Behind the Scenes: Melbourne Boat Hire Supporting the Filming of Sony’s Thrash movie in Melbourne
At Melbourne Boat Hire, we’re proud to provide specialist marine support for film productions across Melbourne—and one of our recent projects involved assisting with the filming of Sony Pictures’ survival thriller Thrash.
Originally developed under the title Beneath the Storm and later renamed Thrash, the film was directed by Tommy Wirkola and filmed extensively in Melbourne during 2024, using local locations and large water-based set builds to recreate the fictional flooded town of Annieville, South Carolina. The production stars Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, and Djimon Hounsou, with much of the filming completed at Docklands Studios and surrounding Melbourne locations.
Creating an American Highway Scene in a Melbourne Dam
As part of the production, the crew needed to transform a small dam just outside Melbourne into a believable American-style flooded highway scene.
To make this possible, our team supplied and installed a custom 2m x 6m modular floating pontoon, complete with aluminium handrails, providing a safe and stable working platform for installing large US Highway-style signage used in the film.
This floating platform allowed contractors and production crew to safely access the water and position the oversized signage accurately, helping create the dramatic flooded highway environment seen on screen.
Our modular docking system was ideal for this type of film production because it offered:
- Stable floating access for crew and equipment
- Fast installation and removal
- Safe working platform with compliant hand railing
- Minimal environmental impact on the surrounding site
- Flexible modular design for changing production requirements
Converting the Pontoon Into a Temporary Berth for Filming
Once the signage installation was complete, the same 2m x 6m pontoon was quickly reconfigured into a temporary floating berth for the rescue boat featured in Thrash.
This rescue vessel played an important role in the film’s flood and evacuation scenes, and safe access for loading cast, crew, and talent was critical during production—especially for night filming and water-based scenes.
Our temporary berth allowed the vessel to safely dock, board talent, and support filming operations without delays, while maintaining strong safety standards for everyone on set.
The flexibility of modular docking enabled the platform to be quickly adapted to changing filming requirements—something essential in the fast-moving environment of film production.
Why Film Productions Choose Modular Docking
Film crews regularly require temporary marine infrastructure that is safe, reliable, and fast to deploy.
Our modular pontoons are ideal for:
- Film and television productions
- Temporary vessel berthing
- Floating camera platforms
- Rescue and support vessel operations
- On-water set construction
- Event and infrastructure access
Whether it’s supporting major productions like Thrash or delivering commercial marine access solutions across Victoria, Melbourne Boat Hire provides practical, professional floating infrastructure tailored to every project.
Commercial Marine Solutions Across Melbourne
From floating walkways and work platforms to temporary berths and modular barges, we help businesses, councils, contractors, and production teams access waterways safely and efficiently.
If your next project requires professional floating access solutions, our team can help design the right setup for your site.
Contact Melbourne Boat Hire today to discuss your commercial boat hire or modular docking requirements.
