Podcast – Screenwriter Dot West: Little J & Big Cuz and writing kids TV
Writer and media advocate Dot West talks writing animation, reflecting kids experiences on television and the inspiration behind Little J & Big Cuz.
Dot West, still from Little J & Big Cuz
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When screenwriter and media advocate Dot West received a call from producer Ned Lander searching for First Nations writers to join the writers' room of a new kids animation series for young audiences, she was quick to volunteer.
A Noongar woman from Western Australia, and a passionate advocate for Indigenous media, it was the chance to write First Nations stories for First Nations kids that inspired West to get on board. The show, Little J & Big Cuz, was about five year old Little J and nine year old Big Cuz - who live with their Nana and explore the world through their back fence with their school friends and trusty Old Dog. "[At the time of season one] I had a grandson the same age as Little J and I had a granddaughter the same age as Big Cuz," West says on the latest episode of the Screen Australia podcast. "So they actually feel like the show was about them."
Focused on Indigenous Australian stories of Country, Culture and Language, and developed in partnership with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning series has just released its fourth season on ABC and NITV. Featuring the voice talent of Deborah Mailman, Miranda Tapsell, Ningali Lawford, Shari Sebbens, and Aaron Fa'aoso as the beloved Old Dog, Season 4 of Little J & Big Cuz also celebrates 50 episodes in 2024.
Throughout the episode, West shares her insight on representing First Nations experiences on screen for kids, how ACER influences the narrative, incorporating Language and the power of translations, and finally her thoughts on the state of children's screen content.
The transition to animation was not without challenges for the writer, and she shares her insights on writing for animation - the biggest being that expanding an animated world takes more than imagination, but is a process of negotiation and collaboration.
"There's only certain animated items that are available to you. And with those animated items, you then [have] got to create what the game is […] the animators say 'this is what you got', and if we want something else, we've got to argue for it," she says. "You want to just be able to give this world everything, but you can't. You're restricted by what's already been created."
Shifting from live action to animation also demands more detail in the big print - the action notes in a script typically for actors. For a lot of First Nations groups that includes non-verbal communication cues and gestures. Whereas an actor can take the direction, an animator needs detailed instruction to draw and render the movement. So alongside other First Nations writers in the Little J & Big Cuz writers' room, West developed a glossary of sorts to help animators build up the range of movement and non-verbal communication for each character, "for them to understand what you should and shouldn't do in terms of body language, but also how to do different things."
It's this vibrant collaboration that shapes every corner of the writers' room. From character actions and gestures, to language and story details, the process of engagement with community and culture is found across every stage. "It was a bit of toing and froing until we got the story correct on the page. And so it is very much [a] process", she says. But it’s a responsibility that West appreciates. "It's an absolute must because really as First Nations writers if we get it wrong, it's our heads on the chopping block. And it needs to be applied across the industry, whether you're First Nations or not. That type of protocol and respect must be followed."
And speaking of language, the series has been adapted into over 17 (soon to be 19) Australian First Nations languages - a first for Australian television. West believes it's those specific details of cultural experiences that makes the series so popular with audiences across Australia.
According to West, what makes a culturally specific story universally appealing is tapping into the curiosity of the characters for the world around them, and following the curiosity it sparks in young audiences. And seeing their games, their language, their landscapes, and their families reflected on screen, will inspire kids at home and at school.
"It's extremely important that our children are represented on screen, […] that their experiences are represented and that a reflection of themselves is shown to them. It's empowering. And our kids need to be empowered and they need to have a sense of belonging."
Season 4 of Little J & Big Cuz is available now. Watch the whole series on ABC iview and NITV.
Check out resources for parents, careers, and educators at the Little J & Big Cuz website.
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