ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Rising Sun Pictures (RSP), an Adelaide visual effects studio, is best known for its work on Hollywood blockbusters such as X-Men: Days of Future Past , Gravity , and The Great Gatsby , to name a few. Recently, though, the digital artists there applied their talents to a rare television project: ANZAC Girls , a six-part mini-series produced by Screentime, a Banijay Group company, for ABC-TV.
Based on Peter Rees' book The Other ANZACs, ANZAC Girls tells the true story of five military nurses from Australia and New Zealand who served with Allied forces during World War I. Witnessing the horrors of war, the women experienced severe hardships while tending to the wounded and formed bonds of friendship that would last a lifetime. As Series Producer Lisa Scott (who produced the series with Felicity Packard) explains, the series offers unique insight by showing how the war affected people, other than soldiers on the line.
Rising Sun Pictures was sole visual effects provider for the series. Visual Effects Supervisor Tim Crosbie, Visual Effects Producer Richard Thwaites and their crew worked hand in hand with Directors Ken Cameron and Ian Watson, Cinematographer Geoffrey Hall, Production Designer Scott Bird and other members of the production team in crafting magnificent re-creations of wartime environments, military vehicles, armament and other historical details.
Production of the series spanned three months at a number of sites in South Australia that were meticulously transformed into war locations representing, among other things, Mena Camp outside Cairo, a field hospital on the Greek island of Lemnos, a casualty clearing station near the Somme on the Western Front, the Cairo docks at night and the railway station of Rouen. RSP artists augmented these practical locations with CG set extensions and matte paintings, and dropped in CG-animated warships, trucks, aircraft and trains. Additionally, the studio contributed to re-creations of the sinking of the New Zealand troop ship S.S. Marquette (which happened off the coast of Salonika in 1915) and the Allied landing at Gallipoli.
The RSP team went to considerable lengths to achieve historical accuracy in its digital environments. Reproducing the ports of Cairo and Alexandria proved particularly challenging. With all the troubles happening in Egypt while we were in production, we couldn't go there to shoot anything or hire a crew. It was potentially too dangerous, Crosbie recalls. So, instead, we spent a lot of time hunting for library footage that we could then redress or rebuild. Bird and his art department did a fantastic job in supplying us with historical material.
Additionally, Crosbie and his crew shot photographs of buildings in Adelaide that were built pre-World War I and incorporated them into visual effects environments. They also populated scenes with soldiers, nurses, moving vehicles and animated environmental elements to bring them to life.
Producing visual effects for television is quite different from producing effects for a blockbuster movie. The production schedule is significantly shorter and the budget more modest. Where it is not unusual for a visual effects studio to spend months perfecting a single visual effects scene for a studio feature, RSP had just eight weeks to deliver the dozens of visual effects shots included in the six parts of ANZAC Girls.
To avoid compromises in quality, RSP got to work early. Artists began building models of ships, trucks and aircraft while production was ongoing. Crosbie traveled to the set to confer with the directors and other members of the production team on how to shoot individual shots in order to speed subsequent visual effects production. It was a very collaborative effort, he recalls. I'd let them know what we could bring to each shot or how they might shoot something to limit the amount of difficult work required later.
Among the most ambitious scenes in the series is the landing at Gallipoli. The scene is revealed from the point of view of two nurses standing on the deck of a ship some distance from shore. Scott compares it to a scene from the D-Day landings. We had hundreds of ships, observation balloons in the air, Turkish guns, she recalls. Explosions were occurring all around. Each of these elements was built on top of the other in order to create a very believable, shocking and frightening moment for these two nurses, standing on a ship and not knowing what was coming toward them.
RSP artists spent long hours integrating CG elements with the live action and ensuring that each part conformed as closely as possible to the actual events of April 25, 1915. Gallipoli is very well known in Australia, so we had to get that right, says Scott.
Indeed, the historical significance of the story lent a certain gravitas to the enterprise. We all felt an obligation to tell the story with every cent we had available, Scott observes. Rising Sun was certainly on board with that. I wanted to get maximum value for our dollars, and they delivered in spades. As was everyone involved in this project, Richard, Tim and their team were inspired by the story of these extraordinary women.
Crosbie concurred, noting that ANZAC Girls provided the perfect opportunity for RSP to test its mettle in television. We had a long list of shots and a tough schedule, but our team really enjoyed it, he concludes, adding that they were pleased to have a part in drawing attention to the little-known chapter in history of the contribution of the nurses. It's a poignant story, and it's about bloody time that it was told.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
08/01/2026
Maxon's new release of Cinebench features performance enhancements and adds support for the latest Nvidia and AMD GPUs as well as Apple Silicon.
Maxon is t...
08/01/2026
Zixi, the industry leader in IP-based video transport and orchestration, today announced the appointment of Heather Mellish as Vice President, Global Sales.
In...
08/01/2026
Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, has provided a complete update of its installation at Canal Sur in Spain. ...
08/01/2026
iWedia, a global leader in software solutions for connected TV devices, proudly announces the success of its collaboration with Panasonic on the Z95B OLED TV, o...
08/01/2026
Secuoya Chile, a leading provider of television content creation and supporting services, has invested in Ikegami UHK-X600 and UHL-X40 broadcast cameras as the ...
08/01/2026
Kiloview, a global leader in AV-over-IP solutions, will showcase its latest innovations at ISE 2026, highlighting the continued evolution of its complete, light...
08/01/2026
iWedia, a global leader in software solutions for connected TV devices, and Realtek, a leading global SoC design house, today announced the next phase of their ...
08/01/2026
CJP Broadcast has completed a new pitch-side media installation for Cinderford RFC, creating a flexible production setup that supports match coverage, coaching ...
08/01/2026
PlayBox Neo further drives momentum in Playout, Streaming, Media Management and Delivery
"With a brand new year at PlayBox Neo already off to a flying start, I...
08/01/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Presents Second Annual Commercial Dance BFA Conce...
07/01/2026
SVG Summit 2025: All General Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAYThe SVG Summit celebrated its 20th edition with a loaded agendaBy Brandon Costa, Directo...
07/01/2026
NBCU's Brings Rinkside Live' and Courtside Live' Features to Peaco...
07/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
07/01/2026
We know people use Spotify not just to listen, but to share the songs, podcasts, and audiobooks they love with their friends and family. When we launched Messag...
07/01/2026
This week, all eyes are on the podcast industry as the Golden Globes recognizes ...
07/01/2026
Podcasts are stepping onto a new stage this week as the Golden Globes recognize the medium for the first time. To mark this milestone moment, we're hosting ...
07/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in collaboration with a distributor, is commissioning new micro-budget fiction feature films and invites eligible...
07/01/2026
NASA's Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at ...
07/01/2026
For the first time ever, new C' variants allow international users to interoperate with U.S. personnel via NSA-certified cryptography....
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Abu Dhabi, UAE 7, January 2026 - Abu Dhabi Police and Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), ...
07/01/2026
Back to All News
The Trailer of Paparazzi King: The 5-Episode Docuseries Coming...
07/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Supports Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Commitment...
07/01/2026
Back to All News
What Next? Netflix Reveals Series, Films and Games Coming in 2026
Entertainment
07 January 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download ...
07/01/2026
AI has transformed retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) operations, enhancin...
06/01/2026
Peacock Bringing Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to Live Sports ContentPeacock is the first streamer to embrace Dolbys full suite of advanced picture/sound innovat...
06/01/2026
SVG Europe Audio: Listening to the sounds of powder and ice at Milano Cortina wi...
06/01/2026
Quintar Meta Spatial SDK Integration Promises Next-Level XR ExperiencesBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 - 9:41 am
Print This...
ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Rising Sun Pictures (RSP), an Adelaide visual effects studio, is best known for its work on Hollywood blockbusters such as X-Men: Days of Future Past , Gravity , and The Great Gatsby , to name a few. Recently, though, the digital artists there applied their talents to a rare television project: ANZAC Girls , a six-part mini-series produced by Screentime, a Banijay Group company, for ABC-TV. 
