Talk about ending with a bang! It’s the 2016 Heath Ledger Scholarship winner, Ashleigh Cummings (PUBERTY BLUES, MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES, TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN). Ashleigh talks about juggling three jobs in three cities, her ability to nap on set (in between takes nonetheless) and asserting her independence at the tender age of 14 by traveling to Los Angeles on her own. We discover new words and bond over our mutual love of pancakes. We chat about catharsis and balance as the great id...
Jun 06, 2016•45 min
Producer Amy Child came to LA without a plan and without a job but within two years she is working for Ellen Degeneres and has produced her first feature. BOOM! She shares how she hit the ground running and converted Aussie contacts into US work. We talk about how she pulled together a bunch of first timers to make their debut feature FOR ALL EYES ALWAYS, a biting satire about the CIA developing a reality television show to win back public opinion starring Lynn Whitfield and Sean Aston, among ot...
May 23, 2016•32 min
Ok, before you loose your proverbial, this is a re-release of a chat I had with Tim Minchin two years ago. With his recent Logie win for THE SECRET RIVER, his musical GROUNDHOG DAY about to open in London and the success of MATILDA in Australia, well, I thought it might be appropriate timing. Tim illuminates me on the economic machine that is Broadway, how Groundhog Day the musical came about and his existential crisis brought on by the Grammys. We talk about the importance of making stuff you'd...
May 16, 2016•1 hr 15 min
You might recognize Eden Gaha from his days in front of the camera but it’s his days behind it that you’ll be most grateful for. As the President of Unscripted Television for Endemol Shine USA, this is the man who put the celebs into Celebrity Apprentice and the brought the juniors into the US Masterchef recipe. Eden shares his thoughts on what makes a great unscripted TV idea, what it was like working with Donald Trump, the importance of US network credits and his skill as being a talent whispe...
May 09, 2016•37 min
It all began with a tropical jumpsuit! I On the eve of their US iTunes release, director Maya Newell and producer Charlotte Mars tell the story of how they met and what inspired them to make their powerful and poignant documentary GAYBY BABY. And that was the realization that in the midst of the debate over marriage equality that the missing voice in the conversation was that of the children raised by same sex parents. We discuss the NSW schools screening controversy and the subsequent media mae...
May 01, 2016•57 min
They say write what you know and Sarah Scheller (NO ACTIVITY) has done just that with her first pilot THE LETDOWN. Part of the ABC Comedy Showroom it tells the story of a struggling new mum and the mothers’ group she thinks she doesn’t need - a situation that proves to be ripe for the comedic picking. Sarah shares about finding a great collaborator in actress and co-creator/writer Alison Bell, developing the work with Julian Morrow (THE CHASER), getting support from ABC from the get-go and calli...
Apr 18, 2016•40 min
Jersey born, Australian raised playwright Lally Katz (THINGS I WANT TO TELL YOU IN PERSON, NEIGHBOUHOOD WATCH) appears to have moved to Los Angeles. So far she is loving everything about it - the instacommunity, the freeways, the people, even the Californian hook turns. We discuss her obsession with New York psychics, her procrastination tools of choice and getting polite nudges from Gillian Armstrong via Instagram to get back to work. She shares her struggles with trusting her instincts with sc...
Apr 11, 2016•40 min
Have you seen an Australian film or TV show in the past 25 years? Then it’s likely you’ve seen some Ben Mendelsohn’s work. From The Henderson Kids to The Year My Voice Broke to Spotswood to Animal Kingdom. And that’s all before the US embraced ol’ Ben! We get stuck into all things Bloodline: working with Sissy Spacek and Sam Shepard, THAT INCREDIBLE WRITING and how the show made the Florida Keys locals proud. Ben shares how he works on accents and dialects, his youthful love for James Bond and h...
Apr 04, 2016•43 min
You probably haven’t heard of Emilie Cocquerel (LION, JOE CINQUE’S CONSOLATION) yet but you will soon enough! She’s had a very busy year including being one of the runners-up of the Heath Ledger Scholarship. We have a chat while she’s experiencing her first pilot season on the ground. She tells us how she sees her quieter times career-wise, what Garth Davies does in between takes to enhance the mood on set and her go-to karaoke song. We discuss how to play characters of questionable morals witho...
Mar 21, 2016•35 min
Musician Andy Clockwise was meant to settle in London but he came to LA for a couple of meetings and never left. It’s the kinda city that can do that to you. The SXSW regular talks me through everything Los Angeles: the depth and breadth of the city’s music scene, how it can be relentless in it’s distractions and how it’s blank canvas nature can be both scary and exhilarating. He shares where he draws his inspiration from and his journey from lone wolf creator to obsessive collaborator. We both ...
Mar 14, 2016•52 min
Kate Marks is a relative newbie to Los Angeles but I never would have guessed it. She has become a part of the community by taking on her role as the Executive VP of International Production for AUSFILM wholeheartedly. A role that includes enticing the international filmmakers to make use of our locations, incentives, facilities and talent. She tells us about Ausfilm’s involvement in the two tentpoles to be shot in Australia in 2016 (Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok and Ridley Scott’s latest Alien: Conve...
Mar 07, 2016•41 min
Funny is what gets actor Toby Truslove (UTOPIA, LAID, THE STRANGE CALLS, THANK GOD YOU’RE HERE) up in the morning. We caught up while he is here in Los Angeles having his first pilot season experience. And boy has it been a hectic one! No time to ruminate, no time to mourn. It’s just go, go, go. He shares his uncertainty about whether to maintain an American accent at all times and his experiences of being a ham & playing to the room and misreading scripts. (Take note: there are no thoughtfu...
Feb 29, 2016•48 min
After a couple of years in Los Angeles, actress Hannah Levien baulked at the suggestion from a friend that she move to Vancouver. After all, she liked it here and she wasn’t to keen on the idea of upping her life once again to move to another country. But life did some nudging and in the past 18 months she has booked some strong US network TV credits - those that had been so elusive to her in LA. She shares her experiences of waiting for the rain on BATES MOTEL, playing a lesbian rock chick in T...
Feb 16, 2016•41 min
AACTA winner and HLS nominee Joel Jackson (DEADLINE GALLIPOLI, NOT THE BOY NEXT DOOR) has an inquisitive spirit. Whether it’s learning from Sam Worthington and Hugh Dancy about the technical side of screen acting or dissecting behavior and extracting character from text like it’s a crime scene. He shares how he had to get out of his own way and find his version of Peter Allen for Not the Boy Next Door and how playing Charles Bean in Deadline Gallipoli was an opportunity to give something back to...
Feb 08, 2016•51 min
We got a live one here! Join us for a post Australians in Film screening chat for the Aussie made syfy film TERMINUS. On the panel are writer/director Marc Furmie (AIRLOCK, EVENT ZERO) and actors Jai Koutrae (CROWNIES,McLEODS DAUGHTERS), Todd Lasance (HOME AND AWAY, THE ORIGINALS) and Bren Foster (INFINI, THE LAST SHIP). Marc shares the development of the film from high concept big budget script to low budget indie syfy domestic drama. He also talks about shooting Australia as the US, having to ...
Jan 25, 2016•26 min
Actress Viva Bianca (SPARTACUS) is feeling at home in LA. Starting out on a high of five star hotels and red carpets, she then had to come to terms with the realities of living and working here. With much candour she shares what it was like to play villainess Ilithyia, the pitfalls of being on a show with the reputation of being oh-so very sexualised, google search results and how to state what you will and won’t do. We also discuss her fabulous website She Ra, working with people you’ve watched...
Jan 18, 2016•44 min
Actor and Host Nick Hardcastle (HOME AND AWAY, PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL) didn’t intend to to move to LA. And he certainly didn’t intend become Mr. Australia. But I’m glad he did - on both counts! As one of the co-founders of the Australian Theatre Company, Nick wants to bring Australian stories to US stages and put the multitudes of talented Aussie expats to work. We have a moan about flakey Angelinos, get fired up about making your own rules and celebrate creating community....
Jan 11, 2016•41 min
Director of Photography Denson Baker (THE BLACK BALLOON, THE WAITING CITY, ORANGES AND SUNSHINE) is the real deal - he has some fancy letters after his name to prove it! After a bit of back and forth, he and his "wife/director” Claire McCarthy decided to make the move to Los Angeles. We discuss director Jim Loach’s approach to filmmaking, to have or not to have an agent and working with such acting greats as Donald Sutherland, Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham. He talks about getting e...
Jan 04, 2016•42 min
Actor Toby Wallace (NEVER TEAR US APART, THE TURNING) has a Star Wars: The Force Awakens audition story!!!! And he waits a whole eight minutes to tell me! Can you believe it?!?! Before that we discuss what it was like coming to LA for the first time as a 2014 Australians In Film Heath Ledger Scholarship finalist, auditioning in odd places and preparing for pilot season. After he shares what it was like auditioning for J.J. Abrams, we talk about playing a young Michael Hutchence, seven year contr...
Dec 21, 2015•34 min
This episode with Belinda Gosbee (J. EDGAR, TWO BROKE GIRLS) is a illusion-busting reality check because sometimes it can take a little while to get started in Los Angeles. Belinda candidly shares her stories of her early days, her pride in still being here and how Hollywood can give you a little taste of the high life. Like when she worked with Clint Eastwood and Leo DiCaprio on J. Edgar!! EEK! She takes us on an in depth discussion about her latest gig - a role on CBS’ Two Broke Girls - from a...
Dec 07, 2015•34 min
Getting ready to come over for pilot season? This episode with actress Sara Zwangobani (LOVE MY WAY, PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, Sydney Theatre Company’s A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE) is for you! We discuss the business side of the biz here - branding, marketing and how to choose classes and workshops strategically. Sara shares her advice on balancing dreaming big and working towards achievable goals, making it easy for casting directors to give you the job and what to do in the waiting room. This is the...
Nov 30, 2015•54 min
Actor and writer Jonathan Gavin (OFFSPRING, PUBERTY BLUES) has written for some of Australia’s most loved and most acclaimed TV shows. His latest offering is THE BEAUTIFUL LIE, a contemporary reimagining of ANNA KARENINA for the ABC. He talks us through the inevitable trade offs made when it comes to modernising a classic. He shares what it’s is like to work with the powerhouse partnership of John Edwards and Imogen Banks, dealing with schedule clashes and the fear of being 'found out’. We also ...
Nov 23, 2015•44 min
Strap yourself in for a crash course in indie filmmaking from writer, director, actor Paul Ashton recorded in the aftermath of the Los Angeles premiere of his feature THIS ISN’T FUNNY. Paul talks us through the film’s nine month gestation, birth and beyond: from writing a first draft in six weeks to upping a nano budget to a micro one to the necessity of having balls of steel.
Nov 09, 2015•54 min
Director Catriona McKenzie (SATELLITE BOY, REDFERN NOW) began her time in LA using is as a base between international festivals. Now she spends her time in between work at home to partner with creatives here in order to make work with a reach beyond the American market. We discuss her rev head tendencies and the script they have inspired, LA as a city of commerce and her interest in writing genre pics. She shares the Jimmy McGovern school of creating plot - f*cking up your characters and letting...
Nov 02, 2015•41 min
The first time Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood came to LA was for a callback for the role of a certain Mother of Dragons. Needless to say, the experience was enough to whet her appetite. She has made it a point to visit in between seasons of A Place To Call Home ever since. We talk about the need to have 1000% more confidence here, the pros and cons of a red carpet life and finding an authenticity on social media. She shares her passion for making stop-motion animations with her hubby and difficulties ...
Oct 26, 2015•1 hr 4 min
Writer/Director Megan Riakos has taken a very American indie approach for her debut feature CRUSHED, an Australian mystery thriller. Her time in studying screenwriting at UCLA can be attributed for both the genre and budget. She talks to us about writing a movie you know you can shoot, identifying your film’s niche and the multitude of theatrical release options in the current market. She advises getting clear about your personal goals in navigating all of the above. Sound advice from someone wh...
Oct 12, 2015•49 min
David No (MATRIX RELOADED, MR. NICE GUY) is the epitome of a slashie - actor, producer, writer, action director and filmmaker. He talks to us about making genre films, producing $4 million dollar commercials starring Jackie Chan and straddling two cultures - those being Australian and Korean. He shares his insight into the Los Angeles stunt community as well as what took him away from here and what might bring him back.
Oct 05, 2015•31 min
Writer and actress Krew Boylan (SCHAPELLE, MOLLY) did LA for a spell and it wasn’t for her. New York is her chosen home. She talks about what pilot season is like in the Big Apple and the constant stimulus of art, fashion and culture. She shares advice on playing real life characters - something she has done thrice now! And the things she has learned about her writing routines - dressing the part and when the magic of place has gone. I am most excited to talk to her about THE DOLLHOUSE, a collec...
Sep 28, 2015•35 min
Producer Robyn Kershaw (SUCKER, MY MISTRESS, LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI, KATH & KIM) is the context queen. If you listen closely, you can hear the cogs in my mind turning as she explains rise of the Kardashians, how You Tube has become the bastion of outsiders and cultural significance of the horror genre. She believes that Los Angeles - for better or for worse - drives the taste for the rest of the world and that part of her job is to understand the market forces behind that so she can bring Aus...
Sep 14, 2015•51 min
Story is everything to actress turned novelist, Tempany Deckert (HOME & AWAY, THE SECRET LIFE OF US). On this podcast she shares tales of why she choose the US over the more worn path to the UK for Aussie Soap stars, using her acting inspirations as fuel for her novels and how Anna Karenina taught her everything she needed to know about men. She warns against writing for the market but encourages the fake till you make it attitude. At the very least, she’s got your holiday reading list sorte...
Sep 07, 2015•41 min
