2012. TV Series. Australian Nine Network. 

.....

5 Months, 12 locations, 150 crew and an extraordinary amount of coordination later, Underbelly: Squizzy Taylor series occupied the buildings and grounds at the Abbotsford Convent, turning empty spaces into a 1920s gangster wonderland. On behalf of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation, my role was to oversee the ins-and-outs of buidling this fantasy period drama around the busy hive of activity and heritage sentitive spaces that make up this unique arts and cultural precinct.

Major tasks throughout this contract included writing the location agreement, overseeing construction plans, coordinating the site’s events with the production, approving filming schedules, writing updates for the community e-news, visiting tenants and businesses on site regularly, overseeing restoration and repairs, and generally having a high level of communication between key parties from pre to post production.

It was extremely important during the production’s time on site that disruption to the Convent’s environment, community, and usual flow was kept to an absolute minimum. With over 13,000 visitors weekly, numerous tenants and creative organisations, special events, ever changing venue hire bookings, restaurants, cafes and bars and a school on site, the level of communication needed was high to say the least! Acting as the liaison between the production’s Art Director, Construction Manager, Location Managers, Producer, Directors, Abbotsford Convent Staff, tenants, nearby residents and the production’s crew whilst filming, I gathered the needs and concerns of all parties and ensured the subsequent planning that was essential to keeping a harmonious balance between the requirements of the shoot and the values of the Convent.

Since the reopening of the Abbotsford Convent as a community space ten years ago, the Convent has not had a production of this size or duration on site throughout this time. The end result of this project was highly successful for all parties involved, and has reignited the Convent as a future space for large scale filming and creative projects.