CELEBRATING 25 YEARS

OF EP AUSTRALIA

A LITTLE AD
IN THE PAPER

The year was 1999. Originally called “Entertainment Personnel,” EP Australia was founded by Patricia Powell-Hughes and her mother, Catherine Powell. With a vision and Vonder Shepherd's “Searching Her Soul” playing repeatedly on the CD player. The business began with $5000 in start-up money, a fax machine, and a printed ad titled “Jobs in Film & TV.” 



EP Australia was the first recruitment agency dedicated solely to the entertainment business. At the time, a bulky IMB computer displaying a static dot com page took up half a desk. Resumes arrived by post or fax and word spread quickly. Everyone wanted to be on this new recruitment company’s radar. We soon had Santa sacks filled with resumes and we began matching candidates with roles in film, television, and music.

TWO THOUSAND
AND WHAT?!

Leanne Bushby joined us in early 2000 when we specialised in administrative and support roles for film and TV. As the industry evolved, so did our team: a little old thing called the Olympic Games caused massive growth and opportunities as hundreds of new roles exploded in everything from sports broadcast to promo producing. By 2001, the soundtracks from Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge had taken over the office. We were madly discussing this new GST tax and who to vote out of the Big Brother house. 

As CGI started to cement itself in filmmaking, we found ourselves recruiting everything from visual effects to post-production and senior management roles while constantly adapting to technological advancements and industry shifts. The dot-com boom saw a mad rush from web developers to create the No.1 online job site. These sites were seen as a fast and cheap alternative to recruitment. We never sought to compete with them; instead, we maintained our trusted position by staying true to our passion and understanding of the creative industries and the people who powered them. 

BRAND
EVOLUTION

We’ve evolved a few times over the years, reflecting the industry and the people we work with, even down to our name. When we began, our focus was primarily on the screen industry, but as we’ve grown and changed, so have the people we’ve worked with. In 2019, we officially changed our name to EP Australia to acknowledge the places we’ve come from and focus on the broader scope of creative industries in which we work Australia-wide. 

Our very first logo from 1999, back when letterheads were still printed.

We had a hot update with the arrival of our first website. The flame motif stayed around for 8 years.

Our first proper “rebrand” - complete with a launch party & pun related merch. 

Our evolution to date. Nods to the past, focused on the future.

CHAMPIONS
FOR STORIES

In 2007, EP Australia was invited to lead the search for the CEO position of the newly established National Indigenous Television Service (NITV) in Sydney and Alice Springs. NITV aimed to amplify Indigenous voices and stories. Over the next four years, we recruited the CEO, the Head of Television, and 70 other key positions. This contract marked the start of our HR consulting services, with PPH tackling organisation-wide structuring and strategy in the screen sector. 

PEOPLE FIRST

The job market has fluctuated dramatically over the years, reflecting events including 9/11, the GFC, the introduction of LinkedIn, COVID-19’s major workplace shifts, the current cost-of-living crisis, and the rapid integration of AI tools we see today. 

EP Australia has seen every pattern and change in the job market as it’s happened. Through all this, we’ve always prioritised connecting good people with great businesses through a deep understanding of each unique client and candidate. Nothing can replace or undermine the power of good people in the right position. By staying committed to our people-first recruitment process, we’ve maintained a 98% placement success rate for our clients, no matter the state of the market. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we reflect on the incredible journey that brought us here and look forward to the future. We continue reinventing ourselves, responding to each new cultural landscape and advising companies on emerging trends, new industries, and roles. 

The creative industries are ever-evolving, and so are we. We extend our deepest gratitude to our clients, candidates, and partners who have been part of this journey. Your trust and collaboration have been instrumental in our success. This is an exciting time for Australian screen, media, arts, sport, and entertainment industries — let’s shape them together.

Strategic HR, Executive Search and Recruitment across the Screen, Arts and Entertainment industries.