In the Rainbow

In a 19-minute podcast episode titled "In the Rainbow," recorded at Rainbow Crossing in Wellington, series creator Rose McMahon and writer Holly McMahon join interviewer Gareth Watkins to discuss their seven-part TVNZ OnDemand series. The series presents seven unique coming-of-age stories of LGBTQ+ youth in New Zealand, with each episode of the series characterized by a different color of the rainbow that corresponds to the primary emotion of the story, such as red for passion and green for envy.

The genesis of "In the Rainbow" was a product of years during which Rose McMahon collected personal anecdotes and stories from various individuals. The aim was to shed light on underrepresented groups and issues in the media, particularly those pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community. Despite New Zealand's progress in representation, Rose felt the urgency to bring these stories to the national audience, hence developing this series right away. Rose was no stranger to the arts, having been inspired by filmmaking from a young age and founded their own production company at 15. Therefore, transitioning from creating short films to producing a seven-part series felt like a natural progression.

Rose had a firm belief in representing authentic voices and stories; therefore, they insisted on casting individuals whose real-life experiences paralleled those of the characters. Funding for the series was provided by TVNZ, a change from their previous projects, which predominantly relied on volunteer efforts.

The writing process involved a mix of interviews with people Rose knew and anonymous online submissions, allowing for the creation of narratives that were deeply personal and, in some cases, almost direct adaptations of real lives. Rose experienced some public pressure to represent the entire spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community but chose to focus on foundational stories, with plans to delve deeper in a potential second season.

The show was noted for its authentic representation of queer experiences specific to New Zealand, a factor that was celebrated by one of the cast members for encapsulating the local queer upbringing. The series received overwhelmingly positive feedback, particularly for presenting a range of stories from poignant to uplifting, with an emphasis on providing positive outcomes—something less common in LGBTQ+ media narratives. Rose McMahon steered clear of including personal experiences to maintain focus on the community's wider narrative but found ways to relate to the scenarios presented.

For Holly McMahon, contributing as a writer brought emotion due to the personal nature of storytelling and the relative scarcity of relatable queer media. The podcast also touched on the importance of diverse representation in media and the impact it can have on community members struggling with their identity or seeking validation.

The audio recording concludes with details of the substantial positive response to the series, containing mentions of potential plans for a second season, and advice for aspiring LGBTQ+ filmmakers. The overarching theme from the discussion underlines the impact of visibility and representation in media, with Rainbows being a symbolic and vital element for the queer community's hope and affirmation.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Holly McMahon Rose McMahon

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