It was only a few years ago—or at least it feels like it—when the US press kicked up a nationalist fervour over the fact that a huge swath of American television and film production was being done in Canada (masquerading as various American cities from New York to No Name [North] American metropolis).
Perhaps it was because it was viewed as treachery by Our Friends in the North, or an example of the platinum level of NAFTA (bonus perk: your greenback goes further here!!!), but the loss of US media to Canadian locales, spurred on a slight boom amongst US cities and states to entice productions to film in their own backyard.
Although it didn’t receive as much press as Canada, Australia also received an influx of productions courtesy of the Australian dollar’s weakness against the American. The scale of production was so much that it spawned a theme park.
Within Australia, the film production centred not around Sydney & New South Wales, but Queensland (think California’s industry and size with Floridian government, taxes, and mindset) and Victoria (the traditional home of Australian media). So when New South Wales managed to get a piece of the action, it was quite the coup.
But now the Australian dollar is strong, super strong, and the media conglomerates are haemorrhaging big time, and a strong Australian dollar isn’t in their cards.
While it is great that US film and television production crews are going to benefit (bizarrely) from the GFC, do spare a thought for NSW’s film and television industry.
And for certain bloggers on certain corners of the internet who would’ve appreciated seeing Ryan Reynolds caper about.
Oh well, we’ll make do with the third series of Underbelly.
1 comment:
the vagaries of capitalism.
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