WORDS MEG BIGNELL
MEET THE
DIRECTOR
Mike Chapman is the creative mind behind
The Love Shack. He is a television producer
and executive producer who has been making
landmark Australian television since the early 90s.
His credits include Big Brother, Wish You Were
Here, Getaway and Undercover Angels.
the focus of a reality television
show. Combining all three seems
like madness – it’s ideal! But in all
seriousness, it probably is the wrong
time for Bec and George to be doing
this; it’s put a lot of stress on them.
B
eing a Hobart boy, Mike
relished the opportunity
to return to his home state
to start work on The Love
Shack, even though it has meant
much travel between his home in
Melbourne and the set in Lewisham.
Love Shack Magazine plucked him
from his relentless schedule to get
inside his head.
What drew you to The Love Shack
project, Mike? The idea caught
my attention because it has all the
elements for good TV – it’s multithemed, it’s relatable, it has all the
tension that comes with having a
child and renovating a house. And
essentially it’s a love story – everyone
loves a good love story.
So you haven’t had to manufacture
drama? The drama is already there,
it’s the perfect storm. Ask anyone
who’s had a baby, anyone who’s
built a house, anyone who’s been
How have you found working
with Bec and George? It’s been
a challenge, quite frankly. They
are very baby focused, which is
understandable as Archie is their first
baby, and while they have a passion
for renovation, they are of course far
more passionate about their baby.
When you get to know George, he is
quite the comic, very light hearted.
And he’s the mediator, the quiet
achiever. Bec has a larger personality,
she’s more forthright and there’s
more at stake for her. George seems
to counter the anxiety that Bec feels
on set.
Do you find yourself wanting to
intervene in the process? There
are definitely times when I feel like
jumping in. Bec and George both
have a strong sense of style and
they don’t like to compromise on
that, but I can see where that’s going
to cause financial stress. It gets like
one of those wildlife shows – do
you throw a rock at the lion to save
the springbok? But I’m not there
to influence choices, I just have to
follow.
Are you finding the process
stressful too? Well from a personal
perspective, I have a young child
too. My youngest is only 15 months
old and having to be away from him
so much means I’m missing a lot of
his firsts. It’s great to be back in my
home town but it’s emotional every
time I leave home. He’s starting to
talk more and more and I’m missing
out on that. It’s an interesting age. So
in many ways I know how Bec feels.
Do you have other projects that
demand your attention? Yes, our
production company MWC Media is
making television both here and in
New Zealand – we have an office in
Auckland as well as in Melbourne.
We have lots of balls in the air but
The Love Shack seems to be taking a
disproportionate amount of energy.
Have you found the Tasmanian
screen community supportive?
Absolutely. I still have friends here in
the industry that I worked with back
in the ‘good old days’ of television
– in the 90s when production was
still a thing in Tasmania. Tony Fox
from WIN Television Tasmania is an
old colleague and he’s been great.
Screen Tasmania has supported us
financially. There’s a bit of production
starting up again here so it’s kind of
cool to be part of that.
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