Navigating Film Industry Shifts

What a strange old time we are in the middle of. This year has brought some great work opportunities to many crew, whilst those in the commercial market are suffocating in the wake of Covid. TVC advertisers and production companies are still having to navigate through the uncertainty of booking crew when key crew are still testing positive, sending production into complete turmoil, where on the flipside the long form jobs can replace that crew member for a few days at a time without the whole production coming to a halt.

I’d anticipate the commercial market is going to remain fragile for another 6-9 months, and hopefully by then we will see some stimulation from advertisers and once again some confidence in booking crew and going through with production. The feature film and drama series market still seems to be humming along nicely but this could have a slow patch in the second quarter of 2023 while we all eagerly await the Government’s announcement around the large production screen grants. Any uncertainty around what this may be sends a ripple effect of nervousness to offshore investors as well as local producers, so it will be good to know where the NZ industry is heading sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, it’s become obvious once again that Auckland is desperately needing to continue training up new crew in all departments to furnish what is already underway, and we look forward to hosting the remainder of Sweet Tooth, and welcoming Apple TV’s Chief of War along with other local films like The Bishop in the first quarter of the year.

Many of you will be aware of the Screen Industry Workers Bill coming into effect from the end of December 2022. No matter who you are, or which genre you work in, it will be a legal requirement from that point on for any engager to provide you with a contract PRIOR to engagement of your services. If you need a copy of a template, please contact the Executive Officer who will be able to help you with one. So, in the event that one is not supplied to you, you can forward foot it by politely providing a generic contract for them to check out.

Have a safe and happy holiday season, and be careful on those roads no matter how far you are travelling.

Sioux Macdonald, Guild vice president and executive committee member