about us.
General Strike operates at the frontier between screen, art and events. We create screen-based experiences that engage curiosity, challenge preconceptions and celebrate beauty in unexpected places. We also consult and collaborate on both domestic and international projects. We want General Strike projects, whether big or small, to create small moments of joy and ignite the imagination.
Laurence Billiet
Laurence deep dived into the world of television when she founded Lonely Planet Television back in 2001. A creative with sound commercial know-how, she executive produced many international TV shows for channels such as National Geographic, Discovery and Eurosport including the hit show 'Lonely Planet Six Degrees'. She was in fact the first producer worldwide to secure original commissions from US digital platforms Hulu and Al Gore's Current TV. She then launched one of the first global video sharing sites in 2007 (lonelyplanet.tv) and furthered her understanding of the online video world at the pioneering Milan-based streaming platform Babelgum where she commissioned and produced a raft of web series – ‘Freewheelers’ was made a a Webby Award Honoree in 2011 and her short viral animation ‘Oil Story’ won Best Commissioned Film at Animafest Zagreb 2012. She accidently stumbled into the world of high fashion and helped Elite Models World in Paris create their own TV show, online video channel, editorial websites and social media.
In 2018 Laurence co-founded General Strike and pivoted to directing the films she produces. Her first film, the award-winning FREEMAN, premiered on the ABC TV and became the most watched documentary of 2020 on Australian television. She was awarded the prestigious Betty Roland Award for Scriptwriting 2021 as well as the 2021 Australian Directors Guild award for Best Direction in a Documentary. Her second feature, THE GIANTS was General Strike's first cinema release and became the surprise box office hit of 2023.
Rachael Antony
Curious and creative Rachael is an arts and travel content specialist with over 15 years of cross-media experience with leading media brands including Flipboard, Lonely Planet Publications, Vogue Living, Wallpaper* Magazine and COLORS Magazine. Her experience encompasses print and book publishing, broadcast TV, online video, websites, social media and apps in roles ranging from researcher, journalist, scriptwriter, commissioning editor, producer and curator.
Rachael started her career as a freelance journalist focusing on travel, the arts & architecture. Her love of travel led her to write travel guides for Lonely Planet Publications including 'Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel' that was translated into French and was reviewed in publications ranging from The Observer (UK) to ABC Radio (Australia) and Publishers Weekly (US).
An early adapter of what could be described as crowd-sourcing Rachael has collaborated with countless creatives, writers & filmmakers for some of her print and digital projects: in the process she has developed an unique, international curatorial expertise. A content strategist with hands-on experience with digital communities, Rachael was Country Curator & Community Manager for Silicon-Valley smartphone app Flipboard, based in Paris.
As co-founder of General Strike, Rachael develops and write all the studio's content slate. She co-directed General Strike's latest documentary feature film THE GIANTS.
"This innovative portrait of Bob Brown will stun and delight you"
– The Sydney Morning Herald
THE GIANTS (2023) Produced by General Strike in association with Matchbox Pictures. Directed by Laurence Billiet & Rachael Antony. Animation by Alex Le Guillou featured above.
latest.
"A sports documentary has completely overtaken the national consciousness... it’s a pop culture moment.”
– Benjamin Law on FREEMAN
FREEMAN (2020) Produced by General Strike in association with Matchbox Pictures. Directed by Laurence Billiet in collaboration with Stephen Page & Bangarra Dance Theatre. Featuring Lilian Banks (above)
portfolio.
In the course of our working lives we have commissioned and produced content in absolutely every medium: television shows, web-series, print, publishing and online curation, we've also designed and launched websites and even managed digital communities.
We’ve made a host of travel programs featuring a diverse range of topics: from robot fighters in Tokyo and graffiti artists in Sao Paolo to sporty sheikhs in Qatar and sartorial cyclists in London’s East End. Along the way we have ventured into events - working with international teams we've staged large-scale fashion & music shows in Lisbon, Shanghai and Milan and taken over NYC's Times Square's jumbo monitors to turn them into a giant art canvas. In Melbourne we've produced a suite of custom-designed large-scale films for Federation Square's new digital façade, some of them scored by live music acts.
With General Strike we have pivoted to directing the films we produce. Our first feature film, FREEMAN, premiered in September 2020 on the ABC TV and became the most watched documentary of 2020 on Australian TV. Our newest production, THE GIANTS, was released in cinemas across the country in April 2023 and quickly became a box office hit. Please take a look at our portfolio!
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