In this Original Series, filmmaker Luke Shanahan & Creativity Expert Ben Rennie bring together Australia's most creative humans for a drink and an improvised chat on the world's (most obvious) problems. What follows is a conversation that will make you
There are many reasons Australia loves, broadcaster, writer, host, actress and national treasure, MYF WARHURST. It could be her love for Dolly Parton, the fun she has commentating at the Eurovision Song Contest, the fact that she is a voice artist on BLUEY – or maybe it's her long standing role as team captain on SPICKS and SPECKS which still remains one of this countries most loved TV shows?Hard to tell what WE love the most about her but what we do know is that Myf has done it all and from her start as Merrick and Rosso's entertainment reporter on JJJ in 2000 and whether on TV, radio or live, the “MYF Effect” entertains, informs and inspires all those who listen to this icon of Aussie Pop Culture. The question remains, Would Luke and Ben dare ask Myf any Rock Trivia ? Or worse, would they try and sing?
Strap yourself in, it's time to save the world. Doctor, Senator, environmentalist, activist, leader and writer are some of the roles he's occupied but his reach is much wider than that. It's lonely at the top and from having to go it alone on many issues in parliament, he's now seen as a figurehead to the next generation of climate activists and those who choose to care about the planet. Since being elected to the senate in 1996, Bob has consistently taken courageous stands on issues as diverse as saving Tasmania's ancient forests, stopping the sale of the Snowy Hydro scheme and opposing the dumping of nuclear waste in Australia. Whether it be opposing the war in Iraq, defending David Hicks or arguing for an independent West Papua or Tibet, Justice and the safety of the world's people and environment has always been Bob's agenda. He was justifiably awarded Australia's Humanist of the year in 2010 and among his many awards and accolades, the words "inspire", "peace" and "justice" keep bobbing up. Strap yourself in, it's time to save the world.
Ben Gillies is a rockstar! From his lengthy career as founding member and drummer of Silverchair, the band that went on to sell 8 million records and win a staggering 21 ARIA awards, this Newcastle lad has packed three lifetimes into his 40 years. His prolific career started when he formed his first band at 12 and he then went on to travel the world smashing out some of Australia's most iconic and memorable tracks. Now a new father to twin boys with his wife, Jacqui Gillies (from TV'S REAL HOUSEWIVES OF MELBOURNE), its hard to understand just how he had time to stop by and chat to us? But we're glad he did. We chat "making music" in these crazy times and just where his inspiration and art comes from. We also delve into his musical inspirations and how he finally met them backstage at a festival. One of the most memorable episodes of the podcast for nothing more than we all get to reminisce about just how great 90's music was and Luke and Ben (Rennie) finally manage to sing a duet of "Islands in the Stream".
From Logie nominated child star to working alongside the world's most famous film-makers, Damon Herriman has done it all. Working between LA and Australia, Damon not only has taken direction from some of the world's leading directors such as Clint Eastwood, David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino but also has worked with.....Luke Shanahan. You better believe it. We sit and chat with Damon about his rise to stardom from Adelaide to Hollywood and the parties in-between. What it takes to succeed and how to recognise the creatively rewarding projects from the rest. Gaining a slew of awards for his work, Damon's roles personify a truth of character that has even seen him play Charles Manson not once, but twice. As versatile as he he is talented, be enthralled by this entertaining and informative episode while Ben gets to ask the big question......" just how do I become an actor?"
Ben Shares honest & powerful perspectives on what it takes to shoot the president of the united states, not once, over and over again!With a camera, of course, in the oval office with some of the most powerful humans in the world!How chance plays a part in our lives, but not at the expense of hard work, finding your voice and stamping your footprint on the planet, regardless of how big or seemingly far away that world might be. Ben is a beacon of hope for all of us. He represents anything is possible, how to keep looking forward, make good decisions, and the chips will, more often than not, land exactly where you need them to. In Bens case, in the White House or on the front cover of Rolling Stone or The New Yorker!On his way to an assisting in the UK Ben stopped by New York City where he was offered a position as an assistant to the legendary Annie Leibovitz. His first project with Annie and Vanity Fair magazine was the 1998 Hollywood cover with Cate Blanchett, Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, Toby Maguire, Natalie Portman, Christina Ricci and others.After time with Leibovitz, he went to on to assist legendary photographers Mary Ellen Mark, Harry Benson and Mark Seliger and Martin Schoeller on projects for Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Time, and Life magazines.His shooting career began with assignments from New York Magazine, Newsweek, Esquire and Time. He then went on to shooting projects for Fortune, AARP, Forbes and Oprah Magazine amongst many others.His most notable subjects to date have been, President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump, President Bush, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama, Warren Buffett, Michael Bloomberg, Oprah Winfrey Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Ralph Lauren, Jay -Z, Rupert Murdoch, Hosni Mubarak of Pakistan, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Hamid Karzi of Afghanistan.He has shot advertising campaigns for MasterCard, IBM, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Bloomberg, USAA and Charles Schwab.
Ben Shares honest & powerful perspectives on what it takes to shoot the president of the united states, not once, over and over again!With a camera, of course, in the oval office with some of the most powerful humans in the world!How chance plays a part in our lives, but not at the expense of hard work, finding your voice and stamping your footprint on the planet, regardless of how big or seemingly far away that world might be. Ben is a beacon of hope for all of us. He represents anything is possible, how to keep looking forward, make good decisions, and the chips will, more often than not, land exactly where you need them to. In Bens case, in the White House or on the front cover of Rolling Stone or The New Yorker!On his way to an assisting in the UK Ben stopped by New York City where he was offered a position as an assistant to the legendary Annie Leibovitz. His first project with Annie and Vanity Fair magazine was the 1998 Hollywood cover with Cate Blanchett, Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, Toby Maguire, Natalie Portman, Christina Ricci and others.After time with Leibovitz, he went to on to assist legendary photographers Mary Ellen Mark, Harry Benson and Mark Seliger and Martin Schoeller on projects for Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Time, and Life magazines.His shooting career began with assignments from New York Magazine, Newsweek, Esquire and Time. He then went on to shooting projects for Fortune, AARP, Forbes and Oprah Magazine amongst many others.His most notable subjects to date have been, President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump, President Bush, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama, Warren Buffett, Michael Bloomberg, Oprah Winfrey Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Ralph Lauren, Jay -Z, Rupert Murdoch, Hosni Mubarak of Pakistan, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Hamid Karzi of Afghanistan.He has shot advertising campaigns for MasterCard, IBM, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Bloomberg, USAA and Charles Schwab.
Dan Illic is a writer, director, performer, comedian and political & environmental activist. Long revered for making people laugh, Dan has now turned his comic powers to the worldwide environmental cause. And he's got a bloody big billboard in Times Square to prove it! As well as an award-winning podcast, A RATIONAL FEAR - that recently took home, "Best comedy podcast" in Australia, Dan now channels his energy into changing peoples minds and educating them on just what can be done to avoid the (obvious) problem that confronts the world. Unafraid of speaking his mind, we chat with Dan for a provocative, engaging and downright hilarious conversation where he turns his ability to reach people into a cause for change. Climate Change in fact.
Ellidy Pullin is the founder of the Chumpy Pullin Foundation & International Podcast Series, Darling, Shine with Chloe Fisher. El is the life partner to world champion snowboarder - Alex (Chumpy) Pullin, who died tragically in 2020. This led Ellidy to reassess her life and the chance of a future family. The result is a fantastic journey through grief, resilience and ultimately progression to parenthood. However, the spirit of (Chumpy) lives on through new life, and in this episode, we discover, Ellidy has a story that goes way beyond baby Minnie and the legacy of her famous husband.For this mid-morning, pre-lunch chat, we talk to Ellidy (with a sleeping Minnie in the background) and ask, what it's like to be an influencer, a CEO and a mum .....while the spirit of "Chumpy" lives on, all around her. LUKE SHANAHAN: Luke has been a film-maker ever since his dad took him to see Star Wars when he was a young-un. After a film school stint and with a strong love of telling dark tales with some home truths, his critically acclaimed short films, THE NEWS, PET and THE FIRST DATE brought the worlds attention to Luke's work and his first feature, the haunting thriller RABBIT starring Adelaide Clemens, Alex Russell and Veerle Baetens, premiered at MIFF (Melbourne Film Festival) in 2017 and was named one of the stand-outs of the festival by artistic director, Michelle Carey. With two new features close to production, Shanahan recently was awarded the ADG (Australian Directors Guild) award for Best Direction in a Commercial (2020) for his NZ Post campaign. Represented by SCOUNDREL for commercial work and MOSAIC for drama, he still loves Star Wars although David Lynch and Kubrick did sneak in there for influence. BEN RENNIE: Ben dreamed of being a professional cricketer, then realised a weekend in the hot sun dressed in cricket whites was everything he didn't want in life. Now a dad to three teens, Ben is a professional advisor, CEO, board member & entrepreneur. He speaks publicly and in the media on the emergence of technology & design to solve complex problems. Ben works with Ray-Ban, BHP, Kellogg's, Westpac and Patagonia, to name a few, and is the CEO role at RENY® and a partner in ELECTRIC eyewear. Ben spends valuable time on the boards of Skin Check Champions and the Chumpy Pullin Foundation.He still watches cricket and dreams of being in the big bash!
Scott Maggs, (AKA Jimmy Niggles) sold his beard for a lot of money. A real lot. $1,013,970 to be exact. That's how much the prized and very manicured beard of Scott's was sold for after 11 years of love and nurture. But the money wasn't for Jimmy (or Scott). It goes to the cause he helped create to try and eradicate skin cancer, a deeply personal journey for him as he lost his close friend in 2010 to melanoma - a spot on his mate's neck that appeared harmless until it was too late. This episode talks about loss, creativity, letting go, saving lives, creating lives and the joys of drinking beer in paper bags. In a deeply honest and raw conversation, Scott talks about how he came to let go of the persona of (Jimmy Niggles) to really grow into the man who created it all - Scotty Maggs. ----------------------LUKE SHANAHAN: Luke has been a film-maker ever since his dad took him to see Star Wars when he was a young-un. After a film school stint and with a strong love of telling dark tales with some home truths, his critically acclaimed short films, THE NEWS, PET and THE FIRST DATE brought the worlds attention to Luke's work and his first feature, the haunting thriller RABBIT starring Adelaide Clemens, Alex Russell and Veerle Baetens, premiered at MIFF (Melbourne Film Festival) in 2017 and was named one of the stand-outs of the festival by artistic director, Michelle Carey. With two new features close to production, Shanahan recently was awarded the ADG (Australian Directors Guild) award for Best Direction in a Commercial (2020) for his NZ Post campaign. Represented by SCOUNDREL for commercial work and MOSAIC for drama, he still loves Star Wars although David Lynch and Kubrick did sneak in there for influence. BEN RENNIE: Ben dreamed of being a professional cricketer, then realised a weekend in the hot sun dressed in cricket whites was everything he didn't want in life. Now a dad to three teens, Ben is a professional advisor, CEO, board member & entrepreneur. He speaks publicly and in the media on the emergence of technology & design to solve complex problems. Ben works with Ray-Ban, BHP, Kellogg's, Westpac and Patagonia, to name a few, and is the CEO role at RENY® and a partner in ELECTRIC eyewear. Ben spends valuable time on the boards of Skin Check Champions and the Chumpy Pullin Foundation.He still watches cricket and dreams of being in the big bash!----------------------
Tim Ross (aka Rosso) has done it all so it should come as no surprise that we catch up with him in the palatial surrounds of a Bellingen motel room to talk about all things, Tim. From his beginnings in "stand-up" comedy to becoming one of Australia's most successful radio hosts and with TV shows in-between, we chat with him about how to transition your career, his love of design and architecture and just how to bloody swear with panache and style.Ever the Renaissance man, Tim tackles our big question with thought-provoking ideas, wondering just how cavemen might have fared in these COVID times while at the same time pondering if there is in fact any (real) difference between a car salesman and a politician.Rosso began his career performing stand-up comedy as part of the very successful double act, Merrick and Rosso in the early '90s. More recently he is best known for his passion for architecture and design, presenting the ABC series, Streets of Your Town whilst also performing live shows in some of Australia's most important houses. In addition, Rosso has become an influential voice for the preservation of historical landmarks in Australia. ----------------------LUKE SHANAHAN: Luke has been a film-maker ever since his dad took him to see Star Wars when he was a young-un. After a film school stint and with a strong love of telling dark tales with some home truths, his critically acclaimed short films, THE NEWS, PET and THE FIRST DATE brought the worlds attention to Luke's work and his first feature, the haunting thriller RABBIT starring Adelaide Clemens, Alex Russell and Veerle Baetens, premiered at MIFF (Melbourne Film Festival) in 2017 and was named one of the stand-outs of the festival by artistic director, Michelle Carey. With two new features close to production, Shanahan recently was awarded the ADG (Australian Directors Guild) award for Best Direction in a Commercial (2020) for his NZ Post campaign. Represented by SCOUNDREL for commercial work and MOSAIC for drama, he still loves Star Wars although David Lynch and Kubrick did sneak in there for influence. BEN RENNIE: Ben dreamed of being a professional cricketer, then realised a weekend in the hot sun dressed in cricket whites was everything he didn't want in life. Now a dad to three teens, Ben is a professional advisor, CEO, board member & entrepreneur. He speaks publicly and in the media on the emergence of technology & design to solve complex problems. Ben works with Ray-Ban, BHP, Kellogg's, Westpac and Patagonia, to name a few, and is the CEO role at RENY® and a partner in ELECTRIC eyewear. Ben spends valuable time on the boards of Skin Check Champions and the Chumpy Pullin Foundation.He still watches cricket and dreams of being in the big bash.----------------------