Spotlight on Closer Productions

Production company name?
Closer Productions

When was the company founded?
2010

Where are you based and which states did you film in for 23 / 24 productions?
We are based in Adelaide, South Australia. In 23/24 we filmed Eat the Invaders in South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and (very) remote Western Australia. This TV series took us all to lots of amazing locations! Our feature film JIMPA was shot in South Australia, The Netherlands and Finland.

How many full-time equivalent staff and how many does it expand to during production?
Closer is made up of a group of long-time collaborators including 6 full time employees and a few specialist contractors. We also have a handful of Close(r) friends who come and go at different stages of development and production. We expand to more than 100 depending on the production.

What is your ownership model and who are key principals?
The principals and equal owners of Closer Productions are Rebecca Summerton, Matthew Bate, Sophie Hyde and Bryan Mason. The way Closer operates is unorthodox and has shifted over the years to meet the needs of the principals and projects. Our flexibility is key to our longevity.

Describe the genres you specialise in for production?
We like to think of ourselves as genre agnostic. For TV we have made drama, comedy and documentary.

What have been some of your notable credits and with which broadcasters / streamers?
Notable TV titles include the 4 x 60 drama The Hunting (SBS), two seasons of comedy Aftertaste (ABC) and our upcoming factual series Eat the Invaders (ABC), hosted by Tony Armstrong, which premieres Tuesday January 7 at 8.30pm.

What’s coming up on your slate and how many projects are in active development?
We are very excited about The Dictionary of Lost Words which is an adaptation of Pip Williams’ beloved novel. The project is a co-production with Highview Productions and UK company Buccaneer. We have a slate of eight TV projects in development, plus as a number of feature films.

Do you receive unsolicited material, what are you looking for, how should people pitch projects?
Unfortunately, we can’t accept unsolicited material. We are always looking to collaborate with talented creatives to make distinctive, authored work with. It is best to pitch via an agent.

What change would you most like to see when it comes to commissions?
The television financing environment is very tricky right now, creators, producers and commissioners need to work together without fear, and trust that audiences are hungry for original voices and stories that challenge and move them.