Another Aussie in LA
Join Ansuya Nathan as she navigates the city of Angels, chatting to some of the shiniest Aussies in L.A., sharing their tales of living, working and playing on this side of the globe.
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 I can’t get an American accent out of him! 
Direct download: Matt_Levett_.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:06pm PDT

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 the necessity for nudity or (but not both) songs in theatre, Star Wars porn, bad Australian accents, Dave Hughes impressions and The Corrs. But if you take nothing else away from this podcast, please let it be that Tim Minchin REALLY loves dogs. 

Direct download: Live_with_Wil_Anderson_Kimberley_Cooper_Maude_Garrett__Tim_Minchin_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:37pm PDT

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 of ignorance can go a long way! 
For me, the 'take away’ from this podcast is not waiting for permission to make a film. Just please don’t take her cat… 
Direct download: Monica_Zanetti.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:51pm PDT

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 World!) and the ingenious design team. And it seems the film has found it’s audience - number one on iTunes in OZ and the dubious honor of being the favorite of pirates - ARGH!!!! Anyhoo, that's given Louisa an idea for a followup film...

Direct download: Louisa_Mignone.mp3
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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 draws upon the greats of European cinema. Warning - there are some spoilers!

Direct download: My_Mistress_Q__A_with_Stephen_Lance.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:45pm PDT

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, how being a little bit furious fuels his creativity...

Direct download: Dan_Ilic.mp3
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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 attempting to live in the present. I highly recommend letting her perspective and enthusiasm infect you!  
Direct download: Melanie_Zanetti.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:39am PDT

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 me a new word! Say it with me: hagiography... 

Direct download: Glen_Dolman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:07am PDT

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...

Direct download: Vivienne_Walshe_.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:45am PDT

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 Australian film on the world festival circuit and the the differing paths of directors and producers in Hollywood. Here’s a few helpful hints: 1) Be ready with you want to do next and 2) if you are going to 'them', you’re not ready yet… Anyone for table tennis? 
Direct download: Nick_Matthews_and_David_Ngo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:27pm PDT