Knapman:“We were genuinely surprised and delighted by the enthusiastic response of the audience to the first season.  It seems to have hit a nerve with everyone. And it reinforced my belief that the audience wants more sophisticated, complex adult drama.  That was heartening.

It was a challenge to develop another season.  Especially because we wanted it to be even better than the first.  It took some time but we finally found a door that opened onto an extraordinary psychological and political landscape.  Somewhere we could take the audience where perhaps they had never been before. 

A place without a map, with shadowy valleys and open ocean, full of suspense, intrigue and danger.  A journey for our characters that was epic and mythological in nature, while keeping their feet firmly on the ground – it is a crime show, remember.

And, as I said in the press kit last season, the same dramatic principles apply – of looking for the contradictions, the good in the bad, the flaw in the good, the dialectic of East and West – in an attempt to make sense of the world we are living in, emotionally, psychologically and politically.  And to do that in an entertaining, moving and exciting way – it is television, remember.”  Top

PRODUCER – Kris Wyld

Kris has been involved in the creation and script development of a number of award winning and ground breaking television drama series.

Her creative partnership with Steve Knapman began on the ABC Drama Series WILDSIDE, where she worked with him as a Writer and Script Producer.  Kris was nominated for an AFI ‘Best Screenplay’ for Episode 59, WILDSIDE which won the 1999 AFI Award for ‘Best Episode in a TV Series’ and also a nomination for Episode 2, EAST WEST 101.

Together, Knapman and Wyld have created a number of projects, including WHITE COLLAR BLUE, EAST WEST 101 and several other film and television projects currently in development.

Wyld:“The first season of East West 101 came out of the turbulence of the post 9/11 world, where we explored an Arab Muslim detective confronting racism at work and in the world.  When it came to creating the second season of East West, Steve and I wanted to delve into a more sophisticated arena.  We looked at how in the recent past Australia had become a part of the climate of fear. 
A number of security organisations were set up to gather intelligence and work to prevent the possible threat of terror coming to Australia.  We created a fictitious organisation, the NSO, and had Major Crime work with them as a joint task force.  As a result, the atmosphere set up in this season has more intrigue in its narrative drive.   We thought about what Zane Malik’s worst fear might be and then created a situation where he had to confront it.  A car bomb is blamed on Muslims…he hopes it’s not true.  But what if it is?  He goes on a quest to find out what the truth is and of course lands in hot water.  

DIRECTOR – Peter Andrikidis

Peter Andrikidis is one of Australia's most experienced directors. Winner of 4 Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Direction, 2 of which were for WILDSIDE, as well as a further 8 AFI Nominations and 2 Silver Hugos and 2 Gold/Silver Plaques at the Chicago International Television Awards.

Andrikidis:‘East West 101’, Season 2, really ramps up the action. The production was unrelenting in the amount of material to shoot per day but extremely rewarding in its sophistication. The writers handled a multiple layering of characters intentions, and actions. A director does not mind working long hours when he knows the results will exceed the expectations of formulaic Australian Drama. I hope we will ‘raise the bar’ again.

The characters, in this season are just as fascinating with an emotionally moving story that is brilliantly crafted by the writers, headed by the creators, Steve Knapman and Kris Wyld.  ‘East West 101’, Season 2, examines Malik’s inner soul. What it is to be a ‘good’ man and ’good’ Muslim.  The second season explores the question: ‘is there an Islamic identity that is native to Australia or is Islam alien to Australia and its home is the Middle East?’ Malik moves undercover which also challenges his family life. Inspector Patricia’s Wright’s past is revealed which challenges her strengths also. This proves a deep emotional journey for the character and provides exciting material for the actress, Susie Porter, to explore. The characters of Sonny Koa, Helen Callas and Jung Lim are all given more weight and strongly developed in this season.  Agent Skerritt is a new character, an Intelligence Officer.  He represents a fictitious information gathering force, quite different from the police and there are plenty of such special agencies in existence, both here and abroad.

While the second series of ‘East West 101’ has its own unique stamp, I believe the tone we started in Season 1 continues. 
In this season, like the last, I worked with a mix of highly experienced actors and some who had little or no experience.  Actors' performances throughout are truthful and intimate: true human emotions. The dialogue might feel improvised but it is extensively scripted. My number one priority is always to get the best out of all the actors and to guide them to their optimum potential.  Christine King, the casting director, did an amazing job of coming up with minor miracles.

There are two fundamental points of view in this Season - Malik’s and Wright’s. They provide the central focus; the camera enters their consciousness. Again, ‘East West 101’ has been filmed in a very cinematic energetic style.  Darkness is an important element of this Season. ‘East West 101’ is as much about the forces of light against the forces of ignorance and so darkness is an important lighting element of Season Two.  A contemporary camera feel has been employed, using all techniques from gritty handheld for action; voyeuristic tracking for ‘who is watching whom’ and very static wide shots that imply tension. I believe we achieved a style in Season 1 of ‘East West 101’ that enhanced the drama and did not have a ‘look at me I am skylarking with the camera’ effect. The DOP Joe Pickering and myself have been working together since we graduated from AFTRS, 28 years ago. We have a synergy and a like for ‘breaking the rules’ as long as it enhances the performances and more importantly the story.

The Production Designer, Tim Ferrier, created a ‘lived-in’ appearance in all locations, which reflect the Sydney’s outer and inner western suburbs as they are today.  No harbour bridge, no opera house – in both seasons of ‘East West 101’ we found beauty in the unplanned architectural mess that is Sydney. Train stations, car parks and electrical sub-stations absolutely fascinate me. That’s why I live in a suburb where I am surrounded by such buildings. ‘East West 101’ design is not about ‘clean lines’!

The sound design is always of prime importance. Besides brilliant original music (from Guy Gross), we utilise and heighten the atmospheric sounds obtained in each distinctive suburb. We used stylised sound for the slow-mode sequences and sound that helps the audience get into the consciousness of our characters.

‘East West 101' Season 2 continues to, and, I hope, even betters the essential style we established on Season 1. As filmmakers it is our responsibility to humanize all cultures, especially marginalized cultures in today’s society.” Top

ALI RAFIK
Detective Ali Rafik, the show’s Muslim detective consultant, has over 15 years experience in the police force and has spent a large part of his working life investigating major crime.

He has been involved in the series since its inception and has helped guide the writers, producers and actors through what it means to be a Muslim, and a cop.

“Even though September 11 was eight years ago, Muslims and Arab Australians are still viewed with fear and suspicion. And it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse. People don’t associate us with law enforcement and the delivery of law, they see us as the recipients. We’re still seen as a threat to society through crime, terrorism and rejection of Australian values.”

In Season 2 of EAST WEST 101, Zane Malik has to face the possibility that Muslim extremists were behind the car bomb that killed NSO Agent John Angleton. Fear and reprisals rein as the community braces itself, waiting for another terrorist act.

“Barack Obama said in his inauguration speech ‘we shouldn’t compromise our ideals of security.’  But this is something that so-called Islamic extremists are guilty of. They will compromise Islamic ideals, especially jihad, to the extent of abandoning Islamic principles and behaviour.”

“Season 2 addresses a point that’s true but often ignored – the realm of violence isn’t just the realm of Arabs or Muslims. It’s the realm of those in governments.”

Although Ali’s experiences have helped shape and influence the character of Detective Malik, Ali Rafik says he is nothing like him.

“Malik represents two things,” Ali says.  “Because he’s a police officer, he represents the government and authority.  But he’s also a man and a Muslim.  He lives in both societies.  And he stands up against extremism on both sides. He’s in the middle by himself, saying, ‘you’re not legitimate and you’re not legitimate.’”

“The challenge is to portray him in a way that’s believable and has integrity.  He’s not infallible, he makes the mistakes. And his behaviour has to be portrayed accurately and in an authentic way – as both a practising Muslim and a cop – even when he’s making a mistake. I know how much people in the Muslim community love this character.  But he’s not me.  He’s his own character.  And Don Hany brings a lot of his own personality and passion to portray him on the screen in a way that’s unique.”

Ali confirms that the show has been immensely popular in the Muslim community. “People who don’t watch TV at all have watched every episode of Season 1, because of Malik. They adore him.  A young Lebanese boy told me his surprised grandmother insisted he should watch the show ‘because there are Arabs being good.’”

“That’s just one of the reasons that working on the show has been such a positive experience,” he says.  “It’s been an opportunity to paint Arabic people and Muslims, not so much in a positive light, but in a light that’s fair.”

PITO SEFO
Pito is another experienced detective who has spent time under cover and time investigating major crime.  He has worked closely with the writers, actors and producers from the initial scripting process through to production.

“Steve Knapman and Kris Wyld are producers with fantastic integrity, foresight and tenacity. The actors are great, and we’ve spent so much time talking to the actors we’ve become good mates. It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s also been a lot of fun and East West has brought myself and my former colleagues, who’d dispersed to many different areas of policing, back together again.”

MARK DAVIDSON
After passing out from the Police Academy in Goulburn in 1994, Mark worked in uniform before moving to Bankstown and working in plain clothes in the Detectives’ office.  After completing his detective’s course he joined Task Force Gain, which later became the Middle Eastern Crime Squad.

Here he was part of a small team of five, and the only Anglo in a team which has somehow fondly become known as “The Wog Squad.”  As the only Anglo, he witnessed a lot of stereotyping and discrimination against his colleagues – both in and outside of the police.  

“Because a lot of crooks have an ethnic background, there’s a stigma attached to being a cop from a different ethnic background.  The narrow mindedness was frustrating and disappointing,” Mark says. “That’s what I like about this show.  I like what it stands for.  Without being preachy, it sends a message – that there still is racism in the police.” 

But Mark is not your average detective.  Known affectionately from his Middle Eastern Crime days as “a wog in a white man’s body,”, he is also the son of legendary detective John Davidson.  Which had its rewards, and its drawbacks.

“Dad was very well respected by many cops in the 1980s and 1990s.  But he was also seen as a troublemaker, and unorthodox because he was tenacious about results.  He kept going after the hard crooks – the ones no one wanted to go after.   He made the hierarchy uncomfortable.  They wanted him out.”

Still, there was a lot of respect for this son of the legend.  One of the other members of the Squad said “they’d see Davo walk past and go ‘he’s from a good breed, that one.”   

“They’d say to me, ‘you’re Davo’s son.  He was a legend.’  And yet some crime squad bosses wouldn’t have a bar of me for the same reason,” Mark says.  “They’d say ‘he’ll never work in my squad,’ but they’d never say why.” 

Mark has since moved to the Tactical Operations Unit.  Apart from consulting with the writers and producers on EAST WEST 101, he also works with the director on how TOU might approach a particular scene, and shows the actors how to hold a gun, move through a door or properly arrest someone. He also makes the occasional guest appearance as a TOU officer. Top

KRISTEN DUNPHY wrote Episode 1 - ‘The Enemy Within’
Award winning writer Kristen Dunphy has worked with Steve Knapman and Kris Wyld over the past twenty years, including stints on Wildside and White Collar Blue as well as season 1 of East West 101.

In Season 2 of EAST WEST 101, Kristen wrote episode 7 “The Lost Boy” and co-wrote episodes 8 and 13.

Kristen:

“One of the most challenging aspects of this project was exploring spiritual or existential questions within the framework of what is effectively a crime show.  Because Malik has a spiritual life, it forced us to look at the other characters in terms of this dimension. 

During the writing of the series we got ourselves into all sorts of curly arguments about the ‘big questions’ of life.  Is there a God?  What are we here for?  Is there such a thing as destiny?  It’s not always a comfortable place to go.  But the differences between us simply added grist to the mill.

In this first episode of season 2 we wanted Malik to confront his worst fear – that there are Muslim extremists out there somewhere, planning a terror attack.  And then have his own family confronted by anti-Muslim violence.

We devised the idea that a car bomb kills a man responsible for printing anti-Muslim pamphlets.  It looks like extremists might be behind the bomb and Malik is desperate to prove otherwise.  In the meantime, we decided that a little Muslim boy should disappear in what looks like an act of retaliation. 

The little boy’s mother, Ruby, is a freckled faced country girl who has converted to Islam. That’s confronting for many people, but it’s especially confronting for her family.

David Ogilvy co-wrote Episode 8 “A Prodigal Fear” with Kristen Dunphy
David left a career in theatre to study film and television, and is an AFI award winning director. He has 18 years experience as a script writer, script editor, story editor, producer and director. 

David: “The great appeal of writing for East West 101 is its density of story telling. It’s rare on network television to be trusted with such a golden opportunity. Each episode contains a crime story, a major development in the over-arching mystery, plus significant character journeys for each of our leads. For the writer, this guarantees the task to be complex and challenging.

In episode eight, when Malik goes undercover to get close to Akmal Fahd, we chose to explore fear as the common thread to bind our stories together. Malik fears for his safety and for that of his family, Wright fears for her brother, Callas for her future as a detective, and Akmal fears for his ongoing security. But fear was a double-edged sword.

The problem became how to get Akmal, whose success as an illegal arms dealer was built upon distrust and fear, to suddenly trust Malik the undercover cop. The answer came in making Akmal need Malik. And so, the Russian arms traders were born and Malik’s part in their deal constructed as a test of his bona fides.

But the biggest challenge for the episode was creating a climax that was not built around the weekly crime story. They are by their very nature predictable. A crime is discovered, detectives investigate, and detectives solve the crime. No, this was a story about Detective Malik going undercover so the climax had to rest with him.
We returned to the concept of fear and married Malik’s concern for his family and Akmal’s lieutenant Tariq’s fear that he was losing his boss’s favor to create our answer. We gave Tariq a mission to discover the truth about Malik and added a third ingredient, Akmal’s love for his own family, to enhance the result.

The climax begins as Akmal is welcoming Malik into his home, his inner sanctum. As he introduces Malik to his children and assures him he would unleash the devil himself to protect them, Malik receives a phone call. It’s from the malevolent Tariq, the devil himself, who is watching Malik’s son play soccer outside Malik’s home. Fear explodes inside Malik but he’s trapped in his undercover personae. It still gives me a chill.” Top

Michelle Offen wrote Episode 9 “Just Cargo”
Michelle studied Professional Screenwriting at RMIT in Melbourne before moving to Sydney to work with Knapman Wyld as researcher and trainee script editor on White Collar Blue (Series 1 and 2). She was part of the research team for East West (season 1),  and wrote Episode 5, “Haunted by the Past”.  Her first script, was shortlisted for the 2007 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards.

Michelle: “Probably the most challenging aspect of writing this episode was the development of the Akmal/Malik relationship and the clash between truth and drama. Can an undercover cop ever really respect a criminal suspected of blowing a man to pieces, as well as other big time criminal activity?  Most cops would say flat out - no. They can understand them and why they do what they do, they might even like them from time to time - see the human side and the good deeds that aren’t connected to the bad stuff, but respect? 

So the clash between what our cop consultants would say happens in the real world and what we needed dramatically for Malik's journey both as a cop and a Muslim was substantial. Fortunately, we had our 'TV drama savvy' committed consultants to help us navigate this difficult territory: scenes were written and re-written, edited and re-edited... Does it work?  Is it truthful yet dramatic? You be the judge!” Top

Michael Miller wrote episode 10 “ Ice in the Veins”
Michael Miller is a half Russian Australian who grew up in Canberra.  Michael has previously worked with Knapman Wyld on Wildside, White Collar Blue and the first season of East West 101.  

Michael: “What I liked about episode ten was that the story was more a "why did it" than a "whodunnit".  We know who killed the Ambo right from the opening.  This allowed me to concentrate on showing the fallout created by the actions of the bad guy, rather than following the narrative drive to get him. It allowed me to spend screen time with the family of the Ambo - and explore his mother's desire to give him a proper Maori burial.

It also freed up screen time to follow Malik and his own family. This was really important to me. I wanted to demonstrate that Malik is a warrior for peace - the opposite to the Shock Jock and Sheik Omar. That wherever he is - whether that be at the cop station, or out there within the Muslim community, or even in his own home, Malik has a quest to bring reason and order, compassion and understanding.

Malik is a leader. It means he is often burning the candle at both ends. In this episode it comes home to bite him. While working late Malik's wife has her hijab stolen by surfer youths; later in the episode Malik's son Amir seeks retribution by throwing his cricket bat through the windscreen of the culprit’s car.  I liked this strand, because it gave us a window into how Malik might have been as a young man. 

In a way Amir's story mirrors the hurdles Malik himself had to confront growing up in Sydney. It's a case of the man looking at his son, and seeing himself, understanding the confusion and rage boiling within Amir, and the need to acknowledge this, while at the same time trying to re-connect with his son, and help him learn from the experience.” Top

Vanessa Bates wrote episode 11 “Men of Conscience”
Vanessa Bates has a Filipina mother and an English father who migrated to Australia in the 60s. Half her childhood was spent in Malaysia, the other half in small rural towns in NSW and Victoria. Her writing background is in theatre; her AWGIE award winning play Checklist For An Armed Robber, about the siege of a Moscow theatre by Chechen rebels, was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Award and has had acclaimed productions in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Vanessa was a researcher on the first six episodes of East West 101. Episode 11 of East West 101 is her first experience writing for television drama.

Vanessa: “It was a great experience to explore and sift through background information, meet and interview  people and hear their stories and then see how the research informs the final product. As the writer for Episode 11 I got to see the other side of the script creating process. It has been an exhilarating experience to be a writer engaged in telling these Australian stories, about people from diverse countries, with a thousand histories, who have made this country their home, and the complex myriad of uneasy, joyous, frightening or familiar events big and little that accompany the experience of that migration.

These are crime stories but at their heart they are stories about the struggle for justice - with all the tricky doublespeak that entails. And at the centre of this struggle - Malik one of the great characters in Australian television - good Muslim, good father, good husband, great cop.”  Top

Katherine Thomson wrote episode 12 “Another Life”
Katherine is an award winning writer who has worked on some of Australia’s most critically acclaimed and popular television series.

Katherine:  “As a writer I’m a late comer to this prestigious and beautifully produced show.  I didn’t need persuading, knowing that the eleven scripts that preceded mine were from fine writers who’d be carving out inspiring story threads. The other attraction was, of course, the opportunity to write for fine actors, particularly as this episode carries some significant emotional developments for the characters. I’ve also enjoyed learning more about Islam over the past few years, and enjoyed spending time in some predominately Islamic countries. 

The main two hooks for me in terms of character were the Wright/Deakin relationship and the relationship turmoil and inner conflict that Malik faces in this penultimate episode.  Rich dramatic stuff.  Wright, whose strength has been fuelled by her anger at her father over the years, is forced to peel off some fairly significant layers as she faces her brother’s death and her own childhood memories. And what will she have left if she lets go of the years of hostility towards her father? What would it mean to her to discover that she has more in common with her father than she’s ever allowed herself to imagine.?

Then we have Malik who is confronted in almost all areas of his life, starting to doubt his own values in terms of his family,  and his work as a cop.

The Naipul sub-story was a godsend from the story team, giving us the opportunity to throw around preconceptions about wealthy ‘foreign’ doctors, and to explore the Naipul daughter’s relationship against Callas’s own fractious one with her parents.  There were also lots of secrets in this episode between characters, and so there are plenty of undertows that block meaningful connections or throw people together.  Or, in Amina’s case, are the source of terrible, public shame. “ Top

Michael Miller and Kristen Dunphy co-wrote episode 13 – “Atonement”

Michael:  “In episode 13, the opening rant by Sheik Omar and the ensuing montage helps remind us of the over arching story line that started with the car bomb blast in episode 7. It shows the fallout - how communities become divided through fear and ignorance. 

We were interested in showing how people in positions of power deliberately push their own agendas. Here you have two polar opposite views – extreme Islam and extreme Aussie nationalism, both blind to any moral obligation to present a balanced view, and both feeding insecurity and fear.  One demonising people in order to make more sensational air play - a grab for higher ratings and the advertising revenue that comes with that, the other shepherding the weak minded into doing their bidding.  

It allowed us to illustrate how community fears and prejudices are manipulated by characters such as Sheik Omar Marwan and the radio shock jock for their own political and mercenary ends.” Top

CASTING DIRECTOR – Christine King
Christine has been casting Australian and international film and television for over twenty years.  Her feature credits include GHOSTRIDER, THE QUIET AMERICAN, MOULIN ROUGE!, RABBIT PROOF FENCE, STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH, BLACK AND WHITE, NED KELLY and TWO HANDS.

Her numerous television credits include all episodes of the award winning series WILDSIDE and GRASS ROOTS, the Glenn Close remake of SOUTH PACIFIC, the BBC/HBO miniseries TSUNAMI: THE AFTERMATH

She is frequently engaged as a casting consultant for Australia and New Zealand on international features filmed overseas including the upcoming James Cameron film AVATAR, DISTURBIA, 10,000BC, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, AEON FLUX, THE INTERPRETER and the JAMES BOND and X-MEN franchises.

She has an ongoing relationship with several US television networks and regularly conducts casting searches during pilot season and for major projects including SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, PRISON BREAK and ROME.   

Since casting EAST WEST 101 Season 2 recent credits include international features FOOL’S GOLD, and the upcoming WOLVERINE, the Australian independent film SUBDIVISION, and all 10 episodes of the series THE PACIFIC produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg for HBO.  After a major international search Christine also cast a young Australian girl in the lead role for ELOISE IN PARIS, the first of a major three picture franchise. She is currently casting Bruce Beresford’s next film WOMEN IN BLACK and the upcoming series for Lucasfilm to be filmed on Australia late 2009.

Quote: “I must confess I approached the casting of the second series of EAST WEST 101 with excitement, but also with some degree of trepidation.  I had greatly enjoyed the challenges of casting the first series, and working on some truly audacious and ground breaking television which had been enthusiastically received by both critics and audiences."

"We contacted all agents Australia wide and reviewed our lists from season 1, and were relieved to discover that there were still some very good non-Anglo Saxon actors we had not cast in the first series, or who had recently joined the acting profession. Several characters from series one were also written back in, and without exception the actors were happy to reprise their roles.  Nonetheless there were still some very tricky roles which took many months to cast.

Throwing out the net as widely as possible and exploring community groups, ethnic radio stations, small theatre groups, drama schools and every possible source of new talent we were gradually able to fill the gaps in the cast.  We made some wonderful discoveries and had some great experiences along the way, as with season one." 

"I like to believe that shows such as East West 101  encourage actors from different ethnic backgrounds to choose acting as a profession and to remain in the industry, confident that they will have the same opportunities for satisfying work as others.  I also think they influence casting on other shows." ” Top

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – Joseph H. Pickering
A graduate of AFTRS, Joe Pickering has been a leading light in Australian film and television industry.  He previously worked with Knapman and Wyld as Director of Photography for WILDSIDE and WHITE COLLAR BLUE. Joe won an AFI craft award for the film THE FOREST.

Quote:
‘On EAST WEST 101, I took a more subjective approach.  This story is seen through the eyes of Zane Malik and Ray Crowley.  While in some ways the lighting and camera style is a little similar to WILDSIDE, EAST WEST 101 is actually more structured.  The world we explore in EAST WEST 101 is a darker, more intriguing world, than say the brightness of WHITE COLLAR BLUE.  There is more use of darkness, more grunge.  In parts there is an ugly look, but out of ugliness, comes beauty. 

There is more variety in camera style to reflect the multi stranded story telling.  Malik is a man on a sort of spiritual quest, so when we touch on that area of his life, the camera is more controlled.   But the action sequences on the crime line are more jagged, with a more handheld approach.’ Top

COMPOSER – Guy Gross
Guy Gross is one of Australia’s most respected and diverse screen composers. Over his 25 year career, Guy has composed music for many hundreds of hours of television, including television miniseries, children’s animated television, documentaries and also feature films.  This diversity is reflected in the numerous peer awards he has received from the Australian Guild of Screen Composers.  Guy has worked previously with Steve Knapman on the ABC drama series BORDERTOWN and with Kris Wyld on Peter Butt’s film ‘Who Killed Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler.’

Quote:  
‘The challenge for the musical underscore of EAST WEST 101 is to carefully balance the tensions and dramas of day to day police work with the human and more emotional story of our main characters.  Added to this is the wonderfully rich musical influences I can draw upon of the cultural origins of our characters.  The whole "east meets west" conflict of the stories will be directly reflected in the score.  From its instrumentation, to its harmonies and rhythms.’ Top

LINE PRODUCER – Kerrie Mainwaring
During a long and successful career managing television drama productions at the ABC Kerrie was responsible for line producing many much loved programmes. 
She production managed WILDSIDE where she worked closely with Steve Knapman and Kris Wyld.  The opportunity to work with them again was the lure that brought her into the freelance world and WHITE COLLAR BLUE.  Since then she has line produced many local drama productions such as HELL HAS HARBOUR VIEWS, THE FALLS, THE NOTHING MEN, THE INFORMANT and ROGUE NATION.

Kerrie continues the successful working relations with Knapman Wyld on their latest production, EAST WEST 101 Season 2.

‘A major part of my job is bringing together a dedicated and hard working crew of talented individuals who also work well as part of a team. The crew and production staff have excelled in their work and I think those high standards are reflected in the final product.’ Top

DESIGNER – Tim Ferrier
“In Season 1 the railway line was a central motif of the series - linking all the different urban areas of Sydney, in a gritty, dirty, scratchy kind of way.  But this time around, in early conversations with Steve Knapman, Kris Wyld and Peter Andrikidis, we talked about a couple of different motifs - birds and water.   Both of them reflecting the notion of escape, freedom, migration, flight. 

The show itself has expanded so it’s not just about one city any more, it’s not so Sydney-centric, its about Australia, Indonesia, the Middle East.  And it’s a much brighter show.  We’re shooting on HD which lends itself to a much brighter image naturally and we’ve opened up the palette a bit.  In the past the look and feel of the show was a lot darker and more claustrophobic.  But the colour palette’s more open now. 

All the aspects important to the feel of the show last time around - like heat and summer - are still in place and reflected in the costuming and make-up.  And we’ve set as many locations as we can around the water. Water separates continents, countries, people. A perfect example is in episode 8, when the Chinese girl’s body is dragged from the water at Botany on a bright, hot day, with planes carrying immigrants and emigrants to their new lives taking off and landing in the background.” Top

COSTUME - Neville Kerr
“In order to do honour to the diverse range of ethnic communities in the show involved hours of research. Spending time in areas such as Lakemba and Auburn, buying from local shops and generally ‘people watching’ in the area gave me a great insight into traditional and contemporary Muslim dress.

We spoke to many people in shops and in the area and their advice was invaluable, as was the advice of some of our cast members. For instance, there are two mourning ceremonies in the series: one Maori and one Indian, and the costumes involved are diametrically opposite: the Maori Tangihanga requires the family to be dressed in modest black, while in the Indian mourning period, all the family members wear white.  Just two examples of how important colour is to different groups in Australia, and Rena Owen and Uzma Berg were invaluable in helping us get this level of detail right.

All in all, it’s been an amazing experience to create costumes for more than 150 characters in just ten weeks, including an extraordinary number of guest cast.” Top

EDITOR  - Nicole La Macchia
Nicole has a long professional relationship with Steve Knapman, Kris Wyld, Peter Andrikidis and Kerrie Mainwaring.  Her work as an editor in television drama is extensive and  she has edited all thirteen episodes of EAST WEST 101. Top