ScreenTalk: Tom Finlayson
05 Dec 2011
Tom Finlayson is a producer, director and writer who has an impressive track record in New Zealand television.
Tom Finlayson is a producer, director and writer who has an impressive track record in New Zealand television. He began his TV career as a reporter on Town and Around, but quickly moved on to news producing, and eventually TV drama production.
Finlayson produced the highly acclaimed kidult show Under the Mountain and the successful police drama Mortimer’s Patch, as well as the films Other Halves and The Grasscutter.
In this ScreenTalk interview, Finlayson talks about:
- His excitement and naivety upon becoming a reporter on Town and Around
- The cynicism behind the wholesome family show Stars on Sunday
- How producing the TV series Under the Mountain was one of his best experiences
- Using mirrors to create in camera effects for the show
- The real reason for shooting Mortimer’s Patch in the countryside
- The courage of director John Laing in picking street kids to act in Other Halves
- The challenge of casting The Grasscutter in Belfast with director Ian Mune
This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence
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