ScreenTalk

Food, travel and television are synonymous with Peta Mathias. For 12 years she hosted TVNZ’s Taste New Zealand and its spin-off shows Toast New Zealand, Taste Takes Off and A Taste of Home. Mathias says her toughest TV moment came in Bolivia as part of the Intrepid Journeys series. It was a trip she describes as “pure hell”.

As well as her TV credits, Mathias has written eight books about food and travel, and leads food tours to her favourite gastronomic hot spots around the world. She also recently set up her own production company, Red Head Media, to create cooking DVDs.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Mathias discusses:

• How she was discovered and her first TV audition
• The impact Taste New Zealand had on local cuisine
• How her outrageous outfits were a deliberate strategy
• What she thinks of TV food shows
• Why she ended up cooking on Hudson and Halls’ old stove
• Why her Intrepid Journey to Bolivia was hell on earth
• And the practical reason behind setting up her own production company

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

Credits:  Interview, Camera & Editing – Andrew Whiteside

Taika Waititi [Te-Whānau-a-Apanui] discovered drama at secondary school. Having previously had aspirations for careers in deep sea diving, painting and hospitality, the lure of the entertainment industry led him towards acting, and a high school drama teacher – who he admits “changed my life”.

Waititi, aka Taika Cohen, appeared in feature films Scarfies (Alex), and Snakeskin (Nelson), the TV show The Strip, and on stage as a stand up comedian and one half of the comedy duo Humourbeasts, before turning his creative energies towards writing and directing.

His award-winning short film Tama Tū, based on the experiences of The Maori Battalion in WWII, was recognised at festivals in Berlin, Stockholm and at Sundance.

Waititi’s first short Two Cars, One Night was nominated for an Academy Award, and his debut feature film Eagle vs Shark was released in 2007 to critical acclaim.

He has directed several music videos, including two for Wellington band The Phoenix Foundation.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Waititi reveals:

• The trials of working with kids in Two Cars, One Night
• The story behind the now infamous “falling asleep” gag at the Oscars, and how he was left holding the baby
• Details on how the amazing, lifelike set for short film Tama Tū was realised
• The crazy story behind creation of the script for Eagle vs Shark
• How he approached writing and directing on Flight of the Conchords
• His general thoughts on choosing a career as a filmmaker
• An insight into the layout of his hill-top castle-themed mansion

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence

Credits:  Interview, Camera & Editing – James Coleman

For more than 20 years, actor Peter Elliott’s career has spanned theatre, film, television and radio. His most notable screen credits include playing Rex on Gloss, Dr David Kearney on Shortland Street, and more recently he was the TV ad face encouraging us to take civil defence seriously.

As well as TV drama, Elliott has fronted and narrated a range of documentary TV series such as Captain’s Log, Explorers, Frontier of Dreams and Secret New Zealand. He also wrote and presented Jungle Rain, a documentary about Agent Orange. Elliott was the first celebrity to appear in Intrepid Journeys. Now 50, Elliott has recently added a new skill to his repertoire – directing theatre.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Elliott discusses:

• The experience of being a ‘star’ in Gloss and why he had to pretend to be single
• How he got burned out and burned by his four years on Shortland Street
• Why he thinks male characters get a rough deal on the soap
• How being part of Captain’s Log was a dream come true and a boost to his morale
• What a confronting experience it was visiting Kenya in Intrepid Journeys
• The great experience of being in Until Proven Innocent and the talent of co-star Cohen Holloway
• And how he has finally become comfortable with himself and his transition into being a director

Veteran documentary producer/director George Andrews is a vocal supporter of public service broadcasting, and was the main creative force behind the iconic early 1980s documentary series Landmarks.

Andrews began his career as a broadcast journalist, later moving to producing and directing.

In this ScreenTalk interview he talks about:

• the story of his rather short-lived career presenting the early TV current affairs show Gallery
• producing the ground-breaking documentary series Landmarks in the early 1980s
• his involvement in the start-up of TV3, and how the network’s direction changed over time, moving it away from the public service style programming that he had hoped for
• his independent production company George Andrews Productions, and some of the programmes he has enjoyed making over the years
• how his 2006 documentary Made in Taiwan – starring Oscar Kightley and Nathan Rarere – came about
• and finally he tells the story of how Made in Taiwan led to his 2008 documentary Allan Wilson – Evolutionary, about the pioneering and controversial New Zealand-born biologist. The programme was funded by the University of California, Berkeley, where Wilson spent much of his career.

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

Credits: Direction and interview by Clare O’Leary, Camera and Editing by Leo Guerchmann.

John Leigh is one of NZ’s most versatile and experienced actors, with over 40 NZ TV and film credits to his name including roles in Outrageous Fortune, Lord of the Rings, Serial Killers, Stickmen, Shortland St, The Frighteners, Diplomatic Immunity, Eating Media Lunch, Mercy Peak, We’re Here to Help and Xena, plus numerous theatre and voice-over appearances.

From early beginnings in the Wellington theatre scene at Taki Rua, through his first major TV role as core cast member Lionel Skeggins on Shortland Street, to dozens of gritty character roles, Leigh is a very familiar face on NZ stage and screen.

His talents also extend to voice-over with several character appearances on Power Rangers, along with numerous national TV and radio advertising campaigns.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Leigh shares his experiences on:

• Playing Lionel Skeggins on Shortland Street, and a theory on his own disappearance
• The challenges of fast turnaround TV show Spin Doctors
• A real fire on the set of Outrageous Fortune
• Bringing Serial Killers to life
• Upstaging Michael J Fox in Lyttelton
• Playing Hama in Lord of the Rings, and working with Sir Ian McKellen

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence

Credits:  Interview, Camera & Editing – James Coleman