CREW SPOTLIGHT: ‘Last Days of the Space Age’
Supported through Screenwest's Professional Skills Development Program, Western Australian practitioners Emma Jackson, Texx Montana, Tess Rowe and Nikita Calyun received practical, on the job training on the new Disney+ series.
Brand new Disney+ Australian original series Last Days of the Space Age premiered this week on the streaming platform, with four Western Australian screen practitioners supported to work on the series through Screenwest’s Professional Skills Development Program.
Emma Jackson, Tess Rowe, Texx Montana and Nikita Calyun received practical, on the job training in directing, hair and makeup, costume and camera attachment positions respectively, working closely with the series’ Heads of Department during filming in New South Wales.
Emma and Tess chatted to Screenwest about their experiences working on the series:
“Being selected for a director’s attachment with Rachel Ward was an incredible and pivotal moment in my career. Rachel brought me into the fold as soon as we met. Her inclusivity and transparency allowed me to engage in all of pre-production, including location recces, cast chats and Disney+ meetings from day one. I shadowed her closely and went on to be the Perth Unit Director. This experience greatly enhanced my skills, preparing me for my short film Joan and my shadow role on Season 2 of The Twelve, on which I directed episode five.” said Emma Jackson, Directing Attachment.
“I spent my time on LDSA as a Hair & Makeup Attachment, as part of a team of six. As the shoot was already two weeks underway, I was nervous about how I would fit into the team but alas, I was welcomed very quickly. Stepping into the ABC studios and seeing the set on the soundstage for the first time was very surreal. We certainly had a blast getting the cast into the 70’s vibe every day! This project has been my favourite so far and I cannot wait to see all of our hard work on screen!” said Tess Rowe, Hair and Makeup Attachment.
Last Days of the Space Age is an eight-part dramedy series set in 1979 Western Australia, when Perth was at the centre of the world’s headlines. A power strike threatens to plunge the region into darkness, while the city hosts the iconic Miss Universe pageant and the US space station, Skylab, crashes just beyond the city’s suburbs. Against this backdrop of international cultural and political shifts, three families in a tight-knit coastal community find their marriages, friendships, and futures put to the test.
The series was also supported through the WA Post-Production, Digital & Visual Effects Incentive (WA PDV), with Perth-based VFX company Double Barrel creating a variety of visual effects.
Last Days of the Space Age is streaming now on Disney+ here.
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