ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA — Rising Sun Pictures (rsp.com.au) responded to a boom in production with an expansion that included taking over space next to its main studio in Adelaide. The renovation included removing walls so staff could move freely from the existing studio to the new space. The 5000-plus-square-foot space was acquired to house additional staff and includes a cinema-style screening room, sound proofed meeting and review facilities, and workspace for up to 80 artists.
RSP is benefitting from Australia’s strong response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has allowed film and television production to resume in near normal conditions far ahead of other parts of the world. International production and post production work is also being drawn to the country by generous government incentives, which were expanded last year.
“Life is relatively normal here and that has enhanced Australia’s standing as a premium destination for filmmakers,” explains RSP managing director Tony Clark. “We are seeing an incredible uptick in filming activity, accompanied by increased demand for visual effects. With great projects booked for the year ahead, we are adding capacity and talent, while ensuring we adhere to safety protocols.”
RSP’s new space is designed to allow artists and others to work productively in a socially-distanced environment. The expansion includes the latest LG air conditioner and increased fresh air circulation to maintain a healthy workplace. Lighting has been designed for zero glare and with hot spot reduction to reduce eye fatigue.
The studio experienced only minor disruption during the initial lockdown, and has since gone on to deliver several large-scale projects, including more than 500 visual effects shots for the New Line Cinema feature, Mortal Kombat, which will be released on HBO Max and in cinemas in April.