In contrast our Christmas means 40 ̇C (104 F) heat, unforgiving sunlight outside and air-conditioned interiors. The indoor scenes are warm and really make the audience feel cozy with those huge American fireplaces and vibrant, festive decorations. In an American Christmas movie, outdoor scenes feel cold and have a rather flat color palette. In Australia, Christmas means summer vacations and being outside. But we also had to make sure we got it right culturally. We had the usual tight deadlines and last-minute changes and made sure we had the latest and greatest post tools for the work. This was definitely a unique film for us. How did you approach the post planning for the film? We spoke with Talbot, one of the two founders of South Sky Pictures and a post veteran, with films like Unbroken on his resume, about creating a different type of Christmas film. And to make the process even more difficult, post began just as quarantine hit. It was the job of editor and VFX artist Maarten “Fish” Talbot and post production manager Joshua Freeman, from Tasmania-based South Sky Pictures, to make sure the film looked as far from the North Pole as possible but still festive.
Shot in 20 locations in Australia, the full-length film, directed by My Big Fat Greek Wedding actor Louis Mandylor, follows a tightly wound American trying to find her husband and his family. L-R: Joshua Freeman and Maarten “Fish” Talbot