Canberra is taking a big step towards being on the map as a film industry destination with filming of international TV show, Austin, now underway.
Produced by one of Australia’s leading production companies, Northern Pictures, the comedy-drama is set to hit the screen on ABC TV and ABC iView next year.
Written and created by Darren Ashton, Ben Miller, Lloyd Woolf, Joe Tucker, Adam Zwar and Kala Ellis, the production features a star-studded English and Australian cast. Beloved British film and screen actors Ben Miller (Bridgerton) and Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Veep) take centre stage while Aussie favourites Gia Varides (Strictly Ballroom, My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and Roy Billing (Underbelly, Jack Irish) are first-grade support.
The lead role and title character, Austin, is played by break-out star of Love on the Spectrum, Michael Theo, taking on his first acting role.
Dr Holly Trueman, CEO of Screen Canberra says the production is practising accurate representation of having a neurodivergent person playing a neurodivergent character.
In the aftermath of a social media frenzy, children’s author Julian Hartswood’s career seems to be over, as is that of his illustrator and wife Ingrid. However, hope comes in the form of a new family member, Austin, Julian’s neurodivergent son he wasn’t aware he had. Will embracing this new family be the key to coming back from controversy? Julian plans to find out, but will soon discover Austin is no pushover.
Shooting for the eight-part comedy series is expected to take 28 days here in Canberra and another week in England. However, Dr Trueman says that crews have been in town for weeks preparing for shooting, boosting the local economy by wardrobe shopping in local retailers while local food trucks have been feeding the stars and crew.
“The ones who don’t live in Canberra are staying in hotels, there’s a huge flow-on benefit for the economy,” she says. “These large crews coming in, there’s all the accommodation, they will probably go shopping, I’m sure they’ll be off at the National Gallery on their days off.”
Looking at the long game, Dr Trueman says that having our beautiful city showcased on screens across the country and the world could also boost tourism.
“Once it finally gets onto screen as well, with Canberra so prominent, I think back to The Code, when it was on air you just thought ‘Gosh, Canberra looks so beautiful’,” she says. “You saw the shots at the ANU, the shots down at the lake and it inspires you to come here, and I hope we get the same from this show. It is an international show, it will be watched by people in England, hopefully, it will be watched by people around the world.”
Unsure of what Canberra landmarks will feature in the series, Dr Trueman says we will probably see our most iconic landmark – the Clem Cummings bus stops. If you were hoping to catch one of the actors on set, you’re out of luck; with such tight deadlines and taking Covid precautions, the set is a closed one.
“There are lots of measures in place to make sure they keep the stars healthy and able to complete their job,” she says.
However, you might be able to catch some of the stars as they go about their day on the street – some might be easier to spot than others.
“Michael will stand out to people if they see him wandering around, because he’s pretty obviously, Michael. The other actors can just sort of put on a hat and sort of disappear, but he stands out.”
“That’s all I think about when I think of Love on the Spectrum; I think of him putting his tie on and getting ready to find love,” smiles Dr Trueman.
According to Dr Trueman, the process has taken approximately two years and is supported by the ACT Government and Screen Canberra through the CBR Screen Attraction Fund and CBR Screen Investment Fund. The impact of having such a high-calibre production created here in Canberra brings the ACT one step closer to being a sought-after destination for those in the screen industry.
“Just even talking to other producers as soon as you say ‘We’ve been able to do this,’ people will say ‘Oh, there is crew around, there are ways to do it’. I think a lot of people think they have to bring everything in. We still have a lot of work to get all the infrastructure here – a sound stage would be what I hear the crew saying.
“It is a long game, but I think with something like Austin coming to Canberra, we can really step into this space and show the rest of the filmmaking community that things can be done here and Canberra can look different from what we see on Total Control,” she says.
Not just holding the door open for the industry, Dr Trueman says the local Canberra professionals are getting involved and showcasing what they can do. Right from the start, the stand-up Canberra crew has been at the helm, including line producer Shannon Wilson McClinton.
“Talking to the executive producer, they are like without that local knowledge, they just would not have been able to produce the show here. She’s the mother figure of the whole production and she has really helped get Canberra on screen and show all of our visitors here how wonderful it is to work and film in Canberra,” Dr Trueman smiles.
Catch Canberra soaking up the spotlight in Austin on ABC TV and ABC iView in 2024.
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