Director, writer and choreographer Alethea Jones (2012 Tropfest winning LEMONADE STAND, THE GENTLEMEN’S GUIDE TO KNIFE FIGHTING) had a two year campaign of to-ing and fro-ing between Oz and LA before moving here. But, boy, did it pay off! In the last year she has directed a couple of episodes of GORTIMER GIBBON’S LIFE ON NORMAL STREET and the pilot episode of A HISTORY OF RADNESS - both for Amazon Studios. We discuss the power of saying ‘I don’t know’, the difference between pitch meetings and g...
Aug 31, 2015•54 min
Jacinta Stapleton (NEIGHBOURS, STINGERS) has been checking out LA for a while now. On this podcast, she shares her acting origins stories, her attraction to complicated characters (read: b*tches) and deciding her career path at age eight. We talk about her recent reign as Queen of the Biopic with SCHAPELLE, NEVER TEAR US APART and the upcoming project MOLLY and approaching those characters outside in. She lets us in on ways she keeps sane in this city which includes getting out as often as possi...
Aug 24, 2015•39 min
Chum Ehelepola (A MOODY CHRISTMAS, THE STRAITS) has done that trans-pacific flight too many times for his liking but that is what it takes to get established in LA. His first trip at age 19 was to work with the man who taught Michael to moonwalk - yes, that Michael! Chum shares more recent stories of being part of the ABC Diversity program, twice - once as an actor and then again as a writer and director - winning fans in the industry and juggling accents in audition rooms. In a country where th...
Aug 03, 2015•1 hr 5 min
Actor Damon Gameau (BALIBO, THE TRACKER, SECRETS & LIES) has added documentary filmmaker to his bow with the release of THAT SUGAR FILM. Beginning with nutritional naiveté and dogged determination Damon used himself as a guinea pig in a Super-Size Me style to explore the effect of hidden sugar on the body. The results are startling in this fun, informative doco. In this podcast, he talks about letting go of ego, putting the audience first and using humour in order to deliver the message beyo...
Jul 27, 2015•1 hr 4 min
Hold on to your seats folks because writer/director Elissa Down (THE BLACK BALLOON) jumps right into this podcast with a glorious tale of the fickle nature of Los Angeles. She also shares stories of the inevitable speed bumps and stop signs on the long road of development, the Hollywood water trail and knowing when to send a script out and to whom. But if you take nothing else: Beware the raccoon overlords!!
Jul 20, 2015•35 min
This one is for the actors out there! Richard Brancatisano (CHASING LIFE, UNDERBELLY RAZOR) is all for making the process easier for himself. Whether that’s dealing with self-imposed pressure or knowing how he works best. He talks about the necessity of taking risks, lessening obsession and having the confidence to make choices and follow your instincts. He takes us through pre-reads and network testing to booking the job and maintaining the fun. Time to let go of the idea of being the best. Her...
Jul 13, 2015•1 hr 7 min
Excuse our croaky voices - T.J. Power (EAT, PRAY, LOVE and LITTLE DEATH) and I are recovering from doing "some theatre, daaaarling!” We discuss the addictive nature of acting, the constant activity vs the lack of free fun in LA and getting backstage passes to 90s touring bands - ROCK! T.J. dispenses tales of hanging and leaning from Javier Bardem and the catch-22 of wanting a role. But if you only take one thing away from this chat then let this be it: If the creator of Glee asks if you can sing...
Jun 29, 2015•43 min
Rachael Carpani (McLEOD’S DAUGHTERS, IF THERE BE THORNS, SEEDS OF YESTERDAY) is completely aware of how fortunate she was in her 20s. And although she had no burning desire to come to Los Angeles, seven years later it seems to be her home. For now. Along the way she has had the opportunity to work with Hector Elizondo, Jimmy Smits, Kathy Baker, Treat Williams and Heather Graham, among others. She shares her pilot season experiences, her ability to fall asleep anywhere on set and her gratitude fo...
Jun 22, 2015•56 min
Matt Levett (DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, A PLACE TO CALL HOME) is pretty chuffed to be in LA, albeit a little exhausted. We sat down for a chat just days after he received the 2015 Australians in Film Heath Ledger Scholarship. We discuss his transformation into a 90s street hustler in Devil’s Playground, the importance of investing time and money in development, having a common language with the cast of A Place to Call Home and surrounding yourself with a team that’s better than you. But try as I might ...
Jun 08, 2015•38 min
We did it! We reached 100! And to celebrate here is panel of awesome guests - Wil Anderson, Kimberley Cooper, Maude Garrett and Tim Minchin - recorded live at The Parlor in West Hollywood. We catch up a little with each person to see what they’ve been up to since they were on the podcast - Wil’s three hour lunches with the Australian Consul General in Chicago, Maude’s nerd news, Kimberley’s foray into playwrighting and Tim’s ethical and moral dilemmas. Then a glorious chaos descends! Covering th...
Jun 01, 2015•1 hr 2 min
Writer and actress, Monica Zanetti is checking off a lot of ‘firsts'. A short, a play, a feature and soon a pilot… But it is SKIN DEEP - her debut feature under both job titles - that brings her to LA, specifically Newport Beach, the latest stop of the festival circuit. She takes time out to talk with me about writing specifically for a low budget, writing not quite autobiographically and just plain old writing. When it comes to filmmaking, she is the first to unashamedly admit that a little bit...
May 25, 2015•45 min
Louisa Mignone (RAKE, EAST WEST 101) was kinda skeptical at first when she was told about the immersive process director Shane Abbess wanted to use on set during the INFINI shoot. But the how else do you gain the understanding necessary to play a lieutenant in a rescue mission to a outlying space station in the 23rd century? She shares stories about the bond between the amazing cast (including Daniel MacPherson, Luke Ford, Grace Huang and Luke Hemsworth), the highest of high stakes (Save The Wor...
May 18, 2015•38 min
Writer and director Stephen Lance’s first feature MY MISTRESS is an impressionistic view of his adolescence. But if you want more details than that - it’s a firm ‘no’. He holds sacred the complicit pact between audience and the film to maintain the integrity of the illusion of storytelling. What he is willing to share, however, is the difficulties in collaboration, seeing the DNA of his main character, Maggie in the luminous Emmanuelle Beart, directing actors with differing techniques and how he...
May 12, 2015•26 min
Comedian and Investigative Humorist Dan Ilic (A RATIONAL FEAR, HUNGRY BEAST, CAN OF WORMS) is currently the Senior Producer of Satire at AJ+, Al Jazeera’s digital arm. Yup, that’s a job. Well, at least it is now… From war zones to Sundance, Dan has been everywhere and probably poked fun at it too. He talks about internet death threats, the un-usefulness of QR codes and feeding Sir Ben Kingsley humble pie. He shares what he has learnt about creating content for the interwebs. Not in the least, ho...
Apr 27, 2015•48 min
It would seem that fortune is on actress Melanie Zanetti’s side (TRACKS). She just wrapped the Project Greenlight film THE LEISURE CLASS, the documentary on which will soon be seen on HBO. She talks about working with your betters, gaining camera confidence and what it was like being followed by a doco crew - oddly kinda liberating. Having ditched her preconceived notions about LA and the industry here, she is reveling its challenges and surprises. She highly recommends giving “less f*@ks” and a...
Apr 20, 2015•44 min
Glen Dolman, writer and story editor (HAWKE, THE BILL, Australians in Film Gateway LA finalist), started making movies in his backyard. Having worked in Oz, the UK and now here, he talks us through the ‘Murrican way of doing things. Yup, managers and agents and lawyers - OH MY! Being a writer who ACTUALLY writes, Glen shares his experiences of getting out of your own way, the need to immerse yourself in the culture, establishing your brand and his ethos of 'no magic, just work'. And he teaches m...
Apr 13, 2015•52 min
Vivienne Walshe (2012 Griffin Award winning playwright and 2015 AiF Gateway LA finalist) is finding her feet in Los Angeles. She shares her experiences of pitching in LA, finding her inner showman, taking pleasure in the act of doing and knowing you are getting better at your craft. In a town built on referrals, she relishes her relative anonymity and how well read people in the biz are. Cultural comparisons abound and I manage to get some dating stories! Well, kinda sorta...
Mar 30, 2015•49 min
It’s a the ongoing adventures of the One Eyed Girl team with Writer Director Nick Matthews and Producer/EditorDavid Ngo! Their decade long partnership made the leap from short to feature via the SAFC FilmLab program resulting in their Austin Film Festival Jury Prize winning thriller. They debate the merits of reviews vs festival fronds, the market driven system vs the filmmaker driven system and the longest of social media long games. They illuminate this Aussie on the advantages of having an Au...
Mar 23, 2015•1 hr 7 min
Third time's a charm in Los Angeles for actress Charlotte Best (HOME AND AWAY, PUBERTY BLUES). The 2014 Heath Ledger Scholarship Runner Up talks about her growing affection for this city, trusting the right job will come along, moving up the casting hierachy, the rebirth of her audition techniques LA-style and putting her boyfriend Andy through her film appreciation course. She reflects on her breakthrough role as Cheryl in Puberty Blues and the relish she took in getting to play the class 'mole...
Mar 16, 2015•35 min
Tracy Bacal is CEO and SVP of Karga Seven Pictures, an LA and Istanbul based production company who specialises in non-fiction television and feature films. But don't let the important sounding letters fool you. This down to earth woman is all about teamwork - there is no 'us vs. them' in this camp. She defines her job as how to give everyone what they want for the money you have. She talks about the having to choose between the scripted and un-scripted genres when arriving here, fufilling her c...
Mar 10, 2015•42 min
Simon Burke (The Devil’s Playground x 2) is in LA for pilot season for the first time EVER. With a career spanning 40 years and two continents, he has found a sense of freedom in being an unknown quantity in this town with a wealth of experience. His no expectations approach is allowing him to enjoy LA for what it is. Of course, it helps that he’s just produced the award winning TV series The Devil’s Playground. He shares with us it’s serendipitous birth, the balance between a producers objectiv...
Mar 02, 2015•50 min
Happy days! Tripod - Australia’s (2nd?) best musical comedy trio - are in Los Angeles to work on their new show, THIS GAMING LIFE. Scod, Gatesy and Yon take time out of their hectic schedule to reminisce about the good ol’ days opening for cover bands and their old school marketing techniques, which included capturing St Kilda foot traffic and diuretic mail outs. They reveal their individual gaming preferences and advise me on the best games for lasting romantic relationships. I have yet to test...
Feb 16, 2015•49 min
Awarding winning filmmaking team Tim Marshall (writer/director) and Christina Radburn (producer) are decompressing from the whirlwind that is the Sundance Film Festival where their short, FOLLOWERS premiered. It’s just like being at camp! They share stories from the frontline of indie filmmaking like juggling timezones and international producing partnerships, getting on the radar of funding bodies and the importance of seeking mentors. We discuss the pros and cons of festivals vs. online releas...
Feb 09, 2015•52 min
Julius Avery (writer/director) and Nash Edgerton (actor - for this one!) joined Another Aussie for a Q & A at screening of their new film SON OF A GUN. They share stories of being a fan boy and buillding a fan base, watching each others' careers, the journey from shorts to features and the need for adaptability and trusting your instincts. Especially when it's very likely that as the director, you are the one with the least amount of experience! With the help of the audience we cover writing...
Jan 26, 2015•49 min
Here's a laid back ramble with actor and producer Martin Copping (ZOMBIE HUNTER, BATTLE GROUND). While a restless spirit may have brought him to LA, Marty has remained pretty focussed in his six years. We talk about rock and roll starts, perpetual LA acting students, having your bases covered rep wise and working with your heroes - there were tears! His sage advice for the bussiness side o' things - When it works, it works. And when it doesn't, move on!
Jan 19, 2015•44 min
After 15 years Stateside, multi-hypenate Paul Leyden (THE CLEANERS, AS THE WORLD TURNS, CANAL ROAD) knows a few things. He's lived the high life in NYC, killed numerous cellphones and survived many a pilot season. And yes, those last two are related. As a writer/director/producer, he shares stories on how to woo Sony money men, the constraints of writing to locations, how best to win over novelists. (Hint: flattery) and the subtle art of timing when selling scripts. But my favourite is a tale ab...
Jan 12, 2015•52 min
It’s Q & A time with Joel Edgerton! Recorded after an Australians in Film screening of Exodus: Gods and Kings, Joel shares tales of his time shooting the swords and sandals epic from working with Ridley “The General” Scott to his thoughts on the casting controversy surrounding the movie. We also delve into his work with Blue Tongue Films, the trails and tribulations of making and distributing films in Australia, the tumultuous times on the set of Jane Got a Gun, the things actors get away wi...
Jan 05, 2015•43 min
Old NIDA buddy Christa Nicola is in LA for the opening of her film, The Pyramid. One month back in Australia after a 10 year acting hiatus she lands a lead in the 21st Century Fox horror flick. And with no time to soak it up, she found herself on set working with Dennis O’Hare, dealing with massive anxiety and a US accent. We chat about how doing the work is the only antidote to nerves, the art of nailing auditions, the long wait from filming to release and how her Greek peasant work ethic keeps...
Dec 22, 2014•49 min
Dion Beebe, cinematographer extraodinaire, Oscar and BAFTA winner and all around affable guy chats with Another Aussie after a screening of his latest film INTO THE WOODS. With two other musicals under his belt (Chicago, Nine), he discusses Hollywood's desire to pigeonhole you, disregarding the technicalities of what he does, grounding fairytales and earning the moment to burst into song. He shares what he has learnt from his ongoing relationships with Jane Campion(Holy Smoke, In The Cut), Micha...
Dec 15, 2014•41 min
Writer and actor Craig Behenna has just returned to Adelaide - yup, we're in Radelaide, folks! - after a epic five month trip that culminated in his film ONE EYED GIRL taking out the Jury Prize at Austin Film Festival. We soldier through our respective jet lags to discuss writing, writing and more writing. Whether it be overwriting to find the gold, writing as a conversation with an audience or how screenwriting is like a Beethoven string quartet or a puzzle - no metaphor is left unturned or und...
Dec 01, 2014•51 min
