Griff the Invisible: birth of a superhero
Superheroes were the flavour of the decade that just ended, so it was about time Australia had its own. Griff the Invisible will prove that we can – and should – produce high concept projects.
At last year’s SPAA Conference, Packed to the Rafters creator Bevan Lee said local audiences were unable to believe high concept, fantasy or science fiction stories could happen in Australia, using HBO’s hit series True Blood as an example of a show that, had it been set here, would have made people say “What nonsense – vampires in Australia?’ and laughed off screen.
Well, writer/director Leon Ford, producer Nicole O’Donohue and actors Ryan Kwanten and Maeve Dermody strongly disagree. While it’s true that Australia does not have a tradition of producing high concept films or TV, if they’re not made, how will we know for sure?
“It’s an excuse, because you can say ‘well, we’re not going to do it’, and then you’ll never know. If you don’t make it and develop that tradition, we’ll be stuck with drama,” said Dermody.
When I made that comment re high concept projects and Australian production, I was talking specifically about television series. We actually had quite a tradition in this country, in the era of 10BA film production, of making high concept films, some of which worked at the box office, some not.
Mr Ford and Ms O’Donohue seem to be returning to those days with their project. Hopefully they’ll set the box office alight. See also “Daybreakers”, just successfully released in the US, that was made in Queensland by a talented pair of Aussie brothers.
But I still stand by my conclusion, drawn from observation over the years, that to make a high concept television sci-fi or fantasy television series in this country is a high risk venture, given the clear preference local audiences have shown for subjects and topics closer to their perceived reality.
However, were someone clever enough to come up with a show that reversed my perception, I would be delighted, my personal tastes tending to that style of piece. All my best to Mr Ford and Ms Donahue for the success of their project.