Directors

Since youth, being a writer and a comic performer came naturally to Robyn. After a few years of live comedy and theatre, Robyn started getting bits of television work and adapted the skills she had developed for the screen.

After some time, Robyn realised that the combination of producing and directing would give her the power to control the stories she wanted to tell. The result has seen a string of successful projects to Robyn’s name including The Librarians, Very Small Business, Little Lunch, Now Add Honey and Upper Middle Bogan which was adapted for the US market – a moment Robyn reflects on as a special opportunity for Gristmill to speak to entirely different audiences.

Though she was raised not to see herself as prohibited by being a woman, Robyn grew up with very few female writers, producers, directors and actors to look up to in the industry and it took some time for her to understand that she could do all of those things.

She highlights on-screen influences including Lucille Ball, French and Saunders and Emma Thompson who all had a great effect on Robyn.

Robyn’s advice to women is to be tenacious, audacious, generous and upset the paradigm. Listen and learn from notes, seek a second opinion and remember that people will be making decisions based on what they know - which may be limited. Never underestimate people’s lack of imagination and know that you can work very hard to change someone’s mind. Be prepared to fight with a smile - that applies to all genders. Don’t give in and don’t give up. If you have a story to tell, know that if you are determined then you will make it.

Rosie has always had a deep love of narrative. Starting out as a journalist, she began screenwriting and soon realized that she needed a deeper understanding of production. This morphed into a year of film school, more than 20 years of editing and then directing – mostly documentaries. Rosie’s key focus throughout was to tell great stories. It saw her create four documentaries for television and then her first feature documentary, The Triangle Wars (2011), about a contentious development on the iconic and much-loved St Kilda foreshore.

This was followed by another feature documentary, The Family (2016) about a notorious Australian cult and the scars its survivors still bear to this day. Directing The Family was simultaneously the most difficult and rewarding experience for Rosie.  A complex story involving complex people meant Rosie was constantly navigating the delicate balance between telling a strong story and respecting the lives of the people she was interviewing. She sees the experience as a huge learning curve but an incredible privilege.

Role models are too numerous to mention for Rosie who has become a great influencer in the field herself. Her advice to others: be persistent, take risks, trust your instincts and don’t step on too many toes as it’s a very small industry.

Louise’s passion for the industry was sparked by working in the art department on the film Occasional Coarse Language. Her first gig was editing WIN News in Wagga Wagga, where she quickly learned the discipline of working to daily deadlines.

Louise’s role models were Murphy Brown, a successful career woman on TV during her formative years and her grandmothers, who encouraged her to study and also taught her how to be a craftswoman. Jane Campion was the first woman Louise saw being celebrated for filmmaking and watching The Piano changed her life.

Shooting her first feature All My Friends are Leaving Brisbane was a dream come true. Shot for $42,000, the dream became a cinematic reality when writer/director Geoffrey Wright endorsed the project, helping her secure vital post production funding. All My Friends are Leaving Brisbane ran for 7 weeks in cinemas and went on to win audience awards at the Natfilm Festival Copenhagen and London Australian Film Festival.

Louise was thrilled when her next feature Jucy enjoyed a world premiere at TIFF, named as a festival top pick by programmers and screening to sold-out audiences, something she considers a career highlight to date. The whole budget for Jucy was $150,000 and it was released in cinemas in Australia and it had a wide US release on DVD and on Netflix.

After building her directing muscles on Neighbours – Cross-Fit for directing according to Louise – she has been developing teen comedies Tracey’s Slumber Party and Brat Camp and psychological thriller Lulu and is attached to several projects in development. She has also recently directed comedy web series Stage Mums Season 3 and a touring comedy play, Side Kicks in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.

In the future Louise hopes to work with the best in the business, directing high end television and films. Her advice to women is to create projects you can produce with the resources you already have and greenlight yourself, because no one will hire you or fund you until you've proved beyond all possible doubt you can do the job.

Citing all the midday movies and video store $2 weekly hires she devoured when she was growing up, Louise continues to be inspired by film and TV that demands attention, including her current favourites Patty Cakes, I Love Dick and Get Out.

From the age of 10, Daina had her sights fixed on a career in film after watching Star Wars on the big screen.

Television was her initial focus and Daina recalls gaining work experience with Channel 7, as chief sorter of Fat Cat's mail.

Daina’s own screen career began as an actor on the small screen which she credits as influencing her directing style. After her time on Full Frontal, Daina shadowed a director on an episode of Blue Heelers.  At the same time her first short film made it to the final round at Tropfest – small signs of things to come. After many director's attachments, Daina directed an episode of Blue Heelers - a major turning point in her career.

Each project has taught Daina something unique. Working with the South Sudanese performers on her television drama Sunshine has been particularly rewarding for her.

Daina has never forgotten attending a Jane Campion lecture as a film student. It was a moment when her desire to be a filmmaker seemed normal and achievable. The works of Gillian Armstrong, particularly Starstruck and My Brilliant Career stood out to Daina as did the work of Kathryn Bigelow who credits Point Break as having the best foot chase in cinema.