With more than 150 Australian film industry professionals currently working in Fiji on Anaconda 2: The Black Orchid, a Fijian delegation is currently in Sydney to promote closer filmmaking ties between the two countries.
Legal and marketing manager of the Fiji Audio Visual Commission Wayne Covell is in Australia this week investigating the possibility of establish a co-production treaty with Australia and will meet with the Australian Film Commission and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
As Fiji lacks Australia's filmmaking infrastructure, Covell said he hoped the Australian Government would recognise the benefits of establishing an official co-production treaty where Australians would receive benefits from runaway projects attracted to Fiji.
"I think Australia should be more like Canada, which has many treaties and has snared most of the US' runaway production," Covell told Encore
"Production in Fiji is not competition for Australia but complements it," he said. "It's all about locations in Fiji, but we will never match Australia's expertise and filmmaking skills. With the Australian and New Zealand industries doing it a bit tough, we believe Australian crew would benefit by working on Fijian projects."
Covell said Anaconda 2: The Black Orchid, which is filming in Fiji from August to November, proved the point. The US feature has placed Australian crew in all key departments.
"Aside from the producer (Verna Harrah), executive producer (Jacobus Rose) and director (Dwight Little), all the heads of departments are Australian," he said. "Visual effects, set design, costuming, editing, even the animal handlers are Australian."
Australian companies involved in the snake thriller include visual effects company photon VFX, editing company Spectrum Films, equipment hire company Cameraquip, freight company Showfilm, film laboratory Atlab, casting company Maura Fay Group and Kodak Australia.
Giant snake animatronics are being handled by creature supervisor Steve Rosewell and a team from Sydney's Studio Kite.
Adding to the local contingent is an Australian camera crew headed by DOP Steve Windon and location manager Mike McLean.
"Fiji promotes great locations but also promotes excellent Australian services," Covell said.
He said the last runaway project in Fiji was the Tom Hanks feature Castaway, which brought an entirely US crew to the Pacific location. Covell said it would be much better for the Australian industry to have its crews working on Fijian projects rather than US crews.
"Sourcing talent from Australia is more cost efficient for US producers as Australia is so much closer to Fiji than America," Covell added.
