Auckland Film Industry Update

2015 has started off with a hiss and a roar. Ongoing productions like Power Rangers, and Shortland Street are back into full swing here in Auckland. South Pacific Pictures are in for a good season with the next series of Step Dave going back into production and 800 Words shooting simultaneously.

Things are polar opposite from two years ago, when we had no work for crew. Now we have no crew for work. It’s a nice place to be. We watch happily on and crew have been snapped up to work on more potential long termers such as Shannara at the Auckland Film Studios. Crew finished shooting in January on Chloe Smith’s Lumen job. Many were booked to go on to the newly announced and eagerly awaiting Bruce Campbell/Rob Tapert/Sam Raimi Ash Vs Evil Dead production in autumn. A lot of crew also took off for a few months to join the teams in Wellington on Krampus for six weeks. Some are travelling all around the North Island with Disney’s remake of Pete’s Dragon. The TVC market in Auckland is still on an even keel compared to years gone past, which is just as well, given the lack of available crew and equipment.

New health and safety reforms come into law this April and will affect all crew and producers in our industry, none more so that those that drive heavy vehicles. This is something each and every one of you will be personally be responsible for. You need to understand and keep up to date with the changes, although we at the Guild will hopefully be able to walk many of you through the changes as the new laws come in.

Sioux Macdonald, Guild vice president and executive committee member