Drew Jarvis on how 10 is making a splash with Dive Club

Dive Club

• “We were all on the same page creatively from the get-go”

The new Australian series, Dive Club will kick off on Monday, 29 May at 6pm on 10 Shake and 10 Play on demand.

Dive Club tells the story of 16-year-olds Maddie, Lauren, Anna, and Stevie. They’re regular teenagers navigating life, friendship, and romance – but under the water, the girls are skilled divers.

It’s an idyllic existence that’s suddenly shattered when their town is battered by a cyclone and Lauren, the group’s charismatic trailblazer, goes missing.

Mediaweek spoke to Drew Jarvis, 10‘s executive producer – children’s television, about how the series came together, and what makes it stand out amongst other teen shows.

How did Dive Club come to be?

“The show was originally a feature film concept that Steve Jaggi was working on with the show’s lead writer, Georgia Harrison. They hadn’t cracked the idea, so they shelved it.

“I met Steve at a Screen Queensland Workshop where we were paired together. I found he thought very similarly about his approach to his projects and entertainment for teen and young audiences. I hadn’t seen any of his company’s work, but I immediately grabbed a copy of Rip Tide (one of their feature films) and was really impressed with every aspect of the production and what they were able to achieve.

“We stayed in touch and would catch up to discuss projects. I moved into a position at Network 10 to acquire local content for young people and I didn’t know that he was looking to do a TV series. I commented on how much I liked Rip Tide and he told me he had a TV series idea that was similar and would look as good.

“Dive Club was exactly what I was looking for at the time in terms of audience, style and storytelling. Something for a slightly older audience than we had gone for in the “kids” demographic that was a little more sophisticated and in line with the type of content this audience was seeking on streaming services.”

What was it like filming the show on location in Far North Qld?

“I never got to make it to location, unfortunately. The show was shot during the height of COVID last year, so I got to watch these stunning locations playout in dailies on my desktop!

“The show was shot entirely on location in Port Douglas (town locations double as the fictional “Cape Mercy”) and it adds to the sense of adventure the show has. The cast are really out there on the ocean, sailing and driving speeding boats, and diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

“The cast and Crew couldn’t speak more highly of the town, they were incredibly supportive, with most of the locals featuring as extras. Due to COVID, many of the cast and production team had to be based in Port Douglas for the entire shoot and couldn’t leave during down time of weekends because of the pandemic.

“As far as places to be “stuck” goes, they say it was exceptional. Trapped in paradise.”

 How did you find working with Netflix and The Steve Jaggi Company?

“The experience was great. The main reason for this is that we were all on the same page creatively from the get-go. Like I said, I felt Steve and I had similar views on creating content for young audiences, so his approach was the same as mine. He brought on Georgia Harrison as the lead writer and Rhiannon Bannenberg to direct a majority of the episodes – both of whom worked on Rip Tide as the writer and director respectively – so I knew the quality of characters, story-telling and production would be there.

“Network 10 got the ball rolling, coming on first as the local broadcaster, with Netflix signing on later as the international distributer. When Netflix came onboard, we had an initial conversation about the tone of the show to ensure everyone was happy with the direction. Again, this was straight forward and simple – everyone seemed to know the audience and wanted the same thing – an elevated show for younger teens that has mystery, real stakes and some menace but that is still fun and safe for the audience.

“I’m proud to say that is exactly how the show has turned out. With the right people in place from the outset, everyone was free to do their thing and it led to a very positive experience and wonderful collaboration.”

dive club

Do you think the show will have international appeal?

“Yes. Obviously, Netflix does as well, coming onboard as international distributers. As I said, the show has a unique Australian voice but it also features themes that are universal – teen friendships, relationships, resilience, responsibility, discovering that Adults may not be right all the time, making decisions for yourself, and figuring out what is right or wrong for you. The characters face all these situations in their search for Lauren. These are common themes that will appeal to the audience no matter where they live in the world. It’s the Australian style through which they are told which will make it unique.

“Georgia (lead writer) is exceptional with characters, relationships, and dialogue and I feel like this is one of the most important elements to get right when making content for a teen audience so I feel like the show will have no trouble at all once the rest of the world discovers the show.”

There are a lot of female creatives behind the camera as well as in front of it. Do you think that had an impact on the final product?

“The show was always envisioned to be about a group of strong, young adventurous women that the audience could look up to. They are not perfect – they might make the wrong decision at times, but they are trying to do what they think is right to solve the mystery around their friend’s disappearance.

“If we’re telling that kind of story we need the characters to feel authentic (it’s what this audience is drawn to, even if it’s heightened, they want characters and experiences they can relate to) and the show needs to have a strong female voice and vision. With Dive Club’s three directors (Rhiannon Bannenberg, Christine Luby, Hayley Macfarlene) and writing team (Georgia Harrison, Claire. J. Harris, Caera Bradshaw and two male writers) we’ve certainly achieved that.

“These creatives weren’t hired because of their gender though. They have all excelled on previous projects creating exceptional work. The fact that they had never worked in the “traditional kids TV” space also had a massive impact on the show. They weren’t bound by preconceived notions or rules of what a show like this or should or shouldn’t be. Their creative decisions were always based solely on what was best for the story, the characters, the audience, and the look of the production. Dive Club is so much better and unique for that.”

screen australia

The show has been described as being bolder than any children’s drama Channel 10 has ever produced. What is it that makes the show stand out amongst other teen shows?

“The scope of the show for one. Dive Club is cinematic (shot more like a feature film than a traditional television series), filming all in incredible real-world locations. The cast are really diving with sharks, jelly fish and sailing crocodile infested waters! We’ve stayed away from any goofy style comedy (there’s still plenty of humor coming out of characters and situations), we go darker with the mystery and events surrounding it (while still ensuring the content is safe), and we delve into themes like identity, grieving, and resilience.

“It’s also an epic adventure for audiences where they can just go along for the ride or try and solve the mystery themselves by exploring further. There are certain clues that when investigated could link directly to real world events. It’s not necessary to enjoy the show, but it deepens the experience if that piques a viewer’s interest!”

How important is the teen demographic to 10?

“When this audience settles on something they like, they become extremely loyal to that show, personality, or content.  With the launch of 10 Shake (and our on demand services) we are aiming to attract more of that audience and gain some of that loyalty. It’s still early days for the channel but I feel a show like Dive Club, if the audience know it’s there, would be a draw card.

“The cast are so likable and dynamic on and off camera, the mystery is intriguing, there’s romance, action, humor and beautiful heart-felt, cinematic storytelling. Dive Club is everything a young teen audience want from a show and 10 Shake (or 10 Play on demand) is the first and only place to experience it until the rest of the world gets to binge it at a later date.”

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