Screen Wellington: Making Wellington Wildly Famous

Screen Wellington is around 20 years old, making it one of the most experienced film offices in New Zealand.

Initially established as a parking permits office through Wellington City Council, the burgeoning Wellington film industry soon wanted a one-stop-shop to liaise with and advocate on their behalf with local government.

Screen Wellington now sits with Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA), the region’s economic growth agency, reflecting its crucial role in advocating for and supporting the industry, and attracting projects.

Now, Screen Wellington works with ten local councils to support the region’s film-friendly reputation. These include Wellington City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt, Kapiti Coast, Masterton, Carterton, South Wairarapa, Porirua, Greater Wellington and Marlborough District (as of August 2018).

Screen Wellington’s Manager, Katie Frost, says Wellington’s screen industry is vibrant and world-renowned.

“We’re famous for our filmmakers, post-production and digital effects, set, costume and prop design, incredible locations, and can-do attitude. Since day one we’ve been on hand to support the film makers in their journey.”

Screen Wellington were also the first film office in NZ to implement the digital permitting process – which has dramatically sped up the application process, and we’re always seeking out new ways to innovate.

Introducing the team

Katie Frost and Alex Glasspool are Screen Wellington’s dynamic duo, responsible for all filming permits in the greater Wellington region.

“Screen Wellington works hard to connect our filmmakers to the people, tools, and expertise required for productions of any length or budget. We provide free support and advice on filming, locations, permits, local crew and business support in Wellington,” says Katie.

As team manager, Katie’s key priorities include supporting and advocating for the local industry, talent development, and support in local IP development. She works closely with the NZ Film Commission and has a key focus on international relations – with Wellington’s sister cities and market connection. Katie’s been in the team for five years and supports industry-led initiatives like the Screen Production and Development Association’s (SPADA) annual conference and likes to work with the local industry to celebrate its many successes.

Alex Glasspool is Screen Wellington’s facilitation guru. She works directly with the Wellington region’s nine local councils on film-friendly policies, and with residents and retailers. Alex runs the permitting process from start to finish, and acts as the liaison point between the council and filmmaker. She’s been a key part of the team since October 2017 and is an integral part in making Wellington film-friendly. Day to day, Katie and Alex work with our screen-friendly regional councils, Wellingtonians, and a broad range of businesses to support and enhance the local production experience. They can advise on the many unique locations Wellington boasts within easy reach, provide access to award-winning crews, and advise on street closures, permits, and permissions. They also help ensure there’s a smooth production process in the creative capital. Katie and Alex work closely with local companies providing state-of-the-art services like Weta Digital, Weta Workshop, Park Road Post Production, Stone Street Studios, and Avalon Studios. Katie also works alongside the Regional Film Offices of New Zealand to keep national and regional issues and opportunities top of mind, and to support and advocate for the industry. Wellington’s recent achievements include several feature films like Daffodils and Mortal Engines, as well as bringing TV commercials, short films, and TV series Wellington Paranormal.

Record-breaking year

The team were thrilled to realize a record-breaking 515 film permits were issued in the year ending June 2017, up from 398 the previous financial year. Worth an estimated $93.2 million to Wellington’s regional economy, the permits spanned across 223 different projects including TV series, commercials, short films, documentaries, feature films, and other creative projects like music videos and web series. Katie says Wellington has proudly built up a reputation as being film friendly with highly accessible locations – reflected by the increasing diversity in the screen sector. Wellington is globally recognized for big Hollywood blockbusters – from Avatar to Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, but the local screen sector is becoming more diverse. They were thrilled to see the return of TV to Wellington, especially What We Do in the Shadows TV spinoff, Wellington Paranormal.

In fact, Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s Wellington Paranormal is one of the productions behind a 25 percent increase in filming permits issued in the Wellington region over the past year.