NZTECHO - Autumn 2022

Goodbye Vincent Burke and Richard Matthews. Letters to Ants Farrell. And Strong words from the Film Commission.

The Screen Industry Guild Aotearoa New Zealand quarterly

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EDITORIAL

Hi all,

And welcome to a uniquely difficult issue of NZTECHO.

I was thinking about this editorial a while back, and this is what I had sketched out:

By the time you read this, maybe ten days or more after I’m writing it, the world will have changed a little more. As I write this, mandates and passes being phased out is being discussed. But in ten days time, that will already seem like old news.

And with the impending announcements, we can surely expect some positive news for the screen industry. We all know that there are international productions that are poised to come to New Zealand - and that all they need is some certainty that our uncertain time is coming to an end.

Our international reputation as being one of the best places to shoot, with great crews, a huge variety of locations and a film-friendly government is now enhanced by having come through a once-in-a-century pandemic with the lowest rates of death and hospitilisation in the world.

Over 96% of us eventually agreed that getting vaccinated was the best choice. Even without the ‘mandates’ the rate was well over 90%.

The truth is that getting vaccinated has turned out to be the most popular choice in New Zealand’s history. Let’s celebrate that, acknowledge what we can achieve when we work together and enjoy getting back to doing what we do best - making films, getting along with each other, and complaining about the catering.

And the truth is, that would have been an OK editorial. I know that plenty of you will disagree with my support of vaccination and mandates. And that’s fine. We can disagree all we want, and still be friends and colleagues every day. I love that about this industry - and about this country.

And that, surely, only makes it all the more baffling, that so many New Zealanders - and so many people in this industry - should choose to take their own lives.

In the last few months, we have been devastated to learn that two of our best have left us, by their own choice.

In this issue you will find tributes to Vincent Burke - a brilliant producer and true larger than life figure, who many of us will have worked for and with over the years. It is an honour to be able to publish a piece about him.

But this issue also contains tributes to Richard Matthews and to Ants Farrell, both of whom were well-known and wellloved figures in the Wellington and the New Zealand industry. Although the truth about Ants may never be known, we have to assume that both of these men have chosen to bring an end to their own lives, years before their time.

I’ll let the words that people have sent in speak for them. But, thank you, Giles, Sam and Jamie. Brigitte, Emma, Liz, Teuila - but especially Miranda. Thank you.

GT and Jason.

BEHIND THE SCENES

We are heading into the second quarter of the year. The sector is starting to get into production on several projects with more in the pipeline. There is a glimmer of hope over the horizon. We realise that COVID is still hitting many households, and juggling crew isolation isn't easy to manage. With RAT testing available to everyone, we hope that the management of COVID becomes easier and everyone is taking care out there.

The past two years have taken their toll on everyone, from the highs of being super busy to complete lockdowns. The feast to famine phases adds financial and mental stress on everyone in the sector; even though this has been a part of the industry for a long time, it highlights the need for sustainability and how factors outside our control dictate the continuation of projects. This issue of the NZTECHO magazine highlights mental health.

Looking at mental health isn’t an easy subject. There are so many factors that come into play, and everyone has different life experiences that can trigger them and their mental health. Financial stress, work environment, and personal challenges all play a role. The additional pressures that COVID has brought to the table make it understandable that mental health in our sector is a concern.

At the end of this article is a list of organisations where you can get support. I will continue to send these out on occasion in our newsletters, and I urge anyone who needs help or knows someone who please reach out to these organisations.

I would also like to highlight that bullying and any form of harassment is illegal under the WorkSafe legislation (see links for the ScreenSafe guidance below). Bullying and harassment are a genuine concern in our sector. There has been feedback and disclosures from people in the industry, and I realise this adds to the mental health issues we are currently experiencing. ScreenSafe has engaged an external support person available to anyone in our sector experiencing any form of bullying or harassment. Please email info@screenguild. co.nz (confidentially), and I will connect you with our support person. This service is free and

funded by the NZ Film Commission. Bullying and harassment do not have a place in our sector. It is time to draw a line in the sand and say we are doing things differently now, and we want to have a safe, healthy environment for everyone working in the sector.

http://screensafe.co.nz/wp-content/ uploads/2018/11/ScreenSafe_ WorkplaceBullying.pdf

http://screensafe.co.nz/wp-content/ uploads/2019/06/ScreenSafe_ WorkplaceHarassment.pdf

With this in mind, ScreenSafe will be starting up the Professional Respect Training workshops again in person in May (COVID allowing). We are also working on ways to bring the workshops to the sector over zoom to continue this program and work towards the culture shift our sector needs to make. The workshop gives everyone who attends, tools to work towards the prevention of Sexual Harassment, what to do if you have experienced Sexual Harassment or how to support someone if they come to you and have experienced Sexual Harassment. Even though this workshop focuses predominately on Sexual Harassment, we address bullying and other forms of harassment. We do cover support information on these topics in the workshop. We urge everyone to call out any bullying or harassment behaviour they see, or please talk to your Health and Safety Officer/ Crew Rep or HOD/Producer. If you don’t feel comfortable doing so, please contact me, and I will connect you with our external support person in complete confidence. Every person has the right to go to work in a safe environment. As we say in the workshops, “There is no hierarchy to respect.”

https://screensafe.co.nz/guidelines/sexualharassment-guidelines/ We also ask everyone to put Health, Safety, and well-being at the forefront of their minds and respect our Health and Safety teams. The people in these roles are there to ensure you are safe and well. They are there to prevent you from ending up in a hospital or worse, just like a nurse or doctor would if you were in the hospital. Just look out for each other we all know how challenging this environment can be.

With over 20 years in the film and TV industry, Kelly Lucas is now executive officer for the Techos’ Guild.

Executive Officer Kelly Lucas

ScreenSafe has also released the reviewed Working with Children Guidance, Code of Conduct, and Reporting form. I urge everyone in production to read through this information to be clear on the best practice when working with children. ScreenSafe engaged Safeguard the Children to work on the review. I have included the links to the documents below: https://screensafe.co.nz/wp-content/ uploads/2022/02/ScreenSafe_ ChildSafetyGuidelines-2.pdf https://screensafe.co.nz/wp-content/ uploads/2022/02/ScreenSafe_ChildSafety_ CodeofConduct-2.pdf https://screensafe.co.nz/wp-content/ uploads/2022/02/ScreenSafe_ChildSafety_ Reporting-1.pdf

Here are some Mental Health support, coping with financial stress and WINZ information:

1. For mental health support: https:// www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-novelcoronavirus/covid-19-health-advicepublic/covid-19-mental-health-andwellbeing-resources

Other mental health support available: https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/ services-and-support/health-care-services/ mental-health-services

Helplines: https://mentalhealth.org.nz/ helplines

Depression.org.nz: https://depression.org.nz/ get-better/who-else-can-help/ Hearts & Minds: https://www.heartsandminds. org.nz/directory-of-support-services/itemlist/ category/72-mental-health

2. If you are experiencing money concerns please see: https://depression.org.nz/ covid-19/money-worries

3. Not working at the moment: https:// workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/lostjob/index.html

Please look out for each other and if you have any concerns don’t hesitate to contact me confidentially on info@screenguild.co.nz

Ngā mihi nui, Kelly.

Ph

9 360-9995 www.sinclairblack.co.nz

Mick Sinclair

PRESIDENT’S RAVE

Durey

Outside of the Lockdowns the film industry has been robust and buoyant throughout most of the covid epidemic. But as we come to the apparent end of the plague, the tide seems to have turned for the offshore market when the growing reality of the MIQ disfunction and the inability for crew to be readily brought in from other regions started biting. At this stage we saw a reduction of new projects coming into the country and even the departure from NZ of several large productions (although arguably for a host of reasons).

The smaller cap shows and feature projects as well as the local TV production industry have both struggled from the lack of international mobility, and the pressures lockdowns and the elimination strategy has put on the ability to do business.

I think we are all a bit sick of talking about Covid, and all the uncertainty and restrictions. Looking toward the Future I’m optimistic that things will get back on track. Before this lengthy virus-based disruption the NZ screen industry was on a real growth curve, a ten-year plan developed, investment in studios and infrastructure in a number of regions and a real feeling we were finally

developing a more consistent pipeline of work to keep our members and the rest of the NZ screen workers in more stable employment.

My optimism is based around the seemingly unstoppable thirst for content across the world which will, I believe keep NZ on the map as an increasingly sought-after destination in the world film industry landscape, not only for the screen industry workers but also the content and IP creators and storytellers whose skills are developed on our shores and from within our workplaces and communities. As I heard an experienced 1st AD say the other day, the Ukraine war and unrest in Europe will only make NZ a safer and more attractive screen destination.

The juggernaut UK film industry has only increased its size and footprint even during the pandemic and it has an insatiable appetite for crew at the moment as does Australia, many of our crew may well head over to the big machines offshore to ply their trade but I think now we are opening up as well, so will more opportunities back here in NZ.

Brendon Durey.

Lifeguard & Safety have been working with Production Companies for over 20 years, on projects ranging from music videos & film school shoots, low budget television & features, up to major motion pictures. We can help in the following areas; Safety supervisors, on set medics, hazard identification & mitigation, WorkSafe NZ compliance, marine coordination, water safety, and divers for underwater support.

If it’s the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015 causing you concern, we have been working with ScreenSafe, WorkSafe NZ & several legal companies & consultants to find the best solutions for the Screen Sector. Contact us if you have any questions regarding your next project. Willy Heatley +64 27 451 6002 willy@guard.co.nz • www.guard.co.nz

Guild President Brendon

TECHOSPHERE

New Zealand Film Commission update

As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2022, I’ve reflected on the last few months and how much our world has changed yet stayed the same. My thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine for the trauma they are experiencing and everyone in Europe who has welcomed refugees into their homes. I served as a peacekeeper in Bosnia in the 1990s and witnessed the horrific impact of war on people and a nation. My father-in-law was a child refugee in 1940 after the Soviet Union invaded Eastern Poland, which is now part of Ukraine. What we thought would never happen again, is. Watching the high-definition imagery and mobile phone footage reminds us all of the power of the screen to democratise stories and share them with the world.

At home, as an industry and a country, we’ve continued to adjust to COVID-19 and its impact on us.

The pandemic continues to disrupt our sector with productions either shutting down for short periods or postponing their shoots. This uncertainty is challenging and I know many are experiencing significant stress and anxiety.

Our number one priority this year is to support the industry through COVID and this has taken a variety of forms. In late 2021, alongside NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho, we offered an interim round of Te Puna Kairangi Premium Production Funding which resulted in over $11.5M to four high-quality, large-scale projects. In addition, we have put significant investment into development to ensure a pipeline of projects will be ready to move toward production once restrictions and uncertainty ease. This has been both through Te Puna Kairangi

Premium Development and the NZFC’s Early Development Funding. Our project tracking indicates that between 14 and 18 long-form New Zealand projects will go into production this year – the highest number ever in a single year. That’s great news for everyone in the industry and I’m also aware of the potential for them to shoot over similar time frames in the second half of 2022.

Throughout the pandemic we have been in constant contact with our Ministries, MCH and MBIE, to communicate your challenges and concerns, and opportunities to mitigate these. In February we welcomed the Government’s additional support for the arts sector which includes a further $15M for the Screen Production Recovery Fund, with $7.9 being allocated to the NZFC and $7.1 to NZ On Air. This additional funding will allow us to keep the Fund open through to the end of this year to help minimise the impacts of any outbreaks and maximise production.

I have had numerous conversations with colleagues around the world and COVID has affected everyone. The global screen industry was already changing rapidly pre-COVID and the challenges the pandemic threw up has forced acceleration of this. The NZFC is looking closely at international screen sector trends and what they mean to our industry, and how the NZFC could better support our industry strategically. For example, are there any big changes that could enable a more sustainable and thriving industry, and what is the NZFC’s role in leading or facilitating this? In the end, we wish to ensure the organisation remains relevant and fit-forpurpose in this changing world.

I wish us to do this thinking in a deliberate manner and we will engage with the sector on it. On that note, we have partnered with Price Waterhouse Cooper who will support us on this journey. An end result will be outputs which can contribute to the Government’s review of screen sector funding and an updated Statement of Intent.

In this spirit, we welcome the Government’s review of screen sector funding. This review will consider the way it funds the industry with a specific focus on the NZSPG as well as consideration of the cultural and economic benefits to New Zealanders of the films produced with Government funding. At this stage we are waiting to hear the timeline and approach for this work. I have discussed this with both MBIE and MCH, who are clear that they see us working alongside them. I will also work closely with my peers in both agencies. They have advised they intend to consult publicly in the second half of this year and I would encourage you to look out for this and contribute your thoughts.

New Zealand films continue to find success at home and at international film festivals. In the past year, 11 New Zealand short and feature films have screened at premiere international festivals including Sundance, Venice, Tribeca, Berlin, Melbourne, Toronto, Telluride and SXSW. James Ashcroft’s Coming Home in the Dark premiered in Sundance 2021, Canada-New Zealand co-production Night Raiders, directed by Danis Goulet screened at both Berlin and Toronto, Gaysorn Thavat’s The Justice of Bunny King premiered at Tribeca, Florian Habicht’s James & Isey screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival and more recently, Michelle Savill’s Millie Lies Low screened at the 2022 Berlinale and recently had its North American premiere at SXSW.

In the short film space, in 2021 Lucy Knox’s Hot Mother screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival and Cian Elyse White’s Daddy’s Girl (Kōtiro) screened at Sydney. Stephen Kang’s Breathe had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival where Tanu Gago’s interactive installation Atua was also presented for the first time. Mark Albiston’s Datsun premiered at the 2022 Berlinale and has just had its North American premiere at SXSW. We’ve great talent and crew in New Zealand

and can share in their successes here and on the international stage.

The Power of the Dog, has brought New Zealand into the international spotlight as a screenmaking destination with its award-season recognition. Filmed entirely in New Zealand and with a predominantly New Zealand crew, The Power of the Dog provided a $28M boost to the New Zealand economy, with the bulk of that investment going into service industries in regional areas struggling in the wake of COVID. A function of the New Zealand Film Commission is to attract international screen productions into New Zealand and The Power of the Dog provides a platform to let our industry colleagues in Los Angeles know that we are open for business.

COVID restrictions have meant I haven’t had the opportunity to travel the country to meet you all as much as I would have liked to. I did manage to get to Queenstown, Dunedin, Christchurch and Marlborough before Christmas and as always, was impressed by the passion for filmmaking. I aim to visit North Island regions in the first half of this year via the Regional Film Offices and then make this a regular occurrence. As we said in the Army, time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted and I believe strong relationships are a foundation of our industry.

Finally, I would like to give a plug to ScreenSafe, an organisation which is critical to our industry. With the high level of production we will be seeing this year, it is vital we maintain safe and healthy environments on set. We need to look after the physical and mental safety of everyone working on every production so our skilled workers can and will remain employed in the screen sector and can go home safely each day or night. We must be doing something right, as I’ve had overseas enquiries about our approach to on-set health and safety. Let’s keep working on this. Looking after ourselves and others is important, and please reach out for support if you need it.

Nga Mihi, David Strong NZFC CEO

IN MEMORY OF Vincent Burke

It is with much sadness that Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) acknowledges the death of producer Vincent Burke on 17 February in Wellington.

Vincent began his film industry career as a policy advisor for the NZFC, a role which ignited his interest in a filmmaking career. He launched his production company Top Shelf Productions in 1988 and produced his first short film, Gordon Bennett.

Hard-hitting documentaries, I Want to Die at Home and All About Eve received festival awards and led to Top Shelf being commissioned to produce New Zealand’s contribution to the British Film Institute’s celebration of a century of cinema. Cinema of Unease, directed by Sam Neill and Judy Rymer is one of 18 documentaries from prestigious filmmakers around the world, each taking a personal journey through their country’s cinematic history.

Top Shelf’s documentaries have covered a diverse range of topics and have balanced popular and long-running television shows like Target and weight-loss show, Downsize Me, with ambitious, large-scale projects like Frontier of Dreams which explored New Zealand’s history in depth.

While best known for television documentaries, Vincent never lost his passion for film. In 1995 he produced the New Zealand-Germany-UK coproduction, Flight of the Albatross which received the award for Best Children’s Feature Film at the Berlin Children’s Film Festival. He was a co-producer on Jason Stutter’s Predicament and in 2017 produced Paul Oremland’s 100 Men and executive produced Team Tibet – Home

Away from Home. In 2019 he was executive producer on Vea Mafile’o and Jeremiah Tauamiti’s feature debut, For My Father’s Kingdom which had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.

In addition to film and television projects, Top Shelf has also made promotion, training and industrial films. A champion of the screen industry, Vincent was a past President of SPADA and the NZ Film and Video Training Board. He was named SPADA’s Industry Champion in 2012 for his lengthy career and for giving back as a mentor, mediator and supporter of a range of industry initiatives. SPADA Co-Presidents Sharon Menzies and Richard Fletcher shared, “Vincent was an astute and generous champion of people and stories. He was a steady hand and a wealth of knowledge - Kua hinga he totara i te wao nui a Tane”.

The NZFC’s Chief Operating Officer Mladen Ivancic who worked with Vincent on many of his film projects said, “Vincent was a great raconteur with a larger-than-life personality. He will be greatly missed by the industry and our thoughts are with Vincent’s family and his many friends.”

IN MEMORY OF Richard Matthews

Reflection

Many of you of would have met Richie like I did back in 1999 on LOTR. A lot of us spent years together on those films forging friendships that are still strong today and I was lucky enough to fall in love and go on to have our two beautiful kids, Ollie & Eva, with Richie.

Other than being with the kids, Richie’s place of peace was on the waves. Getting a surf in before or after work, preferably with Byron Darling and Richard Thurston, made his day. Richie’s film career spans nearly 30 years, with 20yrs on set as an AD and the best part of the last decade at Weta Digital.

Rich was one of those natural-born ADs who seemed so at home on big sets. He was so good with large groups of extras, making everyone feel special and like they were part of something exciting, making history. He looked after people, he put them at ease. He was the only AD I knew who could move 300 people on set without breaking a sweat or raising his voice. That’s how good he was at his job. He was a calm presence and utterly focused on set and usually saying something illicit to get a laugh on the crew channel whenever he could. We all know how hard those long days can be (especially Helms Deep night shoots under rain towers) and he kept people going with an inappropriate comment and a cheeky smile. He had a lightness of being and knew how to beguile you into laughing even if you weren’t in the mood.

1973-2022

I remember trying so hard on set on King Kong with the Times Square extras trying to give each extra a motivation in character and he just jumped on the loudspeaker and said “Right everyone, just imagine you’re a large group of ants, scuttling about, busy busy.” Everyone knew instantly what he meant - job done with a lot less motivation speeches! He had a way of treating everyone the same way (whether you were an extra, actor or Director), he made everyone feel welcome on set and that they belonged there, enjoying the experience together. This led to some extras going the extra mile for him on particularly hard days. I remember one extra on 2nd Unit on LOTR had an unfortunate run in with a goat to the groin area during a take, who said to Rich he was fine to go again for another take. Only afterwards did we find he was actually bleeding and needing stitches but was holding in for his pal Rich the AD, so he didn’t ruin the take. There are many stories like this – Rich and Andy Buckley had a special bond and they dealt with many an incident on set together. After LOTR he worked on: Without A Paddle (with his doppelganger Dax Shepherd), King Kong, The Water Horse, Second Hand Wedding, Narnia, Show of Hands, Separation City, Avatar, Spartacus, The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell, My Wedding & Other Secrets, The Devils Rock and the Hobbit Trilogy. Many of those shows he managed to somehow end up in costume in a shot, those drama school days in his youth really paying off.

I’ve reached out to some of his co-workers along the way here to reflect on what it was like to work with Richie….

by Miranda Rivers, Emma Cross, Liz Tan, Teuila Field & Brigitte Yorke.

Emma Cross

I met Richie back in 1993, I was working on Shortland St when he started as a runner. It wasn't long before he joined the AD team and began honing his skills in directing extras. He always had a ball setting the background in 'Lionel's Cafe', or the injured through the Shortland St hospital reception. He was also very fond of jumping in himself for a little cameo, eventually though he was banned as being too recognisable. But not before he got

a small speaking role as an angry Rugby player in one of the episodes. I wish I could remember the characters’ name! but we laughed about it for years after.

After Shortland St, Richie headed over to Ireland for a few years before we were reunited on LOTR on 2nd Unit. Richie was in his element, Hobbits, Orcs, Rohan Soldiers, Elven extras, Richie loved them all and they loved him too. He was kind, caring and funny, he was a friend to them all. And, as always, he'd jump at the chance

to get into costume so he could stay in the action. It was amazing to work with Richie on Rings - full on hard work, laughs and pranks. I feel very lucky to have known him, he was one of a kind.

Liz Tan Richie and I were both part of the ginormous LOTR family back in 19992000, although we were not on the same unit. I didn’t get to actually work with him till 2009, when we did The Hopes And Dreams of Gazza Snell. And then Middle Earth came calling, and Richie and I joined up again for 2nd Unit.

What I remember most about Richie is what a lovely man he was. He was generous and kind, and funny as hell. Our industry can be exciting and rewarding, but it can also be hellishlong hours, changing schedules, difficult personalities. We were under no illusions that it was going to be easy, but there were some days when it was really really hard work. Through it all, I can’t think of a single time Richie was mean or unkind. He never dumped his stress on me, and he cheered me up when I felt overwhelmed by it all.

The other thing I admired about Richie was his passion for surfing. I didn’t learn how to surf till I was in my 40’s, and I

will probably always be a kook, but he championed my small gains, and found me the perfect starter board, which I still have today. He sent me advice and motivation, including this, which is also good advice generally…

No 1 rule in the water for today...be patient and wait for the right wave to come...

Things that flash in front of me: Richie doing his push-up challenge every day during prep; “all you can eat Friday” after sticking to his diet through the week; the way his face lit up when he was talking about Ollie and Eva; and that smile..

Richie, you beautiful soul, you are at peace now and I hope you are catching clean warm water waves every day.

Teuila Field

I knew of him before I knew him, but to actually know Richard Matthews was one of life’s greatest treasures. His sly sense of humour was one thing, but his ability to take an otherwise dull moment and mold it into an epic tale that had you in fits of laughter, was something to behold.

Looking back, it was the longest, shortest time that I got to spend with Richie. We only worked together once, back in 2011 on the Hobbit second unit, but it was an intense project filmed over a length of time and in a number of locations as epic as his stories and impersonations.

Even if you had lived the story with him, it was always funnier after being given the Richard Matthews treatment. I remember one particular 3am drive to a remote location where we came across two amorous possums in the middle of the road, caught in our headlights. Richie’s multiple retellings of that incident had me in fits of laughter for years afterwards,

and to this day I still chuckle to myself when I come across a possum.

Before we started on that job, our 1st AD Liz Tan sent us both an email. In it, she wanted to convey to us that a second unit must to be reactive to the needs of main unit: “we will all need to be supple of mind and heart”. Richie was both of these things. He was kind, understanding and never judgmental.

He was the type of guy who would praise you to the boss, share every nugget of information he had and do everything he could to ensure you overcame all of set’s hurdles. His was a style of AD’ing that I respect and admire, and I am still thankful to him for always supporting me, both in work and in life.

He adored his family and loved his surfing. He inspired me to give surfing a go, but being a Samoan raised in Auckland I was simply not cut out for the cold waters of Wellington. He just told me to get a thicker wetsuit, booties and a hoodie.

I’ll miss you Richie. I wish I could give you a call one last time and have a chat. Thanks for the stories, the laughs, the unending support. You were a light to all of us lucky enough to know you.

Love, Wheels

Brigitte Yorke

Rich was a part of my film family for over 20 years starting back on Lord of the Rings, into King Kong, Avatar (the first one) and the Hobbit Trilogy, basically every job I have done at Stone Street, Richard was a part of, and I would not have had it any other way. Rich was an open, funny, cheeky, mischievous, wonderful human being and he was

incredibly good at his job as well, he was someone you always wanted as part of your team. He was amazing with cast and crew, always treating people like a long lost mate. He was someone you could talk to frankly about the problems of the day and somehow he would manage to make you feel better about things.

I used to bump into Rich at the Miramar New World frequently, and as I am still working on Avatar we used to share lots of laughs and jokes about working on the first Avatar. We had a very “American” first AD on the first film who came armed with some great sayings / lingo that used to have us all in fits of laughter. Rich took great delight in impersonating our first AD and basically taking the piss all day. I went back an reread the Joshismswhich was the list collated by the AD’s and PA’s of all his sayings - to find this one that included Rich answering Josh on the radio in regards bringing some extras onset:

Josh - “Back door Richard, back door”, Richard: “I don’t do back door Josh”.

I have very few videos from onset, but oddly enough one of the ones I have is a clip shot on an actual camera back in 2003, when Liz Tan, Emma Cross and Richard and I spent 26 weeks shooting pick ups for “Return of the King”. It was only meant to be a 6 week shoot that turned into 26 weeks and it’s fair to say we all started going bit bonkers. One day I wandered back into my office to find a Rohan Extra sitting at my laptop, typing away. I freaked out and then when they looked up I realised it was Rich, dressed up as a Rohan to make up the numbers onset (and because he could never resist getting into costume) and he cracked up at the sheer panic in my eyes. Hearing his

laugh now just made me smile so much, the joy on his face just sums Rich up for me and I’m glad I found that clip and was able to share it with Miranda, Ollie and Eva. I’m going to miss that smile and laugh but I’m glad to have known Rich and to have had him as part of my life.

After The Hobbit, Rich felt he needed a break from onset life and took up a position at Weta Digital where he’s been for the last 9 years. He started as a Relocations Assistant, meeting and greeting every new employee, many who were from overseas and he helped them settle into Wellington life. He was well suited to the job, making people feel at ease as they arrived in a new country and it was low key compared to the stress of working on set. He enjoyed the change and found his AD skills translated well in to managing people in the postproduction setting. But naturally over time he craved more of a challenge and moved over to the Comps Department where he was currently working as the Compositing Crew Manager, looking after hundreds of people in the team.

He always had a personal way with crew, making everyone felt seen and heard. He used to hand write individual Christmas cards with personal notes every year, as he couldn’t stand the idea of a generic card for everyone. And he turned up to many a teams meeting in a silly wig and glasses, couldn’t resist a gag.

Right now, we’re still coming to terms with the fact that he’s no longer here with us. We all feel it – another good man down. There should be no shame in mental illness. It's ok to not be ok. Please

keep talking, listening and checking in with each other.

When I think of him, it won’t be the way he left us that defines who he is. When I think of him I’ll remember how loving he was, his cheeky smile, the twinkle in his eye which spelt mischief. Remembering the way he said ‘hey buddy’ as he passed people in the corridor, or the way he would stare at the sea through his binoculars when the waves were up at Lyall Bay. He always had a minute in his day to see how you were and he was always so proud of Ollie & Eva.

One time Rich snapped his Achilles on The Hobbit while having a dance-off with Ravi the scale double at the Te Anau pub… then drove himself to hospital as he didn’t want bother anyone. And he convinced Ollie when he was a toddler that Tim Wong (stunt co-ordinator) was Jeff from the Wiggles. Ollie was starstruck- thank you Tim for playing along!

As I write this I just know he's up there somewhere, throwing a “blue steel” our way, followed by that beautiful smile and gentle chuckle.

Rest in Peace Richie, Rich, Richard the 3rd.

Letters to Ants Farrell

The day I met Ants Farrell was my first day onset of Frighteners.

It was a big production and only my third job as a Boom Operator. I didn’t know anyone, So I was awkwardly standing around hoping someone would tell me where I was meant to be in all the hustle. Ants saw me across a hall and walked right up to me, stuck out his hand and said “G’day mate - I’m Ants, what’s your name?” that was Ants.

Since then I’ve done countless jobs with him, he was at my stag night, my wife Melissa and I were at his wedding, we attended his Police graduation, he’s worked on our house, and we were at his Mother’s funeral. I’ve been through some of the highs and lows in Ants’ life and he’s been through some of mine.

I was there when Ants was employed to come in and fit a few red 'ROLLING' lights in the Motion Capture stage in Wellington.

Ants took this not just as a small electrical job but an opportunity to be a part of something he liked the look of. During the course of the day Ants worked his charm and ended up with a small crowd of Weta Digital Mocap technicians hanging off his every word while he showed them his recently uploaded app on the AppStore. The app 'Ka-Ching' became a popular favourite with crew. Once you’d put in your weekly rate, it was able calculate your earnings per second and you could watch it roll over as you earned it…… fun in overtime!

It was a thing of beauty to look over at mission control to see Ants in the middle

of rows of (empty) computer stations but surrounded by people trying to get a glimpse of his iPhone screen as he gave a casual demonstration of his new app.

Another moment to mention was when we were shooting Mocap pick ups for Tintin and there was a live video link to Stephen Spielberg and a big TV screen showing him watching and directing us from his home in the US. Ants came up to me on the floor, put his arm around my shoulder and whispered I can’t believe that behind us right now Stephen Spielberg is looking at our backs! He quickly looked back over his shoulder at the screen to check and confirmed, yep he still is.

Ants always had a joy and fascination for film and the opportunities it could bring.

It also has to be mentioned that Ants’ work often ran a near collision course with disaster…much to the amusement of his friends!

I’m sure there are more stories out there than any one person can know them all, but I believe I’ve heard most of them.

One time….

We’d been shooting a short film out in Cannons Creek and the Lighting department consisted of Ants and Giles Coburn. I’d been coming to work with them in the lighting truck.

On this occasion I’d stay and help wrap the lighting gear to travel home with them.

Ants plugged in his 'portable sound system' which consisted of a large orange Pelican case with speakers fitted.

Ants at some point plugged it into the truck so we could have the pleasure of his

tunes while we wrapped. When everyone else had long gone we jumped in the truck to go, but click-click… flat battery.

We were in Cannons Creek and it was starting to get dark. Shit.

Trent Hiles the location manager was just pulling up to his house in Wadestown when he got the anxious call back from the location he’d only left 30 minutes earlier.

'G’day mate, Ants here, we seem to have a flat battery, do you think you could come back and give us a jump?'

We finally and thankfully hit the road. But for some reason as we drove back to Wellington we were consistently getting cars honk their horns at us and shout and point at us as they passed us on the Motorway. Yeah mate! We see you!

…sheesh full moon or what.

It turns out (as we discovered when we entered the Terrace tunnel) someone had left the side generator access door open and sticking out at 90 degrees all the way from Cannons Creek. Well the noise of the door tearing a lengthy groove along the wall, half way through the tunnel before we realised what it was and had to take evasive action…. (by pulling into oncoming traffic) to pull the side door off the tunnel wall and safely pulling over once outside to discover we didn’t need to worry about locking the door back in place as the lock had been sheared off completely.

Woody was not pleased.

Everyone loved being around Ants, he was engaging, a natural comic and generous to a fault.

Ants will be missed.

Sam Spicer

I’m going to talk about Ants in the present tense. It could be because

A: It seems unfathomable that a dominant figure in my life has gone.

B: This is not a funeral, so this is not a funeral speech.

C: Maybe he did do the world's greatest disappearing act and is right now, sitting at a beach bar in Mexico with

a fedora hat on and drinking a pina colada. Or

D: The over abundance of laughter and entertainment that he has injected into my life means that I can go on remembering as if he is still around forever.

The amount of stories and anecdotes people have of Ants could fill a book. Each funny chapter is a tale of clumsiness, machine operating overzealousness, and times when his need to humour and be the funny guy would end up a complete disaster.

Like the time when he and I had been left to wrap a night shoot at ShantyTown on the West coast of the South Island. It was Friday night, and it was cold and bleak and it had just started raining. To entertain me on the way out of ShantyTown (and because he couldn’t be arsed reversing the truck to the exit which was right there) Ants pretended to be a guide on a tour bus, driving through the historic town pointing out landmarks and places of interest along the way. (Probably taking on a grumpy, bald 60+ man persona)

Hannah's shop, The Town Jail, the School House on the left.

Soon we got to a tiny bridge that crossed a creek that the engineers had probably only signed off weight wise for a small pony with a cart holding children. Not class 4 trucks. Ants figured it was even more of a pain in the ass reversing now that we had come all this way. He said, “If we can fit on the bridge, we will give it a go crossing it.” I listened in awe of those wise words from my superior. We crept forward and It turns out we had about an inch on either side to squeeze on so, being a man of his word, Ants put his foot down. The cab got across ok. When the rear axles got on to the bridge there was an almighty crunch and we felt the whole back of the truck lurch backwards and come to a stop. Ants cried out “Oh no the bridge!” We both went to jump out but it took about a minute for us to squeeze our bodies out the tiny gap of the door that was hitting the railings of the structure. We looked underneath and the whole back of the truck was hanging over the creek. By now it was pissing down and about 10:30 at night. The rest of the crew was in the hotel bar drinking beers and mulled wine and we were in the middle of a closed family historical town in the middle of nowhere, with our only ride home hanging off a cliff.

But as much as Ants is clumsy and unfortunate, he is also very jammy. A torch light came around the corner and the caretaker of the place heard a commotion. He inspected the situation and told us he “just so happens to have a mate with a 50 tonne digger down the road that he might be able to get on the blower.” 15 minutes later this thing came around the corner. Lifted the back end of the truck up and pulled it back onto the road. (I had to drive the truck to the hotel as Ants was still a bit shaken from the experience.)(I also chose to reverse out of ShantyTown.)

By the time we had returned to the hotel, Ants’s miscalculation of bridge weight restrictions had morphed into a story that could be shared with the crew. What earlier seemed like a complete disaster was now a golden opportunity to make

everyone laugh, packed with farmer impersonations of the caretaker with the torch . In case you were wondering, the cost for the repair of the bridge was a dozen Speights. I think locations supplied it. Jammy old Ants didn’t even have to sort that out.

But before all this, I first met Ants when I was 21. I was a grommet lighting assistant and Ants was a bit of a Wellington lighting superstar. Cool but not too cool. He was always rocking a style from 7 years previous. Gelled hair, plastic wrap around shades that sat high on his head due to the fact that his ears sit high on his head. He had a brown leather jacket with US Air Force badges on it as his going out jacket. It was about 7 years after the film Top Gun came out, so the timing's good. I was up the top of a ladder plugging the mains cable into a FEC power box, hooked up to a power pole.

This was a time when it seemed easier and cheaper to do this than hire a gene truck. I’d climbed the ladder with the male end of the cable. That bit I got right. But it had looped inside the coil and so it was going to get knotted up. “Let him sort it out” the Gaffer told Ants. I came down to sort it out and Ants said “Gidday mate, I’m Ants”. He stayed there with me and helped me “sort it out.” That is Ants style. Always available for an introduction because anyone could be up for a good time. And always willing to help you sort things out.

Up until that point, I didn’t like lighting much. I thought it was a bit of a shit job. Workplace bullying was just a part of the working environment, in fact it was encouraged. The hours were ruining my social life and you never stopped running around. All HMI's had magnetic ballasts

that are the most uncomfortable and heavy thing to carry, and no one had a sack barrow for the sandbags, let alone knew what a load carrier was.

Ants taught me to have fun. I don’t think I had smiled much on set before I met Ants. I certainly hadn’t belly laughed. He would ask for things on the RT in the voice of Sean Connery, or he would drive the car to work as if he is a 90 year old man who drives slowly. He can hear an Eagles song and will air guitar it with such extreme precision you are as transfixed as if you are watching Glenn Frey, himself. He is a funny little fucker, it’s been said many times. And he taught me to enjoy, not just my job, but my life as well. And how it is better to not take things too seriously.

Over the years Ants has been like an older brother figure in my life. He was a groomsman at my wedding. In fact, and I’m not embarrassed to say, I was quite nervous before the ceremony and it was hot and sunny and I was wearing a light blue linen shirt. I got sweat marks under my arms just before the ceremony. Ants spotted them first and got a hair dryer out and stood there for about 10 minutes drying my pits. Only a brother would even consider carrying out an act like that. Someone took a photo of him doing it.

We now know that there is darkness in Ants. I think we are all surprised to realise that because how does someone that spreads so much joy, do something like this? I will always regret that I didn’t see it to this degree. I may never know the true extent, but I am very much aware of it now. What is this sadness behind all that laughter? It’s something he obviously carries quietly by himself. But alongside that awareness, It is important to cherish all the jokes and impressions and stories.

It’s good to remember all the laughing fits he has put us through, and the mateship that he offered up. Because at the end of the day, wherever he is, that is what Ants would want us to think about too.

Giles Coburn

Over the last few weeks I've found myself thinking daily about Ants.... in one breath laughing at an old joke or situation, to then sadness that I won't get to see him again.

I met Ants when I was the Lighting Trainee on 'Scarfies' in 1998 ...... after six weeks working for him and Giles, Ants said he'd get me some work if I wanted it....

He didn't have to do that, I was just some teenage grommet from Invercargill after all.

I showed up on his doorstep in Wellington 2 months later. The next day I was working on the TV series 'Duggan' whilst living on Ant's couch. Then came 'Lord of the Rings' the same year and the rest is a blur of projects together.

I'm in the enviable position of working with talented, and funny people everyday..... and I'm honoured to call many of them friends, but I've never seen what he had.... he could level a lighting crew of twenty with an impersonation, or turn of phrase.

Gruff Technicians, doubled over, giggling hysterically..... incapacitated by laughter. And at the core of it..... the cheeky grin of Ants knowing he'd got a laugh. Words don't do justice....

Go well mate.

Jamie Couper

One story out of hundreds

Every year in this country - and in this industry - many great people go through their own version of this. Most of us are here to remember it. Some people are not.

I just want to share this so anyone who reads it might know, that you are not the only one who’s been there. And that loneliness, depression and anxiety are not the things that separate us. They are the things that we all have in common.

Twelve years ago this month, I got arrested. I had been at my flat in Wellington, somewhere after the second bottle of wine, when it hit me that I knew what I had to do.

The previous few years had been rough. I'd had a break-up that seemed worse than anything I'd ever been through before, and my dad had died in the previous year. My feelings about that were more complex than I knew how to deal with.

The idea of just checking out had been with me for most of my adult life, as a shadow in the room whenever I was alone.

And yet outwardly, even the people closest to me probably had no idea. I was surrounded by mates - and I always had a table of regulars who were happy to see me at a couple of bars. I usually had a relationship on the go, even if it was based more on mutual drinking than any real

connection. I'm sure if I'd met me back then, I would have thought 'he looks like he's having fun'. And I was, even though I was unhappy all the way to my bones.

The night I made my decision, I stumbled outside to my Toyota van and drove to Kelburn Viaduct. I sat there for a moment to make sure I knew what I was about to do and then headed for wall, high above the road below.

The fact that I was in the exact place that I first ever earned a 'Key Grip' credit, on a short film about a man who attempts suicide, was not something that occurred to me until the next day.

As I stood there and then readied myself to get up on the wall, a big arm came around my chest from behind. And a voice said 'easy mate'.

A cop had seen me driving and had followed me. He hadn't pulled me over immediately because he was curious where a lone van might be heading at 3am on a Tuesday, and there was no one else on the road for me to harm anyway.

When I parked, he had been right behind me, but I had been too drunk to notice. And then he saved my life.

I woke up the next morning in a cell at Wellington central. The door was unlocked. I walked to the watch house reception, was given a mug of tea and my shoes, and was handed a package of pamphlets for support services I could contact. The drink-driving wasn’t mentioned and I never asked.

The van was where I'd left it.

That night will always be a part of my life. In the years since I have talked with doctors, got the drinking down to a tolerable level of sociable and learned a few things about myself.

When I was first diagnosed as ADHD, it made perfect sense to me. I ticked every box and having a name for your type can be a useful tool towards learning how to live with yourself.

A few days after getting that diagnosis I was back on a film set, looking at the people I worked with, many of whom I had known for years - and it was as if I could see some of them clearly for the first time. The film industry is absolutely full of neurodiverse types. We crave variety and new challenges every day. We hate 'the rules', but we love the structure of a film set. We like knowing that we have been handed responsibility that maybe the outside world wouldn't see us as fit for. But here, on a film set, we can prove ourselves and fit in.

We are great people. But we are vulnerable. Anxiety, depression, abuse and lousy self-esteem are all a part of the same personality type.

In the last few years, my diagnosis has been refined, from ADHD to low level autism. Again, it's a blessing. I can read books and blogs by people I have this in common with. It’s actually great to know I’m just one of millions.

These days the friendships are easier to maintain and the future mostly looks like somewhere I want to go. But it's taken a long time. And I am one of the lucky ones.

A few years ago I was watching a talk show. The guest was a famous actor. The host asked him 'what do you think happens after we die?'

He paused for a minute, before he said ‘the people we leave behind will miss us very much’. The room went silent, and that clip has become famous.

If anyone had told me that they would miss me, on that night twelve years ago, I'm not even sure I would have believed them.

But mainly, I just didn't know who to ask. Look, if any of this has resonated with you, at least know this: You are not alone. The anxiety and helplessness you might be feeling, are connecting you to thousands of other people. And whether you know it or not, people care about you. And they will miss you very much.

Reach out to them now. Give them a chance to tell you. Give them a chance to listen. And keep telling them until they hear you.

Love your work, GT

REGIONAL WRAP

Take one – Auckland

Heading into winter Auckland is still looking like it’s trying to keep its head above water, with quite a few long form jobs in the pipeline hoping to shoot through to the third quarter of this year.  I feel that there is still some optimism amongst us even though we feel like we’ve been hit repeatedly over the head with the Covid hammer for 24 months.  The Auckland industry and its crew have remained resilient and have learned to adapt to the strangest of circumstances, finding innovative ways around ever-changing rules and regulations that are placed upon us.  We have survived, if only just, a lot better than some industries in this country and we will live on to tell many more stories for a lot longer yet I hope.

Rumour has it that Power Rangers are likely to return for a shorter season later this year, and we are lucky to have crew working on some fabulous productions such as ‘Far North’, ‘Under the Vines’, GFC’s ‘The Mistake’, ‘One Lane Bridge’, ‘One of Us is Lying’, Netflix’s ‘Choose Love’, season three of ‘Kura’, ‘My Life is Murder’ and the second season of ‘Sweet Tooth’.

While commercials have slowed right down under all the Covid uncertainty and mandate restrictions, advertising will still be required in the future, so we are quietly confident that our work life will soon be reinjected with the same old energy we are so desperate to have back in our lives really soon.

Along with other industry stakeholders, the Guild has recently been working closely with Screen Auckland and Auckland Unlimited to revisit the recent changes to filming on Auckland’s many ‘Sites of Significance’.  Reason being that many in the industry feel that under the latest council unitary plan, many locations have become near impossible to gain permission to shoot on due to council restrictions, lead time for permit acceptances and monetary restraints.  This has become a priority for many of us to get back around the table with those it affects along with the council representatives to see how we can best create a plan that is fit for purpose for our industry moving forward.  As a guild member, your support by way of your membership fees is helping us have a seat at the table nationwide (as other councils will be creating similar unitary plans in the future) and our voices heard.  Ultimately the trickle down effect is immense and if many locations are no longer feasible our little industry will suffer considerably.

We will endeavour to keep members up to date with changes and information as soon as we can.  In the meantime, I hope that if any of you catch Covid you are over it in a flash and back to work quick smart.

Sioux Macdonald, Guild vice president and executive committee member

Take two – Bay of Plenty

Kia ora from Film Bay of Plenty, Film Bay of Plenty is led by three women experienced in Film and TV.

We have boldly stepped into the ārahitanga/leadership, of Film Bay of Plenty/ Ngā Auaha Whakaari o te Waiariki, and are determined to fulfil the prophecy of making a screen media region that creates a sense of belonging.

Film Bay of Plenty is growing from strength to strength. With that strength we create a greater sense of community and family. As family we lean into each other and offer support.

At some point in our lives we deal with loss, depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, whether our own or someone else's. This is when friends, family and work colleagues are of most importance.

For those suffering at this moment in time we encourage you to reach out. For those of you worried about someone, it can be hard to know where to start. The first thing to do is ask the simple question ‘Are you ok?’.

We encourage you to: ‘Whakamoea ngā maunga kia whānau ko te pai/Put to sleep the negative thoughts of the past so that goodness can prevail’

The screen industry is our whanau, a large family that needs each other to build on our craft with a common goal of creating screen media. Our strength is in our diversity.

We are all in this together. If we continue to support, respect, have openness and talk about the challenges we face in these unusual times, we’ll get through it together.

How fortunate we are to be able to celebrate our passion for the industry and, in doing so, work on notable productions and feed our families in the process.

Our team has created long and short-term plans plus have new creative projects to grow our region for the screen sector. We continue to maintain good relationships with relevant government departments and supportive organisations, iwi, and industry bodies, knowing we are all in partnership to achieve a vibrant production hub in the Bay of Plenty and New Zealand.

He waka eke noa A canoe which we are all in with no exception Tracy, Jade and Elysia.

Take three – Wellington

This late run of great weather has been a bonus for the industry, with a few interesting projects and one-offs coming to town.

In the last few months we have hosted a few TVC’s and TV shoots, including a visit from the Men In Kilts production crew and a few others.

But, the phone at Crew Wellington hasn’t exactly been ringing off the hook. In fact, it might just be the quietest couple of months we have had since the first days of Covid, back in 2020.

At least there’s still activity at Miramar, although exactly what they are up to is always a bit of a mystery to those who haven’t signed the NDA’s!

With new studio space coming on-stream in Upper Hutt any day now and the promise of mandates and MIQ all about to lift, we are confident that we about to get back to our normal, sustainable level of industry. But, it’s been an odd few years, and we are not taking anything for granted!

Love your work, GT and Crew Wellington.

Take four – Queenstown

The things you learn in film…

I have recently learnt that some roosters will slave themselves for a huhu grub, while others prefer freshly shelled peas; Queen bees are introduced to hives in cages with sugar doors – by the time worker bees have eaten through the doors ‘to kill the invader’ the queen’s pheromones have leached though the hive and the Queens is accepted; A native Falcon regularly baths, full drenching itself – birds have been known to kill their mate after a bath as they look so different that they are unrecognisable and assumed to be a threat.

I can tell you the cost of a weather balloon, and where to look for a dented supercar…

Summer has been amazing down south –endless blue-bird days. And some work for our crew with Screentime filming Master Chef, Libertine filming Under the Vines, and Great Southern TV gearing up to film One Lane Bridge Season3.

And soon open borders – which will mean more Omicron, but more people able to come here for jobs.

Look forward to a much longer QT Techos wrap in 3 months time!

Nic Macallan and the Queenstown crew.

Understudy-turned-star Giovanni on set on Paolo Rotondo’s ‘Maunga Cassino’ filmed in Queenstown in January.

Take five – Christchurch

Like everywhere in the country the latest omicron outbreak has seen multiple projects in the Canterbury region get pushed or cancelled. However there hasn't been a shortage of interesting things happening. WIFT ran an excellent 'LX for Production' workshop which was well attended across the guilds. Going back to LX basics and breaking down the what, where, and most importantly the why of lighting.

The fearless manager of our regional film office, Screen CanterburyNZ, Bree Loverich, is moving on to become the strategic Partnerships and Marketing Manager for the University of Canterbury's new Digital Screen Campus. Bree has been a tireless advocate for the Canterbury Screen industry and took on the difficult role of building up the region's film office essentially from scratch. In those three years she's achieved many things, such as establishing the first regional Screen Incentive in NZ’s history, the unprecedented closure of a New Zealand motorway and has been a focal point for bringing the local industry together.

We're excited for Bree and also especially excited about her new venture at UC's Digital Screen Campus. The DSC is a planned $97 million education and commercial facilities, which will create a screen hub for big budget commercial films, as well as indie productions and games. It will be completed in phases until 2025 and include purposebuilt production studio space, editing and visual effect suites, recording spaces, a green screen facility, and a motion capture studio. All of this much needed infrastructure for the region.

Recently Resonate, Cerebral Fix and Pixel collaborated to produce two short films on the campus' VR set. They spent 5 days filming across an Auckland boardroom, Antarctica and Mars and a post apocalyptic Lake Pukaki, all from the comfort of an old lecture theatre. It's great proof that top quality production can be made in Christchurch.

Jessica Todd Managing Director / Producer Cable Maiden Productions

Take six – Dunedin

Please select from the following options:

A. You are sick with Covid

B. You are isolating as you’re a close contact with someone sick with Covid

C. You are working on a project that has enough budget to cater to weekly or twice weekly testing and have managed to avoid getting sick with Covid (so far)

D. You are waiting for the Domestic Projects to start up again because they can’t afford to shut down due to people getting sick with Covid

E. You are waiting for the International projects to stop avoiding our country because people are currently getting sick with Covid

F. You stood your ground on Parliament ground and are no longer working in the industry altogether (and also possibly now sick with Covid)

G. Because of either A-F you have gotten familiar with slurping 11 o’clock martinis in PJs while trying your best at daily wordle comps… and sick or not sick with Covid.

(Suzin McFluzin)

Covid Schmovid. It feels like there’s quite the judder-bar for many future contractors while we continue down the Rona ride. Not sure how much longer this will continue but there’s a lot of talk around the 2nd half of the year already assembling greenlit projects ready to push go both Regionally and Domestically. Here’s hoping they come to fruition.

As Film and TV contractors many of us are familiar with the ebbs and flow of the industry and cover ourselves with small run businesses or secondary skillsets allowing us to side step into continued financial stability or what we contractors feel is stable enough to see the roof stay over the head and the mouths

underneath being fed. But it’s easier said than done at times. If you’re fortunate enough to fit in the box that the Government has offered for self -employed contractors to apply for either the Covid-19 Resurgence Support Payments or the Cultural Sector Emergency Relief Grant, then phew for you! If you aren’t able to access either than I hope you have got enough cover even if it’s in the shape of mushroom foraging season or friendly neighbours bartering fruit and vege produce for your latest batch of chutney. Winter is coming (thanks John but in this case this could actually be a good thing!), let the snow bring prosperity in the form of our industry’s medium giving us bountiful work opportunities.

And while it is quiet for many, here in Dunedin there are still the usual players working effortlessly on their skill set specifics. ARL continue to win awards, NHNZ steer towards a bright future of multiple productions forecast. Local writer / directors / content creators are currently in development with the help of NZFC, FOS and NZOA. Positive discussions around Virtual Production spaces, Studio set ups and new tertiary training programmes continue their momentum. ‘Ain’t no loogies gonna keep us down.

Covid, it’s time we said our goodbyes. It’s not me, it’s you. I’m sorry but you need to move on. And no you can’t take my keep cup.

Rebecca Rowe

Cody Wilcox: Auckland Sound

Chinique Odendaal: Auckland Make-up

Steve McQuillan: Auckland Stunt

Wenwen Li: Auckland Production

Yusel Tada: Auckland Cam

Alexander Borgers: Auckland Production

Ian McCarroll: Auckland Camera

Jimmy Bollinger: Auckland Lighting

Joey Siasoco: Auckland Sound

Isis De Souza: Auckland Stunt

Donna Kavanagh: Auckland Facilities/Supplies

Andy Williams: Auckland OB Department

Haley Williams: Auckland Art

David Green: Auckland Sound

Levonne Scott: Auckland Make-Up Bella Bollinger: Auckland Lighting

Miranda Rivers: Wellington Casting Tim Murdoch: Christchurch OB

Hannah Zita Quell: Queenstown Sound

NEWBIE PROFILE

Wenwen Li has joined the Guild. Welcome!

Why did you choose to join the film industry?

I have always been interested in all forms of art for as long as I can remember. I enjoyed ballet dancing until I had softtissue injuries as a kid; I learnt sketching and later realised I wasn't gifted; I spent a couple of years having vocal training and couldn't picture myself doing it for the rest of my life. By the time I was to apply to university, I thought film could be 'it' as I had also been a film buff. I became particularly passionate about documentary filmmaking. I independently produced and directed a short documentary, gained some recognition, and loved it even more.

What skills and interests do you have that will be an asset to your work?

I’ve been working as a researcher on four feature documentaries more recently. “You have good eyes,” “you’re very intuitive,” “how can you possibly find the stuff?” These are the compliments I often hear from my colleagues. I guess my interests and experience in other forms of art help a bit? Did I mention I love vintage shopping? Perhaps it makes my eyes sharper?

Where would you like film to take you? What positions would you like to be in, in the future?

As far as possible, really. I have some stories in development. Hopefully I have more to share soon.

Why have you decided to join the NZ Screen Industry Guild? What do you hope to get from your membership? We all need a bit of “ground control,” especially during these unprecedented times, right? I definitely feel more grounded and informed.

How would you like the NZ industry to expand, and what should we be aware of as we do expand?

Now you see my face on the left or right corner; you wouldn’t be surprised to see I champion diversity! I genuinely encourage everyone to have a read of NZOA's Diversity Report. I hope we can change the stats in the near future.