Born: Established: 1955 Yarraville, Footscray - Maribyrnong area, Melbourne - West, Melbourne, Victoria, ;
AustLit
BiographyHistory
Bio changes summary
Max Dann was born in Yarraville, Victoria, the setting for most of his books for children and adults. Dann worked as a carpenter's apprentice, handyman, factory worker, and gardener before taking up writing full time.
Like many of his fellow television script-writers, including Doug McLeod, Brendan Luno, and Louise Fox, Dann got his start in television scripting skit comedy: in this case, Fast Forward. Around this time, he also contributed material to the scripts for the feature films The Big Steal and Spotswood, both set in Yarraville.
In the 1990s, Dann contributed scripts to a number of television programs across a variety of genres, including Wedlocked, Flipper, Full Frontal, Crash Zone, and SeaChange, as well as writing the film scripts for Mumbo Jumbo and Siam Sunset.
This blend of writing for both children's and adults' television programs continued after 2000: in that decade, Dann contributed scripts to programs such as Stingers, Worst Best Friends, CrashBurn, and McLeod's Daughters, as well as writing for numerous Jonathan M. Shiff Productions.
Most recently, Dann has produced scripts for Bed of Roses, and written the film scripts for
The Sunset Six (a film about a formerly successful rock star who is terrified of playing live, despite his band's desperation to stage a comeback) and Ektopos (a claustrophobic independent science-fiction film about a failing lunar mining colony).
His sense of the absurd is reflected in most of his books for children, particularly the series that features the characters Roger Thesaurus and Dusting. Dann won the Book of the Year Award of the Children's Book Council for Bernice Knows Best (1983). He has also written books for older readers and adults.
Most Referenced Works
Awards for Works
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form
y
Mako Mermaids
Mako : Island of Secrets
( dir. Grant Brown
et. al. )agent
Australia
:
Jonathan M. Shiff Productions
,
2013-2014
6897015
2013
series - publisher
film/TV
young adult
fantasy
'When fifteen year-old Zac goes camping on Mako Island, he has no idea his every move is being monitored by real-life mermaids Sirena, Nixie and Lyla, whose job it is to ward off trespassers. When he comes into contact with the magical waters of the Moon Pool on the night of a full moon, Zac is given a taste of Mako's powers, waking the next day to discover he has been granted fin-like feet and the power to control water…causing all sorts of trouble for Sirena, Nixie and Lyla.'
Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 10/1/2014)
- 2015 winner Australian Teachers of Media Awards — Best Children’s Television Program Season 2
-
form
y
Dance Academy
( dir. Ian Watson
et. al. )agent
2010-2013
Australia
Melbourne
:
ABC Television
Werner Film Productions
,
2010-
Z1732091
2010
series - publisher
film/TV
children's
A co-Australian and German television series, Dance Academy revolves around Tara Webster, a young woman who has grown up on property in outback Australia all the while dreaming of becoming a dancer. When she makes it into the National Academy of Dance, Tara realises that her life is about to change forever. As the series progresses, she also comes to realise that she is not alone in this journey.
- 2014 nominated Logie Awards — Most Outstanding Children's Program
- 2013 nominated Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards — Best Children's Television Series — Television Nominated for Series Three
- 2013 winner Logie Awards — Most Outstanding Children's Program
- 2012 nominated Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards — Best Children's Television Series Nominated for series two.
- 2012 nominated The International Emmy Awards — Children & Young People
- 2011 winner Logie Awards — Most Outstanding Children's Program
-
form
y
The Elephant Princess
( dir. Grant Brown
et. al. )agent
Australia
:
Jonathan M. Shiff Productions
,
2008-2009
Z1656784
2008-2009
series - publisher
film/TV
children's
adventure
fantasy
Alexandra Wilson is a normal girl living in an average suburb. She can sing brilliantly (she's a songwriter at heart). She's funny and driven. Alex's band is her life, and her band-mates, expressive Amanda Tucci and realist JB Deekes, are her closest friends. There's also Marcus, their lead guitarist: he's a year older, and, well, rather attractive. Alex has two grounded parents, Anita and Jim, and one very centre-stage younger sister, Zoe. Life is very normal. But ...
Since birth, Alex has caused a succession of strange, somewhat magical events. Fortunately, she's been able to conceal, ignore, or deny them all. But then Kuru, a young man dressed in exotic robes, and Anala, a decorated adult elephant who has a tendency to vanish now and again, arrive on Alex's doorstep. Kuru explains that Alex is actually Princess Liliuokalani Parasha Khaled Persphone Amanirenas of Manjipoor.
Alex is not so sure about that! But the magical effects she seems to cause have recently blossomed. It's scary. Alex asks Kuru and Anala to leave, but they won't go anywhere. They are under the royal command of Omar, Chief Advisor to the former Queen Nefari, to bring the princess home to rule.
Manjipoor is an exotic, mystical kingdom that exists very close to our world--but not in it. The nation was born six hundred years ago when 'gifted' people (sorcerers, oracles, and witches) fled persecution and created their own territory, and later, for their protection, moved it to a parallel location by magical means!
Kuru's mission is made easier when Alex's parents accept him as an 'exchange student' and he is invited to stay at their home. He does his best to fit in at Alex's school. Alex keeps her identity as a princess a secret from everybody but Amanda and JB, but it's an ongoing problem concealing a wilful, sometimes-invisible elephant in her backyard.
Omar's recent revelation of the existence of Manjipoor's secret princess shocks and threatens Vashan, the last royal relative in a conflicted and dying dynasty, who fully expected to rule. Aided by his skilful servant Diva, Vashan acts--first subtly, then overtly--to prevent his cousin Alex from claiming her inheritance.
Back in 'The Old World'--our world--Kuru's persistence with Alex starts to have an effect. Alex begins to practise and accept her magic--and it often goes awry. It's not easy being a teenager with magical powers! Alex uses her magic to rectify some very teenage-related issues, as well as to bend the occasional rule, but she draws the line at using magic in her music or for the band. They've got to prove they're good enough without it!
Following an encounter in Manjipoor where Alex learns some of the history of her real mother, Queen Nefari, and is introduced first hand to Vashan's enmity, she awakens to the strong qualities developing inside her and the need for her in Manjipoor as a princess.
Simultaneously, Alex, Amanda, Marcus, and JB improve as a band. They get gigs, and Alex's confidence as a singer increases. Alex finds the pull between both worlds conflicting. When Vashan becomes increasingly bold in his endeavours to undermine and overtake Alex, his actions precipitate a series of stunning revelations affecting the lives of Alex, Kuru, Anala, and Omar and the future of Manjipoor. Alex finds she must make a choice about where her real destiny lies ...
Source: Jonathan M Shiff Productions website, http://www.jonathan-m-shiff.com.au/
Sighted: 15/12/2009