A Quiet Year in Film

Spring never really took off this year. It was probably one of the quietest periods on record for the commercial market in Auckland in at least 20 years. It’s been pretty lean for a lot of freelance crew. Several people have had to bite the bullet and venture off into other worlds of income generation, always heartbreaking to see. The NZ dollar being so strong has surely taken a toll on our fragile wee industry. Even some local production houses have had to downsize this year.

That being said, 2012 has been a steady year for South Pacific Pictures, with multiple productions back-to-back and several scheduled to shoot between now and mid 2013. It’s always a welcome sign, keeping local writers, directors and freelancers in business.

There are also positive rumblings that some other features and dramas have been green lit for early 2013, including** Gaylene Preston’s **Hope and Wire, a six half-hour episode eight-week shoot in Christchurch. Also, hopefully, the Hercules feature will shoot early 2013 in Auckland.

Power Rangers continues shooting in Auckland. It will have a substantial hiatus over Christmas then continue filming until May 2013. Providing approximately 180 crew fulltime employment – this is excellent.

Last month** Pacific Renaissance Productions’ **Spartacus wrapped its final series. The studios have all been cleared out, so we eagerly wait with baited breath for some good news from these very successful and supportive producers about some wonderful new projects in the very near future.

It’s a tough world being a freelancer and many of you have felt it more in 2012 than in recent years. We seemed to dodge a bullet during the height of the recession and I try to always be optimistic when crew ask about the work climate (a little bit is finger crossing, I will admit). Even though, in general, production budgets have fallen dramatically over the last 10 years, and technology has made it possible for anyone to point and shoot, there will always be work for those that we consider ‘professional’ and ‘experienced’ ... but we just have to be able to sit out the highs and lows.

With that being said, I’m going to go out on a limb and promise (fingers crossed again) that 2013 can only be busier for us.

Sioux Macdonald, Guild vice president and national executive member