Queenstown: Autumn 2024

Queenstown is open for business! We are at pre-Covid numbers for both long and short form productions. The local crew are either in the middle of their job, or discussing rates and availability. Everyone is busy. February has seen the offices open up for Showtime’s ‘A Remarkable Place to Die’ and Tumbleweed’s ‘Forgive Us All’. While Wanaka has seen ‘Tears in Rain’ visit, the so far undeveloped premises of, Silverlight Studios. All our Wanaka colleagues were out in force when I visited there with the MU truck, Ewe Beauty, on a swing. We really do have the crew and ability to be a prominent, and preferred destination for all types of productions. Let’s go people.

The Art Depts, who always blow my mind, are well into their builds and prop buy ups for these long form jobs. Mike Appleby has been on top of several TVCs (vehicle wrangling is his joy), while John Allan and Nic McAllan’s teams are hard at work till June on the Showtime TV show. Hippi is off on a well-deserved ski holiday, but will hit the ground running on his return with several TVCs in the pipeline.

The end of 2023, saw a lot of TVCs coming here. Several location scouts were also spotted scoping the area for the tv shows and films we are hosting this year. Fish visited for the Boots UK Christmas commercial. It was a juggernaut. We had several daily moves, helicopters for shuttles, airstrips and biplanes, a fantastic child star, and Hippi managed to build a winter wonderland in the warm spring days. We visited Dunedin and Careys Bay, the Snowfarm, Glenorchy, and we took over Beach St for an evening. The local community, including myself, were very excited to see a Boots store open in Queenstown.... for a day!

Filmalot shot a great commercial for John Bull. Location Manager, Alex McCrossin managed to access Arcadia House in Paradise and we met a very enthusiastic new land owner down south. He loved the experience. It featured his own family as the talent and he got to do his own stunt riding for us. Narelle Wilson got to dabble as a Producer, but she is not giving up her Production Manager role just yet. It was one of those great jobs that reminds you how good our silly film and tv world is.

Finch came down with the incredible Laura McGeorge and Mabelle Teh to shoot for Contact Energy. We were very lucky to have an amazing waterfall and a perfect shoot day 1. Shoot day 2 sent us up Duffers Saddle where we became concerned Arne’s portaloo would end up in Clyde containing a flustered crew member. The wind was intense up there in the heavens!

Exit Films shot the next TVC for Kathmandu. We were at Deer Park Heights and Paradise. It was interesting to see puppetry come to life and the cast happy in their work. Green Tea Film and TV most recently came to shoot for Suntory. This was a very organised shoot with another southern landowner enjoying the mobile circus we bring with us. In October, Endemol Shine revisited the Lakes district for the first US and 2nd Australian seasons of ‘The Summit’. This is one of those reality shows that uses a lot of local resources and brings a lot of extra crew to the district. It was a good earner for several departments that ended just in time for the Christmas bills.

This brings me onto the subject of money. Unfortunately, the financial squeeze is real. Queenstown is a hard place to keep up with expenses and plan for a stable future. Many have moved elsewhere, or picked up a ‘real job’(at Ayrburn, my CV is available), and I know the writing is on the wall for me too. This is a difficult subject. The bottom line has shrunk for everyone and this is an issue for the Producers and Production Managers trying to fit good crew into an ongoing limited budget. This worries me.

As someone involved in transport, I fear the attitude of ‘it’s just a driving job’. Driving jobs, including swing work, are very responsible roles, with severe consequences if the worst happens. (I will keep at you about this, Wayne Allan and Stu). Incidentally, an experienced driver will not be driving for minimum wage as a contractor to drive at 2am. I will also continue on my soapbox regarding rates for predominantly female departments. As the bottom line dwindles, Costume, MU, PA’s, Co-ords and Runners lose out. On screen results will be compromised. The Costumer will still give her utmost but something is going to give on a 15 hour shift, weeks into a job, after 15 years in the business, without an industry, or non-industry comparable pay increase.

So, to round out this QT wrap, I want to say a big thank you to Narelle Wilson, Jane McCurdy, Sue Sparks and Drew Marshall. Without you, this girl would already be driving a bin truck in Christchurch. I know this is coming, but not yet, Seymour, not yet. I’ll hold out till my landlord sells up, hopefully then, a multi-millionaire spots me a house bus. In the meantime, bring on this busy 2024!

It’s going to be awesome. See you all out there.

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