A boom in the Australian film and television production industry is seeing some clued-in homeowners earn thousands of dollars a day by renting their properties as shoot locations.
One family in Brisbane’s western suburbs has seen their 100-year-old Queenslander become a hot favourite for the makers of everything from a romantic feature film to small screen advertisements.
And they’ve earned close to $50,000 this year as a result.
Their most memorable brush with fame involved world number one tennis star Ash Barty shaving her legs in the bathroom of their Brookfield house for several hours.
“She shot a TV commercial at our place for Gillette [disposable razors] – she was in our bathroom for three hours,” said proud homeowner and mum-of-two, Catherine, who asked her surname not be published.
“That was almost a year ago now just before the Australian Open. My mother is the biggest tennis fan in the whole world. They allowed Ash and my mum and other family members to have a photo and it made her life.”
The bathroom of Catherine’s Brookfield home where Ash Barty’s commercial was shot. Picture: Supplied
An accidental side-hustle
Catherine’s home became a shoot location hotspot by accident when she started an Instagram account to chronicle her renovation of the period property.
She soon started receiving messages from photographers, film scouts and marketers for big brands, sparking a profitable hobby business.
Catherine’s family at home with Ash Barty. Picture: Supplied
Her home was recently used for an eight-day shoot for feel-good romcom Love in Bloom, starring American actress Susie Abromeit, best known for playing Pam in Netflix hit Jessica Jones.
“Our house was turned into a little country inn, which at the end of the movie gets really popular, and they needed a whole lot of people in the background, which is how our kids got little cameo roles,” Catherine said.
The property has also been used for photoshoots and TV commercials for brands including Lorna Jane, Myer, Pillow Talk, Nerada Tea, Primo Hans Smallgoods, Gillette, Youfoodz, Hewlett-Packard, Lite n’ Easy, Blackmores, Big Dog and Besette Bridal.
Catherine’s home has been the setting for a feature film as well as countless TV and magazine commercial shoots. Picture: Supplied
On the Sunshine Coast, Natalie and Ryan Sullivan are newcomers to the shoot location game, recently putting their Diddillibah house to work for them.
Their U-shaped, Palm Springs-style property, wrapped around a jaw-dropping pool punctuated by cacti, cabanas, and a resort-chic vibe, has already turned heads, averaging one location shoot per week.
“People spend a lot of money on their houses and ours serves us really well,” Ms Sullivan said. “It doesn’t get much better when your family home is making money for you.”
The distinct property has proven to be popular with producers. Picture: Supplied
But offering their family home as a location is also less daunting than the thought of other income-generating options like Airbnb, she said.
“I just open the door, tell crews where to park and politely ask them not to drag furniture on the tiles, and we’ve never had a problem. They leave everything the way they found it.”
A booming – and lucrative – sector
Pure Locations is one of the country’s biggest agencies and their list of credits include Love Island, My Kitchen Rules and The Bachelor, as well as ads for major brands like Cartier, Nespresso and Chanel.
“We’ve got houses of all different types, architecture and style to suit all our clients,” founder Michelle McCormac said.
The setting for the current season of Love Island was sourced by Pure Locations. Picture: Supplied
The agency has more than 2,000 homes on its books, including Catherine’s property and the Sullivan family’s Diddillibah property.
The amount a homeowner can pocket depends on the type of shoot and its duration, with a TV ad or photo shoot earning between $1,500 and $2,000 a day.
“If homes are used for an entire TV program, you’re talking between $100,000 and $200,000. It depends on how long filming lasts – it could be five or six months.
“And, in these instances, the client will pay for the location hire plus a relocation fee for the family to stay in a suitable rental property of their choice.”
This Kenthurst mansion was used as both the setting for The Bachelorette and a season of My Kitchen Rules. Picture: Supplied
Natasje Garbers is a location scout based in Sydney who runs Set Book, connecting property owners and film and ad clients.
October has been her “busiest month ever” as COVID restrictions ease in Sydney and Melbourne, and production crews return to full swing following reduced activity.
“During COVID lockdowns, a lot of our clients decided they would move entire campaigns to Queensland and search for new crews in order to keep shooting,” Ms Garbers said.
“The Northern Rivers region of New South Wales also picked up dramatically during this time as it provided ease of access into Queensland for studio facilities.”
The feature film Love In Bloom was shot in Queensland and used Catherine’s home.
Set Book has around 300 houses and 30 businesses in its portfolio, with the majority in NSW. Location fees can range from $500 to $3000 depending on the type of shoot.
“What we’re seeing is a rising demand from homeowners wanting to find alternative ways to create income,” she said.
“People are home more and able to think about different ways to take advantage of their asset, particularly fast, short-term moneymaking opportunities.
“A lot of our homeowners were previously hosts on Airbnb or Stayz but (demand) has dwindled because of COVID. Or they’ve recently renovated and are looking for ways to get cash back.”
The house where Nine Perfect Strangers was filmed is located in Byron Bay – and up for rent for $6,100 a night. Picture: Romello Pereira/Airbnb/Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection
Screen Queensland is keen to further capitalise on what’s been the biggest production boom in its history.
COVID forced the relocation of a number of productions, from both locked-down southern states and international locations, with the Sunshine State attracting a long list of Hollywood A-Listers and big-budget shoots.
“The Queensland screen industry has enjoyed a record-breaking period of growth lately, with figures from the 2020-21 financial year showing 16 international productions and 25 domestic productions, generating an estimated $478 million and around 5,500 jobs for Queenslanders,” Screen Queensland’s location services manager, Kathryn Metcalfe, said.
“If you consider the diverse range of genres and subject matter in the content we see across broadcast, web, theatrical releases and, of course, streaming platforms, location managers are on the hunt for a variety of homes.
“The exterior and/or interior can play a major role, transporting the audience into the world of its characters, taking them back in time or to another country such as the US, UK, regions of South-East Asia or Europe.”
Since the beginning of 2020, blockbusters filmed or in production across the state include Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, Chris Hemsworth-fronted Netflix film Escape from Spiderhead, Ron Howard’s Thirteen Lives, and US comedy Young Rock, based on the early career of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
All types of homes wanted
It’s not just luxury properties that are suited to shoots, Ms Garbers said.
“Luxe properties are great for commercials and luxury brand shoots, but older homes with character make great TV and film locations. It’s these kinds of homes that are often harder for creatives to find.”
This 1960s ‘time warp’ house in Sydney is also popular as a photo location. Picture: Supplied
Among her favourite finds is an original 1960s home in Sydney’s west, dubbed ‘Time Warp’, belonging to a 92-year-old woman who raised her family there.
“Every inch of that house looks exactly like it did in the 60s and has been immensely popular with music videos and brand photoshoots, and even TV shows and commercials occasionally.
“She’s still got the original shag carpets, peeling wallpaper, spiral staircase, leadlight windows and furniture to match the era of the home.”
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