David Flatman
David Flatman established Living Pictures in 1982 after fifteen years with Australia’s National Broadcaster, ABC Television. He worked as a senior reporter and presenter on the ABC’s mainstream current affairs program, This Day Tonight, and as presenter of the national current affairs flag-ship, Four Corners. He pursued his deep interest in documentary production as a producer and director with the multi award winning A Big Country and the new-technology series, Towards 2000. David’s career with the ABC culminated in 1982 when he wrote, produced, directed and hosted the ABC’s 50th Anniversary 90-minute TV special, From Carbon Mikes to Satellites.
Over the last 25 years, David and his wife Sue, through their company Living Pictures, have been ranked by industry press among the leading Australian producers of documentary films and TV series.
David pioneered the use of mini-DV for observational documentary and also helped introduce large format IMAX® production to Australia.
More recently, in association with another Australian company, Generation Alliance, David has made films about UN poverty-reduction projects in developing countries and assisted project managers to produce their own educational films.
At various times during his career David has served as a Councillor and Vice President of the Screen Producers’ Association of Australia, documentary consultant to the Pacific Film and Television Commission, Queensland, and specialist documentary investment consultant to the Australian Film Finance Corporation.
David is pictured above with his beloved Piper Aztec on location.
Sue Flatman
After graduating as an Occupational Therapist in 1967, Sue undertook extensive post-graduate training in Gestalt group therapy. In 1975 she joined the Drug and Alcohol Education Unit of the New South Wales Health Department. There she worked as a group therapist with drink drivers, as a health educator, and ultimately as a clinical supervisor and Administrator of the Northern Metropolitan Drug and Alcohol Services.
Part of her duties included close liaison with ABC National Television in the production and supervision of health education programs for young people.
In 1984 Sue joined David Flatman as co-director of their company. She trained extensively at the Australian Film Television and Radio School and went on to production-manage all Living Pictures’ projects including the IMAX® film Antarctica, of which David Flatman was the co-producer.
With her own background of professional experience and a deep interest in people and their behavior Sue was able to contribute a special perspective to the company’s observational social documentary production and their health education programs. She went on to become co-producer on all Living Pictures’ major productions.
Other projects produced and managed by Sue Flatman include commissions for Film Australia, ABC-TV, SBS-TV and various government departments, and a number of fully independent productions with public, private and/or corporate investors.