‘Deadlock’ (photo credit: Louella Pleffer).
Deadlock, a teenage-focused ABC iview series from Every Cloud Productions, the producers of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Newton’s Law, is set to shoot on the north coast of NSW in July.
Based on an original concept from Every Cloud’s Deb Cox, the 5 x 12 web series, set in Byron Bay, will follow what happens after a “mysterious car crash exposes the dark underbelly of an idyllic paradise” and changes the lives of the teens it affects.
Cox, Fiona Eagger and Belinda Mravicic will produce. Writer-director Billie Pleffer will shoot the series under the mentorship of Tony Tilse (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Underbelly).
Deadlock was developed with emerging writers (including Pleffer) in a script lab hosted by Screenworks and held in collaboration with Skins co-creator and co-writer Bryan Elsley. The workshop involved bringing in teenagers from the Northern Rivers to help inform the content and delivery platform by sharing their ideas, stories and experiences.
Elsley told IF at the time that he was surprised by the depth of young talent. “Deb and Fiona approached me because I had used that technique of bringing young teenagers into the process right at the beginning,” he said. “They instinctively wanted to do something similar.”
Cox and Eagger said they were “thrilled to be producing this youth focused project with young creatives, including the talented writer/director Billie Pleffer, in the regional area that gave rise to the concept.”
Screen Australia head of production Sally Caplan said the screen body had been confident Deadlock would be a teen drama that captured an authentic young voice since its early development. The agency supported Elsley to lead the workshop through its Enterprise Stories program and Story Development programs.
“This ABC commission only reinforces writer/director Billie Pleffer’s reputation as a hugely promising talent and provides Every Cloud Productions – who have a reputation for premium drama – the chance to produce a short-form, digital content series in regional NSW,” said Caplan.
Deadlock is backed by Screen Australia, in association with Film Victoria and Screen NSW, and was developed with the assistance of the Screen Australia, Film Victoria and Northern Rivers Screenworks.
All3Media International will handle international sales.
As well as the 5-part web series, a one-hour version of the show will also be produced.