I am Woman recounts the inspiring story of iconic Australian pop star and female activist, Helen Reddy, following her rise to stardom in the US during the women’s movement of the 1970s.
Backed by the creative forces of Director Unjoo Moon, Cinematographer Dion Beebe (Academy-Award® Winner, Memoirs of A Geisha), and Producer Rosemary Blight (Top-End Wedding, The Sapphires), it comes as no surprise that I am Woman has been selected to premiere on opening night of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Goalpost Pictures partnered with the team at Cutting Edge Sydney to be the sole vendor for all creative services across picture & sound post-production and VFX.
Marcus Bolton, Head of Features & Television at Cutting Edge, was thrilled at the opportunity for his team to be an integral player in the creative process; “To be a production partner and provide every facet of creative services for this landmark feature film was a true honour. Being Australia’s only facility with all post-production services under one roof, enabled us to establish direct lines of communication with Goalpost and a seamless transition between departments, including dailies, editorial, DI, sound, VFX, QC and delivery. To have the film now open at TIFF, is the pièce de résistance.”
I Am Woman was shot 6.5K large-format full sensor on the Arri Alexa 65. To complement the film’s creative requirements Cutting Edge designed and implemented a unique workflow, supporting efficient colour & data management and delivery of the large-format media.
“All productions need to have room to breathe over and above the expected plan. We at Cutting Edge understand that technical limitations cannot inhibit the creative filmmaking process.”
Simon Alberry, Creative Technology Specialist at Cutting Edge
“Cutting Edge provided us with a superior workflow dedicated to supporting our shoot on Arri Alexa 65 at 6.5K. The process was seamless from dailies processing, editorial and support, screenings and culminating in DI, Sound and VFX. Nothing was too much trouble and they were with us all the way through every strand of our post-production.”
Dany Cooper ASE, Film Editor
Head of Colour at Cutting Edge, Adrian Hauser, worked closely with Dion Beebe to develop the film’s tone and colour aesthetic. “With the rushes already looking amazing, we graded the film in a progressive way, treating each scene on its own merits, whilst keeping an authenticity to the natural feel of each location.”
Despite being entirely shot in Australia, the story of I am Woman takes place in the 70s & 80s America. As such, the film required a team of dedicated artists to create seamless, high-end invisible VFX that were transformative and indistinguishable from reality. When Sydney’s Centennial Parklands became Washington DC’s Lincoln Memorial, over a hundred-thousand protestors were modelled in 3D to recreate the famous 1989 Women’s Lives Rally. A combination of digital matte painting and 3D modelling was applied to the natural interiors of Sydney’s Enmore Theatre to transform it into Carnegie Hall in New York City and to create a digital audience. These scenes are pivotal for the story and need to be visually authentic to provoke an emotional response.
Cutting Edge’s VFX Supervisor, Simon Maddison, is excited that his team played a major role in the creation of the film and to collaborate with Goalpost once more. “We have a long history with Goalpost Pictures and a level of trust on both sides that comes with that. We were excited to work again with Rosemary Blight, the wonderful Director Unjoo Moon and world-renowned DOP Dion Beebe. Bringing the story of such an iconic Australian performer to life who had such a massive impact on a global stage was both daunting and exciting. We are very proud to have been part of this project from the very beginning.”
Producer, Rosemary Blight, echoed Simon’s sentiments around the collaborative process with Cutting Edge; “Cutting Edge have backed this film 100%, from the beautiful grade by colourist Adrian Hauser who worked closely with our Oscar-nominated DP Dion Beebe, to the VFX team led by Simon Maddison who helped create the worlds of the film, from Carnegie Hall in New York to a massive rally in Washington they have worked miracles for a film shot in Sydney.”