AUGUST 2007
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31 August 2007
'Australia' on 'Getaway'
- Australians take note - There will be a television segment on Getaway regarding Bowen and the filming of Australia there on Channel 9 at 7:30pm on Thursday, 6 September 2007. I happened to be watching this week's programme and the segment was briefly advertised at the end of the show. I am sure it will be an entertaining report, and I would urge fellow Australians to tune in. For everyone else, I will aim to report on the segment here on my website shortly after it airs next week.
Kununurra Filming Continues
- Filming of Australia
in the Kununurra region began earlier this month, and Luhrmann has reportedly
indicated that filming in the region is going along well. However,
unfortunately, there has been hardly any media coverage. This is in stark
contrast to the extensive coverage we enjoyed during filming in Bowen and
Darwin. We can only hope that there may be more information released regarding
the Kununurra shoot in the weeks to come. However, in the meantime, there has
been a couple of interesting articles reported over the past couple of weeks:
Stars welcomed in the outback
Daily Telegraph, 19 August 2007
From
Sydney to Bowen, Darwin and now Kununurra, Aboriginal communities have been
welcoming Hollywood royalty. At Kununurra in West Australia, the Miriwoong and
Gajirrawoong communities conducted welcome to country ceremonies for the stars
of Baz Luhrmann's new epic Australia, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. As part of
the ceremony, Kidman and Jackman, along with Australia's cast and crew, were
told local stories, watched traditional dances and splashed with water from the
local river. Kidman said: "It was beautiful to receive the blessings. I felt
very honoured to be a part of this deeply spiritual land. The warmth and
kindness (they) are showing us is very much appreciated''. Production on the
film - described as an antipodean Gone With The Wind - began in Sydney in April.
The $100 million-plus 20th Century Fox action-adventure, set in Australia's arid
north before World War II, will open next year. Kidman plays Lady Sarah Ashley,
an English aristocrat left in charge of a huge cattle station. Jackman plays a
drover who helps move her cattle, under the threat of Darwin being bombed by the
Japanese. Luhrmann said outback filming was important to the film's integrity.
Set is
magnificent
Kimberley Echo, 16 August 2007
Filming
of the epic Baz Luhrmann production 'Australia' is proceeding both at Carlton
Hill Station and Digger's Rest. On Sunday, Mr Luhrmann said he had four days of
filming completed and the crew had been overwhelmed by the scenery. Businesses
around town have been kept flat out supplying the cast and crew with a plethora
of goods and services. Star Nicole Kidman flew to Sydney at the end of last
week, returning for this week's filming. Co-star Hugh Jackman has won plenty of
local fans as he mixes freely in Kununurra. Local indigenous people journeyed
out to the set to conduct a 'welcome to country' ceremony last week. Joining
Kidman and Jackman in the cast of the film is a who's who of Australian acting
talent including legends Ray Barrett, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson and Bill Hunter
who will feature alongside David Wenham, Ben Mendelsohn, John Jarrett, Kerry
Walker, Barry Otto, Matthew Whittet, Arthur Dignam, Bruce Spence, Tony Barry,
Sean Hall, Essie Davis, Eddie Baroo, Nathin Butler, Jacek Koman, Sandy Gore,
Yuen Wah [Kung Fu Hustle] from China and indigenous cast Lillian Crombie, Ursula
Yovich [Jindabyne], Angus Pilauki, Crusoe Kurrdal, Jamie Gulpilil, David
Ngoombujarra [Rabit Proof Fence, The Missing], David Gulpilil [Ten Canoes, The
Tracker, Rabbit Proof Fence] and 11-year-old Broome boy Brandon Walters, in his
feature film debut.
'Faraway Downs' Set Tour
- Last weekend around 100 lucky
people got a tour of 'Faraway Downs', which has been constructed at Carlton Hill
Station. The Kimberley Echo reported as follows:
Tour of
movie set
Kimberley Echo, 30 August 2007
Kununurra
Chamber of Commerce and Industry members and their families visited the 'Faraway
Downs' set on Carlton Hill Station on Sunday. The set is the fictitious
homestead in the epic Baz Luhrmann film 'Australia', starring Nicole Kidman and
Hugh Jackman. Location manager Phillip Roope took about 100 people on a tour
through the homestead grounds. The tour ended with refreshments at the film
company's dining area overlooking the Ord River. The crowd was amazed at the
attention to detail portrayed in the sets. The fake boab and fake dead cows were
a particular hit. There was also a magnificent collection of pre World War II
vehicles. Many were amazed that only 10 weeks ago the area was just a bare
plain. Chamber president Frank Rodriguez thanked the production on behalf of the
group. Mr Roope said the crew had enjoyed working in Kununurra and would leave
with very fond memories of the East Kimberley. The film will be internationally
released in December 2008 and should focus world attention on the East
Kimberley.
Nicole Kidman - "I love working with Baz"
- Nicole Kidman recently chatted to MTV and indicated that she agreed to do Australia "just based on the director". She said she loves working with Luhrmann, and they're "closer than ever". The following is an excerpt from the interview:
Nicole
Kidman Explores Sci-Fi (Excerpt)
MTV.com, 15 August 2007
"I will sign on to a movie, having not read the script, just based on the
director," Kidman said. "That's just the way I do it. Obviously, filmmaking is
all about the director. That's their medium. And the actor is just one of the
tools in the creation of the vision. You're in the hands of that person, so you
have to be careful who that is." That's why, she explained, she's currently
shooting the pre-World War II epic "Australia" — not because she couldn't resist
the lure of co-star Hugh Jackman (and really, who couldn't?), but because she
couldn't resist director Baz Luhrmann. "I did 'Moulin Rouge' with Bazzie,"
Kidman said, "and we're closer than ever. We've known each other for 15 years,
and I love working with him. I adore him and his wife, who does all the costumes
and production design. It's a family affair. And he's a genius, Baz. He's
inspired and unusual and a complete original." Plus it probably doesn't hurt
that Baz wrote the role — an English aristocrat who inherits a cattle ranch amid
terrestrial warfare and bombings — with Kidman in mind. "It's a beautiful way to
work," she said.
'Australia' Darwin Video
- ABC News is currently hosting a video entitled, "Hugh Jackman entertains Darwin movie set". There is no date with the video, but it seems apparent that it would have been shown on ABC News at some point back in July when filming was taking place in Darwin. It is an entertaining piece which mainly features images of Hugh Jackman looking buff as "the Drover", and starstruck female locals admiring his "form", as well as general information about the movie itself. The video also reveals that Luhrmann has liaised with local crocodile experts about "how to do a crocodile attack on cue". Could this mean that there will be a croc attack in the movie? We'll have to wait and see! :)
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9 August 2007
Website Announcement
Baz the Great will not be updated for the next couple of weeks, as I am currently in the process of moving home to Australia. Feel free to continue to e-mail me during this time, and I will reply as soon as I can. I hope to resume updating this website before the end of August, so please continue to keep checking Baz the Great for future news and movie information. Please also note that this website has now moved to a new server. All pages referring to my old web host will soon become obsolete. I have purchased a new domain name at http://www.bazthegreatsite.com, so please update your bookmarks with the new address.
Kununurra Shoot Begins
- Filming of Australia began in Kununurra in
Western Australia earlier this week. Click here to view a scanned
Kimberley Echo
article with accompanying pictures. The article was also posted online, a transcript of which is as follows:
They're Here
Kimberley Echo, 2 August 2007
A Ozjet Boeing 737-200 carrying 102 members of the cast and crew for the Baz
Luhrmann epic film 'Australia' was due to touch down in Kununurra at 5.30 this
afternoon.
It was the first time a 737-200 had landed in Kununurra and marked the beginning
of four or more weeks of frantic action in the East Kimberley.
The film, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, is set in the days leading up
to World War II.
Locally, it will be filmed mostly on Carlton Hill Station with some action on
other stations.
Major parts of the film have already been shot in Bowen, Darwin and Sydney.
Kununurra's accommodation is all full and many people have leased their houses
out for about $2000 a week to house the film crew.
The stars of the film are expected to fly in aboard private jets in the next few
days
The following article by The Herald Sun reported how Hugh Jackman arrived in
Kununurra on 5 August 2007, with Nicole Kidman flying in the next day on 6
August 2007. It seems that filming will mostly take place at Carlton Hill
Station, which we already knew will be the base for the constructed set of Lady
Ashley's homestead, Faraway Downs.
Nicole Kidman gets west
wild
Herald Sun, 7 August 2007
It was billed "Hollywood in the East Kimberleys" when Nicole Kidman and Keith
Urban arrived in the West Australian town of Kununurra.
About 250 locals were on hand to greet the actor and her singer husband when
they flew in just after 2pm yesterday.
With co-star Hugh Jackman and director Baz Luhrmann, Kidman is expected to spend
several weeks filming scenes for the coming epic Australia on Carlton Hills
Station, a well-known cattle property 40km out of town.
Unlike Jackman, who lingered at the airport and met fans on Sunday, Kidman's
plane was met by a police escort yesterday and the star was whisked away in a
dark 4WD.
Peter Grigg, manager of Kununurra Visitor Centre, said locals hoped to see some
of the cast and crew in person in coming weeks.
"The town is really, really buzzing – it's all go. We have a few things in place
and we'd like to think we could showcase our town to them," he said.
"We'd like to think we can definitely make them warmly welcome to our part of
the region."
Finally, the following article by E Travel Blackboard gives an overview of the film and the shoot:
"Australia" heads West!
E Travel Blackboard, 8 August 2007
Baz Luhrmann’s epic movie “Australia” resumes principal photography in the East
Kimberley region of Western Australia. Filming in WA follows three weeks of
shooting on the stages of Fox Studios in Sydney. “Australia” commenced
production April 30 on location in Sydney before moving to Bowen, North
Queensland and then to the Top End in Darwin.
Luhrmann, the writer/producer/director of such films as “Moulin Rouge!”, “Romeo
+ Juliet” and “Strictly Ballroom”, conceived the project three years ago and
insisted that the film be shot on location in “the inspirational locations of
our own home country”. He sees these regions as one of the last great frontiers
in the world today and is thrilled to be able to expose international audiences
to their natural wonders. Inspired by what Luhrmann refers to as “the brilliant
color palette and drama of the East Kimberley landscape” he and his company are
thrilled to have arrived in Kununurra to commence work on this pivotal section
of the film shoot.
Filming will take place throughout the region over the coming weeks and will
include scenes shot at the spectacular homestead set designed by two-time
Academy Award-winner Catherine Martin. Lady Sarah Ashley, played by Nicole
Kidman, journeys to the homestead accompanied by the Drover, played by Hugh
Jackman, as the film begins.
In addition to Kidman and Jackman, a cast of stellar Australian actors will be
featured in the film including David Wenham (“300”, the “Lord of the Rings”
trilogy) and screen legends Jack Thompson and Bryan Brown, reunited together for
the first time since their starring roles in the award-winning classic film
“Breaker Morant”. Other featured actors shooting in the region include David
Gulpilil (“The Tracker”, “Rabbit Proof Fence”), David Ngoombujarra (“Rabbit
Proof Fence”, “The Missing”) and 11 year-old actor Brandon Walters in his
feature film debut.
“Australia” is set in the country’s northern outback prior to World War II and
centers on an English aristocrat, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), who finds
herself unexpectedly fighting to save a cattle station the size of Belgium. When
local cattle barons plot to take her land, she reluctantly joins forces with a
rough-hewn cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) to drive 1500 head of cattle across
northern Australia’s breathtaking, yet brutal landscape. Love ensues, but they
must still face the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese forces that had attacked
Pearl Harbor only months earlier.
Produced by Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown and Catherine Knapman under Luhrmann’s
Sydney-based Bazmark Film banner, Australia will be distributed wordwide by News
Corporation’s Twentieth Century Fox.
Western Australia Website Promotion
- The official Western Australia website has now launched a webpage dedicated to the filming of Australia. It contains several sections, including cast and crew and media releases from throughout the shoot. The main page reads:
Hollywood comes to the East Kimberley
WA welcomes filmmaking legend Baz Lurhmann and Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman and
Hugh Jackman to the magnificent East Kimberley.
Baz Lurhmann's epic movie Australia has begun filming outside of Kununurra where
the cast and crew will shoot key scenes over the coming month.
Home to the spectacular Bungle Bungles in the world heritage listed Purnululu
National Park, the dramatic and romantic landscape of the Kimberley is set to
feature strongly in the movie which is an historic epic set around the bombing
of Darwin in the Second World War.
The website also reveals some interesting information about the character of Nullah (Brandon Walters), as follows:
Walters will play the role of Nullah, a young boy who lives on Lady Ashley's (Nicole Kidman) cattle station in the north of Australia. When Lady Ashley's station is under threat, she and the rough hewn Drover (Hugh Jackman) recruit homestead staff to save the property and Nullah is the crucial last team member to join.
'You Tube' Video
- A video entitled 'Shooting of Australia' was posted on You Tube on 6 August 2007 by a user named 'FrenchWombat'. It consists of a slideshow of stills of Bowen locations and some of the extras that took part in the filming of Australia. There's even some stills of Nicole Kidman and other cast members. It's a very entertaining amateur piece, with some great onset images intertwined with lots of amusing shots of extras! :)
Nicole Kidman NZ Interview
- Nicole Kidman was recently interviewed in New
Zealand, and her interview is available to view online
here. The interview is mainly about Kidman and some of her other movies, but
at about 2 minutes 15 seconds, Australia is mentioned briefly in the
following exchange:
Interviewer - "But back home to shoot her next film, rather ambitiously entitled
Australia, Kidman's getting back to basics."
Nicole Kidman - "We're heading up to Kununurra, which is up in Western Australia. We'll be
camping in tents... I think we're sharing showers and toilets and everything so
yeah, we're ruffing it."
'Australia' Lunch Competition
- It has been reported by
The Age that at a recent charity dinner, Nicole Kidman agreed to auction
a lunch on the Australia set, and the winner was Australian magazine, New
Idea. This should mean that the magazine will soon run a competition for a
lucky reader to attend the lunch! If you read anything more about this event,
please feel free to contact me.
The Age reported the following:
Company you keep
Game show host Andrew O'Keefe has a reputation for off-colour jokes away from
the cameras and at the big UNIFEM Charity Dinner, at which he was MC, he
introduced guest star Nicole Kidman as "one of the busiest beavers around".
Kidman's stony face was the only response, but that could mean anything. Capping
off her night she agreed to auction a lunch on the set of Australia, along with
Hugh Jackman and director Baz Luhrmann, to the highest bidder. Newly crowned
Magazine of the Year New Idea won the bidding. It's hardly surprising, given all
the unsourced stories they write about her, but Kidman is known to loathe the
weekly mag.
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1 August 2007
Kimberleys Shoot to Begin Soon
- Since filming of Australia
wrapped in Darwin on 11 July 2007, the production has been based at Fox
Studios in Sydney. However, the shoot is set to move on to Kununurra and the
Kimberley region very soon. The following article about one of the film's stars,
Hugh Jackman, and reports that shooting will move to the outback "this week":
Jackman just a family guy
Daily Telegraph, 30 July 2007
Enjoying his last taste of the sea air for a while before shooting moves to the
outback this week, Australia star Hugh Jackman hit the beach with his family at
the weekend.
The Aussiewood nice-guy hit Bondi with wife Deborra-Lee Furness and their
children Oscar and Ava.
They spent Saturday afternoon together, playfully wrestling, piggybacking and
playing games of chase along the famous stretch of sand. It was a rare break for
Jackman, who has been busy shooting interior scenes at Moore Park's Fox Studios
for Baz Luhrmann's latest movie extravaganza.
Meanwhile, it has also been reported
that there is still accommodation available for people wanting to visit
Kununurra during the movie shoot:
Kununurra accommodation still available during 'Australia' shoot
ABC News, 31 July 2007
Peter Grigg from the Kununurra Visitor Centre says there is room for tourists
during filming of Baz Luhrmann's movie Australia starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh
Jackman.
A Kununurra tourism authority says the much anticipated filming of Baz
Luhrmann's movie Australia has caused confusion for some holiday-makers.
Filming of the epic starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman is set to start at a
Kununurra cattle station, in northern Western Australia, next Monday.
The film is set in World War II northern Australia, focusing on the cattle
industry and the effects of the Japanese bombing Darwin.
About 80 camper vans have been set up to house the crew at the Kununurra Turf
Club.
However, Peter Grigg from the Kununurra Visitor Centre says it has had to place
advertisements clarifying there is still room for tourists in the town.
"We do have accommodation here, we would love to make
anybody that's coming to Kununurra, give them a big warm East Kimberley welcome
and ... they hopefully might even be able to catch up with Nicole Kidman or Hugh
Jackman," he said.
The Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley president Michelle Pucci says there is
definitely a sense of excitement brewing around Kununurra.
However, she is yet to spot Kidman or Jackman.
"I haven't actually seen any of the stars yet, but I do know some of the crew
... are obviously ... staying at a number of the boarding houses and our hotels
and I think there's been lots of discussion with locals with that crew," she
said.
Story of a Darwin Extra
- Very special thanks to Vernon Lowe (pictured above) for contacting me to share his experiences of working as an extra on the Darwin set. He has kindly provided the following story, which also reveals some details of the Darwin shoot:
"My experience with
'Australia' started with catching an ad in Saturday's newspaper calling for
extras whilst having brekkie at the local shops. I said to my step daughter.
"check this out! I'm going to audition for a part". Not knowing what the details
of the movie were, I only knew it was based in Darwin around the bombings. I had
no idea what roles the extras were to play.
Anyway, I decided to go to the first round of auditions on the Saturday, which
took about 50 minutes, filing in forms, waiting in line and having a photo
taken. I thought my chances were pretty good given that I know the history of
Darwin, being local and of asian descent.
Time passed and a couple of weeks later on a Wednesday evening (June 20) I
received a phone call from 'Emma', asking about the audition and if I wanted to
be an extra on the movie. "Would I what? Of course". The wheels were set in
motion. Costume fitting, haircut, thoughts of "stardom". Let's face it I'm only
human (as Billy Joel would sing). My family were really happy and excited for
me, of course I was as well. But agonising times lay ahead.
I went in for my costume fitting on Monday 25, and couldn't believe the part I
was given....a fisherman!.......What more could I ask for than to get paid for
what I love to do! Great I thought until the day of the haircut. Fine I can live
with a 1940's style haircut but the moustache, which has been with me for 20
years had to go!!!!!!!! Shock, horror, tears welling in my eyes. Alas,
sacrifices we make for fame and fortune!
Having lost the 'mo' and now looking like a school boy I turned up at production
headquarters for the first day of filming (Monday July 2, 4:30 am) for costume
change and hair and make-up. The crew in particular 'Stewart' were great, giving
clear directions and ensuring that sunscreen was used by all the extras. We were
constantly reminded that it'll be a full day of working in the sun. As extras
were readied, they were bussed down to the wharf in groups and a hot breakfast
was waiting, not bad. Could get used to this.
Having never seen a movie set, I was amazed at the amount of equipment and
personnel on hand. I played a small part in a music video, a couple of years ago
and only one camera was used. So seeing what was being done on the movie set was
amazing.
Well Monday drew on, lunch was had, and it wasn't until approximately 2 pm that
the drovers, fishermen, dockside workers and others were called to set. We ran through bits and pieces of scenes, and I have to admit that some of it didn't
make sense. We were told later that Baz and assistant directors were still
working out how the scenes were to be filmed etc.
Tuesday, July 3. On set again and things began to look exciting. Fishermen were
now being asked to get on the 'fishing' boats and rehearse some scenes. Playing
with rope, moving boxes and sacks (filled with stuffing) to simulate heaviness.
One of the Assistant Directors whose name is of all things - Darwin - was
fantastic in his enthusiasm and yelling to us.... Background!....big action,
constant movement, keep busy." A creative mind is VERY useful for filling in
background scene, if you know what I mean. Sometimes it's difficult to look busy
for busy's sake.
The scene where Nicole's character is entering Darwin Harbour on the tender and
looking at the fishermen on the boats, is our moment of glory. The money shot
they said, and by god it was! The camera boat was used to cruise past the
fishermen doing their work, we were told to look at the camera as it went by
with a 'who is that?' attitude and then get back to our work. I'm one of three
who are on the bow of the blue boat, as you'll see in the movie. My job was to
fill up a 5 litre steel bucket with seawater by throwing it off the bow and then
hauling it up with rope approximately 10 metres, and then casting the water over
the deck of the boat. Apparently 'a water scene' was the in thing. I guess the
flight, trajectory and splashing of water looks good on film. One bucket was
lost to the depths of the harbour, it got a pounding and the handle was
displaced. The scene had to be repeated many times. The three of us on the bow
got an "excellent job you three" from the man himself, Baz. Make-up crew
abounded with sunscreen, baby oil (simulated sweat), and stuff to mimic dirt and
griminess.
Wednesday, July 4. Much lower key than Tuesday. Again on the boats some more
bucket work and ropes. Extras were quite free to walk around on set, I even
checked out the monitors whilst they were filming a scene where Nicole's
character had just landed at the wharf and about to walk up a flight of stairs.
Excellent technology."
Richard Flanagan Interview
- ABC North Coast Queensland has reported an article about Australia co-writer, Richard Flanagan's next book. Included alongside the article is a link to a 15 minute audio clip, and near the end of this clip he talks about the movie. He advises that when he completed his book, he worked with Baz Luhrmann on the Australia script, and he talks about this experience and also his thoughts on Nicole Kidman.
Baz Luhrmann Speaks to Students
- On 30 July 2007, Baz Luhrmann
took time out from filming Australia in Sydney to visit students at a
local performing arts school. He gave a motivational speech and spoke about his
determination to succeed. Well done to Baz for taking time to provide
inspiration to young Australian students while filming such a highly anticipated
project! :)
Baz Luhrmann on Rejection
Daily Telegraph, 31 July 2007
Director Baz Luhrmann says being rejected from the prestigious National
Institute of Dramatic Art as a teenager made him determined to succeed in
showbiz.
Breaking from his duties directing Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh
Jackman in the outback epic Australia, Luhrmann spent time motivating students
from the Newtown High School Of Performing Arts yesterday.
As the 15 students sat in front of the acclaimed director, Luhrmann offered the
same words of wisdom he had been given by dual-Oscar nominee Judy Davis more
than two decades ago.
"Do which is work, but live," Luhrmann, 44, said.
"Judy Davis told me 'You must get out and live, do something real.' So I became
a librarian for three weeks," he said.
Luhrmann said brainstorming ideas and self-starting theatre shows while selling
jeans helped him get his break.
"I recommend (self-starting shows) highly, " he said. "Generate your own story
telling... don't wait for people to hand you a story."
For aspiring actor Priscilla Hejtmanek, 15, meeting with Luhrmann was the
inspirational.
"He put everything into perspective... he didn't get into NIDA but he kept
going," she said. "He kept pursuing his dreams and that's inspirational."
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