Star Power Down Under
Share
Stellar Entertainment is moving on up, down under. In June last year, the Sydney-based content service provider and production company hosted the grand opening of its purpose-built $2-million headquarters facility in the city’s bustling Entertainment Quarter. Fitted out with private encoding rooms, an audio duplication studio, video editing and audio production suites, a soundproof green screen room and office space, the new HQ brings all of the company’s star power – previously divided among two buildings – under one roof.
Australian accents and pops of green and purple top off the edgy, industrially designed space, furnished completely with custom-made desks, chairs and sofas. “It’s very un-office-like,” says Helen Lynch, Stellar’s cofounder, who co-designed the space with Sean Yeap from SWOT Design Group. “There’s one couch that’s probably 50 feet long – it’s like a snake.”
Besides impressing visitors, clients and celebrities who visit Stellar’s new digs, the interior design also caught the attention of the Master Builders Association of NSW, nabbing the Excellence Award in Construction. But more importantly, the staff likes it. “It’s proved to be a huge success,” Lynch says. “The staff loves being here.”
THE SHAPE OF WHAT’S TO COME
The move marks more than a successful foray into interior design; it signals a business remodeling, too. Wi-Fi, passenger devices and the looming reality where the two are merged seamlessly and ubiquitously in flight has prompted much of the in-flight entertainment (IFE) industry to turn inward and do some restructuring of its own. For Stellar, unifying its two Sydney locations mirrors the recent merging of the company’s service capabilities – a shift that’s also reflected on the redesigned website.
“Traditionally, Stellar had looked at its in-flight business with the focus on content,” explains Steve Gunther, director of Production Services. “I think the opportunity that we have with our studios and production facilities here in Sydney, it was pretty obvious.” In addition to providing IFE services to airlines, the company realized it could leverage its in-house production capabilities to expand its services to include producing and editing pre-flight safety videos, prerecorded announcements and more.
“It enhances our position in the marketplace compared to our competitors,” says Gunther, who identified the cross-departmental potential the company had. “We’ve now done safety videos for Fiji Airways, Garuda Indonesia … and we’re working with Qantas on all of its audio and post-production, as well as the languages.”
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Over 40 years into the business, with five offices and more than 60 full-time employees, The Stellar Family – as Helen and her partner/chairman, Rob Lynch, both call it, has grown to a considerable, though modest, size.
While picking up odd jobs in radio and voice work – some of you may recognize his timbre from his 10-year stint as the voice of ABC, Rob spotted a newspaper ad from Qantas for an in-flight programming provider. “I saw the ad and I thought: I could do that,” he says. “So I applied, and I probably was the only one that applied, because I got the job.”
A lot’s changed since then, especially in the past 10 years. “When we started, Qantas had six audio channels, there was one movie shown on the big screen, and that was it for in-flight entertainment,” says Helen. “Comparing that with what there is now … It’s quantumly different.”
In 2010, working with Bluebox Avionics on crucial software and hardware integration, Stellar provided content for the industry’s first preloaded, airline-supplied iPads on Australian carrier Jetstar. Two years later, Stellar was also involved in Virgin Atlantic’s introduction of wireless IFE, facilitated by Lufthansa’s BoardConnect system.
“Probably only something like a small, family-owned business would take on something like the Jetstar/Apple initiative,” says Rob. “In our company, you just knock on my door and we can give it a yes or a no. We try things. We don’t have the impediment of having to go through bureaucracy.”
LOCAL DOMINATION
Despite the growing demand for IFE and connectivity, the number of content service providers has been shrinking. “There is a bit of a thing going on for world domination, and I think there’s only four of us left,” says Rob. Stellar ranks a distant third for global market share, behind Global Eagle Entertainment and Spafax, and is followed by Inflight Dublin. According to Rob, there have been knocks on the door, “But I haven’t answered the knock.”
Global domination isn’t on Stellar’s radar; instead, the company’s happy to stay at home in the Asia-Pacific region. “It’s where we are in the world,” says Helen. “It’s the area we chose to be in, and that’s been a good choice – it’s been the right choice.”
That may sound modest, but the ever-growing Asia-Pacific market is far from it. “The center of gravity for global aviation is moving east,” said Tony Tyler last year, IATA’s outgoing CEO. “By 2030, the Asia-Pacific region will have surpassed both North America and Europe in terms of passenger numbers.” As competition revs up between regional carriers vying for growing passenger numbers, IFE will become an increasingly competitive differentiator, especially since – as APEX’s most recent Global Passenger Survey finds – Asian travelers rank IFE as the paramount requirement for a satisfying flight.
Stellar is well positioned for new business. “What Rob did very well … was to say to [an outfit] like Malaysia Airlines that being your content service provider means that we will invest in Malaysia,” says Gunther. Locations in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Beijing have played a crucial role in the company’s work with Malaysia Airlines, Scoot, China Southern and China Eastern. “It helps with the relationship,” says Rob. “You’re not sort of flying in for a couple of days and then leaving. We actually live here.”
AUSSIE STAR POWER
It also doesn’t hurt that, in the global entertainment industry, Australian talent has been taking the world stage by force. With 15 nominations at this year’s Academy Awards, the country had its best showing ever. “I think Aussie content has certainly evolved over the last decade in a very positive manner,” Gunther says. “There’s a number of Aussie artists that have made their way to Hollywood, and the great thing is, they come back with a gravitas that actually lifts our local industry and gives it more confidence to move forward with ideas.”
And with its big move to the Entertainment Quarter, right next to Fox Studios, Australian Film Television and Radio School and other like-minded creatives, Stellar’s at the heart of it. By 2019, the Australian entertainment and media market is poised to grow to $43.4 billion.
There must be something in the water – or in the geography. “Particularly down here in Australia, if we want to go somewhere, it’s going to be a 10-hour flight,” says Rob. “I mean, just getting from Sydney across Australia, I believe that’s four or five hours.” Plenty of time to catch up on the latest Hemsworth flicks.
“Star Power Down Under” was originally published in the March/April issue of APEX Experience magazine.