Leading Melbourne studio Soundfirm was instrumental in bringing to life political prison break feature, Escape from Pretoria, starring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, The Woman In Black), working sound and picture post production, VFX and music composition on the Australia-UK co-production over eight months in 2019.
Producers Arclight Films selected Victoria for their post production due to the state’s enviable mix of premium picture and sound post facilities, outstanding talent in sound design and mixing, editing and colour grading, and Melbourne’s unbeatable lifestyle.
“We were keen to return to Victoria again after a wonderful post experience on our recent film Jungle, which also starred Daniel Radcliffe and was directed by Victorian Greg McLean,” said producer Gary Hamilton.
“We knew our film was in very good hands with the quality post production offerings in Victoria, and that together with the award-winning team at Soundfirm, we’ve delivered a truly compelling piece of cinema for audiences around the world.”
Soundfirm has been at the forefront of post production in Australia, and around the world, since its establishment in 1983. Its founder and CEO is Academy Award-nominated sound engineer Roger Savage, who mixed his first feature film, Mad Max I, in 1978. Soundfirm’s state-of-the-art facility in Port Melbourne houses Australia’s only Dolby Atmos mixing and mastering stage.
In addition to Soundfirm, Melbourne is home to a number of world-class visual effects and animation studios and each has adapted quickly to ensure their teams can carry on creating the outstanding content they are known for from home. Award-winning Victorian editors, sound designers and composers have also transitioned to working remotely, while colourists and mixers have continued to grade and mix in Melbourne’s state-of-the-art facilities under the current restrictions.
Film Victoria supported Escape from Pretoria through its Production Incentive Attraction Fund for Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PIAF PDV).
Escape from Pretoria is available now on Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Image: Daniel Webber and Daniel Radcliffe in Escape from Pretoria. Photo: Ian Routledge.