600 BOTTLES OF WINE
A recently single woman navigates new relationship territory where meaning is ambiguous and expectation is ambitious.
Claire is flung back into the dating scene after breaking up with her long term boyfriend Nick. She is apprehensive about the rules, expectations and implications that she has to navigate through on her journey as a newly single woman.
When Claire makes a genuine connection that goes beyond one-night-stand sex with advertising manager Pat, she looks to her friends to help establish where she stands in the relationship. As this non-committal non-relationship continues Claire is forced to confront where she draws the line.
The 8 x 9’ short form web series 600 Bottles of Wine was repurposed from the sassy proof of concept blog conceived by writer Grace Rouvray. It’s one of the earliest examples of an independently funded web series premiering in a dually purposed 4 x 18’ long form format on network television and online platforms.
Written by Grace Rouvray
Grace Rouvray is an actor, writer, casting assistant and post-production producer, hailing from the regional town of Albury/Wodonga before moving to Wollongong to study a Bachelor of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong. Having spent most of high school and university years learning the art of self preservation working in bars and retail Grace sought out a job, any job, in the industry.
She found a home at Vandal and spent four years learning everything she possibly could about the world of post production. After a particularly stupid dating experience Grace put pen to paper and chronicled all her thoughts and feelings on what it is to date in your twenties, eventually sharing these stories with an online audience. Having the imagination and country values of a girl who built her barbie doll's a house amongst the tomato stakes of her Dad's veggie patch, Grace wanted to connect with her audience through real and relatable stories that would have the viewer saying 'I've been there.' Stories and characters that pull the audience into the journey, to feel with them, to laugh with them, to cringe with them. Following the positive response to these blogs, including one of them being shared by blogger Constance Hall, she turned these stories and sexcapades into the script 600 Bottles of Wine. Collaborating with Director Ainslie Clouston and Cockatoo Co.Lab Producer Bec Bignell they co-created the web series over 2017 and 2018. It was through this series that Grace was able to combine her miscellaneous set of skills of writing, production management, casting, acting, post producing and music search extraordinaire into this labour of love project. The series has received a positive response across the board and was nominated for four awards at LA webfest, Grace taking home the award for Most Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.
Directed by Ainslie Clouston
Ainslie is a comedy writer, director, actor. Ainslie made her TV acting debut in the Channel 7 miniseries WINTER, followed by ABC Fresh Blood comedy pilot, BEDHEAD (2015).
She appeared in the Fresh Blood series WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA’AM that aired on ABC TV in Australia and NBC Universal’s Seeso in the U.S as well as OVERTIME (2016), which aired on ABC iView: Raw Nerve. More recently, Ainslie was cast in ABC iView’s OTHER PEOPLE’S PROBLEMS (2017), a successful project of Screen Australia and ABC’s Long Story Short initiative.
Ainslie currently has two half-hour comedies in development: PUBLIC RELATIONS, a recipient of Screen Australia’s Gender Matters: Brilliant Stories funding, is optioned and in development with Martha Coleman at Revolver Films. SNOWFLAKE is optioned and in development with Oliver Lawrance at Photoplay Films.
Produced by Bec Bignell,
Cockatoo Co-Lab
Distributed Worldwide by Escapade Media
Given this web series was born through the identification of behaviours demonstrated by female interaction in digital and social media communities we are committed to sustaining strong, focused interaction with our audience through the associated social media platforms.
We paid careful attention to audience data gleaned from the success of the blog which we have fuelled into our brand development to ensure the experience is tailored and consistent with the expectations of the intended audience. This information was integrated start to end- from the production qualities of the set which was styled with painstaking attention to detail based on insights we captured by exploring the aesthetic of the digital audience we had access to- who they were, where they were from, what they enjoyed (additional to wine!) and critically, how they dressed and expressed themselves.
Cockatoo CoLab congratulates 600 Bottles of Wine lead actress Grace Rouvray for taking out the BEST ACTRESS Award at the LA Webfest! What an incredible feat!
Grace’s blog inspired her to write this new web series which is expertly directed by another exceptional talent Ainslie Clouston and is produced by Cockatoo CoLab’s Bec Bignell.
Congratulations and a big clink of the wine glass to you both! We’ve got more reasons to fill up the goblets that we’ll share with you this week!!
Premiere Night images [click for more]
These videos were created by Joel Spreadborough of Solid Goldfish Creative. You can check out their very extensive list of video production services at their website here solidgoldfish.com.au
We cheers our finest glass of Pinot Noir to you and the team!
Music by Billygoat & the Mongrels
Music by Enerate
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