Joshua Dunn
Josh has been involved in the film industry “in some way or another for the best part of my life. I performed in my first TVC at three-years-old and have featured in about 20 others in the last 35 years. I did two stints on ‘The Street’ as an actor and a few kids shows in my youth.” Josh is also a qualified chef, having cooked in various cities — including Auckland, Sydney, and Queenstown. “A few stints with production… running, driving, PA, and cast driver around Auckland and in Queenstown” followed his time as a chef.
When he turned 30, he started gripping and has worked, mainly in Queenstown, for Pete Bradshaw (Chief Grips). Josh also works with Jay Munro and does the occasional film with him “in the big cities—most recently driving a tracking polaris on 2nd-unit Hobbit for two weeks.”
Josh says he has been very lucky with work and gripping is his only job. He recalls moments — in the first few years — of thinking he would have to get other work, but now has some gear and understands the need to “conserve, reserve, and save” and “can survive all year comfortably.”
Most of Josh’s Queenstown work is for international TVC’s plus a few local jobs in the mix. “I try to find one movie a year to keep it interesting, and pick up small video-corporates with local camera people when… I am free from the bigger jobs.” In addition — and like many local crew — Josh picks up other bits and pieces when asked, including stills work, short films, and music videos plus staging work for a decking company.
Considering his rates, Josh says, “I find that the film industry as a whole struggles to keep up with inflation… and I wonder if some producers have even heard of the Consumer Price Index, or realize how much it costs to keep large vehicles on the road.
I am glad I have paid my dues and reached a sustainable rate as the newbies still seem to start on the same rates I started on ten years ago.” Josh doesn’t understand this, but it matches reports from other crew who commonly report static rates over the last decade.
“The dawn and rise of the digital age has changed a few things in ‘Grip World’. Things have both decreased in size — Go Pros, HD Pencil cams — and increased in others — HD 3D rigs, data capture devices... There is a lot more to learn and understand if you want to become a useful and relevant member of any small shooting team. I don’t generally see many young people who actually want to become grips. Most young people want to direct or shoot and don’t really see gripping as a desirable trade. Most new people we find and train from scratch. An engineering [bent] is handy but not essential. Fitness, strength, and a fearless attitude got me through the first few years. The technical stuff started to soak-in as I progressed in the industry.”
“As an industry and a culture I think New Zealanders are a very resourceful bunch. We can do a lot with not much and have the drive and stamina to keep going when the going gets tough. That reputation has served many people well on their travels around the world and continues to serve us well here in the film industry.”
Josh fears change that might make it harder for overseas companies to come and shoot here “I can only hope we don’t get too tied up with regulations and permits and permissions… Not that I want to work with cowboys [or] unsafe practices. Just a nice mix in the middle – a little bit of ‘she’ll be right’ and a fair dose of ‘easy as it goes’.”
On international differences between crew: “the main thing I notice on the bigger movies is the ‘departmentalisation’ — technicians very much stick to the thing that they are there to do – a ‘big studio system’. Whereas in the [local] TVC market we just help everyone out… and when we are under the pump, others help us. Not that I mind either way. Just’ noticed it."
So that’s it from me, Joshua Dunn, grip, chef, actor, human… Not necessarily in that order.”
Josh Dunn is 2011/2012 NZFVTG Queenstown Branch Chair.
