APRIL - MAY 2012THEBOOMERANG

AUSTRALIANS IN FILM

click for cONTENTS

Will VOD kill THE BiG ScrEEN WHAT’S YOUR HEMS(WORTH)? SYNDEY UNPLUGGED

PIcS | THE HuNGEr GamESPIcS | THE HuNTEr

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

THEMONTH

cONTENTSPresident’s Note

Reel Alerts

Will VOD kill the Big Screen

What’s your Hems(Worth)?

Sydney Unplugged

A hopeless case against Internet Piracy

Member Profile | Janis McGavin

Pics | The Hunger Games

Pics | The Hunter

3

4

12

6

13

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13

7

THe BooMerAnG

Managing editorAndrew Warne

editorMatilda Haddad DesignerSam Kramersam@kramerproductiondesign.com

Board of Directors Paula PaizesRob MarsalaAndrew WarneTracey VieiraMichelle DayIan SutherlandPaul Thomas

Cover | Video On Demand Suppliers

news SubmissionsPlease email the Editor with any Australian or member film-related news or announcements. Australians in Film |2800 28th St, Suite 320, Santa Monica CA 90405 Tel: 310 452-5939 | Fax: 323 446-8724 www.australiansinfilm.org | michael@australiansinfilm.com

2

15

9

AiF Volunteers |We would like thank thefollowing people:

Sam Kramer, designer of the Boomerang and invitations

Michael Kelleher for website design and IT support

Greg CookIngrid BloomSophie ScarfSteve GreigJohn FreemanMelissa Bickerton

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

PRESIDENT’SNoTE

As we get into the serious money-making part of the year, it has not been lost on me that several Aussies feature prominently in the largest blockbusters. While the argument over artistic merit versus box office clout is a tired one, it does point to a certain level of accomplishment, one that we can be proud of and celebrate. Like the Hemsworth brothers, Liam and Chris who will face off in a global battle of box office supremacy, with The Hunger Games recently passing the US$600 million mark worldwide and The Avengers at US$260 million before it even opens in America this weekend. The brothers will do battle again later this summer with Chris in Snow White and the Huntsman versus Liam in The Expendables 2. Then we have Guy Pearce in Prometheus, and perhaps most proudly for us, the 2010 winner of the Heath Ledger Scholarship Bella Heathcote, co-stars with Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows. Then as the summer winds down, there’s Joel Edgerton in Disney’s The Odd Life of Timothy Green and Guy Pearce (again) plus Mia Masikowska in Lawless (aka The Wettest County).

So imagine our delight when Liam Hemsworth agreed to receive the AiF Breakthrough Award at our Banquet on June 27, along with our friend and Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski. This year, we have decided to add two new awards to the evening: one that will recognize the accomplishments and contribution of a Hollywood local, so to speak, with Harvey Weinstein, the producer of the last two Oscar-winning Best Picture films including The King’s Speech being honored. The other award recognizes the contribution of an Australian filmmaker with Tropfest creator and writer/director John Polson being honored in its first year. The Awards Banquet will now become our biggest fund-raising event of the year with both the dinner and our exclusive after-party at the Levi Haus attended by a high-profile and impressive list of celebrities.

The funds will go to support our screening program throughout the year plus the implementation of our strands for working professionals in the entertainment industry. The Writer’s Group has met twice now and is finalizing details on next

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13

steps, most likely to be a gathering of writers, directors and producers to get the collaborations started. We will announce details of the screenplay competition shortly. Following that we intend to arrange a workshop for producers seeking assistance from Australian funding bodies, then a VFX workshop. All of this intended to place our members in internships of various productions and projects. It’s an ambitious agenda, but what else are we doing if not going onwards and upwards?

Hope to see you soon at our next event, and please invite your friends and colleagues to join, especially those with screen credit whose careers we can help develop.

Thanks and cheers,Andrew Warne

14

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

The Little Film Company announced that Toni Collette will star in director Bill Bennett’s Defiant.

Australian musician-actor-comedian Tim Minchin has landed a major recurring role on the next season of Showtime’s dark comedy series Californication. He will play Atticus

Assange’s activist mother, Christine Assange. Anthony LaPaglia is playing Ken Roberts, the detective determined to uncover the young Assange’s activity in Melbourne in the late 80s and early 90s when he led a ring of underground hackers. The film hails from Matchbox Pictures, in which NBC Universal acquired a majority stake last year. Other cast includes Callan McAuliffe, who’s playing a young Jay Gatsby in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, along with Animal Kingdom’s Laura Wheelwright and Jordan Raskopoulos, who directed and starred in 2011 Funny Or Die short, The Axis of Awesome: How to Write a Love Song. Robert Connolly, who’s known for Matchbox’s controversial hit Oz TV series, The Slap, wrote the screenplay and will direct. Alex Proyas has just aligned himself to direct the feature The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag, based on a Robert Heinlein novella from 1942.

Australian actress Penelope Mitchell has been cast in a regular role in Netflix’s new original series Hemlock Grove

Aussie stress Adelaide Clements has been cast in the first hour long scripted pilot for the Sundance Channel, Rectify.

rEElALERTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13

Fetch — Bowie, Bono and Lennon all rolled up into one charming yetmad-as-a-hatter rock star

AMC’s Western drama Hell on Wheels is increasing the screen time for “Eva” in Season 2 as Aussie actress Robin McLeavy has been upped from recurring to series regular on the Western drama

Fox’s The Wolverine is set for an August shoot in star Hugh Jackman’s hometown of Sydney

Aussie director Robert Luketic will direct Paranoia, a corporate espionage thriller that is set in the world of dueling telecom giants. The Hunger Games‘ Liam Hemsworth is set to play the lead.

PRESS ESc TO EXIT

Australian actress Freya Tingley (Beneath The Waves) has been cast as a regular in Netflix’s Famke Janssen-starring original series Hemlock Grove,from Eli Roth and Gaumont International TV.

Anchor Bay Films acquired North American distribution rights to Bait 3D,Australia’s first 3D action film. The suspenseful shark attack/horror filmstars Xavier Samuel, Sharni Vinson, Singaporean stars Adrian Pang and QiYuwu, Phoebe Tonkin, Dan Wyllie and Julian McMahon. Pic’s produced by Gary Hamilton, Todd Fellman and Peter Barber.

Newcomer Alex Williams will play Julian Assange in Underground, the Australian TV movie that’s based around the early life of the WikiLeaks founder. Rachel Griffiths will play

14

Toni Collette

robin McLeavy

Tim Minchin Xavier Smauel

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

distributor may have chosen adifferent model.

The most recent Day and Date success story is Lionsgate’s Margin Call. With a budget of $3.4M it pulled in $5.3M US box office and $5M VOD. Clearly some audiences still prefer the theatrical experience to home viewing with IFC’s Bocco stating, “last year was our best theatrical year ever”.

Developing the VOD-Theatrical model has not been easy.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13

Will VoD kill THE BiGScREENBack in the 1980’s video killed the radio star. Well, at least, according to The Buggles. Thirty years later video is back and its notoriety is rising. In the form of video on demand (VOD), independent distributors are releasing their films on video prior to or concurrently with their theatrical releases, while the studios are trying to shorten the theatrical-VOD window. The question now becomes: Will video kill the big screen?

The rise of VOD in the independent world was borne out of necessity. Traditionally independent theatrical releases relied on a strategy known as platform releasing. Under this model a film would open in a couple of markets with the hope of expanding, either by positive word-of-mouth or with the investment of marketing dollars. While some films did well with word-of-mouth and still do, distributors could not rely on this marketing strategy for all their films. Money still needed to be spent on costly campaigns. Many indie studios lost money and closed their doors. There had to be a better way.

In 2005, Magnolia Pictures started playing with new models and released Steven Soderbergh’s Bubble on screens, VOD and DVD simultaneously. While it was not a huge financial success, the results of

this test inspired Magnolia to continue researching VOD. Today there are two popular VOD strategies: Day and Date, releasing theatrically and VOD simultaneously and Ultra VOD, releasing VOD up to 30-days prior to theatrical.

Releasing on VOD has several advantages. First and foremost, the distributor can reach a larger audience than a limited theatrical release. Magnolia’s Matt Cowel, SVP Marketing & Publicity, reports that when it comes to distributing a film it is all about creating the widest possible footprint. Distributors also receive two revenue streams from one campaign. With revenue splits for VOD greater than those for theatrical, about 70% to 40-50% respectively, money hits the distributor’s bottom-line sooner rather than later.

March 2012 saw the release of two Australian films under these new models. The Hunter starring Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill was released via Magnolia’s Ultra VOD, whereby the film is released on VOD 30-days prior to theatrical. Cowel reports that The Hunter is doing quite well under this model and is certainly meeting their expectations. Moving forward Magnolia plans to release all their films under their Ultra VOD model.

The other Australian film released in March was The Snowtown Murders, known as Snowtown in Australia. It was picked up by IFC Midnight, IFC’s genre arm and released under a Day and Date model. IFC has been testing VOD since 2006 and today is using all three models: Ultra VOD, Day and Date, and the traditional release platform. Arianna Bocco, IFC’s SVP Acquisitions and Production states, “we have been doing this (VOD) a long time and have developed a sense for what works best”. In their experience genre and cast driven films do well with a Day and Date model with Bocco acknowledging that a different

14 15 16

By Sandra L. Rostirolla

17

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 171 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13

In the early days the theaters pushed back. With Magnolia’s parent company 2929 Entertainment owning the Landmark Theaters, the independent distributor had a starting point, by guaranteeing a simultaneous release on video and in their theatres. Today most art houses and small chains are on board which works well for the independents. The larger chains are resisting, however, and this presents a problem for the studios.

Since 2004, the studios have experienced a steady decline

in DVD revenue. A plan to counter this loss is Premium VOD (PVOD). Theatrical films also would be available for home viewing on a different date and a price point higher than VOD. Since many families prefer to consume their entertainment at home, either for convenience or financial reasons, a new market opportunity has emerged.

In early 2011 Warner Bros., Sony,

Universal and 20th Century Fox rolled out PVOD. For $30 audiences could rent a theatrical film 60-days after release. Understandably it failed. The regular Theatrical-VOD window is 90-days. Why pay $30 for something that will drop to $5.99 a month later and has been in theatres for two months? Despite the failure theater owners were notably concerned. When Universal planned a PVOD experiment a few months later they fought back.

Universal’s experiment was limited to Comcast digital subscribers in Portland and Atlanta. For $59.99 they could rent “Tower Heist” on demand 3-weeks after its theatrical release. Several theaters threatened to boycott the film and Universal ultimately pulled the plug. The average cost for a family of four to go to the movies is $60 - $80, no doubt Universal’s rationale for the price point. It would appear that the 3-week timeline is an optimal start for PVOD because studios experience a significant drop in theatrical revenue at this point due to: 1) The sliding scale deal they have with theatrical owners is high in the first few weeks then it drops to a lower percentage. 2) The general decline in audience attendance around the three-week mark, especially for ‘must see’ blockbusters.

VOD models appear to be working

for theaters and distributors in the independent world, which is good news for the independent filmmaker. At the studio level it is unclear what will happen unless they can continue experimenting. The resistance from the theaters is understandable. A 2007 study in the Journal of Marketing concluded that a Day and Date release could increase studio revenues by 16%. Theaters however could experience a 40% decline, a bulk of this stemming from the loss of their high margin concession sales.

For now studios remain optimistic that PVOD can co-exist with the big screen. Universal’s official statement announcing the withdrawal of the “Tower Heist” PVOD states: “Universal continues to believe that the theater experience and a PVOD window are business models that can coincide and thrive and we look forward to working with our partners in exhibition to find a way to experiment in this area in the future.”

The experiment with video so far has meant the closing of many art-house cinemas that cater to an independent film audience, can the multiplex big screen be far off?

14 15 16

Will VoD kill THE BiGScREEN

17

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

WHaT’S YourHEMS(WORTH)?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14

Australian brothers, Chris and Liam Hemsworth, have been contending for the biggest blockbuster in Australia for 2012. They both landed roles in the year’s biggest Hollywood blockbusters – with Liam appearing in The Hunger Games and his elder brother, Chris, starring in Marvel Studio’sThe Avengers.

Upon release in Australia, The Hunger Games claimed the biggest opening day of 2012, making an impressive $1.75m across 471 screens. However, that figure was smashed by The Avengers, which raked in over $6 million on the opening day. The Avengers now holds the second-highest opening in Australia’s box office history, only behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 ($7 million in July, 2011).

There has been a great deal of support for both films down under – in Australia, The Hunger Games received the largest opening weekend outside of the United States, ahead of the UK ($7.1m) and Russia ($6.2m). In the first week, the film earned a staggering $9m on 471 screens across Australia (between Thursday and Sunday), beating the first

instalment of Twilight.

Joel Pearlman, Managing Director of the distributor, said: “This is an extraordinary result. Australian audiences flocked to cinemas over the weekend to see the first of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games novels realised on screen. Co-starring Australia’s

Liam Hemsworth – we are delighted with these box office results.”

In the United States, The Hunger Games opened to $155million at the domestic box office – the third biggest opening of all time, behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 ($169.2) and The Dark Knight ($158.4m). This impressive figure

also claims the biggest opening for a nonsequel.

The Hunger Games is the first adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ highly successful book trilogy, with adaptations of both sequels Catching Fire and Mockingjay expected to follow soon. The film’s success was predictable due to the global fan base of the books – almost one million copies have sold.

In The Hunger Games, Liam Hemsworth is Gale, the love interest of heroine Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence), and while he does not receive much screen time, Gale becomes a vital character in the sequels.

Meanwhile, his brother Chris stars alongside Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Samuel L. Jackson in The Avengers. The film brings together the biggest heroes from Marvel Comics, including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow.

The Avengers is helmed by cult director Joss Whedon, who fan boys will know from his work on Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Whedon has a tough job of gathering so many big

name actors, big name characters and cramming them all into one single feature.

Having played the title character in Thor, Hemsworth plays a crucial role in The Avengers. Thor’s brother Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) returns as the film’s main villain.

While the film is still awaiting release in the United States (at the time of printing), The Avengers holds the largest opening day in Australia for any Marvel Studios film (beating Iron Man 2 by 233 percent) and also the best opening day for Disney Studios (the previous record belonged to The Chronicles of Nania: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe).

Due to the popularity of the comics and lead-up films, The Avengers is expected to surpass The Hunger Games opening weekend in the US. Already, film and gossip websites are predicting The Avengers’ opening to make more than $150m in North America alone.

However, with more big-budget blockbusters still to come in 2012, including Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, the #1 spot is bound to be a hot potato.

By Chris Bright

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

According to Polson, Sydney Unplugged is designed to “illustrate the vibrant and unique cultural and social tapestries of life in one of the world’s most beloved and inspired cities.”

The film will be released in Australia through Icon Film Distribution in 2013.

Australia’s best and brightest talent will be collaborating for Sydney Unplugged, which is due for release in 2013. It will showcase Australian directors, actors, writers and producers, in film inspired by similar projects, Paris Je T’aime and New York, I Love You.

Sydney Unplugged will have acclaimed Australian directors using the city as a backdrop in a series of short films, which will be combined and presented together as a single feature.

The film is being produced by self-described “Sydney aficionado” John Polson (Tropfest, Swimfan) and Gary Hamilton (A Few Best Men), who met at Cannes Film Festival last May. Polson believes that the film will triumph, due to the wealth of talent available.

“It’s no secret some hugely talented directors, actors and others either live here or are from here,” Polson continued.

“It’s about time this talent got together to tell stories that showcase one of the world’s most beautiful cities. The people that have stepped up to take part of this project are beyond our wildest dreams.”

Sydney Unplugged will deliver twelve different stories set in unique areas around the city, each with their own director and cast. Already, the film has attracted Australia’s finest talent.

Filmmakers already onboard include Alex Proyas (Knowing), David Michôd (Animal Kingdom), Ivan Sen (Toomelah), John Curran (The Painted Veil), Kieran Darcy-Smith (Wish You Were Here), Liev Schreiber (Everything is Illuminated), Rachel Ward (Beautiful Kate), Ray Lawrence (Lantana) and Russell Crowe (Texas). Australian favourites Anthony LaPaglia and Toni Collette will also take part in the project, both in their directorial debuts.

This vignette framework has already proven popular with global audiences and critics, with the warm reception of both Paris Je T’aime and New York, I Love You.

Paris was the first city to be explored, with Je T’aime Paris released in 2006. Internationally-acclaimed directors Gus Van Sant, Alexander Payne, Wes Craven, Joel & Ethan Coen and Gerard Depardieu created short films about the romantic city. The series of films starred Steve Buscemi, Nick Nolte, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Bob Hoskins, Elijah Wood, Emily Mortimer and Natalie Portman amidst the who’s who of French talent.

New York, I Love You followed in 2009, with Brett Ratner, Allen Hughes and Natalie Portman directing short films, boasting an equally-impressive cast, including Bradley Cooper, Andy Garcia, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Ethan Hawke, James Caan, John Hurt, Chris Cooper and Shia LaBeouf.

SYDNEYUNPLUGGED

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14

By Chris Bright

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 171 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14 15 16 17

Get ready to explore a different sideof Australia

Beautiful words, stunning photography and absorbing multimedia combine to tell the compelling stories and rich insights of Australia’s entrepreneurs, inventors, scholars, artists and humanitarians.

Discover what it is that makes Australia Unlimited with the iPad magazine –free to download, every month.

Download the iPad app from iTunes or visit australiaunlimited.com

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

Australia’s High Court has upheld a previous judgment in favor of iiNet, ruling the Internet service provider (ISP) is not responsible for the illegal downloading of video content by its customers.

A group of 34 international and Australian companies, including Warner Bros, Disney, 20th Century Fox and the Seven Network alleged iiNet, which is Australia’s second largest ISP, was quiescent in allowing customers to download illegal television and film content. They argued iiNet had the power to prevent illegal downloading by issuing warnings and suspending or terminating its customer’s accounts.

The High Court upheld its 2010 ruling, saying iiNet did not authorize its customers illegal downloads, nor did they have the technical control to prevent them from using peer-to-peer file sharing networks such as BitTorrent.

“The High Court held that the respondent, an Internet service provider, had not authorized the infringement by its customers of the appellants’ copyright in commercially released films and television

programmes,” the court stated afterthe ruling.

The 34 companies, collectively appealing as The Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT), were disappointed with the ruling, and expressed a need for Australia to re-examine current copyright legislation.

Neil Gane, AFACT’s managing director, said of the ruling, “Today’s decision by the High Court exposes the failure

of copyright law to keep pace with the online environment and the need for Government to act.”

“Both judgments in this case recognize that copyright law is no longer equipped to deal with the rate of technological change we have seen since the law of authorization was last tested.” “Now that we have taken this issue to the highest court in the land, it is time for government to act. We are confident the government would not want copyright infringement to go on unabated across Australian networks especially with the rollout of the NBN (National Broadband Network),” he said.

iiNet Chief Executive Officer, Michael Malone, is satisfied with the judgment, saying that the High Court’s ruling proved the claims brought to court by AFACT were costly and baseless.

“iiNet has never supported or encouraged unauthorized sharing or file downloading,” he said. “Today’s High Court five-nil ruling confirms that iiNet is not liable for ‘authorizing’ the conduct of its customers who engaged in online copyright infringement. This marks the end of more than three years of legal argument and challenges.”

According to Malone, if content providers offer greater access to lawful, timely and affordable online content, this will provide a practical approach to meet consumer demand and protect copyright.

“We have consistently said we are eager to work with the studios to make their very desirable material legitimately available to a waiting customer base - and that offer remains the same today,” he said.

Experts, such as Chris Coughlan, director of research consulting at Telsyte, have advised ISPs to work closely with content providers to find a solution.

“I think they need to work constructively to try and limit this sort of activity, which is hard, especially when you’ve got proxy servers in other countries, and things like layer three encryption and so on,” he said. “There are various ways to facilitate [content sharing] without even coming onto the radar so it’s difficult to close it down altogether. I think there are ways and means, though, of protecting their rights to a large degree but I don’t think you’ll ever close down this sort of content sharing.”

a HoPElESS caSE aGaiNST iNTErNETPIRAcYBy Matilda Haddad

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14 15 16

AFAcT VS IINET

17

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

The instant gratification that comes with downloading content through user-friendly software makes piracy an effortless offense to commit. Given the simplicity, anyone with a computer can acquire and share pirated content, and a lot of people are. As a result, going after individual end users is not a financially viable possibility. Moreover, current piracy laws do not stifle illegal downloading, they merely scare or punish when they are enforced. As has been the case in the United States, pursuing legal avenues often served to squander much of the good will audiences had towards the ISPs who divulged their customer’s details, and the studios for pursuing it.

Paul Budde, the director of Buddecom, and Australian legal expert and College of Law associate professor at the Australian National University (ANU), who was present at the recent judgment in Canberra, both offer the same advice – the entertainment industry needs to sit down with ISPs to work out a solution.

The unanimous decision by the Australian High Court will now force ISPs and the entertainment industry to continue a dialogue that is open to reaching a mutually acceptable compromise. However, as the chairman of the Australian Digital Alliance establishes, what is mutually

acceptable between these two parties often neglects the needs of the consumer.

“Consumers should be included in these discussions, because consumers, as end users of copyright material stand to be greatest affected by any legislative or industry outcome,” he said.

The success of iTunes and streaming websites like Netflix demonstrates customers will pay for legally downloadable or streamed content if it is easily accessible and timely. Where piracy may still thrive, though, is when Internet users are not satisfied with waiting for content to be available in their country, if it has been released elsewhere. This broader issue could one day see the truer globalization of information and content sharing.

This was a landmark case, one that the music industry had been keeping a close eye on. Though the High Court’s decision is final, the battle between ISPs, software developers, and content producers is far from over.

a HoPElESS caSE aGaiNST iNTErNETPIRAcY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14 15 16 17

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 171 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14 15 16 17

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

mEmBErPROFILEJaNiSMcGAVINTell us about your self?

Originally from Queensland, I’m a WAAPA graduate currently based in LA. I tend to work a lot in comedy, and I’m probably best known for my work on Channel Nine’s Comedy Inc - The Late Shift, and Balls of Steel Australia for the Comedy Channel.

How long have you been in LA?

I’ve been coming back and forth for a couple of years. But now officially based in LA since November.

How did you get into comedy?

During my summer breaks from WAAPA, I’d worked at Movie World on the Gold Coast in the Street Theatre division. Each day I would perform around 7 characters and that was really the beginning of my comedy training. It was a fantastic environment for developing my improvisational skills and I was given a lot of creative freedom for developing my own characters.

So that’s basically where it all started for me, then two weeks after my WAAPA graduation I joined the cast of Comedy Inc - The Late shift, which was an amazing experience for a kid fresh out of drama school. Since then, I’ve worked

consistently on comedy projects like The Urban Monkey for the ABC, variety/sketch shows for the Melbourne International Comedy festival, corporate gigs, voiceovers and Balls of Steel Australia.

Comedy is a difficult game and you have to learn to fail... a lot! There is nothing worse than performing a piece and bombing, it can be a rather humbling experience. It’s the nature of the beast, and comedy is one fickle lady. But with that said, there’s no better feeling than performing a character or sketch and making someone laugh. That’s really why I became an actor in the first place, to entertain people. Simple as that.

Have you taken any specific comedy training?

Yes! I’m a Upright Citizen Brigade (UCB) devotee and train in Improv and sketch writing. There are plenty of different improv training and comedy schools in this town, however, I really like the philosophy behind the UCB. Plus, I never get bored seeing shows at the UCB theatre, you get to see some great comedy performers and tickets are only $5 to $10.

What has been your comedy highlight?

Mmmm...Not sure if it’s a highlight but it was definitely memorable! I was filming a prank for Balls of Steel Australia at the 2010 ARIA awards, and my director found a way to sneak me on the red carpet and basically pester different Aussie celebs, like Marcia Hines, Bob Katter etc. After 20 minutes of harassing people I was quickly escorted off the red carpet by security. It was a long walk of shame...

It was a difficult show to work on, as it was unscripted and I only had a short amount of time to pull off each prank. So the pressure was definitely on.

Who are your comedy idols?

Growing up I was obsessed with French and Saunders and of course Jane Turner, Gina Riley and Magda Szubanski. I grew up watching the Comedy Company, Fast Forward and Full Frontal, so it was an

awesome to work on a show like Comedy Inc. It was fulfilling a childhood dream. I’d have to say my current idols are Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler. My favourite stand up comedians are Patton Oswalt, Eddie Izzard, Louis CK and Maria Bamford.

What have you learned about Hollywood?

You have to be quick on your feet. Things change instantly and you have adapt to the situation. You’re competing with the best of the best, and it means you really have to step it up.

Also, I love that I can see all my favorite comedians perform in the flesh. It’s a difficult city to crack, but at the same time, I find it really inspiring. I can go out any night of the week and see great comedy.

What are you working on at the moment?

Currently I’m working on the VH1’s World’s Dumbest franchise, I’ve shot about 5 episodes for them, and I provide commentary and character impersonations for the different clips, which is super fun and I love it.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

THE HuNGErGAMES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 171 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14

THE HuNGErGAMES

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

THE HUNTER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14 15 16

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 171 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 14 15 16

THE HUNTER

THEBOOMERANG | aPril - maY 2012PRESS ESc TO EXIT

1 142 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 15 16 17

BackPAGEAiF AmbassadorsGillian Armstrong Simon Baker eric Bana Cate Blanchett Bryan Brown Rose Byrne Toni Collette Abbie Cornish russell Crowe Roger Donaldson Deborra Lee Furness Melissa George Mel Gibson Rachel Griffiths Scott Hicks Barry Humphries Hugh Jackman Nicole Kidman Anthony Lapaglia Baz Luhrmann robert Luketic Jacqueline McKenzie Julian McMahon George Miller Kylie Minogue Radha Mitchell Poppy Montgomery Olivia Newton-John Phillip noyce Frances O’Connor Miranda otto Guy Pearce richard roxburgh Geoffrey Rush Fred Schepisi Naomi Watts Hugo Weaving David Wenham Sarah Wynter

AiF Board of AdvisorsKym Barrett Stuart Beattie Greg Coote Bruce Davey richard Francis-Bruce Dean Semler

Don’t forget our facebook page

AiF Sponsors We greatly appreciate the involvement and support of our sponsors.

You or your organization can become a sponsor of Australians in Film. We’d be happy to talk to you to see how we can tailor AiF to best benefit your company. Contact Michael Kelleher for more information.

email | michael@australiansinfilm.com phone | 310 452 5939

ADVERTISE IN BOOMERANG

clIck fOR DETAIlS

DON’T BE lEfT OuT IN ThE cOlD...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 111098 12 13 1614 15 17