Screen Australia Podcast

Screenwriter Bevan Lee, who created such TV series as All Saints, Always Greener, Winners & Losers, A Place to Call Home and Packed to the Rafters, talks about creating Amazon Australia's First Scripted Original Series Back to the Rafters, working with streamers, the power of nostalgia, and his advice for writers.

Screenwriter Jon Bell discusses working on new Channel Seven drama series RFDS, creating a strong sense of place through characters, and his award-winning First Nations psychological horror short, The Moogai, which he wrote and directed and which he's developing into a feature with Causeway Films.

Michael Lucas on creating, producing and writing on new ABC series The Newsreader, as well as working as a writer more broadly, including learnings from script editing Rosehaven that he took to co-creating Five Bedrooms; paying it forward as a producer; returning to work with directors such as Peter Templeman and Emma Freeman; and advice for writers wanting to break into the industry.

Mithila Gupta talks about her pathway to screenwriting, her process, juggling projects as a freelance writer, how she came to work on Five Bedrooms, and how the writers' room on Five Bedrooms works – from plotting to writing episodes.

Director Stevie Cruz-Martin discusses moving from features like the 2017 film Pulse, to the fast-paced world of Australian television with the 6 x 10 minute SBS series The Tailings; the importance of rehearsal time especially when working with first-time actors; lighting set-up choices to maximise shooting time; and her collaborative approach with producer Liz Doran, writer and creator Caitlin Richardson, and the rest of the heads of department. Watch The Tailings Behind the Scenes video here.

Love on the Spectrum director and co-creator Cian O'Clery talks about his unconventional road to documentary making, from being a driver on films like the Matrix sequels, to finding his way into reality television, and then getting his big break in factual TV with Northern Pictures. He also breaks down his approach to Love on the Spectrum, including stylistic choices, how many cameras were used, shooting schedules and more.

Vanessa Gazy talks about how the chance to create, executive produce and write on new Stan Original series Eden came about; having four days to write a bible; developing TV for Netflix; the differences in creating TV for the US and Australia; as well as her advice for anyone going into a pitch meeting.

Producers Hayley Adams and Michelle Melky of new TikTok series Scattered run through everything you need to know about making content for the app, from working in a vertical frame, to writing one-minute episodes, how music on the app works, and why they think it's the perfect platform if you're an emerging storyteller.

Netflix ANZ's Que Minh Luu and Nakul Legha talk to their programming strategy for both commissions and licencing, things to keep in mind before pitching, and what they are and aren't looking for. The pair also detail their upcoming slate and address the controversy around upcoming docusoap Byron Baes.

To mark the 20th anniversary of Moulin Rouge!, writer, director and producer Baz Luhrmann and production and costume designer Catherine Martin look back on making the movie musical – remembering the Sydney shoot, their proudest moments, the audience reaction at Cannes Film Festival and around the globe, as well as their thoughts on the stage show opening in Australia two decades after the film premiered.