Autumn Brings Film Industry Growth

This autumn has been a ripper in the South. We had our traditional influx of international and domestic TVCs in February and March. These months tend to be consistently busy, but as a bonus, we had a really good April as well. This was a welcome boost as we get ready for the slower shoulder season months of May and June before the snow and winter jobs hit in earnest. One of the good things about this period was the diversity of projects. It included student/short films, stills shoots, and tourism-based TV content. It also had two substantial feature films in the region. On one end of the scale was Pete’s Dragon, the large-budget Disney project that took over Tapanui in the glorious way that only a studio-sized feature film can. There have been many positive articles in the news about locals benefiting in various ways, whether it was getting a job on the production, renting a house out for accommodation, or contributing to the pub having its biggest night ever (when the crew descended upon it for a birthday party). The positive economic effect is a great thing. There was a palpable buzz around town as it spiffed itself up to play a North American town with Robert Redford cruising around the streets. It also provided internships for students from the Southern Institute of Technology film school as well as jobs for many of its graduates. On the other end of the scale was The Inland Road. This shot for five weeks in and around Queenstown during March, April, and May. This was an ambitious project for many reasons. It had an extremely modest budget, tight shoot schedule, first-time/child actors, and many young crew stepping up to new positions. This included being the first feature film for director Jackie Van Beek and producer Aaron Watson. It also had serious support from many in the local industry and community. The production was a success and is significant in that it demonstrated a few things: it is possible to shoot a feature film here for costs comparable to Auckland or Wellington, TVC crew can excel on feature films, and there is a soul to the industry here that goes beyond business – a film community. The project also included a good amount of Melbourne crew. This is significant in that it forges relationships for future projects with some of our nearest neighbours. As the industry grows, we will need to think of each other as collaborative partners as opposed to competition. The more I learn about this business, the more amazed I am that any feature film ever gets made. I tip my hat to the crew for their hard work and sacrifice, and to Aaron and Jackie for their dogged determination, grace, and good humour. While the bread and butter for the region are TVCs, diversifying our supply line of projects is important to achieve growth and create resiliency in an ever-changing market. It would be great to see well-funded feature films shoot here in our traditionally quiet spring and autumn periods in the coming years.

Kevin Jennings, Queenstown branch member