Bob Buck

When did you first become interested in a career in film? What work were you doing before film?

I graduated from Elam with a BFA major in painting and drama, so planned to use this in some way in the theatre, ideally wanting to be a set designer. After moving to Auckland, I found work at the Mercury Theatre working in the props department with the aim of working my way up the design department. Mercury was a fantastic training ground for actors and production creatives; many in the film industry began here, and it is a great loss that it is not there anymore. While in the props department, I was called on to do costume props, headwear, masks, armor, etc. — something that I hadn’t really ventured into. This is where I found my passion for costume.

Why were you attracted to the costume department?

Having worked with props and more inanimate objects, I was really drawn to the “living” qualities of costume. To me, it was like the prop had come alive. Also, the direct relationship of costume with the actor and the power of costume to help build the character.

Why did you choose to join the Techos’ Guild? What do you want to get out of your membership of the Guild?

I chose the Techo Guild because to me it is the strongest, most reasoned voice speaking for us all. I joined because I want to be part of this voice and help safeguard our rights and responsibilities as self-employed contractors.

Do you work mostly in NZ? Do you see yourself moving to another country to further your career, is NZ sustainable for you?

I have worked mostly in NZ, but this has been changing over the past couple of years. I have now worked in South Africa, Japan, and China. As a costume designer, there are a limited number of projects available to me, and often an offshore designer will be brought in for the larger projects. I have a British passport, so I am looking into possibilities over there, but I don’t really want to have to move over there completely.

What work would you like to be doing in the future? What might stand in your way?

I have worked for a long time with multimedia and video artist Lisa Reihana, her work In Pursuit of Venus represented New Zealand at the Venice Biennale last year. It would be great to keep working on bigger and better projects with her and her partner James. I would like a balance between “art”-based projects and more commercial creative projects. I guess what might stand in the way is a lack of fiscal support and structure for the less commercial projects and any changes made to the film rebate system to attract offshore productions and the labour laws of our industry. A lack of suitable studios is also a major factor.

What do you want to see the Guild doing in the future?

I would like the Guild to keep doing what it does at present. A large part of the near future is to make sure we are heard in the discussions around the current repeal of the “Hobbit” law. Important to me is ensuring international producers are getting the correct information about crew available here and keeping an eye on offshore crew coming in when there are qualified people here. Can the Guild put any pressure on the Government film organizations to ensure there is regular work coming in?

Do you think the NZ industry has about the right balance of local and international work? What would you change?

Personally, I would like to see more of both international and local productions, and this comes down to incentives, facilities, and a proactive dynamic Film Commission. I think we are all over the feast or famine lifestyle...