United Voice Shouts Louder

A new industry organisation, the ‘Pan Screen Group’, has been formed to provide a unified voice to Government on issues impacting the NZ screen industry. The group will first address Government on the need to increase screen incentives, with an aim of restoring NZ’s international competitiveness.

A state of the nation type meeting of over 400 screen industry stakeholders including technicians, writers, directors, producers, actors, screen guilds, screen associations and film schools was held on 14 November 2013 at the Mt. Eden War Memorial Hall.

Discussed at the gathering was the current downturn in the NZ screen industry, which comes after the Government’s decision to not increase incentives for international productions. This means NZ’s screen rebate is unattractive and uncompetitive in the international filming market. Despite NZ’s world class facilities and talents, NZ is unable to compete with other countries due to the low rebate. NZ’s once thriving screen industry has recently seen business closures and the sale of facilities and equipment. Many of the country’s best and brightest talents have left to work overseas.

In an effort to bring together the different sectors of the screen industry, Film Auckland organised the ‘screen industry forum’ with the support of film guilds and other industry organisations. It follows attempts by various individuals in the industry to lobby Government to increase filming incentives to help bring more productions in.

Vocal and passionate attendees came together from all parts of the country to share their concerns about the current downturn, including losing a vital part of NZ’s economy, the brain drain of IP (through skilled and experienced screen practitioners leaving NZ) and the potential loss of a valued cultural taonga (NZ’s storytelling on screen). Aside from the screen rebates being uncompetitively low, another concern for some is that Government’s call for more intellectual (IP) creation would be too exclusive and to the detriment of attracting international screen productions.

A panel chaired by journalist** Rod Oram** discussed the challenges facing the industry. The New Zealand Film and Video Technicians’ Guild treasurer Brendon Durey represented and spoke on behalf the Guild. The other panelists were Dave Rowell (Studio West), Richard Bluck (New Zealand Cinematographers Society/Wellington branch chair for The Techos’ Guild), Jeff Szusterman (Actors Equity NZ), Michael Bennett (director/writer),** Stephen Knightly** (New Zealand Game Developers Association) and Rachel Jean (South Pacific Pictures’ head of development).

The consensus was that Government’s screen sector review analysis of the screen rebates is faulty and that Government did not consult with appropriate industry. It was called for the Government to enter into more open dialogue and consultation with the industry, and that a pan screen group would be set up for this purpose.

There are also concerns that the wider community is not aware that screen rebates are only paid when money is spent by international screen productions. It needs to be made clear that incentives are about bringing money to NZ and not the reverse.

Three resolutions were passed at the meeting and are as follows:

Resolution one

A pan-screen industry structure will be formed that provides a unified voice on issues that strongly affect the industry (‘the Pan Screen Group’). The aim of this group is to actively support a healthy and vibrant industry that contributes positively to the New Zealand economy. Film Auckland Inc. will coordinate the first meeting of this group.

Resolution two:

That the Pan Screen Group shall seek an urgent meeting with Government. The group will advise the Government that it is a pan industry group and therefore should be consulted on all key matters regarding the New Zealand screen industry – domestic or international.

Resolution three

The LBSPG and PDV Grant should be increased to a level which will restore New Zealand’s international competitiveness with immediate effect. The increased rate should apply for at least three years while a new strategy supporting ‘IP creation’ including its funding, investment, and infrastructure model is developed.

Film Auckland would like to acknowledge and thank all the many people who helped make the screen industry forum come together on the day.

Film Auckland press release, 15 November 2013.

Note, the first meeting of the wider screen industry group took place on 25 November 2013. Representatives from screen industry guilds, groups, and key individuals attended including a representative from the Facebook group NZ Film Industry Forum.