Onfilm November 2010

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N Z ’ S S C REEN P RO D U C T I ON I N D U S T R Y M A G A Z I NE

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Journey

into light

Michael Bennett & Fiona Copland on making gritty yet uplifting Matariki Plus 9 421902 251047

Outrageous Fortune’s writers on creating a classic Kiwi series, a personal perspective on The Hobbit, & more

Pointing Kiwi filmmakers in the right direction.

We’re here for NZ filmmakers, and with the network of regional film offices we can give you all the info and advice you need - from locations to equipment, from crews to council permits. We’ve been in the business for 16 years now, so we’ve got plenty of knowledge that you can tap into. Our new offices are at 165 Tory Street, Wellington, so whether your project is a New Zealand or international production, our doors are always open. Visit us and the regional film offices and find out what we can do for you.

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contents NOVEMBER 2010

Views 4 Doug Coutts mutters darkly about matters pertaining to

Matamata; Andy Conlan directs his jaundiced gaze at wannabe filmmakers; expat trans-Tasman man of mystery James Bondi reports from the gizzard of Oz; and Martin Rumsby profiles Campbell Walker.

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Beginners’ guide to boilerplate

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Moving images

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Guiding lights

14 Cover: Iaheto Ah Hi in a scene from feature film Matariki, which opens nationwide on 18 November. Photo: Kirsty Griffin

The devil is very much in the detail when it comes to interpreting contracts. Fortunately, David McLaughlin is here to help.

The audio visual medium’s ability to stir emotions is without question, writes Tim Thorpe. What those emotions might be is sometimes less clear.

Sean O’Neill, gaffer and owner-operator of Avalanche Lighting, talks business and pleasure.

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Passion & professionalism

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Matariki shines at Toronto

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Outrageous behaviour

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Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor talks to Ande Schurr about passion, riding out the quiet patches, and the purpose of business.

Kerry Doole reports on the reception enjoyed by Matariki at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Creators Rachel Lang and James Griffin and writer Tim Balme talk about making a classic Kiwi TV series called Outrageous Fortune.

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The Shire schism

Lawyer Tim Riley treads where angels fear to, giving his perspective on The Hobbit dispute.

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Softening the blow

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Before, during & After the Waterfall II

Technological advances and increasing professionalism are changing the insurance market for the screen production industry, reports Peter Parnham.

Concluding our interview with writer-director Simone Horrocks about making her feature film debut, After the Waterfall.

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Production listings

Volume 27, Number 11

Est 1983

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NOVEMber 2010

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w e i v e t a A priv Nothing really Matamatas to me It’s been a rough couple of months for the good people of Matamata as they’ve sat on by doug coutts the edge of their hay bales, chewing their fingernails down to the knuckles, waiting to find if their little Waikato town will have a future, or if they’ll all have to go back to their real jobs, like farming or accounting or retailing or cattle rustling.

That there’s money in tourism is undeniable, and for the Matamata townsfolk the thought of putting all those Toyota Hiace minivans up on blocks, trying to flog the t-shirt presses on TradeMe and never again telling tall stories about the time Gandalf wore his wizard costume into the Cossie Club was almost too much to bear.

Thankfully sense of some sort has prevailed and as surely as the valleys of Hobbiton will ring with the most ancient and interminable of elvish chants, the cash registers in the main street will ring too, first with a trickle of per diems and then with a veritable flood of tourist dollars, euros, yen, and tap washers.

(Those Aussies – they will try it on!)

Yea verily, it will happen thus.

That it’s happening at all is a tribute to the tenacity of … well, quite a few, really. First of all, those who managed to make it past page 12 of the book (which rules this writer out) and thought it would make a good fillum. Then, those who thought there were at least two movies, plus merchandising

opportunities. And finally, all those who thought this was a pretty bloody good bandwagon to stay on, especially as there was no other form of transport, apart from Shanks’ pony, going anywhere.

There have been, as you’d expect, winners and losers. The winners’ list is headed by Brian and Trevor Warner, who’ve managed to negotiate tax incentives, free groceries and the promise of legislation to ensure that anyone who quibbles about overtime will lose a hand or, worse, a chance to put a big fat credit on their CV. The next biggest winner is the Government Tourist Bureau, whose grey-suited pen pushers will lead the charge for the tourist dollar on the back of the successful Hobbit films, as they did when visitors flocked to Miramar Wharf and Seaview after King Kong. Not to mention the royalties on the 40-year-old This Is New Zealand footage they’ll get to splice onto the end of every DVD sold.

The big losers, apart from the concepts of common-sense, justice and truth, are the actors. Not just the evilly misguided few who tried to hold the entire civilised world to ransom on a hell-bent and selfish crusade for riches beyond measure (and who’ll now find it hard to get work as extras in a free-range egg commercial) but all actors. The rest of the Industry has made its disdain for “the talent” abundantly clear – props with legs, moveable clothes-horses who get told where to stand and what to say – the contempt that has dared not speak its name is now out in the open.

And somewhere in between the

victors and the spoiled lie the dazed and confused. We have our own Howard Hughes hiding away behind drawn curtains (the rest of the furniture is CGI’d) communicating with the world through email, fax and semaphore. There’s the studio boss who organised a march of his staff, sorry contractors, against their sometime colleagues in a move akin to the Prime Minister of Japan holding an anti-whaling demo, or a mine owner sending out his pit ponies to trample over miners’ vegie patches. And of course there’s the shot that rang around the world – the footage of some hapless film graduate holding

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up a sign saying he’d work for free.

That’s going to work well for him once the Warners leave town and the film industry goes back to its normal state – where crews donate their labour either on the promise of a real job next time round or because it’s a noble thing to pass your accumulated experience, not to mention expensive equipment, on to the next generation.

At the end of the day, all that matters is a tiny insignificant dot on the map has its livelihood back, even if it’s only for a limited time.

And the folks in Matamata must be happy too.

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e t o n s ’ d E Smells like teen spirits

Andy Conlan’s view

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s you may have noted, I didn’t make good on my threat/promise in the last issue to pontificate about The Hobbit dispute on our relatively shiny and adequate new website. Partly because I was somewhat bewildered about the whys and wherefores of the chain of events, but mainly because I decided the prudent approach was one of ‘first do no harm’, which from my point of view entailed shutting the hell up.

A week after the deal was finally done I remain undecided about what the hell really happened. I certainly don’t understand why the decision was made to play the issue out in the media – from where I was sitting, each over-heated press release and counter-claim simply added to a (largely inaccurate) image of a sector beset by industrial turmoil, which was counter-productive, surely?

Ah well, it looks like finally forming a view will be a wee summer holiday project for me. I don’t imagine I’ll be getting many answers from The Hobbit panel at the SPADA conference – given the announced line-up, it seems more likely it’ll be a live illustration of the idea that history is written by the victors. (Er, folks? The apparent inability to acknowledge differing perspectives helped set the stoush off in the first place.) That said, I hope to be proved wrong by a discussion that’s fair and balanced – and not in a Fox News kind of way…

While I continue to hedge my bets, however, lawyer Tim Riley has a definite point of view about the issue – by all means turn to page 22. The views expressed yadda yadda yadda… That said, one thing on which I’m in complete agreement with Riley is the clear business benefits of a more standardised approach to contracts – and, as the former editor and deputy editor of, respectively, NZ Business and NZ Management magazines, I do claim some received wisdom in this area.

Seems to me the insistence on the need for “flexibility” in industry contracts is often an invitation to inefficiencies, and worse – sometimes it’s a euphemism for the opportunity to, in charitable terms, screw down the other guy or gal and, in uncharitable, simply screw ’em. This is no way to engender the ongoing goodwill on which the industry thrives – the former at best gets extremely tiresome very quickly, while the latter is a recipe for the kind of bitterness and resentment we’ve seen enough of, thanks.

My last observation about ‘The Hobbit war’ for now is that if one subscribes to the view that the NZ screen production industry is in its adolescence, then this sorry episode would represent the first time we got stuck into the parents’ liquor cabinet. Thanks goodness we just threw up on the rug and didn’t burn the whole bloody house down, eh…

Although they’ve been eclipsed by the Halfling hysteria, there have been a number of positive and exciting announcements regarding the NZ screen sector over the past month: the production of two local feature films, MediaWorks TV’s bold new strategy, the likelihood that Avatar II & III will mainly be made in Wellywood, the four successful Escalator filmmaking teams, a clutch of wins at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, and much more.

Most if not all of this is covered on the aforementioned new website, which is coming along pretty nicely for the most part. There are a few bells and whistles not

working – visitors can’t yet post comments, for instance. Given some of the vile bile I recently saw spewed on various interweb forums, however, I have to say I’m actually rather grateful for that. (I fear there are a fair few industry members who will be haunted by their intemperate remarks, the immediacy of the internet being matched only by its permanence.)

A permanent record of another sort is Vincent Ward’s new book, The Past Awaits, a copy of which has just arrived (it’s released mid-November). I’m a big fan of his previous book, Edge of the Earth, so can’t wait to get started on this one. Read about it in the next issue or, quite likely, sooner on the website…

– Nick Grant

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Views

h c t i D e h Acrosst Our expat spy provides his idiosyncratic take on the Aussie film and television industry.

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ustralia is gearing up for the biggest offshore production we’ve had here in years:

by JAMES BONDI The Oprah Winfrey Show Downunder. Preparations are on the scale of a Royal or Presidential tour. Rumours are the Prime Minister, The Honourable Julia Gillard, will meet with Oprah personally and that the PM may even personally know someone who personally knows one of her staffers!

After a tense period of “will she… won’t she”, the relief was palpable when adoring fans came to believe their heroine might finally be within touching distance. Okay, so it’s going to cost the Aussie taxpayer about A$4 million – the equivalent of a small(ish) local movie – but we are assured the publicity generated by the offshore production will bring millions more tourist dollars into the country each year, as each place Oprah visits will be descended upon by hordes of American vacationers, generating billions of dollars worth of income for our country in the times to come. Maybe trillions.

Eight eps of the show will feature tourist attractions like Kakadu National Park and the Great Barrier Reef.

There are even rumours of a visit to Rusty Crowe’s Australian “ranch”.

Will I survive all the excitement? Be still, my beating heart.

As my old granny used to say, “I need a nice cup of tea, an aspirin, and a lie down.”

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peaking of Rusty Crowe, a stadium spectacular of Ben-Hur recently staged at Sydney’s Homebush Stadium was rather a non-event. My punter says the best thing was Russell’s narration, with that distinctive gravelly voice far more interesting than the array of faux Roman galleys or even the muchanticipated chariot race.

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This grandiose, if Hobbit-free, production employed over 200 actors, and more swords and sandals, horses, and fake blood than even…

Gladiator. Excited audiences were told they would experience the thrill of ancient gladiatorial contest. Well, that was the plan, but it turned out to be not such a simple matter to fill all those seats with the essential element of baying (and paying) spectators, and tickets dropped to half price… Maybe it was the forecast for torrential rain, or maybe no-one wanted to see what was bigger than Ben-Hur? I present part of the Sydney Morning Herald’s review of Frenchman Robert Hossein’s production, from James Blake, for your enlightenment and edification: “Hossein’s mix of drama, American-style wrestling, horsemanship and historical pageantry sees plot points of the Ben-Hur story compacted into arid dialogue scenes played with semaphore gestures. The dialogue is robotic, devoid of feeling, nuance and poetry. ‘Father, forgive them as they did not know what they were doing,’ implores Jesus, as if relying on a Google translation.

“The pre-chariot race needling between former childhood friends Ben-Hur (Christopher Heraut, more Victor Mature than Charlton Heston) and Messala is closer to Ben 10 than Ben-Hur. If you don’t know the story, the final scene – a vanishing trick set in the Valley of the Lepers – could leave one with the impression that Jesus was eaten by zombies.”

Oh, I wish I’d written that! But at least I didn’t have to be there.

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nd while we are on the subject of baying spectators… much interest here in the latest court appearance of actor Matt Newton, who played Kiwi drug dealer Terry Clark in the Underbelly TV series. Newton did not oppose when ex-girlfriend,

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actress Rachel Taylor, was granted an Apprehended Violence Order against him, with instructions that he must not “stalk , intimidate or harass Taylor, or anyone she chooses to become romantically involved with… and he must not destroy or damage her property” for a period of two years.

Ms Taylor (who is not a bad actress at all, even for a girl with legs that great) has carried herself with class and style throughout. As did Ms Brooke Satchwell, four years ago, when Newton was let off with a good behaviour bond after assaulting her.

One may hope they have strengthened the resolve of less famous girls to say no to violence from the men they should be able to trust most – and we should all tell the blokes to have a “nice cup of tea, an aspirin, and a lie down”!

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ussie films are performing respectably at the local box office with Tomorrow When the War Began at A$13.2 million, the delightful Aboriginal musical Bran Nue Day taking A$7.6 million, crime thriller Animal Kingdom A$4.8 million, and WWI movie Beneath Hill 60 A$3.2 million. Hardly the signs of a “dead” industry, as claimed by some recent Kiwi naysayers.

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hile The Hobbit saga seemed to dominate “Middle Earth” media for all of October, it barely made an impact on the consciousness of Middle Australia. Being only of interest to industry people over here, the mainstream media’s was sporadic at best.

The final resolution – with Prime Minister John Key announced extra funding for Warner Bros and changed NZ law to accommodate the US company – only warranted a tiny column in the Sydney Morning Herald the next day, though it prompted one industry wit to quip, “Crikey! I didn’t know they grew bananas in New Zealand…”

NZ film artists in brief – a series Campbell Walker

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ampbell Walker is one of a group of filmmakers named Aro Valley Digital by filmmaker, theorist and writer Russell Campbell. At various times the group has also included Colin Hodson, Elric Kane, Alexander Greenough, Diane McAllen, Dick Whyte, Nia Robyn, Tim Wyborn, Melissa Donald, and Andy Chappell.

Since the 1990s this group has been pioneering DIY indie ultra low-budget digital filmmaking in New Zealand.

Walker’s work is often typified by a focus on acting and improvisation within a minimal and naturalistic framework, though Walker himself says that his concerns are more personal and experimental than realistic.

“Most people make films about the kind of events that change people’s lives. My films are about events that can spoil your week.”

His best known films are the features Uncomfortable Comfortable (1999) – a closely observed picture of a dissolving relationship, and Little Bits of Light (2005) – written with his then partner Grace C Russell, a depiction of the pressure that depression can exert on a relationship.

Walker’s other films include the features Why Can’t I Stop This Uncontrollable Dancing (2003) and Broken Back Lines (2009), as well as the short films Three Nights (1997), Remain the Same (2004), West Coast Beach (2004), and Drones For Marina 1,2,3,4 (2010).

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w e i v l a g e Al Beginners’ guide to boilerplate The devil is very much in the detail when it comes to interpreting contracts. Fortunately, David McLaughlin is here to help.

You don’t want the other party selling or granting their rights to another party that you may not want to be in business with or who may not be capable of meeting the obligations under the agreement.

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n the last issue of Onfilm we had a look at Force Majeure provisions in screen industry contracts, which provide for what happens when an event beyond the control of the parties – such as an earthquake – impacts on the parties’ ability to perform their contractual obligations. Although these clauses are seldom worried about by anyone other than the lawyers, they can still have a major effect on you if one of these unforeseen events occurs.

However, Force Majeure clauses are not the only such non-commercial detail provisions (often referred to as ‘boilerplate provisions’) you find in contracts, so in this issue and the next we’re going to run through the more common of these and explain how they can affect you.

Termination provisions are some of the most important ‘boilerplate’ clauses. Although there may be aspects of these provisions that relate directly to specific obligations of either party under the agreement, there are also certain standard issues that are usually covered. For instance, there will usually be provision for the agreement to terminate if either party ceases trading or goes into liquidation. The reason for this is that neither party should be able to assign their rights under the agreement to another party in the event they cease to operate, as this would essentially force the other party to do business with someone they didn’t initially decide to enter into the contract with. The effect of termination provisions also needs to be more carefully considered when a contract includes licences or assignments of intellectual property (eg, rights in a script) to ensure that, where practically possible, all or appropriate portions of such rights are reassigned

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and applicable licences terminated.

Termination provisions will usually also make reference to the ability to terminate the agreement if there is a breach of any term of the agreement that is not rectified within a certain period of time. You should always review these clauses very carefully to make sure there are no specific exceptions to these kinds of rights or any unusual procedural requirements that may weight the agreement in the other party’s favour. You may also wish to consider if breach of any specific provisions of the agreement by the other party should give you the right to immediately terminate the agreement without the other party having the ability to remedy. A breach of your intellectual property rights is an example of the kind of specific issue where you may wish this to occur.

Notice provisions are an incredibly important part of the boilerplate as they set out the method and procedure the parties use to communicate with one another. You should carefully consider the way in which notices are given and make sure that you are capable of receiving and responding to notices in these ways. For instance, are you prepared to accept notices by email and fax?

These kinds of issues are especially important if the other party is required

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to give you a certain amount of notice to cure any breach by you before they can terminate the agreement. In these situations you want to make sure you actually receive these notices, and in a timely fashion.

You should also make sure that if your contact details ever change over the course of the contract that you notify the other party and update the notice provisions so you don’t miss any future notices that may be sent.

As already observed, most screen industry contracts will provide a restriction on any type of assignment of the rights and obligations of either party under the contract – after all, you don’t want the other party selling or granting their rights to another party that you may not want to be in business with or who may not be capable of meeting the obligations under the agreement. If the contract doesn’t put any restriction on assignment then you should assume that either party is free to assign as they see fit. It should be noted, however, that in the screen industry the ability to assign rights that may have been optioned by one party or acquired by a production company is generally expected, as practically speaking this is usually necessary as part of the ongoing development and financing process a project may go through.

It is also usual in screen industry

contracts to see a provision that clearly states any amendment to the contract must be in writing and signed by both parties. The intent behind these types of clauses is to ensure there can be no misunderstanding about the parties agreeing to alter their rights or obligations under a contract. In the course of informal conversations about the content of a contract, for example, it can be possible for one party to incorrectly assume an agreement has been reached to alter some aspect of the contract, a misapprehension it’s clearly in everyone’s interest to avoid.

• David McLaughlin (david@mclaughlinlaw. co.nz) is the principal of McLaughlin Law (www.mclaughlinlaw.co.nz).

• Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide a general outline of the law on the subject matter. Further professional advice should be sought before any action is taken in relation to the matters described in the article.

Got a legal issue you’d like examined in an upcoming column? Then email David McLaughlin (david@mclaughlinlaw.co.nz).

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Thorpe’s t houghts Moving images Foreign exchange: Sherpa children transfixed by their first exposure to moving images – a film promoting NZ in all its summer glory.

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came across one of the most moving images I have seen recently by accident. I was reading a story online about a 17-year-old girl who had been stoned to death in her village somewhere in the Middle East for visiting a boy in another village.

A link alongside the story led to a video clip of the actual stoning.

Surrounded by men – some of them stoning, others filming – the 17-yearold writhed on the ground, protecting her modesty without realising there was much more at stake.

She could have been my own daughter, now just 18. In many ways she was. Through the power of the internet she was the daughter, sister, niece, and neighbour of all of us. And no-one in the crowd did anything to protect her.

A number of years ago – 30 to be exact – I had the opportunity to spend some months living with a Sherpa family in a village called Khunde, located high in the Himalayas in the shadow of Mt Everest. A friend, Mingma Sherpa – tragically killed in a helicopter crash three years ago – had invited me to stay with his family, an opportunity too good to miss.

The highlands around Mt Everest, including Khunde, were included in

The audio visual medium’s ability to stir emotions is without question, writes Tim Thorpe. What those emotions might be is sometimes less clear.

the then-newly established Sagamartha National Park. The chief ranger, a fellow Kiwi, decided to show a promotional film about New Zealand to the local Sherpa children. It was their first exposure to a film of any description.

Showing a film was not easy, given there was no electricity and no projector. However, a projector was duly procured and hoisted on the back of a Sherpa for the hours’ long climb up from park headquarters. A second Sherpa carried the portable generator.

While he was not there himself, the room in which the film was screened was in the house of Ed Hillary’s head sirdar. The night of the showing it was packed – 60 or more sets of eyes transfixed on the screen.

And what they were seeing was New Zealand in all its summer glory: sun, sea and surf; jet boats, busy city scenes, scantily clad men and women, trains. An audible murmur arose when Ed Hillary’s face appeared briefly on the screen.

It was snowing outside the house where the screening took place, the yaks placidly standing in the waisthigh snow. The contrast with what was being shown on the screen could not

have been more stark.

A few years later I lived on the island of Erromango in southern Vanuatu for two years. At one stage I spent a few days on the island of Tanna – just to the south of Erromango, and well known for its cargo cult – and was invited to a film screening.

A group of businessmen from Australia wanted to build a tourist resort on the island and had decided to share some Western culture with the local Tannese. Again, the logistics of showing the movie involved procuring a portable generator and projector. A fence was used as the screen.

The film they chose was a rock music video, the name of which I cannot remember. Suffice to say it featured a band and a woman in a low cut, red dress who slinked across the stage and around the musicians. At times she would lie facedown on a table and flames would erupt from her hindquarters. At all times she represented a complete lack of respect for the culture and dress of the people of Vanuatu.

How on earth those businessmen thought a prancing woman farting flames was going to create cultural rapprochement eludes me to this day. What the locals concluded about

Western culture as a result I can only guess. Probably not dissimilar, if not as strong, as my feelings about a culture that stones 17-year-olds to death for nothing more than being young.

The world increasingly resembles Marshall McLuhan’s vision of a global village and – thanks to its ease of capture and the plethora of platforms upon which it can be shown – the moving image is a major contributor to this transformation.

The images I saw in Nepal were relatively benign, but the crassness in Vanuatu and the callousness (at least to my eyes) of the scene from the Middle East are stark reminders of how moving images can affect perceptions in unforeseen ways.

I see the moving image as a positive and inexorable part of the process of globalisation – but there are going to be some anxious moments along the way…

• Thorpe’s thoughts is an occasional column by consultant Tim Thorpe (tim.thorpe@ t h orpe cons u l ti ng. co.nz) on aspects of the NZ screen production industry.

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w e i v r e t In

Guiding lights Sean O’Neill, gaffer and owner-operator of Avalanche Lighting, talks business and pleasure.

Given the stop-start nature of the industry, how are you able to manage your business, particularly in terms of inventory investment?

It’s a constant learning curve. I was pretty clear early in my career that I wanted to be involved in big projects – the international feature films – and through some hard work, lucky breaks and the support of some local feature producers I managed to position myself in that part of the market.

I got a break as rigging gaffer on the first Narnia film [The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe] and that led to being the NZ gaffer for Prince Caspian and also main unit gaffer for other international shows that have come through Auckland: 30 Days of Night, Underworld 3 and,

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more recently, Yogi Bear 3D. After spending my youth working on pretty low budget NZ features and TV movies, stepping up to run the lighting department for the bigger shows has been a welcome move. And we can bring the experience and ideas gained from a lot of the rigs and applications we create and build as a result to commercials production, which is the other half of our core business.

The big shows are mostly always the time I reinvest in the business – I would normally set aside a good amount of the revenues earned on those shows to buy some new gear and plant.

At times this has been to my detriment, as there have been massive lulls in the industry after I’ve done big

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shows when I’ve wished I’d kept more working capital in the bank, but this is symptomatic of owning a business in an industry where you don’t know where your next job is coming from – or if in fact you’ve got one at all. Rarely would I know more than a few weeks in advance exactly what we are doing.

That can be hard but you have to take risks and re-invest when you can.

I have a very understanding bank manager who understands the start/stop nature of the industry, as you describe it, or the roller coaster as I call it...

The general consensus seems to be that 2010 has been the year that global economic meltdown has finally hit the NZ industry – is that your experience?

Actually I’ve had a pretty good year this year, comparatively speaking. 2009 was dismal and at times a real struggle. Commercial production was pretty lean and last winter was one of the quieter ones I’ve had, but you always seem to get just enough work to keep the wolves from the door.

We started Yogi Bear in November last year and that ran through to March of this year, so that was certainly a good start, This winter has been pretty good in terms of commercial production and we’ve been relatively busy on quite a few bigger budget jobs too, which is great. I thought there seemed to be a sense of optimism in the air that things were getting back on track economically.

In a number of areas in the industry there seems to be an expectation of more for less – is that evident in the lighting game?

Oh yeah, for sure. Everyone is getting squeezed. Doing flat rate deals is just part and parcel of the business. It can be a little frustrating at times but I guess it’s part of the current climate.

It would be great to see some of the cost of television advertising being pushed back up to the clients. For example, the agencies put scripts out there with pretty marginal budgets for what they want on screen, and the production companies – who need to keep working – pick up those scripts and make their margins by passing on those cuts to us.

As the suppliers to physical production, we don’t have anyone to pass those cuts onto, because we’re at the bottom rung of the ladder, so to speak. Meanwhile, all our costs are going up – equipment prices, cost of maintaining trucks and other gear, warehouse leases, the list goes on – but the prices we can charge for equipment are staying static or even going down in some cases.

I have the same price list as when I started my business 10 years ago. Nothing has gone up. When I go to the cafe and read the Business Herald, I’m often reading about NZ companies I’m indirectly working for that are posting record profits and exceeding shareholder expectations, while I’m getting squeezed into a cheap deal to provide lighting for their television commercials. I know nothing’s that simple but it would be great to see commercial budgets reflect the value of our business. As I said to one producer in a particularly interesting negotiation, “We are in the business of

providing quality equipment and a professional, efficient service for the lighting of television commercials. We are not, however, in the business of subsidising other companies advertising…”

Has the increase in the use of HD cameras had a noticeable impact on the kind of lighting packages and rigs you’re asked to provide these days?

I remember when the first video cameras starting filtering into screen production, everyone was worried they were so fabulous that we’d all be out of a job... Well, we’re still here, and so is HD now too.

But really the simple answer is no – you still need to light any image and make it look presentable before you commit it to any medium, be it film or tape or chip. If anything, you just need to be a little more careful with the chips...

What do you most enjoy about your job?

Lighting is an interesting medium. It is infinite. Every day I come to work I learn something new or see something I haven’t seen before. We constantly try new things and experiment with techniques, so it’s never boring. I also like to be able to bring something to the table and be able to contribute to the process of having something of quality end up on the screen.

I recently worked on a project with a very experienced cinematographer from offshore whom I hadn’t worked with before, for example. I put up some ideas about how we could light in the forest for our show but he was pretty reluctant to try my methods, thinking they could bog us down. I convinced

Highlights: An Arrimax/Molebeam rig in the forest for Yogi Bear, on which Sean O’Neill was main unit gaffer. “Top riggers Jamie Couper and Troy Finan would go up with the rig on harnesses,” recalls O’Neill, “point the Molebeams for each set up, then rappel down to the ground.”

him in the end, though, and he let me implement my ideas. After the show he called me to thank me for pushing that approach, saying it was the right way to go and that he would use that method in future. Small things like that are hugely rewarding.

So yeah, being able to use the experience we have and add something to any project is what I enjoy most about this job.

What do you least enjoy?

Hmm... Probably dealing with those producers and production managers who can take things pretty personally when negotiating about money. It’s always un-enjoyable.

What’s the most important piece of lighting gear that you can’t do without and why?

My eye. Having an idea of how things can look and then being able to use the equipment available to achieve it is definitely the most important tool I use.

I always take a few minutes to stand there and look at a set or scene and think, “Okay, how can I make this better?”

Sometimes it’s about adding some

light, sometimes it’s about taking some light away, sometimes it’s about doing nothing. The worst lighting crime to me is seeing something that’s over-lit.

If something looks over-lit, then it is.

Ultimately, my job is to facilitate the vision of the cinematographer but I will always offer my opinion or input to lighting a scene. Most DOPs welcome that – though some don’t!

What’s the best advice about lighting that you’ve ever been given, and by whom?

John Toon is a very experienced cinematographer and I’ve learnt a lot about lighting from having worked with him for many years. He’s always saying to me, “Trust your eye; what you see is what you get.”

He’s taught me to not be afraid of the dark, to push the limits a bit and not always play it safe. I see a lot of people who continually have their lightmeters out and play the stop right in the middle of the film stock’s 5’ stop latitude – but I rarely see Toony with his meter out.

I admire people who like to push the boundaries in cinematography – that’s were the treasure lies.

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november 2010

11

w e i v r e t In

Passion & professionalism Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor talks to Ande Schurr about passion, riding out the quiet patches, and the purpose of business.

Photo: Robert Catto/www.catto.co.nz

A lot of people get momentary satisfaction sitting at a console driving racing cars around a digital track.

Cool! But I find it stimulating to grab a bunch of materials, some old copper wire, some bits of styrene, balsa wood, matchsticks, and glue them together and create something wonderful.

It’s about having a vision in your head and then carrying it to its eventual conclusion. But you also have to have the unabashed enthusiasm to give it a go; to do it. I don’t want to have to drag someone kicking and screaming through the day because of a lack of enthusiasm or motivation for their craft; I want them to feel passionate and enthused and compelled to make the most of the opportunities on offer – and I hope that it is not just in relation to our workshop but also the opportunities on offer in NZ.

Above my computer I have a quote of yours about working on Lord Of The Rings: “If you couldn’t rise to the highest level of enthusiasm, passion and professionalism, and grasp this task as if it was the single most important thing you have ever taken on in your life, then you weren’t worthy of the task.” How can we become truly passionate and enthusiastic about our work?

Well it’s in every individual; it’s something that is only in you. You can’t be taught passion and enthusiasm. You can be taught talent or at least the tools of talent, but it’s a fire that is either burning in you or not. Others can fan the flames but until you actually find a way to generate the heat for yourself it’s always going to be a challenge.

I’m as passionate today as the day I started our business. I can’t wait to walk through the door in the morning. During the weekend I’m looking for any excuse that allows me to get into the workshop, even if just for 10 minutes, enough to get that fix. Because, of course, my craft is the love of making things – what I can do with my hands, the love of manipulating materials to make original and creative objects.

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november 2010

What advice do you have for freelancers about riding out the quiet patches?

At times it is a struggle. We have also struggled at times during our career but every minute when we weren’t professionally working we were doing things that didn’t cost us a lot of money. For example, it doesn’t cost anything to go to the dump and pick out some cool material to create something. We had an old door out of one of the door jambs in our house that my wife and I set up in the middle of the lounge and used as a plasticine animation table. The plasticine cost $10, we had our own video camera and did some of our own fun stuff while we were waiting for the next job, and we were able to create our own fun content that kept us amused…

I do have to acknowledge that there are some people in the world who are born with the ‘gift’. In the Workshop, for example, we probably have six to eight truly gifted people.

We all recognise it; it appears to fall out of the fingertips of the individual effortlessly. In our craft you can see the gift in the illustrator who never needs to revisit the line and in the sculptor who never pushes the same piece of clay around twice, because they knew exactly where it had to go.

I consider myself to be modestly

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talented in my artistic crafts – more talented in some things than others [laughs]. So I know it’s hard work.

I’ve been doing this for 25 years, I’m now 45 years old, but I still usually hold a sculpting class each week where I try and hone my sculpting skills. I don’t sculpt professionally in the workshop because I’m managing the facility but if I’m expected to give quality feedback to the sculptors then I endeavour to be as good as I can possibly be.

So if you’re not one of the truly gifted few and you want to be as good as you can possibly be, the only thing open to you to stay ahead of the game is just hard work [laughs] and training and training and training. There can be a lot of luck involved also – it can sometimes come down to being in the right place at the right time. But of course you’re never going to succeed when a lucky break is offered if you haven’t been honing your work and training yourself for that lucky break.

It’s not for everyone. People want recreation, they want to go skiing, they want to go surfing. For me, though, my craft is my recreation. So I make models for a hobby, I build objects, I sculpt, I do my work – as well as doing it for work – because for me the two are parallel.

That can’t be expected for everyone though. For example, someone who is a sound person may not want to record sounds in the weekend.

They’d rather go and hike. That’s their prerogative, but for me, I very fortunate to have a hobby that parallels exactly what I do for a living, so it makes it very easy to constantly be training. Even with my two children, the time we have together outside of work is an opportunity for me to share my love of art and my craft with them, so we share in my hobbies by sculpting and drawing and moving clay around. Just this weekend gone we were doing stop-animation on the kitchen table.

What is business about for you?

For me, it has to be fulfilling creatively before anything else. Even if we are in need of work, we will turn down opportunities if they are not creatively

fulfilling. There’s a misconception that we must have this wonderfully consistent life, but as we’re a freelance company, we’re on a wild and wonderful roller coaster ride. Despite that, occasionally we will turn down work if it does not offer a creative reward, even though it may not make good business sense [laughs]. Because how can I run a workshop of artisans in our company who want to make great art, and then ask them to trivialise their craft by working on things that they do not enjoy or find fulfilling?

People perceive that we’re a film company. We’re not. We’re a creative art and design company. We work on museum displays, children’s playgrounds, theatre productions, shop window displays, private architecture, book design, clothing, jewellery, collectibles, chainmaille, and bronze art as well as film work because it brings creative reward – it fulfils our passion, enthusiasm, tenacity, and skill …

The people that work in the effects industry are truly the artisans of the 21st century. When I say artisans I mean similar to the marble carvers of the 17th century in Italy, similar to the craftspeople who made the most beautiful furniture through the 18th century. These are people who are driven by passion and enthusiasm to wield their craft. That is the motivator. If the motivator was commerce and money making, they sure as hell would not be working in this industry.

I am sure they would be off working in more lucrative fields [laughs].

In the effects industry you are using science and art, technology and art, and you’re melding them together to try to create something that surprises the audience and stimulates the mind, giving a unique experience to the viewer – whether that be in a museum, on television or in a film.

That’s the goal.

• This is an abridged version of an interview that’s part of production sound mixer Ande Schurr’s series on freelancing in the screen industry – see www.thebigidea.co.nz/ work/enterprise-news/how-freelancerscan-succeed.

• See also www.schurrsound.com and www. fieldsounds.co.nz.

“A

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YOU FEEL LIKE ROYALTY AND AT THE SAME TIME

MAKES YOU FEEL AT HOME.”

I first worked at Pa�k �oad with �ating Sausage, my first short film, shot on a tiny budget and edited in my bedroom. But �ating Sausage surpassed all expectations and in its first two weeks it got into two A-list festivals, so I suddenly found myself having to produce a 35mm print and Dolby mix for the film.

I think my first conversation with John Neill from the Sound Department went something like this: Zia So this 5.1 thing, do you know what that is?

John Yes Zia, we have done this before… many times.

Zia �reat…. um and John I should tell you….

John ….yes?

Zia I’ve never done this before….I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing.

John That’s fine, grab your tapes, courier down the neg, get in your car, drive to �ellington, we’ll see you Monday.

At this stage, Pa�k �oad was still under construction and part way through moving from the old Film Unit buildings in Avalon. They were like �nights in shining armour. No �uestion was too dumb (there were lots of those), no task too hard and I felt as though my 15 minute short film was the most important one in the (half-built) building.

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Since then I’ve been back to Pa�k �oad with all of my

Toda� I’ve moved on from making films in my

shorts in some capacity or another. Last year I was the

bedroom. I shot my first music video this year, put in

�ecipient of the SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year

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despite the beautiful surroundings and the yummy cut

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fruit they bring you at morning tea, you can walk around in your socks, sit cross-legged on the floor and watch your film take shape in a place that makes you feel like �oyalty and at the same time makes you feel at home.

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Photos: Kirsty Griffin

t r o p e r t s Fe

A

Matariki shines at Toronto In the second instalment of his coverage of Kiwi feature films at Toronto International Film Festival in mid-September, Kerry Doole reports on the reception enjoyed by Matariki, which is released in NZ on 18 November.

The kid stays in the picture: Michael Bennett directs Iaheto Ah Hi and baby during one of Matariki’s many night shoots.

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november 2010

www.onfilm.co.nz

mong the 300 or so feature films to screen at the 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) are two from New Zealand: Matariki and Tracker (see previous issue).

Gritty urban drama Matariki screens in TIFF’s Contemporary World Cinema series, and is given three public screenings.

The morning after the first screening (also the film’s world premiere), Onfilm speaks with director Michael Bennett and producer Fiona Copland.

Both are genuinely thrilled at Matariki’s reception and, as first-time attendees, by the Toronto festival in general.

“I couldn’t have written the script any better – there was a really strong reaction and it was such an intelligent crowd,” enthuses Bennett. “You know when you’re watching a film and the audience is getting every moment. I was just blown away.

“You can feel that in this town it is not so much an industry festival as an audience festival. They are clearly a very film-literate crowd that is hungry for stories from other places. They are so totally engaged with our story. It was amazing.”

Fiona Copland shares Bennett’s assessment. “The main thing that is really gratifying is just how captivated international audiences are by the vitality of the New Zealand cultural mix.

I’ve seen it at Berlin and Rotterdam with The Strength of Water, my last film.

Listening to the Q&A last night, it was completely obvious that Canadians are outward-looking, and it seemed the loveliest ones were all gathered at our very large theatre last night,” she laughs. “It was really great.”

“It was interesting last night when a person came up to me and said, ‘I think that’s the only New Zealand film I’ve seen that doesn’t show a single blade of grass’,” says Bennett. “It is so urban, but it didn’t matter to him that it wasn’t the Tourist Board version of NZ. It was

a different kind of story, and they loved it. Other comments at the Q&A were about the state of filmmaking in NZ and the fact we get the freedom to make films like this that are a little more challenging and confrontational.”

Copland reports a positive initial industry reaction too. “On the back of the public screening we have had interest from some North American distributors. It is possibly the first time I’ve been shoulder-tapped in the foyer!

Turning that into something concrete is quite tricky, though, because it remains a challenging film. So we don’t feel as though we’re home free, but you could describe it as guarded optimism…

“Actually,” Copland adds, “I’m exaggerating a little about the foyer. For Topless Women Talk About Their Lives [1997] we had some good foyer experiences, but that was a long time ago. The world of acquisitions was very different then.

Those were the days of foyer embraces, whereas now it may not be quite like that.”

Bennett is no stranger to the festival circuit, despite Matariki being his first feature. “A short film I wrote, Michelle’s Third Novel, opened the New York Film Festival with Pulp Fiction back in 1994.

That was pretty great,” he says. “And my 2001 short film Cow was at Cannes and others, while Kerosene Creek was at Berlin and Locarno, in 2005. My website will be up and running soon with all my short films on.”

Copland notes that one of the earlier films she produced, Harry Sinclair’s The Price Of Milk, premiered in Toronto.

“Harry enjoyed it here and the festival was good for that film.”

TIFF became an important part of Matariki’s launch strategy after the film’s New Zealand distribution hit a snag earlier this year.

“It was supposed to come out in March but our distributor, Arkles Entertainment, got caught in the recession,” says Copland. “They are back and in

good [financial] health now though.

So that’s when we changed our strategy and decided to wait for an international festival [before releasing the film in NZ]. By then Toronto was the next viable festival. It was a bit of a punt, but what started out as a glitch has ended up being the best thing for the film.”

NZ Film is handling sales of Matariki, and reports are that the film has already been invited to the Hof International Film Festival in Germany.

I

t has been a long journey from script to screen for Michael Bennett and Matariki.

“I first saw the play [Tautai] it’s based on 12 years ago,” he says. “It was written and performed by Iaheto Ah Hi, who plays Tyrone in the film. He’s a beautiful writer and director of his own theatrical work.

“I was completely taken by the play, a story about his real-life cousin who was a car thief in the Hutt Valley. He wanted to emulate his ancestors back in the Tokelau Islands who were fishermen who’d catch turtle sharks. But because he grew up in the city, instead of hunting sharks he was hunting cars.

I thought it was a great metaphor.

“There are people you read about in the headlines every day and write off as just being criminals. I loved that Iaheto went behind the headlines and found the humanity of the character. I thought it was real movie stuff. So we started with that and I still think that all the other stories weave in and out of it. Over a period of time my co-writer Gavin Strawhan and I developed another four stories to work around that one central story.”

Of the persistence he has demonstrated in seeing the project through to its fruition, “I think it’s a testament to the strength of the story that I was attracted to in the first place,” Bennett says.

“If you didn’t have something that

powerful, I don’t think you’d hang on as long as we did. It is incredibly gratifying to be coming to the end of that journey. It’s pretty cool to have got this far, but the journey won’t truly be finished until we get the film in front of the audience that really counts – New Zealanders.”

Funding for the film took various twists and turns. “For a while it looked as though the way to get it funded was through Signature Drama, the [one-off television drama] scheme Trevor Haysom was executive producing through TVNZ. We went down the path of readdressing the script and seeing if we could make a tele-feature. But I think TVNZ was scared of the content and so it didn’t work out, which I think we should count our lucky stars for. In my heart I always saw it as a feature film – it’s got feature film themes.”

Thanks to how long the film was in development, the script went through many iterations.

“We did a rough count and we’re probably at draft 27!” laughs Bennett.

“We started as a single narrative, about the car thief and his mates, and it expanded outwards and became a multinarrative early on.

“To be quite honest, about five years ago I thought it was ready. But the developments in the script over the two years prior to the shoot really did make it a better film. The fact that it takes so long does get frustrating, but I can honestly say that the lengthy development process bore fruit. It was worth the wait.”

Producer Fiona Copland first encountered the project quite some time ago.

“She was running another scheme, the original Montana Sunday Theatre one-hour dramas,” recalls Bennett.

“When I first found the story, I wrote it up as a one-page pitch [then titled Dick] for a Montana. Fiona was executive producer and she totally fell in love

Night watch: Producer Fiona Copland keeps an eye on the action on the set of Matariki.

with it, saying ‘We’ve got to do this!’ I thought about it, and went ‘No, it has to be a feature, sorry.’

“There’s a beautiful sense of coming full circle in that six years later, when we were developing it as a feature, Fiona came back on board as producer.”

For her part, Copland laughs that “having had my offer of making it as a one-hour drama spurned, I feel very clever about managing to get the project back!”

The NZ Film Commission came on board early – “from the first half-pager”, says Bennett. I actually saw [former NZFC CEO, now Screen Australia head] Ruth Harley last night at the Australian event. She was a huge supporter of the project right from the start. She said ‘I still remember that half-pager, 11 Continued on page 16

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november 2010

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15

True grit: Shot entirely in South Auckland and set over five days and nights, Matariki tells the story of how the lives of an eclectic ensemble of characters are brought into collision and changed by a single, violent event (pictured).

Matariki shines at Toronto Continued from page 15

years ago.’ The commission has been very supportive.�

The musical component of Matariki is a strong one, thanks to the score by Don McGlashan and songs from the likes of Gin Wigmore, Prince Tui Teka, Pitch Black, Connan and the Mockasins, Concord Dawn, Little Bushman, The Brunettes, and The Phoenix Foundation. “We’ll be releasing a soundtrack album in the month leading up to the film, and three singles from the film will be released by EMI,� says Bennett.

Copland reports with delight that “at the public screening yesterday people started clapping along to the happyclappy song at the market [‘See What Love Can Do,’ sung by Bella Kalolo].

That was the most extraordinary moment.� “It was the first thing Don wrote for the film,� Bennett says of the genesis of that song. “When we first had a meeting about what the film was about, we chatted for an hour over coffee.

We identified the song in the market scene and that he needed to get onto that first of all. He said ‘I’ll get back to you’, and I thought he meant in four or five weeks maybe. But literally three days later he rang and said, ‘I have the demo, come and have a listen’! And it was a perfect little centerpiece song for the movie. The way Don has structured the musical journey of the film is quite beautiful too.�

As to the shoot, “It was the easiest one I’ve ever had,� says Copland. “There was an incredible amount

of goodwill from everyone,� agrees Bennett. “I think having [DOP] Alun Bollinger on the set set the tone,� says Copland. “AlBol has a way about him and everyone else stepped up as a result.� “There really wasn’t any ego on set,� Bennett notes. “Not a single raised voice in six or seven weeks, even though at least half the film was shot at night and there were lots of full-on emotional things to cover in the film, so the circumstances were pretty trying in a lot of ways. None of that translated into any tension. There was a very unified vision amongst us about what we were making, and why we were making it, which just led to a lovely environment on set. “I’d had lots of warnings from other directors about making your first film: ‘You’re about to disappear into hell, just try to get out the other side!’ And it was so not like that. It was an utter joy, a beautiful experience.�

So are Copland and Bennett planning on working together again? “Hopefully,� Copland smiles. “Making films is hard. The test is how well you can sit in a cafe in Toronto and laugh with each other.�

As for the 18 November NZ release, “We’re still working on how wide a release,â€? says Bennett. “There’s obviously an art house market for this film, but I think there is wider potential too.â€? • For the full interview with Mason at Toronto, go to www.onfilm.co.nz and use the search term ‘TIFF’.

Kiwi producers double-down P

roducers Fiona Copland (Matariki) and Trevor Haysom (Tracker) were doing double duty at TIFF 2010, with both participating in the IFF (International Financing Forum), showcasing upcoming projects. “I was in the IFF with my next film,� explained Copland. “It’s called President and Me, at the moment at least. It’s from a script written by William Brandt, and I’m really excited. To be honest, it is great premiering Matariki, but Michael could have come and done it. This is the first time I’ve been organised enough to have a film in a festival and another that is in advanced development and is ready for the market. Other producers manage that all the time! “William and I are really focused on the script. It is a comedy set in the diplomatic world, in London, with a rather extraordinary New Zealand character, plus British and American actors.�

Another project for Copland is the impending release of 1997 feature Topless Women Talk About Their Lives on DVD for the first time. “I stopped in LA on the way here to meet with Harry Sinclair, who lives there. It will have new material. We have gathered the original cast and Harry, and we recorded them watching the film 10 years later. It is the most irreverent DVD commentary you’ll ever hear, as they’re taking the piss out

of each other and themselves. Ten years on you can say amazing things about the movie you never would have at the time.

It’s very real and very funny. “We made a TV series of 41 threeminute episodes for TV, and they will be on the DVD too.�

As for Trevor Haysom, “I had some pretty good meetings at IFF,� he says. “The project is called A Guide To Magical Thinking, written by Cushla Dillon.

It is based on her growing up in Rotorua.

Brad McGann [the late writer-director of In My Father’s Den] did a little work with her and they were going to write it together, but that didn’t eventuate. She went to the Binger Institute and got into the writers’ programme there. It’s a very good piece. I’ve been working on that with her for three or four years. �And I have a co-production going with Jan Nathanson, who is a local producer here in Toronto, so this is a good opportunity to catch up with her too. “The project I have with Jan is a natural fit. It starts off in Auckland and then the young exchange student ends up in Canada. It is penned by Jodie Molloy and based on her experience as an exchange student.�

Funding from Telefilm Canada and different provinces is being sought for this project.

NZ Film flies the flag T

he Kiwi films the NZFC’s sales arm, NZ Film, took to TIFF are Matariki, The Hopes And Dreams Of Gazza Snell, Predicament, and Paul Campion’s upcoming horror feature The Devil’s Rock, while the Film Commission executives attending the fest comprised CEO Graeme Mason, head of sales and marketing James Thompson, and marketing executive Jasmin McSweeney.

Mason is a veteran of many Toronto festivals, and he has positive comments about this year’s model. “The Festival itself feels good. Nothing to do with New Zealand, but I’m very happy about the move downtown [to the area around the newly opened TIFF HQ, The Bell Light-

box]. It has given a different feeling to the industry part of the festival. That is exciting. I think it’s got real energy, and that’s good for the filmmakers and for us. There is a sense again of community, and I think that’s great.�

As to the market, “I’m beginning to think the tide is turning slightly for indie films,� says Mason. “I think the potential is for distribution coming back, maybe money coming back. I still think it’s tough, though. I think there are interesting things for countries such as New Zealand to consider. We need to think about what we are making and how much we are making it for and who we are making it for.�

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w e i v r e t In

Outrageous behaviour Creators Rachel Lang and James Griffin and writer Tim Balme talk to Nick Grant about making a piece of classic Kiwi television called Outrageous Fortune.

So what was the genesis of Outrageous Fortune?

Rachel Lang: It was an attempt to write an attention-grabbing comedy-drama to cut through the audience’s reluctance to watch New Zealand programmes other than Shortland Street, which they don’t see as a drama, they see as a different thing altogether. So that’s really what it was about, as well as giving James and me some work, because we were staring down the barrel of extreme unemployment. [laughs] I think it’s fair to say that James and I had been a little frustrated about our previous work and how it had gone to the slot where good shows go to die – Friday night, which was kind of seen as a graveyard, though that’s kind of changed these days.

Anyway, that was the initial instinct – to do something that was funny and anarchic and addressed the crazy sort of stuff that was going on in the world at the time.

From what I recall a spark of inspiration was provided by a factoid about the median female wage in NZ? RL: Yeah, I’d heard a thing on the radio about the median income for women

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Outrageous people: (l-r) James Griffin, Rachel Lang and Tim Balme.

being $14,000 and I’d thought, “Oh gosh, you’d have to turn to crime.” That was one thing. I was also interested in a mother’s influence on her family and in what people would see as the deprived underclass.

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When we were making Mercy Peak I thought that a funny version of the Van der Velter family from that series would be great. They were reasonably amusing to me but they had a lot of what were seen as ‘social problems’ and I thought

it’d be fun to turn that on its head and see it as normal rather than abnormal.

Hence the way the Wests were.

I recall someone noting recently – I think it was Greg McGee – that thanks

to its phenomenal success, people have forgotten what a gamble Outrageous Fortune was to begin with.

RL: I think that is true of every new show and any new idea – the first season of anything is always difficult and there’s always a degree of network nervousness around it, and this was no exception. So there’s nothing unusual about that.

James Griffin: The norm is that most series don’t get a second season. So if you do, you’re quids ahead.

RL: Once things are a success there is an historical assumption that someone always knew that would be the case, and that’s just [sotto voce] crap. [laughs] So much rubbish. Because otherwise everyone would be picking winners. And people can’t. You have to make the thing and then screen it in the right slot with the right support and then hope and see how the audience responds to it. And that’s always a gamble.

JG: Certainly the first few episodes of Outrageous Fortune followed the basic trend of any series – the audience numbers started at a certain figure, they went down a bit, then about episode four or five they started to climb. The success of the first season was pretty much to end up with as many people watching the last episode as watched the first one.

So it was a fairly modest success, it’s not until you overlay each season and see the audience numbers growing with each successive season, so …

RL: The main thing is it did go up and not down, and that’s really all they’re charting in the first season of something.

I think it had good word of mouth; anecdotally by the end of the first season

There’s a lot about Outrageous Fortune that exhibits the difference between the NZ industry and the global industry. A lot that went wrong with Outrageous through the process of making it was to do with the expectations exceeding the reality. a lot of people were going, “Oh, that show’s really good, you should watch it.” So by the second season it already had an audience who were prepared to try the next round.

Did you have many pitched battles regarding the tone or content of the first season?

JG: There weren’t any pitched battles …

RL: We had some arguments. [laughs] JG: Well yeah, we always argue, but you mean in terms of the network?

Sure.

RL: There were some reshoots. That was to do with tone and style.

JG: And Van’s hair.

RL: And Van’s hair. Because hair is very important on any series.

JG: And also they thought that Van was coming across as a little retarded in the first few episodes so we kinda got Ant[ony Starr] to spruce it up a bit.

RL: There was an adjustment of that.

They were a bit concerned about having main stories being about Grandpa,

an older character, because at the time there wasn’t the confidence that the audience would respond to someone who was not their age.

Tim Balme: Episode seven was actually one of my favourites from that season – the one where Grandpa and Loretta outed his lover.

RL & JG: Margaret!

TB: I remember watching it thinking, “This is just great!” Frank [Whitten] was so fantastically phenomenal, how could you not want to spend the story with him. And that’s proven to be true for the rest of the seasons too.

JG: Something that’s probably to do with that, and is a kind of universal truth for the series, is that it hinged on the relationship between a granddaughter and a grandfather, an intergenerational family relationship. In that end that’s what it’s always been about – Mum ruling the roost or not. Who controls the family?

RL: Yeah, it really became more and more about power struggles within the family. The first season of anything is always a grope in the dark as you try to

work out your parameters. And that’s true of Outrageous – I think a couple of the early episodes aren’t that great – and we kind of worked out what worked for us story-wise through the process of trying things out that first season.

JG: Episode four whetted the dramatic level and then five was a kind of kick-arse comedy caper episode and between them you got the two poles the series has always bounced between.

RL: Yeah, we worked it out eventually.

TB: I remember season one ending on a really good roll – I can’t remember specifically whether it was from 11, 12 or 13 but as a viewer I watched it going [open mouthed] – the show had found its feet and momentum by the end and it had a nice boom-boom-boom to the end, so we were all going, “Wow.” RL: Yeah, I do also think that in the first season of anything, those first episodes are very difficult because they’re the set-up. By the time you get to the end of your first season you’ve built up clouds of glory and your characters are well

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Interview Outrageous behaviour Continued from page 19

established and often the stories are quite inward looking by then – they’re strongly to do with the relationships between characters because you’ve established them all, whereas in the early episodes you’re just getting them up and running.

JG: We could argue that we’ve done that with every season of Outrageous – they each follow a pattern of setting up a world, somewhere in the middle something big happens and the rest of it is about the inter-familial conflict that results from that event. Right up to the last season.

RL: Yep, pretty much true – we did usually have a big ‘thing’ in the middle.

Some of that was determined early on

by Grant Bowler’s availability [laughs] – when we would have him and how long we could use him for. That would actually determine the structure of the season to some extent.

As you’ve observed, one season is the norm in NZ but did you have aspirations or plans for the characters beyond the first season while you were making it?

JG: We ended season one pretty much exactly where we wanted to end it, with the bloody-minded attitude of, “Well, if they’re going to cancel us now, then –” RL: Leave them wanting more is how we tend to feel about the end of a season, because we have never known at the end of any of the seasons whether there would be another one. Even once it became successful, that was no guarantee we would get another one.

And that was always a question of whether NZ On Air would come to the party with funding?

RL: Well, the will of the network to continue – I mean obviously if the ratings are good it’s quite likely – but yeah, we’re government funded, so… [laughs] JG: Certainly for me the first of the two biggest signs that we kinda had a bit of a hit on our hands was when we didn’t have to wait for the opening two episodes of a season to go to air before we could go to NZ On Air about the next season. They were quite happy and we didn’t have to present them with – RL: Detailed documents.

JG: – scripts and episodes for the next season; they went, “Okay, we trust you, if you want to do more and the network wants it, then fine.” And the second one was, we used to tell the network our stories for the coming season and there was one season we went into Kelly [Martin]’s office and she said, “Oh, go away and get on with it; do what you want!” And you kinda go, “Well, high praise indeed!

We’ll take that and run!” That was the beginning of season three.

Well, you’d hope they’d all have confidence in you by that stage.

RL: 3 have been great to work with; really good, really supportive, really encouraging, and they backed it.

TB: Yeah, as an observer I remember it coming out. It had been quite low on the radar, for me anyway because we’d been shooting Maddigan’s [Quest] at the same time – you guys were just ticking away at it; no one was making a big deal about it; I don’t think anyone quite knew what they were making. And then it was on the back of buses and on billboards and I was really impressed as a person in the industry, going “Wow, 3 is really doing a major push.”

RL: Well, at the time – and I think there’s enough water under the bridge to talk about this now – there was such a difference between the way TV3 pro-

moted their local shows and the way TVNZ did.

TVNZ acted as if they were embarrassed and didn’t put up any money for advertising, and TV3 – I mean, The Strip, you know? It wasn’t the most amazing show in the world but it was all right. TV3 made it look like, “You have to watch this!” And they were clearly very proud of it, and that kind of pride and that kind of advertising push really helps an audience feel comfortable about it: “Must be really good, I keep on seeing it around town…”

I think TVNZ’s attitude has changed and it’s not like that anymore, but in those days it was really great to be with a network that had your back. And even if they were nervous, they didn’t act like they were.

TB: Absolutely. It was screamingly evident to me that that’s what was going on: “We’re proud of this show!”

I’d been involved at other places with shows that were basically sent to die, and it was really refreshing to see that as an observer. And it paid off. I mean, the product has to live up to that, and it did, but it’s a symbiotic thing, I think. You can have the best show in the world, but if no one knows it’s on, then [shrugs].

RL: It is quite difficult. [laughs] JG: Which goes back to your earlier question about knowing whether it was going to be a hit. No, of course we didn’t know, but the network stumped around acting like it was. They didn’t blow the trumpet saying, “This is the greatest show,” they just put it out there.

RL: But they did advertising for it and they did a campaign for it, which is great.

So initially was it just the two of you [Rachel and James] on writing duties?

RL: And Maxine Fleming was working on it as well. Basically we kind of work with a small team and when Max was unavailable for various reasons, Tim came in.

So we’ve had a small core group of storyliners who work together and then we’ll bring in other writers to join in and write an episode – they’ll join the storylining for that episode and then go away and write it.

So in terms of plotting out a season, how did that work? You’d consult with South Pacific Pictures and they’d tell you, “We’re going for funding for x

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number of episodes”…?

RL: Yeah, even though that would usually remain quite fluid until the last minute. Even though you’d be applying for 20, you might only get 16. When we were applying we’d have a flannel document – a general idea of what the season will be. And usually by the end of one season we’d already have ideas for the next one, so we’d just jot those down and work them out. And then when we knew it was a go or when someone was going to give us some money to start before we knew it was a go, which would also happen, we would start planning it out and trying to generate story for the whole season. But not in any great detail.

JG: There’d always be a kind of bartering process that went on – the network would say, “We want this many!” and then say, “Oh, actually we can’t afford that, we’ll pay for this many instead,” and NZ On Air would say, “Well, we’ve only got money for this, unless Barnie [John Barnett] kicks in some more money or the network does.” There’d be this sliding scale – RL: [laughs] There was always a lot of horse-trading going on and then there’d also be, “Oh, when is Grant going to be available?” And then it’d be, “Have we got all the other actors on board? Who’s threatening not to be in it? Who wants more money this year?”

You know, there was all of that. I’m so jealous of American shows where they sign up the actors for seven seasons and it’s not an application process.

TB: It goes until the ratings die.

RL: Yeah.

Why does that not happen here?

RL: Oh, it’s a whole economy of scale thing really; we really are just so small.

JG: There’s a lot about Outrageous Fortune that exhibits the difference between the NZ industry and the global industry.

A lot that went wrong with Outrageous through the process of making it was to do with the expectations exceeding the reality.

RL: It was very interesting to work on a palpable hit, an out-and-out success for a change, because about halfway through we started to see the downside of that…

• Downside? Do tell… Tune in for the second instalment of Outrageous Behaviour next issue.

e c n a r u s n Legal & i

The Shire schism Lawyer Tim Riley treads where angels fear to, giving his perspective on the underlying issues that triggered The Hobbit dispute and how it played out, as well as pointing out an opportunity for improving business efficiency and reducing costs.

I

t is with some trepidation that I venture into this territory. The period following Sir Peter Jackson’s statement to the media accusing the actors’ union of bullying has been the most divisive I have seen in our industry.

Having decided to put my head above the parapet, however, there are two aspects of this episode I want to comment on. First and foremost, I want to look at the character of the “debate” itself, a kind of Mediawatch analysis if you will. In addition to this, as a lawyer who acts principally for producers but also for actors and other creatives (including the MEAA, though not in this matter) I have some observations about how we might improve our business.

What I do not want to get into is the rights and wrongs of MEAA’s campaign itself. That is a task best left to other people, and one hopes and expects there will be a lot of reflection and analysis on the part of those who were involved in the weeks ahead…

L

ike many others, I was shocked by the vitriolic and emotive language that quickly became the norm in this dispute. I saw many emails and other communications in circulation from smart people that sounded like the petulant ranting of children. As the personal attacks and overblown accusations mounted up, the actual issues became more and more obscured. And, quite frankly, as a lawyer I was annoyed by the way in which complex legal issues were reduced to superficial sound-bites and

simplistic statements by commentators in the media.

In some respects I was not surprised, as I have despaired at the level of public discourse in this country for a long time now. It seems that (with some notable exceptions) we have given up on the detailed analyses of important political and cultural issues. Instead, in a world that is actually predominantly grey, we want everything to be black and white.

The issue at the heart of this dispute is that Kiwi actors working in New Zealand on projects like The Hobbit are engaged on terms and conditions that are inferior to those enjoyed by their counterparts from other countries who are working on the same projects. This strikes me as a state of affairs that’s ripe for discussion, one that throws up a number of interesting sub-issues. Things like: • What are the reasons for this variation in the treatment of actors?

• How relevant is this to the attractiveness of NZ to overseas producers and what other factors affect those producers’ decision to make movies here or not?

• What are the legal issues impacting on independent contractors banding together to negotiate terms?

• What input should NZ taxpayers have into issues like this, given we’re effectively significant investors in large film projects like The Hobbit?

• What are the comparative benefits of large investments in foreign film projects compared to investments in our own productions?

A dispassionate exchange of views

and an objective analysis of the evidence would have been helpful. What we got instead was hysterical overreaction and a media frenzy.

F

rom the start, Actors’ Equity was heavily criticised for putting the filming of The Hobbit in New Zealand at risk, with the prevailing opinion appearing to be that Warner Bros would be scared off and move the project to another country. This interpretation ascribed a surprising degree of sensitivity to a media company that operates from a country where industrial action and interactions with unions constitute a standard part of the business environment. It also seemed to be contradicted by reports from Hollywood suggesting that, until very late in the piece, the dispute was business as usual for Warner Bros and the other studios involved.

In any case, as a result of the intense personal criticism of the members of the NZ actors union and the MEAA, there was no detailed discussion of the merits of the actors’ case. Likewise, there was no discussion about why the studios objected to putting NZ actors on the same contractual terms as other actors, or why their next best option would be to take the film away from NZ. The feeling seemed to be that to even discuss those issues publically would pose too great a risk of alarming Warner Bros.

Apart from a couple of determined commentators, there was also no real discussion of the economic factors that might be encouraging the studios to

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consider moving the film to another country – things like adverse movements in the exchange rate that made NZ a significantly less attractive place to invest in than it was at the start of the project, and the greater subsidies on offer in other countries (ranging from an extra $30 million in the Czech Republic to an extra $78 million in Ireland).

Of course, any mention of these apparently inconvenient truths got you branded as being disloyal to the wider NZ industry or disrespectful of Warner Bros; anyway, these matters were just red herrings, we were told. Instead we were offered the image of a corporate entity as some sort of kindly uncle whose feelings had been hurt when his beneficent gesture had been spurned by his ungrateful nieces and nephews. Indeed, Peter Jackson described the allocation of a two percent residuals pool for NZ actors as being the product of “generosity” on the part of Warner Bros.

Surely, however, it would be naive in the extreme to believe that any actions by a company like Warner Bros – or any commercial entity, come to that – would be motivated by anything other than some expectation of a commercial return or strategic advantage. This kind of corporate approach is not a bad thing, I hasten to add. It would simply be bad business to behave otherwise, not to mention a breach of the directors’ obligations to their shareholders, something I do not believe Warner Bros is guilty of.

And how would MGM’s creditors feel about their co-producer playing Father

Christmas with their profit share…?

The fact is, Hollywood studios are notorious for their lack of generosity, as Sir Peter would know from his suit against New Line for improper accounting of his share of merchandising receipts from Lord Of The Rings. The manoeuvre that New Line allegedly pulled against Sir Peter is typical of the type of accounting shenanigans the studios and other media companies regularly engage in.

(While on the topic of New Line, it is interesting to note – apropos suggestions that the Hobbit studios might be so put off by the actors’ action that they would never bring another production here again – that New Line was so incensed

by Sir Peter’s lawsuit that it publically announced he would never be allowed to work on another of its films. That was, what, four years ago?)

T

he Government’s role in The Hobbit circus was probably the most bizarre aspect of an extremely bizarre series of events. Imagine how the Warner Bros executives felt when, upon their arrival in Wellington, they were met at the airport by official limos and whisked away to Premier House in a display of hospitality even visiting heads of state would be envious of! What I would give to walk into such a negotiation, having had your opposite number already clearly indicate they will do just about anything to reach agreement with you!

(Hilariously, Prime Minister John Key described the first session of negotiations as “playing hard ball”.)

This was probably the most embarrassing part of the whole debacle. The shallowness of the media coverage was one thing; the “talkback radio” style of discourse another; the pointless marches and rallies yet another. But this image of “the Warner Bros executives” coming out to NZ to be ferried around in government limousines, feted by the Prime Minister and promised major law changes to make it easier for them to do business here was something else entirely. It made us look ridiculous, not to mention desperate. Where’s our goddamned dignity?

It was always clear we were going to give the studios more money (despite comments from Peter Jackson that he didn’t believe this was an issue), but the offer to change our employment law to appease them was especially egregious.

I imagine I speak for many lawyers

The Wellington march was an empty, ill-conceived spectacle that simply played into the studios’ hands. when I say that ad-hoc amendments to well-settled legal principles to meet one particular business need is not how parliamentary lawmaking should be carried out.

The employment status of actors has never been a serious issue in the debate.

Actors are always engaged as independent contractors and I am not aware of any desire amongst them to change their status. It would be interesting to know who put this issue on the table, but I assume the reason was lingering resentment over the Supreme Court decision in Bryson v 3 Foot 6. Of course, this case did not involve an actor, it was decided five years ago, and does not seem to have impeded the production of any films or television programmes in NZ. The law has been changed under urgency with no opportunity for public submission and therefore no opportunity to explore the rationale for, among other things, treating the film industry differently to other industries where participants typically engage as independent contractors. The irony is that this law change is more likely to affect crew – including those who were out marching against Actors’ Equity – than actors.

Of course, the option of changing the Commerce Act to remove any doubts about Equity’s ability to negotiate on behalf of its members (as recently happened in Ireland) was never on the table. Strange that.

T

he extra cash incentives should not escape examination either. Is this, for instance, a good way to spend $30 million of taxpayers’ money? Imagine what could be done with that amount in the local film industry – we could make 10 good films! Now, it may be that this was a very worthwhile expenditure – indeed, I think it is, if it was necessary to retain the films – but I also believe that if the matter had been handled properly it wouldn’t have been necessary to offer the sweetener of the increased incentives.

We have never had a decent debate about where projects like Lord Of The Rings, Avatar and The Hobbit fit into our

industry. One thing that struck me when the intensity of the crew members who marched against Equity in Wellington became apparent is that an industry based around projects like these can’t ever be truly sustainable because ultimately we have no control over whether they come here or not and we can’t go on changing the law for every project (a special exception to tax law changes was also necessary to keep Lord Of The Rings in the country).

In bringing Hollywood projects to New Zealand, Peter Jackson has achieved some marvellous things for the screen industry here, and the country in general, and these movies were and continue to be incredibly important for building up a talent base and providing jobs. But we can’t continue to live project to project.

As Australia has found, external factors such as changes in the exchange rates can result in overseas investment drying up. (Certainly, such an explanation is more credible than the claim that studios like Disney have been avoiding Australia due to the MEAA, given this idea was specifically dismissed by Disney’s chairman.)

Fortunately for Australia, they have a vibrant local industry. We can kid ourselves that the studios will continue to come here because we are talented and we have beautiful scenery, but the reality is that media companies are no different to any other commercial entity. They have to focus on their bottom line and the overriding consideration of where to invest must be where the best return on the investment can be found.

O

f course, after the deal with the studios was struck, the blame for everything was still laid at the actors’ feet. This despite the fact that the MEAA and Warner Bros had already reached agreement regarding the rescinding of any further industrial action well before this. Oddly, the agreement between the actors unions and the studios also occurred prior to the technicians in Wellington staging their march demanding

an end to the actors’ “boycott”, with the release of the media statement announcing the agreement having allegedly been delayed by some studio quibbling over phraseology. As such, regardless of how sincerely felt by the participants, the Wellington march – and the dramatic images of angst that resulted – was in reality just an empty spectacle. Not to mention an ill-conceived one – it simply played into the studios’ hands by putting them in a stronger negotiating position when they arrived.

The claim that the actors’ industrial action nearly lost NZ the movies and caused the Government settlement bears as little scrutiny. In addition to the point already made regarding the agreement reached between the studios and the unions, the deal the Government actually “negotiated” had nothing to do with the issues in the actors’ dispute, concerning as it did financial incentives and the Bryson case. (John Key, in an unintentionally amusing comment, did try to conflate the two by saying it was the actions of NZ Actors’ Equity that caused Warner Bros to “look around and see what was on offer in other countries”.) So this Hollywood studio was hitherto unaware of the financial incentives available in other countries? Key used to be a global FX dealer, right? So wouldn’t he expect the studios to be constantly running financial models right up to the start of principal photography and beyond?

(Particularly when the co-producer was heading for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.)

S

ubterranean tension between different participant groups in the NZ industry – or, more accurately, between subsets of said groups – has been brought to the fore by this episode. The invective directed at the actors’ union and at the actors themselves by some of their fellow industry members has been, well, horrible.

My partner is an actress, and I can tell you it has been quite a distressing and scary time from an actor’s point of

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november 2010

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e c n a r u s n Legal & i

Softening the blow Technological advances and increasing professionalism are changing the insurance market for the screen production industry, reports Peter Parnham.

N

ext time you sign off the invoice for your production insurance premiums, try looking at the bottom line through a half-full glass – it might make you feel better about paying out for a service you hope never to use.

Taking a positive view shouldn’t be too difficult because, according to underwriters, production insurance has been getting cheaper.

“It’s a soft market,” says Joe Lo Surdo, managing director of insurance underwriters FIUA. “Premiums have come down not because of claims experience, but more so because of the insurance cycle, which at the moment is quite soft. That’s not just film, that’s insur-

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ance in general. Going back to just after 9/11, for instance, the rates were very firm.”

Sydney based FIUA is a specialist film industry underwriter that insures the bulk of New Zealand’s productions through specialist New Zealand brokers who take care of local fire service levies and taxes along the way.

Of course, if you insist on clinging to a glass-half-empty attitude, you’ll see a soft market as a mere trough in a long-term cycle, and you’ll be mindful of private broker warnings that building-related insurance is sure to climb as insurers recover losses and rapidly re-evaluate risk in the light of

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the Christchurch earthquake.

There is, however, another, more permanent influence at work bringing production insurance costs down.

New digital technologies decrease workflow risks, and with it the Negative Film Risk premiums.

“Claims have probably decreased 30 percent in the last four or five years with the arrival of the new technology,” says Lo Surdo. “The severity of the claims has also decreased.”

N

egative Film Risk Policy (ie, neg cover) is one of several different policy types taken out by producers and insures against the risks of faulty film stock, cameras and processing and for increased expenses if the negative is lost or damaged.

Fixing film negative problems has been transformed now that post-production is an all-digital affair and VFX effects and CGI tools are readily to hand. The techniques for removing negative imperfections like a scratch and the wires suspending a stunt person are essentially the same.

“Going back a few years ago, you would lose a day’s shoot and you’d have to send people out on a reshoot almost immediately but these days, with the technology, a lot of the time they can digitally correct these things,” says Lo Surdo.

“So although there are still new claims, rather than, say, a $50,000 claim for a re-shoot, you may be able to fix it up in post for maybe $10,000.”

Replacing dangerous or complex physical stunts with CGI generated stunts has also driven premiums down.

“They decrease the budget but it also decreases the risk, which in turn decreases the premium,” says Lo Surdo.

Digital cameras also have a dramatic impact on the risk. Unlike traditional film cameras, there is no physical negative, eliminating a whole class of arcane worries like power cuts at the laboratory that could easily ruin film.

But that doesn’t make neg cover redundant.

Lo Surdo explains the term ‘neg cover’ has stuck but these days the policy wordings have been updated to reflect the risks associated with digital cameras.

Claims still occur with digital cameras, and Lo Surdo reels off a list of examples: image drop-outs, loss of time code, suspected electrical interference to images, failure to transfer digital images correctly, failure of hard drives, and faulty data cards.

But a crucial change with digital cameras and digital workflow is that the ability to manage the risk has been handed back to the production’s management and crew, since there is no longer a need to rely on third parties to purchase, courier, process, transfer and even cut your film negative.

This means that for some smaller productions buying neg cover is no longer automatic, and some simply choose to do without, accepting and managing the risk themselves.

“I would say it’s the $50,000 to $100,000 projects filming in HD or RED” that choose to forgo the insurance, says Lo Surdo.

“People say, ‘Okay, the budgets are tight, if there is a claim, we can sort it out a lot more cost effectively than we could, say five years ago.’”

He says that, unlike a film shoot, a digital shoot crew can monitor the quality on set and, if a problem occurs, do a re-take before moving to the next set up, mitigating some – but by no means all – of the risk.

“Although the frequency of claims has come down compared to negative film, claims haven’t been eradicated,” he points out.

“Over about $100,000 [budget], they still take out neg cover – it can be tape or whatever, but they still take it out because although they realise that the chances of claims are less, the investors want to protect their asset.”

T

hese trends are happening on both sides of the Tasman and Lo Surdo says there is no risk differential between Australia and New Zealand.

“Because they are not huge markets, we band them all together,” he says.

“Sometimes the NZ claims and experiences are not so good, and other times, it’s Australia.

“Going back a few years, we insured River Queen, and obviously that one was a bit of a doozey in terms of a large claim, but there hasn’t been a massive claim of that size for a number of years.”

Negotiation In the old days, you’d almost do a deal on a handshake – or you would know the producer and know that they would do the right thing. But these days we look at the risk management plan a lot more.

It is not just the technology that is changing; productions’ approach to risk management is changing too.

“We’ve always found production companies to be very professional in both New Zealand and in Australia, but I think, over the last five-10 years, things have become more formal,” says Lo Surdo.

“In the old days, you’d almost do a deal on a handshake – or you would know the producer and know that they would do the right thing. But these days we look at the risk management plan a lot more.

“If people are doing things a bit out of the ordinary, we ask for full stunt and safety reports, whereas maybe five to 10 years ago we wouldn’t have been quite as strict as we are now. It’s a good thing for the insurer to know that these practices have formalised.”

O

n feature films, insurers are not the only external parties assessing risks to the production.

“The completion guarantors are there as a bond to give absolute security to the investors that the project will be made. They’re very concerned about the insurance because, in effect, what we’re not covering, they are covering,” says Lo Surdo.

“They want to make sure that the production company has got a good insurance programme in place, because the less insurance the production company takes out, the more risk on the completion guarantor.

“I’ll get a call from them from time to time to ask me, for instance, how much a certain project is insured for, or whether the cast members are insured, and if there are any restrictions on those particular cast members and so forth.

“The reason is that if a cast member is not insured, they will pick up the tab. An ensemble cast is always a bit of a tricky one, because where do you stop insuring? In the past, for example, we may have insured seven

people and the eighth or ninth person – who the production company has decided not to insure – has become sick, which becomes a problem for the completion guarantors, not the insurers.”

He says completion guarantors also oversee the production management in greater detail than insurers.

“If there’s a problem with the director going over budget, and they’ve got to fire them, that’s their domain, not ours. We insure defined risks and they insure everything else.

“They also get involved in things like weather. If it rains for a couple of weeks and they go over budget or behind schedule that becomes their problem, that’s not an insurance problem. People don’t insure for weather on a feature film and very rarely will they insure for weather on a television commercial because it’s just not cost effective to do so.”

W

ith so much at stake and so much dependent on the wording of the defined risks, Lo Surdo says it is important to use local insurers and brokers, where you can pick up the phone to go through any problems with the insurance package and get them ironed out.

“Insurance is one of those necessary evils, I know it’s an old adage but it’s a very important one. People don’t want to spend money on insurance.

But they want to know that, in the event of a claim, they are going to be paid and be in the same position that they were prior to the loss,” he says.

“They don’t want to be mucked around with fine print and I think that’s where the relationship becomes a big deal – that’s why local people prefer to deal with local insurers.

“It works that way in every industry, of course – the respect, the trust that you build up. At the end of the day we’ve got big clients who we’ve insured for 23 years. You feel good about things like that.”

tips

I

f you’re unsure of how to go about contract negotiations, find an experienced lawyer or agent to represent you. If you decide to do your own negotiating, however, here are a few basic rules: • Do your homework about the person/ organisation you are dealing with • Decide exactly how important the deal is to you, as that will determine how much take or give you have • Identify your “deal points” • Identify what is not important to you • Identify the other side’s “deal points” • Identify what they’re not really interested in • Identify what is not in the agreement but should be (if you’re looking at someone else’s contract) • Try to stay emotionally detached from the process - once you lose your cool you lose your edge and may miss the other side’s strategy • Unless you are an extremely experienced contract negotiator or agent do not try to negotiate legal terms with

a lawyer - we do this for a living and you will always come off second best • Don’t be intimidated by numbers and make sure you know exactly how to follow any calculations presented to you. If you can’t follow them immediately, take your time and ensure you understand before agreeing to them • In the interest of repeat business, always try to accommodate the other side so they feel good about the result. No-one is a harder negotiator than someone who feels they didn’t get a fair deal last time you dealt with them • Do not lose sight of your deal points throughout the negotiation process • Understand all the information presented to you before agreeing anything. Take your time if ambushed and ask questions if you don’t understand things, no matter how trivial they may seem - it’s hard to reopen negotiations on a point that is agreed • Be prepared to walk out of a negotiation if there is no negotiation happening.

Work with an experienced team who have: been there from as far back as Smash Palace Roger Donaldson in 1981. experienced in international markets - USA, UK, Australia. worked on large productions, the likes of Lord of the Rings. negotiated the settlement of NZ’s largest claim. specialists in feature films, television productions & events.

Contact: Brian Mahony

ddi: (+64) 09 358 - 5921 mb: 021 622 444

brian.mahony@fmrrisk.co.nz

Tim Groenestein ddi: (+64) 09 358 - 5924 mb: 021 893 039

tim.groenestein@fmrrisk.co.nz

Offices – Auckland, Cambridge, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch and Dunedin

FMR Entertainment a division of

FMRRisk www.onfilm.co.nz

november 2010

25

w e i v r e t In

Before, during & After the Waterfall II Concluding our interview with writer-director Simone Horrocks about making her feature film debut, After the Waterfall.

So after eight years in development, the film’s finally a go…

Yes, we got the magical greenlight, conditional on having a distribution deal, which we had with Rialto, after a board meeting late in 2008.

It was all or nothing. If we’d been turned down it would’ve been over. I certainly went into that meeting thinking, “Whatever happens, I do not want to have any regrets about not having given it my all.” To be honest I think it went right to the wire...

The greenlight happened just before Christmas and other than a small break for the holiday we went straight into pre-production. The timing of the shoot was dictated by [lead] Antony [Starr]’s schedule, [producer] and Trevor [Haysom]’s schedule and just by the fact we were so ready. I’d done a lot of work over the year prior and we were chomping at the bit. So yeah, why wait? [laughs] It was a mid-winter shoot?

Antony says it was mid-winter but I think that’s because it felt like that for him when he had to get under the waterfall. [laughs] Thinking back though, we actually started shooting just after Easter. It was quite warm to begin with but then definitely got colder near the end, which sadly was when we were shooting all the stuff that was supposed to look like summer.

So how did you find the marathon that is shooting a feature as opposed to the sprint of a short film?

I think making a feature is easier than a short film. Everybody always says, “Don’t shoot any of your really key scenes in the first week because it takes a week to really get up to speed.”

Well, when you make a short film, that’s your whole shoot. Plus, generally speaking, you don’t have as much support around you. Having the bigger machine to work within, as well as that bigger investment so that it’s not just me it matters to whether this film gets made and is good – that’s really helpful.

And you know, personally I’m not mad on short films, I like watching 26

november 2010

Bedside manner: Simone Horrocks directs Antony Starr as the crew preps around them.

them but… I like having the space to really explore and develop character, and tell a bigger story. I was really ready for that opportunity and I loved every minute on set.

There’s the cliché about how a film is made three times: during the writing of the script, the shoot, and then finally in post-production.

Well, that’s a cliché because it so true.

So what was it like making it the second time, if you will, during the shoot? What were the challenges and pleasures of the process? Do you actually like shooting? Because I’m surprised by the number of directors who don’t.

I love shooting – I mean, for me, everything else is the price of admission. I’m definitely not one of those people who love the writing and the cutting room.

To be honest, the cutting room is the worst part of the process for me, I find it unbearably hard.

The shoot is what it’s all about for

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me, and I love it enough that how ever many years it takes to get there is worth it.

Which is not to say it isn’t difficult, because it is. Our biggest challenge was really just the schedule. We had 25 days to shoot our performance-heavy drama. I was determined that it would be shot where it was set, which was out at Piha and on the outskirts of New Lynn and Henderson. Of course, that meant there were travel issues and that we had a shorter day than we would have if we’d shot in town.

So we were under a lot of time pressure, but the intensity of that can go both ways – it can either be a disaster for your film or it can be a gift and in our case, whilst it was tough, I think it was good for the film.

Every day on set brings challenges and that’s the fun of it. I think it was [US indie writer-director] Harmony Korine who said it’s like playing with a big chemistry set – you know, you put stuff in a test tube and shake it hard, and you never know whether it’s going

to blow up in your face or something really magical is going to happen.

Given it is a performance-driven film and you had such a tight schedule, how do you go about creating an environment on set where your cast can be in the moment and largely sheltered from the pressing awareness that there are x more set-ups that have to be done after this scene?

That’s such a complex question because it’s all about everything that we do. It’s a kind of black magic, it’s a kind of alchemy, and it’s different for every actor as well. It’s not like you can create a magic bubble and everyone breathes the same air – every actor needs different support or information.

A lot of it has to do with the actors themselves as well; it’s part of their professionalism to be able to zone out…

It’s all about concentration and preparation. For the director, especially, doing your homework is key – you have to know it all inside and out.

You have to have the map. That doesn’t

It’s like playing with a big chemistry set – you never know whether it’s going to blow up in your face or something really magical is going to happen. mean you tell everyone precisely what to do and where to go, but you’ve got to know if someone is straying from the path or something’s just not working.

I made it very clear every step of the way in pre-production that it was to be performance-led and that the actors would be central to the process. You have to fight very, very hard for that and you never achieve it in the way that you want to. But that’s part of the tension of filmmaking; every aspect of filmmaking has tension attached to it: you know, the relationship between creative ideals and the finance and the schedule; the relationship between the dream of a character and the reality of the day.

I think it’s a necessary tension – it’s like the sand in the oyster, you have to look at it positively.

I’m really intrigued by how this industrial process intersects with an ephemeral, artistic moment, if you like, and how there’s this constant mediation between the two.

I actually come from a technical background – I started out as a focus puller and did that for about five years.

Camera was my entry into filmmaking; when I went to film school that’s what I thought I wanted to do.

So I have a knowledge of the technical side and I love the fact that, as you say, filmmaking is a mixture of a semi-industrial process and some kind of weird alchemy. But I knew on this project that it would live and die on its performances. That no matter how beautifully shot or art-directed it was, that if the performances weren’t compelling and believable then the rest of it would be dead in the water.

So, given we didn’t have a lot of time and it was my first film, that was my absolute priority. And I know there

were times during the shoot when occasionally other members of the crew felt I wasn’t engaging enough with what they were doing or giving them the time they needed.

One of the areas that’s always difficult is the DOP wanting more time to light and set up and the director wanting that time to block and rehearse. And that is a creative struggle I consider positive, because it means that everyone is passionate about what they’re doing and wants what’s best for the film. All I can ever say about that is one is always left wishing there was more time. But what I also know from working on other people’s films is that the director will always try and do more than they can for the money they’ve got. That’s why those struggles are always there and, of course, I’ve experienced that from both sides, having been a crew member.

I think crew in New Zealand have a really strong sense of ownership in regard to NZ films, and for good reason. Often they’re working below the normal rate and giving a lot of themselves in that way; secondly, I think we feel quite passionate about our films and therefore people don’t hold back from telling you what they think or feel. In my case I can only say that was always very respectful and I consider it to be part of the fertile process of collaboration.

It’s partly an issue of trust – developing relationships takes time and of course with the actors you have more time. With some members of the crew you have a lot of time with them during pre-production but with others they don’t turn up until day one…

• After the Waterfall is currently in general theatrical release, having been launched on 4 November.

The Shire schism Continued from page 23

view. MEAA’s office in Ponsonby had to hire a security guard and a number of vile and violent telephone and email threats were made against a number of performers (whether by members of the industry or the general public remains to be seen).

U

nderlying Actors’ Equity’s attempt to discuss its terms and conditions with The Hobbit’s producers is, I think, a strong desire to establish standard base contracts in the local industry. Periodic attempts by the actors’ organisation (and, for that matter, the directors’ guild) to establish standard terms and conditions governing their engagement on local projects are always treated with hostility. I have often been puzzled by why this is, given there are inefficiencies in the commercial model used to make films and TV shows in this country that could be partially remedied by a consistent and reliable contract for performers (or directors, or any role in the screen production industry).

When acting as a lawyer for producers I often have to spend considerable time negotiating the minutiae of performer agreements (in one feature film I recently closed, this used up about 20% of the legal budget). This usually includes negotiating basic terms and conditions that would be covered by a standard contract. Pretty much every time you send a contract out to an agent you end up reinventing the wheel. And when acting for performers, it is often necessary to spend more time than it is worth (ie, more time than you can charge for) reading and getting to grips with the performer agreement provided by the producer. This is because every producer has their own contract, and many of them are badly written or cobbled together from other agreements (copyright laws are only paid lip service to in this area, I have noticed…).

When I look back at the other sectors I have worked in, the standardisation of terms and conditions is commonplace.

In financial markets around the world, for instance, everyone uses the ISDA (International Swap Dealers Association) agreement for derivative transactions. ISDAs are extremely complex agreements but, thanks to this standardisation, when

you get one you know exactly what to look for and what areas to negotiate. Not having the ISDA would add thousands to the cost of every deal.

Or take the common and gardenvariety Auckland District Law Society residential real estate sale and purchase agreement. Imagine how inefficient conveyancing would be if every real estate agent had their own version of a sale and purchase agreement.

Surely it’s at least worth considering whether the introduction of standard contracts would improve productivity in our industry and help save costs. The nearest we have to one is probably the Writers’ Guild purchase agreement. It’s a reasonably well-written and useful agreement and is quite often used by smaller producers on low budget features who don’t have the resources to create their own. In addition to saving costs on the initial creation of agreements, standard contracts definitely make the lawyering easier, meaning less money spent on legal fees and more spent on other areas of the budget. I realise this is not such a big issue for the larger production companies that have in-house lawyers and have refined their agreements over a number of projects, but what about the smaller producer-director combos, or those starting out – who is speaking for them?

I’ve said it before, but that won’t stop me from saying it again: when I came into this industry as a corporate/ commercial lawyer from the financial services world, I saw a lot of clunkiness and old fashioned approaches to doing business. Whatever your position on the dispute involving The Hobbit, one thing it has highlighted for me is the apparent lack of desire within the industry to attend to some of these inefficient business practices.

That’s a great pity, as the failure to modernise and rationalise these arrangements in my opinion poses a much more real danger to the sustainability of the NZ screen production industry than the manufactured menace we’ve recently been threatened with.

• Tim Riley (tim@dominionlaw.co.nz) is from Dominion Law, entertainment lawyers who understand creative people and their businesses.

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november 2010

27

n Productio Listings How to get your production listed Because all listing information is voluntarily supplied by the production companies concerned, these pages are indicative of production activity rather than being an exhaustive record.

Film

Please see www.onfilm.co.nz or contact crewlists@onfilm.co.nz for everything you need to know about getting your production listing/s in Onfilm, including deadlines, submitting new entries and updates, and abbreviations.

PRODUCTION

music Mama Tilly, Rose Blake, Catherine Norton pub Richard Whiteside prod stills Greig Sims pub stills Sarah Julianne medical advs Sharon Graham, Dr Vincent Wong casting Raquel Sims, Beth Brash cast Jessica Manins, Vincent Wong, Rose Blake, Richard Whiteside, Elliot Travers, James Trevena-Brown, Barbara Woods, Elaine Butler

steadycam op Glen Maw snd Miguel Ruiz boom op Alex Lee scrpt sup Sophie Cherry m/up Renei Bailey grip Jared O Neale unit Charlette Potts cast Hayden Weal, Rowan Bettjeman, Aroha White, David Brownjohn, Faalii Alaimoana, James Simpson, Daley Tapa, Florence McFarlane, James Blake

FRIENDS BY THE WATER

[COMPOUND]

Fe a t u r e ( R E D ) p r o d c o H y b r i d M o t i o n Pictures prods Alastair Tye Samson, Anoushka Klaus, Doug Dillaman writer/dir Doug Dillaman 1AD Ellie Callahan prod mgr Amanda Cairns-Cowen DP Ross Turley f/pullers Garth Merrylees, David Steel, Meg Perrott, Ayrton Winitana key grip Heath King 2nd asst cam Fiona Janet Young lx assts John Young, Ewan Hall snd rec Alex Bird art dir Jasmine RogersScott cost Jasmin Gibson, Barbara Pinn m/up art Anna Hewlett stby w/robe Shannon Winn conty Oliver Rose catering Concierge NZ stills Adam Baines ed Peter Evans 1st asst ed Katie Ross 2nd asst ed Gideon Smit colourist Alana Cotton snd des Jason Fox music Paul Velat cast Jason Fitch, Leighton Cardno, Greg Johnson, Martyn Wood, Tainui Tukiwaho, Campbell Cooley, Anoushka Klaus, Narelle Ahrens, Toby Sharpe, Deborah Rea, Julie Collis, Mick Innes, Jodie Hillock, Renee Lyons, Sam Berkley, Julian Wilson, Anna Davies

16mm short prod co The Film School dir Sandy BurtonDavis writer Joseph Ryan prod John Reid exec prod Tommy Honey asso prod Alison Langdon DP Gene Warriner prod mgr Steven Charles prod asst Betty Savage prod runner Sagar Janvekar loc mgr Bonnie low cam op Dylan Jauslin f/puller Helmut Marko c/loader Ahmed Osman vid asst Nathaniel Hinde grip Sinclair Dyer grip asst Tom Frame gaffer Mark Jackson gaffer asst Kathleen Collins snd rec Pavel Kvatch boom op Neil Hunter 1AD Lisa Fraser-Clark 2AD Joseph Ryan cont Lillian Beets art dir Ben White prps/art asst Joshua Kamau w/robe Annalisa Ridley unit Paul Jackson cast Zoe Lovell-Smith, Nick Blake, Bailey McCormack, Vivien Bell

ONE DOOR TO HEAVEN

16mm short prod co The Film School dir Lillian Beets writer Joseph Ryan prod John Reid exec prod Tommy Honey asso prod Alison Langdon DP Paul Jackson prod mgr Kathleen Collins prod asst Annalisa Ridley prod runner Nathaniel Hinde loc mgr Mark Jackson cam op Josh O’Brien f/puller Bonnie Low c/loader Pavel Kvatch vid asst Ben White grip Neil Hunter grip asst Gene Warriner gaffer Helmut Marko gaffer asst Joshua Kamau snd rec Dylan Jauslin boom op Sandy Burton-Davis 1AD Steven Charles 2AD Ahmed Osman cont Betty Savage art dir Sinclair Dyer prps/ art asst Lisa Fraser-Clark w/robe Tom Frame unit Sagar Janvekar cast Nick Dunbar, Don Lngridge, Todd Rippon

REST FOR THE WICKED

Feature NZFC 16mm prod co RFTW Ltd, Antipodean Film prod Maile Daugherty dir Simon Pattison writer Bob Moore line prod Judith Trye DP Jos Wheeler ed Paul Maxwell 1AD Simon Ambridge 2AD Reuben Van Dorsten 3AD Hannah McKenzie prod coord Angela da Silva asst prod coord Donna Pearman prod acct Naomi Bowden prod runner David Cowlrick prod des Shayne Radford art dir Zach Becroft art dept coord/ byr Anna Jordan art asst Dominic Miles f/puller Graham MacFarlane c/loader Tammy Williams v/ split Alex Campbell script sup Kat Phyn script con Nick Ward dramaturg Aileen O’Sullivan dir trnee Elena Doyle cast dir Sally Spencer-Harris cost des Kirsty Steele cost stby Ylona McGinity cost dssr Anna Reid cost asst Pearl Jolly key grip Jim Rowe grip Chris Rawiri gaffer Graeme Spence b/boy Regan Jones lx asst Ben Corlett snd rec Myk Farmer boom op Eoin Cox loc mgr Damion Nathan m/up&hair Natalie Perks m/up asst Hannah Wilson safety Anthony Pennington pub Sue May epk Alistor Crombie stills Matt Klitscher, Marc Mateo sfx sup/armourer Gunner Ashford stunt coord Paul Shapcott unit mgr Nicki Tremain vfx post sup Zane Holmes asst ed Kerri Roggio post prod house Images and Sound lab Film Lab cast Tony Barry, John Bach, Teresa Woodham, Irene Wood, Ilona Rodgers, Elizabeth Mcrae, Ken Blackburn, Bruce Allpress, Elisabeth Easther, Stephanie Tuaevihi, Ian Mune, Helen Moulder, Sara Wiseman

POST PRODUCTION BABY

20min short prod co Treetop Productions prod/ dir/writer Raquel Sims prods Richard Whiteside, Julieanne Stephens, Amanda Berryman DP Matt Sharp 1ADs Jules Lovelock, Luke Ruscoe, Bruno DuBois 2AD Felicity Hamill prod mgr Amanda Berryman prod asst Laurence Fauatea runners Marty Chung, Tayla Davies, Keiran Vane ed Nikki Parlane snd ed/des Joel Anscombe-Smith colourist/vfx Matthew Harris cam op Ben Forman f/pullers Bryson Rooney, Graham Smout cam assts Graham Smout, Alex Lee gaffer Lee Scott b/boy Bret Saunders lx assts Daniela Conforte, Royce Goddard grip William Mathews asst grip Andrés Bocage snd Dan Urlich boom op Tim Blake music snd Lauren King data mgr Symon Choveaux unit mgr Eugene Becconsall set dress/props Mike Mercer, Melanie Hull props Julieanne Stephens cont Heidi Jeynes, Marian Angeles w/robe Bonne Kemp m/up Jasmine Amohau, Renei Bailey, Lucy Gargiulo, Kerry Taylor hair Dayna Morris, Sandra Stevenson @Zambezi

28

NOVEMber 2010

Feature prod co D S Productions prod/dir/writer Dale Stewart exec prods Dale Stewart, Graeme Gilby prod Jacqui Gilbert DP Mathew Harte 1st cam asst Roko Babich 2nd cam asst Dale Stewart 1st ad Candice Crow boom op Chanel Simpson prod mgr Jacqui Gilbert prod assts Jono Bevin, John Gilbert, Joseph Gilbert gaffer Mathew Harte gaffer asst Roko Babich adv John Gilbert m/up Sarah Taylor, Zoe Boyle, Anna Brock, Simone Faets ed Dale Stewart ed assts Ben Fowler, Chris Tarpey colourist Allan George cmpsr/mus Gabrielle Gilbert snd/foley/snd post prods Nadav Tabak, Alex Ward loc Spookers cast Te Kaea Beri, Richard Lambeth, Nikki Christensen, Russell Wills, Debbie Foster, Omar Al-Sobky, Tim Hammersley, Tonci Pivac, Campbell Cooley, Mike O’Sullivan, Jacqui Gilbert, Tim Schijf, Jennifer Lopsi, Dale Stewart, Andires Mentz, Chad Mills, Gareth Paget, Andy Sophocleous, Breigh Fouhy, Andrea Bates, Alex Way, David Coggington, Amy Malloy, Eppie Bowler, Mike Tilton, Chantal Renee Samuela, David McCartney, Dan Coddington, David Austin, Jimmy James, Sean O’Connor, Jonathan Gilbert, Rachel King, Gabriel Henry

CURRY MUNCHERS

Feature prod co Mahayana Films prods Rajendran Naidu, Anand Naidu dir Cristobal Araus Lobos s/play dev Anand Naidu s/play writer/sup Padma Akula DP Karl Schodt snd Ande Schurr mus Allen Jensson grip Anton Leach tech dir/post prod Media Networks Corporation exec prod Shanta Naidu line prod Gaurav Gupta asso prod Paul Marshall marketing mgr Graham Rogers 1AD Jordan Mauger 2AD Rowan Sharp loc mgr Eddy Fifield unit mgr Steven Baker prod assts Rowan Sharp, Amit Sharma, Sophiya Elisabeth, Rosemary Abel grip asst Corei gaffer Matt Johns b/boy Ken Stratton b/girl Aleisha Frazer f/ puller Matthew Gerrand cam asst Priscilla Northe snd mixers Ben Vanderpoel, Nikora Edwards boom op Chanel Simpson m/up Powder Puff Inc w/robe Laura Schneemann, Sarah Koopu w/robe asst Danielle Orme prod des Robin Charles art dir Haley Williams art assts Angela Gray, Courtney Sanft art dept runner Josh Finnigan runners Ashley Pitman, Christopher Pretty, Lydia Stott distributor Incubate Ltd cast Aunanda Naaido, Alison Titulaer, Ajay Vasisht, Leela Patel, Ben Mitchell, Rajeev Varma, Tarun Mohanbhai, Vidya Venugopalan, Bhavnesh Soni, Jenny Li, Lisa Robinson, Dwayne Cameron, D. Mark Harrison, Sophia Elisabeth, William Wallace, Amit Odhedar, Jazeel Mistry

HOLY ROLLER

Feature prod co Life Films prods Angus Benfield, Mark Freiburger, Ken Robinson, Patrick Gillies asso prods Anne Williams, Nick Prince line prod Nadia Maxwell writer Angus Benfield dir Patrick Gillies prod mgr Nadia Maxwell 1AD Anna Canton 2AD Josh Bridgman prod asst Penny Clark-Hall prod runner Callum Butcher cont Nan Sirisamphan, Aria Broughton DP John Christoffels 1st cam asst Kirk Pflaum 2nd cam assts David Jensen, Jeremy Garland c/loaders David Jensen, Jeremy Garland, Makoto Takaoka snd rec Tim Brott, Hadlee Wright boom ops Hadlee Wright, Makoto Takaoka gaffer Andy Rennie b/boy Chris Fawcett key grip James Creevey grip asst Dan Watson loc mgr Ken Robinson unit mgr Callum Butcher prod design/art dir Bryce Holtshousen art asst Don Bate art runner Kate Geary w/robe Kaye McCurdy w/robe asst Eliza Glyn m/up & hair Liz O’Sullivan, Julie Anne Whitson m/up & hair assts Kendra Cox, Becky Smith, Erin Broadfoot extras wranglers Belinda Davie, Brendon Kircher, Aria Broughton eds Patrick Gillies, Raymond Kennard data wrangler Raymond Kennard app Campbell Platt app asst Steve Smith p/grphrs Steve Brodie, Don Bate, Wayne Williams, Andrew Hewson PR Tactic Communications cast Angus Benfield, Victoria Abbott, Jeremy Brennan, Mike Maxwell, Ron Rodger, Martin Howells, Al Kincaid, Nick White, Patrick Duffy

HOT ROB

Self-funded action comedy short dir Andy Campion DP Marty Lang vfx ed Caleb Carr 1AD Johnny Eagle gaffer David Brownjohn cam asst Philip Kehm

www.onfilm.co.nz

JAKE

MEATHEAD

35mm NZFC funded short prod co Eyeworks Film prods Desray Armstrong, Chelsea Winstanley consult prod Robin Scholes exec prod Big Shorts dir/writer Sam Holst 1AD Seamus Cooney 3ADs Bonnie Frires, Floyd Moratti cont Kath Thomas strybd art Glen Christie DP Andy Commis f/puller Jason Cooper White c/loaders Kent Belcher, Gray Turner s/cam Grant Adams stills Louise Hyatt behind the scenes Chris Walker grip Anton Leach gaffer Sean Loftin lx/grip asst Corey Moana snd rec Ben vanderpoel boom op Adnan Taumoepeau prod des Sinclair Lonsdale stby props Billy Mizer art asst Jesse Magrath cost des Emma Skudder m/up Debbie Tremayne unit Rua Howe safety Sam Cometti, SceneSafe prod asst Dena Kennedy prod runner TemaKwan Fenton-Coyne rushes runner Suze Srpek cam equip Panavision NZ stock Fujifilm NZ ed Peter Sciberras snd des Max Scott, Nick Buckton, Matt Scott casting Reel World Casting cast Jesse James, Greg Smith, William Hemming, Mick Innes, Stephen Ure, Jesse Magrath

MY WEDDING AND OTHER SECRETS

Feature prod co SPP (09 839 0999) prods John Barnett, Paul Davis dir Roseanne Liang writers Roseanne Liang, Angeline Loo line prod Janet McIver head acct Michelle Daley acct Ruben Ferguson post prod Images and Sound ed Eric de Beus asst ed Hamid Slaimankel pub Tamar Münch cast Michelle Ang, Matt Whelan, Kenneth Tsang, Pei Pei Cheng, Simon London, Katlyn Wong, Celeste Wong, Janet Tan, Josh Thomson, Todd Emerson, Gareth Yuan, Mike Ginn, Johnny Barker

RED ALERT

15mins DV prod co Hera Pictures writers/prods/ dirs BD Partridge, BJ Partridge AD Gareth Smith DP Daniel Habedank m/up Vikki Cottingham snd/stills Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa doco Andrew Kalshoven asst prod Michael Swift snd Trish Armstrong stills Graham Parker ed Jamie Shields song Gretchen Althoff builder Ray Lawson catering Arna Swift, Christina Swift w/ robe Emer O’Boyle composer Brigid Bisley music Waitakere City Orchestra cast Jason Greenwood, Paula Ferguson, Mark Webley, Simon Hislop, Jane Watt, Linda Tonkin, Jess Wylder, Lucy M Sanders, Jennette Rees, Sally Pugh, Jane Thomas, Lisa Dixon, Debbie Hay, Melanie Rosen, Vikki Cottingham, Mike Phillips, Geoffrey Bardsley, B-J Partridge, Ami Taylor, Mike Hallett, Dion Barton, Sonia Mills, Rob Addy, Jenny Shalfoon, Louise Joel, Linda Hutchison

SHANTYTOWN HOLOGRAM

12min prod co 3DLive prod Ronel Schodt holographic DP Karl Schodt ed/compositor Wayne Johnstone scrpt/post sup Bridget Ellis Pegler m/up Danielle Orme gaffer Matt Johns

TAKU RAKAU E

12min short 35mm prod co StanStrong Ltd prod Merata Mita dir/writer Kararaina Rangihau prod mgr Chelsea Winstanley prod asst Shannon Biddle prod runners Dena Kennedy, Dave Anderson 1AD Pita Turei 2AD Kath Akuhata Brown prod des Okiwi Logan

Shipgood construct Bonnie Taiatini, Haruru Ripia props Jimmy Kouratorus DP Grant McKinnon asst DP Mike Johnathan gaffer Mike Toki b/boy Logan Phillips grip Jim Rowe grip asst Andy Troughton loc mgr Steve Frires m/up artist Jasmine Amohau snd rec Aaron Davis add snd Ethan Davis cont Kath Thomas f/puller Kent Belcher c/loader Meg Perrot cam asst Amber Smith stills Cinzia Jonathan cam equip METRO film lx equip Volcano Lighting unit/safety Tweedie Waititi catering Te Kohanga Reo o Waikaremoana ed Dena Curtis snd des/ foley artist Dick Reade music Justin Kereama karearea footage Hikoi NZ film stock Fuji film processing Film Lab Ltd telecine transfer Digi Post snd des studio Reade Audio curious film prod Matt Noonan flame op Nigel Mortimer title des Richard Shaw subtitles Luke Haigh cast Menu Ripia, Te Ratauhina Tumarae, Te Urewera Tekurapa, Kiripounamu Tekurapa, Kirikatokia Rangihau, Riria Rangihau, Whakarito Rangihau, Parehuia Eparaima, Pato Ripia, Raymond Tipu, Tarewa Rota, Charlie Lambert, Ivan Turipa

THE DEVIL’S ROCK

Feature WWII Horror prod co The Devil’s Rock dir Paul Campion prod Leanne Saunders writers Paul Finch, Paul Campion, Brett Ihaka asso prod Richard Matthews script consult Kathryn Burnett mäori consult Tainui Stephens kaumatua Rangimoana Taylor line prod Melissa Dodds prod coord Tom Kelly prod asst Bonny Crayford prod acct Lyndsay Wilcox legal/bus affairs Matt Emery, Emery Legal casting dir Mike Dwyer, Barefoot Casting DP Rob Marsh cam op Ulric Raymond 1AC camA Phil Smith 2AC camA Joe Michael 1AC camB Angus Ward, Matt Tuffin 2AC camB Martin Lang, Kim Thomas cam trainee Jared O’Neale 1AD sched Dave Norris 1AD Richard Matthews 2AD Kendall Finlayson 3AD Jonny Eagle casual AD Jules Lovelock prod des Mary Pike art dir Zoe Wilson constr mgr Colin Davidson constr Paul McInnes constr assts Adam Crighton, Joseph Auslander stdby prps Richard Thurston ld prps maker Ben Price prps maker Alex Falkner lead set dec Laki Laban set dec Nathan Gray set paintrs Dordi Moen, Shari Finn paint hand Fraser Anderson gfx des Pete Wellington illustr Les Edwards title des Krystian Morgan art dept asst Lyndsay Crummet kayak constr Peter Notman arm Hamish Bruce cost sup Tristan McCallum cost stby Paul Hambleton, Coco Miles UK cost consult Josie Thomas m/up sup Davina Lamont m/up art Deb Watson Dara Wakely m/up asst Hayley Ness on set m/up/ fx/ prosth sup Sean Foot on set prosth techs Dordi Moen, Jade Jollie weta wkshp prosth sup Richard Taylor weta wkshp spec prosth m/up art Sean Foot weta wkshp prosth tech Jason Docherty, Frances Hawker weta wksp sculpt Gary Hunt weta wkshp prosth painter Sourisak Chanpaseuth, Dordi Moen weta wkshp coord Danielle Prestidge weta wkshp sup Rob Gillies script sup Pete Wellington snd rec Nic McGowan boom op Joel Anscombe Smith snd trainee Nick Tapp gaffer Adrian ‘Wookie’ Hebron key grip Byron Sparrow lx asst Chris Murphy casual lx asst Andy Ayrton, Simon Oliver, Mark Newnham, Ben Thurston, Hayden Rowe gripB Maurice “Moose” Kapua add grip Graeme Tuckett gene op Hansel Verkerk stunt coord Augie Davis safety coord Andy Buckley safety off Richard Thurston add safety Conrad Hawkins vfx sup Frank Reuter, Jake Lee matte paint Max Dennison loc mgr Peter Tonks unit mgr Gabe Page unit asst Hamish McDonald-Bates AD/unit assts Kura Scott, Claire Watson, Brendan Schenk catering Billionaires Catering security sup Kevin Magill add security Mark Matchett, Kevin Armstrong, Avele “Val” Moreli stills Gareth Moon add stills Matt Mueller, Roger Wong EPK Mike Roseingrave EPK add Jed Soane, Mark Tantrum ed Jeff Hurrell ed trainee Wes Thorpe snd des James West, Lloyd Young snd des trainee Jordan Muzio comp Andrea Posse ed facility Martin Square lab facility Laurence Alexander, Rubber Monkey cam Rubber Monkey Rocket Rentals lx Gunmetal insurnc Crombie Lockwood int sales NZFilm distrib Vendetta thx to Portsmouth, L’Affare, HELL & Film Wellington Nicci Lock cast Craig Hall, Matt Sunderland, Gina Varela, Karl Drinkwater, Luke Hawker, Jess Smith, Nick Dunbar, Hayden Green, Jonathan King

THE FALL GUYS

Feature prod co Certain Scenes Productions writer/ dir Scott Boswell prod Rhys Cain co prod Derryn Beath 1AD Daniel Beeching 3AD Jae Walford art dir Domini Calder DP Phillip Jackson snd David Byrne cost Caroline Mitchell prod mgr Caroline Mitchell cont Glenn Horan prod assts Anita James, Jayson Simpson, Rhonda Corbett, Susanne Kemp, Jo Crowle stills Derryn Beath, Gina Jessop m/up Idette Braan, Glenys

Preparing for a tracking shot on the set of indie feature The Fall Guys, currently a finalist in the Australian DigiSPAA digital feature film competition.

John, Kate Caughlin cam asst Jacob Slovak lx assts Nic Candy, Phil Hines key grip Daniel Camp casting Tim Schijf, Fraser Ross unit Louise Boswell stunts Ike Hamon cast Ryan O’Kane, Dane Dawson, Kyle Pryor, Paul Glover, Zoe Cramond, Amy Louise Waller, Snowy Housley, David Viskovich, Crystal Vickers, Anna Smith, Mike Lowe, Geoff Ong, Anson Yang, Richard Lambeth, Darryl Archer, Matt MacDougall

IN RELEASE AFTER THE WATERFALL

Feature based on The Paraffin Child by Stephen Blanchard prod co The Film dir/writer Simone Horrocks prod Trevor Haysom DP Jac Fitzgerald ed Cushla Dillon cast dir Stu Turner prod des Andy McLaren cost des Kirsty Cameron line prod Tina Archibald snd rec Fred Enholmer 1AD Anna Gundersen loc mgrs Robin Murphy, Jacob McIntyre gaffer John Enright key grip Dean Maxted m/up sup Claire Rutledge prod acct Alex Cole-Baker prod coord Laina Cheung prod sec Meredith Black prod runners Tom Bisset, Jaan Robertson 2AD Tom Hern 3AD Aimee Robertson scrpt sup Guy Strachan set dec Penny Kerr prps/byr Shamus Butt stby prps Sam Evans set drssr Jeremy Archibald f/puller Ryan Spearman c/ loader Garth Michael b/boy Luke McCready gene op Scott Harman unit mgr Kinder Te Moana unit trnee Charley Samau boom op Craig O’Reilly cost des asst Kylie Cooke cost stby Melody Newton, Jenny Rushton m/up asst Jacqui Leung asst ed Darmyn Calderon safety lifeguard & safety Nick Fryer, Karl Koller catering Flying Trestles, Carwyn Powell unit pub Rachel Lorimer stills p/grphr Kirsty Griffin dist Rialto cast Antony Starr, Cohen Holloway, Sally Stockwell, Peter McCauley, Maria Walker

BLUE MERMAID

19min short digital prod co Remnant Films writer/ dir Kelly Lyndon co prods Graeme Cash, Kelly Lyndon 1AD Gareth Dowdell DP Ayrton Winitana cam asst Tracie D’Ath gaffers Roko Babich, Mathew Harte lx assts Ihakara Wilson, Sean Loftin snd Callum Lister boom op Dave Skinner art dir Anna Brock asst art dir Shannon Winn art asst Fletcher Selaries spfx m/up Magdalena O’Connor m/up Abbie Gardiner, Kristina Friend hair Amelia Motuliki hair asst Angela Hodgson w/robe Crystel Tottenham stunts Andy Sophocleous cont Ben Cooney, Chantal Favier, Caitlyn Drinkwater, Debbie Pope anim Al Serrano unit mgr Jesse Crombie caterers Trish Conrad Catering stills Christina Campbell ed Nicholas Newton cams NZ Camera Hire cast Scott Dugdale, Gwendoline Taylor, Jesse Miller, Nicholas Newton

MATARIKI

Feature NZFC 16mm prod co Filmwork prod Fiona Copland dir/writer Michael Bennett co writer Gavin Strawhan line prod Janet McIver prod acct Susie Butler prod coord Lisa Finlay prod sec Sylvia Guerra prod run Laura Thavat, Kara Warren 1AD Carey Carter 2AD Lauren Shaw 3AD Emma Maurice prod des Miro Harre art coord Jacinta Gibson art dir Grace Mok set dec Emily Harris prps/byr Lee Johnston set drssr Nigel Tweed s/prps Simon Garrett art asst Domini Calder art run Renee Kofoed DP Alun Bollinger f/ puller Kirsten Green c/loaders Dusty Millar, Duncan Patterson cam asst Meg Perrot cost des Jane Holland asst des Lucy McLay cost asst Briar Vivian cost stby Emma Harre, Jenny Rushton extr coords Camille Keenan, Yvonne Bennett key grip Kevin Donovan grip assts Jim Rowe, Todd Nevill gaffer Grant McKinnon b/boys Paul Eversden, Brian Laird genny ops Christian Dunn, Stephen Joyce lx assts Russel Lloyd, Jody Sutherland loc mgr Jacob MacIntyre loc asst Damion Nathan m/up sup Susie Glass hair/m/ up Natalie Perks ed John Gilbert post sup Charles Knight asst ed Mark Hawthorne safety Karl Koller script sup Kathleen Thomas snd rec Richard Flynn boom op Eoin Cox stunts Mark Harris unit mgr Wayne Hooper unit asst Grant Moffit vfx sup Maile Daugherty pub Sue May actng adv Stephanie Wilkin cast Jason Wu, Susana Tang, Sara Wiseman, Iaheto Ah Hi, Jarod Rawiri, Alix Bushnell, Edwin Wright, Michael Whalley, Mark Ruka, Mabel Burt, Vela Manusaute

RUSSIAN SNARK

80min feature prod co Godzone Snark Productions prod Liz DiFiore dir/writer Stephen Sinclair 1ADs Tony Forster, Annie Frear 2AD Katja Studer 3ADs Mina Jafari, Reuben King prod mgrs Alex Campbell, Angela da Silva prod coord Angela da Silva prod sec Sarah Vercoe prod acct Angela Hicks prod assts Kayleigh Sheekey, Elle Clarke, Pascal Perrin, Soraya Pearl Jolly, Rachel Choy, Sarah Jones, Wendy McCracken prod runners Michael Grainger, Rory Howard, Donna McCarthy, Natalie Frigault, David Capstick, Kelly Lyndon, Mark Wigglesworth, Fletcher Selaries, Kermath Davies, Michael Tunbridge, Belinda Hart, Juliette Williams audio Ande Shurr boom ops Matt Daniel, Jeremy Lawry prod des Lyn Bergquist, James Solomon set dec Adria Morgan stdby props Piripi Taratoa art assts Richard Cooke, Michael Williams art runners Pieta Heynon, Dominique Calder DP Steve Latty cam assts Kent Belcher, Rajiv Raj, Alex MacDonald, Martino Frongia, Matt Hart, Nick Hayward, Alex Campbell vid splts Zohra Trinder, Pepe Ramos cont Kat Phyn, Awanui Simich-Pene, Nikki Castle gaffer James “Splash” Lainchbury lx assts Lance Daley, Felipe Moreno-Laidlaw key grips Kevin Donovan, Chris Rawiri, Jim Rowe grip assts Lincoln Phillips, Winnie Harris cost des Cathy Pope cost consult Deirdre McKessar add cost des Sox Teng stdby w/robe Amber Rhodes, Andrea Matysik w/ robe asst Daniel Voyton sfx m/up Hayley Marlow m/ up Samantha Cairnes-Morrison m/up assts Yolander Bartham, Luana Millar, Kym Stevenson, Elizabeth Canales-Ron safety/marine coords Scene Safe, Rob Gibson, Marty Clist, Richard Reynolds stunt coord Tim Wong boat wranglers Curtis Akitt, Sam Cometti unit mgr Paul James unit assts Hamish Mason, Amy Russo, Michael Wylan caterers Platters Catering stills Geoff Short, Olga Panassenko, Nick Monks, Sasha Stejko, Liz DiFiore casting Christina Asher loc Rebecca de Beer Lamont, Petrina D’Rozario loc assts Mark Wigglesworth, Jane Bucknell post prod Images and Sound ed Wayne Cook, Paul Maxwell post prod ed assts Nick Hopkins, Gary Young post prod sup Grant Baker epk cam ops Nick Hopkins, Liz DiFiore, David Munro, Hamish Coleman-Ross cams Niche Cameras

THE RUNNER

10min prod co 316 Productions prods David McCartney, Allan George exec prod/dir Ben O’Hanlon writer Jarret Filmer DP Allan George prod mgr Emily O’Hanlon 1AD Omar Al-sobky cast dir David McCartney art dir Isaiah Vaega lx assts Johnathon Huston, Mathew Harte m/up Kerri Thomassen grip Kerem Blumberg runner Jason Daniels stunt coord Craig Dunn stunt rigger Noodles stunt dbl Adrien McGaw ed Ben Fowler compsr Peter Laussen audio Kieran Clarke vfx art Paul Jones colourists Allan George, Ben Fowler art Leslie Chih cast Patrick Morrison, David McCartney, Samuel Thomas, Lathan Lockwood, Isaiah Vaega, Duane Haugie, Andrew Jenkins, Allan George

Television pre PRODUCTION ONE’S COUNTDOWN TO NEW YEARS 2011

prod co TVNZ Production Unit prod unit mgr Tina McLaren prod Gavin Wood AP Dianne Lindesay prod mgr/prod coord Nicola Smith prod asst Victoria Butcher rsrch Rachael Stace

PARADISE CAFÉ 2

13x30min children’s drama prod cos Gibson Group (NZ), Initial (Endemol UK) prods Dave Gibson, Christopher Pilkington line prod Chris Tyson asst to Dave Gibson Anna Middleton scrpt ed Karen Curtis writers Andrew Gunn, David Brechin Smith, Briar

Cinematographer Alun Bollinger (centre) and team on the set of Matariki, which is released nationwide on 18 November.

Grace Smith, Chris Ellis, Sarah Nathan, Deborah Wilton, Edwin McRae, Kate McDermott, Ben Marshall, Joss King dir Danny Mulheron prod mgr Jo Hiles prod coord Kristen Rowe prod sec Sally Cunningham prod asst Lucie Camp prod rnnr Andy Campion accts Kathy Regnault prod des Kevin Leonard Jones art dir Nick Riera onset art dir Josh Barraud art dept asst Heyden Hughes props buyer Nicole Spackman s/by props Taylor Wikohika model maker Ivan Rooda art dept rnnr Campbell Waugh const mgr Russell Stoupe leadng hnd Sandy Wilmar 1AD Robin Wilson 2AD Jacqui Pryor 3AD Bruno Du Bois DP Simon Baufield f/puller Roger Feenstra vid asst Tammy Williams TVNZ snr cam op Richard Lander TVNZ cam op Jane Vaughan TVNZ add cam op Andrew Wiggins TVNZ cam asst Tim Butters, Nathaniel Brunt cast dir Rachel Bullock xtras coord NZ Nathan Meister xtras coord Raro Serena Cowan cast tutor Sharon Milton caterng Billie Lusk cont Sandra Dryden cost des Gillie Coxill cost sup Chris Pickard cost s/by Elizabeth Watson cost asst/run Emma Lodge sewer Sarah Muir, Cathy Harris offc mgr Roger Leslie grip Oli Harris safety offc Neal Luka loc/unit mgr Raro Maurice Newport gaff Giles Coburn b/boy Jamie Couper gene op/electrn Ants Farrell TVNZ lx dir Roger Wallan TVNZ lx Byron Sparrow key m/up/ hair des Hil Cook m/up artist Angela Duncan ed Ben Powdrell cgi sup John Strang fac mgr Rex Potier gg online ed Adam Sondej freight coord Sarah Bicknell snd rec Don Paulin boom op Sam Spicer stunt coord Rodney Cook unit mgr Gabe Page n/works TVNZ, BBC (UK) cast Pax Baldwin, Holly Bodimeade, Lara Custance, Georgia Fabish, Nua Finau, Miranda Harcourt, John Wraight

TANGIWAI

90min telefeature prod co Lippy Pictures writers/ prods Paula Boock, Donna Malane dir Charlie Haskell line prod Angela Littlejohn DP David Paul 1AD Richard Matthews prod coord Desray Armstrong prod asst Jimmy Hayes prod asst/runner Michael Robins cast dir Tina Cleary extras coord Yvette Reid script sup Merrin Ruck prod acct Maurice O’Reilly rsrchr Angela Boyd miniature train Weta Workshop miniature train sup Ian Ruxton prod des John Harding art dir Ben Milsom art dir Campbell Read art dept coord Mary Connolly lead prps/byr/dresser Rosie Guthrie prps/ byr/dresser Gim Bon art dept asst Jody Conaglen constr mgr Russell Stoupe carpenter Hugo (Sandy) Wilmor scnic art John Cruickshank brushhand Jeff Koning cost des Nic Smillie cost sup Amanda Neale cost standby Sam Morely patternmaker Sheila Horton cost runner Rose Morrison m/up des Linda Wall m/up asst Jayne Donaldson loc mgr Kevin Magill ed Paul Sutorius cast Rose McIver, Ryan O’Kane, Taungaroa Emile, Miranda Harcourt, Mick Rose, Dean O’Gorman

THE ART OF ARCHITECT

44min prod co TVNZ Production Unit prod unit mgr/ EP Tina McLaren prod Dana Youngman prod mgr/ prod acct Deb Cope sen rsrchr Sue Donald rschr Sue Killian

IN PRODUCTION

prod Jeni-Leigh Walker rsrchr Pania Papa, Puka Maeau pres Pania Papa snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

ANIMAL ACADEMY

13x30min series for and about people who are passionate about animals prod co Whitebait TV pres Sarah Ulmer, Jeremy Maguire, Geoff Mehrtens writer/res Margaret Gordon prod mgr Nikki Edwards dirs Bill de Friez, Robin Shingleton, MaryJo Tohill, Scott Hindman, Louise Leitch, Dan Henry, Alan Henderson, Margaret Gordon audio post prod Dave Cooper online ed Leanne Munro prod Veronica McCarthy exec prod Janine Morrell n/work exec Philippa Mossman

ANTARCTIC WHALE EXPEDITION

HD doco prod co NHNZ (www.nhnz.tv) exec prod Judith Curran dir/prod/snd op Max Quinn prod mgr Nikki Stirling

ASIA DOWN UNDER

40x29min prod co Asia Vision prod Chris Wright asso prod Glenna Casalme prod mgr Jenna Steel reporters Bharat Jamnadas, Milda Emza, Kadambari Gladding rsrch Geraldine Ramirez cam ops Dave Flynn, Simon Ellis, Jan Polak, Vaughan Scott ed Jeff Avery audio post Auckland Audio

ATTITUDE - 6

40x30min disability focused doco series prod co Attitude Pictures prod Robyn Scott-Vincent dirs Emma Calveley, Ramon Te Wake, Nicola Salmond, Richard Riddiford, Megan Jones line prod Robyn Barker prod acct Jane Cotter prod assts Sue Wales-Earl prod trainee Daniel Wrinch mus coord Kristy Munro rsrch Emma Calveley, Tanya Black, Dan Buckingham, Gemma Murcott-Ward cam Greg Parker snd Wendy Adams gfx Brandspank ed Attitude Pictures online ed Simon Hyland snd TVNZ, Simon Weir reporters Curtis Palmer, Tanya Black, Dan Buckingham, Kristy Munro

AUTAIA

30x26 min Māori language, youth careers show prod co Maori TV exec prod Carol Hirschfeld prod Mechele Harron pres Tupoutama Paki dir Robynleigh Emery, Paora Ratahi prod co Anahera Parata prod mgr Trudy Steele snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

BEYOND THE DARKLANDS 4

6x60mins prod co Screentime exec prod Philly de Lacey dirs Mary Durham, Rita Attwood, Peter Bell, Eugene Carnachan, Bryn Evans prods Mary Durham, Peter Bell, John Keir prod mgr Kates Moses cam op Chris Matthews, Gavin Stroud, Daniel Apiata, Scott Behrnes eds John Kirk, Alex Behse, Roger Yeaxlee online ed Keith Mclean

BOIL UP

30x26mins studio panel sports show exec prod Carol Hirschfeld prod Te Arahi Maipi dir Mahanga Pihama prod mgr Kym Morgan prod asst Kahukore Bell snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

THE BOX SEAT

3D CHINA

10x60min doco prod co NHNZ co prod 3D Net (Discovery, Sony & IMAX) with CICC exec prod Craig Meade DP/stereographer Mike Single series post prod Ian McGee prod mgr Christine Drew rsrchr Jane Adcroft loc fixers Felix Feng, Lauren Wang CCIC fixer Li Pei stereoscopic online & grade Park Post Road mus Audio Network

3D JEWELS OF THE WORLD

AKO

10x60min doco prod co NHNZ & Beach House Pictures co pro 3D Net (Discovery, Sony & IMAX) with MDA exec prod Craig Meade series post prod Ian McGee prod Jocelyn Little post prod BHP Janine Campbell prod mgrs Christine Drew, Michelle Tan, NHNZ DPs Max Quin, Alex Hubert BHP DP Brad Dillon stereographers Karl Schodt, Mike Single loc asst Linsey Davidson rsrchr Brant Backlund stereoscopic online & grade Black Magic Singapore mus Audio Network

48x60min prod co Trackside exec prod Mandy Toogood prods Matt Smith dirs Jamie Annan, Glen Bourne, Brendan Burns, Marty Henderson host Brendan Popplewell prod asst Nichola Johnson eds Elena Ash, Shane Devitt, Iain Logan, Rhyce Barker

BRING YOUR BOOTS OZ

13x26min factual/entertainment prod co Notable Pictures prod Julia Parnell dirs Dane Giraud, Ihakara Wilson pres Glen Osborne rsrchr Steve Hale writer Dane Giraud cam op Mathew Knight snd op Gabriel Muller eds Lisa Greenfield, Tim Grocott prod mgr Anne O’Brien

CLINICAL YEARS

1x60min doco prod co PRN prod/dir Paul Trotman cam Stephen Dowwnes, Wayne Vinten snd Brian Shennan

www.onfilm.co.nz

NOVEMber 2010

29

n Productio Listings COUNTRY CALENDAR

26x30min rural NZ lifestyles prod co TVNZ prod unit mgr Tina McLaren prods Julian O’Brien, Frank Torley prod mgr Robyn Best dir/res/reps Jerome Cvitanovich, Vivienne Jeffs, Carol Archie, Kerryanne Evans, Katherine Edmond, Dan Henry

FIRE WARFARE

prod co Greenstone Pictures ho prod Andrea Lamb prod Sophie Dungate dir Reuben Pillsbury prod mgr Kylie Henderson prod asst Catriona Macky Magdalena Laas

FIRST CALL

52x180min prod co Trackside exec prod Mandy Toogood prod Roger Moore dirs Jamie Annan, Glen Bourne, Brendan Burns host Karyn Fenton-Ellis panellists Des Coppins, Stu Laing, Brett Davison prod asst Nichola Johnson eds Shane Devitt, Elena Ash, Rhyce Barker, Iain Logan

GO GIRLS 3

13x60min drama/comedy series prod co SPP (09 839 0999) exec prods John Barnett, Rachel Lang, Gavin Strawhan prods Chris Bailey, Britta Johnstone writers Gavin Strawhan, Rachel Lang, Kate McDermott strylners Jodie Molloy, Laura Hill line prod Sharron Jackson prod mgr Linda Fenwick script sups Aria Harrison, Kat Phyn, Lisa Cook dirs Peter Burger, Angela Bloomfield, John Laing, Josh Frizzell prod coord Michelle Leaity asst prod coord Quentin Fullerton-Smith script/extra coord Sarah Banasiak runners Lance McMinn, Matt Campbell acct Susie Butler asst acct Elisha Calvert prod des Gary Mackay art dept coord Cathy Adams art dirs Paul Murphy, Emily Harris s/by props Owen Ashton, Craig Wilson art dept assts AJ Thompson, Aria Hirzel Horn set dec Angeline Loo set dec asst Rose Worley gfx Savannah Macintosh construct man Chris Halligan 1ADs Rod Smith, Sarah Miln, Mark Harlen 2ADs Fraser Ross, Emma Wright, Katrien Lemmens, Teuila Field 3AD Esther Clewlow DP DJ Stipsen A cam op Dave Cameron f/pulls Bradley Willemse, Sam Mathews cam asst Fiona Janet Young cam trnee Sam Fraser snd recs Richard Flynn, Mark Williams boom ops Matt Cuirc, Kyle Griffiths snd asst Adnan Taumoepeau cast dir Christina Asher catering Rock Salt comp Jonathan Bree cost des Sarah Voon cost coord Lucy McLay cost buy Jasmine Edgar cost dress Cecilie Bridgford cost s/by Sophie Mills, Amber Rhodes, Ciara Dickens s/by assts Shona Lee, Natalie Keane eds Mark Taylor, Jochen Fitzherbert, Lisa Hough asst ed Julian Karehana gaffer John Bell b/boy Chris McAllister gen op Christian Dunn lx asst Ewan Hall key grip Jeremy Osborn grip asst Andy South grip trnee Corey Moana loc mgrs Jacob McIntyre, Charlotte Gardner loc coord Eddy Fifield loc asst Nina Bartlett loc intern Anna Boyack m/up des Dannelle Satherley key m/up art Deb Clarke m/up/ hair arts Shannon Sinton, Matt Huckstep, Jo Fountain m/up trainee Kendal Ferguson post prod sup Grant Baker post prod coord Melanie Langlotz images eng Alan Kidd snd post prod Steve Finnigan pub Tamar Munch pub asst Lucy Ewen safety Lifeguard & Safety stunt coord Mark Harris unit mgr Ben Dun unit asst Josh Dun swing drive cap Ben Dun cast Jay Ryan, Anna Hutchison, Alix Bushnell, Bronwyn Turei, Esther Stephens, Matt Whelan, Tania Nolan

GOOD MORNING 2010

prod co TVNZ Prod Unit prod unit mgr Tina McLaren prod Sally-Anne Kerr line up prod Erina Ellis script eds Melanie Phipps, Liz Smith dirs Jim Curry, Alan Henderson, Mark Owers dir asst Christina Dolman prod mgr Dawn Aronie prod asst Alice O’Donoghue spcl projs Marcus Hamilton rsrchr Andrew Wood, Georgia Stephens, Simon Ragoonanan, Lucy Johnston, Sally Page rsrchr asst Ana Mules sponsorship mgr Merril Thompson adv prod Amber Smith adv prod mgr Pippa Keiller adv dir Rachael Hennessey adv prod asst Julia Lynch

GRASS ROOTS RUGBY – TE WHUTUPAORO-A-ROHE

50min weekly provincial rugby prod co Mäori TV exec prod Eruera Morgan prod Graham Veitch Television

HAA

30min youth prod co Mäori TV exec prod Eruera Morgan prod Wiremu Te Kiri asso prod/prod mgr

Teremoana Rapley dir Kataraina White pres Amanda Jay Ashton, Nawaia Watene, Junior Paparoa rsrchr Adam Burrell stylist Rachelle Christian m/u art Kelly Isherwood sen prod mgr Sandra Richmond

HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI

20x90min Heats, 2x90min Semi-finals, 1x2hr Grand Final. Live, interactive, karaoke series showcasing everyday NZers prod Erina Tamepo pres Matai Smith asso prods Piripi Menary, Michele Bristow dir Greg Mayor prod mgr Shirley Allan set des Coylehall net exec Carol Hirschfeld snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

I SURVIVED 3

16x60min HD doco prod co NHNZ (03 479 9799) for A&E TV Networks exec in charge of prod Michael Stedman series prod Alan Hall prod mgr Dayle Spavins rsrch Marina De Lima, Alissa Collins Latensa, Bridget Baylin, Stephanie Antosca, Jacqui Morice Crawford field dir Sally Howell DP Kris Denton prod coord Dwayne Fowler post dir Bill Morris, Jacqui Morice Crawford, Mark Orton eds Christopher Tegg, Owen Ferrier-Kerr, Geoff Conway vid post prod Stu Moffatt, Frank Lodge snd post prod Stacey Hertnon, Errol Samuelson

PRAISE BE

prod co TVNZ Prod Unit TVNZ prod unit mgr Tina McLaren prod/dir Ron Pledger prod mgr Dawn Bowater pres rsrch Chris Nichol mus dir Peter Averi

SCU – SERIOUS CRASH UNIT

prod co Greenstone Pictures ho prod Andrea Lamb prod Kate Fraser line prod Kylie Henderson prod asst Rochelle Leef fund TVNZ

SHORTLAND STREET

60min weekly current affairs prod co Mäori TV gm Te Anga Nathan exec prod Colin McRae prod Wena Harawira prod mgr Sharmaine Moke dirs asst Pene Bush snr reporters Annabelle Lee-Harris, Makere Edwards reporter Iulia Leilua rsrch Kelvin McDonald pres Julian Wilcox

NEIGHBOURS AT WAR

SPRING LOADED

I SURVIVED...

BEYOND AND BACK

6x60min HD doco prod co NHNZ for A&E TV Networks exec prod Judith Curran series prod Janice Finn prod mgr Robyn Pearson rsrch Kelly Meade, Amy Kagelmacher, Erin Browne field dir Chris Kugelman DP Alex Hubert cam asst Supriya Vasanth, Adam Sayre post dir Craig Gaudion, Jennifer Crone, Kelly Meade ed Cameron Crawford, Adam Baines, Marilyn Copland, Karen Jackson vid post prod Stu Moffatt, Frank Lodge snd post prod Errol Samuelson, Stacey Hertnon, Alan Gerrie

INDIGENOUS INSIGHT

30mins indigenous current affairs prod co Mäori TV prod coord Ripeka Timutimu pres Lynette Amoroa exec prod Te Anga Nathan prod Kelvin MacDonald

MANU KORERO

26x26mins secondary school speech competition prod co Mäori TV prod Matai Smith prod mgr Pam Cain asso prod Jade Robson snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

MOTORWAY PATROL

prod co Greenstone Pictures ho prod Andrea Lamb prod Kate Fraser prod mgr Rebeca Plaistow prod coord Simone Faets fund TVNZ

NATIVE AFFAIRS

prod co Greenstone Pictures ho prod Andrea Lamb asst prod Kathryn McMillan rsrchr Katrina Inkster prod mgr Rebecca Plaistow prod asst Rochelle Leef fund TVNZ

6x30min prod co Trackside exec prod Mandy Toogood prod Tim Aldridge dir Glen Broomhall host Brendan Popplewell panel Lance O’Sullivan, Alf Matthews

NGA IWI WHAKAPONO

13x26mins Auckland War Memorial Museum tells stories of 13 Taonga housed in the Museum prod co Mäori TV exec prod Eruera Morgan prod Mechele Harron dir Tihini Grant prod mgr Trudy Steele snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

prod co Mäori TV prod Toi Iti rsrch/pres Ruia Aperahama rsrchr Tipare Toi snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

NGA TAONGA WHITIAHUIA

26x26min NZ Film Archive show prod co Mäori TV exec prod Carol Hirschfeld prod Michele Bristow pres Lawrence Wharerau dirs James Ratahi, Ira Heyder prod mgr Trudy Steele snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

PACIFIC BEAT ST

39x23min youth series for TV3 prod co Drum Productions prods Julie Smith, Stan Wolfgramm dirs Stan Wolfgramm, Carolyn Sylvester, Sam Cowley-Lupo, Koryn Dunstan rsrch Jane Dowell cam ops Nick Winter, Faanati Mamea prod mgr Jan Stensness ed Gary Young art dept Vea Mafileo, Sheldon Edwards snd post Jason Fox pres Koryn Dunstan, Khalia Strong, Michael Koloi, Sam Cowley-Lupo

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36x30min prod co Screentime exec prod/prod Philly de Lacey dirs Rita Attwood, Les Dawson prod SarahLuise Hornblow asso prod/rsrch Katherine Birchall prod coord Olivia Lynd gfx Marcus Brill pres Graham Bell offline eds Jim Hudson, Rahera Herewini online ed Keith Mclean

5x30min weekly prod co SPP exec prods John Barnett, Simon Bennett prod Steven Zanoski line prod Tim Hansen dirs Geoff Cawthorn, Wayne Tourell, Jonathan Alver, Katherine McRae, Richard Barr script prod Paul Sonne s/liner/story ed Paul Hagan s/liners Max Currie, Kirsty McKenzie, Alistair Boroughs, Caley Martin med adv Sally Geary, Sarah Nevitt script eds Lynette Crawford-Williams, Karen Curtis script eds asst Nina Vlahovic prod coord Mariya Nakova prod sec Rori Leonard script typ Casey Whelan prod acct Diane Boddy acct asst Stephanie Dahlberg loc mgr Bryce Wood 1ADs Michele Priest-Edmondson, Moe Hobbs, Flora Woods, Jimmy Scott 2ADs Sarah Murphy, Francis Koon 3AD Cat Henshall prod runner Aaron Levi dir assts Kathe Calis, Sarah Brinsdon, Laurel Urban, Rachel Blair tech prod George Platt tech mgr Malcolm C Saunders vis mix Fran Hodgson lx assts Nick Hakaraia loc DP Drew Sturge loc gaffer Drew Wright cam ops Sheree Swale, Nigel Roberts, Rayner Cook, Nick Hayward snd rec Greg Moon boom ops Andrew Revell, Andrew Lusk prod des Ana Miskell art dirs Sophie Guthrie, Ross Goffin, Andy Currie art dept mgr Sophie Elworthy stby prps Natalie Tsuchiya, Scott McDowall art dept assts Genelle Eaglen, Logan Childs gfx coord Alex Kriechbaum cost des Nicola Newman asst cost des Rebecca Jennings cost stbys Katie Jones, Joss Henry cost asst Rowena Smith hair/m/up sup Tracey Nelson m/up Rebecca Elliott, Sophie Beddoes, Toni Anne Arbon offline ed Anna Marshall-Inman asst ed/digitiser Matthew Allison online eds Steven Mountjoy, Mariano Segedin, Kevin Henderson, Adam Page, Sean Rooney snd mix Neil Newcombe snd eds Margaret Newcombe, Ora Simpson cast dirs Andrea Kelland post prod sup Sara Knight pub Rachael Keereweer pub asst Kate Jones dialogue coach Shirley Duke, Linda Cartwright asst chaperone Rachel Forman comp Graham Bollard p/ grphr Jae Frew caterer Rock Salt cast Michael Galvin, Amanda Billing, Alison Quigan, Faye Smythe, Robbie Magasiva, Benjamin Mitchell, Peter Mochrie, Lee Donoghue, Kimberley Crossman, Kiel McNaughton, Sarah Thomson, Beth Allen, Sally Martin, Matt Minto, Anna Jullienne, Jacqueline Nairn, Ido Drent

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POLICE TEN 7

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TAMAKI PAENGA HIRA

TANGAROA WITH PIO SERIES 6

12x26min fishing/lifestyle b/caster Mäori TV prod co AKA Productions prod/dir Aroha Shelford pres Pio Terei cam op Richard Curtis u/w cam Dean Savage snd Colleen Brennan te reo Mäori Tumamao Harawira ed John Fraser aud post Reade Audio mus Reo Dunn, Woodcut gfx Lettica Shelford prod acct Lee Ann Hasson prod mgr Richard Morrell prod asst Lettica Shelford n/wrk execs Reikura Kahi, Melissa Wikaire

TAO

30x26min Mäori language, youth careers show prod co Mäori TV exec prod Carol Hirschfeld prod Pirihira Holling pres Manawa Wright dir Peter Lee prod asst

Riria Morgan Nutric Noella Taiapa prod mgr Trudy Steele snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

TAUTOHETOHE

15x52mins Inter-iwi debate series prod co Mäori TV exec prod Eruera Morgan dir/prod Te Rangitawaea rsrchr Hineani Melbourne prod mgr Trudy Steele Reedy prod coord/res Aroha Rawson snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

TE KAEA

30min weekday, 20min weekend Mäori language news prod co Mäori TV gm Te Anga Nathan hod Wena Harawira exec prod Lynette Amoroa asso prod Kororia Taumaunu assign eds Aroha Treacher, Taiha Molyneaux dir assts Anne Abraham, Pene Bush studio dir Mark Robinson reporters Semi Holland, Rereata Makiha, Dean Nathan, Tamati Tiananga, Rewa Harriman, Mere McLean, Rahia Timutimu, Rau Kapa, Numia Ponika-Rangi, Kereama Wright, Jasmyn Pearson prod mgr Sharmaine Moke dept asst Ripeka Timutimu subtitles Eva Mahara, Tepara Koti, rsrchr/pres Stephanie Martin pres Piripi Taylor, Amomai Pihama

TE KAUTA 2

15x52min Inter-iwi debate series prod co Mäori TV exec prod Eruera Morgan dir/prod Te Rangitawaea Reedy snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond prod mgr Leichelle Tanoa prod coord Breviss Wolfgramm rsrchr Anahera Vercoe-Rangi

TE PAE HIHIRI

30x26min studio panel sports show prod co Mäori TV exec prod Eruera Morgan prod Te Arahi Maipi dir Mahanga Pihama prod mgr Kym Morgan prod ass Kahukore Bell snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

TE TEPU

30min weekly Mäori language current affairs prod co Mäori TV exec prod Te Anga Nathan studio dir Jason Rameka prod/pres Waihoroi Shortlanmd prod co Ripeka Timutimu

THE COURT REPORT

15x30min TVNZ7 prod co Gibson Group exec prod Gary Scott prod Sofia Wenborn pres Greg King ed Raewyn Humphries n/wrk Philippa Mossman prod co Gibson Group

THE DETECTIVES

3x60min doco prod co Gibson Group prod Alex Clark exec prod Gary Scott dir Dan Henry prod mgr Wayne Biggs rsrchr Sarah Boddy DP David Paul snd Chris Hiles, Hammond Peek ed Paul Sutorious n/wrk exec Jude Callen n/wrk TVNZ

THE ERIN SIMPSON SHOW

30min weekday youth show prod co Whitebait-TV pres Erin Simpson cmdy duo Will Alexander, Dan Costello reporters Kimberley Crossman, Katy Thomas, Issac Ross, Chang Hung, Mark Dye, Melissa Chrisp, Eve Palmer prod coord Tim Morton prod asst Riley Stewart ed/cam op Nathan McKinnon w/robe Lee Hogsden props Saxony McArthur website Kieran Granger ed Stu Waterhouse, Tyler King, Geoff Reid audio post Vahid Qualls gfx Mike Boulden rsrchr Juliana Murphy post dir Tracey Geddes dir Kerry Du Pont, Tim Lucas prod mgr Jo Eade asso prod Kate Roberts prod Emma Gribble exec prod Janine Morrell-Gunn n/work exec Kathryn Graham

THE MISSING 2

8x60min prod co Screentime exec prod Philly de Lacey dirs Peter Bell, Tom Reilly, Ross Peebles, Mary Durham, Rupert MacKenzie prod Carolyn Harper prod mgr Kate Moses cam ops Chris Matthews, Gavin Stroud eds Roger Yeaxlee, Alex Behse, Margaret Kelly, Lisa Hough online ed Keith McLean

TOI WHAKAARI

prod co Mäori TV exec prod Matai Smith prod Jade Robson snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

TRIBAL HUNT

4x60min HD doco prod co NHNZ (03 479 9799) co prod NGCI exec prod John Hyde series prod Nicola Hammond field prod Sandra Welkerling dir/cam Giles

On location in Rarotonga for Paradise Café, the second series of which is currently in pre-production.

Pike AP/2nd Cam Lara Bickerton rsrchr Marcus Turner prod mgr Kavita Chopra host Hayden Turner post dir Becky Beamer eds Cameron Crawford, Marilyn Copland comp Leyton GFX Karsten Schneider

VOLUNTEER POWER

prod co TVNZ Prod Unit prod unit mgr Tina McLaren prod Julia Leonard prod mgr/res Jan-Marie Nicolai pres Jim Mora pres Julia Bloore

WAIRUA

13x26min Spiritual ideals show prod co Mäori TV exec prod Carol Hirschfeld prod/dir Ngatapa Black pres Mere Black prod coord Mark Ihaia prod mgr Trudy Steele snr prod mgr Sandra Richmond

WHAT NOW

120min weekly live kids show prod co Whitebait-TV pres Charlie Panapa, Gem Knight, Tumehe Rongonui eds Michelle Bradford, Leanne Munro, Geoff Reid, Stuart Waterhouse audio post Whitebait Facilities, Vahid Qualls, Dave Cooper props Warren Best, Simon Wells w/robe Wilma Van Hellemond stylist Lee Hogsden field coord Catie Windelburn gfx des Harold Kho, Yosef Selim, Aaron Dekker rsrch Rebecca Browning writer Andrew Gunn dirs asst Ella Cook prod asst Joshua Pollard post prod dir Bronwyn Williams prod mgr Sharyn Mattison dirs Kerry Du Pont, Bronwyn Williams creative prod Jason Gunn asso prod Josh Wolfe prod Reuben Davidson exec prod Janine MorrellGunn n/work exec Kathryn Graham

POST PRODUCTION THE ALMIGHTY JOHNSONS

10x60min drama/comedy series prod co SPP (09 839 0999) exec prods John Barnett, Chris Bailey, James Griffin, Rachel Lang prod Simon Bennett line prod Tina Archibald writers James Griffin, Rachel Lang, Tim Balme, Maxine Fleming script ed James Griffin acct Lee-Ann Hasson post prod sup Grant Baker snd post sup Steve Finnigan eds Bryan Shaw, Nicola Smith, Eric de Beus asst ed Anu Webster vfx Peter McCully/Albedo VFX pub Tamar Munch pub asst Lucy Ewen stills Jae Frew, Caren Hastings, Matt Klitscher cast Emmett Skilton, Tim Balme, Dean O’Gorman, Jared Turner, Roz Turnbull, Ben Barrington, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Hayden Frost, Fern Sutherland, Alison Bruce, Rachel Nash, Michelle Langstone, Eve Gordon

BRING BACK BUCK DOCUMENTARY

60mins doco b/caster Mäori TV prod co AKA Productions prod/dir Aroha Shelford cam ops Richard Curtis, Phillip Davis snd Colleen Brennan, Roy Taoho, Marty Fay narr Greg Ward ed John Fraser aud post Reade Audio mus Reo Dunn gfx 2 1/2 D prod acct Lee Ann Hasson prod asst Lettica Shelford, Richard Morrell rsrchrs Lia Shelford, Sonny Shelford interviewer Pio Terei online/grades RPM Pictures n/wrk exec Reikura Kahi

ECO ARK

1x60min HD doco prod co NHNZ for NGCI exec prod John Hyde prod/dir Mike Bennett prod mgr Suzanne Lloyd rsrch Anya Durling ed Katie Hinsen script ed Nigel Zega

LIFE FORCE

(Mutant Planet for Discovery) 6x60min HD doco prod

co NHNZ (03 479 9799) co prod NHK Discovery (Science and APL) France 5 exec prod Andrew Waterworth (NHNZ) Shin Murata (NHK) series prod Judith Curran sup prod Peter Hayden ep prod/dir Satoshi Okabe, Masahiro Hayakawa, Brant Backlund, Rory McGuinness rsrch Nigel Dunstone, Sarah Cowhey cam Mike Single, Rory McGuinness, Peter Nearhos, Andrew Penniket, Scott Mouat, Lindsey Davidson, Brady Doak, Peter Thompson snd Bryce Grunden, Mervyn Aitchison, Daniel Wardrop, Adrian Kubala dir Rod Morris eds Cameron Crawford, Adam Baines, Ceilia Offwood, Jason Horner, Gary Sims mus Trevor Coleman narr Anthony Call script ed Steve Zorn cgi Weta Productions cgi fx sup Kylie Robinson Don Ferns asst prod mgr Dayle Spavins prod mgr Glenda Norris snd mix Errol Samuelson, Stacey Hertnon vid post Stu Moffat, Frank Lodge

PARADISE CAFE SERIES 2

13x30min children’s drama prod co Gibson Group prod Dave Gibson dir Danny Mulheron line prod Chris Tyson vfx sup John Strang ed Ben Powdrell post sup Heather Cottam n/wrk exec Tina McLaren n/ wrk TVNZ, CBBC

SAVING GRACE

1x90min doco prod co Ora Digital, StanStrong prods Merata Mita, Cliff Curtis, Chelsea Winstanley dir Merata Mita pres Cliff Curtis prod mgr Desray Armstrong prod asst Tweddie Waititi rsrch Merata Mita te reo Mäori Hone Kaa fund Te Māngai Pāho, NZOA, Maori TV brdcst Mäori TV

SUPER CITY

6x23min prod co Super Fumes pro Carthew Neal exec pro Carthew Neal, Madeleine Sami consult pro Paul Horan writers Madeleine Sami, Thomas Sainsbury dir Taika Waititi line pro Leanne Saunders prod coord Chelsea Francis runner Gilly Luxton casual prod Hayley Cunningham stills Louise Hyatt prod acc Diane Illingworth 1AD Hamish Gough, Quentin Whitwell, Richard Matthews casual 1AD Katie Tate 3AD/unit Roberto Nascimento, Patricia Phelan, Richard (Ricky) James Silvester dir asst Prue Clarke loc mgrs Martin Hale, Richard Mills cas loc Andy Brown DP Jake Bryant cas DP Rewa Harre cam op Johnny Renata cam asst Ciaran Riddell cam intern Chesney McDonald snd rec Colleen Brennan, Craig O’Reilly boom op Nikora Edwards, Adnan Taumoepeau, Sam Good cas boom op Sean O’Reilly m/up des Dianne Ensor m/up art loc Anna Dewitt, Miranda Ramen m/up asst Abigail (Abby) Poynter cos des Larissa Lofley w/robe asst Hannah-Lee Turner, Lucia Farron-Diamantis art dir Dion Boothby art dpt asst Lisa Dunn cas art asst Haley Williams, Pritika Lal, Ethan Montgonery-Williams ed Cushla Dillion ed asst Dione Chard, Beau Rebel safety Scene Safe, Thunderbird Saftey post fac Toybox - Olin Turrall, Trinette Norton dialogue ed Chris Todd snd des Tim Prebble ntwrk exec Rachel Jean lawyer Matt Emery thanks South Seas Film School, Unitec & AUT for intrn Anna Cecelia Rowe, Aziz Al-Sa’afin, Bec Sproule, Brooke Jackson, Chris Stratton, Corinne Ash, Elizabeth Maddison, Enny Benzonelli, Facundo Canaves, Gemma Duncann, Genevieve Driver, Gracie Emberson, Henric Matthiesen, James Watson, Jorge Alfaro, Josh Finnigan, Kristy Wallace, Lennie Galloway, Lisa Moore, Lisa Fothergill, Lydia Stott, Nikita Wist, Philip Copley, Rosie Abel, Tammy Brenstrum, Willem Crowhurst cast Madeleine Sami, Rose McIver, Jessica Joy-Wood, Calvin Tuteao, Mick Innes, Gillian Baxter, Rachel House, Nikki Siulepa, Fiona Edgar, Yvette Parsons, Fred Bishop, Edith Poor

On the set of the sixth and final season of Outrageous Fortune, the final ever episode of which screened on 9 November.

XENO

1x60min doco prod co PRN prods/dirs Malcolm Hall, Paul Trotman cam Stephen Dowwnes, Michael McLeod ed Josie Haines

IN RELEASE THIS IS NOT MY LIFE

13x60min drama prod co GRST exec prods Gavin Strawhan, Rachel Lang, Steven O’Meagher, Tim White prod Tim Sanders asso prod Polly Fryer line prod Liz DiFiore dirs Robert Sarkies, Peter Salmon writers Gavin Strawhan, Rachel Lang, Peter Cox prod coord Lisa Findlay asst prod coord Roisin Scully prod secs Sarah-Jane Vercoe, Zohra Trinder prod asst Sarah Banasiak prod runners Kimberly Hogan, Andy Brown acct Fa Suluvave acct assts Rachel Campbell, Stephanie Robinson post prod acct Kathy Corbett 1ADs Sarah Miln, Mark Harlen 2ADs Fiona Macmillan, Kate Hargreaves 3AD Esther Clewlow prod/cost des Tracey Collins art dept coord Kirsty Van de Greer art dirs Davin Voot, Patrick Walker set drssr/byr Anita Dempsey set dec Milton Candish art dept runner Tom Willis painter Marcus Winton prp/mkr Rhys Owen stby prp Sinclair Lonsdale art assts Ollie Southwall, Owen Ashton med adv Monnina Doran gfx des Lisa Rushworth DPs Andy Commis, Tom Burstyn cam op Grant Adams 1ACs Kirsten Green, Jason CooperWhite, Peter Cunningham, Johnny Yarell data wrang

Kent Belcher 2AC Dusty Millar cast Neill Rea cast asst Bryan Coll chaprns Lana Davies, Sandy Cook caterers Luscious Catering constr Two Construct asst cost des Sian Evans cost byr Emma Aubin asst cost byr Lily Janes cost stby Kate Laver, Pip O’Brien asst cost stby Kat Fatu, Amanda Jelicich-Kane cost runner Anna Boyd cost assts Amber Rhodes, Miranda Penny mach Janine Harvey, Rosemary Gough pttrn cttr Marion Olsen key grip Kevin Donovan b/boy grips Jim Rowe, Chris Rawiri gaffer Grant McKinnon gaffer b/boy Brian Laird lx asst Jodie Sutherland, Russell Lloyd gene op Steve Joyce loc Robin Murphy loc asst Rick Waite, Kinder Te Moana loc PA Hendrick Gavelle, Tafela Matefo unit mgr Paul Fleming unit asst Dominic Stones, Mike Turner swng drvr coord Corey Blackgrove m/up/hair sup Vanessa Hurley key hair/m/up Stefan Knight hair/m/up Hannah Wilson eds Paul Maxwell, Jochen Fitzherbert ed asst Nicki Dreyer post prod Images & Sound post prod sup Grant Baker post prod coord Gwen McDonnell safety sups Willy Heatly, Danny Tenheuval, Nick Fryer, Shane Armitage, Damian Molloy, Jeff Hales script sups Kath Thomas, Jackie Sullivan snd rec Dave Hurley boom op Sam Spicer snd asst Alice Davies sfx coord Jason Durey sfx tech Mike Cahill still p/ grphers Kirsty Griffin, Matt Klitscher stnts coord Paul Shapcott vfx Albedo vfx sup Peter McCully vfx coord Maile Daugherty snr compositer Dan Packer insrt coord Stephanie Robinson insrt DP Cristobal Lobos cmpsr Don McGlashan

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NOVEMber 2010

31

In the darkest night the stars still shine.

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