8 minute read
New Zealand is Back
AFTER ITS POST-COVID REOPENING IN JULY HAS NEW ZEALAND’S INDUSTRY RETURNED TO FULL STRENGTH?
Sweet Tooth © Kirsty Griffin & Netflix.
makers explores how the location powerhouse has evolved within the screen sector since reopening its borders to the world. From Marvel’s slate of superhero classics, to The Lord of the Rings iconic franchise, New Zealand shows no signs of stopping.
Nothing says New Zealand and epic visual storytelling more than The Lord of the Rings. A decade after Peter Jackson based his trilogy of Tolkien features in his home country, Amazon Prime Productions returned with its own titanic series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Although the USD1 billion series is awash with CGI, arguably there is no visual effect that can match the grandeur of New Zealand’s primordial terrain.
Through New Zealand's Major Screen Production Grant, all film and television productions receive a 20% tax rebate, with those that offer significant economic benefits able to negotiate for an additional 5%. To gain access to the latter, Amazon agreed to work with the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) to help grow the country's screen sector while Tourism New Zealand could promote the country using material from the series.
“The global success of The Power of the Rings has shone a light on what we can provide – all of the studio work was done in Auckland, and 15 of the 38 locations were in the region,” comments Screen Auckland Manager Matthew Horrocks. “Plus, 90 % of the crew were local.”
© Film Construction.
Avatar ©Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Filming was principally based at Auckland Film Studios because director James Cameron was filming Avatar: The Way of Water on sound (and tank) stages in Wellington. Disney’s long awaited sequel to 2009’s record-breaking blockbuster, Avatar continued to call New Zealand home throughout the pandemic, exemplifying the nation’s watertight Covid-19 safety procedures.
“While other territories around the world were forced to close completely, Auckland experienced growth in permit applications and shooting hours,” added Horrocks. “ That demand has continued, and is now serviced with additional infrastructure and enhanced high-speed connectivity. Production is supported by local people who not only love what they do, but that they get to do it in one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
The long term residency of Avatar and The Rings of Power at two of the nation’s largest production hubs necessitated an expansion of space. New Zealand obliged with Wellington’s Lane Street Studios’ construction of new production offices and two new stages, Auckland’s Studio West opening a new 36,000 sqft soundstage and production offices, and the Auckland Film Studios itself completing a new stage extension.
However, with the loss of the Rings series to the UK and the next instalment of The Meg franchise to be shot at Leavesden studios, maybe elements of the New Zealand production standard can be matched, and even bettered, elsewhere. Quoted by Amazon to be a strategy that “aligns with the studio’s strategy of expanding its production footprint and investing in studio space across the UK,” the loss of these major productions has left many crew members without jobs. Although an opportunity that “opens the door wider to others to come in” as added by CEO of the NZFC, David Strong, the unexpected departure is a big hit to the industry. Although most foreign activity was halted during the Covid-19 pandemic, Government support for the development of filmmakers through training programmes and project funding continued to strengthen the New Zealand screen sector for its return to normalcy. A number of programmes from the NZFC were put in place in November 2020 for the development of both individuals’ careers and projects, from a local and international standpoint. This has proven to be a continued interest from film industry professionals as investment in developing talent is supporting the influx of projects.
Philippa Mossman, Head of International Screen Attraction for the NZFC, says, “The country is full of untapped potential and our screen sector is incredibly resilient. The international interest in filming here and in the projects New Zealand makes continues to grow.”
Whilst international productions can bring a level of uncertainty, what remains true is the development of the local workforce and contributions made to ensure the sustainability of the local industry. With investment into the diversification of the industry and a spotlight being shone on locally based stories, the New Zealand industry provides a well-rounded base.
The NZFC has been at the forefront of offering training to budding film industry professionals, most recently with the Jul 2022 Gender Scholarship programme. With Four Wahine Maori drama
COVID-19 INCENTIVES
THE RINGS OF POWER
“GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FILMMAKERS THROUGH TRAINING PROGRAMMES AND PROJECT FUNDING CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN THE NEW ZEALAND SCREEN SECTOR FOR ITS RETURN TO NORMALCY.”
Millie Lies Low © Lie Low Limited 2021.
THE NZPG WAS THE SAVING GRACE OF THE NEW ZEALAND SCREEN SECTOR OFFERING A CASH REBATE EQUIVALENT TO 40% OF QUALIFYING NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTION EXPENDITURE FOR (QNZPE) FOR QUALIFYING PROJECTS. producers and one Takatapui receiving the honour, the scholarship aims to not only monetarily support the female talent, but also provides mentoring with the two supporting patrons Ainsley Gardiner and Desray Armstrong. Awardees Angela Cudd and Nicole Horan were the recipients of NZD15,000 with Jaime Poipoi, Ruby Reihana-Wilson and Peata Melbourne receiving special recognition.
“Producers are an essential part of growing a sustainable industry and we don’t have enough Maori producers particularly in drama,” commented NZFC acting CEO Mladen Ivancic on the initiative
Local stories are not going without the international recognition they deserve either. This year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival saw the screening of four New Zealand feature films. Whina, directed by Paula Whetu Jones and James Napier Robertson, and Nude Tuesday, the Australian-New Zealand co-production directed by Armagan Ballantyne, both made their European premeire at the festival. Others included were Juniper, written and directed by Matthew Saville and Millie Lies Low directed by Michelle Savill and Eli Kent.
Continuing the awards run, New Zealand’s 2023 Oscar submission for the Academy Awards Best International Feature Film Category, Muru, made waves at the opening weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival and the prestigious Busan International Film Festival. The film brings the realities of a true local story to the front of the global stage.
On a local level, as individuals developed responses to the unexpected circumstances of the pandemic, so did industry processes concerning technologies and working habits. “During the pandemic, we concentrated on what we could do. In the early part, New Zealand was a safe haven for shooting, and we honed our remote shooting skills,” Belinda Bradley, executive producer of Film Construction, New Zealand commented. “It was an exciting time to refine these systems and invest in technologies.”
Both Avatar and The Rings of Power shared locations in around the Queenstown Lakes. “We’re more than just a pretty place – you can actually do what you need to do here, and the production value will speak for itself,” said Kahli Scott, Film Office Coordinator for Film Otago Southland and Film Queenstown Lakes. “Plus, people love coming here! It’s a place talent want to be and it really embeds itself in people’s hearts, which shows on the screen.” More unusual picturesque landscapes include the secluded sandy coasts of Tasman and the otherworldly crevices of the Mangapohue Limestone Arch. Scott added: “When people think of the South Island of New Zealand, they know we have epic mountains, lakes and national parks; they might even be familiar with our charming small towns and historic architecture.”
In an effort to generate further momentum, the New Zealand Production Grant (NZPG), provided international industry professionals with 20% cash return in qualifying New Zealand production expenditure.
“Attracting international productions to base their film and TV projects here is increasingly a priority for NZFC” added Mossman. “These projects further contribute to the sustainability and vibrancy of the screen industry.”
The NZPG was the saving grace of the New Zealand screen sector offering a cash rebate equivalent to 40% of Qualifying New Zealand Production Expenditure for (QNZPE) for qualifying projects. In addition, the Post, Digital and Visual effects (PDV) Grant offers international productions the same percentage for applicable productions, with NZD25 million available. Recent recipients include Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Black Widow, and Amazon Prime Video’s The Tomorrow War.
Locally shot streaming platform features include projects such as Ti West’s X and Pearl, Hannah Mark’s Don’t Make Me Go, and Damien Power’s No Exit, plus series including Sweet Tooth, One of Us is Lying and Prehistoric Planet. Making use of New Zealand landscapes and production talents, services such as Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime Studios flocked to New Zealand when their demands could not be met in the Northern Hemisphere. The result is a slate of New Zealand co-productions with internationally based projects spanning across the globe.
With the acclaimed 2022 feature The Power of the Dog by Oscar winning New Zealand born filmmaker Jane Campion (using Maniototo in Central Otago as stand-in for Montana) and the recent rebirth of Middle Earth, the continued reimagining of New Zealand landscapes ensures its creative longevity.
“MUCH OF NEW ZEALAND’S GRAND LANDSCAPE REMAINS UNEXPLORED BY PRODUCERS WITH UNDISCOVERED GEMS OFFERING NEW LOCATIONS.”
STREAMING LOCATIONS
VISUAL EFFECTS
