individuals in the post production, digital and visuals effects space too,’ said Ms Vieira.
‘Our PDV incentive was designed to showcase this talent and build a level playing field for our local practitioners competing against other Australian states, and to give them a competitive edge in a competitive global marketplace.
‘Producers are incentivised to experience first-hand what we have to offer in Queensland and they also benefit from the federal 30 per cent PDV Offset.’
Earlier this year, SQ attracted the big budget production The Age of Adaline starring Harrison Ford and Blake Lively, and produced by Lakeshore Entertainment and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. This was on the back of new research showing the Australian screen industry experienced a big increase in the PDV work from $155 million in 2013-14 to $214 million in 2014-15.
‘Queensland has continued on its trajectory of growth in international and domestic productions as we continue to build a successful film, television and digital content industry in a shifting screen landscape.
‘Our end goal is to position Queensland as an attractive one-stop shop for productions from pre- principal- PDV stages in a production’s life-cycle.’
Underground stars Aldis Hodge, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Christopher Meloni, Alano Miller, and Jessica de Gouw. The series is created and written by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski who serve as executive producers alongside Akiva Goldsman of Weed Road Pictures; Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold of Safehouse Pictures; and John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius of Get Lifted.
Underground is set to premiere in early 2016.
For further information about Screen Queensland’s PDV Incentive and other incentives, visit www.screenqld.com.au.
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For Screen Queensland media enquiries, please contact:
Angela Samut
Communications and Marketing Manager
Screen Queensland
T +61 7 3248 0500 | M +61 405 536 548
E asamut@screenqld.com.au
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About Screen Queensland:
Screen Queensland supports a creative, innovative and successful screen industry through development and investment; secures production to Queensland; and delivers an active screen culture across the state.
About Sony Pictures Television:
Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing and distributing programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) boasts a current program slate that includes top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms.
In addition to its US production business, SPT has 19 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 13 countries and also maintains offices in 31 countries. SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio includes 150 channel feeds available in 178 countries, reaching more than 1.3 billion cumulative households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages the studio’s premium streaming network, Crackle. Additionally, SPT own US production company Embassy Row and is a part owner of the cable channel Game Show Network (GSN). SPT advertiser sales is one of the premier national advertising sales companies and handles the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as the Rural Media Group and DoctorOZ.com
www.sonypicturestelevision.com
About Tribune Studios:
Launched in 2013 and based in Los Angeles, Tribune Studios is the creative development arm of Tribune Media Company, producing original content for WGN America and Tribune’s 42 owned or operated local television stations across the country.
www.tribunemedia.com/our-brands/tribune-studios/
About Underground:
Underground follows a group on slaves who plan a daring escape from a Georgia plantation to cross 600 miles to freedom. The gripping original series premieres in 2016.
