We Interrupt This Broadcast

Director Hayley MacFarlane joins Robbie Miles to talk about building a career across unscripted, scripted series and features, from Big Brother to Wonka's The Golden Ticket and Dive Club for Netflix and her new feature Beauty from Surrender. Hayley shares how reality taught her to tell a story in seconds and make decisions under pressure, and learn about character by watching people for ten hours a day.---Listen to hear Hayley discuss:What directing both unscripted and scripted has taught her How calling cameras on Big Brother helped her tell a story in eight secondsThe golden rule from unscripted (get there wide, fast) that now shapes her scripted coverageGiving actors ownership of their characterWhy director's attachments are so hard to get and how she fights to create them on her own films---Further information about Hayley MacFarlane:Hayley MacFarlane's website: https://www.hayleymacfarlane.com/Hayley MacFarlane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-macfarlane-503bb949/Hayley MacFarlane on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayleymacfarlane---This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by Robbie Miles.If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and we'd love you to forward this episode to a friend!---Follow us on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/weinterruptpodcastYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@weinterruptpodcastLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/weinterruptpodcast

Loani and Kirsty catch up to discuss a busy October across the Australian screen industry.They share their takeaways from Screen Queensland's In the Frame event and the podcast's Adelaide Film Festival breakfast, before diving into a huge range of topics from here and overseas.Tune in for all the details on a warning that regional cinemas could be lost due to projector replacement costs, the ACTF's concerns about AI generated pitches, Rising Sun Pictures' Emmy win, the ratio of spend on sport vs. children's content in production, and the great AACTA divide ahead of its December AGM.Plus: the Skydance merger, Netflix layoffs, ABC upfronts, Screen Australia production funding announcements, what we've been watching this month, and much more!---We Interrupt This Broadcast's new trailer: https://www.weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au/bigideas---Recent Episodes:Episode 077: Leviticus Part 1: https://www.weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au/episodes/077Episode 078: Leviticus Part 2: https://www.weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au/episodes/078Episode 079: Mandy Walker AM ACS ASC: https://www.weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au/episodes/079---Links to topics mentioned in this episode:Independent Cinemas Australia: No Cinema Left Behind: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nickhayes3_nocinemaleftbehind-independentcinemas-australiancinema-ugcPost-7515868541149933568-vF3I/ACTF: "There's No AI in Pitch": https://actf.com.au/blog/29713/there-s-no-ai-in-pitchKirsty's AI workshops for Filmmakers: https://ai.kirstystark.comRising Sun Pictures' Emmy for REVIZE: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc-DdfsmINoTelevision Academy Emmy Announcement: https://www.televisionacademy.com/video/rising-sun-pictures-2026-engineering-emmysSPA's Producer Fellowship Announcement: https://spa-prod.powerappsportals.com/media/release/?id=SPA-01961Netflix's Next Brilliant Career Finalists: https://awg.com.au/congratulations-to-the-eight-finalists-in-netflixs-the-next-brilliant-careerKids IP Incubator: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/applications-open-for-screen-australia-and-actfs-kids-ip-incubatorThe Fox Q&A Screenings: https://www.madman.com.au/the-foxZombucha! Q&A Screenings: https://cinemaaustralia.com.au/2026/10/06/get-ready-to-fall-brewly-madly-steeply-in-love-with-zombucha---If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple or give us 5 stars on Spotify to help us spread the word.---This episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast was hosted and edited by Loani Arman and Kirsty Stark.Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weinterruptpodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@weinterruptpodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/weinterruptpodcast

Loani Arman sits down with Mandy Walker AM ACS ASC, the Oscar nominated cinematographer behind Elvis, Hidden Figures, Mulan and Tracks, and the first woman to lead the American Society of Cinematographers in its 106 year history.Mandy talks about breaking into camera departments when few women were there, the mentors who backed her, and why wants to open doors for other women in camera.---Listen to hear Mandy discuss:The mentors who championed her in her early careerHow she builds collaborative sets between departmentsThe story-led way she prepares for a shoot, while being ready to pivot when things change on the dayHow she approached scenes in Elvis to allow the actors space to performWhy she isn't scared of AI, and what remains fundamentally human about cinematography---If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help us reach more listeners for We Interrupt This Broadcast.---Further information about Mandy Walker AM ACS ASC:Mandy's website: https://www.mandywalkerdp.comMandy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandywalkerdp/?hl=enMandy on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907999---This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by Loani Arman.If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating, and we'd love you to forward this episode to a friend!---Follow us on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/weinterruptpodcastYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@weinterruptpodcastLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/weinterruptpodcast

Kirsty Stark sits down with the team behind Leviticus: Writer/Director Adrian Chiarella, Producer Sam Jennings (Causeway Films), and Distributor Marc Wooldridge (Maslow Entertainment) for Part 2 of a two-part conversation about what it takes to make a million dollars at the Australian box office.If you missed Part 1, head back to last week's episode, #77.The queer horror feature reached almost 1.5 million dollars domestically, and in this conversation the three share what happens on the ground when you make a sale at Sundance, the strategy behind opening weekend, and how to turn audience members into fans.---Listen to hear Adrian, Marc and Sam discuss:What actually happens in the 48 hours after a Sundance screeningHow to choose the right partner when you have multiple offers on the tableWhy going day and date with the US gave Leviticus the advantages of a global releaseThe accidental in-season Q&A strategy that gave the film's theatrical run a boostWhat number you need to hit on opening weekend to reach a million dollarsHow involving and empowering their audience helped turn viewers into passionate advocates---If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help us reach more listeners for We Interrupt This Broadcast.---Further information after listening to the episode:Leviticus Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXuK0vlFxIILeviticus on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/leviticus-2026 Adrian Chiarella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianchiarella/Sam Jennings on Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-jennings-89674621Maslow Entertainment on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maslowentertainmentSam Jennings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-jennings-89674621Marc Wooldridge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-wooldridgeMaslow Entertainment: https://www.maslowentertainment.comCauseway Films: https://www.causewayfilms.com.au ---This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by ⁠⁠Kirsty Stark⁠.If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and we'd love you to forward this episode to a friend!---Follow us on:Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/weinterruptpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@weinterruptpodcastLinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/weinterruptpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kirsty Stark sits down with the team behind Leviticus: Writer/Director Adrian Chiarella, Producer Sam Jennings (Causeway Films), and Distributor Marc Wooldridge (Maslow Entertainment) for Part 1 of a two-part conversation about what it takes to make a million dollars at the Australian box office.The queer horror feature reached almost 1.5 million dollars domestically, and in this conversation the three share how they got there, from an idea developed through VicScreen’s Originate program to their breakout Sundance premiere.Come back next week for Part 2, where they’ll discuss what happens on the ground when you make a sale at Sundance, the strategy behind opening weekend, and how to turn audience members into fans.---Listen to hear Adrian, Sam and Marc discuss:Why horror is intrinsically theatrical and how they positioned Leviticus for both queer and broad horror audiences.Causeway Films’ financing strategy for the film, which allowed them to build a theatrical model that wasn’t centred on international pre-sales.What Maslow looks for in a script, concept and pathway to market before saying yes to distribution.The casting and packaging process and what actually mattered when putting the project together.Why they kept news about the film quiet through production and launched it as a breakout festival film.How they planned their Sundance premiere, including pre-screenings, PR and festival strategy.---If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help us reach more listeners for We Interrupt This Broadcast.---Further information after listening to the episode:Leviticus Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXuK0vlFxIILeviticus on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/leviticus-2026 Adrian Chiarella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianchiarella/Sam Jennings on Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-jennings-89674621Maslow Entertainment on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maslowentertainmentSam Jennings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-jennings-89674621 Marc Wooldridge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-wooldridgeMaslow Entertainment: https://www.maslowentertainment.comCauseway Films: https://www.causewayfilms.com.au ---This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by ⁠⁠Kirsty Stark⁠.If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and we'd love you to forward this episode to a friend!---Follow us on:Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/weinterruptpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@weinterruptpodcastLinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/weinterruptpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠