Wellington's Revival

There is a bit bubbling away down here. The phones have been ringing at Crew Wellington with a couple of decent-sized commercials coming to town from parts north. Maybe word is getting out that you can still get a crew down here even if your name’s not Pete or Jim. Here’s hoping – it’s been a long cold winter!

Meanwhile, out on the streets, Taika Waititi and** Jemaine Clement **have been spending their own money on a semi-improvised mockuntary about Wellington’s vampire population. In any other hands you’d groan and change the channel at that point. But coming from those two comic talents, and a very experienced Wellington shooting crew, chances are it’s going to be sensational.

In the cinemas, Two Little Boys is still going well. How to Meet Girls from a Distance has become the feel-good story of the year. If you haven’t seen it yet, forgive me for lapsing into my other job, but it really is a ripper.

But the big news out of town is that Avalon Studios has sold. I went out and talked to **Paul Mainering **– long-time employee at Avalon, and now one of the new owners group. He told me categorically that Avalon is open for business and will remain that way. As of April, when TVNZ hand over the keys, they will be actively seeking out productions to shoot there. Avalon is still the best purpose-built soundstage in New Zealand by a mile and it’ll be great to see the place humming again. If you’re looking for a place to shoot I get the impression you could talk some seriously good deals right now.

On a more serious, but just as happy note, at our Wellington branch AGM **Richard Bluck **stepped up to take on the chair role and Jen Metcalfe is our new treasurer.

Big thanks to Dave Brown and** Jules Lovelock **for their unstinting and vastly entertaining work over the last year or years.

Graeme Tuckett, Guild member