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Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up
It was always expected Western Australia's first purpose-built movie studio would be big. It's one of the reasons the state government decided to shift the $233 million screen facility from Victoria Quay in the heart of Fremantle to the southern edge of Whiteman Park in Perth's northern suburbs. But it is not until you get up close and personal to Perth Film Studios, as it has been rebranded, that you fully appreciate the size of the four state-of-the art boxes that in years to come will host large-scale Australian and international productions that will put our city on the filmmaking map — that is, if everything goes to plan. Taken aback by the size of the facility – in particular the sound stage in the most advanced stage of completion – the first question to Perth Film Studios' British-born chief executive Tom Avison must be: 'What level of production could it not accommodate?' 'Not many,' replied Avison, who was head-hunted from London to shepherd the studio into operation and help lure the kind of big-budget film and television productions for which it was designed. 'A James Bond movie or a Mission: Impossible might require something bigger. 'But for most things these four sound stages are comparable to facilities in the UK such as Pinewood, Leavesden or Sky Studio Elstree. 'They're plenty big enough for most of the movies and television series being shot around the world.' The facility boasts 19,232 square metres of production space — including 8361 square metres across four sound stages — and a backlot bigger than the playing field at Optus Stadium. Equally impressive is the overall quality of the build and various facilities that will be used to support the sound stages — production offices, dressing rooms, spaces for costumes and laundry. 'A movie studio is like a reef. It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between.' Perth Film Studios CEO Tom Avison And in Avison, the WA Labor government and Home Fire Creative Industries – the Perth company that won the much-publicised competition to build and operate the studio – have found a chief executive with recent experience opening a similar facility, Sky Studios Elstree, in London. Sky Studios was a baptism of fire for Avison in his role as director of operations, as the new studio's first production was Wicked, Universal's blockbuster musical that took over eight of the studio's 12 sound stages. 'We had just completed the build when Wicked moved in. Builders out on Friday, production in on Monday,' Avison said. 'It was a challenging time but very exciting and incredibly rewarding. 'It battle-hardens you and your staff and forces you to get up to the highest standards very quickly. 'When a film is green-lit it goes fast. The train is leaving the station and you have to climb on board.' It is doubtful that Perth Film Studios will kick off in the first quarter of next year with a production the size of Wicked. However, if Hollywood wants to shoot a mega-budget musical, or an action fantasy, or a series about the world overrun with the undead, then Avison and his team will be ready. 'We will have conversations with producers who have the biggest projects to those with the smallest,' Avison said. 'And the studio will be a fantastic option for local and national projects. 'A good example are the two recent television series that were filmed in Perth, Ghosts and The Postcard Bandit. We want the Perth Film Studios to become the hub for the Western Australian screen industry.' Avison says that he was lured away from his big job in one of the world centres of film and television production because of the excitement around the WA film industry and the support of the state government, which is backing its investment in the studio with an array of incentives to ensure it doesn't become a 'white elephant'. 'There is an industry here that has been growing organically and successfully and a government that is supporting it,' Avison said. 'And when you factor in organisations like ScreenWest and the crew of highly skilled freelancers you feel that Western Australia is on the cusp of something great. I wanted to be a part of that.' Avison said there was also the understanding that it was not enough to just build a studio: 'You need to build an industry to support it.' Ever since the movie studio was announced by then-premier Mark McGowan during the 2021 state election in a starry press event at Victoria Quay with local stars such as Tim Minchin, Kate Walsh and Ben Elton, the industry has been debating the issue of whether Perth is ready for a movie industry. There are arguments that WA's industry is not mature enough to service a movie studio, and that most of the talent will have to be imported, raising costs and make it less attractive to American studios and other production entities around the globe. Loading Avison disagrees that WA is putting the cart before the horse. 'A movie studio is like a reef,' he said. 'It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between. 'In the past productions have come here to take advantage of the wonderful locations then go somewhere else for the studio component. They will now be able to do everything here.' He also sees potential for crews returning if they have a good experience in Perth, giving the example of a series production, which could take months. 'That means that the various services that support a production are assured of long-term work,' he said. 'All of this occurs because at the centre of the ecosystem is a movie studio.' The other big challenge is distance. Perth is, as we hear ad nauseum, the most isolated capital city in the world. Loading So, will the production entities in the United States, Europe and, to a lesser extent, Asia be willing to send their projects across multiple time zones to do what could be done on their respective home territories? Adding to the challenge is that, since the rise of streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix and Apple, screen facilities have been popping up across the United States and across the globe, with Sydney recently announcing plans for a second studio. While some aspects of international filmmaking are out WA's control — the rise and fall in the dollar, and Donald Trump's tariffs have added another element of uncertainty — Avison believed the studio would overcome distance by offering a unique, high-quality experience. 'Filmmaking is complex and stressful, with tight deadlines and fixed budgets. So crews need to feel reassured they can do their jobs,' he said. 'We will create an environment that will not just get the job done but will allow filmmakers to flourish. 'We want them to be reassured that they don't have to worry about the basics, and they can put all their energy into their creativity.' While there is pressure on Avison and his team to lure the kind of bigger budget productions that will brush aside the naysayers, he believes it will take time for the studio to build a reputation and drop into the field of view of the global film industry, like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. 'I come from an industry where studios have been there for 100 years,' Avison said. 'That is what we want to build — a facility that is not a flash in the pan something that will serve the local industry for generations to come. We will be ready in the first quarter of next year, but our eyes are also on the future.'
The Age
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up
It was always expected Western Australia's first purpose-built movie studio would be big. It's one of the reasons the state government decided to shift the $233 million screen facility from Victoria Quay in the heart of Fremantle to the southern edge of Whiteman Park in Perth's northern suburbs. But it is not until you get up close and personal to Perth Film Studios, as it has been rebranded, that you fully appreciate the size of the four state-of-the art boxes that in years to come will host large-scale Australian and international productions that will put our city on the filmmaking map — that is, if everything goes to plan. Taken aback by the size of the facility – in particular the sound stage in the most advanced stage of completion – the first question to Perth Film Studios' British-born chief executive Tom Avison must be: 'What level of production could it not accommodate?' 'Not many,' replied Avison, who was head-hunted from London to shepherd the studio into operation and help lure the kind of big-budget film and television productions for which it was designed. 'A James Bond movie or a Mission: Impossible might require something bigger. 'But for most things these four sound stages are comparable to facilities in the UK such as Pinewood, Leavesden or Sky Studio Elstree. 'They're plenty big enough for most of the movies and television series being shot around the world.' The facility boasts 19,232 square metres of production space — including 8361 square metres across four sound stages — and a backlot bigger than the playing field at Optus Stadium. Equally impressive is the overall quality of the build and various facilities that will be used to support the sound stages — production offices, dressing rooms, spaces for costumes and laundry. 'A movie studio is like a reef. It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between.' Perth Film Studios CEO Tom Avison And in Avison, the WA Labor government and Home Fire Creative Industries – the Perth company that won the much-publicised competition to build and operate the studio – have found a chief executive with recent experience opening a similar facility, Sky Studios Elstree, in London. Sky Studios was a baptism of fire for Avison in his role as director of operations, as the new studio's first production was Wicked, Universal's blockbuster musical that took over eight of the studio's 12 sound stages. 'We had just completed the build when Wicked moved in. Builders out on Friday, production in on Monday,' Avison said. 'It was a challenging time but very exciting and incredibly rewarding. 'It battle-hardens you and your staff and forces you to get up to the highest standards very quickly. 'When a film is green-lit it goes fast. The train is leaving the station and you have to climb on board.' It is doubtful that Perth Film Studios will kick off in the first quarter of next year with a production the size of Wicked. However, if Hollywood wants to shoot a mega-budget musical, or an action fantasy, or a series about the world overrun with the undead, then Avison and his team will be ready. 'We will have conversations with producers who have the biggest projects to those with the smallest,' Avison said. 'And the studio will be a fantastic option for local and national projects. 'A good example are the two recent television series that were filmed in Perth, Ghosts and The Postcard Bandit. We want the Perth Film Studios to become the hub for the Western Australian screen industry.' Avison says that he was lured away from his big job in one of the world centres of film and television production because of the excitement around the WA film industry and the support of the state government, which is backing its investment in the studio with an array of incentives to ensure it doesn't become a 'white elephant'. 'There is an industry here that has been growing organically and successfully and a government that is supporting it,' Avison said. 'And when you factor in organisations like ScreenWest and the crew of highly skilled freelancers you feel that Western Australia is on the cusp of something great. I wanted to be a part of that.' Avison said there was also the understanding that it was not enough to just build a studio: 'You need to build an industry to support it.' Ever since the movie studio was announced by then-premier Mark McGowan during the 2021 state election in a starry press event at Victoria Quay with local stars such as Tim Minchin, Kate Walsh and Ben Elton, the industry has been debating the issue of whether Perth is ready for a movie industry. There are arguments that WA's industry is not mature enough to service a movie studio, and that most of the talent will have to be imported, raising costs and make it less attractive to American studios and other production entities around the globe. Loading Avison disagrees that WA is putting the cart before the horse. 'A movie studio is like a reef,' he said. 'It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between. 'In the past productions have come here to take advantage of the wonderful locations then go somewhere else for the studio component. They will now be able to do everything here.' He also sees potential for crews returning if they have a good experience in Perth, giving the example of a series production, which could take months. 'That means that the various services that support a production are assured of long-term work,' he said. 'All of this occurs because at the centre of the ecosystem is a movie studio.' The other big challenge is distance. Perth is, as we hear ad nauseum, the most isolated capital city in the world. Loading So, will the production entities in the United States, Europe and, to a lesser extent, Asia be willing to send their projects across multiple time zones to do what could be done on their respective home territories? Adding to the challenge is that, since the rise of streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix and Apple, screen facilities have been popping up across the United States and across the globe, with Sydney recently announcing plans for a second studio. While some aspects of international filmmaking are out WA's control — the rise and fall in the dollar, and Donald Trump's tariffs have added another element of uncertainty — Avison believed the studio would overcome distance by offering a unique, high-quality experience. 'Filmmaking is complex and stressful, with tight deadlines and fixed budgets. So crews need to feel reassured they can do their jobs,' he said. 'We will create an environment that will not just get the job done but will allow filmmakers to flourish. 'We want them to be reassured that they don't have to worry about the basics, and they can put all their energy into their creativity.' While there is pressure on Avison and his team to lure the kind of bigger budget productions that will brush aside the naysayers, he believes it will take time for the studio to build a reputation and drop into the field of view of the global film industry, like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. 'I come from an industry where studios have been there for 100 years,' Avison said. 'That is what we want to build — a facility that is not a flash in the pan something that will serve the local industry for generations to come. We will be ready in the first quarter of next year, but our eyes are also on the future.'
Bloomberg
31-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Southern Water Brings Pound Debt Market's Biggest Deal of Year
UK utility Southern Water Ltd. is selling the biggest sterling corporate bond in nearly 18 months as it seeks to shore up its finances. The company is raising £750 million ($993 million) of seven-year senior secured notes, according to a person with knowledge of the sale, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. It's the biggest deal in the currency from a non-financial borrower since UK film studio Pinewood priced a same-sized deal in March 2024, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Time Out
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' filming locations: how Marvel's retro-futuristic 1960s was created
The 37th entry in the MCU, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in a world of its own – in every sense. The movie's Earth-828 is a planet set in another corner of the multiverse from the rest of the Marvelverse. Here, comic-book legends Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's 1961 creation the Fantastic Four comes back to action-packed life courtesy of WandaVision director Matt Shakman and his ridiculously charismatic everything you need to know about how – and where – the film's Mad Men -meets- The-Incredibles version of 1960s New York came together. What happens in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? A tale of space travel, scientific discovery, intergalactic peril and motherhood, First Steps (re)introduces audiences to Kirby and Lee's cosmically superpowered First Family: team leader Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal); world leader Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby); stompy rock man Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach); and boyish singleton Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn). The quartet, zapped by cosmic rays on an earlier space voyage, are all that stands between humanity and Ralph Ineson's perpetually peckish planet devourer Galactus literally eating the Earth. Presaging this fate is the Surfer Surfer (Julia Garner), Galactus's herald in a scene in Times Square. Where was The Fantastic Four: First Steps filmed? Legendary industrial designer Syd Mead once called science fiction 'reality ahead of schedule'. The 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner contributor was a key influence on Shakman and production designer Kasra Farahani's gleaming retro-futurist vision – and his definition of sci-fi sums up The Fantastic Four: First Steps perfectly. This 'Kirby meets Kubrick' aesthetic of an alternative 1964 New York is full of flying cars, light-speed space ships and zippy monorails, a reality we're still awaiting. Thanks to technology we do have – cutting-edge VFX and set design – this alternative metropolis came together 5000 miles away from the real Big Apple. Here's how they did it. The movie's alternative New York was created at Pinewood Studios, UK After filming most of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* in the US, the MCU was back in its adopted homeland of England for First Steps. A big chunk of the 85-day shoot was filmed at Pinewood Studios outside of London, kicking off in late July 2024. The vast majority of the movie's '60s New York locations – Yancy Street in the Lower East Side, Times Square, Reed Richards' lab in the Baxter Building – were created via 30 sets across eight sound stages on Pinewood's two backlots. The alternative 1960s Times Square backdrops several key scenes in the movie, including the Silver Surfer's doom-laden first oratory. Julia Garner gave the speech on a Pinewood tower in a Pinewood backlot. 'The combination between the set design, the scale of the set, and also just shooting in Pinewood was really magical,' she tells Thought Catalog. Real 1960s premises, including Horn & Hardart, Whelan's, Leighton's, RKO Palace, Embassy Theatre and Forum Cinema, were recreated on a set that was 22 percent smaller than the real-life locale. Another key New York location recreated at Pinewood is the fictional Yancy Street (above), a riff on the real Lower East Side thoroughfare of Delancey Street where Kirby grew up. 'We wanted Yancy Street to feel like part of the normal world, not the futuristic one,' says set decorator Jille Azis. 'When Ben Grimm visits, it feels like home – a place to escape the stress and reconnect with the past.' The set had been used in Deadpool & Wolverine and was repurposed and redressed for First Steps. Reed Richards' lab was filmed on Pinewood's S Stage Reed Richard's Baxter Building lab was a set built on Pinewood's S Stage, recently used in Black Mirror, Warfare and Andor, while the Reeds' penthouse was built across the studio on W Stage. Look out for colour-coding to demark the different areas of Mr Fantastic's workspace: red for his hands-on tasks like robotics; yellow for brainstorming; and blue for mission control. Modernist architects like Eero Saarinen and Oscar Niemeyer helped inform the tower's stylish futurist aesthetic. 'It was in a penthouse of a high-rise in Manhattan,' says production designer Farahani, 'so we drew a lot of inspiration from single-family-home mid-century architecture, especially from the West Coast.' Mole Man's Subterranea base was created inside Middleton Mine, Derbyshire In First Steps, cult Marvel antagonist Mole Man lives below ground with his acolytes, the Moloids. Played by Richard Jewell and Black Bird 's Paul Walter Hauser, he's an enjoyably ambivalent presence: borderline besotted with Sue Storm but generally done with everyone else's shit. His realm, Subterranea, was constructed in the spectacular lead and limestone mine in England's Peak District.A 725-foot section of the 32 miles of mines was dressed to reflect this strange community of below-grounders, with pipes and other weathered industrial fittings added and a bus shipped in as Mole Man's HQ. Middleton Mine is firmly on the Hollywood map these days: it was also used for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning 's climactic scenes. Baxter Building interiors were filmed at Palacio de Congresos de Oviedo, Spain The Asturias city of Oviedo is the latest Spanish location to feature in the Marvelverse, following Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Eternals and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Over four days in The Palacio de Congresos, a futuristic 2011 building designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava, was used for scenes set in the lobby of the Baxter Building and the assembly hall of the Future Foundation, Sue Storm's UN-like institute. The real New York was used for the CG backdrops Of course, you can't recreate the entirety of the Big Apple on a Buckinghamshire backlot, and photography of the real New York was shot for VFX plates. And one location that doesn't feature… Lulworth Cove, Dorset The natural limestone arch on England's south coast – one of the UK's most recognisable beauty spots and a filming location for Nanny McPhee, Wilde and the Carey Mulligan Far From The Madding Crowd – was closed, along with surrounding beaches, for filming for two days in June 2023. Thwarted tourists will be frustrated to discover that the scene – which involved Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm – doesn't feature in the finished movie.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pinewood to acquire southern Africa business from Motify Group for £2.5m
Pinewood Technologies Group PLC has announced a move to strengthen its footprint in Southern Africa, revealing plans to acquire key assets of the Pinewood Dealer Management System business from entities within the Motify Group (referred to collectively as "PWSA") for £2.5 million in cash. The acquisition follows Pinewood's transformation into an independent entity in 2024, after its parent company Pendragon PLC sold its UK Motor and Leasing divisions to Lithia Motors Inc. Earlier this year, Pinewood also acquired Seez, an automotive AI and machine learning SaaS platform, further expanding its technology offerings. The transaction, which is expected to complete on 1 August 2025, will see Pinewood acquire customer contracts and associated assets via its wholly owned South African subsidiary. The acquisition will allow the company's global software platform, to take full control of its sales and customer service functions across the Southern African market. 'We are thrilled to be bringing PWSA fully into the Group,' said Bill Berman, CEO of Pinewood Technologies. He added that the move aligns with the company's long-term strategy to expand global operations, particularly in key international markets such as Southern Africa, Asia Pacific, and Northern & Central Europe. PWSA has been operating in the region since 2009, during which it has built a strong network of around 300 dealer partnerships and over 30 OEM partnerships across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, and Mauritius. will assume these contracts upon completion of the deal and will also onboard a number of PWSA employees to ensure continued 'high levels of service and support' for its customers. The deal is expected to deliver immediate commercial benefits, adding between £0.5 million and £0.7 million in incremental annual EBITDA. 'This acquisition will enhance our Go-to-Market capabilities and deepen our customer relationships in an important growth market,' Berman noted, adding that Pinewood's customer base in the region has expanded significantly across multiple franchise partners in recent years. Pinewood Technologies Group serves customers in over 20 countries, supporting a global client base through partnerships with more than 50 OEM brands. "Pinewood to acquire southern Africa business from Motify Group for £2.5m" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
