We Interrupt This Broadcast

In this special bonus episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast, we're joined by Sam Buckland, the Programming and International Engagement Director at AACTA.

With the AACTA Awards and AACTA Festival kicking off next week on the Gold Coast, we wanted to share a preview of some of the events that will be happening alongside the Awards.

It's an incredible line-up, and the full We Interrupt This Broadcast team will be there, ⁠hosting a panel⁠ at 5:30pm on Thursday (register and say hi!), and running a special activation to capture your big ideas about the future of the industry.

If you can't be at the Festival, you'll still have a chance to contribute, so make sure you follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for more details once the Festival kicks off.

https://www.instagram.com/weinterruptpodcast

https://www.linkedin.com/company/weinterruptpodcast

Tune in to hear all of Sam’s highlights for the Festival, from the Awards and screenings to panels, special events and even karaoke!

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AACTA Festival takes place from Wednesday 4th to Sunday 8th of February on the Gold Coast. See the full program and register for the sessions you want to attend at https://www.aactafestival.com.

We Interrupt This Broadcast is an official Media Partner for this year's event.

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2026!

With Julie Eckersley departing We Interrupt This Broadcast for her new role at Screen Queensland, we’re excited to welcome Loani Arman, Aven Yap and Robbie Miles, who will be joining Kirsty Stark as hosts.

We’re thrilled to expand the WITB team with a great mix of people and personalities who all have the best interests of the industry at heart - and we have big plans for the podcast this year!

Tune in to this episode to hear more about who we are and what we’re excited about.

Plus, we announce our upcoming first appearance as a team at AACTA Festival, where we’ll be hosting a panel (register and say hi!), and running an activation to capture your big ideas about the future of the industry (more news in the episode!).

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Loani Arman is a writer, director, and screen executive with over 20 years in the Australian screen industry, including her AIDC Award winning documentary My Body Says and as executive producer of the AACTA-winning series Latecomers. She most recently co-wrote a feature film adaptation of a hugely popular horror title.

Aven Yap is a producer, writer, content creator working across Australia and Asia, and founder of Nimbus Creative. His credits span scripted and documentary projects for ABC, Nine, Disney+/NatGeo, and his award-winning short Piano Mums has a feature adaptation in development with investment from Screen Queensland and Screen Australia.

Robbie Miles is a producer, educator and screen industry strategist with a deep interest in how creative work actually gets made. He currently leads industry engagement at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and develops projects across film, television and digital platforms through Miles Ahead Productions.

Kirsty Stark is an Emmy award-winning producer at Epic Films with a strong commitment to industry support, particularly in areas that promote career sustainability for freelancers and industry growth. She is the founder of CrewHQ, a nationwide crew database, and CrewCon, a conference for freelance crew. Kirsty is also Deputy Chair of The Mercury, and a host of We Interrupt This Broadcast.

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Our podcast schedule for 2026:

• Last Tuesday of the month - Monthly round-up episode

• All other Tuesdays - Deep Dive interviews

Next week’s episode will be a special bonus AACTA Festival preview with Sam Buckland, with our regular schedule kicking off in February.

Listen on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

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Links for your enjoyment:

Aven crashes out in Sunnybank Plaza: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTJ5xttDI_K

Robbie Miles in The Guardian: What It’s Like Winning Mastermind Australia: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jul/19/mastermind-australia-sbs-winner

See you in February, and don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list to get all of our episodes in your inbox when they’re released!

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If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple or give us 5 stars on Spotify to help us spread the word.

We Interrupt This Broadcast is hosted by Kirsty Stark, Loani Arman, Robbie Miles and Aven Yap. This episode was edited by Kirsty Stark.

This episode is sponsored by AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Head to aftrs.edu.au to find an AFTRS course that’s made for you.

In this final episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast for 2025 (and Julie’s last episode as a host), Julie and Kirsty wrap up the month’s industry news, including the new streaming quotas legislation, the Screen Australia Drama Report, the Netflix / Paramount / Warner Brothers Discovery saga, and our Spotify Wrapped stats for the year.

Plus: all of your December screen industry news headlines from around the country...

This episode is sponsored by ⁠AFTRS⁠, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Use the code SUMMER2026 for a 15% discount⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on all summer short courses. Head to aftrs.edu.au/shortcourses to find your course and enrol.

00:00 Intro

00:41 Kirsty’s Japan Prize Trip & Julie Starts at Screen Queensland

02:45 Our Spotify Wrapped Results for 2025

04:27 Streaming Quotas

05:58 Screen Australia Drama Report

10:06 U16 Social Media Ban

12:51 Warner Brothers Discovery + Netflix or Paramount

17:36 Letterboxd’s Video Store

19:32 Industry news, key appointments & opportunities

25:10 What we’ve been watching

28:32 What’s in production around Australia

29:03 Farewell, Julie & see you all in 2026!

30:28 Outro & Acknowledgement of Country

Links:

Our Spotify Wrapped for 2025: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7402212521182744576

Streaming Quotas: https://deadline.com/2025/11/australia-streaming-quotas-sworn-into-law-1236630348

Screen Australia Drama Report: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2025/12-02-drama-report-2024-2025

Warner Bros. Discovery + Netflix or Paramount: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-13/warner-bros-discovery-paramount-skydance-netflix-battle/106126968

U16 Social Media Ban: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/09/australia-under-16-social-media-ban-begins-apps-listed

Letterboxd’s Video Store: https://letterboxd.com/video-store

AACTA Nominees: https://www.aacta.org/aacta-awards/winners-and-nominees

AACTA Wake In Fright Recipient: https://www.aacta.org/aacta-development-initiatives/wake-in-fright-development-initiative

AACTA Reg Grundy Award: https://www.aacta.org/our-news/media-room/top-5-finalists-announced-for-the-aacta-reg-grundy-award

ASSG Awards: https://if.com.au/better-man-narrow-road-to-the-deep-north-lead-winners-at-assg-awards

ASE Ellie Awards: https://if.com.au/the-order-apple-cider-vinegar-win-at-ellie-awards

ACS State Awards: https://cinematographer.org.au/state-and-territory-awards

Cameraimage Golden Frog: https://www.filmink.com.au/public-notice/australian-cinematographer-benjamin-bryan-takes-home-the-golden-frog-at-camerimage-2025-for-feature-documentary-iron-winter

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple or give us 5 stars on Spotify to help us spread the word.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple or give us 5 stars on Spotify to help us spread the word.

We Interrupt This Broadcast is hosted by Julie Eckersley and Kirsty Stark. This episode was edited by Kirsty Stark.

In this episode, Producer Daren Smith returns to share more about his production fund for independent features. Daren was previously a guest on Episode 34 and is back to answer all of the questions you submitted after listening to the episode.

He shares insights on marketing, building relationships with investors and understanding market needs, how each film's finance structure works, and how to manage the uncertainty of the industry.

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This episode is sponsored by ⁠AFTRS⁠, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Use the code SUMMER2026 for a 15% discount⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on all summer short courses. Head to aftrs.edu.au/shortcourses to find your course and enrol.

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Listen to hear Daren discuss:

• Brotherhood: A Cinematic Musical, the first film being greenlit under Producer Fund 1
• why you need to start marketing on Day 1
• finance plans for independent films, and why they shouldn't be 100% equity
• why he's chosen to release his films theatrically
• how to reach out to investors and the importance of continued outreach over time
• tracking progress and analysing your numbers

Follow Daren and his work:

Daren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darentsmith

Daren on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2743912

Craftsman Films: https://www.craftsmanfilms.co

Get your free copy of Daren's book, Blockbuster: https://www.craftsmanfilms.co/blockbuster

Follow Brotherhood - Producer Fund One's first film:

• 
  https://newsletter.craftsmanfilms.co/posts/brotherhood-update-composer-sessions-social-media-now-live
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brotherhoodmusical/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brotherhoodmusical
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrotherhoodMusical

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2qxWEdMELDtPnr5qvq7Rsq

This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by ⁠⁠⁠Kirsty Stark⁠.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

In this episode, Kirsty chats to Enzo Tedeschi, a director, producer, and writer at Deadhouse Films, and how he’s sustained a thriving indie production company through significant industry changes.

Enzo has often been at the forefront of experimental production models made possible through changes in technology, from his early crowdfunded feature film The Tunnel, which now has an audience of over 25 million, to work across genre projects and documentary.

He discusses audience building, the differences in audience building between documentary and narrative projects, evolving business models and the role of technology in shaping the future of indie filmmaking.

Listen to hear Enzo discuss:

• How the traditional industry prevented Enzo and his team from their planned distribution rollout for The Tunnel

• Why crowdfunding isn’t the right move for 90% of projects

• How to cast a project in a way that increases its likely pathway to audience

  The importance of recognising - and leveraging - the story behind your project

• How Enzo is using AI on his latest project

And much more!

Follow Enzo and his work:

Enzo Tedeschi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enzo-tedeschi

Enzo Tedeschi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enzotedeschi

Deadhouse TV on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/deadhousetv

Enzo’s website: https://www.enzotedeschi.com.au

Deadhouse Films: https://www.deadhousefilms.com

The Tunnel: https://www.thetunnelmovie.net

This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by Kirsty Stark.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

This episode is sponsored by AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Use the code SUMMER2026 for a 15% discount⁠⁠⁠ on all summer short courses. Head to aftrs.edu.au/shortcourses to find your course and enrol.

Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox.

In this episode, Julie Eckersley dives into the fast-evolving world of the creator economy with Keith Quinn, founder of Engine Room - a new kind of studio helping independent creators turn their data into strategy, growth, and sustainable income.

Keith’s career has spanned 25 years at the intersection of entertainment, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship. From Project Greenlight with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, to running Paramount’s original digital content division, he’s watched the media landscape expand, contract, and re-invent itself multiple times.

Now, with Engine Room, Keith is giving creators the kind of analytical and financial support once reserved for Hollywood studios. He explains how data can empower creative growth, why YouTube has quietly become the biggest player on TV screens, and what the next five years hold for creators, streamers, and the screen industry at large.

Listen to hear Keith discuss:

• The evolution of entertainment: From the streaming boom to the rise of independent, open-platform creators.
• The creator economy as small business: Why data and audience insight are the new creative superpowers.
• Inside Engine Room: How the company helps creators understand and act on their analytics - with real examples of how simple insights doubled reach and revenue.
• The new model for creator growth: Subscription tools, sponsorship data, and how Engine Room connects like-minded creators to help build ‘creative clusters’ to leverage their success
• Plus: Keith’s big idea to change the future of our industry

Follow Keith and his work:

• Keith Quinn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinnkeith/
• Engine Room: https://www.engineroom.com.au

This Deep Dive interview is hosted by Julie Eckersley⁠⁠⁠ and edited by Brandon Boyer.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

This episode is sponsored by AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Use the code SUMMER2026 for a 15% discount⁠⁠⁠ on all summer short courses. Head to aftrs.edu.au/shortcourses to find your course and enrol.

In this episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast, Julie and Kirsty wrap up this month’s industry news, including a summary of the streaming quotas bill that’s just been introduced to parliament, a wrap-up of the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC), and what’s happening in AI.

Plus: all of your November screen industry news headlines from around the country...

This episode is sponsored by AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Use the code SUMMER2026 for a 15% discount⁠⁠⁠ on all summer short courses. Head to aftrs.edu.au/shortcourses to find your course and enrol.

00:00 Intro

00:40 Julie’s new role at Screen Queensland

02:10 AACTA Festival’s 2026 line-up

03:15 Streaming Quotas update

07:40 AIMC wrap-up & what’s happening in the feature space

11:57 AI update: copyright laws & OMNI AI film festival

14:30 Industry news, key appointments & opportunities

19:25 What we’ve been watching

20:22 What’s in production around Australia

21:13 Wrap-Up & Acknowledgement of Country

Podcast News:

Julie’s new role at Screen Queensland: https://screenqueensland.com.au/sq-news/media-centre/screen-queensland-appoints-julie-eckersley-as-executive-director-screen-content/

2026 AACTA Festival Program Launch: https://www.aactafestival.com

Streaming Quotas:

https://www.screenproducers.org.au/media/release/?id=SPA-01860

https://deadline.com/2025/11/australia-streaming-quota-analysis-1236607691

https://www.saveaustralianstories.com.au

AIMC:

https://cinemaassociation.asn.au/members-events/2025-aimc

AI Updates:

https://if.com.au/industry-commends-government-for-ruling-out-tdm-exception-in-copyright-laws

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/27/deepfakes-denmark-copyright-law-artificial-intelligence

https://omnifilmfestival.com

The Cinema That Never Was: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfludfofQGw

Awards & Announcements
https://www.screenhub.com.au/news/news/natalie-miller-fellowship-awards-dual-recipients-with-2025-grant-2684678

https://if.com.au/cornel-wilczek-jed-kurzel-meg-washington-on-top-at-screen-music-awards

https://cinematographer.org.au/state-and-territory-awards

https://if.com.au/screen-nsw-selects-daniel-king-for-first-nations-screen-fellowship

https://if.com.au/spa-announces-pitch-on-demand-shortlist-for-2025

https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/2025/10/29/sbs-nitv-and-screen-australia-announce2025-digital-originals-shortlist

https://www.aacta.org/our-news/media-room/strawflower-wins-the-2025-aacta-pitch-focus-initiative

Industry opportunities

https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/funding-and-support/narrative-content-production/finance-attraction/international-initiatives/talent-gateway

https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/funding-and-support/narrative-content-production/finance-attraction/international-initiatives/global-producers-exchange

https://if.com.au/whos-the-next-big-thing-submit-your-picks-for-ifs-2026-rising-talent-list

https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/2025/11/04/sbs-calls-for-bold-thought-provoking-factual-ideas-up-to-50000-in-development-funding-available

https://www.screenproducers.org.au/spa-awards

Race Around the World: https://if.com.au/abc-opens-applications-for-race-around-the-world-revival/

Creator Economy Masterclass: https://www.screenproducers.org.au/events/details/?id=cdc82e50-50a7-4aee-b8f0-a7d9c14bbf57

Wrap-Up

Japan Prize: https://www.nhk.or.jp/jp-prize/english/index.html

Daren Smith Episode (submit your questions to [email protected]): https://open.spotify.com/episode/38P6KVO39ekPEqlmw1C2dx

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple or give us 5 stars on Spotify to help us spread the word.

We Interrupt This Broadcast is hosted by Julie Eckersley and Kirsty Stark. This episode was edited by Brandon Boyer.

* Could you be our next We Interrupt This Broadcast co-host? *
Read more and fill out an EOI here: https://forms.gle/oQgAoJXgnQpejfej9

In this episode, Julie Eckersley chats to Amelia Darmawan, Co-Founder and Executive Producer at Totem, a company that’s quietly reimagining what a digital-first entertainment business can be.

The company designs next-gen content businesses for media companies, brands, and creators, helping great IP reach millions more online.

As Director of Strategy & Content, Amelia helps drive innovation across original content, revenue expansion, brand partnerships, and AI-powered workflows.
She shares some of what she’s learnt while shaping the next generation of entertainment brands.

Listen to hear Amelia discuss:

• The shift she’s seen across the screen and creative industries over the last 10 years

• How the benefits can go both ways as we move into true collaborations between traditional media creators and the creatorsphere

• How to maximise your IP and reach new audiences online

• How to understand and work with the algorithms

Could you be our next We Interrupt This Broadcast co-host? Read more and fill out an EOI here: https://forms.gle/oQgAoJXgnQpejfej9

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What does it take to build a thriving, sustainable creative business in the new media landscape?

In this episode, Julie Eckersley dives into the fast-evolving world of digital creators with Farhad Meher-Homji, Co-Founder and Head of Strategy at Changer Studios - an organisation that’s helped tens of thousands of creators in over 40 countries turn passion into profession.

Farhad breaks down how the creator economy has matured from the fringes of entertainment into a powerful mainstream force and why the smartest creators now think like entrepreneurs.

He unpacks how to build a content strategy that actually works, how to read audience data beyond the vanity of subscriber counts, and why psychographics - understanding why your audience connects - is the secret weapon of modern storytelling.

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This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠AFTRS⁠⁠, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Use the code INTENSIVE2025 for a 20% discount⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on all “intensive” courses until the end of the year. https://www.aftrs.edu.au/

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Listen to hear Farhad discuss:

• The shift from attention as a metric to attention as a business model
• How creators are turning audiences into communities, and communities into media businesses
• Why “audience ownership” is a key step for long-term sustainability
• What burnout looks like in the creator economy, and how to build for longevity
• How authenticity, not production value, is now the ultimate marker of quality
• The rise of “human-led, AI-assisted” creativity, and the value of real human connection

Follow Farhad and his work:

• Farhad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadmh/

• Changer Studios: https://www.changerstudios.com

• Changer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changerstudios

  
  

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This Deep Dive interview is hosted by Julie Eckersley⁠ and edited by Brandon Boyer and Kirsty Stark.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠

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This episode is sponsored by ⁠AFTRS⁠, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Use the code INTENSIVE2025 for a 20% discount⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on all “intensive” courses until the end of the year. https://www.aftrs.edu.au/

In this episode, Kirsty talks to Daren Smith of Craftsman Films, a Utah-based independent producer with four features and multiple seasons of TV under his belt.

Daren shares how he set up Craftsman Films, as an independent studio, and the new $10 million dollar film fund he’s raising, with the goal of producing ten profitable “blockbuster indies.”
He also discusses the challenges of independent filmmaking, including financing, development and distribution, and how he’s addressing these issues through a new model inspired by venture capital structures.

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This episode is sponsored by ⁠AFTRS⁠, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Use the code INTENSIVE2025 for a 20% discount⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on all “intensive” courses until the end of the year.

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Listen to hear Daren discuss:

• The five key challenges of independent filmmaking

• Craftsman Films’ new model for indie film financing

• How to approach a pitch so that private investors will listen

• The importance of building your personal brand

• How reaching out on LinkedIn beats cold emailing

• Why it’s important for a film fund to have a clear thesis

Follow Daren and his work:

• Daren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darentsmith

• Daren on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2743912

• Craftsman Films: https://www.craftsmanfilms.co

This Deep Dive interview is hosted by ⁠⁠Kirsty Stark and edited by Brandon Boyer.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

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This episode is sponsored by AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Use the code INTENSIVE2025 for a 20% discount⁠⁠⁠ on all “intensive” courses until the end of the year.