Alexandra Sumner

How long have you been in screen production and how did you get started?

I’ve worked in post-production for about 11 years now. After studying media at university in Plymouth in the UK, I got my first job working for a television post house. I always wanted to work in post-production and the company was a great introduction to the dynamics of this department. It was a busy and creative yet very technical environment. I was hooked! I spent a couple of years there splitting my time between editing programmes and running a team of assistants, we maintained many edit suites in the offline and online stages of the edit. Itchy feet and a desire to travel led me to NZ, a place that has now become my home. I started out with a four month job on Great Barrier Island on the BBC reality TV show Castaway. Living on location I had a great time working with the Kiwi crew and after the show I moved to Wellington and established myself as a freelancer. I worked in post on a wide mixture of projects such as film festival documentaries, television shows, short films, feature films and corporate work. I loved the variety and was constantly learning something new. My next long term freelance job came when I started working as a video editor for TVNZ’s One News. I loved my time in the newsroom working alongside the reporters in a fast paced environment. I then worked on a few TV feature films, before starting work at WingNut Films.

What genre does your work tend to come from?

I’ve worked in many different types of post-production houses. I decided to focus on feature films and worked on a few TV features before moving on to larger feature films. My work now tends to come from feature films that contain a lot of CG, motion capture and VFX elements. I worked on The Adventures of Tintin, a 3D motion capture computer animated adventure film, and more recently on The Hobbit trilogy. Overall I like variety and constantly learning and pushing my comfort zone.

How easy is it to make a living in this industry? How often do you work outside the screen production industry?

I have been very fortunate to have found work on long-term film projects and to have worked solidly for the past five years. However this wasn’t always the case and I know finding continuous work can be a challenge. I haven’t always found work in Wellington and have had to travel to where the work is. I’ve done the occasional bit of temping work too.

How does your department work as part of the “whole”?

I think the biggest thing with post-production is that people don’t always realise how much commitment it takes to see a project through. Often we’ll start work at the pre-production stage, through to camera tests, the main shoot, pick-ups, and then the edit through to delivery. It’s a long process to see a project through. Often people on set have moved on to a couple of different projects by the time post are still completing the initial job. On the plus side it can be easier to find longer term contracts than other departments.

Post-production is unique in that it literally sees a film build and come together through most stages of the project. It’s connected to many other departments, it sees all rushes shot by shot, and knows the film inside-out by the end. It’s interesting to watch the edit develop over time especially as more VFX, sound and grading work come in to the department. It gives you a great understanding of how every department adds value to a film and helps to create that great final product.

How have your rates changed/improved over the years?

My rate has changed about a bit as I’ve moved between different contracts but generally it has gone up with each new contract.

What sort of industry changes have you noticed? Have you noticed any trends?

I think filmmaking as a medium has become more accessible to newbies starting out. These days if you have a laptop and a DSLR, you have the tools to create something. Whilst this doesn’t mean the content is always going to be good, it does enable people to have a go and get creative. I really enjoy the 48-hour filmmaking competitions for this reason – anyone can have a go at creating a story. Nothing can beat the value of doing a good film course though and working as a runner and learning from the ground up. That experience is invaluable.

What strengths do you think the NZ industry has? What could contribute to a more sustainable industry?

I think one of NZ’s main strengths is its amazing landscapes and the strong work ethic of the kiwi crew. It’s a small tight-knit industry here. People don’t see each other as competition as much as I’ve found overseas and people are happy to help each other out.