Your new
Away Team
Away Team was born from experience.
Amber and Tony Gardiner are an Australian husband-and-wife team who moved to the United States in 2024. After years working within the Australian production industry, making the move gave them a new perspective on what it takes to get a production off the ground in another country.
They also noticed something missing.
Australian film and television is increasingly working across borders, but getting a production up and running in the U.S. can mean navigating a whole new network of crews, suppliers, locations, permits, logistics and local ways of working.
That's where Away Team comes in.
Away Team was created to be the bridge between the Australian production world they know and the U.S. production network they've built. They understand how Australian Producers work, what they need and how quickly things need to move and they know the people, places and processes that make it happen here.
Now based in Los Angeles, Amber and Tony bring decades of combined experience across Production Management, Cinematography, Directing and Creative. Between them, they bring experience across almost every part of the production process.
Whether you're coming over for a single location scout or bringing an entire production, they're here to make the transition easier.
Australian know-how. U.S. connections. One team on the ground.
Amber
Gardiner
CO-FOUNDER / PRODUCTION MANAGER
Amber is a production manager with a career built across broadcast television, locations, assistant directing and travel-based production. Originally from Australia, she spent more than a decade working across Home and Away at the Seven Network, progressing through locations and assistant directing before stepping into production management.
Working on a high-volume television series taught Amber how to keep a lot of moving parts moving. From crews of 80+ and large cast requirements to multiple shooting units, complex travel logistics, locations, permits, equipment and production budgets.
She's equally at home on a large-scale production or a lean independent shoot. Amber has continued working across film, television and production since moving to Los Angeles, bringing the same practical, calm and organised approach to every job.
For Away Team, Amber brings something particularly valuable: she understands the way Australian productions work, while building the local knowledge, relationships and production network needed to make them work in the U.S.
Australian production experience. U.S. production know-how.
TONY Gardiner
ACS
CO-FOUNDER / CINEMATOGRAPHER / DIRECTOR
A third-generation cinematographer from Sydney, Tony Gardiner has spent more than two decades working across Australian film and television, building a career that spans cinematography, directing and creative leadership.
Tony began his career at Panavision Australia in 1999, progressing from camera technician to Director of Photography on television commercials. His work in drama led to a Best Cinematography win at Tropfest for The Maestro, followed by years shooting Home & Away, where he worked across everything from complex car stunts to large-scale festival sequences.
He later moved into directing, working across Home & Away and Neighbours, where he eventually became Creative Director and helped evolve the show's visual style. Returning to cinematography in 2022, Tony went on to shoot the award-winning The PM's Daughter, the UK-Australian drama Heat, starring Danny Dyer, and has continued directing across television and independent film.
Now based in Los Angeles, Tony's work has been recognised with multiple ACS awards and an AACTA nomination for his debut short film DIY.
For Away Team, Tony brings a filmmaker's perspective to the production process, understanding not just how to make a shoot happen, but how to make the creative vision work on the ground.
Australian filmmaking experience. U.S. production connections.