Sutherland Pavilion
50th Anniversary Celebration
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50 Years and Counting... 50th Anniversary Gala Opener
The Future Sutherland Pavilion 2026 Vision
We were commissioned by Sutherland Pavilion to produce visual content to be integrated into the Pavilion’s 50th anniversary gala, with the purpose of summarising the history of the building, and its cultural significance and impact.
Formerly the Sutherland Civic Centre, and then Sutherland Entertainment Centre, most residents of the Sutherland Shire are familiar with the building, with many having both performed and watched many shows there.
The anniversary gala included performances by local artists and groups with strong connections to the building, which also incorporated synchronised projections of archival materials and new visuals compiled and filmed by us. As the performances were live, video deliverables were sent as separate cues that could be played at various key moments in these to ensure transitions and visuals remained synchronised with the music, giving a highly cohesive and impressive technical spectacle, which traversed the attending 680 guests through the building’s rich history and cultural impact.
This required a mix of archival footage, motion graphics, and new imagery to be captured of the building’s new and old architectural features. With so many different eras and formats of archival materials, it was important to develop a coherent and consistent visual style to be used throughout the night, for which we used our film emulation process, along with graphic design that embodies the organisation’s brand, and the energy of the space.
Two highly edited and reworked music tracks and stems were sourced, with us removing the melody from the second track, to be replaced with re-pitched and re-arranged samples of the cello soli from the earlier track, and a new melody composed and played on piano by our own Julian Neuhaus to accompany it. This made for a highly emotive and unique score to accompany the end of the opening sequence.
In total, as part of this project, Sutherland Pavilion supplied 12,495 pieces of archival material, including over 10 hours of footage, a plethora of documents and newspaper clippings, along with countless historical photographs.
The montage videos created for synchronising with performances are on display in the history exhibition in Sutherland Pavilion’s foyer until the end of July.
Celebrating a brutalist icon
With so many different eras and formats of archival materials, it was important to develop a coherent and consistent visual style to be used across all content being shown throughout the night, for which we used our film emulation process, along with a visual language that embodies the characteristics of the space, a nod to the venue’s iconic brutalist architecture, with inspiration taken from the original brickwork reveals lining the theatre’s walls. After discussing this element in the videos during an early test screening, the venue’s lighting supervisor, Cameron Bartie, and technical director, David Grigg, decided to keep the recessed brick reveals interior lighting on through the duration of the evening’s performance, which gave the space a beautiful ambiance, and highlighting one of the building’s most recognisable features.
Winding back the clock
One of the most unique features of the opening video is the animated year counter, mimicking a mechanical clock ticking over, serving as a playful way to establish the passage of time, and add context of the facts. At the conclusion of the opener, it winds all the way through from the opening year, to today.
Creating this element was an involved process, where each individual digit needed to be animated in a grid of four columns and 5 rows - with the very top and bottom rows serving as places for the numerals to ‘hide’ and be swapped out after sliding up, and the middle row the only one completely visible.
To give it a visceral and tactile sounding impact, a mechanical typewriter recording from our recent showreel was repurposed.
Project Credits
Director, Cinematographer & Editor Julian Neuhaus
Camera Assistant Sam Riesel
Finishing & Online IRONBARK DIGITAL
Thanks to Miranda Musical Theatre Company, Engadine Musical Society, Sutherland Shire Council, Sutherland Shire Libraries, Sutherland Shire Symphony Orchestra, Sutherland Shire Brass, Sutherland Shire Council
Music
Illusory Rhythms composed & performed by Peter John ‘SPEARFISHER’, featuring Cicely Parnas, published by Artlist
Edge of Possibility by Peter John ‘SPEARFISHER’, performed by Brianna Tam, published by Artlist
Reborn composed by Julian Neuhaus
For Sutherland Pavilion
Executive Director Justin Boschetti
Creative Producer Saz Watson
Marketing Manager Emilie Lawson
Technical Director David Grigg
Technical Supervisor Harry Provins
Lighting Supervisor Cameron Bartie
