Significant seven: Film producers
Over the next few days, we are publishing highlights from this year’s Mumbrella Annual.
1. Emile Sherman
Sherman’s best picture Oscar for The King’s Speech, his director’s role at content finance firm Fulcrum Media Finance, and Oranges and Sunshine, proves he’s one of the smartest businessmen in the screen industry by connecting funds with talent. In 2012 he’ll produce Dead Europe and Jane Campion’s Top of the Lake TV series.
2. Nelson Woss
Woss sought in-kind support from the lucrative mining industry whose history was intrinsically linked to the feel good story of Red Dog. He turned his grassroots marketing efforts to dog trials, vets and animal shelters and used word-of-mouth to help make the film the Australian smash hit that it’s proved to be this year.
3. Tony Ayres
Adopting the American term ‘showrunner’, Tony Ayres was the key producer, the go-to-man to oversee ABC1’s The Slap in its entirety, also directing and writing episodes for acclaimed production company Matchbox Pictures.
4. Des Monaghan
Monaghan with Screentime partner Bob Campbell brought a touch of HBO to local TV with Underbelly: Razor, the charming Cloudstreet for Showcase and courtroom romp Crownies.
5. Julian Harvey and Enzo Tedeschi
Harvey and Tedeschi’s business model for The Tunnel involved crowd-sourced funding and international marketing and distribution through the file-sharing BitTorrent. They changed the model – and the film was scary too.
6. John Edwards
With five productions on the box in 2011 – Spirited, Offspring, Rush, Tangle and Paper Giants – Edwards reinforced his bankable, commercial sensibility for Aussie TV.
7. Caroline David
To execute The Ship Song Project required David to negotiate rockstars’ diaries and Opera House schedules to create a homage to the icon that wouldn’t feel hokey. She produced the perfect blend of art and commerce.
This list first appeared in the Mumbrella Annual, which is currently on sale priced at $10 for access to the digital edition or $20 for both print and digital access.- Both can be ordered through Realview, via this link
