Nigel Latta: The psychology behind good television...

Nigel Latta is a clinical psychologist and popular TV presenter who has made a range of television shows exploring the human condition. His first foray into television was series Beyond the Darklands, which explored some of New Zealand’s worst crimes and the people behind them. He then hosted three series of Politically Incorrect Guides, which variously covered parenting, teenagers and grown-ups. His documentaries have taken him to Antarctica, up in helicopters, and led him to blow up various objects.

In this ScreenTalk, Latta talks about:

• Discovering TV is 'tatty' while filming Beyond the Darklands
• Having clear rules around filming the show 
• Working with producer Mark McNeill to create The Politically Incorrect shows
• Finding corporate funding for the documentary After the Quake
• Discovering amazing science while filming Surviving Teen Driving
• Getting to fly a helicopter and drop a car from a crane being part of his job
• Being criticised by journalists for making The Hard Stuff documentaries
• Watching whales swim by while visiting Antarctica for for On Thin Ice 
• How Nigel Blows Stuff Up began as an offhand comment 
• Getting hypothermia and a sore hip working on the show
• Enjoying making television, more than being on it

This video was first uploaded on 21 December 2015, and is available under this Creative Commons licence. This licence is limited to use of ScreenTalk interview footage only and does not apply to any video content and photographs from films, television, music videos, web series and commercials used in the interview.

Interview, Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside