Screen Australia Podcast

We all recognise the media landscape has changed dramatically over the past 40 years, and for creatives like today's guest, working as a director is a masterclass in embracing change. Joining us is Australian director Kate Woods to share her insights about the evolution of the television sector behind the camera and the project that brought her back to Australia. She's worked on some of the biggest titles on the small screen in Australia and the US, including Aussie favourites like GP, All Saints, Farscape and City Homicide, and US titles including Without a Trace, the Law and Order franchises, The Umbrella Academy, Agents of Shield, and The Good Lord Bird. You'll also likely recognise her debut feature film – the Aussie teen hit of 2000, Looking for Alibrandi – which this year celebrates 25 years since release. Kate reflects on her experiences working in the industry across film and TV in Australia and abroad, her approach to selecting projects, the influence of music in her work, and why she ignored the screen adage to never work with children or animals in her latest project, Kangaroo. 

Creators and writers of hit film Top End Wedding, Miranda Tapsell and Joshua Tyler, join us this episode to talk about their new Amazon Australia Original Series Top End Bub. Following the global success of their debut feature film of Sundance-favourite Top End Wedding, creators and writers Miranda Tapsell and Joshua Tyler found audiences clamouring for more tales from the top end – and they were happy to oblige. As Tyler says, "If you've got an audience there, you've got a fan base, keep feeding them!"  Tapsell and Tyler share how they leveraged the IP from the big screen to television, the appeal of the comedy half-hour, the joy of collaborating together, and how creators can embrace family, community and love to reflect the breadth and diversity of First Nations experiences on screen. 

This is a big episode. We're talking saving the world big.  The global screen industry generates millions of metric tons of carbon emissions every year. From fossil fuels to food waste, costumes and sets, the average production can generate over 28700 kilograms of waste, and with pressure on production costs and budgeting, embracing sustainable practices on set can seem daunting.  But a growing movement of practitioners are exploring how to build more sustainable productions, regardless of size. 60Forty Films' Karl Liegis and Matchbox Pictures' Helen Panchurst join this episode to discuss the strategies and opportunities for engaging the screen sector in sustainability. They share their insights into what the industry is doing globally to be more environmentally conscious, how consultants and coordinators work with production, and why it's more important than ever for the Australia sector to embrace sustainable practices. Our top takeaways: Collaboration is key - not just within your team or production, but across the industry. Don't try to do everything. Pick three things that your production or team can focus on. It's not always about the successes. Learn from the hurdles and setbacks, and build them into your next project. Resources  Sustainable Screens Australia: https://www.sustainablescreens.au/  BAFTA Albert Toolkit: https://wearealbert.org/  The Pact HETV Drama Production Support Initiative: https://www.pact.co.uk/resource/the-hetv-drama-production-support-initiative.html   For feedback about this episode, please email podcast@screenaustralia.gov.au.

The Snowtown and Nitram director shares what he learnt from making his first documentary, Ellis Park. Ellis Park is Kurzel's third release over the past year, alongside feature film The Order, starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, and Amazon Prime's Australian war drama series The Narrow Road to the Deep North. He shares the challenges and joys of juggling three feature film projects simultaneously, advice on shaping your project for success on the global market, and how his view of filmmaking has changed from director to producer. 

Digital content strategist and kids IP specialist Nico Lockhart shares what producers can learn about audience development and content production from YouTube. From the importance of a good thumbnail, why a viral video could take years, how the direct-to-audience model is evolving with its audience, and the parallels between so-called traditional media and online media production, get the lowdown on how YouTube is changing the way audiences engage with screen stories. Resources Learn more about developing kids IP for YouTube with Nico Lockhart via the Kids IP Incubator webinar. Find out more about the Kids IP Incubator workshops and the successful online teams  here.  Interested in developing online content? Check out Screen Australia's Online Funding Podcast episode. 

Head of Indigenous Commissioning and Production Dena Curtis dropped by the Screen Australia Podcast to talk about the role of the broadcaster in showcasing and celebrating the diversity of First Nations experiences and supporting stories told by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners, and shares her vision for NITV and gives advice for producers and filmmakers looking to pitch to the broadcaster.

Writer and director Nicholas Verso joins the podcast to share how he brought the award-winning novel Invisible Boys to television, including building the writers room, knowing when to move away from the source material, filming in regional Western Australia, and creating a visual language, as well as shaping authentic queer narratives for young adults. 

Stephanie Dower discusses the importance of building an accessible culture on set, engaging Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent (DDN) crew, and her experiences working in the Australian screen industry, as well as introducing the emerging role of access coordinating - the philosophy and vision behind the role; the distinctions between access coordinators, safety officers, and support workers; and more.

Audrey screenwriter Lou Sanz and director Natalie Bailey on creating their debut feature film together. Throughout the episode, Sanz and Bailey share their love for comedy and dislike for the term unlikeable female characters. They also talk about getting the project to the big screen, creating compelling characters, the differences between writing for television and film, and the importance of finding the black comedy balance – or "balancing the sweet and sour", as they call it. 

Videoland director Jessica Smith and producer Scarlett Koehne reflect on queer representation and 90s nostalgia in the Series Mania Comedy Competition-winning series. On the latest episode of the Screen Australia podcast, we spoke with Smith and Koehne following their win at Series Mania about their festival strategy and experience premiering in a foreign market. They also reflect on the creation of the queer dramedy and challenges of retro-fitting (literally) a video rental store. 

During the latest episode of the Screen Australia podcast, we explore the changing theatrical distribution landscape. Madman Entertainment's CEO Paul Wiegard and Screen Australia Distribution Manager Anthony Grundy explain how audience behaviour has shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic and reflect on the challenges and opportunities this presents Australian filmmakers in an increasingly global marketplace. Wiegard shares Madman's approach to audience engagement as an independent distributor, while Grundy discusses some of the research and tools available through Screen Australia to support discoverability, including the new Where to Watch function. 

Taking your project to market? Screen Australia Marketplace Manager Rakel Tansley shares the latest marketplace intel and advice to get the best deals on your projects. Tansley breaks down the key terms of finance plans and the market and explains the role of the Marketplace team in supporting Australian producers navigate domestic and global deals, as well as the resources publicly available on the Screen Australia website. She also talks to the key findings of the most recent Post-Financing International distribution of projects between 2020–2023, the current trend of rights, how to make IP and secondary rights work for you, the hidden costs to watch out for when building a finance plan, and shares the top five key territories and regions buying Australian film and television, both in terms of volume of sales and highest spendings. 

Screenwriter and media advocate Dot West talks writing animation, reflecting kid experiences on television, and the inspiration behind Little J & Big Cuz. Throughout the episode, West shares her insight on representing First Nations experiences on screen for kids, how ACER influences the narrative, incorporating Language and the power of translations, and her thoughts on the state of children's screen content.

Filmmaker Devina Saberi shares the inspiration for new documentary series Growing Pains, as well as the challenges and opportunities of documentary storytelling for online platforms, and advice for early career filmmakers. Throughout the episode, Saberi talks about structuring stories for social media platforms, supporting community storytelling, and the challenges of observational documentary – especially while filming your friends. 

Director Paul Clarke breaks down the elements of a music documentary, and the inspiration and process behind his latest feature Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line. Throughout the episode, Clarke shares his approach to research and production for the music documentary format, navigating the complexities of footage and music licensing, and celebrating the legacy of the Oils. 

Writer and director Tig Terera shares his experiences creating his debut television series Swift Street, and working with production company Magpie Pictures' Lois Randall and Ivy Mak, and writer Sam Carroll, to develop the series for SBS. He also shares his journey from photography to the small screen, the challenges and opportunities as a self-taught writer and director, reflecting community on screen, and advice for early career storytellers.

Learn more about the new below-the-line training and professional development initiative Screen Careers. Denise and Ken share their insight into the below-the-line sector, and discuss the challenges facing below-the-line workers, the role of training in developing the screen industry, and the resources and opportunities available to BTL crew to build responsive and sustainable careers. Eriksen shares the philosophy and development of Screen Careers, alongside details of their industry-led programming, while Crouch identifies the challenges for BTL practitioners and insight into the role of professional development within the industry.

The Future Leaders Delegation and Screen Australia Games team share their takeaways and advice from the 2024 Game Developers Conference. Screen Australia's Head of Online and Games Lee Naimo and Games Investment Manager Amelia Laughlan discuss their insights into the games industry, the significance of GDC for the global community, and the key takeaways from this year's conference. They also introduce the Future Leaders Delegation - a new program from Screen Australia to support underrepresented early-mid career game makers get the most out of their GDC experience. The delegation included Cult of the Lamb writer Jojo Zhou (Massive Monster); game designer and project manager Emma Losin who has worked on space epics Phantom Galaxies and Star Trek Lower Decks; co-founder of new indie studio Fat Alien Cat and game artist Jessica Lyon; Jae Stuart who is lead programmer on the recent Screen Australia Emerging Gamemakers Fund project King Tidal; and creative director of Anecdote Games Jarrod Farquhar-Nicol.

Ra Chapman and Katherine Fry share the journey from development to production of new ABC comedy series White Fever. Inspired by Chapman's lived experience as an inter-country adoptee, Chapman and Fry share their experiences developing White Fever for television; juggling multiple roles in front of and behind the camera; balancing the comedic and dramatic in storytelling; representing lived experiences authentically on screen throughout development, shooting, and the editing process, and more.

Executive Producer and CEO of Blacksand Pictures Kauthar Abdulalim reflects on her Enterprise journey, reaching international audiences with online stories, and authentic Muslim representation in storytelling. Abdulalim talks about embracing online content, supporting meaningful cultural diversity behind the scenes, building a strategic plan for your screen career, and how the Enterprise program strengthened her business skills, as she shares her advice for early career practitioners considering applying.