By NOEL MURPHY
GEELONG is no stranger to the focus of cinematic and television lens.
It’s been a popular location for all manner of movies, series, film clips, adverts, documentaries and more.
Hollywood greats such as Heath Ledger and Mel Gibson have swaggered their stuff across the plains of Lara and Little River in Ned Kelly and Mad Max. Nicholas Cage lit up the dark Night Rider, Baz Luhrman filmed part of his Australia locally, while McLeod’s Daughters and Blue Heelers were also shot in the district.
Chris Lilley’s Angry Boys, long-time sentimental favourite Sea Change, rocker Jimmy Barnes at Avalon Beach, INXS and dozens more have seized on the beaches, houses, hills, plains, rivers and urban filmscapes of Geelong for their movie-making.
Former politician O’Connor is now joining ranks with them.
In partnership with Screen Actors Australia’s John McGlynn, he’s kicking off a new venture the pair hope will kick-start a new level of commercial film and TV production in the Geelong-Otway area.
“It has the potential to not only directly employ hundreds of local people and service providers, but to also stimulate a big increase in film related tourism for the area,” Mr O’Connor said of new company Ocean Road Films.
“Tourism is a really sustainable industry for Geelong-Otway and already employs large numbers of people.”
Mr McGlynn said the pair had been pushing the area as the best place for film and TV works for years.
“We believe Geelong has the locations, light and a lower infrastructure cost that will allow us to be a major commercial production centre for film and TV.”
The pair believe they can encourage other producers from Melbourne, interstate and overseas to base productions in Geelong.
They said Ocean Road Films had two feature films and two children’s series in development.
