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It may be home to fewer than 1,000 people, but Winton in far-western Queensland is living up to its self-proclaimed title of 'Hollywood of the Outback'.
Key points:
- Winton residents became extras and crew members in the new ABC drama series, Total Control
- The town embraces its nickname of 'Hollywood of the Outback'
- There is talk of film tourism in the town, with guided tours of homes, pubs, sports fields and other locations
The town plays a major part in new ABC TV drama Total Control, starring Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths.
The 170 cast and crew rolled into town for five weeks of filming, giving the town's economy a much-needed boost.
Mailman, who was born in Mount Isa, knows the country well and loved filming there.
"I just think it's great that we get the opportunity and audiences get the opportunity to see that part of our country," she said.
"I think it's fantastic that people see Winton as a place to film," she said.
The show tells the story of Mailman's character, Alex Irvine, an Indigenous woman thrust into the national spotlight after a horrific domestic violence death in the town.
She said she fell in love with Alex's story after reading an early draft.
"I loved it. I loved how it started," she said.
"It just comes in and just punches you straight from the get-go.
"She's different to what I've played before. She's very complicated, she's full of contradictions, she's deeply flawed, she's feisty, she has a temper, she ruffles a lot of feathers.
"It was a lot of fun playing her."
However, filming in the outback, away from the comforts of the metropolitan locations, was not without its challenges.
"The bloody flies," Mailman said with a laugh.
"There was one scene we actually couldn't get because the flies were just in our mouths, all around our eyes, it was just almost impossible."
Locals on the big screen
Winton already calls itself the 'Hollywood of the Outback' and has been the location for movies such as Mystery Road and US production The Proposition.
The town shines on the screen — the remote, sometimes brutal, landscape is almost a character itself.
Hundreds of the local residents had roles in the show, either as on-screen extras or working behind the scenes.
Winton Shire Councillor John Elliott said it felt like everyone had a role.
"I'm the only one who didn't get in it," he said with a laugh.
Although production lasted only five weeks, it created a lasting buzz in the town.
"Everyone's talking about it," Cr Elliot said.
"They were really nice friendly people, you could run into them at the pub.
"It's not every day you can sit down and have a yarn to Rachel Griffiths or Deborah Mailman."
Griffiths rolled up in a mobile home and stayed behind one of the pubs during the time she was there.
The town turned out to a special preview of the first episodes at the Royal Open Air Theatre before they screened on television.
There's talk of embracing film tourism with guided tours of the homes, pubs, sports fields, and other locations used in the show.
"I think we'll have to get plaques and put them all over town, 'This is the tree they burnt down'," Mr Elliott said.
"It's amazing to see it on national television."
It's not the first time locals have been called on to be extras and local Angela Bruhn jumped at the opportunity.
Like many others, she went through a rigorous casting process and spent hours on set filming.
"We were treated so well, we were treated like we were the most important people there," she said.
"We'd have lunch with them every day, they'd say hello to you in the street — beautiful people."
She's got her eyes set on bigger roles in the future.
"Hopefully I get a talking part, that'd be good," Ms Bruhn said.
Back for more?
With the success of the first season, there is already talk of returning for season two.
Mailman said she would absolutely be up for it.
"All of us loved Winton. We loved filming there," she said.
"Hopefully we'll be back if there's a season two."
The council is already considering plans to build dedicated film-production facility workspaces to encourage future crews to town.
Total Control screens on ABC TV on Sunday nights, or any time on iview.
Topics: television, regional, human-interest, film, winton-4735
First posted