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So in the Rainbow, it's a series. It's a seven part TV and Z Man series, and it's all about LGBT youth. Um, but I've used each colour of the rainbow, um, to tint and also tied to the emotion of the story. So, for example, Episode one is red and the emotion is passion. Um, and then, like green is envy. So it kind of it ties over with the emotion of the story as well. Well, including the iconic rainbow flag. So where did the series idea come from? Um, it kind of came for a very long time of a lot of people [00:00:30] sharing their stories with me. Um, I've always wanted to make content that, um, very much shines a light on unrepresented topics and communities. Um and so it was kind of a lot of people came to me with stories and had shared things with me over the years. Just little anecdotes and that sort of stuff. Um, and I just thought it would be an amazing thing to take these true stories and show them to the rest of the country. So why was it important to make it now, um, I think Why is it not important to make it now? I think that even though it's 2019, the rainbow community [00:01:00] is still very underrepresented, especially on screen. Um, and I think that any time is important to make it so Why not now? How did you get into filmmaking? Um, I have always been incredibly passionate for, like, all of the arts. Um, and filmmaking kind of struck me when I think I was about 12. And I was on my first feature film set, and I was like, This is amazing. I want to do this forever. And so when I was 15, I started up my own film production company, um, and started making my own short films. So, yeah, [00:01:30] going from a short film to a seven part series is is quite a jump. Can you tell me about that process? Uh, yes. It was quite a jump for me. I kind of to to make sure I didn't just have a breakdown and freak out about it. Um, I thought about it as I I'm making seven short films. And that's how I kind of pictured it in my mind. Um, but it was amazing. And It was very terrifying working with such a big crew because a lot of the a lot of the crew members who were kind of assistants I hadn't met like other people had met them. And so I turned out on the first day and I was like, Oh, my God, there's so many people here. [00:02:00] I have to keep an eye on all of them. Um, so it was a little bit terrifying, but a really good experience as well. So so did the series actually start kind of development and production before you pitched it to TV NZ? Or is it kind of one of the things that happens at the same time? Um so it did. It was an idea. Well, before I pitched it to TV NZ. Um, but it was really good, because in the pitching process to TV NZ, I had to write a three page overview on basically why I thought it was important what it was going to be like and all that sort of thing, which was actually really good for me [00:02:30] to kind of take all these ideas that I had and kind of fine tune it into explaining it in three pages, so yeah, it was kind of it kind of ran parallel, but the idea was a lot earlier. So and what was the response from TV NZ? Um, it was amazing. I remember I got the email from them saying that I was in the top 10 in the country. Um, which meant that I still wasn't good. I hadn't been differently funded yet, but I got that, Got that. And they were really they were really amazing about it. A lot of people have asked me because so I'm only 18. And a lot of people have asked me how they responded to the fact that I was [00:03:00] 18 and I said that it's really interesting because it's actually people outside of the big networks that respond differently to my age. Whereas TV NZ were just really supportive, They were like, we can kind of We'll provide you anything you need to kind of make this happen. So they were really cool about it. And you say funding. Um, what kind of funding are we talking? So they pretty much, um, funded us to make it so they gave us certain segments of funding to then pay out the cast and crew and everything which was awesome for me because I've always worked on basically just asking people, please be in my [00:03:30] be it I was like, Please be in my short film I can't pay you anything, But please do it because because you love film. Um, so it was really cool to actually be able to give something to people for their time. You've talked briefly about, um, where some of the stories came from. I was just wondering, can you talk about the process of actually kind of writing these seven stories? Yeah. So the the the it's all inspired by true stories. And, um, a series of them came from people that I know who I actually sat down and interviewed, uh, which was really cool. And then also a lot of people anonymously submitted [00:04:00] stories. And so they did them over the Internet and just wrote down their story and then said, uh, which was a really cool way to get people who probably wouldn't want to have their name face attached to something to be able to share something so personal. And so from that I just went about basically looking at the stories that I had and kind of working them into a structure. And a lot of them are actually almost a true adaption of the story, so they're not even inspired by it's like a It's like a straight tour. Um, so yeah, and then kind of putting them together and writing what we have now because there isn't a lot [00:04:30] of kind of LGBTI rainbow content created in New Zealand in terms of like being on TV or whatever. Did you find? Find any, uh, pressure that to to kind of represent everybody? I did. And I did have a lot of people say to me afterwards, they were like, Oh, why did you not show this story or this story? And the thing was for me is I really wanted to add such cover the basics like cover just the kind of the everyday stories and just kind of all the main ones. And I'm like, Well, and in season two, I'll go way more into depth with all the other stories. [00:05:00] But for now, this is kind of what we have. Um, and I did. I've had amazing feedback from anyone from everyone. Um I don't know if I've actually heard a piece of negative feedback yet, which is really cool. So, yeah, can you talk a wee bit about the importance of local stories and local voices? Because so much in the media is international. Yeah, I think it's so important. And that's something big for me as well is all the stories are from New Zealanders, Um, and one of my cast members, um, he said that something he loved about it was knowing that this represented like it fully [00:05:30] 100% represented the queer experience of growing up in New Zealand. Um, and so I think it's really important because we do watch so much content that is from overseas. Um, and to be able to actually see something from people who like they're just they're just people in New Zealand. I think that's really cool. So, yeah, what was the story that affected you the most? Oh, I love them all. But whenever people ask me this, I always say, I always say Episode three. so that's it's a story. So it's yellow. Um, and it's a story about, um, [00:06:00] a young gay man who hasn't come out yet and he discovers when he's going through some of the stuff, he discovers some quite interesting information about his grandfather, Um, and the fact that actually he was gay back in the time of the war and again all inspired by true stories. And that one really touched me. Um, but that was like that one I always loved and I could never read or anything without crying. But then also the second episode, which is, um, it's a sibling based episode and having a sibling of my own, Um, that was and it's [00:06:30] like it's a sisterhood type thing. And so that one emotionally really kind of hit me as well. Yeah, thinking about, um uh, people in earlier times have you seen a lot of, um, early New Zealand queer film? Uh, yes, I have. I have seen some, um, again. There's kind of, like a lot more documentary based stuff. Um, but it was just around. A lot of people have said to me like, Did you take kind of something from that? But in a way, and a lot of people who write stuff, they're kind of like you almost want to distance yourself a little bit when you're writing from [00:07:00] the other content to make sure that you don't make it like that. If that makes sense, Um, but yeah, yeah, there's lots of there's lots of great content. Not enough, though just thinking about some of the the those earlier pieces those earlier films Can you compare, uh, their subject matter to your subject matter or the way that they filmed it to the way you film it Now? Um, so, like, I do think that it's like there are a lot of crossovers, something that was really big for me was that a lot of a lot of queer content that I've seen has either been very big on [00:07:30] kind of going into specifically. And that's what a lot of people have said to me like gay the gay stories. And so something that was really big for me was actually going into the full LGBT having all of those stories, Um, and also I feel like something for me was that I felt like a lot of them. They were they were great and they were, but they weren't very like, visually beautiful, which is why I really wanted to do the whole rainbow thing and make it something that you watch. And you're like, visually, this looks incredible. Um, and so that was really big for me. Just because I thought then people would really enjoy watching it. Because [00:08:00] people love people, love watching stuff that's aesthetically pleasing, don't they? Yeah. Do you see yourself in any of these stories or any of these experiences? Um, I think I can relate to quite a few of them. Um, but a lot of people have actually asked me whether I put anything of my experiences in it. Um, And in that I didn't I didn't want to because I almost wanted to have, uh I wanted to show everyone else I didn't want to make it a platform to be like, Oh, this is something about me. It's just like it's It's about the rest of New Zealand. [00:08:30] Um, but, yes, I can relate to a lot of the a lot of the scenarios. Yeah. How easy or difficult was it to find actors for the series? Um, I think that some of them were really easy to find. Um, some were harder. There were a few bits that I was extremely specific about. So, like, for example, Episode four has a trans girl in it. And I was like, We have to have a trans girl like we just have to I can't I can't do it any other way. It was It wasn't the time we were wasn't after the wasn't that long after the whole, um, What's the name? Scarlett Johansson thing went down and I was like, I cannot do [00:09:00] that. Um and also I really wanted to show that these are queer stories, but they're also played by queer actors. And so that was really big for me, but there were a few a few cast members that were very hard to find, but we found them. So So that's good. What do you want people to take away from from the series after seeing it? Um, I think there's two really big things that I think, uh, like, I really want people to take away from it. And that is for for the queer community to watch it and really see themselves represented on screen and kind of be able [00:09:30] to go. Oh, my gosh, First of all, like this happened to me and then people actually connecting over it. And I saw that very early on when we were going over scripts and people. Actually, they were reading something and they were like, Oh my God, this happened to me and someone else was like Oh my God, this happened to me too And so I think it's a really big connection with that and also for people who aren't in the queer community to really watch it and get a deeper understanding into a lot of the not first of all, like a lot of struggles that people go through. But also there's a lot of relation. Like a lot of people who have seen it have said to me, even [00:10:00] though they're straight, have kind of been like I can almost relate to this story And I think that that's something really big that I want people to take away from. It is, it's everything is just like it's just human emotion, like there's nothing kind of It's just it's just people and they're just dealing with the same problems and with with family and love and all that sort of thing. So, yeah, did anything surprise you during the production of the of the series. Um, what's what? Surprised me? Well, I did actually have. I love I love sharing this because there was this one little surprise that I had And, um and it was with one of my camera guys, [00:10:30] and he's a very I love. I love this camera guy. Um and but he's a very like he's a very serious person. Um, and he was. We were filming Episode Orange which episode two, And it was like, the fourth day or something, and I went over to check his camera, and I was like, Oh, I'll just stand here and watch it through your camera for a little bit And, um and as we were as we were filming it, he started getting like, I looked over and I was like, He's getting a little bit teary. I was like, Oh, my gosh, what's happening here? And I didn't want to say anything. Um, but then a few days later, we were reviewing [00:11:00] the footage. Um, and this story is about, um, a young as born a female who feels that she is a male, and, um and he was looking at it, and he was like Oh, this this story. I really loved it because my stepsister recently told us at Christmas that she actually wants to be our stepbrother. Um, and so for him, hitting that, like, really personal note and actually me seeing that on only the the first week of filming, that was really cool. And that did surprise me a lot for you. What has been the most kind of emotional [00:11:30] part of of this journey? Because I know that if you're looking at a story on film or writing it, you're reading it or seeing it over and over again in the editing process. What? What? At what point is it really emotional for you? Um, it was Everything is very emotional. The getting the true stories was probably one of the most emotional parts for me is actually reading these people's stories, and it really hit me like I think about one of the stories I got in while we were overseas. And I was standing in the middle of Oxford Street in London and I was just crying. I was like I was just like, Oh my God, this is so [00:12:00] like amazing. Um, but like every part is very emotional for me. Seeing the actors bring it to life, that always hits me very hard. It's kind of like seeing them relive something. Um, and also probably personally for me when it actually came out and actually, people seeing it. And the day it came out on TV NZ like my inbox just started flooding up on like my social media with people being like, Oh, my God. People didn't even know being like we've seen it, we love it like this sort of thing. And that was very unreal for me. Um, and also people [00:12:30] who are total strangers who recognise me and talk to me, Um, like, literally on my flight down here. Well, I had 22 girls were sitting next to me and one of them, like we would we were literally we'd just take it off and one of them lean over to me and she was like, This may sound really weird, but I knew that girl who made in the rainbow, and I was just like, Oh, my God, what is happening right now? Um and so that stuff for me is to kind of see the effects that it's having on the country is really cool, and that's very emotional. Tell me more about, um, the response you've had to the series. Uh, it's been it's been [00:13:00] really good. Like I said, I haven't I haven't heard anything bad, but I just wonder if any said, if everyone just hides it from me, they're just like, Don't look over here. Don't look over here. Um, but it's been really good. I've had lots of lots of positive feedback from both cast and crew. My friends just complete strangers. Um, I've literally so many people who have just come up to me and being like, Oh my God, Like every every night I'm in town in Auckland and there'll be someone who just grabs me, and they're like, Oh, hi, Rose And I'm like, I don't know who you are, and they just say to me, They're like, Oh, I've seen your series and it's amazing. So that's really cool. Um, and something [00:13:30] that's really cool for me as well as some of the stories are inspired by people that I know. And so those people, their response to it was super cool. And like, for example, one of the the episode Episode six the two girls that was inspired by people that we're very close to their family, friends of ours. Um, and one of them came to the screening and she said to me she was like, Oh my God, the actors even look like us. And so seeing stuff like that and hearing that sort of thing just makes me even more happy that I made it. So yeah, it's such a powerful thing when you actually see [00:14:00] yourself represented on screen. When was the first time you saw yourself represented on screen? Oh, I don't know if I've ever seen myself represented on screen. It's very hard. I feel like there's a lot of there's a lot of stuff out there, but and that's a that's a big thing for me as well. I don't know if I think that I watch media and I'm like, Oh, I can kind of I connect to this character. I connect to that character, but I don't know if I've ever seen someone exactly like me. I think I'm I think I'm a little bit too weird. I can see my sister chuckling at me being like you're a little bit too weird to be on screen. [00:14:30] Oh, OK. So apparently I'm the home alone kid. Um, so, yeah, I think I think that there's definitely there's definitely some movies that I watch. And the biggest thing that I relate to in media is when I see a very small, determined child and I'm like, That's me right there. Um, I remember we used to read the books. The event Were they the adventures of Sophie? What was her name? Sophie. And Mum was always like, This is exactly you. She's just determined and small. And I'm like, Yeah, that's true. So yeah. Now, Holly, uh, the sister, um, you were also part of the series. Yeah. [00:15:00] Uh, yes. I helped out with some of the back end writing work before the, um, scripts were submitted to TV NZ. How was that? It was very interesting. I am letting my writing go out into the world is always a struggle, but it was very cool to see the stories I wrote be on screen and being filmed. I went up for the filming of the last episodes that I wrote, and I cried every take and I got made fun of endlessly for that. But this was actually one of my favourite things [00:15:30] is my sister is a bit of because she can be a bit of an ice woman sometimes. And she was like, the whole day of filming. I was like it was during the day and I was like, Isn't it sweet? Isn't it sweet? And she's just And she was just Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. And then we got to the We were filming the last scene, and it's like, if you haven't seen it, the the end of the last episode is extremely emotional. Like, this is the play. Go watch it right now. Um, and we were filming it and I was moving with the camera and I sit back and I turned around and Holly was just their ball, her eyes out. And I was like, Yes, I've done it, I've got to the ice square. [00:16:00] So that was also a very good moment for me. So, Holly, why is it so emotional when you when you see your scripts coming to life like that? I guess because it's so uncommon to find media that you relate to, and I know that I am more than Rose. Put myself into the scripts that I write and seeing those stories. And, I don't know, it feels like I am. I created a happy ending, and it makes me feel like I can create happy endings in the real world. [00:16:30] It makes me happy. Yeah. I mean, what what was it important to have? Happy endings? Yes. I feel like so much of the queer media that's published either gets stuck in the tropes of the struggles of coming out. Or they end up with, uh, with unhappy endings. I got that feedback from a friend of mine who watched it, and she said that in, um, one of the episodes, she was convinced that something was gonna happen and it was going to, like, fall apart, and it was gonna be an unhappy ending, But she was really shocked when it was just wholesome and sweet at the end. And I feel [00:17:00] like I feel like there's a lot of tragedies in gay media, and there needs to be more happy endings, to be honest. Well, a happy ending that you kind of alluded to, uh, at the start was series two. Yes, Yes. So, I, I am very keen to make a season two of this. Um, in fact, I say that, in fact, scrap that scrap those words. I'm like, I'm making a season two of it with, like, so TV and Z. Yeah, but that's that's the one. So yes, I, I wanna make a season two. I've always want to make a season two. [00:17:30] I think it's something that really kind of it deserves more like, there's more. There's more to tell. And so I really want I really want to do that again. Yeah. Do you have any advice for, um up and coming? Uh, LGBTI Rainbow Filmmakers. Um, I would say, Just go do it. This is my This is my life. Advice for anyone is just get out there, make content, grab some people. Um, for me, I'm like when I made my first short film at 15, which again? My sister Holly wrote, um, And for me, whenever I watch it, I cringe because I'm [00:18:00] just like, there's so many bits that I did wrong. But I think that if you just get out there and make stuff, people will enjoy it and they'll watch it, and that's the only way of getting better is just by creating content for people to watch. Now we are standing at the Rainbow Crossing, and I wonder, can you talk to me just on a personal note? What does, um, visibility and being at a rainbow crossing and doing a Rainbow Series mean to you? Um, I think that, like I said, it's a very big visibility thing. I think that people in the queer community [00:18:30] really need to see themselves represented in the media. Um, and I think it can have a big effect on a lot of people who can be struggling. And I think that seeing open queer rainbow stuff is so important. Um, a lot of people said it at stuff like schools where people are encouraged like teachers to put on rainbow pins and then it makes it makes kids feel like I know this person is supportive and so I think seeing visually, um, Rainbow makes the younger generation be like there is. There is hope for change, like it's it's [00:19:00] coming, um, and so I think that's super important. I mean, Rose pretty much summed it up. I just think that it's it's so important to be able to see yourself. Media is such an important part of our society today, and to be able to see yourself represented in in an authentic way on screen is incredibly important because for so long, any portrayals of queer people in the media has been refined to the queer coding of villains or unhappy stories, and it's time for a change.
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