overview of the new zealand screen … text.section/new zealand... · tim th orpe executive...
TRANSCRIPT
OVERVIEW OF THE NEW ZEALAND SCREEN PRODUCTION SECTOR
NOVEMBER 2005
CONTENTS
FOREWORD 03
1. A TIMELINE 04
2. INTRODUCTION 07
3. SETTING THE SCENE 08
4. WHAT’S IT WORTH? 09
5. INDUSTRY SECTORS 11
i. FILM 12
ii. TELEVISION 14
iii. COMMERCIALS 16
iv. ANIMATION 17
v. POST-PRODUCTION 17
6. REFERENCES 18
7. SOME LARGER INDEPENDENT
SCREEN PRODUCTION BUSINESSES 19
8. TELEVISION BROADCASTERS 20
9. SECTOR BODIES 21
10. GOVERNMENT-FUNDED ORGANISATIONS 22
02
COVER AND INTERIOR PHOTOS: Lost Children, Big House Productions 2005
03
FOREWORD
This resource document provides an overview of the different
components of the screen production sector. Information is
also provided on key industry and government organisations
involved in the sector.
The target audience is senior secondary school students or
entry level tertiary students.
This Overview of the New Zealand Screen Production Sector
includes material from a report prepared by the New Zealand
Institute of Economic Research (NZIER), whose contribution is
gratefully acknowledged. It is the Screen Council’s intention
to update this document periodically.
Tim Thorpe
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NZ SCREEN COUNCIL
03
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
0303The New Zealand screen production sector creates
feature fi lms, short fi lms, television movies, television
drama, comedy, documentaries and commercials; it
has also become internationally acclaimed for its
post-production and computer animation facilities.
1896 – First public fi lm screening in New
Zealand, in Auckland, by Professors Haussman
and Gow. Their show introduced Edison’s New
Marvel – The Kinematograph.
1898 – The fi rst fi lm is shot in New Zealand:
The Opening of the Auckland Industrial and
Mining Exhibition.
1914 – New Zealand’s fi rst feature fi lm is
completed: Hinemoa, produced and directed by
George Tarr.
1922 – Rudall Hayward, New Zealand’s most
prolifi c early pioneer fi lmmaker, makes his fi rst
feature fi lm, My Lady of the Cave. It was only
the fourth feature fi lm ever made by a New
Zealander. Hayward would make three more
silent features, as well as a popular series of 23
two-reel comedies.
1936 – Rudall Hayward completes his fi rst
sound feature fi lm On The Friendly Road which
would be followed in 1940 by Rewi’s Last Stand, a
remake of his second silent feature.
1941 – The government establishes the National
Film Unit at Filmcraft studios in the Wellington
suburb of Miramar. Part of the Tourism
Department, it makes short fi lms promoting the
war effort and later promotional fi lms about
New Zealand and a series of weekly newsreels.
It was the only fi lm post-production facility in
New Zealand for many years.
1950 – John O’Shea, a seminal independent
New Zealand fi lmmaker, joins the independent
production company Pacifi c Film Productions.
1952 – John O’Shea co-directs (with Roger
Mirams) his fi rst feature fi lm Broken Barrier at
Pacifi c Films (formerly Pacifi c Film Productions).
He would make two more features and would
produce countless newsreels, sponsored
documentaries, television fi lms and commercials
for which he employed and mentored emerging
talents including Tony Williams, Michael Seresin,
Gaylene Preston and Barry Barclay.
1. A TIMELINE
1960 – New Zealand’s fi rst offi cial television
transmission takes place in Auckland.
Christchurch and Wellington follow in 1961,
Dunedin in 1962 and the rest of the country
in subsequent years. Television is initially run
by the state-owned New Zealand Broadcasting
Service, which is also responsible for radio
stations; the New Zealand Broadcasting
Corporation (NZBC) is formed a year later.
1963 – The fi rst locally written television drama
All Earth To Love is broadcast.
1964 – John O’Shea’s second feature Runaway
is released.
1964 – New Zealand’s fi rst local television
documentary series Islands in the Gulf screens on
Auckland’s television service, AKTV2.
1965 – Town and Around, a regional magazine
programme produced out of each of the four
main centres, is launched on television. It acts as
an infl uential training ground for a large group of
producers, directors, interviewers and researchers.
1966 – John O’Shea’s third feature Don’t Let
it Get You is released. These three features are
the only New Zealand features made in three
decades.
1970 – At an Arts Council conference, John
O’Shea makes a keynote speech saying there
should be a national screen organisation to
provide support for making New Zealand fi lms.
A seven-year campaign begins, seeking state
fi nance for fi lmmaking by New Zealanders.
1971 – The NZBC produces the fi rst New
Zealand drama series, Pukemanu.
1972 – Rudall Hayward completes his last
feature, To Love A Maori.
1974 – With John O’Shea as producer, Barry
Barclay completes six groundbreaking television
documentaries titled Tangata Whenua,
researched and written by Michael King. This
was the fi rst time that Maori had been portrayed
signifi cantly on television.
1974 – Coverage of the Commonwealth Games
in Christchurch provides the spur to introduce
colour television.
1975 – A second state-owned channel is
introduced, South Pacifi c Television (SPTV). The
NZBC is split in three: Television One, SPTV
and Radio New Zealand under the control of
the Broadcasting Council of NZ (BCNZ). The
two television broadcasters focus on in-house
production, reducing the already small input
from independent companies. Pacifi c Films
survives by making commercials and sponsored
newsreels. Other independent companies close
down.
1975 – The opening of BCNZ’s Avalon studios
near Wellington allows for the expansion of
television production. New Zealand’s fi rst
television soap Close To Home begins an eight
year run, providing long-term work and a
training ground for actors, writers, directors and
producers.
1976 – New Zealand fi lmmakers take their short
fi lms to the MIP television market in France for
the fi rst time, led by Roger Donaldson and Ian
Mune with their Winners and Losers series.
1977 – Roger Donaldson’s fi rst feature Sleeping
Dogs is seen by more than 250,000 New
Zealanders during its theatrical release – the
biggest-ever audience for a local fi lm. Its success
encourages politicians to consider the need for a
local fi lm industry.
1977 – After seven years of lobbying from
fi lmmakers and the cultural community, the
interim New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC)
is established. An Act establishing the NZFC is
passed by Parliament at the end of the following
year. The NZFC’s purpose is to encourage, assist
and promote New Zealand fi lmmaking.
1978 – BCNZ sets up a Commissioned
Independent Productions scheme to give
opportunities to independent fi lmmakers to
produce programmes for broadcast on television.
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
04
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
1978 – BCNZ establishes the Natural History
Unit in Dunedin. It produces wildlife series
which over the years win widespread national
and international acclaim.
1979 – The independent managements of the
government’s Television One and SPTV are
amalgamated into a single organisation called
Television New Zealand (TVNZ) monitored by
the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand
(BCNZ) until 1988.
1980 – The NZFC takes New Zealand feature
fi lms to the market at the Cannes Film Festival
– the fi rst time that New Zealand has been
represented at a major international fi lm market.
1980-1984 – Loopholes in tax legislation are
used to create incentives that encourage private
investment in feature fi lms, until the government
removes them. The fi lm industry booms – 40
features are completed in three years – then
slumps when the tax incentives are no longer
available.
1983 – Theatrical release of the documentary
Patu, produced and directed by Merata Mita,
about the civil unrest at the time of the 1981
Springbok tour. It is the fi rst feature fi lm
produced and directed by a Maori.
1986 – TVNZ appoints its fi rst commissioning
editor. This is the fi rst corporation decision
indicating that independent production is an
integral part of its programming policy.
1986 – The BCNZ fails in its bid for substantially
increased funding via the licence fee. Cuts in
TVNZ’s budget lead to a reduction in local
content.
1987 – Barry Barclay’s Ngati, the fi rst dramatic
feature fi lm written and directed by a Maori,
is selected for Critics Week at the Cannes Film
Festival and wins the top award at the Taormina
Film Festival in Italy.
1988 – TVNZ’s drama section closes and
South Pacifi c Pictures is set up as a TVNZ
subsidiary with $1 million capital from the
BCNZ. The BCNZ requires that 50 percent of
the funding for each project comes from sources
other than itself.
1989 – The Broadcasting Commission (NZ
on Air) is established to fi nance New Zealand
television programmes. The Commission is to
use the public broadcasting (formerly “licence”)
fee to fund local content that would not
otherwise be made by commercial television
broadcasters. This gives a new lease of life to the
independent production houses.
1989 –TVNZ becomes a State Owned Enterprise
with a profi t-driven mandate and requirement
to return an annual dividend to the government.
It is also charged with providing programmes
which refl ect and foster New Zealand’s culture
and identity.
1989 – The Broadcasting Standards Authority is
established to hear and adjudicate on complaints
from the public about breaches of broadcasting
standards.
1989 – TVNZ loses its free-to-air broadcasting
monopoly when the privately owned TV3 is
launched. Independent producers now have a
second potential buyer of programmes.
1990 – Sky Television, New Zealand’s fi rst pay
television service, established by a privately
owned company, begins broadcasting.
1990 – The NZFC establishes “Super POD
(Producer Operated Development)” schemes,
which help fi nance the growth of production
companies, including initially the Gibson Group,
Movie Partners, Endeavour Tucker and Preston
Laing.
1991 – Limits on overseas shareholdings in New
Zealand broadcasting companies are removed.
The legislation is in response to lobbying from
TV3, to rescue it from receivership. Canwest
Global Communications Corporation, Canada’s
largest independent broadcaster, takes control
of TV3.
1992 – Shortland Street is launched on TV2
with the help of funding from NZ On Air. It
breaks industry ground as New Zealand’s fi rst
attempt at daily drama and is still going strong
in 2005.
1993 – The fi lm industry sets up Film New
Zealand to market New Zealand locations and
talent to offshore production companies.
1993 – Te Mangai Paho is established to
promote Maori language and culture through
fi nancing television (and radio) programmes.
1993 – The American-owned Pacifi c
Renaissance begins six years’ location shooting
in New Zealand of two television series for US
networks: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
and Xena: Warrior Princess. The series employ
hundreds of New Zealanders, substantially
increasing the range of skills and experience to
the benefi t of the wider production industry.
1993 – Jane Campion’s The Piano, fi lmed in New
Zealand, produced in Australia and fi nanced
from France, wins the top prize at the Cannes
Film Festival; the following year it wins three
Academy Awards, including one for actress Anna
Pacquin.
1994 – Lee Tamahori’s Once Were Warriors,
fi nanced by the NZFC, becomes the most
successful feature fi lm ever released in
New Zealand. With more than 100 international
sales, it also sets records as the most successful
New Zealand fi lm ever, until its success is
overtaken by The Lord of the Rings and
Whale Rider.
1994 – Peter Jackson’s fourth feature Heavenly
Creatures, fi nanced by the NZFC and a German
investor, wins the Silver Lion at the Venice Film
Festival and is acquired by the US company
Miramax for worldwide release.
1995-1997 – TVNZ sells its Natural History Unit
and its production house South Pacifi c Pictures,
which join the private sector.
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
0505
1998 – Prime Television New Zealand Ltd,
a national free-to-air UHF network, begins
broadcasting.
1999 – Peter Jackson buys the National Film
Unit from TVNZ in preparation for post-
production on The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
1999 – The Lord of the Rings starts production.
1999 – Tax provisions that have attracted
signifi cant private investment into projects such
as Xena: Warrior Princess and The Lord of the Rings
are closed by the government.
2000 – The government establishes the Film
Production Fund (the “Film Fund”) with a one-
off contribution of $22 million. Its goal: to help
fi nance larger-budget New Zealand fi lms. By
2005 the fund will have invested in Whale Rider,
Perfect Strangers, Perfect Creature, The World’s
Fastest Indian and River Queen.
2000 – The public broadcasting fee is abolished
and replaced by an annual grant from general
taxation to fi nance local content in the public
interest.
2001 – Worldwide release of The Fellowship of
the Ring, the fi rst of Peter Jackson’s trilogy, which
sets box offi ce records everywhere.
2002 – Mataku (Fear), an anthology of Maori
Twilight Zone stories, screens on TV3. The series
breaks new ground for Maori drama production
and introduces signifi cant bilingual elements into
mainstream programming.
2003 – The TVNZ Act transforms TVNZ
from a State-Owned Enterprise to a Crown
Company with a Charter. It is now required
to balance commercial performance with
public broadcasting objectives and receives
direct funding for Charter purposes. This gives
independent producers an additional source of
production funding.
2003 – A Large Budget Screen Production Grant
scheme is introduced by the government as an
incentive to encourage large-budget fi lm and
television production in New Zealand.
2003 – The New Zealand Screen Council is
established by the government as recommended
by a Screen Production Industry Taskforce report.
Its purpose is to facilitate the growth of the
screen production sector on a sustainable basis.
2003 – The Television Local Content Group,
made up of national free to air broadcasters, the
Screen Production and Development Association
(SPADA), and NZ On Air, is established to set
targets for local content.
2004 – The Maori Television Service is
established to play a major role in the
revitalisation of the Maori language and culture.
2004 – The Lord of the Rings – The Return of the
King wins 11 Academy Awards. Worldwide, the
box offi ce gross for the trilogy exceeds $US3
billion.
2004 – Prime Television becomes eligible for NZ
On Air funding and commissions its fi rst drama
and documentary series.
2005 – The highest level of screen production
ever – $596 million – is estimated for the sector
(to year end March – source SPADA/NZFC).
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
06
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
The New Zealand screen production sector has built
its international reputation on the successes of its
domestic productions and the talent that created them.
2. INTRODUCTION
From time to time its employment is boosted by
overseas projects that decide to fi lm in New Zealand
or to use the world-class post-production facilities
and talent. New Zealand faces strong international
competition in attracting overseas productions but
these can bring benefi ts from an economic and
development perspective.
The New Zealand screen industry is infl uenced
by fl uctuating trends in the highly competitive
international industry, particularly relating to changing
patterns of distribution, new technologies and the
availability of investment fi nance. Film investment
is a high-risk business. However, the potential world
market is generally considered to be growing.
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
0707
3. SETTING THE SCENE
B y the end of the 20th century, however,
a number of large production companies
combining fi lm and television projects
had emerged, establishing a more secure position
for the industry in terms of ongoing larger-scale
employment and the potential for fi nancial
success.
One of the key issues for the sector is growing
sustainable businesses in what is nominally
a project-based industry. The cyclic nature
of the sector means that it can be diffi cult
to maintain continuity of work with fl ow-on
effects for employment and investment. This is
more problematic in the fi lm industry than in
television, commercials or post-production.
Until 1978, when the government decided to
intervene in the market by establishing the
New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), feature
fi lm production in New Zealand was occasional
and infrequent. There was no continuity of
production and almost no investment fi nance.
Opportunities for independent fi lmmakers had
also been scarce in television, because of the
in-house production policies of the monopoly
government-owned public broadcasting channel
that began transmission in 1960.
However, the in-house production and
television’s training programmes also helped
lay the foundation for what was to become
a dynamic independent sector. A raft of
programmes in the 1970s and 1980s provided
training, experience and employment for
producers, directors, studio and fi eld crew,
researchers, writers, presenters and actors.
Production was spread throughout the four
main centres. This gave a generation of fl edgling
programme-makers the opportunities they
needed to hone their skills.
The Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand’s
(BCNZ) decision in 1978 to start commissioning
programmes from outside companies, combined
with the regular investment provided by the
NZFC for the production of New Zealand feature
fi lms, brought major changes and rapid growth
for the screen production industry. Change
continued at the end of the 1980s with the
establishment of NZ On Air and the decision
by the NZFC to encourage the development of
larger production companies.
The creation of NZ On Air marked a fundamental
change to the public funding of local content on
television. Instead of the broadcasting licence
fee going directly to the broadcaster NZ On Air
would allocate funds on a contestable project-
by-project basis directly to producers. Partly
as a response to this, TVNZ largely dismantled
its in-house production units and independent
commissions became the rule rather than the
exception.
From the creation of the NZFC and the
availability of fi nance for domestic production,
the New Zealand screen production sector was
quick to gain international attention, primarily
through the achievements of its feature fi lm
makers.
First came the offi cial selection of feature fi lms
for the infl uential Cannes Film Festival – fi ve
times during the 1980s. The best fi lms from this
decade also received enthusiastic reviews from
infl uential critics in New York and Los Angeles,
further increasing the international visibility of
New Zealand and its fi lmmakers and building
a reputation for talent and creativity that was
boosted by the worldwide success of Jane
Campion’s features An Angel At My Table (1990)
and The Piano (1993), both international award
winners. The fi lm industry’s reputation further
increased with the critical acclaim and the
international distribution earned by Once Were
Warriors (Lee Tamahori) and Heavenly Creatures
(Peter Jackson), both released in 1994.
When the fi rst industry statistics were
gathered in 1994 by the Screen Production and
Development Association (SPADA) they showed
that the industry was leaving behind its “cottage
industry” reputation.
Peter Jackson’s success would soon be a catalyst
for substantial international investment in the
New Zealand industry, enabling him to create
an international-standard infrastructure in
Wellington. Unlike successful New Zealand
directors before him, he rejected offers to move
to Hollywood. As a result, Hollywood studios
made commitments to fi nance the feature fi lms
that were created from his rapidly expanding
base in Wellington. The worldwide success
of his trilogy The Lord of the Rings made the
New Zealand-based Jackson one of the world’s
top producer/directors, with consequent benefi ts
for the entire industry.
Since then, Whale Rider has set US and Australian
box offi ce records for a New Zealand feature
(excluding The Lord of the Rings), In My Father’s
Den has continued New Zealand’s record as an
international award winner, and three larger-
budget features due for release in 2005-06 are
expected to prove that New Zealand feature
fi lms can achieve substantial international
earnings as well as being popular at home.
In television as well, several companies have
shown an ability to create programmes that sell
to the international market, including NHNZ
in Dunedin (nature documentaries), the Gibson
Group (children’s and drama programmes)
in Wellington, and South Pacifi c Pictures
(drama), Greenstone (popular factual series)
and Touchdown Television (reality television)
in Auckland. Other companies have garnered
international success in television commercials
and animation. And several production
companies now work successfully across a range
of formats.
The government has had a major role in the
establishment of the sector. There are both
cultural and economic development reasons for
this. Only government intervention can ensure
funding for local production so that domestic
stories are told that might otherwise not be
commercially viable. The alternative is seeing
and hearing only production from abroad.
The screen production industry also provides
employment for a broadly based creative
sector and many associated groups, and brings
multiplier benefi ts to the New Zealand economy.
The screen production sector in New Zealand was at fi rst
described as a “cottage” industry, because it involved a number
of individual producers, often working with no support staff,
struggling to fi nd fi nance for productions.
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
08
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
4. WHAT’S IT WORTH?
A ccording to SPADA survey fi gures
production fi nancing peaked at $527
million in 2001 before falling back to
$450 million in 2003 when fewer large-budget
feature fi lms were being made1. A major share
of the increase in production fi nance was due
1 Although SPADA surveys fi nished in the year ended March 2004, it has been estimated that production fi nancing for the sector (not including commercials) to year end March 2005 was
$596 million (source SPADA/NZFC). Statistics New Zealand is developing a new annual screen industry survey, the fi rst results of which are due in June 2006.
to greater foreign investment, while domestic
investment remained relatively unchanged.
Figure 1 shows the surveyed value of total
production fi nancing in the New Zealand screen
production sector, and the percentage that has
come from offshore.
There has been a growing amount of vertical
integration within the screen sector, with
production houses such as Silverscreen, the
Gibson Group and South Pacifi c Pictures offering
services from pre-production and production
through to post-production, in both fi lm and
television. Other fi rms remain specialised,
offering specifi cs such as post-production, sound
or lighting services.
Considerable investment in people and
infrastructure has been a recent feature of the
screen production sector. An ability to innovate
remains important as the creative community
fi nds new and cost-effective ways to make and
complete productions.
The pricing structure of the industry has had
to be internationally competitive; until recently,
this has been helped by the low value of the
New Zealand dollar against the US dollar, which
is the international benchmark currency for the
global screen production industry.
Measuring the performance of the screen
production sector is not as clear cut as in other
industries, because outputs are often intangible.
Figure 2 shows the value of total surveyed
company turnover and foreign exchange earnings
in the screen production sector between 1994
and 2004. Both variables followed a generally
increasing trend until turnover dropped in 2002
as production of The Lord of the Rings wound
down. Company turnover and foreign exchange
earnings have tended to follow similar growth
paths, refl ecting the infl uence of offshore
fi nancing.
Employment statistics indicate a period of strong
growth since 1999. Table 1 shows employment
as surveyed by SPADA. Strong growth in the
feature fi lm sector accounted for the large rise
in employment in 2000 and 2001. Much of this
growth was in the category of “independent
contractors”, who can work on multiple projects
during any 12-month period.
Another indicator of growth is the increase in
the number of full-time employees that occurred
between 1999 and 2003.
Screen production fi nancing increased signifi cantly between
1994 and 2003, notably between 1999 and 2001 as fi lming of
The Lord of the Rings took place.
Figure 1: Value of total production financing and percentage that is foreign sourced
Source: SPADA Screen Production Survey 2004 – year ended March.
Notes: (1) LHS: value of total production fi nancing ($million).
(2) RHS: percentage of fi nancing that is foreign sourced.
(3) Data for commercials was not recorded in the 2004 survey. Survey responses were also lower than normal.
Figure 2: Total company turnover and foreign exchange earnings 1994-2004
Source: SPADA Screen Production Survey 2004 – year ended March.
Notes: (1) Excludes turnover fi gures for CanWest and Sky TV.
(2) Data for commercials was not recorded in the 2004 survey.
$1400
$1200
$1000
$800
$600
$400
$200
$0
Millions
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Total company turnover
Foreign exchange earnings
$600
$500
$400
$300
$200
$100
$00
Millions
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1995 1996 1997 19981994 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Value of total production fi nancing
Proportion which is foreign sourced
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
0909
While the screen production sector contributes
less than 0.5 percent of GDP, it has a signifi cant
fl ow-on effect, particularly for tourism but also
in enhancing New Zealand’s image abroad as a
sophisticated, innovative country. A Tourism
New Zealand survey of visitor arrivals
undertaken in 2004 found that 93 percent of
those surveyed said that they were aware of
The Lord of the Rings trilogy, of which 94 percent
knew it had been made in New Zealand. A
“rough and ready” calculation of expenditure by
visitors who stated that the trilogy was the only
or main reason for visiting New Zealand
(1 percent of total visitors) was about $33 million
or 0.5 percent of total visitor expenditure.
Employment numbers
Year Total Independent Part-time Full-time
employment contractors employees employees
1999 7729 6412 552 766
2000 14,340 12,760 535 1045
2001 31,266 29,589 540 1136
2002 12,264 11,171 152 941
2003 12,097 10,411 491 1195
2004 5511 4637 104 770
Table 1: Screen production sector employment
Source: SPADA Screen Production Survey 2004 – year ended March.
Notes: (1) Independent contractor fi gures refer to “engagements” so a contractor may work for more than one fi rm in a year
and thus be counted twice or more.
(2) Part-time employees are employed all year but for fewer than 20 hours per week.
(3) Full-time positions are defi ned as those including independent contracts spanning more than 40 weeks.
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
10
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
01111
5. INDUSTRY SECTORS
Figure 3: Flows in the screen production industry
Source: NZIER.
Notes: (1) Dashes indicate fi nancial fl ows.
(2) Solid lines indicate product/service fl ows.
International & Domestic Finance
Animation & Post-Production
International & Domestic Markets
Film Television Commercials
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
The screen production sector can be broken down into
fi ve major sub-sectors: fi lm, television, commercials,
animation and post-production. The sectors are
interdependent and rely on each other for business,
skilled staff and a successful fi nished product.
Figure 3 portrays a
simplifi ed fl ow diagram
of interrelationships
within the screen
production industry.
12
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
F ilm production is the longest-running
component of the screen production
sector in New Zealand, but although
New Zealanders have always been enthusiastic
fi lmgoers, feature fi lm production was infrequent
for the fi rst 70 years of cinema. Only three
New Zealand features were made in the three
decades of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Only
15 features were made in the 1970s.
Continuity of production – an average of four
or fi ve features a year – didn’t start until the
availability of investment from the NZFC after
its inception in 1978.
Since that time, more than 200 New Zealand
feature fi lms have been made, and another 37
features from offshore have used New Zealand
locations.
Rapid production growth in the early 1980s was
assisted by tax leverage until the government
outlawed the use of these tax breaks in 1984.
Between 1980 and 1985, 45 New Zealand
features were produced, most of them benefi ting
from tax leverage, and with this came substantial
growth in the fi lm production sector. There was
large investment in equipment and this fl owed
through to post-production and laboratory
facilities.
When the tax advantages ended, so did the
boom period in the fi lm industry. Investors
were not willing to risk funds in fi lm production,
a notoriously high-risk sector, if they couldn’t
guarantee a profi table outcome. With the
disappearance of almost all private investment,
fi lm production fell and workers in the industry
who were once able to command high wages
for their services found it diffi cult to fi nd
employment.
The slump lasted for three years, at a time when
the continuing international releases of fi lms
made during the earlier tax-break years started
to create an awareness of New Zealand as a
source of talent and creativity.
i. FILMThe NZFC was established in 1978 to fi nance the
development and production of New Zealand
fi lms. As a publicly funded body, it was the fi rst
attempt by the government to support and
encourage New Zealand screen production by
the private sector.
The NZFC’s aim has always focused on
discovering and nurturing talent. This was best
exemplifi ed with its $5 million investment in
Peter Jackson’s fi rst four feature fi lms, starting
with Bad Taste in 1988 and culminating in the
international success of Heavenly Creatures
in 1994, which positioned Jackson and his
collaborators to become major international
players, with a difference. Earlier New Zealand
directors who received international acclaim had
chosen to move to Hollywood. Jackson insisted
on working at home.
The growth of his international reputation, and
the growth of the world-class infrastructure
that he created, led to New Zealand’s biggest
fi lm project, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which
Jackson began shooting in New Zealand in 1999.
The three fi lms had combined production costs
of more than $600 million, aided by a package of
tax breaks estimated to have been worth around
$200 million. The tax breaks were abolished by
the government immediately afterward.
A further increase in public fi nance for
fi lmmaking came in May 2000 when the
government established the Film Production
Fund (the “Film Fund”) with $22 million (incl
GST) intended to boost the production of
larger-budget New Zealand fi lms. To date the
Film Fund has provided part investment for fi ve
larger-budget New Zealand features (Whale
Rider, Perfect Strangers, River Queen, Perfect
Creature and The World’s Fastest Indian).
The growth of the feature fi lm industry brought
international recognition of its talent base and
its expanding range of skills and experience;
these were key factors in decisions to bring
features to New Zealand locations.
Vertical Limit, The Last Samurai, Boogeyman,
Without A Paddle and The Lion, The Witch and
The Wardrobe are examples of offshore features
that have been attracted to New Zealand
in recent years. A study on The Last Samurai
expenditure in 2004 found that, at the national
level, the multiplier2 effect of this project ranged
from 1.57 (employment) to 1.71 (value added)
(direct and indirect effects).
The establishment of Film New Zealand added
a second, non-government body to the small
group of organisations supporting the industry.
It took over the job of providing information
about New Zealand locations and crews for
international producers whose interest was
whetted by the successes of New Zealand fi lms,
but whose enquiries until then had been dealt
with by the NZFC.
Film New Zealand’s establishment was followed
by the establishment of regional fi lm offi ces
fi nanced by local bodies, seeking to attract
screen production to their districts. In addition,
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise grants worth
$2 million were provided to the Wellington and
Auckland regions respectively in 2003 and 2005
to fund sound stages and increase the capacity
of the local screen production sector.
The establishment in 2003 of the Large Budget
Screen Production Grant, offering to repay 12.5
percent of the amount of production money
spent in New Zealand if it was $15 million
or more, marked a new level of government
encouragement of fi lmmaking. Whereas the
scheme seemed likely to benefi t only offshore
investors, it had been preceded by the Film Fund,
aimed at enabling New Zealand fi lmmakers to
make larger-budget features.
Figure 4 shows the impact of The Lord of the
Rings’ production in 2000 and 2001 on the
fi lm production sector, as well as the location
shoots of The Last Samurai and Vertical Limit.
The foreign exchange generated by these
projects was the most signifi cant earned by the
2 Multipliers are an expression of the amount that initial expenditure compounds or is multiplied throughout the wider economy.
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
01313
industry; the projects were aided signifi cantly
by the availability of a workforce that had been
developed by the Auckland-based location
shooting of the long-running television series
Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The
Legendary Journeys.
Although expenditure fell in 2002, investment in
fi lm remains considerably higher than pre-2000
levels.
The value of fi lm fi nance as a proportion of total
surveyed screen production sector fi nance also
grew rapidly over the 2000-01 period. It has
since fallen but the fi lm sector still continued
to account for a large portion of total industry
fi nance in 2004.
Employment in the fi lm production sector
has been surprisingly steady over the period
surveyed.
Figure 5 provides statistics for fi ve years’
employment in the fi lm and video production
sectors.3 Employment numbers on a full-time
equivalent (FTE) basis have more than doubled
since the mid-1990s.4
Employment numbers did not decline after
production ended on The Lord of the Rings,
despite a fall in the value of fi lm production
fi nance over the same period. Much of this
can be attributed to activity amongst domestic
productions such as Perfect Creature, Perfect
Strangers and King Kong, as well as the location
shooting for The Lion, The Witch and The
Wardrobe.
Figure 4: Film production financing and its share of total industry financing
Source: SPADA Screen Production Survey 2004 – year ended March.
Notes: (1) LHS: value of total fi lm production fi nancing ($million).
(2) RHS: percentage of total screen production fi nancing.
(3) Includes both feature and short fi lm production.
(4) 1996 fi gures include production of The Frighteners.
3 Statistics New Zealand does not have a data collection category for fi lm production alone.
4 After 2003, Statistics New Zealand began to collect screen industry employment statistics on the basis of an employee count from Inland Revenue data. This accounts for only those receiving a wage/salary
and therefore excludes contractors or proprietors who do not pay themselves a wage. The FTE measure counts the number of full-time positions and half the number of part-time positions.
Figure 5: Employment in film and video production 2000-04
Source: Statistics New Zealand Table Builder ANZSIC P911100 - year ended February
Note: 1. FTE: number of full-time equivalent employees.
Numbers employed
$350
$300
$250
$200
$150
$100
$50
$0
Millions
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Value of total fi lm production
Film production as a % of
total industry fi nancing
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
14
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
Television broadcasting in New Zealand
began in 1960 through the government-
owned New Zealand Broadcasting
Service, now TVNZ.
New Zealand’s television broadcasters, free of
the local-content requirements that are common
in other countries, have had a long record of
purchasing a majority of their programming
from offshore, at a much cheaper rate than they
would have to pay for programming made in
New Zealand by New Zealanders. Yet, despite
its high relative cost local content has been a
constant feature of New Zealand television, and
consistently enjoyed by viewers.
In the very early days resources were put into
extending coverage at the expense of local
programming. Light entertainment, children’s
television, drama and comedy had their
beginnings in the late 1960s and 1970s. In
1966 New Zealand’s longest running series
Country Calendar made its screen debut, and a
continuous fl ow of local drama began in 1971
with Pukemanu, a series set in a forestry town.
By the mid-1970s television produced comedic
creations like Fred Dagg and Lynn of Tawa, and
introduced New Zealanders to local satire with
A Week Of It. Children’s television fl ourished.
The popular series Hunter’s Gold and Children of
Fire Mountain sold overseas, marking the start
of New Zealand being an exporter of television
programmes.
New Zealand’s small market size, ambivalent
political enthusiasm for local content and the
dwindling value of the broadcasting licence
fee limited production opportunities towards
the end of the 1980s. The 1986 State-Owned
Enterprises Act set a new direction for TVNZ in
which profi tability was the primary objective
and, consequently, cultivation of New Zealand
productions less important.
However, the government also established NZ
On Air (1989) and Te Mangai Paho (1993), to
ensure that New Zealand television viewers
could continue to see a wider range of
locally made programmes than commercial
broadcasters were willing or able to pay for. This
ii. Televisionwas to be done by offering contestable funding
directly to producers provided they had their
projects approved for broadcast by a broadcaster.
Television was deregulated in 1989 which
provided for the establishment of privately
owned TV3 in the same year. At the same time,
and with the establishment of NZ On Air, TVNZ
began dismantling its in-house production
divisions to become primarily a programmer
rather than a producer.
In 2000 the broadcasting fee was abolished and
NZ On Air was funded directly from general
taxation.
The government’s creation of Te Mangai Paho
provided fi nance for Maori productions such as
the bi-lingual drama series Mataku (in which the
NZFC and NZ On Air also invested) and news/
current affairs programmes Marae and Te Karere.
The launch of the Maori Television Service in
2004 provided a further state-fi nanced platform
for Maori programmes. As a result of these
initiatives, there has been growth in production
companies (producers, directors, writers,
presenters, technicians) able to work bilingually,
growth in Maori language programming and new
perspectives offered on news and current affairs
issues.
In 2003 TVNZ was restructured into a
company with public service obligations.
These responsibilities, specifi ed in its Charter,
included a requirement to support and promote
the talents and creative resources of the
independent fi lm and television industry. Much
of the direct government funding allocated
to TVNZ for Charter purposes has gone to
independent producers.
As independent television production companies
began to expand in the 1990s and this century
there was signifi cant capacity building in
documentaries, comedy, drama and children’s
programming.
Although primarily making programmes for
domestic audiences several companies have had
success with international sales. South Pacifi c
Pictures’ Shortland Street has been sold to 20
countries; Touchdown Productions sells reality
formats throughout the world; the Gibson Group
has had particular success with children’s’ drama
and, more recently with adult drama series;
Greenstone Pictures has found ongoing markets
for popular factual series like The Zoo and Private
Lives; and NHNZ produces programmes about
the natural world that are seen in more than 200
countries.
Increased NZ On Air funding, along with the
arrival of the foreign-fi nanced productions
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena:
Warrior Princess allowed the television sub-
sector to expand even more, to develop key
infrastructure components such as art and
design departments and to invest in state-of-
the-art equipment and facilities. The overall
screen production sector benefi ted from this
growth.
Figure 6 shows the increase in New Zealand-
produced television shown on the main free-to-
air networks between 1990 and 2004, which has
occurred in tandem with the increase in NZ On
Air funding, the introduction of direct funding to
TVNZ for Charter purposes and capacity growth
in the television production sector.
Over this period the number of hours of local
content broadcast per year has risen from 4200
to 6400 or about a third of total programming
on TV One, TV2 and TV3. This compares with a
1986 survey showing the level of local content
at 25 per cent. This is a signifi cant increase
given the absence of minimum local content
“quotas”. However, a voluntary quota has been
in place since 2003 amongst the nationwide
broadcasters which, more recently, has included
Prime Television (which began broadcasting in
1998, but not initially nationwide).
Sky Television, New Zealand’s fi rst pay television
service, began broadcasting in 1990 and now
reaches nearly 40% of households. It does not
fund the development of local productions,
although it broadcasts live New Zealand sports
and entertainment. Some 15 regional television
channels can also be found throughout the
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
01515
Figure 6 Hours of local content broadcast on network television, 1990-2004
Source: TV Local Content 2004, NZ On Air – year ended December.
Notes: (1) The surge in local content hours in 1992 was mainly due to coverage of the Olympic Games infl ating the fi gures.
(2) Aggregated fi gures for TV One, TV2 and TV3.
Figure 7 Television production financing and its share of total industry financing
Source: SPADA Screen Production Survey 2004 – year ended March.
Notes: (1) LHS: value of total television production fi nancing ($million).
(2) RHS: percentage of total screen production fi nancing.
(3) Data for commercials was not recorded in the 2004 survey.
Hours per year
country which are funded from a mixture of
private (mainly local) funding and, from 2005,
government funding.
SPADA surveys suggest that between 20 and
25 percent of television production fi nancing
is obtained from government sources, with the
remainder coming from broadcasters, private
funds and offshore.
Figure 7 shows that television production
fi nancing accounts for the majority of screen
production fi nancing, although between 2000
and 2003 its share fell to around 40 percent due
to the growth in fi lm production.
Issues on the horizon for the television sector
include the increase in the cost of producing
local content programmes, notably drama,
particularly in the fact of massive international
competition; and the inevitable move from
analogue to digital production and broadcasting.
The latter is an area in which New Zealand still
lags behind other countries such as Australia, the
United Kingdom and United States.
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
$250
$200
$150
$100
$50
$0
Millions
1995
Value of total TV
production fi nancing
TV production as a % of
total industry fi nancing
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
16
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
T he commercials sector has enjoyed a
relative independence from other sectors
in the industry. Its practitioners have
often been able to work full time. Recent
growth in the number of fi rms has encouraged
commercial companies to look to offshore
markets, to specialise in fi elds such as animation
or in the case of one or two larger companies to
diversify into post-production and feature-fi lm
production.
In the late 1980s the commercials sector had
become increasingly sophisticated. There was
signifi cant investment in new technology,
especially in areas relating to the use of
animation. Although larger commercials’
producers attracted clients from overseas, most
companies catered only for the local market and
faced competition from Australia.
In the 1990s, with communication technology
such as email and broadband internet, the
commercials sector had a greater international
focus, with New Zealand producers looking to
Asian, European and US markets for contracts.
The commercials sector has always been
susceptible to swings in the business cycle.
It was hit by the economic slowdown of 1997
and 1998 when margins were reduced while
competition increased – especially from offshore
fi rms.
At the start of the 21st century, the
combination of the low value of the New
Zealand currency relative to the US dollar and
greater awareness of New Zealand’s potential
as a fi lming location resulted in high demand
for some areas of commercials’ production.
This was counterbalanced by some work
moving offshore, particularly for multinational
companies. Investment in new technology has
been important as fi rms try to maintain their
competitive position within the world market.
Offshore work has become increasingly
important for high-end commercials fi rms.
Some companies estimate that their workloads
iii. Commercials
now consist of around 50 percent international
work as opposed to pre-2000 when international
work would have made up about 30 percent.
The Asian market is a particularly important
market for New Zealand commercials
companies. Many fi rms report growth in
commercials for companies in Japan, China, India
and, most recently, South Korea.
Financing in the commercials’ production sector
experienced signifi cant variation between
1997 and 2003, although overall the sector
has experienced positive growth as shown in
Figure 8.5 Its share of total screen production
sector fi nance has remained relatively constant,
averaging 11 percent over the survey period.
After 1998, the value of fi nancing in the sector
jumped signifi cantly and has since remained
above $37 million.
Figure 8: Commercials’ production financing and its share of total sector financing
Source: SPADA Screen Production Survey 2003 – year ended March.
Notes: (1) LHS: value of commercials’ production fi nancing ($million).
(2) RHS: percentage of total screen production fi nancing.
(3) Commercials not included in 2004 SPADA survey.
Some of this growth is due to greater response
rates to the SPADA surveys – this is certainly the
case for the large increase in 2002. However, the
post-1998 growth corresponds with a period of
overall expansion within the screen production
sector.
5 These fi gures are likely to be underestimates as SPADA survey statistics on this sector are affected by a low survey response rate.
$80
$70
$60
$50
$40
$30
$20
$10
$0
Millions
1997
Value of commercials’ production fi nancing
Commercials production as a % of
total industry fi nancing
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
01717
A nimation (the creation of artifi cial
moving images) is relatively new within
screen production in comparison with
other components such as fi lm and television.
However, as technology and the capability
of the sector to produce products such as 3D
animations and graphic effects have advanced,
its outputs are now commonly used throughout
the screen production sector.
The sector is characterised by constant research
and innovation, with continual upgrading of new
equipment. It relies on having the talented and
skilled human capital necessary to work in the
industry.
In the late 1980s New Zealand’s animation
sector was receiving international attention.
iv. AnimationDomestic fi rms were being contracted by foreign
commercial houses in Australia and Singapore to
provide the digital effects necessary for complex
commercials.
The 1980s saw a signifi cant amount of
upgrading and investing in new equipment
by fi rms to ensure they could compete with
overseas companies.
The technology and equipment upgrading
continued through the 1990s. However, New
Zealand fi rms were often at a disadvantage
compared to their international competitors
who could command discounts on expensive
equipment. The small scale of the industry
in New Zealand meant local fi rms lacked the
market power to negotiate on prices.
By the start of the 21st century the cost of using
animation techniques had fallen signifi cantly.
Animation was now seen as one way of getting
more out of shrinking production budgets.
Growth in the wider screen production sector
has increased awareness of what the animation
sector in New Zealand can offer, especially when
its innovative creations were shown worldwide
in features such as The Lord of the Rings and The
Last Samurai.
There are no statistics on the size of the
animation sector in New Zealand.
P ost-production is the collective name for
the work involved when shooting ends
– assembling the scenes to complete a
production by manipulating images and sound,
including editing, visual and special effects,
sound mastering and mixing and laboratory
processing.
The post-production sector has matured rapidly
since the 1980s. It involves expensive start-up
costs and demands trained and experienced
practitioners.
However, it differs from the production sectors in
that it relies on throughput to maintain viability.
A large portion of the costs of fi lm and television
production is labour related, with employment
involving short-term contracts that end when
the shoot is over. Post-production, however, has
high fi xed costs because of its capital equipment
that cannot be used on a short-term basis. This
means a steady work fl ow is crucial to ensure
the productivity of capital is realised and fi rms
remain profi table.
Post-production fi rms experienced a downturn
in demand for their services during the 1997-
98 period due to the effects of the Asian crisis
on the New Zealand economy and key Asian
and Australian markets. Despite the slowdown
fi rms continued to upgrade their facilities and
equipment, generally on an 18-month cycle to
ensure they had the latest technology to remain
competitive.
There has been a large increase in demand from
the commercials sector for post-production
services such as computer graphics. While only
about 20 percent of big-budget national brand
advertisements had this sort of post-production
in the early 1990s, this had increased to 60
percent by 1998.
As feature fi lm production increased, so did
the demand for post-production services. An
informal Onfi lm magazine poll of the New
Zealand post-production community in May
2001 found that more than 80 percent of
respondents had experienced an increase in work
volumes. However, only 20 percent reported
an increase in profi t margins and 50 percent
experienced a decrease.
At the start of the 21st century, post-production
companies faced a new challenge. Increasing
co-productions of New Zealand features meant
they were missing out on work that was being
carried out instead in countries (mainly the UK)
that had become the co-production partners of
New Zealand productions.
One way they have responded is to market
themselves internationally, taking advantage of
international awareness of New Zealand created
by The Lord of the Rings and its Academy Awards.
Statistics on post-production are not included
in the SPADA surveys but will become available
through the new Statistics New Zealand screen
industry survey in 2006.
v. Post-production
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
18
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
Anderton, J. (2003), Criteria for Screen Production
Rebates Confi rmed, press release accessed
from: www.beehive.govt.nz/PrintDocument.
cfm?DocumentID=18671.
Auckland Regional Economic Development
Strategy, (2004), Screen Production Initiative to
Substantially Benefi t Auckland Economy, press
release 9 December, accessed from: www.areds.
co.nz/latest_news/news_screen_approved.aspx.
BBC News, (2001), Lord of the Rings Boosts
Kiwi Capital, 12 June, accessed from: news.bbc.
co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/fi lm/1385460.stm.
Campbell, G. (2004), ‘Ring Cycle’ (editorial) The
New Zealand Listener, 17-23 January, Vol 192,
No 3323.
Day, Patrick (2000), Voice and Vision, Auckland
University Press
Dennis, J. (1996), “A Time Line” in Film in
Aotearoa, Dennis, J. and Bieringa, J. (eds), Victoria
University Press, Wellington.
Dunleavy, T (2005), Ourselves in Primetime,
Auckland University Press
“Evolution Theory”, (2003), AdMedia, March
2003, p26.
Fickling, D. (2003), The Guardian, “Triumphant
Return for Movie King Jackson”, 2 December,
accessed from: http://fi lm.guardian.co.uk/
lordoftherings/news/0,11016,1098044,00.html.
Film Production Fund, About Us, accessed from:
www.fi lmfund.co.nz/about/.
Gapes, D. & Shaw, S. (2004), “The Shootists”
AdMedia, August, p40-45.
Lealand, G. (2002), Marketing the Lord of the
Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Screen and
Media Studies, University of Waikato, accessed
from: www.mediaed.org.uk/posted_documents/
MarketingLOTR.htm.
Logan, C. (1987), “Bigger Splashes to Hit Small
Screen”, AdMedia, September, p43-45.
Malcolm, A. (2004), “Advertising Gets Animated”,
AdMedia, April, p30-31.
6. REFERENCES
Malcolm, A. (2004), “Basking in the Afterglow”,
AdMedia, April, p25-27.
McNickel, D. (1998), “Post: the Never-ending
Upgrades”, AdMedia, September, p22.
McNickel, D. (2001), “Suite As”, AdMedia,
October, p40.
McNickel, D. (2003), “Unwound”, AdMedia,
March, p28-30.
Ministry for Culture and Heritage, (2003),
Broadcasting in New Zealand: A 2003 Stock-take,
November.
NHNZ, About nhnz, accessed from www.nhnz.tv
NZ On Air, (2003), New Zealand Television Local
Content 2003, accessed from: www.nzonair.govt.
nz/about_us_detail.php?pid=231&sid=200.
NZPA, (2003) Tax Breaks for Film Come at a Cost
to Other Taxpayers – Clark, 24 March, accessed
from: http://global.factiva.com/en/arch/print_
results.asp.
Onfi lm magazine, (2001), “Going Postal” Onfi lm,
May, 18(5), p15-17.
Pickford, M. & Bollard, A. (eds), (1998), The
Structure and Dynamics of New Zealand
Industries, Dunmore Press, Palmerston North.
Pinfold, D., Yeabsley, J., Duncan, I. & Walton, M.
(2002), Capability Study: The New Zealand Screen
Production Industry, Report to Industry New
Zealand, Pinfl icks Communications and NZIER,
Wellington.
Scoop Media, (2001), Some Facts About Lord
of the Rings, press release: New Zealand
Government, 7 November, accessed from: www.
scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0111/S00128.htm.
Screen Production Industry Taskforce Report,
(2003), Taking on the World, New Zealand Trade
and Enterprise, Wellington.
Shaw, S. (2004), “Dollar Mixture”, AdMedia, April,
p32-33.
Shaw, S. (2004), “Raining Sun”, AdMedia, April,
p80.
SPADA (1999-2003), Survey of Screen Production
in New Zealand, annual surveys, prepared by
Colmar Brunton Research.
Te Mangai Paho, (2004), Annual Report 2004,
Wellington.
Venture Taranaki, (2004), Economic Impact
Assessment for the Filming of The Last Samurai in
Taranaki, February.
Wakefi eld, P. & Barnes, G. (2001), “Beehive Yet
to Back Film NZ Plan” Onfi lm, July, accessed
from: www.onfi lm.co.nz/editable/lotr/onfi lm_PJ_
0701a.html.
Walton, M. & Duncan, I. (2002), Creative
Industries in New Zealand, Economic Contribution,
Report to Industry New Zealand, NZIER,
Wellington.
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
01919
7. SOME LARGER INDEPENDENT SCREEN PRODUCTION BUSINESSES
GIBSON GROUP
The Gibson Group is a privately owned
production company established by Dave
Gibson and Yvonne Mackay in 1977. It is an
independent fi lm and television production
company specialising in television drama for
both primetime and children’s audiences. Arts
magazine, comedy and factual and documentary
programming also contribute to an output of
between 80 and 100 hours of programming
each year. The Gibson Group’s feature fi lms
and television programmes have sold in more
than 80 countries worldwide. Since 1994, the
company has co-produced major television
drama series and feature fi lms with partners
based in Canada, the UK, Australia and Sweden.
GREENSTONE PICTURES
Greenstone Pictures is a television production
company based in Auckland. It produces factual
television programmes that celebrate the “Kiwi”
and Pacifi c perspectives. Its fi lming activities
extend into the Pacifi c Islands.
NHNZ(formerly Natural History New Zealand)
Owned by Fox, this Dunedin production company
has offi ces in Beijing and Washington DC.
Each year NHNZ creates more than 60 hours of
programming exploring the natural world, health,
science, adventure and people. NHNZ works
alongside major international networks such
as Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery
Health, TLC, National Geographic Channel, PBS
(US), NHK (Japan), France 5 and NDR (Germany).
OKTOBOR
Sister company to Silverscreen, Oktobor is a
creative talent-based visual effects, animation
and post-production studio based in Auckland.
From 3D character animation to iTV and web
production to feature fi lm vfx, Oktobor provides
expertise and experience to fi lm production
companies, advertising agencies, broadcasters
and fi lm/TV studios worldwide.
PARK ROAD POST(formerly the Film Unit)
Park Road Post is Peter Jackson’s post-production
facility located in Miramar, Wellington. Also in
Miramar are other facilities owned by Jackson
and his colleagues including Stone Street
Studios.
SCREENTIME
Screentime produces documentary and
reality television plus commercials, in-fl ight
entertainment and corporate and promotional
videos. Screentime also produced the acclaimed
movies Once Were Warriors and Rain. It offers
a complete range of production and post-
production facilities.
SILVERSCREEN FILMS
Silverscreen Films combines the experience of
New Zealand producers Don Reynolds and Geoff
Dixon to deliver creative and production services
to local and international fi lm and television
productions.
SILVERSCREEN
PRODUCTIONS
Silverscreen was founded more than 30 years
ago and is one of Australasia’s largest fi lm
production companies. Its primary focus is the
making of high-end commercials with offi ces in
Auckland and Sydney. It offers a full production
service.
SOUTH PACIFIC PICTURES
In its 15 years South Pacifi c Pictures has
produced more than 1800 hours of drama
programming. Its cornerstone production is the
primetime nightly half-hour series Shortland
Street, now in its 13th year of production. The
programme has been seen in 20 countries
worldwide. The feature fi lm Whale Rider was
also produced by South Pacifi c Pictures. South
Pacifi c Pictures has a 50 percent interest in
Satellite Media, which produces music-based
entertainment for television, online and
print. In June 2004, Kura Productions, a joint
venture between Quinton Hita and South
Pacifi c Pictures, was formed to offer a range of
programming to the Maori Television Service and
other broadcasters in New Zealand. South Pacifi c
Pictures is owned by Managing Director John
Barnett’s company Endeavour Entertainment,
and UK media company All3Media.
TOUCHDOWN TELEVISION
Touchdown Television is one of New Zealand’s
largest television production companies with
branches in Auckland, Sydney and Los Angeles.
Touchdown was formed 10 years ago and is
privately owned by Julie Christie and other senior
executives. Touchdown produces 20 television
series a year in New Zealand and Australia.
Touchdown specialises in entertainment,
factual and reality television and latterly in the
development of formats that have been sold to
more than 20 countries including the US, the UK,
France and Germany. Touchdown Television has
recently started a new arm called Touchdown
Film and Drama.
WETA WORKSHOP
Founded in 1986 by Richard Taylor and others,
Weta Workshop is a physical effects company
based in Wellington. It has produced creatures
and makeup effects for TV series and effects
for fi lms such as Meet the Feebles and Heavenly
Creatures. Weta Workshop’s output came to
worldwide prominence with director Peter
Jackson’s fi lm trilogy The Lord of the Rings,
producing sets, costumes, armour, weapons,
creatures and miniatures.
WETA DIGITAL
Weta Digital, owned by Peter Jackson, Richard
Taylor and Jamie Selkirk, offers visual effects for
feature fi lms and commercials. The company is
best known for its visual effects work on The Lord
of the Rings trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson.
Other work has included the action adventure
Van Helsing (2004: Universal), I, Robot (Fox) and
King Kong.
WINGNUT FILMS
Peter Jackson’s primary fi lm production
company. He has a number of other facilities,
studios and project-specifi c production
companies based in Wellington including
Camperdown Studios, Stone Street Studios and
Big Primate Productions.
20
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
8. TELEVISION BROADCASTERS
MAORI TELEVISION
SERVICE
The state owned Maori Television Service,
announced in July 2001 and established in 2004,
aims to give tikanga Maori (Maori culture) and
te reo (Maori language) a strong, independent
voice, undiluted by the constraints and
competing priorities that apply to a mainstream
commercial broadcaster.
PRIME TELEVISION
Prime Television is an Australian publicly listed
company that has operated as a “free-to-air”
television broadcaster in New Zealand since
1998.
Prime transmits a UHF signal and is also
available on Sky Satellite. The schedule is a
mixture of general entertainment, lifestyle,
drama and comedy, sourced primarily from
Australia and the US.
REGIONAL TELEVISION
There are 15 regional channels in New Zealand,
all operating on UHF frequencies (except for
Invercargill, which is VHF). Sixty percent of
New Zealand’s population can pick up reception
of a regional channel. They are all privately and
mostly locally funded, except for the annual
funding of $3.5 million over four years through
NZ On Air announced by the government
in 2005.
SKY NETWORK TELEVISION
SKY Network Television is New Zealand’s
largest pay television company with a
subscriber base of around 40 percent of total
New Zealand households. Over eighty percent
of subscribers are digital subscribers. SKY is a
publicly listed company with major shareholders
Independent Newspapers Ltd (78 percent), and
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (8 percent).
TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND(New Zealand Broadcasting Service)
TVNZ, the state-owned broadcaster, is the
largest player in the New Zealand screen
industry, operating two free-to-air channels.
It is a broadcaster, programme maker and
commissioner of programming.
State-owned television began as a public
broadcaster in 1960 and then became a state-
owned enterprise in 1987 with a profi t mandate.
In 2003 it became a Crown-owned company
with public service broadcasting as well as
commercial mandates.
TV3
TV3 began in 1989 as a publicly listed company
but since November 1997 has been 100 percent
owned by CanWest, making it the fi rst private
commercial network in New Zealand.
TV3 offers a range of domestic productions
(in-house and commissioned) and international
programmes.
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
02121
9. SECTOR BODIES
ACTORS’ EQUITY
Actor’ Equity represents performers (for both
live and recorded performance) in contracts,
disputes, training, occupational health and safety,
and all other professional issues. Actors’ Equity
is affi liated to the FIA (International Federation
of Actors) and is a division of the National
Distribution Union.
NEW ZEALAND ACTORS’
AGENTS GUILD
The New Zealand Actors’ Agents Guild works
with and for New Zealand actors to provide
professional representation of a trustworthy and
ethical nature.
NEW ZEALAND
FEDERATION OF FILM
SOCIETIES
The New Zealand Federation of Film Societies is
a non-profi t organisation formed in the 1940s
to encourage the appreciation of fi lm from
the point of view of art and education as well
as entertainment. The federation’s member
societies screen fi lms that would otherwise not
be shown in New Zealand. It administered New
Zealand fi lm festivals until a separate trust was
established for this purpose.
NEW ZEALAND FILM AND
VIDEO TECHNICIANS
GUILD
The New Zealand Film and Video Technicians
Guild is a professional organisation representing
the interests of freelance fi lm and video crew
and allied crafts in the New Zealand screen
production industry.
NEW ZEALAND FILM
ARCHIVE
Established in 1981, the Film Archive is an
independent charitable trust overseen by a board
of trustees representing fi lm, archival, Maori
and community interests. The Film Archive’s
constitution/kaupapa is to collect, protect
and project New Zealand’s fi lm and television
history.
NEW ZEALAND FILM
FESTIVAL TRUST
The New Zealand Film Festival Trust is a not-for-
profi t organisation that runs the annual Auckland
and Wellington Film Festivals, plus festivals in
another 10 centres. Nationwide attendances at
the festivals now exceed 240,000. Established
in 1996.
NEW ZEALAND SCREEN
COUNCIL
The New Zealand Screen Council was established
by the government in 2003-04 in response to
the Screen Production Industry Taskforce report.
Its aims are to facilitate the development and
growth of the New Zealand screen production
sector on a sustainable basis.
NEW ZEALAND TELEVISION
BROADCASTERS’ COUNCIL
The New Zealand Television Broadcasters’
Council is an industry organisation representing
the non-competitive interests of the main
television broadcasters in New Zealand. Its
members are CanWest New Zealand, TVNZ and
Prime Television New Zealand.
NEW ZEALAND WRITERS
FOUNDATION
The New Zealand Writers Foundation is a
national organisation committed to the
professional development of emerging and
established writers in all forms of dramatic
writing, particularly for fi lm and television. It
is core funded by the NZFC and governed by a
board of trustees.
NEW ZEALAND WRITERS
GUILD
The New Zealand Writers Guild is a professional
non-profi t association for writers in the fi elds
of fi lm, television, radio, theatre, video and
multi-media.
NGA AHO WHAKAARI
Nga Aho Whakaari is the primary representative
of Maori working in fi lm, video and television.
Its core aim is the advancement and protection
of Maori moving images, culture and language,
and the professional development and growth
of independent Maori fi lm and television
production.
SCREEN DIRECTORS GUILD
OF NEW ZEALAND
The Screen Directors Guild of New Zealand is a
professional non-profi t association for directors.
It aims to create a forum where directors can
defi ne, defend and further their professional
industry.
SCREEN PRODUCTION
AND DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATION (SPADA)
SPADA is a membership-based organisation
that represents the collective interests of
independent producers on all issues that affect
the business and creative aspects of independent
screen production in New Zealand.
WOMEN IN FILM AND
TELEVISION
Women in Film and Television (WIFT) is an
organisation that supports women in the
fi lm and television industries and provides an
informal network for them to help each other in
their careers. WIFT is part of WIFT International.
22
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
10. GOVERNMENT-FUNDED ORGANISATIONS
CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND
Creative New Zealand runs the Screen
Innovation Production Fund in conjunction with
the NZFC to support shorts, digital fi lms and
multi-media projects generally by fi rst-time
fi lmmakers.
FILM NEW ZEALAND
Film New Zealand is New Zealand’s production
location offi ce providing information,
introductions and support to fi lmmakers both
internationally and locally. It is a member of the
Association of Film Commissions International.
Film New Zealand is the prime industry body
interacting with regional fi lm offi ces located
throughout New Zealand. Its work promotes
New Zealand talent and facilities as well as
locations.
MINISTRY FOR CULTURE
AND HERITAGE
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH)
provides advice to the government on cultural
and heritage matters. It assists the government
in its provision and management of cultural
resources for the benefi t of all New Zealanders,
and undertakes activities that support and
promote the history and heritage of New
Zealand. MCH is the policy ministry that
oversees a range of government agencies such
as TVNZ, NZ On Air, the NZFC and Creative
New Zealand.
MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
The Ministry of Economic Development (MED)
works across the public sector to advise on,
co-ordinate and align activities that stimulate
sustainable economic development. MED
oversees New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
NEW ZEALAND FILM
COMMISSION (NZFC)
The NZFC has the statutory responsibility
“to encourage and participate and assist in the
making, promotion and exhibition of fi lms”
being made in New Zealand by New Zealanders.
The NZFC provides loans and equity fi nancing
to New Zealand fi lmmakers to assist in the
development and production of New Zealand
feature fi lms and short fi lms. The NZFC also
provides script and project development
funding, and supports training and professional
development. The NZFC is active in the sales
and marketing of New Zealand fi lms and
operates a sales agency that represents New
Zealand at major international fi lm markets and
festivals.
NEW ZEALAND FILM
PRODUCTION FUND
The New Zealand Film Production Fund, known
as the “Film Fund”, was established to invest
in bigger-budget New Zealand fi lm projects
than those able to be produced with NZFC
investment. The Film Fund was given a fi xed
sum of $22 million (inc GST) in 2000 and a
maximum period of eight years to spend this on
six to eight fi lms. The Film Fund is a commercial
investor and requires producers to seek offshore
relationships and funding. By 2005 it had
invested in fi ve features. It is administered by
the NZFC.
NEW ZEALAND TRADE AND
ENTERPRISE
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is the
government agency charged with helping
New Zealand businesses to achieve success.
It has a range of programmes to assist business
development, investment attraction and
international marketing.
NZ ON AIR(New Zealand Broadcasting Commission)
NZ On Air’s purpose is to “refl ect and foster
the development of New Zealand culture and
identity”. NZ On Air allocates funding for
television production and some fi lm production.
Broadcaster commitment is a prerequisite for
NZ On Air fi nance. This has been effective
in ensuring that there is an audience for a
programme before funds are committed.
TE PUNI KOKIRI(Ministry of Maori Development)
Te Puni Kokiri (TPK) is the government’s adviser
on Maori issues. It aims to improve outcomes
for Maori and ensure the quality of government
services delivered to Maori. TPK oversees
Te Mangai Paho and the Maori Television Service.
TELEVISION NEW ZEALAND(New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation)
(See “Television Broadcasters”.)
TE MANGAI PAHO
Te Mangai Paho was set up “to promote
the Maori language and Maori culture by
making funds available for broadcasting and
the production of programmes”. Te Mangai
Paho helps production companies to achieve
economic stability and good business practices,
and to develop quality programmes that will
assist better economic outcomes.
OV
ER
VIE
W O
F T
HE
NE
W Z
EA
LA
ND
SC
RE
EN
PR
OD
UC
TIO
N S
EC
TO
R N
OV
EM
BE
R 2
00
5
02323
NEW ZEAL AND SCREEN COUNCIL
Level 5, Gleneagles Building,
69-71 The Ter race
PO Box 8041, Wellington
P +64 4 914 0148
F +64 4 914 0149
E info@nzscr eencouncil.co.nz
W W W . N Z S C R E E N C O U N C I L . C O . N Z