Tom Scott: From portraits to production...

Tom Scott made his name for his portraits — both written and drawn — of politics and politicians, and for getting thrown out of press conferences by Prime Minister Robert Muldoon. But Scott has also had a diverse career in the screen industry. Apart from writing feature film Separation City, he has worked with oddball school teachers, animated border collies, and written drama and documentaries about iconic Kiwis David Lange and Sir Edmund Hillary.

In this ScreenTalk, Scott talks about:

• The joys of running around "doing all the things that kids do" while making screen romance Separation City, and how his script is better for being more emotionally honest
• Being invited to write the big screen version of Footrot Flats with fellow cartoonist Murray Ball 
• Scott’s first venture into television — a teleplay about anorexia nervosa
• His two projects based around David Lange —  miniseries Fallout and documentary Reluctant Revolutionary
• Robert Muldoon actually saying kind words about something Scott wrote
• How dodgy teacher Mr Gormsby began his journey to TV screens, after writer Anthony McCarten begged Danny Mulheron to perform an old stand-up routine
• Being offered the chance to tell Edmund Hillary’s life story, less than 48 hours after meeting him

This video was first uploaded on 27 August 2009, 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 - Ian Pryor. Camera and Editing - Alex Backhouse