Bonnie Moir is a Melbourne based filmmaker whose has made countless award winning short films and music videos. Her most recent short film – NOT DARK YET – was nominated for the 2024 AACTA Award for Best Short Film. Lately, Bonnie has been working tirelessly on the 6 part television series EXPOSURE for Stan. In our conversation, we dived into how Bonnie writes, her process on set and the future of Australian filmmaking. Read on for more.
Your writing process with such personal and intimate stories like Not Dark Yet.
When making Not Dark Yet I was interested in the duality of freedom and obligation and how they coexist in our relationship to family. I was also interested in revealing the vulnerabilities inherent within our social structures, and to put a human face to something we tend to avoid interacting with.
It was quite a challenging and personal film to make. The lead actor is my dad and I suppose the character playing his son is a version of me (Played beautifully by Nicholas Denton). We finished cutting an initial version of this film which had the perspective tied to the son’s character but we found that there was an inherent connection and empathy that the audience had with the father character, so we ended up only keeping key scenes that we loved from that first version and writing and shooting new scenes from the father’s perspective that fit in with those key scenes and crafting the film from there. So it was ultimately quite an unconventional writing experience!
I have mostly collaborated with other writers but I am trying to get into the practice of writing every day. I tend to write in sporadic short bursts when I feel inspired by something.
On set, what language are you using with the actors? Is it based on the actor or do you always have the same type of language you use?
I’m not totally sure, to answer your question, each actor is different! I love a performance that manages to capture a surprising and unexpected ‘real’ quality. My hope is that I allow actors a space that is supportive to do work that is alive and kinda feral, whatever language I am using!
I heard you say that before you took over for season 2 of Love Me, you had this major moment of doubt / fear. How do you combat this feeling?
Who told you this?! Haha. It’s true. It was the first lot of TV I directed and I was gifted the entire season, it was a daunting and just generally a big prospect. The best way for me to combat that fear was to get stuck into it all and get to work. It’s also not done alone, a director is nothing without the crew – I worked with an amazing team including Ed Goldner (DOP), Marni Kornhauser (Production designer) and my beaut producers Hamish Lewis and Nicole O’Donohue and not to mention those brilliant actors!
Biggest lessons you have learnt from working with Garth Davis and Glendyn Ivin?
I love them both so much. I have been so inspired by working with them. I feel extremely lucky that I had the chance to assist and do second unit work with directors whose work I love and admire. Not to mention such kind and supportive individuals. I hope I absorbed a lot doing that work. I never went to film school, so it’s been invaluable.
You have shot some beautiful music videos with incredible artists. What does your process working with artists look like? Do you bring them an idea or is it more of a collaboration?
It changes depending on the artist. In some cases the artists have a strong concept in mind but others are keen for initial concepts and ideas based on the song – I’ve worked in both ways but have ultimately been lucky with the few music videos I’ve done that the artists have been very collaborative and an absolute joy to work with. I’d love to do more!
When you are on set, where do you like to stand? Next to the video village or up closer with the actors.
Definitely closer to the actors, if i’m too far away I end up manically running back and forth and round in circles. I’ve never really been sat at a video village type set up but maybe the added distance creates a different perspective? One closer to an audience or viewer? It’s interesting to think about!
Your short films, music videos and shows all focus on the human condition and relationships, is this something you think will always stay in your work?
I find that stories like this offer up the most potential for deep performance work and for great actors. I also think it’s the most interesting work visually speaking. But I am open to trying it all!
How the process of creating EXPOSURE has been?
Exposure is a series that I am currently finishing up, I just finished the grade with the amazing colourist Trish Cahill. It is a 6 part mystery-thriller for STAN. I worked with the most crazily amazing team including Nicole O’Donohue as producer and Justin Kurzel and Shaun Grant as EPs via their company Thirdborn, as well as Lucy Coleman as our writer and Aaron McLisky as DOP to name a few.
It was one of the greatest experiences, setting the series up, finding the tone and look, building the jigsaw puzzle of locations and developing the story with the team.
I’m getting excited (and nervous) for people to watch the show. It is coming out soon and I’d love for you to watch it!
Favorite filmmakers and movies?
This is a secret.
Advice to younger filmmakers just starting out who are stuck in that beginning phase?
I’d say to focus wholeheartedly on the experience and process of making the work, the creation of it, not so much the outcome. It should be about making/creating the film, working with that actor or collaborating with that DOP or whatever it is…and the experience and practice of that.
I want to acknowledge that it can be very challenging to go all in for those of us without financial support particularly when starting out. I’d say that perhaps getting a job that is in support of what you want to do ultimately can be helpful. Being a director’s assistant and second unit work was great for that as I got to learn but also I could make short films when in post with other directors. I got that work by reaching out to a director whose work I loved (Garth) and offering to help him on his film Lion on the days I had off my then non film related job.
Where do you want the Australian film scene to move?
There seems to be a general consensus that the work is better elsewhere but so much of the work I have seen that is made here by amazing film makers and crews makes me feel that this just isn’t the case. We make great stuff, but it needs support and validation.
I’m inspired by directors like Kitty Green and Thomas M. Wright, and Goran Stoveleski. I’d love the industry to support and facilitate more work like theirs!
