Opinion

Q&A with Tony Clark

Tony Clark

In a piece that first appeared in Encore, Tony Clark, co-founder and director of Rising Sun Pictures talks about how he could have been a wily sea captain if not for the lure of the film industry.

Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?

I’d say Rupert Murdoch; there’s no doubting how he and his organisation feel about life and politics in Australia, and how widely his reach extends.

What one medium could you not live without?

The interweb – it’s a series of tubes. It’s my main source of information on pretty much anything.

Your one guilty media pleasure?

Game of Thrones – legally downloaded on iTunes. Great viewing and a signpost for what quality drama can achieve on television.

The next big industry trend is…

Alternative distribution – you’re seeing this in the US with directors like David Fincher working directly with Netflix on House of Cards. People will pay for quality and it’s not confined to cinemas.

If you weren’t doing this for a living what would you be doing?

I’d be a wily sea captain, sailing between adventures on the Sea Spray.

Your best piece of career advice…

Work at something you love and marry someone independently wealthy just in case. Seriously though, film is a great career but you’ll need all the strength you can summon to carry you through the hard times.

If you could poach any one person, who would it be?

Zareh Nalbandian, co-founder and chief executive officer of Animal Logic. He’s got a vision and will go all the way to make it happen. I don’t think we can afford him though.

Would you recommend working in this industry to your kids?

It’s too late – my son is committed to being an actor. I was hoping he’d rebel and become a loss adjuster, but he’s got the bug. See “career advice” above.

What is your favourite Aussie ad?

South Australian Tourism Commission Let Yourself Go on Kangaroo Island, with a track by Eddie Vedder – one of Australia’s best holidays and this ad makes me want to be there.
Encore Issue 24
This story first appeared in the weekly edition of Encore available for iPad and Android tablets. Visit encore.com.au for a preview of the app or click below to download.

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