11 minute read
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.
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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:
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.
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.
NEW MEMBERS
Join us in giving our new members a warm welcome!
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
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