For many creatives, screenwriting always has a shiny, delicious appeal. Whether it’s the allure of the screen or seeing an idea through from conception to fruition, there’s something inherently satisfying about seeing your words become bigger than you could have imagined. But, as most screenwriters would attest to, it’s not always easy to land a job in the Australian film and television industry.
For screenwriter Dani Hayek, the journey to their dream job in the writing room has been filled with twists and turns. What started as a goal of working in advertising or public relations, blossomed into writing once they realised that’s where their talents and passions lay.
Now, Dani is a firm believer that if you just stick to what you’re good at, you’ll find your place in an industry that desperately needs more voices.
“I didn’t believe this advice at first when I heard it at uni, but there really are multiple ways in,” Dani tells PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“For me, it was about planting the seed as I went and trusting they would eventually bloom. It can be hard, but I stuck to what I was good at to get my foot in the door, and I eventually worked my way up. In the end, I found the path that fit me, and I think that’s why it worked.”
For Dani, who is non-binary, it’s an inherently invigorating time to be part of the Australian film and television industry. While there is notably a long way to go, the voices creating content behind the scenes are slowly but surely becoming more diverse.
“As a non-binary writer, especially right now, it’s a super important time to share stories, and that’s something I really care about,” Dani explains.
As someone who has known Dani for years, I can confirm that they have always been the funniest, most effervescent person in the room. Their work, specifically their talent for shining a light on the things that go unsaid in a humorous yet poignant way, should be studied.
That’s why, this week, Insider Trading is chatting to Dani Hayek about their path to their dream job, the fluid nature of creative industries and why following your skills is the key to finding your path.
Hint: If you’re looking to break into the creative industry, check out our newly relaunched Pedestrian JOBS and craft your next move.
Insider Trading: Dani Hayek
Hi Dani! Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
No.
Please?
If you insist! I’m Dani, I’m a screenwriter and theatre maker and, as of recently, an Associate Development Producer at the production company Orange Entertainment Co.
How long have you been in your current role?
I started at Orange’s sibling company, The Post Lounge, in 2021 as an office assistant, then moved to Orange a year later. I worked in the content team as an Assistant, then as a Coordinator, and now I’m moving into the Associate Development Producer role, which I’m so excited about.
You’ve been working up the ranks, but that’s not all you’ve been up to, is it?
Nope! In that time, I was also Script Coordinator on the TV show White Fever, which aired on ABC and have worked independently in theatre.
Most recently, my play Pastabate had its Melbourne debut at La Mama.
Describe your typical day.
There truly is no typical day, and it can be tricky to predict. Whenever I block out an entire day to read scripts, something urgent will always pop up, and you have to pivot, but that’s the nature of the gig.
Days can be anything from meeting writers, working on pitch materials, reading new scripts, admin for film releases, contracting and so on. I am developing my Gen-Z horror film Cut Throat with Orange, so that’s on my mind a lot.
Annoyingly, I do my best writing at night, so I try and put aside a few evenings a week to work on my own projects. I’ve attempted the “get up at 4am” or “log 12 hours a week, no excuses” thing, but it just doesn’t work for me. If I’m more lenient with myself, I tend to get more shit done.
I’m currently developing a new play Habib, Tea?, which should have its first reading later this year, so weekends are currently on that.
What’s your favourite part about what you do?
I love stories more than anything, so working creatively is my favourite. I love the gut feelings of ‘there’s something here’ when I read a script or hear an idea.
The excitement of possibility is the coolest thing. All our favourite movies and TV shows started as a random idea one day, so it’s exciting to follow someone’s light-bulb moment and see it go the distance. Even the ideas that you think go nowhere will always come back.
I call it ‘the fridge’, so just pop that idea in the fridge and you’ll probably use it again later.
What has been the biggest learning curve so far?
I think the biggest learning curve for me has been seeing all the steps that go from a script’s first draft to getting it on screen. Having a theatre background, it’s much more instantaneous. I mean, I literally put on a show in a public bathroom. I promise that wasn’t a euphemism; it was called VACANT/ENGAGED and was part of La Mama’s Banksia Festival.
But for screen, I’ve learned to embrace all the steps and see the processes and changes as building blocks rather than barriers.
When you were starting out in your career, what was your dream job? How did you end up in your current role?
As someone who was forever changed by the 2006 masterpiece The Devil Wears Prada, my dream was definitely creative-corporate-diva and writing. I moved to Melbourne from Sydney to get closer to the theatre scene and started volunteering and seeing shows. I focused on freelance copywriting and personal essays for any publication or zine that would take me.
I worked in retail at this time, which was the best people-watching ever. After a few years, I decided I wanted to take screenwriting seriously, so I did a Master Degree, which ended up occurring through the COVID lockdown. During our industry sessions, I met producer Steph Westwood, who later suggested I go for the position at The Post Lounge with a view to move to Orange, and that’s exactly what happened!
What’s your advice for people who want to work in the television industry or get into screenwriting?
Honestly, it’s just to know yourself. You need to know why you want to be in this industry and be really honest with yourself when you answer that question.
Whether it’s “indie-film-making auter” or “action movie millionaire”, it doesn’t matter. But if you know what you want, why you want it, what you’re good at and what you need to work on, you have a much better chance of going down the path meant for you.
I love the Shonda Rhimes quote, “if you want to do anything more than writing, do that”.
So knowing why you want it is important.
If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing?
I’d be running a suburban MAC makeup counter like it was the Navy, 100 per cent.
Do you have a work uniform?
Officially, no. Unofficially, yes.
Head to toe black, turtle neck, silver earings and name necklace. I will wear a blue denim jacket when I’m feeling especially festive. My everyday work fit has been described as “Non-Binary Steve Jobs” and “If Carrie Bradshaw and Che Diaz were one person”.
I find both of those offensive as I’m actually going for, “If Uncle Fester took the Substance”.
What’s the most unhinged thing you’ve seen at work that we can legally publish?
A life-sized, 80kg, fully functioning (wink) sex doll that I named Timmy.
Timmy was featured on episode five of White Fever and I miss him every day. I was the only person in the office when Timmy arrived, so I had to “inspect” him for quality control. This then led to me becoming in charge of Timmy and even going on set as the Sex Doll Wrangler for his days behind the camera.
I’m in the process of getting Timmy an agent.
Who do you admire in your industry?
So many people. Gracie Otto was in the edit for The Clearing while I was The Post Lounge assistant, and she was truly the coolest. She took me as her date to the NGV McQueen Gala, which I’m still not over. This was the year Heartbreak High came out, and there were so many people she could’ve taken with her, but she took me, the person who emptied office bins and made coffees, because she knew I’d have a great time. That will always stick with me.
I admire the brilliant Wendy Mocke, who is developing a series with Orange, and getting to see her brain work in a writers room is awe-inspiring. Creator, writer and star of White Fever, Ra Chapman, was the most generous showrunner and a genius. Diya Eid from Orange gives the best story notes and the way she cares about writers is an inspiration for how I want to be in my new role.
What are you manifesting for 2025?
Getting signed to an agent. Orange has some amazing projects in development, which I can’t wait to see be realised.
Describe your inbox in three words.
Cry. For. Help.
My inbox has the ghost of every organisational strategy that I have tried and given up on — folders, labels, colour coding. Now, it is what it is. I’d say text me, but don’t do that either. Just pop an airtag on me and track me down.
How do you sign off your emails?
I use either ‘Thanks!’ or ‘Cheers!’ I do overuse exclamation points and am struggling to kick this habit. I’ve done it for so long that if I stop now, I’m worried it may read as passive-aggressive.
If you want to keep up with Dani’s creative endeavours, you can follow them on Instagram.
Find your dream job with Pedestrian JOBS here.
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