Holly Smith
Welcoming art department person and general good sort Holly Smith to life on and off the film set. She’s NZTECHO’s newbie this issue.
What have you done in your working life before you started in film?
I took a leap of faith and joined film school during my last year of school. I have to say, it was the best decision of my life. I haven’t had much other working experience other than my work at the Wellington SPCA. Once I graduated film school I found myself working on sets, filling my spare days with work at the SPCA.
What attracted you to the film industry? Or did you just find yourself doing it by accident?!
The thought of an office job terrifies me and, as dorky as it sounds, I love being part of a crew. It’s a rewarding experience no other industry could satisfy. One of the biggest reasons I pursued a career in film was to pass on the joy, information and pure thrill my favourite films gave to me. This career is no accident! I have sacrificed a lot to pursue film, and I have never been happier.
You must still like it, because you have joined the Guild. What is it about the film that’s keeping you here?
The teamwork and family-like feeling you get from a film crew. I love the payoff after pre-production, the thrill of production and getting to then watch your work with other people.
What are you hoping to get out of your Guild membership? And, what would you like to contribute and put back in?
I joined the Guild in the hope I would be more involved in film events, with personnel and upcoming projects. It is hard to say what I can contribute at this point, I am super eager to contribute as much as I can.
What’s been your best day on a film set? And what has been your worst?
Oh gosh, my worst day would have to be when I fainted on set because of the heat and smoke once, and the director fired me for wasting time getting the medic on set! He later re-hired me (thank god!) and explained he was just stressed. However, it has spooked me ever since! I now drink jugs of water before going onto any set so I’m always hydrated!
My best day on set would be earlier this year when I was working on a short film. The day was scheduled to be the most intense, as there was a huge art set up which had to be done in under an hour. I barely had any sleep the night before as there was lots to overthink and plan. We got let into the house and I was introduced to the owners to talk over damage insurance. The house was a stunning vintage mansion and the walls were covered with fresh paint! I was so scared I was going to rip the walls or scratch something… However, my job had been to re-design and set up the hero’s house. I completely re-furnished all the rooms and the director was ecstatic with the result. After finishing everything that night, we had packed down the house and as I was leaving I got stopped by the owners who asked me to come back for tea the next day. When I did, they told me how impressed they were with the sets and the transformation of the house that they showed their friends and family and had decided to offer me a job to redesign their whole house! This has to be the best experience so far.
What do you think the NZ film industry can do better? What do we already do very well?
I would love to see more women in HOD roles! There is definitely a gender issue, but like every other industry, I believe we are slowly progressing to a more equal future. However, the likes of guilds such as Techos and WIFT are a huge help to this issue and I am proud to be part of this process.
