Industry Growth and Change

Wow, where has the time gone?

I have been at the helm for about six months already, and I have hit the ground running.

It feels like this is the start of a marathon more than a 100m dash with things heating up in the production scene with several international feature films and local shows happening around the country.

My hands are firmly on the wheel and we are on a fast track to 2020.

With the escalation of work across the country, we are on our way to being fully crewed up and looking at bringing more people into the screen sector.

These are exciting times with a lot of opportunities on the horizon; it feels like this is a game-changer for the industry, and we all feel it’s about time.

Hopefully, the days of feast and famine are over, and with the amount of production happening here now and in the pipeline for the future, it brings a fully sustainable business that everyone can reap the rewards. This is a time of growth and a time to be able to invest back into the industry and, most importantly, our people!

With the studios working at capacity, we have a chance to learn and grow as an industry.

And with some international heavyweights in town, the future’s so bright that quite honestly, it looks like we’re gonna have to wear shades.

At the guild, we are looking at options to support you and your businesses.

What we need to do to make sure this works to everyone’s benefit.

We have voices at the table at a number of the industry working groups, and with the other guilds within the industry.

The AGM was on Wednesday 25th September across the country.

Thank you to everyone who attended, voted, and put their hand up for another year.

Congratulations to Brendon Durey on becoming our new National President, and thank you to Annie Weston for your service over the past year. Welcome back to our Vice President - Sioux Macdonald, and a big thank you for your ongoing work on all of the Government’s industry working groups and boards.

Another big thank you to the rest of the committee who have decided to continue for another year or have put their hand up and joined - welcome!

Remember, the guild represents 95% of the industry, we need to be heard, and we need to contribute. You are at the coal face every day, you can see where the gaps are and what needs support, so we need to hear from you.

We want to hear your ideas, opinions, and ways that we can all work together coming into this bright new future of screen and television in New Zealand.

Now an update on the ScreenSafe / SWAG Professional Respect training workshops focusing on Sexual Harassment Prevention.

We have held two workshops in Auckland over the last couple of months, and we have had a fantastic response. I am really grateful to the wonderful team I have been working with on these workshops and to the crew who have taken the time to attend. We appreciate the feedback you have given us so far, and that is helping us improve these workshops moving forward. This enables us to create a message that better suits the screen industry, but just as importantly, we will be able to deliver this message to the broader community.

There are more workshops planned for the near future, so all HODs lookout for the dates and get yourself along.

These full-day workshops are working towards a culture change across the industry, and we need your buy-in.

For the wider crew, we are in the process of creating an online module with a focus on bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment. This module will enable all crew to be certified under the ScreenSafe Professional Respect training and works towards creating a safer and positive environment for everyone.

You would have also seen several surveys out over the past month. Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to participate, we will share the results as they come in. These surveys are vital, as it enables us to gather important data and work towards planning for the future.

There is also progress on the collective bargaining front. It looks like this will come into law next year, and there will be more leverage for contractors. We will keep you posted as and when more information comes through to us.

All in all, there’s a lot of busy times ahead and changes afoot.

We are here to walk alongside you all the way and make sure we share the facts with you and keep you in the loop as information comes to hand.

Let’s make sure we are match fit heading into the next phase of the growth of the industry, and let’s work together to make this happen.

Ngā Mihi Nui,

Kelly.