Written by on Feb 14, 2014. Posted in Incentive News

The Lego Movie uses visual effects incentives filming in Australia

New family comedy feature The Lego Movie was produced in Sydney by digital studio Animal Logic. A combination of computer-generated imagery and advanced stop-motion animation was used to realise the production, which has been a huge box-office hit.

Australia offers a competitive 30% Post, Digital and Visual Effects Offset as one of its three main federal filming incentives.

“The fact that a Hollywood studio chose to make one of their major titles in Sydney, using the expertise of our highly skilled animator, digital effects and post production specialists, shows the high regard with which the NSW visual effects industry is held internationally,” said Matt Carroll, Director of Production Attraction & Incentives at Screen NSW.

“At its peak, The Lego Movie had more than 200 people working on the film. It incorporates the latest animation and photo-real techniques, clearly demonstrating the strength of New South Wales creative technology skills and enhancing the international reputation of Sydney as a film location.”

Australia has attracted several high-profile productions recently as varied as Angelina Jolie’s World War II drama Unbroken and The Inbetweeners Movie 2, which will be the second movie follow-up to the massively popular UK teen comedy. Action star Dwayne Johnson will film disaster movie San Andreas on location in Queensland and hit US TV comedy Modern Family will also come to Australia to film a special holiday episode.

The Australian government is under persistent pressure to increase the existing 16.5% Location Offset filming incentive, especially since New Zealand sweetened its filming incentive programme in late 2013.