Hexagon Productions

Hexagon Productions was an Australian film production company established in 1972 by Village Roadshow, filmmaker Tim Burstall, and the production partnership Bilcock and Copping. The company grew out of the successful collaboration among the parties on Stork, a 1971 Australian film directed by Burstall. Its formation reflected an effort to create a locally controlled production structure that could combine creative filmmaking, production expertise, and access to theatrical distribution. The ownership arrangement divided the company between three interests. Village Roadshow held 50 percent, while Tim Burstall and Bilcock and Copping each held 25 percent. Governance was designed to balance production and distribution priorities: the production side had a veto over production decisions, the distribution side had a veto over distribution decisions, and all participants had a say in selecting projects. Alan Finney initially represented Roadshow on the Hexagon board. During the 1970s, Hexagon became one of the most prominent and commercially successful film companies in Australia. Its early slate included the comedy Alvin Purple, released in 1973 and followed by the related television production Inside Alvin Purple and the sequel Alvin Rides Again. The original film was a major commercial success for the company and generated a reported profit of approximately A$940,000. Hexagon also produced or participated in a varied group of Australian features, including Petersen, Australia After Dark, The Love Epidemic, End Play, Eliza Fraser, and High Rolling. These projects ranged across comedy, drama, exploitation-oriented documentary or revue formats, and other commercially focused genres. The company’s output formed part of the revival of Australian feature filmmaking that gathered momentum in the 1970s. Hexagon combined locally oriented subject matter with genres and marketing approaches intended to reach broad domestic audiences. Its films also helped establish a production environment in which Australian directors, performers, writers, and technical personnel could work within a more commercially organized framework. Bilcock and Copping left Hexagon before the production of Eliza Fraser. The company later encountered financial pressure as the Australian film industry became more competitive and production economics became more difficult. In July 1978, Hexagon reported a loss of almost A$300,000, compared with a reported loss of A$580 in the previous year. The available reference material does not establish the company’s formal dissolution date or document a continuing present-day operating business. Hexagon is therefore best understood as a historically significant Australian production company whose principal period of activity was the 1970s.

Hexagon Productions was created in 1972 during a period of renewed activity in Australian cinema. Its founding members were Village Roadshow, director and filmmaker Tim Burstall, and the production partnership Bilcock and Copping. The parties had previously worked together on Stork, released in 1971, and sought to continue that collaboration through a dedicated production company. The company’s structure was intended to balance creative and commercial interests. Village Roadshow owned half of Hexagon, while Burstall and Bilcock and Copping each held a quarter. The arrangement gave the production side a veto over production decisions and the distribution side a veto over distribution decisions. Project selection was to be determined collectively. Alan Finney initially represented Roadshow on the Hexagon board. Hexagon’s strongest period came during the 1970s. The company built a reputation for producing films aimed at Australian audiences and for combining local creative talent with commercially accessible formats. Its most successful early title was Alvin Purple, a 1973 comedy that became a notable box-office success and reportedly produced a profit of approximately A$940,000. The company followed it with Inside Alvin Purple, a television production, and Alvin Rides Again in 1974. The production slate expanded beyond the Alvin Purple series. Hexagon was associated with Petersen, Australia After Dark, The Love Epidemic, End Play, Eliza Fraser, and High Rolling. These titles demonstrate the company’s broad approach to Australian filmmaking, encompassing comedy, drama, popular entertainment, and other commercially positioned formats. Bilcock and Copping departed before the company made Eliza Fraser, altering the original founding structure. By the late 1970s, Hexagon’s financial position had weakened. In July 1978, the company reported a loss of nearly A$300,000, compared with a loss of A$580 the year before. The available reference does not provide a formal closure date, a detailed account of later ownership, or evidence of ongoing operations. Hexagon’s documented legacy is therefore concentrated in its 1970s productions and its role in the development of commercially viable Australian feature filmmaking.

• 1978

  The company reports a significant loss

  [1]Hexagon Productionsen.wikipedia.org

  Hexagon reports a loss of almost A$300,000, compared with a reported loss of A$580 in the preceding year.

• 1975

  A broad group of productions is released

  [1]Hexagon Productionsen.wikipedia.org

  The company is associated with Australia After Dark, The Love Epidemic, End Play, and Eliza Fraser.

• 1974

  Alvin Rides Again and Petersen enter the slate

  [1]Hexagon Productionsen.wikipedia.org

  Hexagon continues its feature-film activity with the Alvin Purple sequel Alvin Rides Again and the film Petersen.

• 1973

  Alvin Purple is released

  [1]Hexagon Productionsen.wikipedia.org

  The comedy becomes a major commercial success and reportedly generates approximately A$940,000 in profit for Hexagon.

• 1972

  Hexagon Productions is established

  [1]Hexagon Productionsen.wikipedia.org

  Village Roadshow, Tim Burstall, and Bilcock and Copping establish the company following their collaboration on Stork.

A commercially oriented Australian film production company combining local creative production with Village Roadshow’s distribution capabilities.

• Feature film · 1973

  Alvin Purple

  A 1973 Australian comedy and Hexagon’s best-documented commercial breakthrough. The film became sufficiently successful to support a related television production and a sequel, and it reportedly generated approximately A$940,000 in profit for the company.

• Television production · 1973

  Inside Alvin Purple

  A television production connected to the Alvin Purple property. It extended Hexagon’s best-known film concept beyond theatrical release and demonstrated the company’s interest in exploiting successful properties across formats.

• Feature film · 1974

  Alvin Rides Again

  The 1974 sequel to Alvin Purple. Its production reflected Hexagon’s effort to build a continuing commercial franchise from its most successful title.

• Feature film · 1974

  Petersen

  A 1974 feature in Hexagon’s Australian production slate, illustrating the company’s activity beyond the Alvin Purple series.

• Film · 1975

  Australia After Dark

  A 1975 production associated with Hexagon. It formed part of the company’s varied group of locally produced, commercially oriented screen projects.

• Feature film · 1975

  The Love Epidemic

  A 1975 Hexagon production included among the company’s feature-film credits from its most active decade.

• Feature film · 1975

  End Play

  A 1975 feature associated with Hexagon’s broad Australian filmmaking program.

• Feature film · 1975

  Eliza Fraser

  A 1975 Australian feature made after Bilcock and Copping had left Hexagon. It belongs to the later part of the company’s documented 1970s production activity.

• Feature film · 1977

  High Rolling

  A 1977 feature listed among Hexagon Productions’ selected credits.

• Feature film · 1979

  The Last of the Knucklemen

  A 1979 film listed among Hexagon Productions’ selected credits and representing the company’s activity at the end of its documented production period.

• 1972

  Formation of an integrated production partnershipStrategy

  Background

  The founders wanted to continue the successful creative collaboration that produced Stork while combining filmmaking expertise with Village Roadshow’s distribution capabilities.

  Action taken

  Hexagon was established with Village Roadshow holding 50 percent and Tim Burstall and Bilcock and Copping each holding 25 percent. Governance divided veto rights between production and distribution interests.

  Aftermath

  The structure supported a productive 1970s slate and helped Hexagon become one of Australia’s most successful filmmaking companies during that decade.

  Source

1. 1Hexagon Productionsen.wikipedia.org