Shane Loader - Hook, Line and Sinker co-director's exclusive interview
Exclusive Interview
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Louise van Rooyen - Beamafilm
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24/02/2023
We are pleased to share this exclusive interview with Shane Loader, an acclaimed New Zealand filmmaker who began making films in the 1980s with credits including editor, cameraman, producer, and writer/director (including Clermont-Ferrand selected short The Terrorist). Since 2008, Shane has been working alongside partner Andrea Bosshard, with whom he has been making and distributing feature films through their filmmaking initiative Torchlight Films. Other Shane Loader titles on Beamafilm include 'Taking the Waewae Express', 'The Great Maiden's blush' and 'Hook, Line and Sinker' all co-written/directed with Andrea Bosshard.
Hook, Line and Sinker is a feel-good film that tells the story of PJ, a truck driver with a workingman's pride in his job. Spending time with his partner Ronnie, who has two kids bordering on adulthood, singing at the local pub and fishing with his best mate Jono, form the backbone of his modest existence. But when he fails a mandatory eye test and loses his driving licence, PJ's life unravels. In the face of his imminent future as a blind man, the ever-pragmatic Ronnie upscales her wedding dress business with the help of her ambitious older sister Bernadette to become the family's breadwinner and help PJ find a new place in the world.
This brilliant indie feature with outstanding performances and high production values is a character-driven story shot at various Wellington locations. In Beamafilm's exclusive interview for Hook, Line and Sinker, Shane Loader shares his behind-the-scenes perspectives on the inspirations, the improvisational acting approach and more.
Watch 'Hook, Line and Sinker' on Beamafilm now!
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This feel-good film tells the story of PJ who loses his truck driving job of 30 years due to failing eyesight, but with the help of his partner Ronnie he finds a new place in the world.
Beamafilm director, Louise van Rooyen, interviews Shane Loader to find out more about what inspired him to make this great NZ drama, his experiences working with the cast, the audience response and more.
BEAMAFILM: Hi Shane, thanks for agreeing to this Beamafilm interview today. Can we begin by finding out a little more about what inspired you to make Hook, Line and Sinker?
Loader: One day co-writer/director Andrea Bosshard, saw a bus pull up along the coast. The driver climbed out, and dashed in for a quick mid-winter swim before climbing back in his bus and leaving. This became the kernel of HOOK, LINE & SINKER - a worker who loves his job and loves the sea. 
PJ and his fishing companion on a boat in Wellington harbour
BEAMAFILM: It's fascinating how you've also created such a great back-story around this character. If you were to nominate a favourite scene in the movie, which one would it be and why?
Loader: The windswept Wellington South Coast, where our original bus driver took his swim, gives the story a visceral sense of place. As the filmmaker, I like to believe that every scene is the best scene for that moment in the story, that's why it is there, and not in the ‘deleted scenes’. One of our big influences has been the Dogma ’95 movement, and, without being strictly adherent to the ‘rules’ we embraced the spirit of Dogma when shooting HOOK, LINE & SINKER. We used minimum lighting, two handheld cameras, and let the actors move naturally, without interruption for entire scenes. The results can be seen in the crowd scenes - the karaoke night at the pub and the friendly banter among the truck drivers at work. I believe we've created something that becomes a lovely celebration of working-class community and culture.
Ronnie and PJ in the karaoke bar scene
BEAMAFILM: You really have! Can I ask what it was like working with the outstanding cast in the film and how you got them interested in the project?
Loader: Another big influence on us as filmmakers is the work of British director Mike Leigh. For a number of years we had been teaching screen acting and using improvisation to develop character as the basis for then writing a screenplay. One of those early films with student actors, evolved into our first feature, TAKING THE WAEWAE EXPRESS. At that point, we had some professional actors approaching us, wanting to work with this process. So in a way the cast chose us. Andrea did cold call Geraldine Brophy, and she became interested because there was, at that stage, no script. We did five weeks improvisation with cast, Andrea and I then spent four months writing the screenplay using the improvisations as a guide (and source of brilliant dialogue), before a five week shoot. The improvisations meant the actors had literally built their own characters, and much of the dialogue had come out of their own mouths. Very few takes were needed.
There are a number of interviews with the actors on our website. 
Stella and Bernadette (L-R)
BEAMAFILM: Are there any behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the film that you can share?
Loader: As I said, we were working in working spirit of Dogma ’95, but not sticking strictly to the rules. One morning I had to go to Portsmouth, the big film equipment hire company in Wellington, to pick up a sail to shade an over exposing window. I was chatting to the friendly young guy about our film, who said, “I heard there was a feature being shot. What are you doing for lights?” I jokingly but truthfully told him, “Oh, we’ve got three”. He gave me a puzzled look and said, “But all our (lighting) trucks are still in the yard.”
BEAMAFILM: That's funny. How have audiences been responding to your film? Can you share any of the conversations you've had with audience members?
Loader: HOOK, LINE & SINKER came out in 2011 which I describe the ‘golden age’ for digital cinema. New cheap technology to shoot with, an audience hungry for emotionally based human stories, and an amazing environment for filmmakers to self distribute, which is what we did. At the time, every town in New Zealand had an e-cinema, showing films on HD files. The big distributors were trying to phase Mpeg files out and supply cinemas with only hi-spec DCP files. So there was a shortage of product, which independent filmmakers were more than happy to provide. HOOK, LINE & SINKER opened in fifty six cinemas nationwide, basically distributed on USB sticks. Here are some quotes from the audience:
"This is awesome. A film that sets a new benchmark for New Zealand perhaps? Perhaps too if we have more like this we would have a proper industry."
"A poignant and genuine story with great character performances all round and beautiful cinematography. A gentle film whose still waters run deep. A Kiwi film to be proud of. A film to see! Falling for it Hook, Line and Sinker..."
“What a wonderful NZ feature, with beautiful performances, well shot, stunningly scored. A real achievement. And best editing I've seen in a while, too."
“Laughter, tears & a celebration of family, community & old songs well sung”
PJ looks at Ronnie as she consoles him
BEAMAFILM: Wonderful, and the Beamafilm audience has clearly also been enjoying your film. Are you currently working on any new projects you can tell us about?
Loader: Since making HOOK, LINE & SINKER in 2011, Andrea and I have made two more features, the drama THE GREAT MAIDEN’S BLUSH and KOBI the feature documentary on Andrea’s father, the celebrated Swiss/New Zealand jeweller, Kobi Bosshard. Between the years 2009 and 2017, we released four independently financed feature films, so they are very busy years. We have ideas always on the boil, but the landscape for film financing and distribution has radically changed. Finding the money is the difficulty. Hopefully, audiences will soon begin to tire of the tent pole productions made by Hollywood/Amazon/Netflix/HBO, full of special effects with superstars brandishing superpowers and there will once again be a hunger for the quiet human stories that touch and move an audience.
Co-writers/directors Shane Loader and Andrea Bosshard
As an independent distribution platform, we certainly hope so too. Thank you, Shane, we're so pleased to have Hook, Line and Sinker on Beamafilm and our audience is clearly enjoying your film as well. We appreciate you sharing these behind-the-scenes insights with us today and wish you and Andrea all the very best for your future success with Torchlight Films.
Watch 'Hook, Line and Sinker' on Beamafilm here!
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