Location: Perth
Perth is the capital city of the state of Western Australia. Within a short drive from the city centre you can film modern city scenes, suburbs, empty white sand beaches, untouched bushland, Jarrah forests, and world-class wineries. From north to south, local beaches of note include Mullaloo, Sorrento, Trigg, Scarborough, City, Cottesloe, and Leighton. Perth’s status as one of the windiest city on earth means kite-boarders are a regular feature on the water. Kings Park and Botanic Garden is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world. The South Perth foreshore offers great city skyline shots over the Swan River. From modern beachfront mansions to older beautiful suburban looks, Perth has a range of interesting options for visiting productions.
Just outside of Perth you can find the old sister city of Fremantle as well as Rottnest Island, famous for its local marsupials known as quokkas. A 1.5hr drive north you can find the Lancelin sand dunes, which can double for the Sahara Desert. Just north of Lancelin are the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park. A drive south you can find interesting industrial looks, beautiful forests, empty beaches and the wineries of Margaret River. Heading east you will find deserts and salt lakes, although the red earth desert doesn’t start until about 600km from the city.
As far as film permits are concerned, each council has its own rules and regulations. It’s best to hire a local fixer, service producer or location manager to help navigate the process. Contact us for recommendations. Larger-footprint shoots require one or more permits. Smaller shoots such as B-roll, documentary or street interviews may not require permits, depending on the specifics of the shoot. On the whole, Perth is a film-friendly city. As a smaller city, it is generally more film-friendly than larger Australian cities. Authorities will often waive fees for shoots that promote tourism. National parks normally do not charge fees.
Much like Los Angeles, Perth has a reliably warm and temperate climate, all year round. With an average of 9 hours of sunshine each day in winter and 11 hours in summer, it’s one of the sunniest cities in the world.
Perth is home to several major mining companies. The booming mining industry has given the city the highest per capita number of self-made millionaires in the world.
Although Perth is the most isolated capital city in the world, many international and domestic airlines service this part of the world including direct flights from London, Dubai and Hong Kong. For shoots involving long-distance travel, Perth is the western terminus for the Indian Pacific and final destination for road trips across the Nullarbor Plain.
Perth is Western Australia’s main production centre for film crew, equipment, and all other production needs. It is a small production centre with some very capable crew including directors of photography, videographers, and photographers. All of the standard camera, grip, and lighting is available locally including mounts and process trailers. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are larger production centres, should you need to bring anything in.
Although there are no purpose-built film studios, there are several smaller studios and the Perth Convention Centre can be hired for larger shoots.
The city also has a diverse, multicultural talent pool.
Western Australia has hosted films such as Rabbit-Proof Fence, Wolf Creek, Australia, and Red Dog.
Contact us should you wish to hire production support or film crew for your next shoot in Perth.
