Bundy girl brings entertainment

Peter Skillman and Janelle Mason started CinemaLive, a company that streams live shows into cinemas in regional Australia. SUBMITTED PHOTO

FORMER Bundaberg girl Janelle Mason is taking over the globe with CinemaLive, a production company that streams concerts live into local cinemas.

“We saw an opportunity to put all our expertise together to shoot live concerts and satellite them all around the country,” Ms Mason said.

Since the creation of CinemaLive, Ms Mason has been keen to introduce the technology to Bundaberg.

“Bundy is so close to my heart, so I was determined to get it in there,” she said.

Bundaberg will receive its first taste of the new technology on December 20, when the Moncrieff Theatre broadcasts two live Wiggles shows.

Ms Mason has come a long way since her days at Bundaberg High School. After making her way to the top of television in a Sydney advertising agency, working in New York and London and opening her own production company in Sydney, she has her sites set on bigger things.

She and her business partner Peter Skillman launched CinemaLive in 2008 and have been busily introducing the concept into regional cinemas around Australia, New Zealand and, more recently, the rest of the world.

“We can send the content absolutely everywhere,” she said.

“Recently we did an Andre Rieu show, which was sent to 66 screens in Australia and 15 locations in the Netherlands, where the performer is from.”

Getting the technology to Bundaberg was not all smooth sailing, Ms Mason said.

“The Moncrieff doesn’t have a digital projector, so we had to send one up. Hopefully they end up buying one so we can do regular shows in Bundaberg,” she said.

The CinemaLive satellite will be installed at the theatre today.

“I hope it will do really well in Bundaberg,” Ms Mason said.

“It’s hard to introduce a new concept like this but people will love the big sound and whopping screen. The feedback in other communities has been absolutely overwhelming, so we hope Bundaberg feels the same.”