FILM

My first film project – and the only one I’ve written, designed and directed – is a 15 minute animated adaptation of my picture book The Lost Thing (2000), produced by Passion Pictures in association with Screen Australia, which went on to play at international festivals, win an Annecy Crystal and an Academy Award in 2011. You can learn more about that project here, which includes resources for teachers.

I also worked as a concept artist for Pixar’s WALL-E, drawing and painting scenes that were part of the initial creative process, my focus being images of a garbage-covered, post-ecological landscape, some vehicles and a gloomy robot underworld. My contribution was very small, but it was a great experience to work with such an enthusiastic and wildly imaginative production team, albeit at a distance. I also designed contraptions for Blue Sky’s adaptation of HORTON HEARS A WHO, the story of an elephant trying to rescue a microscopic world while everyone else believes him to be delusional. That too was a great project which involved immersing myself in the style and thought processes of one of my childhood heros, Dr. Seuss.

THEATRE

Many of my picture books have been adapted as stage presentations, both in Australia and overseas; below are links to some of them. Unlike film projects, I’m generally not involved with the adaptation process when it comes to theatre and try to give creative directors, writers, performers and musicians as much license as possible to develop my stories and images as they choose. This has resulted in a broad range of fascinating interpretations, even when sourced from the same book, such as The Red Tree. I’ve especially enjoyed those productions that differ markedly from my own imagination, revealing the flexible and autonomous nature of ideas, and how they can evolve when shared, becoming the basis for new, original work.

Red Leap’s production of The Arrival, (2009 and onwards) New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan and elsewhere. Visit Red Leap for more info.

The Rabbits, Opera Australia and Barking Gecko (2015) John Sheedy, Kate Miller-Heidke, Lally Katz, Inain Grandage, Gabriela Tylesova and others. More about this production.

Barking Gecko’s production of The Red Tree, Perth 2012, a muscial performance with large-scale puppetry directed by John Sheedy. More info.

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s adaptation of The Arrival, premiering in 2006. The interesting thing about this production is that it was based on sketches for the book, and opened prior to the book’s publication, so has a different and original evolution. Ostensibly for children it also had broad appeal for adult audiences. More info.

Ben Walsh and the Orkestra of the Underground, 2012, performing a live score to a choreographed projection of images from the original book The Arrival, which toured extensively to great acclaim. More info.

The Arrival, Tamasha UK, 2013. Co-created by Kristine Landon-Smith and Sita Brahmachari. More about this production.

Riverside Theatre, National Theatre of Paramatta’s production of The Red Tree, 2017, Sydney & Melbourne. More about this production.

Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s innovative adaptation of The Rules of Summer, 2017, Fremantle. More about this production.

Michael Yezerski, the original composer for the short animated film The Lost Thing, playing live with friends against a screened backdrop as part of TEDxSydney, 2011.

Aquasapiens (2005), a collaboration with Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, Fremantle, WA. I designed and helped construct a number of ‘land diving’ sea creatures who invades Murray Street Mall in central Perth during the summer of 2005. Director: Philip Mitchell, Puppet fabrication: Jirka Zmitko. More about the project.

The Lost Thing (2005), Jigsaw Theatre, Australian National Gallery, Canberra. Director: Greg Lissaman. Designer: Richard Jeziorny. More about this production here.