On the Beach (2000)

Country of Origin: Australia / USA
Dates of Original Broadcast: 2000
Number of Seasons: 1
Total Number of Episodes: 3
Average Episode Running Times: colour
Format:
Sound:

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Coote Hayes Productions/Edwards-Sullivan Productions/Showtime Networks Inc/Southern Star Entertainment Pty Ltd
Funding: Australian Film Finance Corporation
Production Executive: Howard Parker
Executive Producers: Greg Coote, Jeffrey M. Hayes, Peter Strauss, Errol Sullivan
Producers: John Edwards, Errol Sullivan
Line Producer: Carol Hughes
Production Manager: Chris Page
Unit Manager: Kevin McDonald
2nd Unit Unit Manager: Warwick Fry
Assistant Unit Manager: Nino Negrin
Production Coordinator: Susie Wright
2nd Unit Coordinator: Michelle Venutti

SCRIPT
Script: David Williamson, Bill Kerby
1959 Script: John Paxton
Novel: Nevil Shute

DIRECTION
Director: Russell Mulcahy
1st Assistant Director: John Powditch
2nd Assistant Director: Liz Edwards
3rd Assistant Director: Joclyn McCahon
4th Assistant Director: Harriet Devlin
2nd Unit Assistant Director: Robert Brown

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Martin McGrath
2nd Unit Director of Photography: László Baranyai
Additional Photographer: Ian McMillan
Steadicam Operators: Ian McMillan, Louis Puli
Steadicam Assistant: Peter Stott
Clapper Loaders: Adam Howden, Geoff Skilbeck
2nd Unit Clapper Loader: Katie Milwright
Focus Puller: Trish Keating
2nd Unit Focus Puller: Francesca Bosch
Gaffer: David Parkinson
Best Boy: Greg Rawson
Generator Operator: Chris Dewhurst
Electricians: Scott Copeland, Stuart Sawyers
Key Grip: David Cross
Grip: Peter MacDonnell
2nd Unit Grip: Oliver Petrovic
Assistant Grips: Craig Smith, Mark Hanneysee
Stills: Holly Stein
Video Split Operator: James Kalisch

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Mark Perry
Online Editors: Peter King, Phil Lament
Assistant Editor: Peter Powell
Post Production Manager: Peter Powell
Telecine Colourist: Dwaine Hyde
Post Production Facilities: Spectrum Films International; Spectrum Films Pty Ltd

MUSIC
Music: Christopher Gordon
Orchestrator / Conductor: Christopher Gordon
Songs: Nick Cave (Into My Arms); Hamish Cowan (I Never Cared Before); Andy Razaf, Joe Garland, Shapiro Bernstein (In the Mood); Written by Bobby Bloom, Tommy James, Ritchie Cordell, Bo Gentry (Mony Mony)
Songs Performed By: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Into My Arms); Cordrazine (I Never Cared Before); Glenn Miller & his Orchestra (In the Mood); Glenn Bidmead (Mony Mony)
Music Supervisor: Christine Woodruff
Music Recordist: Christo Curtis
Music Mixer/ Editor: Simon Leadley
Scoring: Michael Boyd, Nicholas Cervonaro
Sydney Philharmonica Choir Musical Director: Mats Nilsson
Orchestra Leader: Phillip Hartl
Music Preparation: Laura Bishop, Peter Mapleson
Orchestra Contractor: Coralie Hartl

SOUND
Sound Recordist: John McKerrow
Sound Mixer: Robert Sullivan
Boom Operator: Jenny Sutcliffe
Assistant Engineer: Scott Ryan
Sound Post Production: Gerry Duffy
Dialogue Editors: Gavin Myers, James Harvey
ADR Recordists: Julie Pearce, Julie Piesce, Peter Graham
ADR Editor: Ian MacWilliams
Supervising Sound Effects Editors: Brent Burge, Mark Perry
Sound Effects Editors: Dino Giacomin, Rory Martin
Foley Recordist: Ben Jacob
Foley Artist: Gerry Long

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up / Hair Supervisor: Brad Smith
Make Up: Margaret Keggs, Dallas Stephens
Hair: Liz Harper, Margaret Keggs, Deb Lester, Zeljka Stanin, Dallas Stephens
Costume Designer: Anna Borghesi
Costume Supervisor: Keryn Ribbands
Costume Assistants: Sarah Jameson, Shane Phillips
Standby Costumers: Kelly Foreman, Sally Pritchard

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Prosthetic Make Up: Nick Dorning

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Peter Stubbs
Special Effects Coordinator: Jeff Little
Special Effects Technicians: Tim O'Brien, Kevin Turner
Special Effects Assistants: Nick Arnold, Gordon Barber, Rob Collin, Andrew McAllister

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Producer: Melanie Ritchie
Visual Effects Designer: Simon Whitley
Visual Effects Assistant Designer: Grant Freckelton
3D Animators: Ian Brown, Lindsay Fleay
Lead Compositor: Kirsty Millar
Compositors: Aaron Barclay, Alex Thomas, Charlie Armstrong, Leoni Willis, Marcus Bolton, Maryanne Lauric, Robin Cave

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Roger Ford
Supervising Art Director: Scott Bird
Submarine Art Director: Phil Chambers
Assistant Art Director: Ruth Winick
Submarine Set Designer: Sally Shepherd
Design Assistant: Beth Courtney
Submarine Design Assistant: Ralph Moser
Set Decorator: Kerrie Brown
Assistant Set Decorator: Elaine Kusmishko
Set Dressers: Marian Long, Lucy Sparke
Additional Set Dressers: Monica Cogan, Nick Power
Buyers: Marian Long, Lucy Sparke
Additional Buyers: Monica Cogan, Nick Power
Props Assistant: Adam Liddell
Submarine Props Assistant: Samantha Ward
Construction Manager: Walter Sperl
Standby Carpenter: Brendan Mullen
Art Department Runner: Charles O'Brien

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Karinda Parkinson
2nd Unit Continuity: Susie Struth
Production Accountant: Sophie Siomos
Post Production Accountant: Liane Lee
Assistant Production Accountant: Trudy Talbot
Accounting Assistant: Trish Ashenden
Financial Controller: Peter Anderson
Production Secretary: Brianna Mann
Assistants To Composer: Leah Curtis, Matthew Jones
Assistant To Armand Assante: Marco Assante
Assistant To John Edwards: Jess Ractliffe
Choreographer: Tony Bartuccio
Vehicle Coordinator: Rob McLeod
Vehicle Assistant: Steve Mahoney
Drivers: Andrew Campbell, Brendan O'Grady, Don McLennan, Kerrie Kervin, Shane Dettman, Sid McDonald
Helicopter Coordinators: Aen Saaifield, Reg Metcalf
Helicopter Pilots: John Eacott, Phil Knowles
Traffic Coordinator: John Moncrieff
Boat Coordinator: Steve Mahoney
Armourer: John Fox
Caterer: Jeanette Fisher
Dialect Coaches: Nancy Black, Victoria Mielewska
Legal Consultant: James Talbot
Wrangler: John Baird
Nurse: Barbara Datson
Publicist: Lawrence Garrison
Unit Publicist: Larry Garrison
Safety Officer: Chris Peters
Production Runners: Caroline Lewis, Michael O'Sullivan, Paul Kennedy

LOCATIONS
Locations: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Moorabool, Victoria, Australia; Talbot, Victoria, Australia
Location Manager: Maurice Burns
Assistant Location Manager: Michael Madigan
Location Scout: Ralph Price

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Zev Eleftheriou
Stunt Rigging: Tiny Good
Stunts: Russell Allan, Brett Anderson, Lance Anderson, Szumai Anderson, John Baird, Teresa Blake, Amanda Buchanan, Adrian Chow, Stuart Fraser, Graham Jahne, Chris Kemp, Anthony Mays, Deirdre Naughton, Warwick Sadler, Davin Taylor, Rick Tonna, Mark Wickham, Chris Wilson

CASTING
Casting: Ann Fay, Maura Fay
Extras Casting: Melanie Hall

CAST
Armand Assante (Commander Dwight Towers)
Rachel Ward (Moira Davidson)
Bryan Brown (Dr Julian Osborne)
Jacqueline McKenzie (Mary Davidson Holmes)
Grant Bowler (Lieutenant Peter Holmes)
Allison Webber (Jenny Holmes)
Tieghan Webber (Jenny Holmes)
Steve Bastoni (1st Officer Neil Hirsch)
David Paterson (Chief Wawrzeniak)
Kevin Copeland (Sonarman Bobby Swain)
Todd MacDonald (Radioman Giles)
Joe Petruzzi (Lieutenant Tony Garcia)
Craig Beamer (Crewman Reid)
Jonathan Oldham (Crewman Parsons)
Trent Huen (Crewman Samuel Huynh)
Donni Frizzell (Crewman Rossi)
Jonathan Stuart (Crewman Burns)
Sam Loy (Seaman Sulman)
Charlie Clausen (Seaman Byers)
Robert Rabiah (Cook Gratino)
Marc Carra (Cook Walmsey)
Rod Mullinar (Admiral Jack Cunningham)
Felicity Boyd (Lieutenant Ashton)
Bill Hunter (Prime Minister Seaton)
Charles Tingwell (Professor Alan Nordstrum)
Mark Mitchell (Reg)
John Higginson (Martin)
Kate Kendall (Jenny Albani)
Heather Mitchell (British anchorwoman)
Nicholas Hammond (US President)
Bruce Hughes (press secretary)
David Tredinnick (US analyst)
Antonia Murphy (dinner woman)
Adam McKee (dinner man)
Michael Fry (school teacher)
Jennifer Castles (post mistress)
Peter Mendoza (boat builder)
Alyce Platt (Sharon Towers)
Madeline Cenedese (Angela Towers)
Darren Casha (Cal Towers)
David Argue (Jimmy Nofly)
Tom Considine (hospital doctor)
Catherine Sutherland (nurse)
Mark Pennell (pharmacist)
Warwick Begg (Overcliff father)
Sandra Murphy (Overcliff mother)
Carlie Murphy (Overcliff girl)
John Murphy (Overcliff boy)
Robert Lowe (submarine guard)
Rachel Valentyne (café girl)
Christian Bell (café guy #1)
Marty Copping (café guy #2)
Julie Day (screaming woman)
Naomi Ramos (girl in Lane Way)
Jorge Onasis (guy in Lane Way)
Nina Godinbo (girl with dog)
Michael Carman (US anchorman)
Frederique Fouche (French interviewer)
Robbie MacFarlane (officer)
Chris Cummins (interviewer)
Trent Baker (journalist #1)
Stephanie Chen (journalist #2)
Simon Lyssiotis (homeless youth)

PLOT SUMMARY

In the wake of a nuclear war, only Australia survives unscathed, though with a huge cloud of radiation is heading towards the last handful of survivors. An American submarine finds its way to Australia. When a scientist suggests that there may be survivors in part of the northern hemisphere, the crew set off in search of them.

AVAILABILITY

USA
Television Distributors: Showtime Networks Inc

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: MA

AWARDS

2000
Australian Film Institute, Australia
Best Mini-Series or Telefeature (John Edwards, Errol Sullivan, Jeffrey M. Hayes, Greg Coote) - winner
Open Craft Award: Television (Sally Shepherd, Roger Ford) - winner (for set design)
Open Craft Award: Television (Martin McGrath) - nominated (for cinematography)

Australian Guild of Screen Composers, Australia
Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie (Christopher Gordon) - winner
Best Original Title Theme for a Series, Serial or Mini-Series (Christopher Gordon) - winner
Best Soundtrack Album (Christopher Gordon) - winner

2001
Australian Cinematographers Society, Australia (Golden Tripod)
Telefeatures, TV Drama & Mini Series (Martin McGrath) - winner

Cinema Audio Society, USA
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Television Movie-of-the-Week, Mini-Series (Robert Sullivan, John McKerrow) - nominated (for part II)

Golden Globes, USA
Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV - nominated
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (Rachel Ward) - nominated

Hollywood Make Up: and Hair Stylist Guild Awards, USA
Best Contemporary Make Up - Television (for a Mini-Series / Motion Picture Made for Television) (Brad Smith) - nominated

Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA (Golden Reel Award)
Best Sound Editing: Television Mini-Series - Dialogue & ADR (Brent Burge, Mark Perry, James Harvey, Gavin Myers, Dino Giacomin, Ian MacWilliams) - nominated
Best Sound Editing: Television Mini-Series - Effects & Foley (Brent Burge, Mark Perry, Gerry Long, Rory Martin, Dino Giacomin) - nominated

2002
Screen Music Awards, Australia
Best Television Theme (Christopher Gordon) - winner

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

En la playa - Spanish title
Fin du monde, La - French Canadian/French Swiss title
USS Charleston - Die letzte Hoffnung der Menschheit - German title
USS Charleston - French title
Viimeisellä rannalla - Finnish title

LINKS

SEE ALSO
On the Beach (1959)
Red Box, The (2000)

KEYWORDS

australia, book into film, end of the world, nuclear war, post apocalypse, radiation, remakes, submarines

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009