Auckland Studio Precinct Update

Since the last magazine went out, the biggest news has been that the Auckland City Council decided that the proposed site for a studio precinct build at Hobsonville Point was not going to fly.

Although this was disappointing in the regard that so much work had gone in to the proposal presented to them by Film Auckland/ATEED and local industry, it has the silver lining that this research can be transferred to other possible sites around the Auckland region, and with the backing and support of Auckland City Council, sites are being actively investigated as possibilities for a build.

The biggest plus in all of this, is when land is found we won’t be limited to the 8.2 Hectare site that was at Hobsonville, and a build on a larger piece of land will give the industry and studio complex space to grow in the future.

The television commercial market is truly buzzing again, and the Filmcrews office has found itself running out of crew on certain days as line productions and dramas are shooting continuously at the moment. I don’t see this trend slowing down for at least nine months, as the new year brings more confirmed local drama series, also the return of Ash vs Evil Dead as well as the possibility of a new series of Power Rangers in 2016. I’ve heard of some commercial producers having to turn work down as they cannot find key crew. Ironically, it’s a great position to be in.

The Guild has been working tirelessly this year behind the scenes for lots of crew, monitoring crew contracts, working hours, and helping mediate the odd dispute between production and technicians. We’ve been actively involved with The New Zealand Film Commission, NZ Immigration, Producers and the local film offices on a weekly basis, often spotting problems before they arise. A lot of crew may wonder what the Guild does for them, but let me assure you, that much work goes on behind the scenes helping the industry as a whole, so if you would like to become more actively involved, and be a bigger part of it all, feel free to contact the office in the new year. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a safe holiday season and a busy new year.

Sioux Macdonald, Guild vice president and executive committee member