WEBVTT - CLICKBAIT SUCCESS FOR NETFLIX CREATOR TONY! 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:01.720 It's in the news today, but it was actually on 0:00:01.800 --> 0:00:03.640 TV Reloaded podcast last week. 0:00:03.640 --> 0:00:06.560 I'm I, how would I describe a television set? 0:00:07.320 --> 0:00:10.840 Oh Man from a headline grabbing point of view, the 0:00:10.920 --> 0:00:13.720 hack producer from me says one hundred percent put him in. 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:17.599 Welcome back guys to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:20.320 Norris and on this podcast, I go behind the scenes 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:23.639 with the biggest players in television. This week mark's an 0:00:23.680 --> 0:00:26.880 amazing milestone for me as it's my fiftieth episode of 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:29.920 the podcast. I've been super lucky with my guests, having 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:31.640 people like Andy Lee. 0:00:31.440 --> 0:00:33.159 Yeah, great questions, the show's about the. 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:34.599 Game, having Sonya Krueger. 0:00:34.760 --> 0:00:38.040 There's a lot of great television out there in Australia. 0:00:37.600 --> 0:00:40.879 Two of Australia's finest presenters. But I've also got to 0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:43.360 go behind the scenes with writers. The truth is when 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:45.600 I started writing it, it wasn't had nothing to do 0:00:45.640 --> 0:00:47.880 with the news and casting agents. 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:50.600 They know from a casting point of view what they need. 0:00:50.440 --> 0:00:54.280 And editors because that's what we do as editors where storytellers. 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:58.280 Not to forget some incredible executive producers who are making 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:00.840 some of the best TV content Australia. 0:01:00.920 --> 0:01:03.280 I have been on the program since the beginning and 0:01:03.320 --> 0:01:05.319 it's kind of in my DNA. 0:01:05.560 --> 0:01:07.959 So thanks for joining me each week, and I hope 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:11.240 the podcast continues to give you real insight into the 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:14.560 magic of television. A big shout out to Channel ten, 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:18.920 Channel nine, Channel seven and ABC Australia. I'd also love 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:23.360 to thank the streaming platforms Amazon Prime, Paramount Plus, Netflix, 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.959 Stan and Binge for all of their continued support. I 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:29.959 started out with this mission statement to tell factual stories 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:33.000 about television, offering you the chance to get right up 0:01:33.040 --> 0:01:35.959 close and personal with the source material. And I feel 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:37.880 like I've done that and I'll continue to do so. 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:40.960 This week, I'm changing things up a little bit and 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:43.760 I'm going to go straight into the interview with Tony 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:46.800 as our special guest. If you want to stick around 0:01:46.840 --> 0:01:49.440 and get a few recommendations on what I'm watching, I'm 0:01:49.440 --> 0:01:51.040 going to leave that at the end and hopefully you 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:54.440 stick around and hear that. As I mentioned, today's special 0:01:54.480 --> 0:01:58.560 guest is Tonyairs and what a perfect way to celebrate 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:03.160 fifty episodes of this podcast. Tony is a showrunner, screenwriter 0:02:03.280 --> 0:02:06.360 and director in television and feature films. He made a 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:09.080 big name for himself with films like Walking on Water, 0:02:09.560 --> 0:02:12.720 The Home Song Stories, as well as his work in television, 0:02:12.880 --> 0:02:16.680 which includes his work on Stateless, the slap Barracootera, and 0:02:16.760 --> 0:02:19.280 the popular teen adventure series Nowhere Boys. 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:20.600 From his work. 0:02:20.400 --> 0:02:23.920 At Matchbox Pictures to starting his own company, Tap, you 0:02:23.960 --> 0:02:26.920 would have seen an enormous amount of his work in 0:02:26.960 --> 0:02:29.799 the industry. People speak so highly of Tony they all 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:31.320 want to work with him and they all want to 0:02:31.360 --> 0:02:35.360 be his friend because of his generosity, his intelligence, but 0:02:35.440 --> 0:02:39.400 above all, his ability to tell stories so well. Today 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:42.280 we'll be talking about the brand new series Clickbait, which 0:02:42.320 --> 0:02:46.000 is currently out on Netflix. The series is brilliant. It's 0:02:46.040 --> 0:02:49.000 a murder mystery who done it? With a real subtext 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:50.920 that you guys will be talking about for days after 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.920 you've watched the series. The show is number one on 0:02:54.040 --> 0:02:56.960 Netflix at the moment and is simply addictive viewing. So 0:02:57.960 --> 0:02:59.840 we will go behind the scenes on that show. 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:01.120 But I'll also get a. 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:04.520 Chance to talk to Tony about his passions and his inspirations, 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:09.000 which he will unpack in true tonyas style. However, let's 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:11.600 get started with today's guest. I'd like to welcome to 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:13.800 the podcast. It's Tony Airs. 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:18.000 I had no idea that it would be so popular. 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:21.040 Is a propulsive thriller told from the perspective of eight 0:03:21.040 --> 0:03:25.680 different characters. We have phenomenal people in Australia. 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:27.960 In every episode, you get to know a different side 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:28.280 of him? 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:30.760 Or do you both in front of the camera and 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:31.519 behind the camera? 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:33.880 What do you make the signs that he was holding 0:03:34.040 --> 0:03:35.360 I abuse women? 0:03:35.480 --> 0:03:38.160 How'd you be a human being with all of those 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:42.720 different versions of yourself? Way focus on five million hits 0:03:42.800 --> 0:03:46.480 I die. I was also interested in that there are 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:50.440 other darker sides of ourselves, which are we're being given 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:52.280 access to through the Internet? 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:55.040 Hey, Tony, how are you? 0:03:55.160 --> 0:03:55.240 Hi? 0:03:55.360 --> 0:03:59.320 Van? Congratulations on the success of Clickbait. Did you ever 0:03:59.440 --> 0:04:01.560 expect the show was going to take off like this? 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:06.400 Absolutely, no idea or you know, it was just you 0:04:06.480 --> 0:04:08.920 put something out into the world. I've put things out 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:11.080 into the world before, and then you know, I had 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:13.680 no idea that it would be so popular. 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:16.960 Yeah, well, I think it's just resonating at the right time. 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:20.480 What would you say were the influencers when you were 0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:24.600 delving into this whole who done it? Style of storytelling? 0:04:24.720 --> 0:04:26.280 You know, what were your influences for. 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:30.479 That I have been an avid watcher of this genre 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:34.920 for many years, but I've never actually made one before, 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:40.160 So I guess in terms of influencers, I hate to 0:04:40.200 --> 0:04:43.080 sound self referential, but the Slab. 0:04:45.760 --> 0:04:49.279 From one Little Slap ricochets off into this eight episode 0:04:49.360 --> 0:04:52.800 perspective of everyone's view on what happened. 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:53.400 Whether it's all or bad. 0:04:55.800 --> 0:04:58.200 When I was making The Slap, I really loved the format, 0:04:58.279 --> 0:05:01.440 the idea of these revolving points to you, and I 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:05.000 was always curious about how far you could push that format, 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:08.440 like how much further you could go, Because in The Slap, 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:12.440 we made a show about a misdemeanor really that happens 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:16.440 that causes a ripple out effect, and Christian and I 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:19.520 Christian White, my co creator, we were just kind of 0:05:19.560 --> 0:05:21.880 wanted to see what would happen if it was a 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:25.760 much bigger event that then, rather than ripple out, just 0:05:25.839 --> 0:05:29.920 kind of exploded out. So we took the format of 0:05:29.960 --> 0:05:34.360 the Slab and then this premise, which was Christian's brilliant idea, 0:05:34.720 --> 0:05:37.359 which is of this guy holding up this card, and 0:05:37.400 --> 0:05:39.760 then we just sort of thought, okay, well let's go 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:40.240 from there. 0:05:41.320 --> 0:05:45.080 This is a message for Nick Kinneffer. He's a husband, 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:52.120 a father, a brother. He's kind, loving and gentle. 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:53.560 I love you. 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:56.440 So you made a terrible mistake. 0:05:57.920 --> 0:05:58.719 Let him come home. 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:01.920 Yes, you don't find a missing person in the first 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:04.719 forty eight hours, the chances of finding them alive drops 0:06:04.760 --> 0:06:05.640 by fifty percent. 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:07.919 There's a new video. 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:13.000 It's worse. Well, a very compelling story, you know, because 0:06:13.000 --> 0:06:15.800 it just keeps unraveling. And I think it's really funny 0:06:15.800 --> 0:06:19.120 that you mentioned the slap, because I was recommending this 0:06:19.240 --> 0:06:21.200 TV series to a friend of mine and I was like, 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:23.240 do you know what it is a mixture of these 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:26.960 three things. It's a mixture of the Slap, a really 0:06:26.960 --> 0:06:31.120 good episode of Inspector Morse and Mayor of Eastown. And 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:35.000 they were like, great, I love all of those. So 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:37.360 I don't know if you've ever seen Inspector Morse before. 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:39.839 I grew up watching it with my grandparents, but I'm 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:41.800 assuming it's not one of the referential points. 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:47.360 Weirdly enough, I mean, I went to a period where 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:53.960 I watched a few Midsummer Murders and Agatha Christie's and yeah, 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:59.279 so this particular genre has its rules and it's ways 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:02.200 of doing things, and I think, you know, I was 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:04.600 clearly affected by it. We also talked about Scooby Doo 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:05.600 in the writer's room, But. 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:07.320 I mean that's the thing, is like you've got to 0:07:07.480 --> 0:07:10.760 let when you're watching other people's content, that'll wash over you, 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:13.880 I'm assuming, and then you will always borrow things from 0:07:13.960 --> 0:07:16.960 different areas of your life. I'm really excited because I 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:19.280 like Scooby Doo as well. Can I throw that in 0:07:19.560 --> 0:07:22.640 when I'm doing when I'm offering. 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:23.000 This to someone? 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:24.280 Absolutely? 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:27.920 What was the process like of getting Netflix behind making 0:07:27.960 --> 0:07:28.560 this series? 0:07:28.880 --> 0:07:33.840 Well, originally the show was commissioned by Channel four and 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:37.040 then it moved to Amazon, so we had a few 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:41.160 sort of homes before then, and unfortunately it didn't stay 0:07:41.200 --> 0:07:46.360 at Amazon, and so I reset it in America and 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:49.200 pitched it to a number of different players in America, 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:52.240 and all of them were really interested in it, like 0:07:52.280 --> 0:07:55.120 it was just an idea that seemed to be of 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:59.560 its time. And Netflix made us straight series offer, so 0:07:59.840 --> 0:08:01.840 was clear that that was the direction we would go to. 0:08:02.160 --> 0:08:04.720 Right now, they're kicking themselves if I'm going to be 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:07.280 really honest with you, But what were the hiccups with 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:09.520 Amazon and Channel four? 0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:13.080 Or there were some business issues around Channel four, but 0:08:13.720 --> 0:08:17.720 you know, like projects are championed by certain people, and 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:21.480 sometimes those people leave, and it sort of happens all 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:23.960 the time that you know, like, unless you have a champion, 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:27.880 you know, really advocating for your show, it's you know, 0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:31.240 it's very hard to push it into actually being made. 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:35.640 So unfortunately, our champions at Amazon left and work for 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:39.240 another company, and we've found champions at Netflix. 0:08:39.440 --> 0:08:41.520 My dad always used to say to me, never work 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:44.400 for somebody who doesn't get you, you know, because then 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:46.800 you'll spend way too much time trying to get them 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:49.800 to get you instead of just getting the work done. 0:08:50.120 --> 0:08:50.600 Exactly. 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:52.800 But do you think the True. 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:56.319 Crime has influenced this popularity in murder mysteries that we're 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:59.000 seeing at the moment. I mean, I did mention Merivstown before, 0:08:59.200 --> 0:09:02.040 but did you think or was True Crime a bit 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:03.760 of an influence into making this series. 0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:06.800 When Christian and I were talking about the show, I 0:09:06.840 --> 0:09:09.120 asked Christian to go off and do some research and 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:14.800 he opened up this Pandora's Box of real crimes that 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:18.360 have been committed because of the invention of the Internet 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:22.559 and its intrusion into our lives. And the research document 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:26.560 is almost golden in just how eye opening it was 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:31.319 how nixt you know, like how the Internet had affected 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:35.640 the real world, and we kind of basically made up 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:39.800 the show from a couple of true crimes. So yes, 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:43.280 absolutely it has been true crime affected. 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:46.320 I always think of the Internet like the ocean, you know, 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:48.839 like being out in the ocean. It's really deep and 0:09:48.880 --> 0:09:51.840 you really just don't know what is underneath you and 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:54.360 the complexities of it, the dangers of it, you know. 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:56.439 So I think that the Internet is a really good 0:09:56.480 --> 0:09:59.560 source material when you're looking at terror, you know, in 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:02.400 a way because as an audience and watching this show 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:06.040 every episode, I experienced a level of terror. I think 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:07.040 it's pretty impressive. 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:09.160 I think the Internet is one of those things where 0:10:09.200 --> 0:10:12.120 there are amazing things about it, you know, there's amazing 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:15.680 things about connectivity, and there are benign things about it. 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:18.719 There's so much information, so much learning that we can do. 0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:23.080 There's also probably just as much disinformation. And I think 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:27.280 it's not only affecting our political culture, but I think 0:10:27.280 --> 0:10:31.200 it's also affecting our personal psyches. And I think that 0:10:31.400 --> 0:10:34.600 was what I was really interested in making this show. 0:10:34.320 --> 0:10:38.400 How are we as human beings being affected by all 0:10:38.440 --> 0:10:41.119 the different kinds of ways in which we are asked 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:46.560 to perform ourselves these days, and the possibilities of that 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:50.080 performance going wrong. You know that I thought that was 0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:52.520 kind of interesting. And you know, often a lot of 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:58.200 these crimes are created by mischief, you know, people's kind 0:10:58.240 --> 0:11:02.319 of doing things in bad faith or do you know. Basically, 0:11:02.840 --> 0:11:07.000 we are very open to mischief in the Internet, especially 0:11:07.120 --> 0:11:09.800 also if you're not a digital native like I think, 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.800 you know, like I'm not, it's really easy to take 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:16.439 things at face value. And the thing that we are 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:21.319 learning about the world now is that we need we 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:24.800 need much greater sort of digital hygiene. We need a 0:11:24.960 --> 0:11:28.120 much you know, much more acute ways of telling what's 0:11:28.160 --> 0:11:30.640 real and what's not real in front of us on 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:33.760 our screens, because I think that, you know, we're in 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:39.199 inner situation where where you have to learn to understand 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:42.600 where information comes from, where where your information sources come from, 0:11:42.840 --> 0:11:44.440 and what's real and what's not real. 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:46.960 I think as well, for different people like you said 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:49.560 that might not be aware of stranger danger really needs 0:11:49.559 --> 0:11:52.520 to be applied to being on the Internet. I want 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:55.280 to know beyond this particular story, and we'll go back 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:57.560 into clickbait in the second, but was this a real 0:11:57.559 --> 0:12:01.000 opportunity for you to prove to international markets that Australia 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:03.720 can make global content just as good as anyone else. 0:12:03.880 --> 0:12:06.840 I guess. You know what was interesting about the show 0:12:06.960 --> 0:12:09.840 was we always designed it Christian and I always designed 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:12.800 it to be, say, an American show. You know. When 0:12:12.840 --> 0:12:15.120 we were going for the American market, we thought this 0:12:15.200 --> 0:12:19.160 can play in the States, and it wasn't originally going 0:12:19.200 --> 0:12:22.240 to be shot in Australia, but you know, really, just 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:25.000 because of the economics, we were probably going to shoot 0:12:25.000 --> 0:12:30.600 it in Canada, and then Canada was just so oversubscribed 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:32.840 as a place to make TV, you know, like it 0:12:32.880 --> 0:12:37.080 was just ridiculously busy, and then I thought, well, I 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:39.680 live in Melbourne. You know. It took a bit of 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:42.280 a campaign to persuade everyone that we could do it. 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:44.400 You know, we had to persuade Netflix, we had to 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:49.240 persuade David Hayman, we had to persuade NBC Universal that 0:12:49.280 --> 0:12:50.640 we could do it. And it was a bit of 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:53.160 a punt. But I think it pays off because I 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:55.520 feel like it's hard to you know, like I feel 0:12:55.559 --> 0:12:59.800 that the show is convincing. They hadn't done the show 0:13:00.520 --> 0:13:04.440 set in America, but shot in Australia before. This is 0:13:04.440 --> 0:13:08.000 a first for them. The international directors that we. 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:11.559 Brought in for Clickbay were blown away by how good 0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:15.160 our Australian crews are. The reason we chose to film 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:19.880 at Docklands was because having a world class studio makes 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:23.840 it possible for us to replicate the bits that we 0:13:23.880 --> 0:13:26.440 needed to replicate, particularly around our interiors. 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:30.640 And it's those small details that although people don't notice it, 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:34.320 that's what gives us its sense of authenticity. 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:38.120 Well, apart from the benefits for you being that you 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:40.680 could film this show in your hometown, what are some 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:42.959 of the benefits of making a story like this on 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:43.880 Australian soil. 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:47.280 For a producer, I think that you get a more 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:49.720 bang for your buck in Australia. Like, you know, we 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:54.360 were relatively you know, small budget kind of show, but 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:56.960 we made it go a long way. I think. I 0:13:57.000 --> 0:14:00.920 think for the local industry there are benefits in terms 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:03.600 of work, in terms of international exposure, like I think 0:14:03.640 --> 0:14:08.040 there are those kinds of benefits. I think for Netflix 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:11.720 and NBCU it's the possibility of a different way of 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:15.319 making shows as well, and so you know, hopefully there 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:19.000 will be interest. But you know what I always say 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:21.640 in terms of this subject, is that that that goes 0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:26.880 hand in hand with having a robust Australian industry where 0:14:26.920 --> 0:14:29.880 we make Australian shows as well. You know, Clickbait is 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:33.680 an American show that's shot in Australia, but you know, 0:14:33.720 --> 0:14:36.600 we also need to keep making Australian shows. 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:39.480 My partner's friend messaged me and said, guys, are you're 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:40.240 watching Clickbait? 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:41.160 It's so amazing. 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:43.200 So I was like, great, yeah, I'm already watching it 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:44.640 and said that I was going to be talking to 0:14:44.720 --> 0:14:47.200 you and I said, you know that it was partially, 0:14:47.240 --> 0:14:49.560 you know, filmed. I didn't know what percentage, but I said, 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:51.640 you know a lot of it was made here in Melbourne. 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:53.920 And she was like what, And so isn't that an 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:57.040 Isn't that a coupe to think that an audience member 0:14:57.280 --> 0:14:59.920 being an Australian wouldn't even pick up on that. 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:01.800 I'm very happy to hear that because of well, you know, 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:03.840 one of your anxieties at the beginning of this is, 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.840 you know, can we do it convincingly? You know, we 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:11.800 had this great American production designer, Lauren Crasco, who was 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:15.400 so detailed in the way that she saw the show, 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:19.200 made sure, you know, she policed anything that was like inauthentic, 0:15:19.520 --> 0:15:22.440 and you know, I love her dearly for it because 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:25.280 I think that you know, sometimes it's just an accumulation 0:15:25.360 --> 0:15:28.160 of small details that give away you not being in 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:31.240 the actual location. But Lauren just kept an eye on 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:34.320 all the details. Like, for instance, we had to import 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:37.760 doors because the door handles in America are lower than 0:15:37.800 --> 0:15:41.080 Australian door handles. You know, she made us really work 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:43.280 hard to get all those things right. 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:44.960 She must have been really good at like spot the 0:15:45.000 --> 0:15:46.760 difference growing up. You know, we you'd have to try 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:49.320 and pick those things. Because I was doing that myself, 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:51.120 because I mean I went straight. I went into this 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:54.920 watching the show knowing that it was yours and knowing 0:15:54.920 --> 0:15:58.240 that it was made here, so I was really not distractingly, 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:00.920 but I was still looking at car number plates and 0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:03.360 things in the background, you know, and there was never 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:04.560 anything I could find. 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:07.880 And the thing that really that's great that makes me happy. 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:10.880 I mean I definitely could say that's the Convention Center, 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:14.400 or I you know, could pick up on Melbourne places 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:16.720 of significance. You know, I definitely picked up on that 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:20.480 kind of stuff. But even the Australian actors that were 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:22.760 in it. Now there's there is a show out at 0:16:22.760 --> 0:16:25.360 the moment which I won't get into about, and it's 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:27.200 meant to be in America, but it was filmed here 0:16:27.200 --> 0:16:30.640 in Australia, and the accents aren't amazing where you know, 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:33.600 everyone from like Deborah Lawrence to all of these really 0:16:33.760 --> 0:16:37.240 iconic Australian people, their accents were so incredible. 0:16:39.320 --> 0:16:41.840 I just met with Michael Hasting's father. 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:44.000 He wants to press charges against Kai. 0:16:44.520 --> 0:16:45.600 He's just a child. 0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:46.440 I am so. 0:16:46.360 --> 0:16:49.760 Sorry, Sophie, but it looks like Michael needs surgery. Well 0:16:49.800 --> 0:16:52.320 that is completely unfair. Can't you do something? 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:57.320 Did you send out to the casting people that the 0:16:57.360 --> 0:16:59.840 accents had to be top notch? Like you didn't want 0:16:59.880 --> 0:17:02.240 to go just with anyone who could try and do it? 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:03.760 Did you wisit a must? 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:07.359 We had an amazing dialect coach, and we had an 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:12.320 amazing sound sound designer. We had really great people who 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:16.640 could help us really make sure that every word was 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:20.760 as close to American in accents as possible. So you know, 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:22.639 we worked really really hard. 0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:25.760 Well paid off. And then you have Euro American actors 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:27.440 that are in it. You know that we're all brilliant. 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:30.199 What was Adrian Grenie like to work with? You know, 0:17:30.200 --> 0:17:32.360 had you seen his work in Entourage, Like, was there 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:34.160 a specific reach out to him. 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:36.399 I mean, I'm a huge fan of Entourage. I think 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:40.000 it's one of the you know, iconic TV series. Yeah, 0:17:40.119 --> 0:17:47.040 Adrian was great. He's a lovely, charming, smart man. He's 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:52.080 very handsome, but he's also you know, like very kind 0:17:52.119 --> 0:17:55.119 of human and you know, we got on really well 0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:57.359 and we talked about a lot of things. We agree 0:17:57.400 --> 0:17:59.439 about a lot of things in the world at the moment, 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:03.719 how the world is, and we just we connected. So 0:18:03.880 --> 0:18:05.560 that was great. And he's kind of perfect for this 0:18:05.680 --> 0:18:09.080 role because he has this ambiguity about him as an 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:12.960 actor where you could imagine him being a bad. 0:18:12.760 --> 0:18:13.920 Guy one hundred percent. 0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:16.040 And I think that that is the fiber of this 0:18:16.359 --> 0:18:19.480 entire production. Is is he a good guy or is 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:20.200 he a bad guy? 0:18:20.320 --> 0:18:20.520 You know? 0:18:20.560 --> 0:18:23.639 And as an audience, when you wrestle with something like 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:26.240 that continuously through the show, it's like a pull through 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:30.720 and I think he just managed to execute that so well. 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:35.880 My character Nick is not what he seems. In every 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:38.040 episode you get to know a different side of him, 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:40.760 or do you. So that's up to the audience to 0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:43.680 try and figure out who exactly is this guy? 0:18:45.960 --> 0:18:48.840 How did COVID interfere with the production though, because I 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:51.320 know you went into production and then there was an issue. 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:52.600 So what happened? 0:18:52.960 --> 0:18:57.800 We shot six episodes and then we were the first 0:18:58.040 --> 0:19:01.640 Australian production to be shut down by COVID the day 0:19:01.960 --> 0:19:05.560 before all of these you know, because we're an NBC unit, 0:19:05.840 --> 0:19:09.960 international production, international studio production, we're sort of part of 0:19:10.000 --> 0:19:14.000 the American system and there were all these shows shutting 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:18.720 down in America. This was you know, early days last year, 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:21.840 and you know, we would go we were actually trying 0:19:21.840 --> 0:19:26.439 to hold out to shut down after we you know, 0:19:26.640 --> 0:19:29.879 by a Friday, and we're aiming to shoot that that 0:19:30.160 --> 0:19:32.040 final week, and by the end of the day and 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:33.800 Monday was very clear we had to shut down. 0:19:34.160 --> 0:19:35.680 And then how long were you shut down for? 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:39.359 I think about eight months something like that. A long time, 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:42.919 and particularly given the nature of this show, given that 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:45.600 it's a kind of hybrid. You know, we had people 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:48.440 coming in from the UK, we had people coming in 0:19:48.960 --> 0:19:53.760 from all parts of America, and you know, we were 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:57.119 trying to work out whether one whether we could finish 0:19:57.160 --> 0:20:00.199 the show and two when we could do it if 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:00.920 it was possible. 0:20:02.760 --> 0:20:06.160 Big budget blockbusters and small screen series are on hold 0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:09.679 around the world. As Australia moves through each phase on 0:20:09.720 --> 0:20:12.960 the road to recovery, the film industry is hoping productions 0:20:13.040 --> 0:20:13.800 can restart. 0:20:16.760 --> 0:20:19.880 And the producers were amazing, you know, like Matchbox and 0:20:20.040 --> 0:20:23.280 Tom Hoffey and Joe Werner and Michael McMahon or the producers. 0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:26.080 They kind of met three times a week trying to 0:20:26.600 --> 0:20:29.159 just nut out the logistics and in the end it 0:20:29.200 --> 0:20:30.879 was kind of a roll of the dice. We decided 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:33.880 we're going to give it a go. And at that stage, 0:20:33.920 --> 0:20:36.680 Melbourne was in stage four lockdown and we were still 0:20:36.920 --> 0:20:39.360