Queensland's post-production businesses are attracting a high volume of work from local, national and international producers with the support of Screen Queensland's Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Incentive.
In the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, the state screen agency has already approved post-production funding for six films and series across seven local businesses, including Chop Shop Post, Pixel Zoo and Serve Chilled.
Combined, these projects will generate an estimated $7.8 million for the state's economy and support approximately 146 high-tech employment opportunities while underpinning local small-to-medium business growth.
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney said that enhancing the PDV Incentive in 2021 to 15 per cent and revising the threshold to a minimum of $250,000 has equipped Queensland-based businesses in the lucrative post-production sector with a commercially competitive edge.
"Queensland has a remarkable talent pool for intricate, highly technical post-production work, particularly across sound, picture, music and visual FX. We also have incredible, award-winning animation companies that are supported through the incentive, including Like A Photon Creative, Ludo Studio, and Fade In Media who recently returned to the sunshine state from the US.
"Our PDV Incentive has enabled our local businesses to secure work on significant projects filmed here including Nautilus and Mortal Kombat 2, as well as interstate and overseas projects like Last King of the Cross and Yu Yu Hakusho," said Ms Feeney.
"Investing in a thriving post-production industry ensures that our homegrown films and series can access internationally renowned services right here on their doorstep, and that there are opportunities for collaboration and innovation across the state's screen sector."
This latest slate announcement from Screen Queensland follows a strong period of growth for Queensland post-production in 2023-24, with an increase of 40 per cent in the number of projects supported by the PDV Incentive, while local expenditure more than doubled.
Since the PDV Incentive was expanded in 2021, post-production expenditure from local, interstate and international producers has grown from $38.5 million to more than $69 million-an increase of almost 80 percent-with more projects going to an increasingly larger cohort of providers.
This momentum has in turn propelled new industry jobs, seen companies like Alt.VFX recognised at the 2024 Queensland Premier's Trade Export Awards, and attracted businesses to the state including Rising Sun Pictures, Fatbelly VFX and Fin Digital + Effects.
Takeshi Takada, Alt Group's Founder and Executive Producer, said that funding from Screen Queensland has been impactful for the Brisbane-based company.
"The strategic backing provided by Screen Queensland's PDV incentive has played a crucial role in our global success in recent years, enabling us to bring major projects like Amazon's FOE and Netflix APAC's Yu Yu Hakusho to Queensland," said Mr Takada.
"As a proudly Queensland-owned and Australian company, we are particularly pleased to see the continued backing of local companies through these incentives.
"These incentives are crucial not only for keeping us competitive on both national and global levels but also for allowing us to create jobs and nurture young talent, building a sustainable industry for the future."
The high standard of work from Queensland post-production practitioners is also putting the state on the map with Chris McClintock, VFX Producer on The Fall Guy noting that Rising Sun Pictures' Queensland team were an essential partner on Universal Studios' action comedy film.
"The scope was complex and Rising Sun Pictures delivered on the challenge-their quality of work brought the film to another level. The talent at the Queensland facility as well as their technology are key factors that make them industry leaders and the local incentives were a main reason that we were able to engage Rising Sun Pictures on this project."
To help keep pace with ever-increasing demand, Screen Queensland is supporting local post-production houses such as Cutting Edge, The Post Lounge and The Rebel Fleet to establish or expand their Gold Coast operations through the recently announced $5 million Capital Grants Program.
This initiative is providing matched funding of up to $750,000 to 12 small-to-medium screen businesses, assisting the sector to maximise opportunities as Queensland's global reputation as a production destination of choice continues to rise.
