ScreenTalk

Producer Grahame McLean was one of the pioneers of the New Zealand feature film industry. In his long career, he was worked in many roles – props manager, assistant director, production manager, line producer, director, scriptwriter and producer. His first job in the screen industry was on the early 70s independent TV drama The Games Affair, and he went on to produce films including Sons for the Return Home, A Woman of Good Character, and Should I be Good? In this special ScreenTalk interview at his Queenstown home, with veteran producer and colleague John Barnett, McLean talks about:

• His first screen industry job as line producer on The Games Affair
• Working as props manager on TV drama Hunter’s Gold, shot near where he now lives in Queenstown
• How Roger Donaldson’s Sleeping Dogs kickstarted the NZ feature film industry
• The delights of shooting Sons for the Return Home in Samoa
• Working with director David Blyth on A Woman of Good Character
• Worzel Gummidge Downunder and working with a young Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson

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

Funny man actor Peter Rowley is best known for his appearances in a slew of TV comedy shows including A Week of It, McPhail and Gadsby, The Billy T James Show, the self-titled Pete and Pio, with Pio Terei, and Letter to Blanchy. Rowley does however have a dramatic side which he has ably demonstrated in the feature films Savage Islands, Russian Snark and Netherwood (currently in post-production).

In this ScreenTalk interview, Rowley talks about:

• How A Week of It became a hit satirising politics and politicians
• How lampooning Prime Minister Rob Muldoon made Muldoon more popular
• Being accused of ruining the career of Bill Rowling by the politician’s daughter
• Writing for The Billy T James Show while living with the show’s star
• Hating the emergence of political correctness while continuing to push boundaries in comedy
• Causing offence in a souvenir store by wearing a Nazi uniform
• Loving working with Pio Terei in Pete and Pio
• How Aucklanders didn’t ‘get’ Letter to Blanchy
• Successfully begging to be in the pirate movie Savage Islands
• The beautiful cinematography in Stephen Sinclair’s film Russian Snark
• Overcoming personal doubts about his abilities

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

From appearing alongside Lucy Lawless and baby ‘Stanley’ in the 90s ASB Bank ads, to headlining the hit Aussie drama Packed to the Rafters, actor Erik Thomson has built a solid career and a loyal fan base. He has appeared in TV shows such as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, All Saints and The Alice, short films (Snap) and the features We’re Here to Help, The Black Balloon and Somersault.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Thomson talks about:

• Spilling wine over himself on his very first TV shoot on Marlin Bay
• Playing a US soldier in Bread and Roses
• Bringing a ‘Woody Allen’ touch to playing Hades in both Hercules and Xena
• How presenting the Australian travel show Getaway was not as glamorous as it sounds
• Why Packed to the Rafters has been a huge hit due to its ‘everyman’ approach to characters
• How a TV critic had to eat his words after claiming the show would not work
• Never dreaming he would have the career path he has had

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

Jay Laga’aia is an in demand actor on both sides of the Tasman, having appeared in a number of popular film and TV roles in both New Zealand (Heroes, Gloss, Marlin Bay, Xena and Street Legal), and Australia (Home and Away, Water Rats, Bed of Roses). He says his most memorable achievement was having an action toy created in his likeness after appearing as Captain Typho in Star Wars.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Laga’aia talks about:

• Thinking he was terrible in his first TV role in Heroes
• Learning to be an actor in Open House
• Believing Marlin Bay was ahead of its time and finished too soon
• The delicious pleasure of playing the first bad guy on Xena
• Forgetting his lines upon seeing Lucy Lawless in full costume
• Causing chaos on Sydney Harbour during a shoot on Water Rats
• How he ‘came of age’ playing the lead character in Street Legal
• How he got a role on Home and Away
• Playing Captain Typho on Star Wars and being made into a plastic toy

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

TV producer Claudette Hauiti (Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi) began her career as a sports journalist on radio before moving to television news. In later years, her production company Front of the Box has made ground-breaking Māori series such as Eye to Eye and Takatāpui, as well as the award-winning documentaries Gang Girls and Children of the Revolution.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Hauiti talks about:

• How some gang connections led to the documentary Gang Girls and how it validated the lives of the women interviewed
• How strong support from Maori TV for Takatāpui helped get the series on air despite some misgivings from the Māori community
• The cancellation of Eye to Eye
• How she likes Front of the Box shows to challenge audiences
• How Maori Television has created a huge mind shift in attitudes to Māori and assisted in making New Zealand more multi-cultural
• The challenges of being an independent television producer in New Zealand

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