NZTECHO - Winter 2022

Anna Low and Rory McTavish on horses for film. Meet Grip HQ. 48 Hours turns 20. Goodbye, Paul Grinder and Paul Chattington.

The Screen Industry Guild Aotearoa New Zealand quarterly

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EDITORIAL

Hi all,

And welcome to issue #93. After our last issue being delayed as pretty much everybody who was contributing got sick, I guess it's only karma that this issue was delayed for a week because the editor got the flu. For the first three days, I thought it was the virus again. But when I started actually feeling better by day four, I figured it was just a dose of whatever flu's are circulating this year.

According to the Ministry of Health, there's at least three strains of influenza in the country at the moment, and at least one of them is a real bastard. Since the borders have been mostly closed since 2020, our immune systems are way behind where they should be. So, even people like me, who have never bothered to get a flu shot, because we have never really been that sick before, are well advised to take care and get a jab. Trust me, I wish to hell I had before it was too late.

Anyway, #93 is here now, and it is packed.

You will find the first in a new series we are launching about New Zealand's film service and supply companies. Grip HQ are a foundation stone of the modern New Zealand film industry and we are proud to highlight Spotty and his crews in this issue. If you want your company to be the focus of a feature in NZTECHO, let us know.

We are also running pieces on the role of horse trainers in the industry, and on the amazing role the 48 Hour Film Competition has played in developing new film-making talent over the last twenty years.

As well, you will find quarterly wrap-ups from all our regions and contributions from President Brendon Durey and Kelly Lucas at the Guild.

We also run two tributes, to two absolute gentlemen of the industry. Legendary Auckland AD and friend to everyone he met, Paul Grinder. And to the veteran and hugely respected Wellington Sound Recordist, Paul Chattington - Chatts.

And, we have lost another great one this month. The director, mentor, writer, curator and all-round good bastard Luit Bieringa has been a luminous and well-loved figure in several industries over the decades, and film was definitely one of them. Farewell Luit, and our love and gratitude to you, Jan and Sven, Olive and Kris. Enjoy, stay safe - and get a flu' jab. Seriously. GT and Jason.

GOLD STARS & CHOCOLATE FISH

BEHIND THE SCENES

Kia Ora.

Sadly we have had to say goodbye to member Paul Grinder this past month and to Paul Chattington, who also passed away way too early.

My heartfelt thoughts go out to both Paul’s family and friends at this time. Please see the two salutes to these men in this issue.

It’s a humbling time when people in our community pass. It makes us all reflect on how precious life is and how important we are to each other.

It’s hard to sit and write this knowing how the past couple of years have taken a toll on everyone’s mental and physical well-being. We need to take a minute and check in on yourself, your fellow crew, family, and friends to see how they are doing, and please reach out for support if you need it or you see someone struggling with their health or well-being.

So please take care out there. I know the stress our sector brings and the toll it takes; your health is more important than anything.

So with this in mind, SIGANZ will be hosting networking evenings so everyone can get together, relax and have a good catch-up.

With all things COVID, taking some time out with our peers has been challenging. So in August, we will have the first networking nights in each of the four cities – Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown. We will shout a couple of drinks and food for each member who attends and take a night to celebrate the lives of those who have passed this year, relax and chat. We will send out confirmed dates in an email update soon.

The sub committees have been busy finalising The Blue Book and Rate Card

Review. These are in the final consultation phase and will be ready to release in the coming months. I want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has taken the time to participate in these important reviews.

The next round of Professional Respect Workshops will be hosted in Auckland and Wellington in August and Christchurch in September. Please take the time to attend these workshops when the dates are released. We encourage all HODs to participate in these workshops and these steps towards creating safer working environments for everyone.

You would have heard that the Screen Industry Workers Bill is going through its final readings. The second reading was supposed to happen at the end of June, and we are waiting for the next date to be confirmed. Once the bill has passed, we will be hosting information evenings to educate our members and broader industry Production Technicians on how it will affect you as a contractor.

Our Business Toolkit is being finalised as I write this. We are working on delivering this information to our members online. The toolkit will include information on tax, valuable templates, how best to set yourself up as a contractor, negotiate your contract, and more. We will have this ready in October and as interactive as possible to make the information easy to understand and accessible whenever you need it.

In closing, COVID seems to be hitting us at home and onset, so please remember to take care of yourselves and each other. Your health and well-being are important, especially as the industry is starting to get busy again. COVID adds another layer of stress for everyone.

Ngā mihi nui, Kelly.

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

Executive Officer Kelly Lucas

RAVE

It’s a strange time now. I’m not sure if we are coming out of the shadow of Covid or if we are going to continue to be affected by it for an ongoing time.  It seems that other regions offshore who have going through the Covid mill earlier are moving on with life, perhaps because we were comparably late to the Covid party and its now hitting winter we are going to be caught in its effects well after other screen industry regions have moved on. I know one thing for sure we are likely to be wearing masks on set for a good long time to come. That component seems to be the one constant across the international screen industry.

I just hope that the schedule havoc that a constant stream of infections seems to cause a production will fade into the background as we get used to living with what is increasingly becoming another commonplace illness in your lives.

The passing of Paul Grinder recently was a huge shock to many in the New Zealand screen industry. Paul had been a fixture for decades as a First AD, Director, Producer and all-around trouble shooter for many TV shows, productions, and commercials. Paul had a strong work ethic, a quirky and

irreverent sense of humour, and a detailed understanding of filmmaking and how to get the best out of a crew. I have many memories of Paul from early days working with him on Xena in the 1990’s, Then the hazy crazy blood-soaked days on Spartacus second unit where Paul always seemed be able to deliver the grotesque and sublime sequences the writers were after.

I, like many people am going to miss him a lot. Paul Grinder was always a bit of a loner for as long as I had known him and in the gig economy, contract-based existence that many of our membership exist in you can feel isolated from time to time and combined with the long hours, people’s mental health and sense of connection can suffer.

The guild is wanting to have more networking events and more speaker courses, and activities where our members can network interact and generally connect with others in their field outside work. If anyone has any ideas for speakers, activities, or events that the guild can put on, reach out to your branch committee members and pass it on.  Brendon Durey.

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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 Durey

PRESIDENT’S

IN FOCUS

Saddling up with Anna Low and Rory McTavish

By Rebecca Rowe and Rachael Rowe

“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and freedom.”

– Sharon Ralls Lemon

What is it about horses that makes some swoon and others marvel at the way they move? The flare of a nostril, a tail flick, heaven forbid a whinny and those damn eye lashes surrounding the biggest molten eyes that pierce through you to unveil your undying love and admiration to them. Or for some, the intimidation around such a large beast and then be asked to ride brings sheer panic and nausea. Whether you are an avid fan or live in fear of them, horses exhume a mystical presence that many other four legged creatures do not.

And yes we’ve all heard the archaic saying “never work with children and animals” but many would agree that any chance to be in the vicinity of working around horses becomes a highlight to your day to day existence.

Two people that couldn’t agree more are Horse Master’s Anna Low and Rory McTavish who have the privilege of building their career up around working with these majestic beauties. Together along with other companies have started a collective called NZ Film Horse Alliance. We asked them to share their fondest memories and career highlights as they look back on past experiences as part of New Zealand’s Film and TV industry.

Auckland based Anna Low (Mama Low Ltd) has worked with horses for 40 years,

22 of these have been in the Film and TV industry while also providing horse work for corporate and live events. A particular niche for Anna are medieval displays & competitive horse archery, something Anna excels at given she’s an ex NZ horse archery champion.

The success and experience of both has allowed Anna to travel around the country for competitions and re-enactments, both on and off camera. We asked Anna to tell us more...

Tell us about the Medieval work you do with horses.

Currently I lead a team of horses and riders that are experienced in skill at arms and performing live in front of an audience and we do medieval performance on film. Our horses are well trained war horses and we have alliances with Viva LA dirt league. We also work with First Scene and Propeller who supply costumes and dressings. As well as this work being a whole lot of fun, it’s given me contacts up and down the country for future re-enactments.

What’s been your latest shoot where the medieval style has been the focus?

We recently did a music video with Michael Murphy’s band, Written by Wolves.

We provided the Knights horses. We also performed at Medieval Madness, and showcased our horse archery team.

What’s been the most challenging role you’ve had to train a horse in?

That was Horse Master and Safety Supervisor on a Reality TV series My Big Fat Indian wedding for sure. It was a US / Indian Co production that was shot in New Zealand due to the bride being a Kiwi. Not much can match 14 horses, 40 wranglers, 1000 people, 8 helicopters and all being filmed live and beamed to 80 million people.

That was also my largest production and while we have since done many more weddings, none have been quite on that scale.

Equitana Auckland (Australasian largest equine event) was also quite challenging logistically. 60 presentations over 4 days with 6 horses, 8 riders and 10 wranglers.

How many horses do you currently have on your books, what breeds and what key capabilities do they have?

I have two hero horses, two up and coming heroes and two veterans who are now semi-retired. We have a type, rather than a breed. A NZ Stationbred. A stable nimble horse that is beautiful, powerful and supple. Stationbred is a term that describes the environment that it was brought up in rather than its breeding. The key capabilities of my horses, are what we also look for in our human

team! Being able to take direction under pressure, to perform when all eyes are on them all the while thriving in that spotlight. They also need to bring calm when chaos is all around them, and be always trusting, even when scared.

Outside of your own horses, do you have access to other horses when a Production requires numerous or specific horses?

Yes I have access to as many as I need NZ wide due to an alliance of horse trainers and wranglers. There’s a great network of companies working together to raise the profile of the NZ Film and crew. Working together helps showcase our experience and talents collectively to the domestic and international companies requiring our services. I have actually jumped between the Horse department and Transport department for about 15 years now also and have got to know most of the locations used in film very well. This helps us advise productions when they are considering using horses on set and how to move them round the country in a non-stressful, streamlined way.

What’s the most important aspect when creating a relationship with a horse when training it for a specific role?

The most important aspect of any role is time. Our live work has shown us the importance of prep. Nothing can substitute time.

In all of your years of experience what horse pops into your head and why?

Cruise, always Cruise. Cruise is my Percheron X Anchor Horse who’s been with me for 24 years and is now retired. He has taught me so much over the years. Cruise was the first horse to teach me a quiet horse is not in control, but an in control horse is always quiet. He's taken me round the country, and never missed a beat. He’s stable and reliable about grounding the other horses when sometimes they get anxious. He's had riders who have never touched a horse before ride him at a gallop with no saddle and bridle. He shares his energy with the crew and helps them learn that horses that are trained and prepped well are fit for purpose and love their jobs.

Anything you’d like to add Anna?

Our methods of training should be transparent and able to be scrutinized to the highest level. Training is continually upskilling and learning how to do things better. Things that benefit the animal as well as the trainer. The days of using animals as if they are machines is coming to an end thankfully.

Rory McTavish (Action Horse New Zealand) is based in North Canterbury and has over 20+ years’ experience as a professional horseman having worked in both the horse and stunt department all around the country. Within this time Rory has “started” around 1000 horses. He thrives on taking that young paddock ornament or wild St James horse and turning them into trusted mounts for people. Currently Rory has 8 film horses. They live with him, his wife and boys on their 10 acre block which leads out to the forest bordering Waikuku Beach. Clearly a hard life for Rory’s horses. We ask Rory about his work history, his horse abilities and his closest bond.

What are a couple of career highlights for you?

Prince Caspian. I really loved the adventure of it as it was my first time away on a feature with a couple of my own horses. I was watching Ricardo Cruise train horses for 3 months and then one day, Boom, the Stunt Department was short a few stunt riders so I went and asked Al Poppleton if I could join in and next thing I’m a Telmarine soldier. It was from there along with my fledgling horse skills and a few other talents I had picked up from various wild pastimes that I gained admittance to the NZ Stunt Guild.

Another was just recently as Horse master for a short film that was made right here in North Canterbury, ’The Meek’ directed by Gillian Ashurst. I really enjoyed this film for several reasons; I got to take a nice horse to set, supplied a good rider who is also training in the stunt industry so we could put forward some action. The small cast and crew thing was fantastic and yeah it felt pretty good to be doing the local thing in this beautiful region. If you haven’t seen this short, I encourage you to.

Is there a particular part of horse action or stunts that you and your horses specialise in?

No, I don't really have a distinction between my horses as in whether they are cast horses, stunt horses, liberty horses or what have you - my horses need to be versatile just like any film worker.

What is your key focus when faced with challenges in the Industry?

If we are to be honest there are tales of animal abuse in our industry, it's the ugly side no one talks about but it exists nonetheless. There is a saying amongst some horsemen, ‘When knowledge runs out, force begins’ which I don’t resonate with so I have purposely made it my business to learn as much as I can from both the young horses I’ve trained as well as the time spent with visiting Horse masters. Additionally on the ground I learn so much watching the person on the horse because this is in itself a conversation and I hear both sides. I

"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle."Winston Churchill

know now how to set the horse up to win, how to not over face the horse but to challenge them nonetheless, and how to make them want to do something for me rather than be too scared not to. This way when the heat really comes on, I am the one to steady the wild heart, to make them brave and confident because when the lights are on and the camera is rolling and all is a go in the chaos of a battle scene, it pays to remember that everyone is acting - except the horse. I would really like to see further supervision of the prepping of horses for film to ensure welfare issues are observed. I’d also like to see better cooperation between the Stunt and Horse departments again.

What’s the most important thing for you and your horses when performing on sets?

That would be preparation. Everyone (humans and horses) needs to know what’s being asked and when to play their part. There’s a saying ‘Proper preparation prevents poor performance.’

In all your years’ experience what horse do you have the strongest affinity with and why?

My favourite saddle horse is a big black Fresian ‘Wolf’. We were both born on December 19th with a few decades between us which I’ve always thought

this connection was a bit special. He was pretty feral when I went and brought him as a 3 year old but would now be the bravest and most versatile horse I have ever come across. Wolf loves to work both horses and cattle, I use him in ANZAC parades, on film sets right in the action. My 9 year old also loves riding him. He’s an absolute champ when we help run stunt riding schools with the awesome NZ Stunt School, and right now he’s working with Shooting Star Stunt Riding where he has learned trick riding and mounted archery to a high level. He’s got not a bad liberty run on him too!

Ok quick side-line question – what’s a liberty run??

A liberty run is where a horse is taught a movement pattern or tricks without a rider to assist.

Any last comments Rory?

I just want to say that I feel privileged to be part of this industry and grateful to have colleagues and friends like Dayna Grant (NZ Stunt School) and Anna Low, who as part of NZ Film Horse Alliance help champion the horse in movie land.

“In riding a horse, we borrow freedom” – Helen Thompson

WIDE ANGLE 20 Years of Guerilla Filmmaking48Hours

By Ruth Korver - National Manager - The Vista Foundation 48Hours

This year the Vista Foundation 48Hours film competition celebrates the 20th-year of guerilla filmmaking. It started in 2003 as a sidebar to the Becks Incredible Film Festival with just 44 teams in Auckland only, before expanding first to Wellington and eventually taking over the entire country.

about making filmmaking fun. Over 6000 shorts have been produced for 48Hours to date.

I’ve been co-managing the Vista Foundation 48Hours with Ness Patea for the last five years, but my first taste of 48hours was way back in 2005. MiniDV was the cutting edge of technology and we worked somewhere we could borrow a camera from. As a backup we had a Hi8 camera but didn’t want to use it. We had Antonia Prebble lined up to act (before she was famous) and Marty Williams ready to shoot it. We filmed most of the day, but the tape failed so we had to start from scratch mid afternoon. The film was below average and it didn’t make a load of sense but the team and I were hooked. We liked making films, but the adrenaline rush of the time pressure, the self

Brainchild of renegade producer/ director Ant Timpson, 48Hours was all about abandoning traditional pathways of funding and slow development and instead, diving headfirst into making a film. Risks, mistakes, fast decisions, new friendships, fallings out, failure and surprise success were the name of the game. Most of all, the competition is

confidence caused by a lack of sleep and perspective and making films with my mates was the best thing ever. 48Hours became an annual event to plan the year around and so spawned a number of not-so-great films, combined with amazing experiences.

After nine years of competing we did get better - nothing like practice to make you improve. I finally found myself in a winning team in 2013 and decided it was time to stop competing and work behind the scenes. I ended up co-managing Wellington before joining the national management squad with Ant Timpson and Ness Patea.

It's been an amazing journey and with a 20-year legacy, I meet so many people who have an association with the competition. Everyone has a story to tell about the 48Hours, and many people

attribute the competition to their current screen career or media job.

We interviewed the director of feature film ‘Snakeskin’, Gillian Ashurst, for the Future Filmmaker Workshops last week in Christchurch and she revealed her latest short film ‘The Meek’ was inspired by a 48Hours entry she did with her family a few years prior. YouTube sensations Viva La Dirt League came through the competition and are now making a living basically ‘making three 48hour films a week’ for their YouTube channel. With millions of views their comedy skits are super popular and just go to show you really can make a living doing what you love. Taika Waititi won in some of the early years of the competition and while we can’t claim all of the credit for his success he is one of many talented creatives who have cut their teeth over the adrenaline-filled weekend event.

20-years later, times have changed. MiniDV is well obsolete and everyone wants to submit a 4k version of their film. Teams shoot those 4k films on their phones. The access to technology and the ability to do complex post production on even simple home computers and tablets has upgraded the quality of films immeasurably. School kids turn up with production quality better than the winners from those early days.

What hasn’t changed though is the filmmakers. Keen, enthusiastic, experimental and filled with imaginative ideas, there is now a whole new generation on the path to making films.

We’re seeing category winners show up on the Civic Stage who weren’t even born before the competition began, and the children of successful filmmakers are making appearances - Kyle McNaughton and Kerry Warkia’s kids came second in Taranaki a few years ago. That pure joy of getting together and making your crazy idea into a film is still alive and well and the future of NZ film looks to be in capable hands.

The shoot weekend for 2022 is August 12th - 14th and registrations are open now at 48hours.co.nz.

Whether you’re a novice who has never made a short film, a filmmaker wanting to push yourself into a new challenge and take a risk or you want to bring the old team together for nostalgic reasons, we would love to see you in the 20th year of the Vista Foundation 48Hours film competition, we want this year’s competition to be the best one yet!

For the 20th anniversary year we’ve got a prize pool of over $90,000 with an incredible top prize for the grand final winner. The Grand National Champ in 2022 will win the Grand National Champion APEE, $15,000 cash prize ($12k from Wingnut, $2k from Viva La Dirt League), $20,000 worth of post production services from Park Road Post*, $15,000 worth of gear hire from Portsmouth Film Equipment Rental*, $10,000 of licensed music from West One Music*, 1-year Digital Pigeon Professional subscription (valued at US $900 a year). There are loads of other prizes too - all listed on our website.

*T and Cs will apply.

TECHOSPHERE

Get a Grip, The Dolly Shop, Love your Grip and GripHQ –these are names you still see on gear being used around the industry.

Who owns all this kit now and why do people keep saying, “just take those back to Penrose”?

For most of you, these names are familiar and its no mystery how they all came to live under the one roof in Cain Rd, Penrose. But for those who are still wondering where to return them to, we thought we’d say Hi, introduce ourselves and explain how these four names all came to live here in one place.

As with most departments in the film industry, gear is accumulated overtime. Each job requires something different and with Kiwi’s can-do attitude and a key grips basic understanding of engineering, unique equipment is created and a weird & wonderful name attached to it, Filmed with a ‘wok’ anyone?

Thanks to a cumulative effort and hard work from many Grips over the years, the result is an accumulation of a lot of gear. It’s a lot of scaff pipe, it’s a lot of clamps, it's a lot of weird and wonderful adaptors, offsets, bowls and boss adaptors and let's be honest it’s a shit load of wedges. When you put these grip dept staples together with equipment such as sliders, dutch heads, dollies, jibs & cranes it all goes towards the kit being available for all to use.

When Tony Keddy Aka “Spotty” bought all of this equipment together under one roof, it was a chance to make the gear available in large numbers to the industry – somewhere that ensured the kit was available for everyone, from one point of contact rather than inside trucks spread across the country at varying locations.

Welcome to GripHQ. With Spotty as Managing Director, Derek Slade as General Manager and Ange Hume on board as Operations Manager, we want to continue to support the industry as a supplier of great Grip equipment.

So what's in the pipeline for GripHQ? Well, we don’t want to stop at just being a supplier, GripHQ wants to also focus on education – the team all believe in sharing knowledge, teaching by showing and encouraging people from all works of life to step in and get involved. Knowledge is power, and more importantly knowledge brings confidence. So, GripHQ together with Share the Knowledge, (a not for profit organisation) who work together with industry experts to provide specialised training courses for NZ Screen industry professionals, want to invest time into giving back and helping to encourage new and upcoming talent into the industry.

It’s not just knowledge that we can share, we also want to make sure the very latest equipment is available to all levels of the

industry. This strengthens the skillsets NZ can offer and we firmly believe in looking forward and fostering the talent that exists here. By growing our equipment list, we can let people have a go, by stepping up and supporting them as they transition from one position to the next. Stepping up and trying new things can be a daunting experience but we strongly believe encouraging and supporting people to broaden their skillsets will benefit the industry immensely.

GripHQ has invested significantly in Techno Cranes & Techno Tanks amongst other things, but without trying to sound like a promo ad, please know, these investments have been made in you –the industry.

However a common theme we hear is “is it ok, If we just want the gear and not your crew?” – it sure is.

If you want to come in and grab some advice as to how what and where your particular shot can be achieved – please, come on down, let's have a coffee and a yarn and see what kit is the best for your job. As a stalwart of the industry, most grips have trained with Spotty in one way or another. With a talent for challenging people’s mindsets to increase their potential, it means that GripHQ has an arsenal of talented and very clever crew that we can point you towards.

GripHQ now has over 45yrs collectively of industry knowledge in house. And of course, it’s a family affair, with Ange & Kana based in the Penrose warehouse, they have now been joined by Levi Keddy who has made the move from Wellington to see what all the fuss is about up here in Auckland & Jack Keddy makes the trip regularly from wellington to join the crew. Between Spotty’s experience & knowledge of the world of gripping, Derek’s business & technical expertise, Ange’s experience as an industry supplier and of course that arsenal of talented and very clever crew we mentioned earlier - we really hope we can help support your project soon.

With four fully kitted grip trucks, four dunnage trucks, mobile engineering workshop, a fleet of transport vehicles, eight technocranes, three fixed length cranes, dollies and a multitude of sliders,

GripHQ has certainly come of age. You may have seen one of the GripHQ fleet out and about - we’re pretty big on branding and we hope you like it. We’re proud of the fleet and the equipment they are used to transport, that we are lucky enough to represent here in New Zealand, so we put our name on it. If you see one of the trucks around, please make sure to come on over and say hi, we’d love to meet you.

But as much as we like our branding, rest assured we are in no hurry to rebrand the pieces of Dolly Shop, Love your Grip & Get a Grip kit that reflect the history and acknowledge the years of dedication to the industry (actually, its just that we can’t find the engraver). We hope it continues to tell the story of many, many amazing Grip departments over the years and continues to remind people of what crazy things can be achieved and built, if and when needed.

IN MEMORY OF Paul Chattington

I first met Paul at Avalon, TVNZ, when he was transferred to the Film Sound Department. He joined me on several training occasions recording news and current affairs items. That was in the early 1980s.

It wasn’t until much later that we met again, by which time he had left TV and was entering the world of the freelancer. I was well established in the Wellington film sound scene by this time, and whenever a production needed a 2nd unit recordist, or I needed someone to take over my position, I called Paul. He was friendly, jovial, a team player but most importantly, he listened. I could always rely on him to turn in a great sounding product.

He also found his niche in documentaries. Became highly regarded by doco producers and directors. On those shows, a mutual respect is needed between cameraman and soundman. Paul always gained that respect and gave back as good as he got.

It was with OB sport crews however that he was most comfortable and confident. All major sporting events in New Zealand had Chats on site, and many overseas events such as the Americas Cup. He was a true professional who loved his craft.

A thoroughly good bloke, excellent sound man, loving husband and father. Faded out much too soon.

Ken Saville

Paul Chattington - Chatts - was a long serving and enormously well-liked and respected member of the Wellington, New Zealand and international film-making community.

After arriving from England as a child with his parents, Chatts grew up in Wainuiomata and secured a job at the new Avalon Studios as a school leaver. He worked in many departments - especially in lighting - as was normal at the time, before he and the sound department found each other.

Paul was something of a natural for the sound department. Although he maybe didn't even realise it himself, he had a great gift for listening and for picking up the details of any conversation or soundscape he was exposed to. Maybe a childhood spent living with dyslexia, struggling at school even though he was a naturally bright and attentive boy, turned out to be his sound-recording superpower.

Paul worked consistently in drama, news and current affairs - he had stories about what went on behind the scenes at Telethon that will never be told - before the job began to take him all around the world. Paul travelled to Australia, the USA, the UK, France and most of Europe, Thailand and much of Asia. All the while, he delivered perfectly recorded dialogue

and soundtracks every time. The skill and compassion he brought to this sensitive and detailed work were well known.

For the drama department of TVNZ, Paul was entrusted with recording episodes of Marching Girls, Pioneer Women and most of the other premium local content of the time.

After TVNZ - back when that organisation decided that the way forward was to make its key crew redundant and re-hire them as contractors - Paul became a mainstay at Sky Sport. The work took him all over New Zealand - again - as he recorded international cricket and rugby, and then around the world for Football World Cups, the Commonwealth

and Olympic Games - and then the Americas Cup, from which Chats gathered even more brilliant yarns.

Chatts eventually spent his entire working life in film and sound. He travelled the world, met Judith - his first girlfriend, who would become his wife and life-time companion, and together they became parents to Amy, Emma and Simon, and Grand Parents to Ryan, Indie and Piper.

Chatts was a true gentleman of the industry, a valued and trusted colleague and an absolutely lovely bloke. Go well.

IN MEMORY OF Paul Grinder

Grinder: facts and figures. I did a quick count off his CV and came up with 30 features and 350+ episodes of TV and that’s a HUGE presence to have in our industry – location manager, 3rd AD, 2nd AD, 1st AD, 2nd unit director, main unit director, associate producer, co-producer = AMAZING!

He and I first worked together in 1995 on ‘Hercules -The Legendary Journeys’ and as part of Pacific Renaissance Pictures and this continued through ‘Xena-Warrior Princess’, ‘Boogeyman’, ’30 Days Of Night’ and ‘Spartacus’, which ended principal in 2012. The Grinder contribution to the Pacific Renaissance legacy is enormous, acknowledged and never forgotten.

As for his tangential contribution to my own roles – I always appreciated his conversational openers such as “I am about to state something egg-suckingly obvious” or “out of whack” or “above my pay grade” and then there was some strange looping metaphor about a turnip, a pig, a bowl of soup and a feature script that came in at 311 scenes …….

The joy of Grinder was that the egg-suckingly obvious problem was always followed by a

clear fixup and, while often left of field, he was never wrong.

He thrived on being a problem solver –whether it was shuffling a schedule or stirring up the crowd in the Gladiatorial Arena with his cane – the head for cheers, the tail for boos. He loved being a part of our industry. But - Grinder was also Paul who is a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend and his service reminded that we all exist in several families and that, at the end of the day, we are about being loved.

Chloe Smith

I first met Paul on the last season of Spartacus, but got to know him when he invited me to work on a pirate show in Cape Town. We became close friends during that 4 year stint and he became incredibly close with my family. He was considered the favourite uncle who spoiled my boys with birthday gifts, and embarrassed me with mother’s day presents for my wife.

To most of us Paul was considered the film maker with the crazy but brilliant ideas.

He challenged us as film makers. There was always a new or better way, sometimes a more complicated and bloody stupid way, but more often than not, a way that was far more interesting. He taught us to think “how could this be better”. Just because we’d been doing it a certain way for years didn’t mean it was the right way. No, he invited us to look outside the box. This attitude certainly brushed off on me and many others, and made us better at what we do.

Paul was generous with his knowledge. He was always thinking of a way to keep training his AD team. In Cape Town when he set up the AD department he was adamant the juniors didn’t settle into one job. He wanted the AD’s to be always upskilling and encouraged those he trained to go outside their comfort zone and explore their abilities. It was a selfless act to make other people better at their jobs. The AD’s that trained under Paul Grinder will be some of the best out there.

Paul was a man of many interests. In Cape Town, not a weekend went by where Paul

wasn’t off to a music store. But not in a mall, where there was an abundance of security. No, No, No. Paul found music stores in all the dodgy areas. One day I went with him to one of his favourite second hand record stores in a part of town where westerners weren’t overly welcomed. This didn’t bother him one bit. Up the busy streets and through market stalls he strode, bobbing away at 6’3” with his blazing white hair; head and shoulders above everyone. Heads were turning with every step. His confidence was his security in this part of town. When we got to the record store he was welcomed like a long lost friend. He had a way of connecting with people from all walks of life. An understanding that was met with respect.

Paul had a huge amount of hobbies that would take him on crazy adventures. Hobbies from art, photography, travel, food, to music. And of course film. Most weekends he’d be off to a festival, or attending a carnival, or rifling through stacks of records in music stores only the brave would consider. He travelled to places most people have never even heard of.

Again Paul wasn’t looking for the norm with his hobbies, he was looking for a stimulation most of us didn’t know existed.

If you ever met Paul it was always very interesting, but if you got to know this quirky man your world was opened up just a little more. Rest in peace Paul. You will be remembered as a pioneer in the NZ film industry, a thought provoker, an adventure for the arts, and an awesome buddy.

Edd Bennetto

Paul Grinder was my classmate for five years from 1975, when we both attended St Pauls Collegiate School as boarders.

Paul and I shared a love of theatre and the arts. We were together in the school debating team and we participated in all the school productions of plays, musicals and other dramatised events.

Sometimes we performed together on stage, and always we shared various duties behind the scenes, such as prop-making; costume making; and set building.

One time we produced Eugene Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros”, for which I made a two-man papier maché rhinoceros suit. I wore the head and front legs and Paul wore the body and rear legs.

After we left school Paul and I attended university and flatted together in Auckland.

Paul became a regular contributor to the Auckland university student magazine, Craccum. Paul's “press pass” secured us some free passes to many memorable Tall Dwarves and other concerts.

After completing our degrees, Paul and I both worked for a time at Theatre Corporate in Cross Street - Paul was in the acting troupe and I designed theatre sets.

At this time the 1981 Springbok rugby tour took place. Typically, Paul was amongst the first to sign up to committed organised action to halt the tour.

Paul was one of the few dozen protestors who managed to invade the pitch at Hamilton which lead to the match being cancelled. It must have been terrifying for him to break through the police lines, then have to be protected by those same police from the increasingly angry and violent tour supporters in the stadium. Paul became one of John Minto’s co-leaders at all of the remaining 15 Springbok matches that year. He was the leader of ‘Blue Squad’ one of the front-line anti-tour activists. Paul was subjected to increasingly brutal Police riot squad actions. Despite being protected by cricket pads, a motorcycle helmet and home-made body armour, Paul was often injured and at least once had to attend the emergency ward for treatment to his wounds. Paul was undaunted and attended every single match of the tour.

Alistair Kay

REGIONAL WRAP

Take one – Auckland

The leaves have fallen, and the days are short, and it’s time to hunker down for the colder months.  The Auckland industry seems to be humming along nicely with lots of longform productions in full swing, and a few more lining up outside the door ready to kick off within the next twelve months.  It’s a promising thing to drive around Auckland and see some of the construction/reconstruction of a few of the studio facilities, getting geared up for even more work.  Covid has been particularly cruel to the commercial market however, and it seems to be taking a little longer to get back up off its knees.

TVCs have struggled to navigate its way through the ever-changing Covid restrictions and requirements in terms of health and safety, and navigating exposure risk along with crew replacement in the event of key crew falling ill, but none the less we are an adaptive bunch of people who think nothing of looking outside the box for innovative solutions.

The Screen Industry Guild has been working alongside SPADA and NZAPG

(NZ Advertising Producers Group) to update our wonderful Blue Book guidelines which effect your base terms and conditions of engagement with productions, for example the fact you can charge travel time, late lunch penalty, overtime, midnight loading or additional rates for working on public holidays.

Although some productions will vary their contracts with individual crew on a project-by-project basis the Blue Book as proved to be one of the most valuable assets in our toolkit and is referred to daily by hundreds of producers and crew alike.

It is the hard work of a very few volunteers in the Guild that have furnished you with the guidelines of employment that you enjoy, so I’d ask you to encourage any of your peers who are not members to consider contributing to the conditions they also enjoy charging for by becoming a member of the Guild too.

Sioux Macdonald, Guild vice president and executive committee member

Take two – Bay of Plenty

How wonderful is has been to see Matariki, the start of the Māori New Year, being celebrated across New Zealand. We have had some clear mornings which has made for easy star-gazing of the small pulsating collection of stars just above the north eastern horizon.

The Māori New Year, is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead.

Our team, Jade, Tracy and Elysia, have celebrated our first year being responsible for all that encompasses.

It has been an incredible journey of learning, discovery, connecting and creating. Covid presented some challenges but it also provided many opportunities, one being the advantage of our location in proximity to Auckland. By taking advantage of this we have seen a significant increase in inquiries. This increase into the Tauranga district has enabled them to allocate a dedicated film representative to focus on permitting requirements. Debbie Currin is incredible and will go the extra mile to get what’s needed done.

Film Bay of Plenty workshops have started up again. It's exciting to all be physically present again. These workshops are there for us all to up-skill and to network with other keen screen industry crew. We are mapping out the year so join our mailing list or social media to be kept up to date with announcements.

We are going into our next financial year with more confidence, wisdom and direction.

Working collaboratively with our local Bay of Plenty screen community, Board members, the 10 RFONZ offices and local Government and stakeholders, we are showcasing just how important the screen sector is to New Zealand's economic development.

As stated in a recent document from the 10 RFONZ (Regional Film Offices of NZ) to MBIE and MCH on the review of government investment in the screen sector. "The screen sector is the flagbearer of a resilient cultural sector that, as Minister Carmel Sepuloni recently stated, brings excitement, comfort and joy in difficult times; it is the soul of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Additionally, the sector is a significant contributor to

Aotearoa’s economic activity and a generator of high-quality jobs for New Zealanders."

And the response from RFONZ Chair Jasmine Millet: "Scale is where the production world is headed. This is a historic time for the industry. Never in the history of film and TV has so much content been made and it’s not just the quantity it’s the quality of the content. I do believe this is the true golden age of storytelling and content creation.

This is only good news if we believe that: - the creative community can continue to come up with enough quality engaging content - we have the ability to execute to produce that content

Lastly and by no means least we are excited to announce new Board members. We give thanks and say goodbye to Paula Jones, who has been with Film Bay of Plenty since it’s inception. Paula has been a valuable asset to Film Bay of Plenty and has worked tirelessly to bring industry training through the Tohea program to fruition.

Our new Board members are Sharon Menzies – CEO Fulcrum Media, Kelly Martin – CEO South Pacific Pictures and Micah Winiata – Producer/Director. We look forward to what the new members bring to the table and what this means for the industry in the Bay.

Ma tatou te kāinga nei e whakanui, e whakatuara i te ao kiriata nei.

Let's make our home the place to film. Let's collaborate, increase capability and content, celebrate culture, and contribute to a growing industry here in the Bay and across New Zealand.

Jade Kent and all the crew at Film BOP

Take three – Wellington

I think this second quarter of the year is when we really felt the city and the industry come back to life. There are several TVC shoots happening right now, as well as a couple of dramas, a few documentary shoots and also the apparently endless Avatar pick-ups still ongoing.

A late run of beautiful, calm and blueskied weather was a real bonus for shoots, but by mid-June, even the most die-hard Wellington fanatics had to admit that the winter had arrived.

But still, we are taking calls at Crew Wellington every day for locations and

crews. for projects that are either quoting, or definitely arriving in the next few weeks.

And, rumours of another very large announcement to come areas always - circulating.

Winter is never as busy as Spring and Summer. But, because of how disrupted the last two years have been, this still feels like a fairly decent time to be in Wellington. And the summer to come should see us back to a 2019 work-load. Fingers crossed.

Keep your CV's up to date, and stay safe, GT and Crew Wellington

Take four – Christchurch

Well, someone flicked a switch, and our sunny park location went from idyllic to mud pit. Welcome to Winter.

With snow on the mountains now those early morning starts seem tougher and tougher. But there’s plenty of work to keep the region warm.

Our regional incentive has landed feature docos, feature drama and a thriller of a tv series based on a Paul Cleave novel all to commence shooting here shortly.

Many thanks to outgoing head of Screen Canterbury NZ, Bree Loverich for getting the ball rolling here, and a big welcome to Petrina D’Rozario taking her place.

Commercials world hasn’t stopped to notice the weather change it seems with

most shoots needing sunny days and everyone fighting for the same dates. Covid has played a large part in all of this forcing productions to aim for contingency plan D or E in some cases when crew or talent or locations become unavailable. But as ever, we adapt and produce the goods. A skill, I think, that runs thought out the industry. Looking forward to seeing as many of the Christchurch crew at the midwinter social, but until then, stay safe and catch you on set.

Zac Beckett-Knight.

Take

five – Queenstown

Winter has come and Queenstown is ready for the influx. Well, apart from no staff, no parking, too many stalled roadworks, and the increasingly paralysing cost of living. But the film biz has been constant since January with several TV shows being shot simultaneously. I had the privilege to work on both ‘Under the Vines’ (S2) and ‘One Lane Bridge’ (S3). It’s been great to see the proof that we can pull off multiple shoots at the same time. Everybody does know how to pool resources and communicate to make it work together.

‘Under the Vines’ was a delight to work on, from the locals smiling away as we took over Clyde, to the cast and crew relaxing in the shade from the Central Otago sunshine. A lot of the team had worked together last season and us newcomers had a lot of support to slot in and help make this a productive shoot. We had a little preview party and it looks gorgeous. The Art and Lighting Depts have really hit the mark and this whole story has come to life again, even more beautifully. It’s a great little light entertainment show where the cast have immersed themselves so completely. There were a couple of snags to untangle along the way but producers, Michelle Turner and Paul Yates were very approachable and ready to roll with the punches. Toby Mills stepped in on Locations again from season one and did a great job with the new locations as well as the established ones. Henry Youngman was absolutely at home in his on-set Locations role, and as is often the case, the Costume Dept were perfect playmates for all of us, both on and off set.

The production was ready for any Covid related contingency but we were lucky enough to have minimal impact from the disease. I think that was another benefit to being outside in the beautiful Central Otago air for six weeks.

To Mt Soho now, and the team on ‘Masterchef ‘ have told me that the producers were hugely impressed with the final product and the flexibility and talent of the local expertise. Queenstown was a star both as a location and as the provider of an experienced and knowledgeable crew. Tourism NZ shot another ad throughout the country, culminating in an exquisitely moody Milford Sound moment. Production manager, Jane McCurdy once again managed about 4 different roles along with co- ordinating private flights to swiftly move the creative team all over the countryside. This shoot is hopefully a pre-game that signals the return of commercials to the area. It will be interesting to see the commercial shoots coming back to Queenstown in what could be deemed a post TVC world.

A big clap of “Well Done Team!” to the ‘One Lane Bridge’ production and crew. There were many huddles, emergency meetings, juggling/un-juggling and “ Right, we can make this work” affirmations as the shoot went by. Pip Hall had constant challenges from the beginning with story rewrites and cast changes, there was also Covid to test her ability to constantly re-create and in the end, a snowstorm to contend with.

Producers, Lisa Chatfield and Luke Robinson were there to make it all happen

and enabled a supportive culture from the top down. There were a lot of returning local crew that know well the ebb and flow of making this show in our challenging environment and they were constantly able to bring the story to the camera. The cast too always delivered- Dom and Phoebe, your constant humour and easy way of being was appreciated by everyone, every day on set.

Lastly, Covid fatigue is real. I swung a truck to Auckland in May and noticed the lack of mask wearing in the supercity compared to the southern cities.

Auckland bore the brunt of last year’s lockdown. Our Covid response, our economy and our geography attributed to

the loss of the big shows in the city. The extended lockdown, and more people now recovered from the virus, has left a palpable Let’s-get-on-with-it vibe in the city. You did a good job though- it bought us time and allowed us a less volatile strain of Covid 19 to learn to live with. Auckland is a resilient town with a huge amount of talented crew and infrastructure to make the next opportunities work.

Anyway, I will wrap up this wrap on the last day of my self isolation. Yep, I tested Covid positive last week. Good timing really though, I’m ready for action.

Kim Godby

Take six – Dunedin

Winter has dawned its frosty tips on our windscreens and driveways but that does not mean filmmaking has been given the cold shoulder. Far from it!

Breaking the ice earlier this month were three TVC’s & two Music Videos.

We also had two short films near completion of post-production (Millie Cossou & Jacinta Compton’s The Lamb, The Girl and The Man and Legal Fictions Canvass) while another local short continues to gain international success as it hits the festivals (Rebecca Tansley and Sue Marshall’s The Finding). We toast (marshmallows) to their continued success.

A couple more local content creators may have cold hands but no doubt warm

hearts, as they secure funding this quarter. Writer / Director David Hay received NZFC early development funding for his upcoming feature The High Road. Writer / Director Glenn Standring’s feature Babylon was one of the nine projects selected for Te Puna Kairangi (Premium Production Funding). For those of you who think it’d be when hell freezes over before you see any financial assistance, put that thought on

ice and be encouraged by the efforts of two additional content creators in town effectively raising their own international investments for future projects. Bundle up and watch this space for more on that.

Let us not leave FOS and DCC out in the cold as we give gratitude for their continued support to filmmakers with opportunities of on the ground upskill work placements, script consulters and assistance for Event premiere attendance.

Out with the (c)old and in with the new for NHNZ Worldwide team who will be snug as a bug in a rug in their new premises in Stuart Street. The frosting on the cake in that they have chosen

NEW MEMBERS

to leave behind their Post Production facilities fully operational at Melville Street. DCC’s film coordinator Antony Deaker slips into a new role at the Council as interviews take place for his replacement. Break a leg to whoever gets the job!

We were snowed under with several Screen workshops in town. Big thanks to Dale Corlett, Ness Patea, Ruth Korver, Dan Eady and others for their contributions towards these. It is but the tip of the iceberg as we hear of future workshops being lined up for the 2nd half of the year.

Yes indeedee, all of this has a snowball effect for more discussions around Studio Facilities and Production spaces especially no doubt as we see a Domestic Feature and International TV series coming to the Region at the same time in the season ahead.

Alright already, the incessant overuse of winter idioms must be (ice) capped.. it’s time for my chill pill…. Rebecca Rowe

Join us in giving our new members a warm welcome!

Zoe Crook: Auckland Production

Christopher Stratton: Auckland Art

Ross McKay: Auckland VFX

Aaron Levi: Auckland Art

Sean Rundle: Auckland Camera

Sophie Musgrove: Auckland AD

Tom Davis: Auckland Grips

Lisa Prestt: Auckland AD

Simon Bevington: Auckland Art

Bob Buck: Wellington Costume

Nigel Gordon-Crosby: Wellington Sound

Lachlan Crane: Wellington Sound

Adam Martin: Queenstown Sound

Matthew Stott: Queenstown FX

NEWBIE PROFILE

What led to you joining the film industry?

I travelled extensively during my childhood, which nurtured my sense of adventure and imagination. I love getting lost in new stories, places, cultures and lives which are different to my own, whether on the street of a new country, a TV screen or in the pages of a book. My enjoyment of stories and how they are shared eventually led me to behind the scene videos and blooper reels of the films I adored. The whole environment fascinated me, and looked like a lot of fun! I just wanted to be part of it.

Why have you decided to join the Guild now?

In an industry full of so many creative people and ambitious ideas, I think we need some structure to ground ourselves. I believe the Guild is helping to create this and steer the industry in a more positive direction, which will benefit everyone.

What do you hope to achieve in the industry - what is your dream gig?

I love working as an AD and thrive being in the midst of it, talking and working with every department and facing new challenges, so being a 1st AD is the goal. As for the dream gig, that's hard to say, my imagination is endless! To first a fantasy or sci-fi project would be thrilling, as they are my favorite genres, but I also love the idea of travelling overseas to work in Europe. Overall I enjoy any job with great ideas, creative people and a good cup of coffee!

What would you like to see changed or improved in the NZ industry?

I'd like to see more culturally diverse stories to be told in NZ. It's great to see more amazing stories from diverse backgrounds being created, but the

well is deep and there are so many fascinating cultures out there to explore and learn about.

What work were you doing before film? What does this earlier experience contribute to the way you work now?

On a whim, I went straight from school to studying Film & TV at university (much to my parents surprise), and then worked my way into the industry. I took countless part time jobs to support my journey, from stacking freezers to coaching tennis and selling limoncello. It took years of perseverance for me to get my first 3rd AD position, and that makes me appreciate every opportunity even more. The hard yards gave me a thick skin and the determination to succeed, making me very focused and dedicated to my craft.

Lisa Presst has joined the Guild. Welcome!

CREW