ScreenTalk

Producer Elizabeth Mitchell set up Firehorse Films to produce the popular TV3 animated comedy series bro’Town.

Mitchell was a print journalist turned television promotions director, and she explains that her only experience in animation prior to bro’Town was a TV ad on the white spotted tussock moth.

Mitchell outlines how the original idea for bro’Town came about, and talks about her long friendship with Naked Samoans and bro’Town star Oscar Kightley.

She also talks about the early development for the series, how she got the animation team together, and what the production process for bro’Town is.

Mitchell discusses audience reaction to the series – thinking it would be watched by “young brown people” only to find that it was also enjoyed by “old white people”.

Lastly, Mitchell discusses the future for bro’Town now that the last TV series is on air – a future that includes television specials and a bro’Town movie.

This interview is also available on YouTube.

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

Oscar Kightley is a celebrated writer, actor, director and television presenter. He is a key part of comedy theatre troupe The Naked Samoans, whose members are behind the successes of hit TV animation series, bro’Town and the feature film, Sione’s Wedding. Kightley talks to NZ On Screen about:

• His early days working in the theatre: “we wanted to play Islanders and there weren’t really many plays around where we could do that so we wrote them ourselves, that’s where it all started”.
• Being spotted by Dave Gibson while acting in play Fresh off the Boat and being offered a writing gig on comedy TV show Skitz (where he worked with Jemaine Clement, Dave Fane, and Raybon Kan)
• On meeting Elizabeth Mitchell at the Auckland Star newspaper (where both were working as journalists). Mitchell came up with the idea for bro’Town after watching a Naked Samoans theatre show.
• On the challenge, and unheralded success, of bro’Town: “they say it takes a village to raise a child … it takes a village to make an animation as well! … we had to learn a different way of performing [to the theatre] … you have to put it all in your voice. We will get older, get less hair and gain more weight, but those 14-year old boys will never grow up! … It’s pretty awesome to be able to have fun with your friends, get paid for it, get free lunch and create things that people like!”

This interview is available to embed and distribute on YouTube.

Credits: Direction and Interview – Clare O’Leary, Camera and Editing – Leo Guerchmann