Ready For This Cast & Head Scriptwriter Webinar – Resource for Secondary Teachers and Students

As part of the 2016 Screen Futures Summit and Youth Media Festival the Ready For This cast members Madeleine Madden (Zoe) and Aaron McGrath (Levi), along with Head Script-writer Liz Doran, provided a behind the scenes insight into the award-winning TV series, acting in general and the script-writing process behind the series.

The uploaded version of the webinar is available on the ACTF YouTube Channel and provides students and teachers with the ability to jump to specific answers provided by Madeleine, Aaron or Liz. Questions were submitted by secondary students from around the country in the lead-up to the webinar.

Questions addressed included:

• What did Ready For This winning the Logie for ‘Most Outstanding Children’s Program’ mean for each of you?
• Where did the idea for Ready For This come from?
• Were any of the actors personal experiences included in some of the scripts?
• From a writer’s perspective, how much of your own personal experience influenced the plot development?
• Aaron, as an NRL player how did you adapt to playing Aussie Rules as your character?
• Madeleine, are you similar to the character that you played? If not, what are the differences?
• What advice do Madeleine and Aaron have for young people wanting to get into acting?
• What advice would you have for kids living in the country or remote areas wanting to be an actor or script-writer?
• Madeleine, have you faced any problems in real life that your character faced in the show? If so, did you deal with them in the same way? Or if not, do you agree with their actions?
• Aaron did you disagree with any of the choices Levi made in the show? Why? Why not?
• Ready For This was great at exploring contemporary themes and difficult issues young people face. Why do you think it resonated so well with the audience?
• Liz, how do you develop the moral compass of your characters?
• Aaron and Madeleine, what strategies do you have to learn your lines?
• How do you put your personality into the character?
• Did the actors have input into the scripts during filming?
• Are you treated like a celebrity when you go out in public?
• What was the most challenging scene/episode for you to shoot?
• Do you pursue passions other than acting and script-writing?
• Liz, did you pitch any stories that were considered ‘too risky’ or difficult?
• How do you characterise the audience for Ready For This?
• If you could go back would you change anything in Ready For This?

Students and teachers can view the Ready For This Cast and Head Script-writer Webinar on the ACTF’s YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/user/OzKidsTV/videos