Kristen
Dunphy
HEAD WRITER Kristen has written for a range of Australian television series including Fallen
Angels, Love Is a Four Letter Word, Heartbreak High and G.P. However, her vast
experience in writing crime drama - Wildside, Murder Call and Water Rats - made
Kristen an obvious choice to head the WHITE COLLAR BLUE writing team.
" I love telling stories. It gives me a chance to
express ideas and dip into worlds I might otherwise have known very little about.
I also enjoy working with actors, directors, other writers and being part of
a process that is truly collaborative. And that is definitely the case on WHITE
COLLAR BLUE."
OTHER WRITERS: Tim
Pye " Writing WHITE COLLAR BLUE gives me an
opportunity to learn about police forensics and current technologies
that police use to track down criminals, and being able to talk to
real police when researching the stories. I'd like to think that is
reflected in my writing."
David Phillips " WHITE COLLAR BLUE echoes the authentic
voice of the Sydney beaches."
John Misto
Keith Thompson
Michael Miller
Sam de Brito
Kym Goldsworthy
David Ogilvy
Ken
Cameron
PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR In a career that spans more than 25 years,
Ken has won numerous AFI and Logie Awards and is one of Australia's leading directors
in both film and television. Feature films include Monkey Grip, Fast Talking
and The Good Wife. His television credits are extensive and are highlighted by
Bangkok Hilton, Brides of Christ, Bordertown, Wildside and the AFI Award winning
My Brother Jack.
Ken continues his creative relationship with the producers in directing for WHITE
COLLAR BLUE.
"What better way to start a morning than to discover
a dismembered body in the kitchen or uncover decayed remains in a ditch?
And then to spend the rest of the day wading through a moral swamp of mendacity,
cupidity, jealousy, covetousness, lust and barely restrained violence. All
in the company of beautiful men and dangerous women. With a magnificent cast,
smart, intriguing scripts, a brilliant and tireless crew and inspired producers
- who could ask for more?"
Ian
Watson
PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR One of Australia's most talented directors, Ian
was a highly successful theatre director before moving into film and television.
Television credits include Wildside, Stingers, Farscape and The Secret Life of
Us.
In between directing for Series 1 and 2 of WHITE COLLAR BLUE, Ian recently travelled
to Europe to direct Torus II, a feature film for US Sci-Fi Network.
" I like the political stance that the show takes.
In reality, crime doesn't come from abstract concepts of good and evil. It
is often a product of economic and/or emotional necessity - and that is reflected
in the stories and characters in WHITE COLLAR BLUE."
OTHER DIRECTORS: Lyn Hegarty - Brendan Maher - Daniel Nettheim
Kerrie
Mainwaring
LINE PRODUCER Kerrie spent many years with ABC TV line producing for productions such as Bad
Cop,Bad Cop, Grass Roots, and Love Is a Four Letter Word. She also previously
production managed Wildside where she first met producers Steve Knapman and Kris
Wyld. The opportunity to work with them again was the lure that brought her across
to Network Ten and WHITE COLLAR BLUE.
" 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. So far the crew and production staff have excelled in
their work and I think those high standards are reflected in the final product."
Christine
King
CASTING DIRECTOR
Internationally renowned casting director, Christine King has a wealth of experience
in both film and television. She has over 150 hours of television credits,
including Wildside and Grass Roots. Recent high profile feature films cast
by her include Star Wars Episode III, A Man's Gotta Do, Ned Kelly, Black and
White, The Quiet American and Rabbit Proof Fence.
"What I enjoy most about casting WHITE COLLAR
BLUE is the opportunity to cast so many actors across such a wide
range of ages, class, ethnicity, and experience. Given the level
of unemployment among actors, it is extremely satisfying to give
work to so many actors at all levels. From a professional point of
view it is also great for my own working knowledge of actors, as
with so many roles to cast I am constantly given the opportunity
to try out new people.
I also enjoy the challenge
of coping with the pace and energy of casting two episodes a fortnight.
Casting at such speed, means that intuition, and the knowledge
of actors gained over many years of casting are particularly important.
Unlike the more leisurely pace of feature casting, there is often
no time to test as a safety measure, or to explore every available
option." Top
Joe
Pickering
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
A highly sought after DOP, Joe recently returned to WHITE COLLAR BLUE having
worked on the TV mini-series Jessica. His other television credits include
Heroes' Mountain, Grass Roots, Head Start, Heartbreak High and the award winning
series Wildside and mini-series Changi.
Joe has occasionally taken time out from his busy
television schedule to shoot feature film such as Idiot Box, Shame
and Windrider starring Nicole Kidman.
"I love the chaos. Working to such a tight schedule
means you have to be more instinctive with your choices. There are more cameras
and more people to deal with. It's about getting the machine going. It's
chaotic but productive."
Marcus
North
DESIGNER
Marcus North is one of Australia's top television designers. A world class
talent in his field, Marcus' credits include Bordertown, Brides of Christ and
The Leaving of Liverpool for which he received the Gold Medal for Production
Design at the New York Festival.
Marcus trained at BBC TV before joining ABC TV in
Sydney, where his talent also extended to directing episodes of Children's
Hospital and Fallen Angels.
"I derived a great deal
of pleasure from designing WHITE COLLAR BLUE. I was given Jeffrey
Smart/ Miami Vice/ the beaches of Sutherland Shire as a point of
reference by Kris and Steve. This was soon translated to mean sun,
sea and sand juxtaposed against concrete and steel with no middle
ground. A lot of care has been taken in the selection of locations,
props and dressing so hopefully we have created a world for the
detectives of Kingsway that reflects this.
I am in debt to an enthusiastic, talented and inexhaustible art department
who have provided incredible attention to detail, with particular regard police
procedures and forensics. A great cast, fine directors and a talented, happy
crew have only added to the wonderful experience." Top
James
Watts
ART DIRECTOR
James has a wealth of experience in art direction, set decorating and dressing.
Feature films credits include The Nugget, Garage Days and Mission Impossible
II. Having worked on a number of highly successful television series Grass
Roots, Wildside, Head Start and Heartbreak High, James was an obvious choice
for art direction on WHITE COLLAR BLUE.
"Working on a crime drama series gives me
and my team the opportunity to create a new world every week, whereby
the storyline dictates what kind of milieu our characters will find
themselves in. With WHITE COLLAR BLUE the
emphasis is on creating accurate forensic detail and crime scene
procedure."
Neville
Kerr
COSTUME DESIGNER
Having designed costumes for Wildside and Bad Cop,Bad Cop, Neville is clearly
one of Australia's most experienced designers for television shows with a police
focus.
He has also worked on a range of feature films including international productions
such as Avatar and When Ghouls Go Bad.
"The joy of costume
design on WHITE COLLAR BLUE is in exploring alternative options
to the classic TV cop drama, as well as being part of the creation
of characters and telling stories."
Nicole
La Macchia
EDITOR
Nicole worked for 18 years editing for ABC TV drama before being lured away
by Knapman Wyld Television to edit WHITE COLLAR BLUE. During that time she
edited highly successful productions such as Grass Roots (Series I and II),
Wildside and Love is a Four Letter Word - for which she received an AFI nomination.
"There is a wonderful
sense of trust afforded me by the directors and producers of WHITE
COLLAR BLUE, which means I have the freedom to play. At the same
time, we have a strong collaborative relationship, which is fantastic
because they're a highly talented group of people."
Chris
Spurr
EDITOR A talented and popular editor, Chris's credits include Changi,
Bordertown, Police Rescue, Secret Men's Business, Come In Spinner,
Wildside, Heat, and the soon to be released Fireflies.
"It was a pleasure to cut WHITE COLLAR BLUE...it
is one of the most elegant looking shows on television." Top
Antony
Partos - Supersonic
COMPOSER Supersonic is a music production company that specialises in original music for
Film and Television. As a founding member of the company, Antony Partos composes
most of the music for WHITE COLLAR BLUE. Additional tracks and extra production
are added by fellow composer Johnny Green.
"
The style of the show lends itself to a soundtrack
that is cinematic, with jazz overtones and a definite contemporary edge. I
approach each episode as a mini feature film and try to inject the music with
a degree of compassion and subtle humour.
For further information go towww.super-sonic.com.au."
Michael
Kennedy
CRIME CONSULTANT
From 1978 to 1996, Michael worked as a detective and an undercover operative
with NSW Police. He specialised in Major Crime, Organised Crime, and Child
Protection. He was previously the crime consultant for ABC TV drama Wildside
and the Network Ten telemovie BlackJack. Apart from advising researchers, writers,
directors and actors about the world of police and criminal investigation in
WHITE COLLAR BLUE, Michael is also an Academic at The University of Western
Sydney and is writing his [Sociology] PhD 'A Class Analysis of Police'.
"The 'progressive' thinking media have as
a rule excluded rather than included rank and file police in any
critical edge debate on the policing vocation. Consequently the film
and television drama industry offer a genuine alternative means of
engaging in the law and order debate, whilst exploring the contradictions
of policing.
For my part advising WHITE COLLAR BLUE is made
all the more enjoyable by being included in a talented and ethical
creative team who have always encouraged and respected my radical
standpoint."
OTHER CRIME CONSULTANTS:
(and their thoughts on policing and WHITE COLLAR BLUE)
Detective Chief Inspector Bob
Barnett (Flemington Local Area Command): " I like working with and for the community,
trying to maintain the balance of good and bad. I think a similar philosophy
is reflected in the characters and storylines of WHITE COLLAR BLUE."
Chief
Inspector Nicholas Bingham (Duty Officer - Liverpool Area Command): " I like getting stuck into meaty investigations,
chasing bad guys and getting a result at the end of the day.
I enjoy the interaction with the script department
on WHITE COLLAR BLUE and being part of the authentication of the
show, whether it's to do with general police procedure or lines of
dialogue."
Detective Sergeant William
Shane Griffith (Special Services Group): " Being an undercover cop is about
out-thinking the crims... trying to predict a course of behaviour
before they engage in it and anticipating a plan to deal with that
behaviour... and most of the time our predictions are right.
With WHITE COLLAR BLUE, there is great satisfaction
in seeing the result of my advice being played on screen, from attitudinal
elements in the characters to the smallest detail in the wording
of a charge."
Snr
Sergeant Mick McGann (Breaking and Homicide Squads 1975 - 1991): " It sounds clichéd but as a copper I
really felt I was doing good for society. Locking up crooks was satisfying
- particularly when they thought they were going to get away with it.
I enjoy being able to contribute to WHITE COLLAR
BLUE, and to see that the contribution is acted upon. I like the
reality of the show, and watching the interaction between the players.
Everyone on that show is a self-starter - from the script department
to the runner - they've got a job to do and they get on with it.
It's about professionalism."
Jo Duflou, Forensic Pathologist
(Department of Forensic Medicine, Central Sydney Laboratory Service). " Why I like my job: the variety, my curiosity,
the ability to be part of a team solving a mystery, the "saving lives" aspect
(by detecting inherited diseases and by finding systemic problems in society & organisations),
and finally, it is a really interesting job.
Why I like advising WCB: I find it a real challenge.
Some of the questions posed I don't have an answer to but they are
really valid questions (for instance: do pigs have ABO blood groups)
- it then becomes a matter of finding the answer, either by looking
it up in the usual reference texts, the internet or asking (puzzled)
experts in that particular field. Other questions are interesting
from a procedural perspective - in other words, how would I investigate
this case in real life. Another challenge concerns coming up with
a solution, where the initial proposed answer as outlined in the
plot isn't scientifically possible or is taking too many leaps of
faith. To the credit of the WCB Script Office, a lot of effort is
put into making the plot scientifically possible, and sometimes that
can be a real challenge for an advisor."