Steve La Hood began directing on soap opera Close to Home, and went on to direct teleplay Swimming Lessons, Bruno Lawrence documentary Numero Bruno and episodes of Shark in the Park and Shortland Street. He also produced groundbreaking series The Marching Girls. These days he creates multimedia attractions around the globe with company Story Inc, alongside James McLean.

In this ScreenTalk, La Hood talks about:

• Finally getting a job in television, after a chance encounter in a restaurant
• The sneaky way he was given directing experience, on TVNZ soap Close to Home
• The “approachable aura” of legendary TV producer Tony Isaac
• His belief that state television was made to feel guilty for historical epic The Governor
• Hammering out how Māori would be portrayed on The Governor, at a Tokomaru Bay marae
• Unknowingly signing on for an assassination assignment on Close to Home
• Butting heads in a male-dominated television world, while producing female-centric drama series The Marching Girls
• Deciding that the best way to make a documentary about Bruno Lawrence was to “compartmentalise” him
• An unforgettable moment on set, while filming teleplay Swimming Lessons
• Trying to find a rental car in Lebanon for documentary I’m Taking Nana Home
• Proving he could create Golden Days, the magical junk shop at Te Papa

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via this Creative Commons licence. 

Interview and Editing - Ian Pryor Camera - Jess Charlton