Techosphere

We Represent You!

Meet the dedicated Guild members working to support and represent the NZ film industry.

Introducing your Guild representatives. They represent you on national and regional committees. All these roles call for voluntary time and commitment and are given by your fellow Guild members to ensure we not only have a Guild but we work in unity to uphold the terms and conditions we work to ensuring we have a professional and structured industry.

Sioux Macdonald (nee Ferguson)

Vice president SIGANZ | Auckland branch committee | national executive

Sioux began her career in the film industry at the tender age of 16 as a facilities assistant. The following eight years found Sioux working throughout the North Island for numerous post and production facilities before buying crew booking services company Filmcrews. Two decades on, Sioux still runs Filmcrews and enjoys watching her crew progress their careers, she is renowned for orientating new crew in the industry. Sioux has been a member of the Techos’ Guild for 19 years. She was closely involved in the 2017 update of The Blue Book with a specific focus on crew safety and on-set working conditions, and in the past year has been representing the Screen Industry Guild as an integral part of the Government’s Film Industry Working Group along with other industry leaders.

Nick Treacy

Auckland branch committee (current chair) | national executive

Nick has over 20 + years’ experience as a freelancer in sound. Working on live acts in stadiums and pubs early in his career proved to be a great training ground for the rough and tumble of the film and television industry. Currently, the sound kit has been hung up whilst Nick concentrates on his camera rental business, which has grown from a part-time to full-time endeavour. Nick joined the Techos’ Guild as he saw it as a positive way to bring together a cohesive voice in the screen production sector and wanted to play a part in building a strong, healthy and safe working environment for crew.

Brendon Durey

Auckland branch committee (Treasurer) | national executive

Brendon began in the NZ film industry in 1986 as a stunt double on The Navigator. He now manages Film Effects, Auckland’s largest mechanical physical effects company. He has worked in TV, film, large-scale live shows and events over the years, mainly in NZ but also in many other countries. Brendon joined the Guild early in his career and in recent years has served on the executive in order to contribute to a fair and safe working environment in the industry and to also help give a voice to film industry workers.

Ben Vandepoel

Auckland branch committee

Ben is a freelance sound recordist based in Auckland. He joined the Guild primarily because of its work in the past and also for the future creation protocols and guidelines by which individual contractors can structure their work. He recognised that without this framework, the voices of individuals and small groups would get lost in the world of freelance. Also, the power of this larger group could help influence decisions, or at least give voice to grievances, on a Government level that could affect us all. It is also a way to meet fellow workers, share stories, organise events and learn from others' experience beyond the on-set environment.

Sean O'Neill

Auckland branch committee

Sean has worked in the NZ film industry for over 30 years and in that time has seen many changes. As a new member of the executive, he is looking forward to contributing to a team of like-minded professionals with a goal of making the industry a safe, sustainable, and equitable environment for all parties involved. He believes that the open forum communication, participation, and involvement of the Guild between all the groups associated with the industry (as witnessed recently with the incentive initiative) indicates an extremely positive step forward and hopefully the beginning of a new era.

Rewa Harre

Auckland branch committee | national executive

Rewa left school 33 years ago with a passion to become a cameraman working in the film industry. His particular area of interest and fascination was the art and mechanics of using a camera and lighting to help tell stories. Since starting that journey, Rewa has worked on many interesting projects with many fantastic people. Rewa points out that the film industry is a collaborative process, therefore he believes strongly that we have and support a collective industry body such as the Screen Industry Guild. As a longstanding technician, Rewa respectfully recognizes that the guild was established and moved forward by a number of dedicated film and television technicians many years ago. Their hard work and dedication to create a professional and solid industry lead to the establishment of The Blue Book, a document which is fundamental to the film industry framework and serves as the base for all those working environment.

Steve King

Auckland branch committee

Steve is a producer and director predominantly in the corporate media domain, but is also managing director of Prompt Service, NZ’s number one autocue crew. He has been a Techos’ Guild member since starting as freelancer in the video production industry over 25 years ago. The Guild has acted not only as a source of professional support and advice but also fellowship. Steve values and enjoys being connected to the rest of his peers and associates through more than just the current job he is working on.

Mareena King

Auckland branch committee (current branch secretary)

Mareena is an avid fan of Danish cinema and is a relative newcomer to the NZ Film Industry with 10 years’ experience in Production. Working as a Production Manager in the ever vibrant and changing world of commercials and drama she relishes the fast paced dynamic industry. She is very pleased and proud to have the opportunity to be more involved with the film community through her appointment as Auckland Branch Secretary and is looking forward to having a hand in securing a brighter, safer future for all. She believes - because we work in an industry that creates magic for the soul and symphonies for the heart, we have a responsibility to do the best job we can for the people who make it all happen.

Christian Gower

Auckland branch committee

Christian is one of New Zealand’s leading Digital Imaging Technicians and a member of the Guild since 2013. In 2016 he launched Crewlist, the country’s largest networking app for screen industry professionals. Christian sees the Guild as a driving force behind making our industry a world leader in creativity, innovation, equity, safety, transparency and environmentalism. He looks forward to helping the Guild connect with tomorrow’s filmmakers to lead our industry into the future.

Richard Bluck

Past-president SIGANZ | national executive | Wellington

Richard is a cinematographer based in Wellington. He has been in the film industry for 35 years as a cinematographer, camera/Steadicam operator, focus puller, director, and producer. He is past-president of the SIGANZ and past-president of the New Zealand Cinematographers Society. Richard’s background has seen him shoot numerous features and television productions with a specialization in 3D. His involvement with the SIGANZ stems from his belief that industry members need to have a collective voice to promote fair and equitable treatment of all members, also to have a forum to interact and develop ideas to make the industry more sustainable.

Ken Saville

Wellington branch committee

Ken is a freelance location sound operator in Wellington. Ken has been in the film industry as a freelancer for 36 years. Ken’s support of good safe industry work practice within the film industry stems back to his attendance of the first Film Academy meeting in the early 80s out of which the Techos’ Guild was created. Voted chairman of the Wellington branch in 1999, Ken stayed in this position until his resignation in 2007. He additionally remained on the national executive until 2013. Often voted as crew representative, Ken stresses the Guild’s importance in upholding, representing, and supporting the rights of all crew in the film industry. He stresses the importance that to survive, the Guild needs the help and support from all its members.

Sally Cunningham

Wellington branch committee | national executive

Sally has been a part of the film and television industry for 13 years. She graduated from the NZ Film and TV School in 2005 and moved into working mainly in Production. She now works as a Production Coordinator and Assistant Production Coordinator. She joined the guild in 2006 as a way of meeting people and networking. Having been a part of the guild since the early days of her career she can see how important it is for those in the industry to be educated about what the guild does. With our new name reflecting our inclusivity, she encourages all members to talk to crew, especially in departments that are underrepresented, to get involved in the guild and be part of shaping our industry.

Adrian (Wookie) Hebron

Wellington branch committee | current chair

Adrian (aka Wookie) has been a member of the NZ Film Industry since 1986 and works as a Gaffer. A Guild member since 1990 Wookie believes that if we are to take advantage of what the Guild has to offer then we must put something back into it even if it is just being a paid-up member. This should be everyone who works in the industry. Wookie says we are very fortunate in our industry to have the conditions that the Guild has for us. Few other self-employed industries have anything approaching what we have. Over the past couple of years, Wookie has been on the steering committee for ScreenSafe and is very proud of what it is accomplishing and that the Guild is being proactive and leading the way regarding our Health and Safety.

Belindalee Hope

Wellington branch committee

Belindalee works as a Line Producer and Production Manager. She has been in the industry since the early nineties and has worked on a broad range of projects. These days she’s most passionate about working with New Zealand filmmakers and developing the talent in our industry. Belindalee has been a member of the Guild since 2003. She sees the Blue Book and the ScreenSafe as providing a fundamental basis that underpins our entire industry. She says if all the people who invoice according to blue book terms, those working on TVCs, TV, and films, joined the Screen Industry Guild that would be nearly everyone working in the industry. Over the years Belindalee has seen the Guild play a crucial role for peer support, networking, be a lifeline in times of need, and be an important voice on industry issues that has affected real change. She sees being a member of the Guild as necessary step towards future-proofing our industry, as it provides a cohesive vehicle to move with changing times, so we can remain a strong and vital industry.

Richard Lander

Wellington branch committee | current branch secretary

Richard Lander has been in the industry since the late 1970’s, scary - spooky to him. His background is that of a Camera person. Avalon Studios has always been his home, he’s part of the furniture. Since 2012 when Avalon became an independent Company he’s been the Studio & Facilities Manager. He enjoys seeing Producers' projects coming to life. He believes strongly in the Guild's ethos, and the advocacy it provides for those who work in our Industry.

Corey Le Vaillant

Wellington branch committee

Corey has been freelancing in the Wellington region for the last five years, working in the Production and AD departments on a wide range of projects, from low to high budgets and pro-bono work. Alongside his passion for film and television, Corey has a background in education and enjoys introducing and promoting the work of the Guild to crew members: getting them up to speed on what the Guild is for, and the benefits it holds for our crew community in representation and support.

Annie Weston

President | National Executive | Queenstown

Annie started working in the film industry in 1990 as a Production Assistant in Wellington. In 1997 she moved to Queenstown where she’s lived ever since, working mainly as a Production Manager and freelance Line Producer on international TVC’s. Currently, she’s pursuing work as a Line Producer on feature films and writing screenplays in her free time. She has been a member of the Guild for over 25 years and sees the Blue Book as a production bible - ‘without these industry guidelines we would have nothing with which to inform overseas productions and it would be open slather’.

Thomas (Thom) Watson

Queenstown branch committee

Thomas is a technician based in Queenstown. He has been working on TVCs and films since 1999, joining the Guild soon after falling into the industry. Involved in stabilised remote heads predominantly with time spent in other tech areas. His interest in the Screen Guild stems from the belief that there needs to be a collective body representing individuals working in the industry.

John Allan

Queenstown branch committee | executive committee

John has been working as an Art Director since the 90s in Australia and New Zealand. He also has a hire business in Queenstown supplying vehicles and equipment to the industry. The workplace conditions that we enjoy and many take for granted is one of the reasons for his involvement in the guild.

Wayne Allen

Queenstown branch committee | current chair

Wayne started in the outdoor adventure industry in the late 80s and has been in the Queenstown film business for 15 plus years as a safety officer. He operates Southern Safety Film and Events, managing safety on TVC’s, features, and large adventure events in the South Island. He sees the Guild in association with ScreenSafe, working together to provide a clear understanding of requirements for the filming community in its projects. The Guild can provide the framework for unity and support for PCBU’s in the industry.

Nic MacAllan

Queenstown branch committee | branch secretary

As owner of film industry oriented vehicle rental company Direct Rentals, and partner of an Art Director Nic spent many years on the peripheral of the film industry. In 2018 she joined the industry force as a freelancer in production and art department. Nic strongly believes it is in the best interest of all those in the screen industry to collectively support the Guild and ensure a safe crew environment. A strong crew will provide a platform for the industry to grow which in turn will benefit everyone.

Jo Bollinger

Queenstown branch committee

Jo is an electrician who started doing lighting in the early nineties in Queenstown. From the West Coast, he has worked mainly in Te Wai Pounamu apart from a couple of years earlier on in Tamaki Makaurau. He is a member of the Guild because without it he says, “we’re screwed”. To ensure he’s not surreptitiously voted president, he turns up to as many meetings as possible.

Pip Gillings

Queenstown branch committee

Pip has worked in the NZ screen industry for almost 30 years, primarily in the TVC world. Initially, Pip worked in Wellington, then Auckland, and 13 years ago moved to Queenstown and this is where she has based herself to work as a Production Manager and Line Producer but works all over NZ. Over the past five years, Pip has primarily worked on international feature films, TV series, and line production work and loves living in Queenstown. She has seen an enormous amount of change in her time in the industry and is hoping to encourage more diverse work to New Zealand so we can collectively avoid the ‘feast or famine’ cycles within the industry. Pip is also keen to see changes in awareness to more sustainable sets.

Wayne Allen

Queenstown branch committee | current chair