2007_05_16_archive

Filmmakers win almost all that they asked for

HOLY COW!

Big news for Australia. Big tax credits (40% rebate on production

costs).

Filmmakers win almost all that they asked for...

John Garnaut

May 9, 2007

THE Arts Minister, George Brandis, gave the film industry almost

everything it wanted last night, with a $280 million funding injection

over four years.

As foreshadowed last month in the Herald, local filmmakers will

receive a 40 per cent tax rebate on production costs.

The scheme is expected to be more effective - and far more costly -

than the infamous 10BA tax deductions and subsidies it will replace

from July 1.

The Australian Film Commission will be merged with the Film Finance

Corporation and Film Finance Australia to form a new super agency, the

Australian Screen Authority.

The changes are considered the most important for the industry in more

than a decade.

Some in government believe they will mark a ceasefire in the cultural

wars played out between the arts community and the Howard Government.

The tax rebates should ensure taxpayer money goes straight to film

productions, rather than the financiers and promoters of tax avoidance

schemes.

Productions of television series and documentaries will also be

eligible for a 20 per cent tax rebate.

Foreign film producers will have their "location rebates" raised from

12.5 per cent to 15 per cent, following one of the leanest foreign

production years in modern history.

Eligibility for the foreign scheme will be relaxed to include

post-production and digital production.

Full Article... Hmm, I wonder if the following article had anything to

do with it? or vice versa.

WB AND ANIMAL LOGIC EXTEND PARTNERSHIP FOR ANIMATION

Warner Bros. Pictures and Animal Logic have taken the logical step

after the financial and Oscar-winning success of HAPPY FEET to extend

their partnership. The two companies will jointly develop and

co-produce a slate of animated features, with three projects, to be

announced in the coming months, already earmarked for development.

Warner Bros. Pictures will have worldwide distribution rights for all

films produced through the deal. It's uncertain whether a HAPPY FEET

sequel would be part of this package, since director George Miller is

first eying a few other projects.

The deal marks a significant expansion into animation for the Sydney,

Australia-based vfx house after its initial outing with HAPPY FEET.

"HAPPY FEET was such an incredible achievement that expanding our

development and production partnership with Animal Logic felt like a

natural next step," said Jeff Robinov, president, production, Warner

Bros. Pictures. "We're thrilled to be in business with such a

respected and innovative animation and digital production studio and

look forward to many more successful joint projects."

Throughout production on HAPPY FEET, which was the first 3D-animated

feature ever produced in Australia, Animal Logic grew from a primarily

visual effects company to a fully operational animation studio, at the

same time growing its core crew of approximately 150 to more than 500

at the peak of production. Not surprisingly, this talent and

production pipeline created for HAPPY FEET (which was XSI-based) will

be used for future projects with Warner Bros. Pictures.

Meanwhile, Animal Logic has named Jackie O'Sullivan as head of

development/exec producer to oversee development of all Animal Logic

projects into production. O'Sullivan has worked in the film and

television industry in England and Australia as a film exec/producer

in development and production for the last 15 years, including head of

business affairs for the UK Film Council and gm/exec producer for

Columbia Tristar Prods., starting off as a film lawyer in London in

1992. Her film credits include THE PROPOSITION and THE SOUND OF ONE

HAND CLAPPING. Her television credits include NEVER TELL ME NEVER,

WITCH HUNT and SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR'S BABIES.

"While we have long relied on Animal Logic for their fantastic visual

effects work on many of our films, we were their partners as they took

their company to a new level with HAPPY FEET," said Chris deFaria,

evp, digital production, Warner Bros. Pictures. "Animal Logic is a

creative and innovative animation house, and we couldn't be happier to

continue collaborating with them on these projects."

"We're thrilled to continue and expand our relationship with Warner

Bros. Pictures," added Animal Logic ceo Zareh Nalbandian. "The wide

slate of project opportunities assures Animal Logic's ability to

continue to produce engaging and innovative digital features. It

supports our technical and creative point of difference."

Previous Warner Bros. Pictures films on which Animal Logic provided

visual

effects include 300, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, THE MATRIX

and THE MATRIX RELOADED.

With offices in Australia and Los Angeles, Animal Logic is represented

in

the U.S. by CAA.

Labels: Animated Features, CG, News, Outsourcing, Overseas Production,

The Biz, Visual FX

posted by Angie Jones and Jamie Oliff @ 2:26 PM 1 comments links to

this post

How to paint the MONA LISA with MS PAINT

This is nuts, I guess we don't need Photoshop

and all those tools in CS2 after all?