Spotlight on The Full Box

TV Tonight is returning to its Spotlight series of articles and turning its attention to the independent production sector.

Readers are very familiar with some of the larger production companies, but it’s time to turn the focus to some of the many smaller companies behind our content. Who runs them, what shows do they make and are they looking for projects?

We begin with The Full Box, currently producing Million Dollar Murders for Nine.

When was the company founded?
Founded in June 2009.

Where are you based and which states did you film in for 22 / 23 productions?
The Full Box is Sydney based and we’ve filmed in NSW, WA, Victoria and Queensland over the past 12 months.

How many full-time equivalent staff and how many does it expand to during production?
We have a core team of six working with the Company Directors -Bryan Cockerill and Geraldine Coy, and on most productions we have a crew of about 15-20. However we have had up to a hundred people working with us on some of our bigger productions.

Top pic: Let’s do Coffee
Below: Gerri Coy and Bryan Cockerill

What is your ownership model and who are key principals?
Privately owned and key principals are Gerri Coy and Bryan Cockerill.

Describe the genres you specialise in for production?
The Full Box is primarily known for our award winning True Crime documentary series. We have also produced narrative comedy, drama, short film, lifestyle and entertainment and we developed an award winning Reality format.

What have been some of your notable credits and with which broadcasters / streamers?
Our first commission was from Foxtel for Tough Nuts: Australia’s Hardest Criminals, thanks to Brian Walsh and the wonderful Jim Buchan. Whilst in production of Series 2 of Tough Nuts, BBC Worldwide commissioned The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves By Appointment, narrated by the incomparable Barry Humphries. We’ve also produced multiple series of Australian Crime Stories and Million Dollar Murders for the Nine Network and a few years ago we won the inaugural AACTA Reg Grundy award for our non-scripted format Seven Pups.

What’s coming up on your slate and how many projects are in active development?
We have a number of projects in development, several documentaries, non-scripted and scripted projects – drama and comedy. One project we are very excited about is a comedy series, co-production with our friends at CJZ.

Do you receive unsolicited material, what are you looking for, how should people pitch projects?
We established The Full Box production company as a place for us to develop projects with creatives we have worked with, known and loved across our 30 plus years in the business. We don’t really take unsolicited material unless we’ve worked with the talent, creatives and believe in the project. Saying that, we’re always keen to explore new partnerships and good stories.

What change would you most like to see when it comes to commissions?
We’d all love bigger budgets and broadcasters and streamers to say yes more often.

More Spotlight profiles to come…