JAMIE LAWRENCE GETS NOD AS DIRECTOR ATTACHMENT ON DIRTY LAUNDRY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

21 December 2015

The Directors & Editors Guild of NZ, NZ On Air and Filthy Productions are pleased to announce Jamie Lawrence as the director attachment on the Dirty Laundry TV series.

Lawrence will follow established New Zealand director Peter Burger on three episodes of Filthy Productions’ second NZ on Air funded drama production.

“I’m stoked to be selected for the attachment, and learn from Peter. He’s a director I aspire to,” said Lawrence. “I’m totally behind this initiative. It’s an awesome opportunity to be able to gain unique experience and help bridge the gap between directing short and long form content.”

Managing Director of Filthy Productions, Steven Zanoski said the selection process, which included Producer Britta Hawkins and Director Peter Burger, had been rigorous due to high calibre of applicants.

“We narrowed the field to applicants who not only showed directorial flair but demonstrated a passion for television story-telling,” said Zanoski. “Jamie kept rising to the top through hot debate. In the end, it was obvious that Jamie’s talent and sensibilities sat most comfortably alongside Dirty Laundry’s characters and stories.”

“We are delighted to support Jamie’s further development as a director with this initiative,” said NZ On Air Chief Executive Jane Wrightson.

“Jamie is the third attachment through the DEGNZ/ NZ On Air TV Drama Director Attachment Initiative, and a deserving one,” said DEGNZ Executive Director Tui Ruwhiu. “He’s making a concerted effort to achieve an outstanding career as a screen director, and shadowing the talented Peter Burger will take him even further towards his goal.”

Lawrence has achieved a run of internationally successful short films while pursuing a career in TV commercials and promotional content with film production company 8 and at TVNZ’s internal creative agency Blacksand.

Dirty Laundry is a Filthy Productions comedy drama TV series for TV One. The 13 x one-hour, NZ On Air-funded production starts filming in February 2016. Produced by Britta Hawkins and created by Rachel Lang and Gavin Strawhan, Dirty Laundry centres on a middle-class family whose mother is jailed for money laundering. If her children want to keep the lifestyle to which they’re accustomed, they’ll need to keep the family business going.

This attachment is the third in the DEGNZ TV Drama Director Attachment Scheme, after actor and director Matthew Saville’s attachment to Screentime’s telefeature Bombshell: The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, and actor and director Aidee Walker joining South Pacific Pictures drama series Westside.

The scheme is an industry professional development initiative funded by NZ On Air and the production company involved and managed by DEGNZ. It is intended to give emerging drama directors the opportunity to shadow an experienced director through the pre-production, production and post-production process as a means to improve their craft skills. Three emerging directors will attach to New Zealand drama productions in the 2015/2016 year. The intended outcome is for the attachments to find work on domestic and international productions in New Zealand.

Ends

For further information, please contact:

Tui Ruwhiu

Executive Director

Directors & Editors Guild of NZ

tui@deganz.co.nz

021-659-950

Filthy Productions Ltd

Filthy Productions is a new company set up by Rachel Lang, Gavin Strawhan and Steven Zanoski, initially to produce the upcoming series FILTHY RICH for TV2.

The company’s focus is production based, with a philosophy that the best television drama and comedy is always driven by the creatives.

Directors & Editors Guild of NZ

The Directors & Editors Guild of NZ is a not-for-profit membership organisation that represents Directors and Editors in the New Zealand screen industry. This includes Directors and Editors of feature drama and documentary; television drama, documentary and factual programmes; short films; video art; animation; commercials and web content.

DEGNZ’s two primary roles are advocacy and professional development. We:

• are dedicated to promoting excellence in the arts of directing and editing.
• foster collegiality and unity within the screen industry.
• promote members’ creative and economic rights.
• work to improve industry working conditions and remuneration.
• offer professional advice and information on contracts and industry standards and practice.
• offer professional development events, networking opportunities, career advice, dispute resolution, mentoring, workshops, training, discounts and regular news bulletins for members across all levels of expertise, from novices to seasoned professionals.
• are a voice for Directors and Editors in influencing policy in the interest of our members. We do this through our membership of the pan‐industry group SINZ (Screen Industry New Zealand), and by making submissions to government and public officials.
• Internationally work co-operatively with other guilds and we belong to the International Affiliation of English‐Speaking Directors’ Organisations (IEASDO).

DEGNZ is Auckland-based with an office in Grey Lynn.

Contact Details:

Directors & Editors Guild of NZ

Level 2, 66 Surrey Crescent

Grey Lynn

P.O. Box 47-294, Ponsonby

Auckland

+64-9-360-2102

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