The real reason Queensland fought so hard to steal Logie Awards from Melbourne
WHILE the hype of the Logies has been great for Gold Coast tourism, there’s another reason altogether why the state government was so keen to attract TV’s night of nights.
Entertainment
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A BOLD plan to convince TV producers to film in Queensland is the real reason the State Government fought so hard to bring the TV Week Logie Awards to the Gold Coast.
The city will roll out the red carpet to host the awards ceremony and live broadcast for the first time tomorrow as the biggest stars on the small screen celebrate the 60th anniversary of TV’s night of nights at The Star Gold Coast.
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While much has been made of the spin-off benefits the awards are expected to deliver the city’s tourism sector, poaching the prized event is a key component of the State Government’s bold long-term plan to entice more domestic TV productions to film in Queensland.
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Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira said the Logies’ move north from Melbourne mirrored the significant shift in the country’s screen landscape and gave the local industry a chance to showcase what it can offer industry powerbrokers and stakeholders.
“Sometimes it’s easier to get Hollywood more excited about filming in Queensland than it is to get the Sydney and Melbourne people excited about Queensland,” she said.
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“Production was entrenched in those places for so long.
“Bringing the Logies here is all part of creating an energy and excitement and showcasing our world class production here — and not just in film.
“Queensland is focused on television production, supporting local practitioners and attracting productions to build a flourishing local industry.”
The Logies are not only a magnet for the most famous faces on Australian TV — they are also a must-attend event for the country’s leading content creators.
With everyone from Endemol Shine and Stan to Foxtel, the ABC and Freemantle Media represented at the Logies this weekend, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is eager to strengthen and extend the Government’s relationships with key stakeholders.
“There could be no better time for the Logies to come to the Gold Coast,” she said.
“There’s a boom under way in productions for the small screen and tablet, and the Gold Coast is perfectly positioned to use its strength in big screen productions to take advantage of those opportunities.”
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Australian based subscription video-on-demand service Stan and Screen Queensland will team up to host a pre-Logies cocktail event at Nineteen at The Star this evening where Ms Palaszczuk is expected to announce a major collaboration between Stan and SQ.
Stars of Stan productions including Elsa Cocquerel, Tess Haubrich, Matt Day and John Jarratt (Wolf Creek); Dan Wyllie, Lachy Hulme and Julian Maroun (Romper Stomper), Vince Colosimo and Rachael Blake (The Second) will also attend, along with a huge rollcall of Logies guests including Tracey Grimshaw and Rodger Corser, Ryan Shelton, Hamish Blake, Tina Bursill, Erin Holland and Ben Cutting.
SQ will also oversee an industry-first Logies Industry Leader Event panel discussion around issues facing the Australian broadcast industry in The Star Theatre today as part of the awards weekend.
Mrs Vieira said today’s industry panel, to be chaired by Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner, would feature Stan’s chief content officer Nick Forward and ABC head of children’s content Michael Carrington.
“We are living in a world where content is global,” Mrs Vieira said.
“You don’t make a piece of content — whether it’s on youtube or for TV — and think your only audience is in Australia.
“I went down to Sydney on Monday to start those conversations and understand from the commercial broadcasters where their thinking is going in the next couple of years.
“The shift is moving to streaming and that means changes in what we watch on free to air and as an agency, we want to understand where that’s going.”
While the Coast is renowned as the home of international feature films in Australia, Mrs Vieira said only four of the 37 productions that shot in the state in 2016-17 were international.
Netflix chose the State for its first two stand-alone Australian commissions — Hoodlum’s Tidelands and Chris Lilley’s untitled comedy series — while the ABC series Harrow has received the green light for a second season.
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Harrow (most outstanding drama series) is one of several SQ-supported productions nominated for Logies this year alongside SBS’s Safe Harbour (outstanding miniseries or telemovie) and NITV’s Grace Beside Me (outstanding children’s program).
Tourism Minister Kate Jones, who will also attend tomorrow’s ceremony, said the Government was working hard to “leverage the Logies” and generate as much exposure for the Coast as possible.
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“This event is so much more than one night,” she said.
“Never before have we had so many of Australia’s television stars all in one place in Queensland. We’re using this opportunity to boost visitor numbers and support the local screen industry.”
Mayor Tom Tate, who will attend the Logies with Ruth Tate, and Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, who will step out with husband Bill Gates, are also expected to lobby production companies to bring more projects to the Coast.
Celebs will walk The Star’s Red Carpet from 4pm tomorrow ahead of a pre-function before the main TV Week Logies event begins at 7pm.
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