Australian actors, producers, writers, directors and crew members have slammed the Federal Government’s decision to deny access to the JobKeeper wage subsidy to freelancers and other casual workers.
Meanwhile already stressed exhibitors are worried about having to cash flow payments to workers until they are reimbursed by the government, so some of their staff will miss out and have to claim the JobSeeker payment.
The legislation was passed by the Senate late last night after amendments by Labour and the Greens to provide a support package for the arts and entertainment sector, most of whose workers are ineligible, were defeated.
The Meaa said tens of thousands of freelance and casual performers and crew – and many of their employers – will not get the $1,500 per fortnight wage subsidy.
“Freelance employees and many loyal casuals will – without urgent changes to the JobKeeper rules, be at least $200 a week worse off. For those...
Meanwhile already stressed exhibitors are worried about having to cash flow payments to workers until they are reimbursed by the government, so some of their staff will miss out and have to claim the JobSeeker payment.
The legislation was passed by the Senate late last night after amendments by Labour and the Greens to provide a support package for the arts and entertainment sector, most of whose workers are ineligible, were defeated.
The Meaa said tens of thousands of freelance and casual performers and crew – and many of their employers – will not get the $1,500 per fortnight wage subsidy.
“Freelance employees and many loyal casuals will – without urgent changes to the JobKeeper rules, be at least $200 a week worse off. For those...
- 4/9/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Tony Briggs on the set of his short ‘Elders.’
After Tony Briggs spent a year playing Pete Baxter in Neighbours, his screen debut, he discovered the producers had debated whether to identify his character as Indigenous.
He was not aware of those discussions and was very pleased when he found out another actor on the serial had advised the producers that wasn’t necessary.
That was in 1988. Since then he has played numerous characters whose nationality was not mentioned in Rosehaven, Rake, Cleverman, The Warriors (which he co-created with Robert Connolly), Seven Types of Ambiguity, Nowhere Boys and Wentworth, alternating with multiple stage roles.
The creator of The Sapphires is serving as the artistic director of the inaugural Birrarangga Film Festival, a celebration of Indigenous filmmakers from around the world, which will be staged at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image from April 26 – 29.
He is gratified to see more...
After Tony Briggs spent a year playing Pete Baxter in Neighbours, his screen debut, he discovered the producers had debated whether to identify his character as Indigenous.
He was not aware of those discussions and was very pleased when he found out another actor on the serial had advised the producers that wasn’t necessary.
That was in 1988. Since then he has played numerous characters whose nationality was not mentioned in Rosehaven, Rake, Cleverman, The Warriors (which he co-created with Robert Connolly), Seven Types of Ambiguity, Nowhere Boys and Wentworth, alternating with multiple stage roles.
The creator of The Sapphires is serving as the artistic director of the inaugural Birrarangga Film Festival, a celebration of Indigenous filmmakers from around the world, which will be staged at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image from April 26 – 29.
He is gratified to see more...
- 3/28/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Production is under way on “The Whistleblower,” one of the biggest Australian-Chinese co-production movies ever made. The film is a thriller about a Chinese expatriate who discovers a conspiracy at the firm he is working for.
The film is directed by Chinese woman director Xue Xiaolu, who achieved a critical breakthrough in 2010 by putting Jet Li in a drama role in “Ocean Heaven.”She achieved commercial success with 2013 romance “Finding Mr Right.”
The cast is headed by Lei Jiayin (“Guns and Roses”) and “Lust, Caution” and “Finding Mr Right” star Tang Wei, with Xi Qi and John Batchelor (“Red Dog”). Dialog is in Mandarin and English.
The official co-production film has a gross budget of some $39 (A$55 million) before rebates and incentives. At least $28.5 million (A$40 million) is being spent in the state of Victoria, where the Dockyards Studios are being used. Filming continues through October.
Production is by Australia-Chinese joint venture company Perfect Village,...
The film is directed by Chinese woman director Xue Xiaolu, who achieved a critical breakthrough in 2010 by putting Jet Li in a drama role in “Ocean Heaven.”She achieved commercial success with 2013 romance “Finding Mr Right.”
The cast is headed by Lei Jiayin (“Guns and Roses”) and “Lust, Caution” and “Finding Mr Right” star Tang Wei, with Xi Qi and John Batchelor (“Red Dog”). Dialog is in Mandarin and English.
The official co-production film has a gross budget of some $39 (A$55 million) before rebates and incentives. At least $28.5 million (A$40 million) is being spent in the state of Victoria, where the Dockyards Studios are being used. Filming continues through October.
Production is by Australia-Chinese joint venture company Perfect Village,...
- 9/27/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
More than 80 actors, 15 writers and 50 crew members have agreed to participate in Project One Shot, an innovative short film that will be filmed in one single take on the Gold Coast on September 3.
As well as contributing their time and services, most have agreed to each donate $100 to fund the project, the brainchild of experienced assistant director Darwin Brooks.
Brooks will direct and produce the short as a single 15-minute Steadicam shot which will follow actors Ian Stenlake and John Batchelor, both Sea Patrol alumni, as they thread their way through 30 interconnecting mini scenes, linked to one overall, comedic story, at Sanctuary Cove. There will be no pick-ups.
Among the other on-camera talent involved will be Brisbane Channel 7 presenter Liz Cantor, Joss Mcwilliam (Water Rats, Flying Doctors) and last year.s Big Brother housemate Ben Zabel,
Cast and crew will be required to rehearse many times with and without the...
As well as contributing their time and services, most have agreed to each donate $100 to fund the project, the brainchild of experienced assistant director Darwin Brooks.
Brooks will direct and produce the short as a single 15-minute Steadicam shot which will follow actors Ian Stenlake and John Batchelor, both Sea Patrol alumni, as they thread their way through 30 interconnecting mini scenes, linked to one overall, comedic story, at Sanctuary Cove. There will be no pick-ups.
Among the other on-camera talent involved will be Brisbane Channel 7 presenter Liz Cantor, Joss Mcwilliam (Water Rats, Flying Doctors) and last year.s Big Brother housemate Ben Zabel,
Cast and crew will be required to rehearse many times with and without the...
- 8/10/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
The exodus of actors from International Casting Services (Ics) continues as the agency founded 52 years ago by the late Gloria Payten prepares to shut its doors.
This week Cameron.s Management announced David Roberts and Jennifer Hagan had joined its agency after earlier signing Drew Forsythe.
Lisa Mann Creative Management (Lmcm) confirmed it is now representing former Ics clients Alycia Debnam-Carey, Christie Whelan Browne, Sophie Ross and Justin Cotta.
Linsten Morris Management has signed Dee Smart and her daughter Charlie Hancock.
Melina McKenna, who was a senior agent at Ics, joined Lmcm on June 4, and Martin Sacks, Kris McQuade, Helen Dallimore, Erica Lovell, Jo Turner, Nick Simpson-Deeks, Edmund Lembke-Hogan, Kip Gamblin and Nathan O.Keefe crossed from Ics to Lmcm.
As If reported previously, Rachel Blake, John Batchelor and Tony Martin subsequently joined Rgm, John Waters signed with Marquee and Debra Lawrance went to Creative Representation.
After McKenna departed Pauline Lee,...
This week Cameron.s Management announced David Roberts and Jennifer Hagan had joined its agency after earlier signing Drew Forsythe.
Lisa Mann Creative Management (Lmcm) confirmed it is now representing former Ics clients Alycia Debnam-Carey, Christie Whelan Browne, Sophie Ross and Justin Cotta.
Linsten Morris Management has signed Dee Smart and her daughter Charlie Hancock.
Melina McKenna, who was a senior agent at Ics, joined Lmcm on June 4, and Martin Sacks, Kris McQuade, Helen Dallimore, Erica Lovell, Jo Turner, Nick Simpson-Deeks, Edmund Lembke-Hogan, Kip Gamblin and Nathan O.Keefe crossed from Ics to Lmcm.
As If reported previously, Rachel Blake, John Batchelor and Tony Martin subsequently joined Rgm, John Waters signed with Marquee and Debra Lawrance went to Creative Representation.
After McKenna departed Pauline Lee,...
- 7/4/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
As talent agency International Casting Services (Ics) prepares to shut its doors after 52 years, many of the actors it has represented have found new homes,
Former Ics clients Martin Sacks, Kris McQuade, Helen Dallimore, Erica Lovell, Jo Turner, Nick Simpson-Deeks, Edmund Lembke-Hogan, Kip Gamblin and Nathan O.Keefe have all crossed to Lisa Mann Creative Management (Lmcm).
Rachel Blake and Tony Martin have joined Rgm, John Waters signed with Marquee and Debra Lawrance has gone to Creative Representation. As If reported previously, Abe Forsythe signed with United Management and John Batchelor moved to Rgm. Some other Ics clients have told industry colleagues they have yet to decide what to do.
nm2942148 autoMelina McKenna[/link], who was a senior agent at Ics, joined Lmcm on June 4. There are differing accounts of the circumstances leading to the decision to close Ics. Lisa Mann told If on May 24, .When Melina was offered senior agent...
Former Ics clients Martin Sacks, Kris McQuade, Helen Dallimore, Erica Lovell, Jo Turner, Nick Simpson-Deeks, Edmund Lembke-Hogan, Kip Gamblin and Nathan O.Keefe have all crossed to Lisa Mann Creative Management (Lmcm).
Rachel Blake and Tony Martin have joined Rgm, John Waters signed with Marquee and Debra Lawrance has gone to Creative Representation. As If reported previously, Abe Forsythe signed with United Management and John Batchelor moved to Rgm. Some other Ics clients have told industry colleagues they have yet to decide what to do.
nm2942148 autoMelina McKenna[/link], who was a senior agent at Ics, joined Lmcm on June 4. There are differing accounts of the circumstances leading to the decision to close Ics. Lisa Mann told If on May 24, .When Melina was offered senior agent...
- 6/4/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
At least two actors formerly represented by International Casting Services (Ics), the talent agency that is closing down after 52 years, have signed with other agents.
It.s expected that a number of other actors on Ics.s books will cross to Lisa Mann Creative Management (Lmcm), a process which will play out over the next week.
nm2942148 autoMelina McKenna[/link], a senior agent at Ics, is joining Lmcm on June 4. The decision to close Ics was sparked by the retirement of veteran agent Pauline Lee, If believes.
Lisa Mann told If that the question of which Ics actors would transfer to her agency is still in discussion. She said, .When Melina was offered senior agent position here at Lmcm we had no way of knowing that Ics.s doors were about to close, so the shock was as great to us as it was to her, the industry at large and...
It.s expected that a number of other actors on Ics.s books will cross to Lisa Mann Creative Management (Lmcm), a process which will play out over the next week.
nm2942148 autoMelina McKenna[/link], a senior agent at Ics, is joining Lmcm on June 4. The decision to close Ics was sparked by the retirement of veteran agent Pauline Lee, If believes.
Lisa Mann told If that the question of which Ics actors would transfer to her agency is still in discussion. She said, .When Melina was offered senior agent position here at Lmcm we had no way of knowing that Ics.s doors were about to close, so the shock was as great to us as it was to her, the industry at large and...
- 5/24/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Home and Away star Georgie Parker has tipped her character Roo Stewart to get a happy ending with partner Harvey Ryan, despite a variety of dramas in the build-up to their upcoming wedding. Viewers in Australia will soon see Roo tie the knot with Harvey (Marcus Graham), following days of uncertainty as to whether the ceremony will actually go ahead. Roo gets cold feet in the lead-up to the big day, fearing that Harvey isn't taking their nuptials seriously enough. When she later spots Harvey losing his temper in a trivial row with best man Winston (John Batchelor), Roo decides to call off the wedding as she worries that her fiancé could have a nasty side. However, Winston later saves the day by encouraging her to see sense. Parker told TV Week: "Roo starts to get cold feet at this point. She accuses Harvey of not being the man she...
- 11/19/2012
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
The Queensland screenwriters who contributed to surprise international hit film Bait 3D and local horror film Acolytes have taking their first step toward producing their own work with the upcoming release of short film Huge.
The dark satire.has been released under Shayne Armstrong and S.P. Krause.s new production company, Rarer Monsters (which also includes producers Charles Mitchell and Lachlan Madsen) and the duo plan to begin production on their first feature-film, a supernatural-horror feature titled The Contents in 2013.
.Writing and making Huge came about from a combination of the impatience of waiting about for other people to bring our next script to the screen and a dissatisfaction of seeing our scripts sometimes damaged in development and production,. Krause said in a statement. .By taking more control of writing, directing and producing the short, we had something shot in months instead of years. And of course if anything is less than we hoped,...
The dark satire.has been released under Shayne Armstrong and S.P. Krause.s new production company, Rarer Monsters (which also includes producers Charles Mitchell and Lachlan Madsen) and the duo plan to begin production on their first feature-film, a supernatural-horror feature titled The Contents in 2013.
.Writing and making Huge came about from a combination of the impatience of waiting about for other people to bring our next script to the screen and a dissatisfaction of seeing our scripts sometimes damaged in development and production,. Krause said in a statement. .By taking more control of writing, directing and producing the short, we had something shot in months instead of years. And of course if anything is less than we hoped,...
- 11/11/2012
- by Staff Reporter
- IF.com.au
The Queensland screenwriters behind surprise international hit film Bait 3D and local horror film Acolytes have taking their first step toward producing their own work with the upcoming release of short film Huge.
The dark satire.has been released under Shayne Armstrong and S.P.Krause.s new production company, Rarer Monsters (which also includes producers Charles Mitchell and Lachlan Madsen) and the duo plan to begin production on their first feature-film, a supernatural-horror feature titled The Contents in 2013.
.Writing and making Huge came about from a combination of the impatience of waiting about for other people to bring our next script to the screen and a dissatisfaction of seeing our scripts sometimes damaged in development and production,. Krause said in a statement. .By taking more control of writing, directing and producing the short, we had something shot in months instead of years. And of course if anything is less than we hoped,...
The dark satire.has been released under Shayne Armstrong and S.P.Krause.s new production company, Rarer Monsters (which also includes producers Charles Mitchell and Lachlan Madsen) and the duo plan to begin production on their first feature-film, a supernatural-horror feature titled The Contents in 2013.
.Writing and making Huge came about from a combination of the impatience of waiting about for other people to bring our next script to the screen and a dissatisfaction of seeing our scripts sometimes damaged in development and production,. Krause said in a statement. .By taking more control of writing, directing and producing the short, we had something shot in months instead of years. And of course if anything is less than we hoped,...
- 11/11/2012
- by Staff Reporter
- IF.com.au
Red Dog (2011) Kriv Stenders’ “Red Dog” is supposedly based on a true story, but rather you believe it or not, I don’t suppose it matters. The film itself is good enough on its own that I didn’t bother to doubt the story’s authenticity. What matters is that “Red Dog” is one heck of a loveable tale about a stray dog in 1970s Australia, that somehow ends up the communal pet for a disparate group of miners working at some faraway, isolated town that can’t even be called a proper town. The film features an ensemble cast, but if you were to demand I pinpoint a star, I’d say it’s American Josh Lucas (“The Lincoln Lawyer”) as a world traveler who becomes Red Dog’s master. Though for my money, it’s John Batchelor as the burly on the outside but secretly soft on the...
- 8/29/2012
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
We take a brief look at this week's Australian TV news.
Nine
The Great Mint Swindle
This new drama is based on the true story of Australia's most infamous (and still unsolved) gold heist, which took place at the Perth Mint. Starring Grant Bowler, Todd Lasance and Josh Quong Tart as the Mickelberg brothers, and Shane Bourne and John Batchelor as the main police... More >>...
Nine
The Great Mint Swindle
This new drama is based on the true story of Australia's most infamous (and still unsolved) gold heist, which took place at the Perth Mint. Starring Grant Bowler, Todd Lasance and Josh Quong Tart as the Mickelberg brothers, and Shane Bourne and John Batchelor as the main police... More >>...
- 3/9/2012
- by Corinne Reichert
- TV.com
Ratings for Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other hyperpartisans are declining as listeners seek honest talk from hosts like Michael Smerconish over angry rants. A more civil conversation will add value to our political debate, writes John Avlon.
There's new evidence to suggest a demand for something different than hyper-partisanship in the world of talk radio and political media.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Rush Limbaugh's TV Nemesis
It's not just the sunset of the Glenn Beck Show on Fox or the dispatch of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC to CurrentTV. It's the shuttering of a pioneering conservative radio station and data showing the demographic decline of Rush Limbaugh.
In contrast, growing numbers of listeners are tuning in to independent voices who can be honest brokers in debates and don't just angrily parrot talking points.
In February, I wrote a column asking whether right wing talk radio was dying...
There's new evidence to suggest a demand for something different than hyper-partisanship in the world of talk radio and political media.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Rush Limbaugh's TV Nemesis
It's not just the sunset of the Glenn Beck Show on Fox or the dispatch of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC to CurrentTV. It's the shuttering of a pioneering conservative radio station and data showing the demographic decline of Rush Limbaugh.
In contrast, growing numbers of listeners are tuning in to independent voices who can be honest brokers in debates and don't just angrily parrot talking points.
In February, I wrote a column asking whether right wing talk radio was dying...
- 5/13/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh are losing fans in a key market. John Avlon on why listeners and station managers are sick of anti-Obama tirades-and who bucks the trend.
Here's another sign that the tide might be turning against the Wingnuts-Glenn Beck's TV ratings are down 50 percent and major market radio stations are dropping him.
Related story on The Daily Beast: This Week's Must-Read Journalism
That's not all-a look at radio ratings shows that hyper-partisan talk has been declining or flat-lining between ‘09 and ‘10, despite the intensity of the election year. There's a demand for something different-smart, un-predictable, non-partisan news is gaining market share because it stands out from the pack. And leading industry analysts say there is a market for more independent voices.
"There are a lot of program directors whose radio ‘spider-sense' is tingling," says Randall Bloomquist, a long-time radio executive and president of Talk Frontier Media.
Here's another sign that the tide might be turning against the Wingnuts-Glenn Beck's TV ratings are down 50 percent and major market radio stations are dropping him.
Related story on The Daily Beast: This Week's Must-Read Journalism
That's not all-a look at radio ratings shows that hyper-partisan talk has been declining or flat-lining between ‘09 and ‘10, despite the intensity of the election year. There's a demand for something different-smart, un-predictable, non-partisan news is gaining market share because it stands out from the pack. And leading industry analysts say there is a market for more independent voices.
"There are a lot of program directors whose radio ‘spider-sense' is tingling," says Randall Bloomquist, a long-time radio executive and president of Talk Frontier Media.
- 2/9/2011
- by John Avlon
- The Daily Beast
This isn't going to make radio host John Batchelor very popular in certain police precincts of the right blogosphere, but I don't imagine he much cares, and why should he? They're symptomatic of the intellectual rot of the Republican right, battling each other inside a brown paper bag and making an inscrutable rattle.* Batchelor, whose Republican roots run generationally deep, recognizes that the party that exists today resembles Norman Bates' mother in the rocking chair: ...From Herbert Hoover to Robert Taft, from the Bush clan to the ridiculous Tom DeLay, not one note of grace, not a convincing moment of understanding that the Republican Party is about honest liberty for honest, laboring people—not about Wall Street, the tax code, chasing Reds, or bullying the lonely. Vigilant Democrats worry today that the Republican Party is only playing possum, or that it can be revived by extraordinary means such as a Martian invasion.
- 4/10/2009
- Vanity Fair
Speculation of a spinoff of ABC Radio from parent the Walt Disney Co. was renewed Tuesday after published reports said the unit could fetch more than $3 billion and that Disney executives were exploring the option. Two weeks ago a Merrill Lynch research note suggested that Disney would sell the unit, which consists of 71 radio stations and a network that syndicates such talk-radio talent as Larry Elder, Paul Harvey, Sean Hannity and John Batchelor along with programming from ESPN Radio. On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Disney might soon sell the unit, and that it might be readying a share buyback.
- 7/12/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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