Screen Australia commissions Olsberg SPI study on state of Oz production sector

Screen Australia has recruited international screen sector consultancy and analysis firm Olsberg SPI to conduct a detailed study on the current state of the country’s production industry.

Deidre Brennan

The Production Infrastructure Capacity Analysis will explore the industry’s current strengths, flaws, constraints and capacity gaps. It will include insights into screen production, post-production, digital, VFX, animation and digital games sectors.

Olsberg SPI said the findings from the study would “inform the development of new and existing initiatives to enable the sustained growth of the sector.”

The study will build on the previous PICA research into the Australian market that was commissioned by Ausfilm in 2021. It will include mapping of the Australian screen production sector, future workforce capacity needs and trends, assessment of education and training provision in Australia, a state-by-state breakdown and evidence-based recommendations.

The initial phase of the research involves targeted industry surveys, which have now opened to industry participants. These surveys are across three areas – production, PDV/animation and digital games – and aim to procure data on the current production capacity in Australia, across workforce and infrastructure, and what is required to grow it

In a recent opening address at the Screenworks Regional to Global conference, Screen Australia chief Deirdre Brennan emphasised the collaborative work needed to bolster the industry. “There’s still a lot more to do if we want to build not only a viable sector, but a powerful screen community,” she said.

The research will support the funding agency’s ‘Five Es’ strategy, focusing on empowering and enriching the industry, driving deeper engagement, and enabling and elevating the sector.