if New Zealand 101

Your complete guide to making film and TV in Aotearoa

NEW ZEALAND

IF: NEW ZEALAND 101

Your complete guide to making film and TV in Aotearoa

4-10

THE BIG PICTURE

New Zealand is a country with a rich culture and screen heritage. We take a closer look at what makes Aotearoa so special.

12-13

THE CASH

New Zealand offers more than worldclass screen infrastructure. It also has globally competitive incentives to attract offshore productions.

14-15

WHY AVATAR FOUND A HOME IN NEW ZEALAND

Titanic and Avatar producer Jon Landau is no stranger to New Zealand. He reveals what keeps him coming back as work continues on the Avatar sequels.

16-17

CO-PRODUCTIONS

A closer look at New Zealand’s 18 co-production treaties and which countries have proved most popular to team up with.

18-21

LOCAL PRODUCERS ON THE ALLURE OF AOTEAROA

Matthew Metcalfe and Emma Slade have made several co-productions. They explain why.

23-32

LOCATIONS: THE NORTH ISLAND

The North Island of New Zealand is home to about three-quarters of the entire population and offers a diverse range of locations.

34-40

LOCATIONS: THE SOUTH ISLAND

New Zealand’s South Island locations have their own unique potential for screen productions.

42-43

THE PERFECT BACKDROP

Location scout and manager Kevin Spring reveals why New Zealand is the perfect backdrop for many films and television programs.

44-50

FACILITIES - AUCKLAND

The rollout of more production infrastructure has been welcomed by producers.

52-58

FACILITIES - WELLINGTON

Wellington is the home of the worldfamous Wētā group of companies and Park Road Post, but there are several other facilities that are attracting attention.

60-61

NZ INSIGHTS FROM A POST-PRODUCER

US post-producer Allen Marshall Palmer reveals why he loves working in New Zealand.

62-65

GONGS, OSCARS AND ACCOLADES

Kiwi film has much to celebrate.

Writer: Anna Thomas

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Kia Ora!

New Zealand, or Aotearoa, is a country known for its breathtaking landscapes, depth of skilled and credited crew, and generous incentive scheme. But it’s been a tough few years thanks to COVID, a review of the incentive scheme, and the US writers’ strike. In fact, if you were to compare it to a film genre, it’d be a Blumhouse horror. However, 2024 has been a Disney romance thanks to a cluster of projects. Anna Thomas explains.

If you were to ask almost anyone what New Zealand is most well-known for, odds are they’ll name one of two things: the All Blacks rugby team or The Lord of the Rings movies. Many would argue that it was Sir Peter Jackson who put New Zealand’s landscapes and filmmaking prowess on the global map. That trilogy, alongside his other achievements such as The Hobbit, King Kong, Heavenly Creatures, and his recent documentary The Beatles: Get Back, have kept the filmmaking spotlight firmly on New Zealand.

But Jackson is not the only cinematic genius the small country has spawned. People like Dame Jane Campion, Niki Caro, Andrew Adamson, Andrew Niccol, Lee Tamahori and Taika Waititi have shown New Zealand punches well above its weight when it comes to the big screen. And while James Cameron may not be a native-born Kiwi – 2024 is the year he becomes a New Zealand citizen – his enduring and on-going Avatar projects make him an honorary one.

The past few years have, however, been hard going for the NZ industry. The impact of COVID, closely followed by the departure of Amazon’s LOTR series The Rings

FAST FACTS

• NZ can fit into Australia 29 times.

• NZ is the same size as England or California.

• NZ’s two main islands are connected by ferries.

• English is the main language (te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language are also official languages).

• Population 5.2 million (a quarter live in Auckland).

• Māori, Polynesian and Asian backgrounds are all widely represented.

• One single time zone – and it’s one of the first countries to start the day.

• Drive on the left.

• You can drive from one side of the island to the other in a matter of hours.

• There are no snakes, crocs (except the shoes) poisonous or dangerous creatures.

Kai Iwi Beach, Whanganui.

of Power for the UK hit hard. Then came the government’s drawn-out review of the screen sector, which left many international studios nervous to commit. The industry, worth more than $NZD3.5 billion to New Zealand’s economy, suddenly wasn’t looking so rosy. The US strikes felt like the final blow, driving many businesses to the brink, and putting the brakes on big international projects like Minecraft

Thanks to a strong local production scene, supported by various government funds and some solid co-production projects, along with an ever-expanding post-production and SFX sector, many in the filmmaking business staggered through the tough times.

But 2024 has been brighter with a solid line-up of production bookings from Lionsgate, Disney, Blumhouse, Warners, Sony, HBO, Apple TV+, and Netflix making up lost ground and lost revenue. Minecraft powered up in January and the others Spartacus: House of Ashur; Zombies 4; I, Object; Klara and the Sun; and Wolf Man quickly followed suit all helped by the country’s expanded studio capacity.

The local scene is looking particularly healthy as well, thanks to the Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund (Te Puna Kairangi Premium Fund), a joint initiative of the NZFC, NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho, which set up to help the industry through the pandemic.

As NZ On Air head of funding Amie Mills explains, the fund was a gamechanger.

“It provided the proof-point for domestic productions with international ambitions being able to apply for the Screen Production Rebate. Some of the local content being produced is pulling audiences New Zealand hasn’t seen for local drama in several years.”

NZ On Air also decided to supercharge non-fiction funding, adding $5 million into the pot, over and above the $13 million already earmarked. “We recognised how the sector was hurting and these productions were able to spring into production more quickly than say scripted.”

While the review of New Zealand’s incentives in 2023 caused some nervousness for the industry, most within the sector are pleased with the result. Local productions and coproductions have better access to funding, the amount you have to spend to be eligible for the Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) rebate has been lowered to $250,000 and the 5 per cent uplift (that’s the extra 5 per cent international productions can apply for in addition to the 20 per cent rebate) has been streamlined. We go into more detail about the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate on pages 14-15 and you can find all official information here

‘Mulan’.

isn’t at the same level as Australia’s, the country still remains attractive, according to producer Matthew Metcalfe. He says it’s important to look at the wider issue; having an industry that is sustainable and provides meaningful employment. “It’s tempting to say bring in more shows, more big movies, but how do we service them? We don’t want a boom-andbust industry, we want a steady and consistent flow.”

Someone else who doesn’t need convincing that New Zealand is a great place to make movies is James Cameron, who recently announced his intention to make movies in New Zealand ‘indefinitely’ citing technical capability, skilled special FX operators, highly experienced and credited crew and his love of the country and people.

If you consider those reasons, alongside diverse and accessible locations, growing film infrastructure, a favourable New Zealand dollar, and the fact it’s easy to do business, you can see why the country remains among the most desirable places to film.

It’s for all those reasons above that executive producer of M3GAN, Mark Katchur, didn’t think twice about returning to Auckland to film the sequel to the Blumhouse horror. “I have a list of reasons for coming back here, but the top one is I budget films, and here in New Zealand we get the most on screen for our dollar.”

There’s also another thing that sets New Zealand apart from others; the can-do attitude of Kiwis*.

This mindset is something almost every visiting filmmaker to New Zealand will talk about, and it is often one of the main reasons why so many of them return to the country to make their films. Just ask Avatar producer Jon Landau, who is now onto making Avatar sequels 3, 4 and 5 in Wellington (we do, on pages 16-17).

While the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate

'Avatar: The Way of Water’.

Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’.

Photo: Ben Rothstein

Some believe the relative isolation of New Zealand has helped form this can-do approach. Back in the day, before air travel and internet, it would take months for anyone or anything to make it to our shores. That meant Kiwis learned to adapt, invent and innovate. They call it the ‘No. 8 wire’ mentality. That is, give a New Zealander a piece of No. 8 fencing wire and they can make anything, create anything and fix anything, a skill greatly desired and appreciated on any film set.

New Zealanders have traded on this reputation for many years and they are fiercely proud of all their innovators, creators, artists, musicians and sportspeople. And woe betide anyone (read Australia) who tries to lay claim to any of them.

So, let us first set the record straight, Jane Campion, Sam Neill, Jessica Hobbs, Crowded House, Phar Lap the racehorse and yes, the delicious méringue dessert Pavlova, are all Kiwi, and don’t be told otherwise. (Who claims Russell Crowe depends on how he’s behaving at any given time – but seriously Russ the door is always open if you want to return to your birthplace.)

A few of the lesser known reasons that filmmakers choose New Zealand over other countries is that we rate highly in the anticorruption index, we’re politically stable, we’re easy to do business with and we sit at number nine in the happiest countries in the world index.

*Kiwi is the colloquial term for the human inhabitants of New Zealand, taken from the indigenous, flightless bird. Why New Zealanders took a flightless bird as a mascot is anybody’s guess, and quite contradictory considering Kiwis are exceptional travelers.

TRANS-TASMAN RELATIONS – BUT ARE WE?

The Kiwi-Aussie relationship is complicated, almost like a sibling rivalry – it’s a big brother, little brother scenario. We’re fiercely competitive in all things, especially sport, and if there’s one thing that really gets a Kiwi’s back up it is being asked ‘Where in Australia are you from?’ But when the chips are down, we are bros, we’re mates, and there is nothing stronger than the ANZAC spirit.

Around 600,000 New Zealanders choose to live across the ditch, and many more commute between the two countries for work and play. The film industry is no exception. There’s an easy flow of, and some healthy competition between cast, crew and creatives – think Taika Waititi, Sam Neill, Rachel House, Rebecca Gibney, and Jane Campion. And the relationship has just got stronger with both governments’ announcing a relaxing of travel requirements and citizenship rules. With such a strong Trans-Tasman bond, many people have quipped ‘Why doesn’t New Zealand become another state of Australia?’ Yeahnah, that’s probably going a bit far.

Sweet as, mate!

While English is the main language spoken in New Zealand, many a visitor has been left baffled after a natter with a local. Here’s a quick guide to popular Kiwi phrases and slang.

• All good: Everything is OK.

• Sweet as: All good – see above.

• Choice as: Better than sweet as – awesome, super cool, great stuff.

• Yeah nah: Commonly used expression which acknowledges you have spoken, but disagreeing with what you have said.

• Bring a plate: If you’re invited to a party you need to bring something to eat on a plate – not just a plate.

• Nek minnit: ‘Next minute…’, ‘and then this happened’.

• Keen: Great, yes.

• She’ll be right: It will be fine, everything is ok, don’t worry about it.

• No worries: You’re welcome, no problem.

• Chur: Thanks.

• Mate: Friend or enemy (depending on the speaker’s tone).

• Dairy: Corner shop/Seven-11/Milk Bar.

• Chilly bin: Cooler/esky.

• Wop wops: The middle of nowhere/the sticks.

• Togs: Swimsuit.

• Jandals: Flip flops/thongs.

• Buggered/knackered: Really tired.

• Jumper: Sweater/pullover.

• Bach/crib: Holiday home.

• Bro: Brother, friend.

• Hokey-pokey: Ice cream flavour (definitely try this while in New Zealand).

• Stubbie: Bottle of beer.

• Stubbies: Shorts (short shorts).

• Tramping: Hiking.

Made in New Zealand –to name a few

Minecraft, Our Flag Means Death, Time Bandits, Amazon’s Lord of the Rings; The Rings of Power, M3GAN, X, Pearl, The Power of the Dog, Time Bandits, Sweet Tooth, The MEG, Ghost in the Shell, Mortal Engines, Avatar 1-5, Mr Corman, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit trilogies, Without a Paddle, Pete’s Dragon, The Lovely Bones, King Kong. Hunt for the Wilderpeople, The Piano, The World’s Fastest Indian, Alien: Covenant, Guns Akimbo, No Exit, No Way Out, Evil Dead, Evil Dead Rise, Heavenly Creatures, Bridge to Terabithia, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Dark Horse, Don’t Make Me Go, Mulan, Muru, The Light Between Oceans, McLaren, A Wrinkle In Time and much more…

Arapuni Suspension Bridge, Waikato.

Photo: Mark Hamilton

Collaborating

Recent official co-productions with Australia utilising the 40% New Zealand Rebate include The Convert, Gloriavale, The Power of the Dog, We Are Still Here and Went Up The Hill.

For advice about working with New Zealand’s rebates email newzealand@nzfilm.co.nz

Image: The Convert – © Jump Film and Brouhaha Entertainment

BEYOND THE MISTY MOUNTAINS

The hugely diverse landscape of New Zealand covers two main islands, not so uniquely named the North Island and the South Island, while the small island at the bottom of the south is called Stewart Island. The Māori names for the islands were made official in 2013: Te Ika-a-Māui for the North Island and Te Waipounamu for the South, with Stewart Island known as Rakiura.

The far north is known for its sub-tropical climate, lush vegetation and pristine beaches. In summer you never travel far without your togs, jandals and chilly bin – see our translation guide over the page.

The middle of the island is dominated by moon-like landscapes and three volcanic cones, including one many will be familiar – Mt Doom from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The South Island is dominated by the southern alps which run down the middle of the island, with rugged beaches, forests, and fiords in the west and south, and sandy beaches, farmland and some historic preserved Victorian architecture in towns along the east coast.

CLIMATE

For up-to-date weather reports check the Met Service.

Central North Island – Warm, dry and settled weather in summer; cold and icy in winter. Typical summer temperatures 21°C26°C. Winter temperatures 10°C - 14°C.

Northern South Island – Warm, dry and settled weather in summer and mild winters. Summer temperatures 20°C - 26°C with winters ranging from 10°C - 15°C.

Western South Island – Depending on weather systems from Tasman Sea, this can be a wet and wild region. Summers are mild 17°C22°C and winter temperatures vary 10°C - 14°C.

Everywhere is easily accessible, even getting from one side of the country to the other, and you’ll never have to deal with the madding crowds.

FOUR SEASONS… AND OFTEN IN ONE DAY

New Zealand has a temperate climate, but as we are all learning, with the climate crisis nothing is guaranteed, except having a good contingency plan for filming.

New Zealand band Crowded House apparently wrote the song ‘Four Seasons in One Day’ referring to Melbourne, however it could just as easily apply to Auckland.

The country is geographically long and narrow with multiple micro-climates. The seasons are opposite to the Northern Hemisphere, which is a bonus for many North American studios.

• Spring: September-November.

• Summer: December-February.

• Autumn/Fall: March-May.

• Winter: June-August. n

Northern NZ – Warm humid summers and mild winters. Typical summer temperatures 22°C - 26°C. Winter temperatures 12°C - 17°C.

Southern North Island –The west coast is exposed to weather systems from the Tasman; it is often windy and cooler than the east coast. Summers are warm 19°C24°C in the west and 20°C - 28°C sometimes higher in the east. Winters range from 10°C to 16°C.

Eastern South Island – The Southern Alps protect this area from a lot of bad weather. Typically warm and dry weather with warm winds predominating. Summers are mild 18°C26°C, but may rise to more than 30°C, while winters can be cold and frosty with temperatures 7°C - 14°C.

Central South Island – Rainfall is low, with long dry spells especially in summer and very cold winters. Summer temperatures 20°C - 26°C, occasionally rising above 30°C. Winters often bring severe frosts, snowfalls but some stunning but chilly days 3°C - 11°C.

Southern South Island – This area has cool coastal breezes, and can be wet, especially around the fiords. Typical summer temperatures 16°C - 23°C, and winters are cold with snow and frost 8°C - 12°C.

On the North Island of New Zealand, just a 30-minute flight from the nearest international airport, our region boasts an extraordinary range of stunning locations, from pristine beaches and geothermal wonderlands to lush forests, vibrant urban settings, and picturesque rural landscapes.

We invite you to explore the Bay of Plenty for your next project. Film Bay of Plenty offers support with location scouting, permit acquisition, and connections to local talent and resources. Let us help bring your vision to life in our diverse and breathtaking region.

Lee Tamahori’s The Convert was an official Australia-New Zealand co-production between Australia’s Brouhaha Entertainment and New Zealand’s Jump Film & Television.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF NZ

New Zealand takes great pride in its Indigenous Māori Culture and many customs, phrases, greetings and place names have been adopted by all Kiwis and are used every day. Māori filmmaking is a success story, but more on that in a moment. First some history.

The first people to arrive in New Zealand were ancestors of the Māori. They probably arrived from Polynesia between 1250 and 1300 AD and it’s believed they originally travelled from Taiwan, down through the Pacific, navigating by ocean currents, winds and stars. The navigator credited with discovering Aotearoa New Zealand is the great Kupe. It was sometime later that other, smaller groups arrived from Polynesia. They didn’t have a collective name until the arrival of Europeans. To mark their distinctiveness, the name Māori came into use.

Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to arrive in 1642 and the name New Zealand comes from the Dutch ‘Nieuw Zeeland’.

Another 127 years passed before New Zealand was visited by Europeans. Englishman Captain James Cook arrived in 1769 on the first of three voyages. European whalers and sealers then came, followed by traders and a lot of lawlessness. In 1840, New Zealand became a colony of Britain and the founding document, called the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed between Māori chiefs and representatives of the crown.

As mentioned above, Māori film is a success story. Of the top five New Zealand movies of all time, four are Māori stories. An honourable mention must be made of the late, great Merata Mita. Mita was a filmmaker, producer, and writer, and a key figure in the growth of the Māori screen industry. Through her work, she was a passionate voice for Māori, and an advocate for social change. She always believed Indigenous people in every country should tell their own stories and she championed the cause. Her influence on filmmakers internationally was considerable. A documentary about her life has been made by her youngest child, director Hepi Mita, called Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen. Māori are master storytellers, and Māori stories were popular for early non-Māori filmmakers as well. A

Everyday Māori Words

• Kia ora – Hello, g’day.

• Kapai – Good, thanks.

• Kai – Food.

• Mahi – Work.

• Whanau – Family.

• Wharepaku – Bathroom/toilet.

popular trope was the ideal of a ‘noble savage’, as was the retelling of Māori legends and stories. One of the first filmed features was called Hinemoa, made in 1913 about the legendary romance between Hinemoa and Tutanekai on Mokoia Island, Lake Rotorua. But the first true Māori film was the 1987 feature Ngati written by Tama Poata, directed by Barry Barclay.

One of the most well-known films which captured the early colonisation of New Zealand was Jane Campion’s multi-award winning film The Piano. Set in the mid1800s, the film focused on a mute Scottish woman who travels to New Zealand with her daughter (and piano) after an arranged marriage to a frontiersman. It was filmed on the unique black sand beaches of Auckland’s west coast and starred Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill and 11-year-old Anna Paquin who became the second youngest Academy Award winner for her supporting role in the film.

A more recent film which shows the impacts of colonisation is Lee Tamahori’s The Convert, released in March 2024. Set in 1830s New Zealand, the film follows a British preacher named Munro (Guy Pearce) who finds himself embroiled in an inter-hapū conflict during the thick of the Musket Wars, when the introduction of foreign firearms made Māori warfare deadlier than ever before.

When it comes to working in New Zealand, it’s important to understand Māori customs or tikanga. Most people will be familiar with the Haka. It’s a ceremonial Māori war dance, or challenge which is usually performed in a group and represents a tribe’s pride, strength and unity. It is not a physical challenge that the recipients have to take up. A word of advice: it’s considered disrespectful to smile, laugh or generally react to the Haka.

Many Māori customs are used on set, including karakia or prayers, and many visiting film crews and actors are often invited on to local Marae or meeting grounds. Images of Hollywood heavyweight Jason Momoa in New Zealand filming Chief of War were beamed around the world. A visit to a Marae comes with its own set of protocols, which are explained to guests. n

Photo: Kirsty Griffin

Our varied locations, creative mastery and dedicated crew have crafted a multitude of places and times. Compact and connected, with worldclass studios and post-production facilities, Wellington is your one-stop shop for productions of all sizes.

Create a story that’s out of this world. You would in Wellington.

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: New Zealand’s Incentives

ew Zealand’s film rebate scheme has been a lightning rod for controversy over the years. While the industry knows incentives must be given to remain competitive, the general public doesn’t always understand. Taxpayers rally against hundreds of millions of dollars being paid to multibillion dollar companies like Amazon Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power) and the government of the day gets nervous.

A report by Olsberg SPI in 2022 quieted the noise. It showed for every dollar spent on the rebates there was a return of $6.11. There is no denying it has been a big earner for the country. The first Sweet Tooth series alone brought in $66 million to New Zealand’s economy. (It’s safe to assume returns for the last few years, with COVID and the US strikes, will have affected

Whether or not fueled by bad headlines, the government in 2021 decided it would review the screen sector to see if funding was sustainable. After lengthy analysis it decided to confirm the scheme and make some changes.

The first change was the name: it’s now called the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate (NZSPR). It was called the Screen Production Grant, but the advisors felt the word ‘grant’ gave the scheme a negative public perception. They believe the word ‘rebate’ clears up any confusion and better reflects the fact it is a money-back scheme based around expenditure by private screen producers and companies.

The second change centers around the 5 per cent uplift for

international productions, making it a more streamlined and simplified process.

There are other adjustments to the scheme as well, including the recognition for repeat business (yes, we’d love you to make your sequels here!). Also, because New Zealand prides itself on the 100% Pure brand, and no one wants a crew that eats, shoots and leaves, a sustainability criterion is being introduced to help the country shift to a lowemissions economy.

INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS

For international productions, the NZSPR is administered by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) on behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The base incentive for international productions is a 20 per cent rebate with an extra 5 per cent uplift for projects which meet the simplified criteria providing benefits to the New Zealand domestic screen industry and wider economy.

Eligible productions include feature films, television and other non-feature formats.

Those productions with a minimum of NZ$30 million Qualifying New Zealand Production Expenditure (QNZPE) will be able to submit applications. The test for the extra 5 per cent uplift is through a points system.

Productions choose how to accumulate the requisite points available for employing New Zealanders in key roles, the production’s sustainability plan, skills and talent development, investment in infrastructure and the promotion and marketing of New Zealand, as some examples. QNZPE spend can include things like

Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’.

Photo: Ben Rothstein

accommodation used by the production, hire cars, and goods and services like builders and building supplies, as well as above-the-line personnel, executives' fees, and inward travel for example.

If a production wants to apply for the NZSPR, it must first register with the NZFC within a period of time. For instance, for live action productions, an application must be received before principal photography has started in New Zealand. There are a few requirements to be met, including the applicant being either a New Zealand resident company or partnership, or if it’s a foreign company, it must have a fixed establishment in New Zealand for tax purposes.

When it comes to receiving the rebate, there is a due process to follow. The production company can apply for a final certificate if bills relating to the New Zealand spend have been paid, or the production has spent more than $50 million. These final applications must be made within six months from completion of the production. All the paperwork is then sent to the tax department (Inland Revenue) for review and to an Independent Consultant for assessment of the qualifying QNZPE. The process from initial submission and final panel review can take up to three months. Once everything is approved, payment is made within ten days.

Applications for an international rebate are assessed by the rebate panel, which is made up of independent members of the film industry along with representatives from the NZFC and Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE). It is worth noting the rebate panel makes decisions on whether applications satisfy the criteria set – it doesn’t decide on the type (or content) of a production. All the detail in the NZSPR for international productions is here

DOMESTIC PRODUCTIONS

For domestic productions, the NZSPR is administered by the New Zealand Film Commission on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage.

The 40 per cent rebate is larger than that offered to international productions because the main aim is to build a strong and sustainable domestic film industry and support the development of New Zealand creatives. It’s also there to provide cultural benefits to New Zealand by helping create local content and stories.

But what exactly is ‘New Zealand content’? It has been a contentious issue which was highlighted during the production of Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning The Power of the Dog. The film was deemed eligible for the domestic rebate despite it being centred around an American cowboy

in Montana in the 1920s (but filmed on location in New Zealand). New Zealand content is not specifically about the story or theme, but can apply to those working on the production and where it is being made.

Recent changes to the NZSPR mean that as well as accessing a 40 per cent cash rebate on QNZPE, eligible domestic productions can now apply for further funding from the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho.

The rebate is capped at $6 million per production unless it qualifies for an Additional Rebate. The Additional Rebate is 40 per cent of QNZPE from $15 million to $50 million. The Additional Rebate is capped at $14 million per production. The total maximum New Zealand Rebate is $20 million per production.

The application process is similar to the international rebate and depending on whether it is a feature film, TV series or short-form animation, a list of criteria applies. All the detail for the NZSPR for domestic productions is here.

PDV INCENTIVE

The newly reviewed NZSPR saw some good news for New Zealand’s Post-Production, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) industry. With companies like Wētā FX, Images & Sound, Cause and FX and Rebel Fleet, it is an industry that has gained an international reputation, and multiple global awards.

In Wellington, the team at Wētā FX played a pivotal role on the animation and visual effects of 2024 Oscar-winning animated short War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko. They continue to work on James Cameron’s Avatar sequels as well as other projects including Alien:Romulus, House of the Dragon S2 and Deadpool 3

Amazon’s Rings of Power was post-produced entirely in Auckland. Projects like Our Flag Means Death and Sweet Tooth, have built on the talents and reputation of New Zealand creatives and there’s a lot more repeat business for films not necessarily shot in New Zealand, which is unique.

The rebate has returned to a flat rate of 20 per cent and the qualifying expenditure threshold has been reduced to $250,000, allowing smaller screen productions to access it.

To be eligible for the PDV rebate, applicants must register with the NZFC. QNZPE relating to PDV activity includes things like personnel, studio hire and office space, equipment and depreciation of assets all relating to PDV activity.

If a PDV production doesn’t initially meet the $250,000 QNZPE threshold, it can be registered after PDV activity has started – but there is a timeframe.

For a detailed list of QNZPE in relation to PDV Activity, see Appendix 2 of the criteria here n

Netflix’s ‘Sweet Tooth’.

‘M3GAN’.

‘Mr Corman’.

In their words … Jon Landau Jon Landau

American producer Jon Landau is best known for his work with James Cameron on ‘Titanic’ and the ‘Avatar’ sequels. He came to work in New Zealand 15 years ago on the first ‘Avatar’ film and is now working on ‘Avatar’ sequels 3, 4 & 5. American producer Jon Landau is best known for his work with James Cameron on ‘Titanic’ and the ‘Avatar’ sequels. He came to work in New Zealand 15 years ago on the first ‘Avatar’ film and is now working on ‘Avatar’ sequels 3, 4 & 5.

WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO STAY IN NEW ZEALAND, AND WELLINGTON IN PARTICULAR?

What got us to Wellington in the first place was simply the rebate. We would not have come but for that. But then having seen the talent of the crew, their openness to embrace new technologies, their passion for their job, the fact they don't just view it as a 9-to-5 job, that they take pride in their artistry, they take pride in the ultimate result of the film –they are the reasons we have stayed.

What was really nice as we got into the sequels is, if you look historically at the number of people we brought into New Zealand in the first wave to the number of people that we brought in on our second wave, so much more of our crew now is truly New Zealand-based and we don't need to supplement it with international people. This happens because of training, and that's why it's important the industry itself is prolific, so when those other international productions come here, they don't need to bring people down. It changes the dynamics and makes New Zealand even more attractive.

I also think another difference that has happened is there are more stages now in New Zealand. Not every film can come to New Zealand and use its incredible locations just

because the scripts don't call for it. Like Avatar, we do all our stuff on stage, and now that there are more stages you can attract more productions.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF NEW ZEALAND’S INCENTIVES?

A 25 per cent rebate [core rebate of 20 per cent with a potential additional 5 per cent uplift], with the cost of doing business in New Zealand, is in the right range, in my estimation. I think that when you talk about other places, your costs are much higher. To attract international production, which is what you need to drive a business, you need to advance technology and it's the international movies that are going to be able to do the internship programs that train the next generation of the industry. We had over 38 interns on the Avatar sequels, some of whom have stayed with us and moved out of being that intern into different roles.

Having a competitive incentive attracts more movies to be made here and makes a significant contribution to the New Zealand economy, and to the New Zealand industry. Avatar, in particular on the sequels around the pandemic, was the perfect example of the importance of the film sector to an economy as a whole, and the diversification of our spending.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE NEW ZEALAND’S INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS A FILMMAKING DESTINATION?

I think word is getting out there that New Zealand has a stable industry, and a solid foundation exists. I think the more the industry can say to people, “This is not just a place for you to come do your productions, but also it is a place to stay and finish your movies, do post-production,” that builds it up too. One of the things that we did on Avatar: The Way of Water is we stayed here and did our whole mix and everything at Park Road Post; a great facility.

Producers have called and said, “Hey Jon, we're thinking of coming down to New Zealand with a project, what do you think?”. I tell them the people are great and it's affordable. I've worked in other countries around the globe, a lot of which don't speak English. New Zealand does, and it has good healthcare, it has good food, museums, concerts; it has a good culture. You might bring a star down, you might bring the director down, and these are people who don't want to be hibernating. A lot of places in the world are trying to attract productions but you go and you're isolated and you go from the studio to your hotel. And maybe you eat in the hotel because there's no real community. New Zealand has it all.

One of the things that I love is seeing some of our international crew and the weekends they spend away, the weekend trips around New Zealand they take. They post these incredible pictures of different locations. It's just great they get to do that and see the country. That's one of the other things I tell the producers: Your crew that you do bring here, and cast, will like it.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY HERE?

There's a lot of cutting-edge technology stuff that's going on in New Zealand and a lot of eco-friendly technology stuff happening outside our industry. But if you look inside of our

sector, like Wētā FX and the technological breakthroughs they’re able to make, they’re vast. When I talk about the numbers working on our production, that doesn't include the close to 2,000 people Wētā FX had working on Avatar, and the technological advances they make that train people to say, “Okay, I just worked in this software, but I can now apply that to another industry” or Wētā Workshop. The fact that we had an opportunity to keep hand-skilled textile artists employed and working, where they could celebrate their history of New Zealand and their lineage in their craft, that they get to continue to do that, was great for us.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE TRANSIENT WORKFORCE?

The people that I know that have gone to Australia to work, it's a temporary thing. It's an ebb and flow. I think that goes back to the film sector, attracting more films to come to New Zealand, to fill the Lane Street Studios to fill the Kumeu Film Studios to fill the Stone Street Studios, then those people won't need to go. But I would much rather see them go somewhere else and work and hone their skills in our industry than take jobs in other sectors. So, I think it's a question of just getting rid of those ebbs in the industry so that it's all a flow.

DO YOU PLAN ON STAYING IN NEW ZEALAND?

Absolutely. Jim certainly thinks of New Zealand as his home. And I now think of New Zealand as my home as well.

AND WOULD YOU MAKE OTHER PROJECTS HERE?

We are Avatar-centric right now in terms of art, direct focus. But should we have another feature or TV show we would, and we've recommended coming to New Zealand to other filmmakers because we think it has so much to offer. n

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’.

drama, comedy and the rest Partners in crime…

set of ‘The Convert’, an official AustraliaNew Zealand coproduction between Australia’s Brouhaha Entertainment and NZ’s Jump Film & Television.

CO-PRODUCTIONS

Co-productions play a significant role in the New Zealand film landscape. New Zealand has 18 co-production treaties with other countries, 16 of which are bilateral agreements. There are also two MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with sister agencies, Screen Australia and France’s CNC. The main aim of the treaties is to stimulate screen production activity and provide opportunities for New Zealand producers to work with international creatives and finance partners. It is also an opportunity to get Kiwi-made films in front of international audiences.

Like with all co-productions, it’s about sharing the skills and talent, but also finance. Each co-production project must have attached a producer from each co-producing partner and each of those producers must bring a minimum percentage of the financial and creative contribution to the project. Interestingly, New Zealand and Canada have had the majority of deals – 34 since 1988. There are several reasons for this: one being the strong industry ties including longstanding Indigenous/First Nations relationships, networking and speed-dating activities over the years, and good access to funding. I, Object starring Kiwi actors Thomasin McKenzie,

Above: Guy Pearce and Lee Tamahori on the

Photo: Geoffrey H. Short

Karl Urban and Melanie Lynskey, and directed by Andrew Niccol, is the most recent project under a provisional agreement.

There may also be a requirement for the productions to have already secured distribution. The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) assesses the creative contribution of the New Zealand co-producer in two ways, namely the proportion of 1) New Zealand nationals in key roles through a points test; and 2) expenditure on New Zealand elements.

MAKING CONTENT WITH OUR FRIENDS ACROSS THE DITCH

In the past 35 years there’ve been 114 coproduction approvals, with just 24 of those being with our Aussie neighbours (one is NZ/ France/Australia). Given our proximity and ties you would think there’d be more. Anecdotally, the reason for the low number is that Australian content doesn’t work as well in the New Zealand market, and vice versa. However, it appears things are changing. There’s been growth in activity since 2013 because the New Zealand Screen Production Grant (NZSPG) offered a 40 per cent rebate to both film and TV productions.

Australian TV producers – who at home can only access a rebate of 30 per cent, and prior to 2020, just 20 per cent – maximised budgets through co-producing with NZ producers and accessing the NZSPG. Cleverman and The New Legends of Monkey are both co-productions which have benefited from the higher rebate.

In film, recent Australian-New Zealand coproductions include The Convert, The Power of the Dog and Went Up the Hill

NZFC chief executive Annie Murray says collaborating with Australian filmmakers is a number one priority for the commission. “Close cultural similarities mean the content is likely to connect with audiences in both countries. Add to that friendly immigration ties and keeping the carbon footprint more manageable with short flights, all make for easy partnerships.”

One great example of a successful coproduction between Kiwis and Australians is anthology feature We Are Still Here. It is a unique Indigenous film that interweaves eight powerful tales filmed across several Australian states and in Auckland. Post-production also happened in both countries, however editor Roland Gallois did the majority in isolation.

Producer Toni Stowers says there were lessons at every turn.

“In the beginning the filmmakers and producers were brought together by the two national agencies; Screen Australia and NZFC, and for most it was the first time working together, especially across the Tasman. We were forging new creative

ties, listening and learning about cultural and creative histories, aspirations for our careers and peoples, films and audiences. For the producing team we were also learning about what goes into making an official co-production, and thankfully we had great guidance from our executive producers as well as the screen agencies.”

Collaboration between producing communities has also increased with prominent NZ filmmakers working across the ditch, and vice versa. Rachel Gardner, David Jowsey, Angela Littlejohn, Jane Campion and Samuel Van Grinsven are a few names that divide their time between the two countries. And we can’t possibly forget actors like Sam Neill, Rachel House and Rebecca Gibney who are regulars on the screen on both sides of the Tasman and selfproclaimed Mozzie (Māori Aussie) Stan Walker.

The NZFC believes there are a number of ways more can be done to encourage an increase in the number of co-productions with Australia. They include encouraging more Australian producers to visit New Zealand to see the facilities and locations, increased collaboration and activity between Screen Producers Australia and Screen Producers NZ (SPADA) and better promotion at key markets, conferences and events in Australia. n

Above: A still from ‘Blankets’, part of Australian-New Zealand anthology film ‘We Are Still Here’, a joint initiative of the NZFC and Screen Australia’s First Nations department.

Photo

In their words … Matthew Metcalfe

Producer Matthew Metcalfe has numerous film and television credits to his name and has co-produced multiple films. His recent titles ‘The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*Ck’, ‘Billion Dollar Heist’, and ‘The Lord of Lies’ were all co-produced with UK partners. His latest project ‘Moss & Freud’ about the friendship between Kate Moss and Lucian Freud, is also a NZ-UK co-pro.

FROM A CO-PRODUCTION POINT OF VIEW, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES WORKING IN NEW ZEALAND?

The only real limitations that must be considered are around cast/crew nationality, which has specific rules around it, and application of finance to each co-producer. These are relatively easy issues to manage, but equally, poor management of them could, in theory, lead to a failure to obtain your final co-production status, which in turn would be catastrophic to the financiers.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF CO-PRODUCTIONS?

The co-production structure allows a producer to benefit from the nationality of each country involved, such that national incentives can accrue to the majority of the film’s costs and the production itself can benefit from any quotas or distribution incentives that ‘national’ qualifying films enjoy – I am thinking of territories such as France and Australia for example.

WHAT COULD NEW ZEALAND BE DOING BETTER?

To encourage co-productions, one has to enable travel and the bringing of potential co-producing partners together. The national film bodies of each country should really drive this and have shown a strong historical ability to construct such meeting opportunities. However, a meeting of potential partners is not in and of itself enough. There needs to be clear financing pathways to this occurring. Or put another way, national film bodies need to come together

and signal to the producing community that co-productions between countries will be viewed favourably and will enjoy opportunities to receive not only non-discretionary incentive funding, but also discretionary equity from the respective government film bodies. Co-productions involve significant development risk, so if we want to expand coproductions, there must be an incentive to wear that risk.

WHY ARE THERE RELATIVELY FEWER CO-PRODUCTIONS BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA?

This question can actually be answered by the almost mirror arrangements between the two countries. Co-productions are about affording an additional benefit for involving another country, often for additional incentive gains, plus cast and other above-the-line talent. However, between Australia and New Zealand there is no gain. The incentive rate for films between both countries is 40 per cent – so no financial gain. There is no cast and other above-theline talent gain, as there is a right of automatic residency between each country for Australian and New Zealand passport holders. In short, the gain in Australian-New Zealand co-productions, while existing in principle, is in practice, minimal to none.

WHAT DOES NEW ZEALAND DO REALLY WELL?

We solve problems, we make it happen. Until you work with a Kiwi producer you won’t necessarily realise just how driven and capable of pushing a project over the line they really are. n

Matthew Metcalfe on the set of ‘The Tank’.

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In their words … Emma Slade

Celebrated New Zealand producer Emma Slade runs production company Firefly Films. Her credits include the recently released feature ‘Uproar’ starring Minnie Driver, Julian Dennison and Rhys Darby, as well as ‘Come to Daddy’, ‘Nude Tuesday’, feature documentary ‘Mister Organ’ and ‘The Justice of Bunny King’. She is one of six women who founded Screen Women’s Action Group (SWAG), which advocates against sexual harassment. Her next feature film ‘Bookworm’, starring Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher, will be released in 2024. She is also leading the legacy work on a National Training Scheme for the New Zealand Screen Industry.

HOW MANY OF YOUR PROJECTS HAVE BEEN CO-PRODUCTIONS?

We’ve been involved in multiple co-productions including, Come To Daddy – NZ/Canada/Ireland, Nude Tuesday – NZ/ Australia, and Into the Rainbow – NZ/China/UK. I also line produced Tracker – NZ/UK, and have nine other co-production projects in development with Canada (two), UK (four) and Australia (three).

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORKING ON CO-PRODUCTIONS?

I really enjoy co-productions. The collaboration, being able to work with others from around the globe, being exposed to different cultures and different ways of doing things – it’s all really beneficial and makes the job even more interesting. And of course it can help with financing too. We’ve had very positive co-production relationships, but it is important to do your homework on your partners first and understand your own country’s financing treaties and rules, as well as other territories’ rules and treaties.

ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC BENEFITS TO WORKING ON CO-PRODUCTIONS WITH AUSTRALIA?

The physical distance is really helpful, and our cultures are quite similar. We have an understanding and get on the same page quickly. We match each other with the 40 per cent rebate, so we don’t lose money doing work together. Also, the state money available in Australia can make a big difference along with the huge pool of talent – above and below-the-line crew as well as actors.

Emma Slade on the set of ‘Nude Tuesday’.

DO YOU THINK THERE COULD BE MORE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES?

There is some collaboration but I definitely think there could be more. Collaborating gives you more capacity to take on other projects. We have limited resources so banding together is a good idea. It also gives us access to really interesting stories. Indigenous stories from Australia are different from New Zealand’s Indigenous stories because the backbone of each country is quite different. But there is a wealth of stories that can be mined between the two countries, which is exciting.

It would also be good if we could have our screen funding bodies, Screen Australia and NZ Film Commission, be even more pro-active in supporting co-productions. There’s a reason why there haven’t been that many previously. Together, there are hurdles they could overcome if we work together and create more initiatives.

WITH THE NEW SETTINGS WITH NZSPR, PLUS MORE ACCESS TO FINANCE ANNOUNCED IN THE GOVERNMENT REVIEW, WILL YOU BE LOOKING TO DO MORE CO-PRODUCTIONS?

We are already active in this space so it won’t make too much difference to us. But co-productions can be quite intimidating, so we could do more work in educating people, to encourage them to take it on. There is a bit to learn but it is a finite knowledge.

WHAT, IN YOUR VIEW, ARE THE BIGGEST IMPEDIMENTS TO FILMMAKING IN NEW ZEALAND?

There is never enough money. We are a small country with a small population and limited in our funds. We have terrific actors but unfortunately they are, generally speaking, unable to attract international finance. The best thing about New Zealand is being so far away but it is also the worst thing. We have phenomenal locations and incredible cast and crews, but it’s an effort to come here and the time zones can be challenging.

IF YOU HAD A MESSAGE FOR AUSTRALIAN OR OTHER PRODUCERS LOOKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND, WHAT WOULD THAT BE?

I think our friends across the ditch really need to look at what we have to offer. There are things in New Zealand which are not as tough as they are in Australia. I’d urge them to explore the options and to research the way our crews work, ie no fringes and no paying for holidays that we don’t work, which from a producer point of view can be challenging and expensive. Our dollar is favourable and we have a huge variety of locations, which are easily accessible. Our crews are outstanding and so is our can-do attitude. The NZFC is a small and friendly organisation, which is easy to connect with. We have a lot of great stories to tell that the world wants to see and know about, and Kiwis love going to the movies which is great for distribution. n

Jackie Van Beek and Damon Herriman in ‘Nude Tuesday’, an Australian-NZ co-production.

Sign

Locations More than Middle Earth

f there’s one thing New Zealand isn’t short of, it’s a variety of unique and diverse locations. While most people will be familiar with the epic mountain ranges and wild rivers from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the country is so much more than Middle Earth. Its varied landscapes have stood in for countries across Asia, UK, US and Europe. Kiwi director Niki Caro made Disney’s epic Chinese adventure Mulan in New Zealand, Mt Taranaki doubled as Mt Fujiyama in

The Last Samurai, and The Power of the Dog, X and Pearl and Pete’s Dragon were all filmed with Aotearoa standing in for the US states of Montana, Texas, and California, respectively. As an added bonus, you don’t have to travel far to get different looks and with seasons opposite to the Northern Hemisphere. It brings an extra appeal to international studios.

The country is divided into 13 regions, each with a Regional Film Office (RFO) set up to provide assistance to productions, big and small. Most provide a locations

database on their websites. The New Zealand Film Commission also has an extensive database.

In some areas, the RFO will take care of all permits needed for filming. Depending on where you are filming you may need multiple permits, from local councils, iwi and hapū (the Māori land owners) and the Department of Conservation (DOC), the government agency which is in charge of New Zealand’s natural and historical heritage. About 30 per cent of New Zealand’s land area is managed by DOC and it includes native forests, national parks,

Piopio in the Waitomo district of the North Island.

Location/Regional Incentive

Screen Canterbury is the only region in New Zealand that offers a location incentive of around NZ$1.5 million. However some places, like Wellington, are open to discussions on concessions or arranging package deals if you choose to film there. That could mean both location or post-production incentives.

marine reserves, lakes and islands. To be expected, there are strict rules that apply to filming in these areas and consent can take up to four weeks. However, in areas like Wellington, Auckland and Queenstown Lakes District, where dozens of films and television series are shot, DOC is well versed in the weird and wonderful requests made by production companies and they have processes set up for administering filming requests.

Location scout Kevin Spring has been finding the perfect backdrop to film and television for over 30 years. With

recent titles like Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, upcoming Apple TV+ series Chief of War and aerial location manager for all the alpine work on Mission: Impossible - Fallout, there’s barely a square of Aotearoa this man is not familiar with.

He says New Zealand provides a diverse range of locations, from glaciers and coastlines to alpine mountain caves, deserts, rivers and city streets. Getting permission and consent can be time consuming for many productions, and he believes if the country is to hold on to its status

as a premier filming destination, there needs to be continued cohesion across national, regional and local government departments and councils.

“I also believe more authentic engagement with mana whenua (Māori) would result in a lot more locations becoming available.”

When asked what the best thing was about New Zealand, his answer is surprisingly not about locations.

“The great Māori proverb sums it up best for me: He tangata, he tangata, he tangata: It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.” n

The Island North

The North Island of New Zealand is home to about three-quarters of the country’s entire population, with 1.6 million people living in the largest city of Auckland. The north of the island features sub-tropical beaches, bush, and small towns, the middle of the island is dominated by volcanoes and desert like landscapes and geothermal wonders, and the southern tip is the harbourside city of Wellington, the country’s capital city.

Both the east and west coasts of the island are dotted with small to middle sized towns unique in their own special way. Along the east coast is the art deco town of Napier –rebuilt in the 1930s after an earthquake flattened the region, and Gisborne, which provided the backdrop for the movie Whale Rider

Out to the west, the Taranaki region became Japan’s alter ego in The Last Samurai, while the Whanganui region has featured in multiple productions including A24’s Pearl and X, The Lord of the Rings, and River Queen.

AUCKLAND

Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city and arguably the most picturesque gateway to the rest of the country. Surrounded on all sides by oceans, it is often referred to as the City of Sails. In fact, Auckland has more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world. The region is expansive, lying between the Hauraki Gulf to the east, the Hunua Rangers to the southeast, the Manukau Harbour to the southwest and the Waitakere Ranges to the west and northwest.

The great thing about filming in this city is its proximity to

impressive locations just 20-30 minutes from either coast. It is half an hour from the international airport to the city centre. You can see the wide range of locations available on the Screen Auckland location database

On the west coast you have the wild, black sand beaches made world famous in 1993 with Jane Campion’s masterpiece The Piano and then used in other productions including Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. On the east coast, the golden sands and multiple sub-tropical islands have made it into many movies and TV series.

As well as being known for maritime marvels, Auckland is also built on a vast volcanic field. From almost every vantage point in the city you can see at least six volcanic cones, the most prominent being the youngest volcano, Rangitoto Island (600 years). What many people don’t realise however is that there are 53 volcanoes in a 1,000 square kilometre radius. Thankfully volcanologists say an eruption would be a ‘low probability event’ (on human timescales).

A helicopter over Auckland.

Wellington..

WELLINGTON

Kiwis are keen on nicknames and embracing quirkiness. The capital city has been described as the centre of Middle Earth. It’s also known as Wellywood, the Cultural Capital and the Windy City. In fact, it embraces its windy city status with a big dollop of humour. As you fly into the capital there is a Hollywood type sign on the hillside, with the last three letters, ‘TON’, looking to be blowing away in the wind.

But Wellington does take its commitment to the film industry seriously and is one of just 21 UNESCO Cities of Film. There is no denying it has earned its crown, producing many big screen blockbusters.

Like Auckland, the city sits on a postcard perfect waterfront, nestled between green hills. Many have compared its hilly terrain, harbour setting, and wooden houses to that of San Francisco.

As the capital city, it is home to parliament and the iconic Beehive parliamentary building and the national museum. Juxtapose that with Wellington’s vibrant creative scene and you have a city of many vibes.

Putting aside the movies made on the multiple sound stages in Wellington, the city streets and environs have been used extensively in film and TV series. The very first footage shot for The Lord of the Rings was taken on Mt Victoria, while a central city park and lagoon features in the hit Bollywood movie, Players – a remake of The Italian Job Time Bandits has used multiple locations, and the streets of the capital were turned Tokyo-esque for Scarlett Johansson’s Ghost in the Shell

Wellington’s Regional Stadium, affectionately known as the ‘caketin’ for obvious shapely reasons, has had its fair share of glory outside of sport. It featured in 2022 hit movie Red, White and Brass and has been literally used in filmmaking; the noise from 30,000 chanting cricket fans helped create the sound for an army of Urukhai during the battle scenes for The Lord of the Rings.

Unless you travel by sea, the only way out of the capital is north, but again, both the east and west coasts are very different.

Wellington.

Bridal Veil Falls, Waikato.

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Kapiti Island, just off the west coast, was used for parts of Peter Jackson’s King Kong, while the east and the Wairarapa was used for filming parts of Jackson’s The Lovely Bones, Crossing the Line and The Lord of the Rings. In fact, if we’re honest, there’s very few places in the region Jackson has not filmed.

BAY OF PLENTY

On the East Coast of New Zealand, a two-and-a-half hour drive from Auckland is the Bay of Plenty region. Bordered by pristine beaches, mountains and bush, the area is rich pickings for diverse backdrops and location shoots. Prehistoric Planet starred some of the region’s ancient trees and ferns while the many rivers, lakes and the active volcanic island of Whakaari / White Island have also featured on screen in The Chronicles of Narnia, Mulan, Boy, and Without a Paddle. The local Film Bay of Plenty also covers the region of Taupō. JRR Tolkien fans will immediately recognise this very distinctive area as Mordor, the black, volcanic plain in the south-east of Middle-Earth and dominated by Mt Doom (Mt Ngāuruhoe in real life). Because of the proximity to Auckland, the area has a solid base of experienced crew and a range of spaces available as production hubs.

ROTORUA

The central North Island town of Rotorua is a geothermal wonderland, surrounded by intensely blue and green lakes and waterways and lush forests. It is also at the heart of New Zealand’s Māori culture.

Its large tracts of Redwood trees have been used as a base for multiple movies including Yogi Bear and Pete’s Dragon

TARANAKI

The perfectly formed volcanic peak of Mt Taranaki dominates this region, and its likeness to Mt Fuji was not lost on the makers of The Last Samurai. It is also known for its worldclass surf breaks and inland, the desert-like features of Waiouru. With a relatively small population, it doesn’t take you long to escape into the wilderness,

Castlepoint, Wellington.

Desert Road, Manawatū.

West Coast Auckland.

as Taika Waititi knew when using it as one of the locations of Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

WHANGANUI

The English meaning for the word Whanganui is ‘big bay’ or big harbour’ and that comes from the mighty river that flows through it. It is the only river in the world to be granted personhood status and has taken a starring role in many films. The most famous is the aptly titled 2005 movie River Queen, made by Kiwi director Vincent Ward and featuring Samantha Morton, Kiefer Sutherland and Cliff Curtis. It has also been used as a backdrop for The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring and Without a Paddle while the Whanganui region was featured in A24’s horror hits X and Pearl

WAIKATO, COROMANDEL AND EAST CAPE

You’d be hard pressed not to recognise some of these three regions’ major landmarks. Hobbit fans will recognise the gentle, rolling green hills of the Waikato which feature the small and perfectly formed Hobbiton. On the Coromandel, the iconic Cathedral Cove has appeared in many international tourism campaigns but also starred in the Chronicles of Narnia The East Cape region, which encompass the cities of Gisborne, Napier and Hastings have mainly featured in local productions, including the 2003 Academy Award winning film Whale Rider, directed by Niki Caro.

NORTHLAND

Beaches, native forests and the birthplace of New Zealand are what defines the Northland region. It provided the perfect setting for Kiwi director Lee Tamahori’s historical epic The Convert, a NZ-Australian co-production. The film, starring Guy Pearce, is based around a newly arrived preacher in a colonial town in early 19th century New Zealand. The town of Russell, which was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand, lies just across the bay from Waitangi, where New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed. n

Napier, Hawke’s Bay.

Rapids, Taupō.

Nikau Cave.

Redwood forest, Hawke’s Bay.

Our varied locations, creative mastery and dedicated crew have crafted a multitude of places and times. Compact and connected, with worldclass studios and post-production facilities, Wellington is your one-stop shop for productions of all sizes.

Create a story that’s out of this world. You would in Wellington.

The Island SOUth

Only 23 per cent (1.1 million) of New Zealand’s total population of 5.2 million live in the South Island, with the majority living in the largest city of Christchurch. Covering 56 per cent of the country’s land area, it would be fair to say it offers some of New Zealand’s most magnificent scenery. It also has a quality of natural light foreign cinematographers are often blown away by.

The Southern Alps run the entire length of the island, and on a clear day both the west and east coasts can be seen from the air.

The mountainous spine is bookended by national parks which couldn’t be more different. In the north, the golden sand beaches of the Abel Tasman National Park can double as an exotic, isolated pacific paradise while in the south the Fiordland National Park, featuring the steep-sided Milford Sound has appeared in blockbusters like Wolverine, Jurassic Park, Alien: Covenant along with The Lord of the Rings The Hobbit trilogies.

CHRISTCHURCH

About halfway down the east coast of the South Island is the city of Christchurch. With a population of around 377,000, it is the largest populated city. Rocked by a major earthquake in 2011, much of the metropolitan area has been rebuilt, resulting in a brand new, dynamic city in which to film. It is also the largest land area of any of the 13 regions and is easily accessible to diverse film locations. From the centre, travel to the coast takes approximately 15 minutes while alpine scenery is a short two hour drive.

Screen Canterbury is the only region in the country offering a location incentive and as a result, the city’s screen sector has been growing steadily along with a solid crew base. Television drama series Dark City has made the most of

Aoraki, Mt Cook.

Mount Sunday. Location of Edoras, featured in 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy.

Lake Pukaki.

Photo:

Credit: ChristchurchNZ

Photo: Chris Moss

the location incentive while playing home advantage; Dark City is an adaptation of best-selling author Paul Cleave’s debut novel and Christchurch is his hometown. The region of Canterbury has a variety of terrain, from braided rivers, verdant green hills and beaches and also includes an area of tortured rocks and dramatic valleys known as Flock Hill, used by Kiwi director Andrew Adamson in the making of the great battle for Narnia

QUEENSTOWN

When talking South Island locations, Queenstown is a firm favourite. A picturesque town set on the banks of a large lake, surrounded by some of the most breathtaking mountain ranges in the country, it has been serving the film industry for over 40 years.

It has become known as the outdoor adventure capital of the world and has provided the perfect backdrop to many great films. One thing unique to the region is its aerial filming capability. There are helicopter pilots who’ve been working with the film industry for decades on projects like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, and their capability in this space is one of the reasons why Mission: Impossible - Fallout chose to film its helicopter sequences here.

The Queenstown region comes under the Film Otago Southland regional film office, which covers the entire lower half of the South Island. While there are no purpose-built sound stages in the region there are several proposals for sound stages and virtual production facilities which may come to fruition over the next few years.

What the area may lack in infrastructure, it more than makes up for in experienced crew. Its diversity and accessibility of locations mean it has become a central hub for filming and is home to a solid base of experts who know the area inside and out.

Television series like Under the Vines have provided regular work for many locals, with spare time often taken up with commercials, Bollywood films, and other productions.

While many countries may vaunt similar epic scenery, there are few which can boast mountains, lakes, forests, rugged plains and heritage architecture all within a day’s drive from each other and surrounded by five-star hotels and restaurants.

DUNEDIN

A 3.5-hour drive from Queenstown, or a short flight from both Auckland and Wellington, is the southern city of Dunedin. It is often referred to as the Edinburgh of the Southern Hemisphere because of its rich Scottish heritage. Settled by the Scots in 1848, it is home to some great examples of Edwardian and Victorian architecture and also has the country’s only historic castle, Larnach Castle. With spectacular views over the Otago harbour, the historic building was the perfect location for Netflix film The Royal Treatment. The movie made use of a number of stately buildings in the city, and also filmed in the famous Victorian precinct up the road in Oamaru.

The region is also renowned for its dramatic landscapes, untouched beaches – as seen in The Narnia Chronicles – and

Mackenzie District, Canterbury. Dunedin, Otago.

Springfield Station, Canterbury.

Photo: Chris Moss

unique wildlife, possibly the reason it became the birthplace of television production house NHNZ Worldwide Founded 46 years ago as the Natural History Unit, it continues to make documentaries and television series for global audiences, with postproduction facilities available for external projects.

Pioneering computer graphics company Animation Research was also launched in Dunedin. They were the first to use computer animation for television sports graphics –specifically America’s Cup yachting, cricket and golf, making those sports a much more palatable watch from your armchair.

CENTRAL OTAGO

Head inland and you get something quite different. Kiwi filmmaker Jane Campion chose the golden, tussock covered Central Otago region to stand in for 1920s Montana in her Oscar-winning film The Power of the Dog. It had an incredible likeness to the US state, but came without the people, and infrastructure sullying the epic panoramas. It also came with the extreme weather. Central Otago is the hottest, the coldest, the

windiest and the driest place in New Zealand. Sets for The Power of the Dog in Maniototo had to withstand gale force winds, and in the 27 days of filming the crew were exposed to not only extremely high temperatures but also snow. Ultimately it was a small price to pay, but the payoff was big, winning Campion an Oscar for Best Director.

Wanaka lakefront.

Cromwell Historic Town.

While untouched, unpopulated and panoramic scenery can be a dream for movie makers, finding somewhere to accommodate cast and crew can prove a bit of a mare (nightmare). But Kiwis are nothing if not generous types.

During the making of The Power of the Dog, Mulan, Pete’s Dragon and many other productions, locals were more than willing to give up their own homes and cribs (holiday homes) to accommodate cast, crew, extras and even props. In fact, the entire town of Tapanui, in West Otago, was happy to be renamed Millhaven for Pete’s Dragon, and have American flags flying for the duration of filming.

While they were all compensated, what meant more to the locals was being able to offer the hospitality and have bragging rights that Hollywood had come to their town. Director David Lowery said New Zealand provided the extra layer of magic needed for the children’s movie.

“New Zealand was the perfect place to film Pete’s Dragon because it feels timeless in the same way that the movie

does. It doesn’t feel like it belongs to any specific era – you can walk outside, walk 50 feet down the road, and feel like you’re in the middle of a forest that’s been around since the beginning of time.”

INVERCARGILL

Southlanders would get pretty dark if we didn’t mention their region, and a film that launched the city into the global spotlight in 2005. Kiwi director Roger Donaldson was able to lure Anthony Hopkins to Invercargill to film The World’s Fastest Indian, a true story based on Kiwi Bert Munro who spent years rebuilding a 1920 Indian motorcycle, which helped him set a land speed record at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967. The city continues to dine out on the fame, and has even set up a museum in honour of the achievement –Burt’s and the films! A few other movies of note have been made in the south including Brotherhood of Rose and Goodbye Pork Pie, along with The Narnia Chronicles n

Aerial views of Queenstown.

Giving filmmakers control where it counts.

When productions run smoothly, the creative can run wild. From Hollywood tentpoles to local telly, we create robust production workflows for shoots of all shapes and sizes.

Sometimes you only need a helping hand. Other times, it’s all hands on deck. We can manage your production pipeline from end to end, or we can offer individual services as required.

Our processes are designed to streamline your entire shoot - giving creators the freedom to just create.

Our Services

Crew

Video Assist & DIT equipment rental

Networking & Internet - Rogue Unit

Dailies services

VFX Pulls

Post-Production

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In their words … Kevin Spring

Location scout and manager Kevin Spring knows New Zealand intimately. He has been finding the perfect backdrop to films and television programs for over 30 years. With recent titles like Amazon’s 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’, upcoming Apple TV series ‘Chief of War’ and aerial location manager for all the alpine work on ‘Mission: ImpossibleFallout’ there’s barely a square of Aotearoa this man is not familiar with.

WHAT DOES YOUR JOB INVOLVE?

In location work, I collaborate with directors, producers, designers, and showrunners to secure essential and creative locations for the project. These locations hold as much significance as the cast, as they play a crucial role in making the fictional worlds we create believable. The right locations enhance the audience’s immersion in the story, reinforcing the core purpose of location scouting: to support effective storytelling. As my journey continues, I look forward to discovering new breathtaking locations, collaborating with passionate talents.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGES OF FILMING IN NEW ZEALAND?

New Zealand provides a diverse range of locations, glaciers and coastlines to alpine mountains, caves, lakes, deserts, rainforests, city streets, rolling hills, valleys, and rivers, offering a compelling backdrop for any production. The technical and creative crews are considered world class. It boasts an off-season advantage for the Northern Hemisphere. The absence of unions, fringes, and residuals simplifies the process. The competitive exchange rate is advantageous. Historically, it has been considered safe with low crime rates. English is widely spoken, and the time zone is favourable for the USA. Obtaining work visas is relatively straightforward.

Kevin Spring.

Second unit on Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’.

WHAT

ARE THE BIGGEST

CHALLENGES OF FILMING IN NEW ZEALAND?

Any one location may have several different groups with an interest in what happens there, meaning each meeting or application related to that location involves distinct perspectives from multiple groups which must be balanced and respected.

New Zealand maintaining status as a premier filming destination requires continued cohesion across national, regional and local government departments and councils, as well as mana whenua (Māori) and other stakeholders.

WHAT COULD NEW ZEALAND BE DOING TO MAKE FILMING HERE EASIER?

As well as delivering substantial economic benefit, productions can work more with engaged stakeholders in ecologically and culturally sensitive areas and have great outcomes for all through cultural engagement and exchanges, education, employment and enhancing ecological outcomes through work undertaken by production companies.

WHAT AREAS DO YOU BELIEVE HAVE YET TO BE DISCOVERED IN NEW ZEALAND?

With authentic engagement with mana whenua (Māori) I believe a lot more locations may become available to the Aotearoa filming palate.

HAVE YOU FOUND MORE PRODUCTION COMPANIES ARE COMING TO SHOOT BASE PLATES?

Yes and location plate filming is crucial for major TV series and film productions. It allows stories to be told in a costeffective manner, incredibly remote location stories now can be filmed just 25 minutes away from the studio on a local location or on the studio backlots, making it a mainstay for many productions. For instance, in Amazon’s The Rings of Power, we combined four location plates almost like a tapestry to create one of Tolkien’s new worlds that we brought to life on that show.

WHY SHOULD STUDIOS, IN YOUR OPINION, COME AND FILM IN NEW ZEALAND?

Our country offers diverse landscapes in close proximity, providing excellent and accessible filming locations. Our crews are experienced, adaptable, hard-working, resilient, and creative. They excel in thinking outside the box.

WHAT IS NEW ZEALAND’S POINT OF DIFFERENCE?

The can-do attitude, culture, and our dramatic landscapes.

HAVE YOU GOT A FAVOURITE PART OF NEW ZEALAND?

Selecting a favourite location is akin to choosing a favourite child. Many places hold deep personal significance. The Tasman Glacier, with its 700-year-old ice caves, captivates with its breath-taking alpine setting. The allure of the

secluded west coast beaches and the marvels of Fiordland National Park never cease to astound me. These natural wonders are truly incredible, and each holds a special place in my heart. The abundance of golden locations across Aotearoa makes it impossible to rank one above all others.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT NEW ZEALAND?

The great Māori proverb sums it up best for me: He tangata, he tangata, he tangata: It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. n

On the set of ‘Mission: Impossible - Fall Out’.

Kevin Spring scouting in ice caves for Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’.

Studios, post-production and VFX

If there is one common complaint from international producers, it would be around the lack of sound stages in New Zealand. Production infrastructure is slowly expanding but most are centred in the two main cities of Wellington and Auckland. Smaller production bases can be found in Queenstown and Christchurch, with plans to develop more sound stages in the South Island.

All facilities in Wellington, including the Wētā group of companies and Park Road Post, are centrally located along with Stone Street studios. The relatively new Lane Street Studios have opened a short drive from the central city.

In Auckland, studio capacity continues to grow. Many of the facilities are located out west of the city including Auckland Film Studios, Studio West, Kumeu Film Studios and X3. n

‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ shooting at Kumeu Film Studios.

AUCKLAND FACILITIES

KUMEU FILM STUDIOS (KFS)

A large studio site with stages, dive and surface tanks. The studio complex was first used by Warner Bros. Pictures and Gravity Pictures for the shark attack blockbuster The Meg, followed by Disney’s Mulan, and more recently, Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Features include:

• 67-acre site located 30 minutes from Auckland City, and 40 minutes from Auckland International airport

• Two purpose built sound stages totalling 4673sqm (50,300sqft) floorspace and 14m (45ft) grid

• Warehouse stage 4037sqm (43,448sft) & 9-11m (30-36ft) in height

• Additional workshops & production offices

• Two water tanks – the largest in NZ; underwater dive tank (1.26m litres)

• U-shaped outdoor green wall: 51x41m

• 12ha (30acre) forest backlot

Kumeu Film Studios.

The underwater dive tank at KFS.

Collaborating

Recent official co-productions with Australia utilising the 40% New Zealand Rebate include The Convert, Gloriavale, The Power of the Dog, We Are Still Here and Went Up The Hill.

For advice about working with New Zealand’s rebates email newzealand@nzfilm.co.nz

Image: The Convert – © Jump Film and Brouhaha Entertainment

AUCKLAND FILM STUDIOS

Auckland Film Studios has been a mainstay of the Auckland screen production scene for 25 years. It has been used for dozens of international TV series, commercials and feature film projects.

Alongside purpose-built stages, its support buildings and canopied areas provide spaces for offices, art department, casting, catering, construction, greens sound, stunts and more. It has been the base for many iconic New Zealand and international productions like Xena: Warrior Princess, Whale Rider, The Shannara Chronicles, The Chronicles of Narnia and more recently, for Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Features include:

• Five studios: 2x2000sqm (21,528 sqft) new purpose-built stages

• Five furnished office blocks totallying 1754 sqm/18,783 sqft

• 5,100sqm (55,000 sqft) of multipurpose buildings

• Perimeter fencing with controlled entre and security

• Numerous independent suppliers operate near the site, which is 20 minutes to Auckland City and 30 minutes to Auckland International Airport.

STUDIO WEST

A full-service studio complex situated on 8 acres (3 ¼ hectares) and located about 20 minutes from the city centre. It has been the base for productions like The Wilds, Guns Akimbo, Yogi Bear, Avalon High and multiple seasons of Power Rangers.

Features include:

• Four sound stages including Auckland’s largest at 3400sqm (36,600sqft)

• Multiple production offices & workshop space

• Post-production facilities

• Studio West has resources consent for another 2500sqm sound stage and 1000sqm workshop.

SOUTH PACIFIC PICTURES

has been used as a base for hundreds of hours of television production including The Dead Lands, Shortland Street, Westside and The Almighty Johnsons

Features include:

• Studio 1 - 700m2 (7535ft2), Studio 2 - 500m2 (5382ft2)

• Winstone Studio x 1092m2 (11754ft2)

• Sound-proofed

• Three production/post-production office spaces

• Photo cyc/studio available for hire

• Spaces are available for hire separately or combined

Studio West.

Auckland Film Studios.

X3 STUDIOS

X3 Studios was designed specifically for large scale ‘build the world’ productions. The studio complex comprises more than 11,725sqm (126,200sqft) of clear span, highstud studio and flexible production space offering multiple configurations of up to four studios, including the X3 Mega Stage. Features include:

• Over 11,725sqm (126,200 sqft) of clear span high stud studios and flexible mill/ production space

• Capable of multiple configurations to suit individual productions

• Standard configuration has four stages, each approximately 2900sqm (31,200sqft, 42m x 70m x 12.2m at apex). Designed to be flexible, stages can be quickly reconfigured using the de-mountable, acoustically treated concrete partition wall system

• Option to combine stages A and B for the largest clear-span stage in New Zealand

• Up to 2900sqm (31,215 sqft) of flexible multipurpose space for office, work rooms, mill, stage, workshop and storage

• Full site security fence with automated vehicle and personnel gates

• More than 5000sqm (53,819 sqft) of yard and parking, over half of which is covered, with access either side of property

Facilities

AUCKLAND POST-PRODUCTION

• Assembly Post www.assemblyltd.com

• Department of Post www.departmentofpost.com

• Envy Studios www.envystudios.co.nz

• Franklin Road Music & Sound www.franklinrd.co.nz

• Images and Sound www.imagesandsound.co.nz

• Moxion www.moxion.io

• Native Audio www.nativeaudio.co.nz

• Perceptual Engineering www.perceptual.engineering

• Rebel Fleet www.rebelfleet.co.nz

• RPM www.rpmpictures.co.nz

• Evoke Audio www.evokeaudio.xyz

• The Sound Room www.thesoundroom.co.nz

• Inside Track www.insidetrack.co.nz

• Pinnacle Post www.pinnaclepost.co.nz

AUCKLAND VFX HOUSES

• Blockhead www.blockheadvfx.com

• Cause and FX www.causeandfx.nz

• Creature Post www.creaturepost.co.nz

• FilmFX www.filmfx.co.nz

• M Theory www.mtheoryvr.com

• Main Reactor www.mainreactor.co.nz

• Mandy www.mandyvfx.co.nz

• Pixie VFX www.pixievfx.com

• Staples VR www.staplesvr.com

• The Machine Room themachineroom.co

• Toybox www.toybox.co.nz

• Fathom www.fathomvfx.com

• Masters of Reality morvfx.com

X3 Studios.

Giving filmmakers control where it counts.

When productions run smoothly, the creative can run wild. From Hollywood tentpoles to local telly, we create robust production workflows for shoots of all shapes and sizes.

Sometimes you only need a helping hand. Other times, it’s all hands on deck. We can manage your production pipeline from end to end, or we can offer individual services as required.

Our processes are designed to streamline your entire shoot - giving creators the freedom to just create.

Our Services

Crew

Video Assist & DIT equipment rental

Networking & Internet - Rogue Unit

Dailies services

VFX Pulls

Post-Production

Konsol - Optimised Metadata

Studios, post-production and VFX

Names like Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh and their epic trilogies The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit have put the city of Wellington on the filmmaking map. Avatar creator James Cameron has helped keep it there, and celebrated New Zealander and now Hollywood golden boy Taika Waititi is sure to bring the spotlight firmly back on the Wellington stage with his highlyanticipated remake of the 1980s classic Time Bandits

Avatar executive producer Jon Landau says so much of their crew working on the Avatar sequels are now truly New Zealand based. They no longer have to fly in creatives, the skills are here. “To me that makes New Zealand even more attractive,” he says.

The development of more sound stages, such as Lane Street Studios in Wellington and an expansion of stages in Auckland, has been an important factor.

“Not every film can come to New Zealand and use its incredible locations, so having better infrastructure has added to the appeal,” Landau says.

Film types often refer to Wellington as ‘Studio Wellington’ because it has everything needed to make a film within easy reach; diverse locations, world class studios, award-winning postproduction facilities and talented crew.

Convenience is a huge drawcard and while Peter Jackson can take a lot of the credit for establishing much of the film infrastructure on the city’s Miramar Peninsula, it is the skills and talent that have grown since those early days of The Lord of the Rings that have resulted in the capital becoming a creative powerhouse.

Clare Olssen, executive producer at Jackson’s production company WingNut Films, says there is nowhere else in the world where the filmmaking experience is so easy.

“I think the proximity of the infrastructure and being able to have a wonderful lifestyle here in Wellington is the thing that just stands out. Big projects and big people come down here for a three or six-month project and they stay, because where else in the world can they be a visual effects artist on our film like Avatar, but then slip out and go to their kids’ swimming lesson, and then be back at their desk half an hour later. You couldn’t do that in LA or Vancouver. The fact is you’re not getting in a car and doing a 45-minute commute between the post facility and your sound mix stages. Here it is a 10-minute walk.”

Olssen says the thing she hears

most from clients is the connections the crews have.

“A filmmaker can come in here and has wraparound support. The communication is seamless; that connectivity between the preproduction phase when you’re working with Wētā Workshop, through to the shooting, to post at WētāFX, there’s just that shorthand between the crew that can only be developed over time. It’s a really unique thing about Wellington.”

New Zealand’s ‘can-do’ attitude has been widely recognised in Jackson’s recent Beatles documentary, Get Back, which won five Emmys. In their Wellington studio, the technicians were able to extricate John Lennon’s voice from a ropey little bit of cassette.

“Nothing on the market at the time could provide us with the result we needed. So, we had to invent it., which again speaks to our incredibly talented craftspeople. They think outside the square, and if it doesn’t exist, they create it,” says Olssen.

The concentration of creative possibility allowed Jane Campion to base her Netflix-funded film intensive A Wave in the Ocean in the city claiming: “Wellington is a city where creativity flowers with surprising tenacity.” n

WELLINGTON FACILITIES

STONE STREET STUDIOS

Stone Street Studios is conveniently located in Miramar, the hub of the Wellington filmmaking community, within a five-minute drive from WētāFx, Wētā Workshop, Park Road Post and Portsmouth Rentals.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong, the Avatar franchise, The Hobbit trilogy, Pete’s Dragon, Ghost in the Shell and Mortal Engines have all been based at Stone Street Studios.

Features include:

• Less than a five-minute drive from the International Airport and a 15-minute drive to Wellington central

• Four stages combined approximate 71,700 ft2

Stone Street Studios.

Interiors at Stone Street Studios.

Our varied locations, creative mastery and dedicated crew have crafted a multitude of places and times. Compact and connected, with worldclass studios and post-production facilities, Wellington is your one-stop shop for productions of all sizes.

Create a story that’s out of this world. You would in Wellington.

LANE STREET STUDIOS

Lane Street Studios is a brandnew film studio with purposebuilt sound stages and a bespoke production building designed to suit any production’s needs. The facility opened late 2022 and has already housed Apple TV+ series Time Bandits. It is the first NZ studio to be part of Green the Bid and prioritises impact on surrounding environment. Features include:

• 10-acre/ 4-hectare private site away from flight paths

• Soundstages combined total 50,000ft²

• Miro stage -25,641 ft² / 2,382 m²

• Kauri stage - 25,649 ft² / 2,382 m²

• Workshop spaces with a stud height of 13 ft/4 m and four dock ways that can double as B Stages

• 67,800 ft² / 6,300 m² of production building with production, workshop and office space

• Fully equipped costume rooms

• Hair and make-up facilities

• Theatrette with a Christie CP4415 Laser Projector with a QSC Q-SYS Audio system, 7.1 surround sound.

• Spray painting booth with paint washing area and sediment trap

• 230 space carpark that can also be used as a backlot space. Additional 150 car parks located next door.

• Five electric vehicle charging stations on site

AVALON STUDIOS

Avalon Studios is a purpose-built screen production facility with studios, studio support facilities and resources, and several screen businesses all under one roof.

Previous productions include Mr. Corman, Mortal Engines, Ghost in the Shell, Blade Runner 2049, Pete’s Dragon, Pearl and X

Features include:

Four stages totalling approx 15,600 ²/ 4,750 m²

Studio 8- 8,438 ft²/ 784 m²

Studio 11- 4,467 ft²/ 415 m²

Studio 9 – 1,292 ft²/ 120 m²

Studio 10- 1,292 ft²/ 120 m²

Fully furnished production offices

Construction areas adjacent to studio entrances complete with various construction equipment

Backlot

An outdoor treated shallow lap pool

Helipad

Lane Street Studios.

Shaping the stories of tomorrow

Wellington UNESCO Creative City of Film is the best place in Aotearoa New Zealand to learn about, create, and engage with film. Join us where diverse voices are uncovered, youth are empowered, and our indigenous film culture is celebrated.

WELLINGTON POST-PRODUCTION AND VFX FACILITIES

WētāFX: Founded in 1993 by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk to produce the VFX for Heavenly Creatures, WētāFX has gone on to work on some of the highest-grossing films including Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Avatar and Game of Thrones. Its work has earned seven visual effects Academy Awards, 12 Academy Sci-Tech Awards and seven visual effects BAFTA Awards in addition to 54 Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards. WētāFX employs around 1,500 artists, and has computing cluster of over 3,500 processors to generate its visual effects, perhaps the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. These processors are connected via a high-speed network that spans over six kilometres from suburban Miramar to downtown Wellington.

Wētā Workshop: A five-time Academy Awardwinning conceptual design and physical manufacturing facility founded by Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger over 30 years ago. Best known for its special effect and prop work on blockbusters like Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Chronicles of Narnia and Avatar, the 58,000 ft² Wētā Workshop is a household name in the film industry.

Park Road Post: Offers a combination of servicessound and picture finishing, VFX and restoration. Using world-class Dolby Vision digital intermediate and UHD post-production, Dolby Atmos sound post-production and with bespoke VFX and digital restoration teams, Park Road Post has worked on The Hobbit, Dune, Mulan, Tintin, Black Panther and Avatar. Peter Jackson based his Beatles Get Back documentary out of Park Road Post, working closely with Dolby to pave the way for the film restoration revolution.

POW Studios: A sound post-production facility founded in 2015. It found success by partnering with international film clients on large projects while remaining in staunch support of the local screen industry. With a core workforce of six dedicated sound designers and editors, they offer a full suite of sound production services from ADR recording to the final mix in world-class studios.

OHUfx: With experience dating back to The Frighteners (1996), OHUfx offers high-end visual effects services to the film industry. Over the years, they have built strong collaborative relations with several award-winning boutiques worldwide. This modular

approach enables them to offer a lean, efficient workflow, maximising resources while minimising overheads. Other services include VFX supervision, onset supervision, pipeline consulting, customised tool development and planetarium formats.

The Armoury: Found in the heart of Wellington’s CBD, The Armoury’s services include music recording, mixing and mastering, voice-overs, all post-production, and rehearsal spaces. It offers new technology integrated with classic vintage equipment, an SSL 4000G mixing console, and vintage microphones through to the rack hardware. The facility has brought a diverse range of international artists and producers through their doors, and is a stone’s throw away from Wellington’s creative Cuba Street.

Matrix Digital: A purpose-built recording studio and audio post-production facility, offering sound, voiceovers, video shoots, band recordings or post-production work, with flexible working hours. Operating for more than 15 years, Matrix has a spacious control room and a big open studio, as well as a voice booth and isolation room.

Underground Sound: Provides post-production audio services for New Zealand and international film, television and web productions. Owners Phil Burton and Ian Leslie have experience from working at The NZ National Film Unit, Television New Zealand, independent companies Gibson Group Ltd and Cloud Nine Screen Entertainment in New Zealand, and Videosonics and Gemini Audio in the UK.

Human Dynamo Workshop: Located in the hub of Wellington film, Human Dynamo Workshop specialises in design, CNC router cutting, mould making and casting, vacuum forming and fabricating. Its history of prop, model making and set fabrication, has seen the team work on Avatar, The Hobbit, District 9 and The Lovely Bones

Scale Studios: A team of designers, miniature effects artists, prop-makers and sculptors, who have developed approaches to storytelling, manufacturing and visual effects where there is no “digital vs practical” – instead a harmonious blend of the two working together.

Rubber Band: John Harvey and Sarah Lawn lead an experienced team of creatives, creating props for film, television, artists, collectors and commercial clients. n

VFX in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ by WētāFX.

In their words …

Allen Marshall Palmer

Allen Marshall Palmer is a US post-producer whose credits include ‘The Old Man’, ‘Banshee’ and critically acclaimed series ‘House’. He was based in New Zealand for almost a year working as postproducer on season two of ‘Our Flag Means Death’.

“There is a huge industry here and it is a country that is very outsized in its ability to produce films and television.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING IN NEW ZEALAND?

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got to New Zealand to be honest. But very early on we realised we were going to be able to do things in ways we wouldn’t be able to do them in Los Angeles. I love working in sound on a small dub stage, in a room that is a little bit more like a living room and I find those mixes translate well. That becomes a bit of a challenge in a place like Los Angeles, where everything has to be big. Post facilities can become overwhelmed with amenities designed to serve egos. On the picture side I just need to be able to go into a room with a colourist and work through the material. I just think cutting away so much of that stuff is very refreshing.

ability to produce films and television.

WHAT ARE THE COMPARISONS BETWEEN SHOOTING SEASON ONE OF OFMD IN CALIFORNIA

AND SEASON TWO IN NEW ZEALAND?

FROM A FILMMAKING PERSPECTIVE, HOW DOES NEW ZEALAND COMPARE TO OTHER COUNTRIES?

One thing that people have to put in perspective is that New Zealand is a small country with only five million people. It is clearly punching way above its weight as far as filmmaking. I ran the numbers and

You think of California during the summer as this bright, sunny place. But a lot of times you’re dealing with the marine layer, the smog, all of these things. In New Zealand we were able to replicate and achieve the sort of tropical Caribbean experience much better than in California, because of the quality and clarity of the light, the blueness of the skies and the puffiness of the clouds.

FROM A TECHNICAL POINT OF VIEW, HOW

WOULD

YOU DESCRIBE WORKING IN NEW ZEALAND?

I like to get pretty detailed with the technical aspect of my work, and I felt like everybody was

Allen Marshall Palmer.

on the same page. One of the great experiences I had very early on working with The Rebel Fleet was during initial dailies set up. You’re running through all the technical specifications, with all of the departments, everyone who’s going to be involved in dailies. I’ve never had a call that was simultaneously so detailed in the technical minutia yet went so quickly. So, what was really great was walking into an existing infrastructure here and people knew each other. They knew how to move things around, and they were also able to adjust to the idiosyncratic elements of this particular shoot.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE NEW ZEALAND CREWS?

In New Zealand there’s this very tight group of very highly experienced people and communication between everyone is so much greater than anywhere else. Someone will say, “Oh, I can give this person a call”. And just the fact so many of the crews have worked together in the past, it was just really helpful to have that kind of communication right out of the box. What I really loved about this community is because there aren’t as many productions coming through here, people have to take on a lot of different roles. So, in a way they kind of become more pure filmmakers than merely someone who says, “Oh, this is my specific task”, or “This is my specific role”. You’ll find people move around between a lot of different things. You are getting sort of the

boutique experience as opposed to being in this giant factory.

WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF WORKING IN NEW ZEALAND?

A big challenge working here in New Zealand is the time zone. Luckily, during most of the production and the early part of post, we were in the Southern Hemisphere spring and summer. But then as you get into March/April, you’re looking at an eighthour time difference with New York. It becomes a challenge. So, you have to figure out how to structure your day, where maybe you’re not reviewing elements at the end of the day, you’re doing it at the beginning of the following day. Luckily, we had some flexibility with our vendors so we were able to make those things work.

HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP YOUR TIME IN NEW ZEALAND?

It was an extraordinarily rainy year in New Zealand and everybody felt the need to apologise for it. But the reality is when I needed the weather to be great, it’s been great. Just the mere fact that you have this international world city and if you walk 20 minutes from the centre of downtown, you feel like you are out in open space. If you drive for 40 minutes, there are these amazing locations where you feel like you’re on a different planet. During my time here I have this newfound love of nature and hiking. And it was not something that was really on my radar before I came here. But it’s just so easy. n

“You are getting sort of the boutique experience as opposed to being in this giant factory.”

Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby in ‘Our Flag Means Death’.

Gongs, Oscars and Accolades – Celebrating Kiwi Film

or a country of just five million, New Zealand has made its mark on the big screen.

One of the first Kiwi films to attract big audiences into the local cinema was Sleeping Dogs, directed by Roger Donaldson in 1977. Starring Sam Neill, it was a dark, political, actionthriller with Neill’s character drawn into a revolutionary struggle between leftist guerrillas and the New Zealand government. It was also the first full length feature film made entirely by a New Zealand production crew.

That movie whetted the public’s appetite to see more of themselves on the big screen. Films like Goodbye Pork Pie, Utu, Boy, Whale Rider, and Once Were Warriors kept the theatres full.

It wasn’t until the 1990s when New Zealand made it on a global scale. And ‘made it’, would be an understatement. First came Jane Campion’s period drama The Piano in 1993, starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Neill and a young Kiwi actress by the name of Anna Paquin. At 11-yearsold, Paquin was to become the second youngest Academy Award winner, taking out Best Supporting Actress. The Piano was nominated for eight Academy Awards, also taking home Best Actress and Best Screenplay. While it was a New Zealand story, made in New Zealand by New Zealanders, it was financed by a French financier and produced by an Australian, so it wasn’t considered a NZ film (although Campion disagreed).

Fast forward nearly 30 years and Campion would return to the podium with her critically acclaimed movie The Power of the Dog. That movie, shot entirely in New Zealand, became the first film directed by a woman to receive more than 10 Academy Award nominations (it received 12). Campion herself was to become the only

Jane Campion on the set of ‘The Power of the Dog’.

female director to be nominated twice for best director, an award she took out for The Power of the Dog

The feature film also received eight BAFTA nominations, two Golden Globe awards, The Silver Lion at Venice, and one of France’s top cinema honours, the Lumière Prize. Ironically, despite being set in Montana about a cowboy, it was considered a New Zealand film and received the domestic film rebate.

The 90s also saw the rise and rise of Peter Jackson. Having made splatter movies Meet the Feebles and Braindead, Jackson widened his scope. Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners were global hits, but a mere taster for what was to come. Between 2001 and 2003 Jackson released the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy and truly launched New Zealand on the global stage. All three movies premiered to critical acclaim and are still, 20 years on, given as one of the reasons

tourists come to New Zealand. The movies won 17 out of 30 Academy Award nominations, with The Return of the King holding the record for most Oscars with 11, alongside Titanic and Ben Hur

With Jackson’s empire steadily growing, Wellington soon become known as ‘Wellywood’. Before releasing his next epic trilogy, The Hobbit, Jackson managed to fit in King Kong, Lovely Bones, District 9 and Tin Tin. In total, Jackson’s films have won 20 Academy Awards, 14 BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, and a slew of other awards. He is and remains a central figure in the New Zealand film industry.

Another key filmmaker who has helped grow the industry in New Zealand is writer, director and producer James Cameron (Titanic and Avatar sequels). New Zealand has been home to him for over a decade, and he intends to remain here. Avatar, released in 2009, won three Academy Awards,

Taika Waititi on the set of ‘Next Goal Wins’

Minnie Driver and Julian Dennison in ‘Uproar’, directed by Hamish Bennett and Paul Middleditch.

Photo Marc Weakley

Essie Davis and Thomasin McKenzie in Gaysorn Thavatt’s ‘The Justice of Bunny King’.

two BAFTAS and two Golden Globes. It also became the highest-grossing movie of all time, a record it still holds. Thirteen years later, the sequel Avatar: The Way of Water also broke box office records and sits with its predecessor in the top three movies. It took the Oscar for best Visual Effects, two BAFTAs and two Golden Globes.

We’ve got a couple of years to wait for the next instalment – Avatar 3 is scheduled for release in December 2025 with Avatar 4 expected to land in 2029. All going well, and to schedule, the final in the Avatar series will open in 2031 – 22 years after the original was released.

It was people like Jackson, Campion and Cameron who brought Hollywood to New Zealand, proving the country had the skills, locations and infrastructure. In came the three The Chronicles of Narnia films in 2005, 2008 and 2010. Directed by Kiwi Andrew Adamson, the first in the trilogy took both an Oscar and BAFTA for Best Make-Up.

The introduction of the Screen Production Grant in 2014 opened the door to many other big studios, including Disney with Pete’s Dragon, A Wrinkle in Time and Mulan, and who can forget the famous helicopter scene from Mission: Impossible - Fallout, filmed in Wanaka. Other blockbusters include Alien: Covenant, The Meg, Ghost in the Shell and Mortal Engines

The NZSPG tax rebate also gave the domestic industry a big boost.

With such a concentration of highly-skilled filmmakers, artists and crew based in New Zealand, the domestic scene blossomed. The next generation of filmmakers was born –many learning on the sets of those big blockbusters.

SMALL SCREEN SUCCESS

While New Zealand proudly celebrates its big screen success, it would be remiss not to mention some highly successful local television productions that have been exported. From Xena: Warrior Princess and The Shannara Chronicles to The Brokenwood Mysteries, Mystic, and the surprise American hit The Flight of the Conchords. The latter launched the international careers of Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie and Rhys Darby. Surprisingly, The Flight of the Conchords was rejected by the local television network at the time, a decision they would later regret.

Another series of note, The Power Rangers, was made in New Zealand for more than 20 years and provided a launch pad for many local cast and crew. In a shock move, in June 2023, the show’s producers announced they would be pulling out of New Zealand – no reason was given. But one series that appears to be as much a part of the Kiwi culture as pavlova is long running soap, Shortland Steet

The week-day hospital drama launched in 1992 and has, at times, made it across the Tasman (it continues to be a huge hit in Fiji). Many an international career has been launched by the soap including Martin Henderson, KJ Apa, Temuera Morrison, Karl Urban, Martin Csokas, Rose McIvor and Anna Hutchison. Three other productions worth a mention and a watch are dystopian black comedy Creamerie, drama After The Party, the first New Zealand project to travel to France’s Series Mania, and comedy/drama Under the Vines, set in the tunning Central Otago district.

“A country without its own stories is like a house with no mirror – you can’t see yourself reflected and you feel lonely. Our storytellers create the mirror and bring light into the house.”

New Zealand scriptwriter Fiona Samuel

‘Creamerie’.

Rebecca Gibney and Charles Edwards on the set of S3 of ‘Under the Vines’.

TELLING NEW ZEALAND STORIES

Māori storytelling traditions are a treasured and deeply ingrained part of New Zealand’s culture, from the tales of Māui to the many examples of dynamic film, television and web content that are being made today.

It’s no coincidence the first ever New Zealand feature film, Hinemoa, which was made in 1914, told the Māori legend of Hinemoa and Tutanekai. And many of the most successful and highly regarded films tell Māori stories, including Utu, Whale Rider, The Dark Horse, and Waru – to name just a few.

Māori stories not only reflect a major part of who Kiwis are as a people – but their uniqueness on the world stage.

Taika Waititi’s Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople couldn’t be more Kiwi, showing that classic sense of humour only found in New Zealand. Recent films like Te Arepa Kahi’s Muru and Paula Whetu Jones and James Napier Robertson’s Whina tell important stories of NZ/Māori history.

There’s a growing appetite globally for Indigenous stories and for stories reflecting underrepresented communities.

According to head of funding for NZ On Air, Amie Mills, New Zealanders tell those stories well. “This content has been winning international and local awards, and getting picked up for international distribution. And importantly, they’re engaging audiences that may have been previously underserved.”

New Zealand also has the largest Pasifika population in the world and the stories being told of the Pacific communities are gaining recognition and a large following. 2023’s Red, White and Brass, directed by Damon Fepulea’i, tells the true story of a Tongan’s efforts to get tickets to a 2011 Rugby World Cup where Tonga was playing France. Waititi’s latest film, Next Goal Wins, is based on another true story about a coach who is given the task of getting the America Samoa Football team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

With a growing interest in unique Pasifika stories, in late 2023 NZ On Air announced a $NZD1.9million fund to encourage more to be told. The fund will see NZ-based Pasifika producers collaborate with producers in the Pacific Islands to produce scripted or non-fiiction screen content.

A portion of the fund will be specifically allocated to support the creation of original music by Pasifika composers and musicians as part of the productions.

FESTIVALS

While many films may not make it to the Academy Awards, being selected and screened at some of the top international film festivals is a big achievement. To date, five New Zealand films have screened in Cannes.

For a full list of Kiwi movies to have screened at the global festivals see below.

• New Zealand Films at Cannes

• New Zealand Films at Toronto

• New Zealand Films at Venice

• New Zealand Films at Sundance

• New Zealand Films at Berlin

• New Zealand Films at Rotterdam

• New Zealand Films at SXSW

• New Zealand Films at Busan

• New Zealand Films at Hot Docs

• New Zealand Films at IDFA

• New Zealand Films at Melbourne n

‘The Mountain’ director, co-writer and co-producer Rachel House with lead actors Elizabeth Atkinson, Reuben Francis and Terence Daniel.

‘Red, White and Brass’.

On the North Island of New Zealand, just a 30-minute flight from the nearest international airport, our region boasts an extraordinary range of stunning locations, from pristine beaches and geothermal wonderlands to lush forests, vibrant urban settings, and picturesque rural landscapes.

We invite you to explore the Bay of Plenty for your next project. Film Bay of Plenty offers support with location scouting, permit acquisition, and connections to local talent and resources. Let us help bring your vision to life in our diverse and breathtaking region.