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David Taft
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David Taft

After graduating from Monash University, David Taft worked as an actor and travelled overseas. He began working in television in 1973 as a writer/researcher for scientific documentaries for the British Central Office of Information.

In 1974, David joined the BBC in London as a producer in their School Television Department. For the next 14 years, he produced, wrote and directed over 200 television programmes in Schools, Current Affairs and Features Departments. He was trained as a drama director by the BBC.

David returned to his native Australia in 1988, and worked as a freelance writer and director until he joined the ABC as Executive Producer of the Children’s and Education Department in Melbourne.

Since then, David has produced two series of Cluedo for Crawfords for the Nine Network and has produced four series of the top rating comedy series, Newlyweds, also for Crawfords, for Channel Seven. He has produced the sketch comedy series Jimeoin for Artist Services, also for Channel Seven.

Together with Michael Harvey, David formed the production company HARVEY TAFT PRODUCTIONS which produced (in association with Crawfords) the television series State Coroner for Network TEN.  The pilot episode of State Coroner was nominated for a 1996 AFI award for ‘Best Telemovie or Mini-series’. Subsequently, they produced the drama series Dirt Game for the ABC. Set in the mining industry, it won both the Australian Directors Guild Award and Australian Cinematography Award for 2009.

David has undertaken several short-term teaching engagements for LaTrobe University, lecturing on television direction and production in Vietnam.

In addition David Taft is the author of a number of books for children published by Longman, Macdonald and Hippo Books in the UK.

David is currently developing several projects for HARVEY TAFT PRODUCTIONS including the feature film projects Option B, The Last Dream, Putney Grail and CHA$; feature documentary Age of Aquarius; a sit-com Acton Avenue; and the TV projects Pheasant Wood and High Hopes.