Matt Carroll (producer)
Encyclopedia
Matthew Carroll is an Australia
n movie and TV producer. He is best known for producing films since the early 1970s including Breaker Morant
, Storm Boy
and Sunday Too Far Away
. Later, he went into television production, producing the television series G.P. for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC). He was a principal in the production house Roadshow, Coote and Carroll which produced television shows for Australian and international audiences.
. Originally, he studied to be an architect at the University of New South Wales
-- where he met Jim Sharman
, Brian Thomson
and others -- but became involved in television, working on Skippy
and Spyforce
while completing his degree.
He formed Kolossal Productions with Jim Sharman
in 1972. The company produced Private Collection
and Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens
neither of which achieved popular or critical success.
Carroll joined the South Australian Film Corporation
in 1973. His first significant role as producer was Sunday Too Far Away
in 1975 produced with Gil Brealey
. There were significant disagreements in post-production as several minutes were cut from the film, causing friction with director Ken Hannam
. However, the finished film was a hit at the Cannes Film Festival
, opened the Sydney Film Festival
and won the Golden Reel at the 1974-75 Australian Film Awards. (1)
Storm Boy
, produced the next year, was another critical success. It was a popular children's film both in Australia and Britain and won a medal at the Moscow Film Festival in 1977 for Best Children's Film. (2) Carroll produced Breaker Morant
in 1980 which was another critical success. Carroll left the South Australian Film Corporation in 1983.
or cable broadcasters and to European broadcasters. (4)
He produced the 1988 miniseries True Believers written by Bob Ellis
, a dramatisation of Australian political life between 1940 and 1954. It was a particular favourite of Paul Keating
who stated in his 1993 victory speech: "This is a victory for the true believers, for those who kept the faith through difficult times". (5)
In 1992 Carroll produced the film Turtle Beach
, based on the 1981 Blanche d'Alpuget
book of the same name. It caused controversy in Malaysia where the Government took exception to scenes of Malays executing refugees. (6)
Between 1989 and 1996 he produced G.P. for the ABC, which was set in an inner-Sydney suburb, with locations shot mainly in the Newtown
area. It was shown on Thames Television
in the UK from 1990. Carroll was proud of its focus on social issues. The show won a Human Rights Award in 1989 for its portrayal of a young child dying of AIDS
. (7) During his time at Roadshow Coote Carroll, he was also involved in the development of the highly acclaimed Brides of Christ set in a Sydney convent during the 1960s.
, which failed to break through commercially or critically. In 1999, he produced the first series of the science fiction series Farscape
as well as the film Passion: The Story of Percy Grainger. In 2003, he produced The Postcard Bandit which was nominated for Most Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie in the Logie Awards of 2004
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n movie and TV producer. He is best known for producing films since the early 1970s including Breaker Morant
Breaker Morant (film)
Breaker Morant is a 1980 Australian film about the court martial of Breaker Morant, directed by Bruce Beresford and starring British actor Edward Woodward as Harry "Breaker" Morant...
, Storm Boy
Storm Boy (film)
Storm Boy is a 1976 Australian film based on a children's book, by Colin Thiele, about a boy and his pelican.Storm Boy likes to wander alone along the fierce deserted coast of South Australia's Coorong. He and his father live a reclusive life among the dunes that face out into the Southern Ocean...
and Sunday Too Far Away
Sunday Too Far Away
Sunday Too Far Away is an Australian feature film which was directed by Ken Hannam and released in 1975. It belongs to the Australian Film Renaissance which occurred during that decade....
. Later, he went into television production, producing the television series G.P. for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC). He was a principal in the production house Roadshow, Coote and Carroll which produced television shows for Australian and international audiences.
Life and Early Movie Production Career
Carroll was born in 1944 in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Originally, he studied to be an architect at the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
-- where he met Jim Sharman
Jim Sharman
James "Jim" Sharman , the son of boxing tent entrepreneur Jimmy Sharman, is a director and writer for film and stage with over 70 productions to his credit...
, Brian Thomson
Brian Thomson
Brian Thomson is an Australian theatre, opera and film designer. He has been active in Australian stage design for over three decades.Thomson began a long and successful collaboration with director Jim Sharman after they met at Heavenburgers on Sydney's Oxford Street in 1969; they worked together...
and others -- but became involved in television, working on Skippy
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is an Australian television series for children created by John McCallum, produced from 1966–1968, telling the adventures of a young boy and his intelligent pet kangaroo, in the Waratah National Park in Duffys Forest, near Sydney, New South Wales.Ninety-one 30-minute...
and Spyforce
Spyforce
Spyforce was an Australian TV series produced from 1971 to 1973, based upon the adventures of Australian Military Intelligence operatives in the South West Pacific during World War II...
while completing his degree.
He formed Kolossal Productions with Jim Sharman
Jim Sharman
James "Jim" Sharman , the son of boxing tent entrepreneur Jimmy Sharman, is a director and writer for film and stage with over 70 productions to his credit...
in 1972. The company produced Private Collection
Private Collection
Private Collection may refer to:* Private collection, a privately owned collection of works, usually a collection of art* Private Collection , 1983* Private Collection , 2008...
and Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens
Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens
Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens is a 1972 film directed by Jim Sharman. It is the first feature-length film from Sharman, who subsequently directed The Rocky Horror Picture Show....
neither of which achieved popular or critical success.
Carroll joined the South Australian Film Corporation
South Australian Film Corporation
South Australian Film Corporation is a South Australian Government statutory corporation established in 1972. Former State Premier Don Dunstan played an instrumental role in the foundation of the Corporation and its early film production activities....
in 1973. His first significant role as producer was Sunday Too Far Away
Sunday Too Far Away
Sunday Too Far Away is an Australian feature film which was directed by Ken Hannam and released in 1975. It belongs to the Australian Film Renaissance which occurred during that decade....
in 1975 produced with Gil Brealey
Gil Brealey
Gil Brealey is an Australian television and film director, producer and writer.Brealey studied at Melbourne University, where he made his first amateur films around the age of 20. He was a member of the Melbourne University Film society and was a speaker at the Eisenstein Weekend organised by the...
. There were significant disagreements in post-production as several minutes were cut from the film, causing friction with director Ken Hannam
Ken Hannam
Ken Hannam was an Australian film and television director.-Career:Born in Melbourne, the eldest of three boys, Hannam lived in his youth in Sydney and was educated at Wollaroi College in New South Wales. He worked in Australian radio and television, then moved in 1968 to England...
. However, the finished film was a hit at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, opened the Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival
The Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
and won the Golden Reel at the 1974-75 Australian Film Awards. (1)
Storm Boy
Storm Boy (film)
Storm Boy is a 1976 Australian film based on a children's book, by Colin Thiele, about a boy and his pelican.Storm Boy likes to wander alone along the fierce deserted coast of South Australia's Coorong. He and his father live a reclusive life among the dunes that face out into the Southern Ocean...
, produced the next year, was another critical success. It was a popular children's film both in Australia and Britain and won a medal at the Moscow Film Festival in 1977 for Best Children's Film. (2) Carroll produced Breaker Morant
Breaker Morant (film)
Breaker Morant is a 1980 Australian film about the court martial of Breaker Morant, directed by Bruce Beresford and starring British actor Edward Woodward as Harry "Breaker" Morant...
in 1980 which was another critical success. Carroll left the South Australian Film Corporation in 1983.
Roadshow Coote Carroll
In 1984, Carroll joined the television production company Roadshow Coote Carroll as Managing Director. It produced Australian television series and miniseries which were sold to Australian broadcasters and to international broadcasters in the UK, the Public Broadcasting ServicePublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
or cable broadcasters and to European broadcasters. (4)
He produced the 1988 miniseries True Believers written by Bob Ellis
Bob Ellis
Bob Ellis is an Australian writer, journalist, film-maker and political commentator. He was a student at the University of Sydney at the same time as other notable Australians including Clive James, Germaine Greer, Les Murray, John Bell, Ken Horler, and Mungo McCallum...
, a dramatisation of Australian political life between 1940 and 1954. It was a particular favourite of Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
who stated in his 1993 victory speech: "This is a victory for the true believers, for those who kept the faith through difficult times". (5)
In 1992 Carroll produced the film Turtle Beach
Turtle Beach (film)
Turtle Beach is a 1992 Australian film directed by Stephen Wallace and starring Greta Scacchi and Joan Chen. The screenplay was written by Ann Turner, based on the novel of the same name by Blanche d'Alpuget...
, based on the 1981 Blanche d'Alpuget
Blanche d'Alpuget
Josephine Blanche d'Alpuget is an Australian writer, and second wife of the longest-serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister, Bob Hawke.-Biography:...
book of the same name. It caused controversy in Malaysia where the Government took exception to scenes of Malays executing refugees. (6)
Between 1989 and 1996 he produced G.P. for the ABC, which was set in an inner-Sydney suburb, with locations shot mainly in the Newtown
Newtown, New South Wales
Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west is located approximately four kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, straddling the local government areas of the City of Sydney and Marrickville Council in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
area. It was shown on Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
in the UK from 1990. Carroll was proud of its focus on social issues. The show won a Human Rights Award in 1989 for its portrayal of a young child dying of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. (7) During his time at Roadshow Coote Carroll, he was also involved in the development of the highly acclaimed Brides of Christ set in a Sydney convent during the 1960s.
Independent Producer
Carroll set up as an independent producer in 1995. His first production was the 1996 film Diana & Me starring Toni ColletteToni Collette
Antonia "Toni" Collette is an Australian actress and musician, known for her acting work on stage, television and film as well as a secondary career as the lead singer of the band Toni Collette & the Finish....
, which failed to break through commercially or critically. In 1999, he produced the first series of the science fiction series Farscape
Farscape
Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
as well as the film Passion: The Story of Percy Grainger. In 2003, he produced The Postcard Bandit which was nominated for Most Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie in the Logie Awards of 2004
Logie Awards of 2004
The 46th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Sunday, 18 April 2004 at Crown Casino in Melbourne and broadcast on the Nine Network. Eddie McGuire presided as Master of Ceremonies for the second year in a row, and the awards featured special guest Mel Brooks...
.