Meet Home and Away’s new Series Producer, and get the lowdown on what’s in store for 2007!
A network of friends. That’s the way new Home and Away producer Cameron Welsh describes the creative juggernaut that is biggest small town in the country, Summer Bay. But he’s not just talking about the actors - he’s talking about every person who’s ever captured a stolen kiss on camera, dusted powder on a bronzed cheek or grappled with a complicated storyline involving rebels with a cause. And Cameron should know - after all, he’s been part of the Home and Away family since the early days of playing troubled teen Mitch McColl, foster kid to the Godfather of Summer Bay, Alf.
Ask the down-to-earth Cameron to take a stroll down memory lane to those days in Bay, and a playful smile instantly takes over. “I have great memories of that time,” he confirms, in reference to his 18 month stint as Mitch. “At the time I was acting with Ryan Clarke [Sam Marshall] and Zac Drayson [Will Smith], and they were hilarious. I remember there were lots of pranks…”
For the then 22-year-old former chef’s apprentice and sometime actor - inspired by the success of his uncle, veteran Australian actor David Field (Chopper, Two Hands, Getting’ Square and more) - a regular stint in sunny Summer Bay was a dream come true. But it wasn’t long before the lad from Muswellbrook began to take an interest in what was happening behind the camera.
“I knew I wanted to be in this industry, but it wasn’t till I was onset and working every day that I discovered it wasn’t so much acting for me,” he explains. “I looked at directors and their wider involvement in the show, as opposed to that of the actor which is just a focus on your character. I saw other storylines and other characters I was interested in. I felt that as a director, you get to be involved in all of that.” Under the guidance of revered executive producer John Holmes, Cameron hung up his boardshorts and crossed sides.
Becoming a director was a goal he pursued, and achieved. But becoming the show’s producer? “A much less conscious decision!” he smiles. “It wasn’t something I’d thought about really - I felt I still had a fair bit more to experience as a director. But the opportunity came up and it was instant - it was too good to knock back. So here I am!”
As living proof the best way to get into the industry is simply to start working and see what happens, the 29-year-old wunderkind’s advice as to what makes a good producer should be heeded by anyone keen to make it themselves.
“It’s the ability to trust the people you have working - let them do their job and don’t stand in their way too much,” he says. “It’s to listen – you have to be open to the ideas, concerns or suggestions of others. But beyond that you have to make your own suggestions and decisions, and make sure they’re right ones more than the wrong ones!”
So as the cast and crew gear up for another huge year, we were keen to find out the direction Cameron and his team will take Home and Away. Fans will be pleased to hear 2007 will see the show focussing more on character-driven, emotional storytelling, and less on stunts and explosions. Although Cameron concedes it wouldn’t be Summer Bay without a natural disaster here and there (“a flood or famine or plague or something”), 2007 will be all about finding the emotional truth behind the show’s exciting storylines. And that begins with good writing.
“Everything starts with good story,” he says. “If you can get the scripts right, everything will naturally follow. We’ve got a great script producer who’s just come onboard, Sarah Walker. The cast will be front and centre – there’ll be more work for them to do because we’ll be really going for these character stories, which is great for them. I can’t wait to get into it!”
And the storylines in question? Cameron doesn’t want to give too much away, but we did manage to coax a few sneak peeks out of him.
Three words people: Jack. And. Martha.
“Viewers will know that Martha’s in a world of trouble with the new bloke she’s hooked up with, Ash,” Cameron confirms. “There’s a great story that’s going to come out of the back of that - it’s sensational. Martha slips into a pretty interesting world, a world that’s pretty alien to her and to the rest of Home and Away, and it’s up to Jack to pull her out it. And the big question is, what will become of their relationship as a result of this.”
Cameron also hints it won’t be smooth sailing ahead for newlyweds Kim and Rachel, and star-crossed lovers Drew and Belle also have an “interesting ride” coming into the New Year. With these tidbits leaving us salivating for more, it’s not hard to see why Home and Away has enjoyed the success it has this year. Cameron leaves us with his own theory about why fans continue to tune in, week after week and year after year, to the show made by a network of friends.
“On Home and Away there’s no genre,” he explains. “I’ve worked on All Saints and that’s a medical drama. There are cop shows, there are medical shows, there are comedies, there are romances. Home and Away does it all!”
By Georgia Clark
