CSB has been working for months on an exciting project with film journalist Andrew Urban of Urbancinefile. We’re interviewing film and television practitioners about their business experiences.
Our aim is to develop a deeper understanding about the history of business decision-making in film and television and to share with our audience the wisdom from the accumulated mistakes, experiments and achievements of the contributors.
Nick McMahon - biography
Nick McMahon is one of Australia’s most respected television production executives, with over 30 years international and Australian experience. He originally spent 13 years with Crawfords as the Director of Sales and Marketing, selling Australian product around the world.
In 1987 he formed McMahon and Lake Pty Ltd with Michael Lake and was responsible for the Australian production of Paramount’s Mission Impossible series, which received international success.
He was Managing Director of Village Roadshow Pictures (Aust) Pty Ltd from 1991 – 1998.
McMahon rejoined Crawfords as CEO in 1999. He is Executive Producer of the internationally successful children’s series, The Saddle Club and is responsible for the show’s merchandise and licensing strategy.
He has also worked as an international consultant for the US Home Box Office (HBO) and is currently the Pacific Rim Representative of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), a board member of Odyssey House and Vice President of the Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA).
Audio download
Chapter 1 - Crawfords - 11 minutes
- First stint at Crawfords
- Introduction of colour TV and first international sales
- Homicide and Ryan first batch, UK the prime market
- Hector Crawford’s skills (including selling radio serials over the phone)
- 10BA crippled Crawfords
- Wanted to buy it in 1989 with Michael Lake, but unable so left – there were 440 on staff, at the Box Hill HQ
- Set up Village Roadshow Pictures with Lake running the studio
- Came back to Crawfords in 1999, 14 people on staff
- Case study of Zoo Story, historic comparison of costs/licence fees
Video downloads
Chapter 2 - Crawfords continues - 13 minutes
- The Saddle Club – 70-30 Aust/Canada co-production
- Initiating merchandising spin-off
- Second series ratings hit, merchandising growth
- Importance of merchandising to TV series
- New series 2007 seen in 330 markets in US on PBS – no fee, purely to drive merchandise sales
Video downloads
Chapter 3 - Development dept - 6 minutes
- Crawfords now three key executives
- Offshore productions – Mission Impossible and Flipper
- Wayne Goss and the Queensland film industry
Video downloads
Chapter 4 - The future - 10 minutes
- Internet and copyright, TV at crossroads
- Industry healthy – aided by offshore productions like $175m series, The Pacific
- Australian producers under utilising studios
- Crawfords’ planning
- Digitising all previous productions, eg The Sullivans
- Exploring internet, but concerns re piracy
- Setting up interactive Saddle Club site
Video downloads
