Brisbane company’s Netflix deal shows Queensland can compete with the big boys
In the heart of Fortitude Valley, six ambitious guys create their own production company, hoping their passion for filmmaking will one day be noticed – and profitable.
Little did they know their skill at delivering high-end visual effects for film, television and commercials would see their company Alt.vfx competing internationally, expanding tenfold and securing a Netflix deal.
Production at Brisbane’s SteelBridge Studios.Credit: SteelBridge Studios
The company is now supplying post-production services in Queensland for the live-action adaptation of popular anime series YuYu Hakusho. The series will be released in December.
Previous titles the company has worked on include The Power of the Dog, Pieces of Her and True Spirit.
Their newest workspace, the appropriately named SteelBridge Studios, is underneath the Story Bridge at Kangaroo Point.
“There was no industry here in Queensland before we started,” director Colin Renshaw said.
“When I started, Queensland was a place you left to go and work for the big boys.
“Now you can come and work on international projects and be living here and enjoying the lifestyle that Brisbane has to offer.”
SteelBridge Studios, which opened this year, was a natural progression after the firm opened workspaces in Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo and Los Angeles.
Renshaw said the company built its reputation internationally because of the team’s dedication to quality and willingness to compete against larger overseas companies.
“The technology has advanced to such a degree where rather than doing visual effects in the traditional way where you do it at the end, and you would shoot on green screen, now you can actually render it live using Unreal Engine technology and shoot it in camera,” he said.
The facility in Brisbane is scalable and customisable, depending on the project.Credit: SteelBridge Studios
In an effort to build local capacity, the company also offers placements for young artists under Screen Queensland’s Post, Digital and Visual Effects Incentive program.
The same program, funded by state and federal governments, helped Alt.vfx secure contracts in 2021 and 2022 totalling $3.2 million.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk toured SteelBridge Studios and was impressed by the workmanship on display.
“It’s better than I could ever have envisaged,” Palaszczuk said.
“It’s honestly a really great Queensland success story. It shows anything is possible, so the creativity here in Brisbane is unparalleled.”
Palaszczuk had met with Alt.vfx and Netflix during her recent trade mission to Japan.
She said it was clear the Brisbane company was sought after globally, and part of a vibrant industry locally.
“When it comes to quality of talent, diverse locations and professional capabilities, Queensland is a film-friendly production paradise and I hope this will be the first of many collaborations with Netflix Japan,” the premier said.
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