October 2024
With the Australian Federal Government’s announcement of a 30% Location Offset, we are shining a spotlight on our top five filming locations in New South Wales. Home to a diverse range of backdrops, including metropolitan city skylines, scenic coastlines and rural landscapes, NSW offers a wealth of locations for international and domestic clients.
Sydney CBD
Standing in for a multitude of other countries, Sydney’s CBD – City – is an incredibly versatile location.
Set against the iconic backdrop of New York City, feature film 2:22 (2017) was actually shot in and around Sydney. For the filming of Peter Rabbit 1 & 2 (2017 & 2019), Sydney’s Centennial Park was transformed into the Lakes District of England, and despite being set in San Francisco, The Invisible Man (2020) was shot throughout Sydney’s CBD and inner suburbs.
Helping to acquire filming permits, and managing the logistics of filming within one of the busiest parts of Australia, Kieran has facilitated some of the biggest international productions to visit New South Wales in the past decade.
South Coast
The South Coast of New South Wales is famous for its beautiful, coastal scenery.
Russel Crowe’s film Poker Face (2022) is set in Miami, yet was partially filmed in the South Coast suburb of Kiama. Utilising one of the most iconic filming spots in the region, Poker Face also shot at the Sea Cliff Bridge in Clifton. With extensive experience managing the logistics of filming here this is one of Kieran Cato’s favourite locations to lock down.
Likewise The Invisible Man (2020) also made use of the South Coast’s scenic backdrop. The feature film was shot in-part at the recognisable Headland House in Gerringong, rather than San Francisco where the film is set. Working with a conservative budget of USD$7 million, the Australian-filmed blockbuster reportedly grossed USD$140 million in its theatrical run.
Broken Hill
On the border of NSW and South Australia, Broken Hill offers iconic Australian outback scenery.
Surrounded by red desert the outback town has featured in many iconic Australian productions, including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and Mad Max 2 (1981). More recently, CATO has worked in Broken Hill on the production of Wolf Like Me (2022). The Stan original series featuring Isla Fisher is set in Adelaide, yet was filmed in Sydney and regional NSW.
Blue Mountains
Lambs of God (2019) and Wakefield (2021) are among a few of the productions that Kieran Cato has worked on in the Blue Mountains. At the same location Baz Lurhmann filmed The Great Gatsby (2013), Lambs of God also filmed at Breenhold Gardens in Mount Wilson, highlighting the location as an impressive stand in for both North America and Europe.
Home to the famous Three Sisters rock formation, the Blue Mountains also features as the dramatic backdrop for Limitless with Chris Hemsworth. Shooting at Scenic World Katoomba, approximately 100 kilometres from Sydney, Kieran provided premium support for the National Geographic series whilst on location.
After success working on Limitless, the same production team invited Kieran Cato abroad to work on an international documentary featuring Will Smith. Kieran consulted on all things traffic, unit and logistics for the project which was shot in 2022.
Catch a glimpse of the stunning Blue Mountains back drop in Chris Hemsworth’s for Limitless on Disney+
With many years of hands-on experience navigating filming in New South Wales, Kieran can manage all aspects of your Australian TV and film production, advise on Australian filming regulations, offer suitable solutions including the provision of TV and film crews, and is able to source and recce the very best places in New South Wales to film. Get in touch here.