Alison Hurbert Burns & Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories Launch Australian Production House The Set Up
A veteran television commissioning executive has launched a new production venture in partnership with an established Australian production firm. Hurbert-Burns, who previously led content strategy at the local streaming service Binge—where she greenlit several acclaimed dramas over a six-year tenure—will serve as chief executive of the newly formed studio. Papandrea and Hutensky, co-founders of the production company, join her in leading the enterprise, which aims to develop original scripted content tailored for both domestic and international audiences.
The company seeks to leverage Hurbert-Burns' background identifying commercially viable stories with broad appeal alongside the production team's track record of creating internationally distributed television and film. Made Up Stories, the established production house, will maintain its existing focus on US and global projects independently, whilst The Set Up concentrates exclusively on Australian-originated content. The partnership represents a combination of commissioning expertise and production capabilities, designed to offer complete packages including narrative, cast, and funding arrangements to potential broadcasters and streaming platforms.
- Former Binge streaming executive Alison Hurbert-Burns has partnered with producers Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky to establish The Set Up, a new Australian production company
- The Set Up will develop premium Australian dramas and package them with talent, IP, and financing for distribution to broadcasters and streamers globally
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Alison Hurbert-Burns is an Australian television executive who previously led content strategy at Binge, a local streaming service. In that role, she chose programmes for the service, including several dramas that received critical praise.
Bruna Papandrea and Jodi Matterson Hutensky co-founded Made Up Stories, a production company behind television and film projects for international audiences. The new venture brings Hurbert-Burns’ commissioning experience together with the company’s production expertise to develop scripted stories originating in Australia.
The two companies have distinct remits: the new studio focuses on Australian stories, while Made Up Stories continues its work on US and international projects. The venture is intended to offer broadcasters and streaming services projects with stories, casts and financing arranged, connecting local production with both Australian and overseas audiences.