Weta Digital and Techos' Guild

Kia ora all. I feel it’s time to set the record straight, after two articles in the Herald on Sunday on 26th May 2013 (articles available online at www.nzherald.co.nz).

So here goes… A reporter from the Herald on Sunday called the Techos’ Guild and requested comment on the first story ‘Weta Digital’s foreign imports worry unions’ and the subsequent editorial ‘Great films, but where are the jobs’ (in the same issue). I referred the reporter on to our president Alun Bollinger and when he was contacted, he commented on behalf of the Guild. However, when the article went to print, his comments were not included in the article, only quotes from the Council of Trade Unions (CTU).

The CTU represent The Writers’ Guild and Actors Equity and although explained to the reporter that the Techos’ Guild (not the CTU) represents the film and video technicians, the reporter published quotes only from the CTU. There were no writers or actors in Weta Digital’s application for workers – the application was for technical staff! Additionally, the CTU, at no time approached the Techos’ Guild to verify the application for 526 workers or the background behind the application.

The Techos’ Guild received the Application in Principle (AIP) from Weta Digital in March for 526 workers. The AIP is based on Weta Digital’s ‘calculation and estimate’ of additional workers they believe they may need to meet the requirements of confirmed contracts. Included in the 2013 application of 526 were a number of contactors from last year’s application of 369, who will stay on and require visa renewals. Less than 369 were actually required in 2012.

The application for 536 is not solely for The Hobbit as written by the Herald on Sunday reporter. The application is to meet confirmed contracts for visual effects on multiple international features. This year’s application is for significantly more contracts than last year. Apart from The Hobbit, none of the other contracts were shot in New Zealand. These are major international productions that choose to have their visual effects done at Weta Digital in New Zealand.

The shortage in these skills is not a skill shortage just in New Zealand – it is a worldwide shortage. If the contracts were to go to any other country, that country would be going to this same pool of international expertise to meet skill shortages to complete their contracts. The numbers in this pool (although growing) just isn’t growing fast enough to meet the ever-increasing demand for visual effects on practically all major productions these days.

Part of the due diligence conditions set out to Weta Digital from the Techos’ Guild (apart from the obviously ensuring that they have employed any suitable local technicians) is education. In 2012 Victoria University launched a new masters’ programme in computer graphics in response to outreach from Weta Digital and other digital effects companies. Weta Digital hopes that this course will be able to deliver qualified graduates over the coming years. Again, the reality is that the masters graduates may not meet the required numbers in the short term but this is a step in the right direction.

Before Weta Digital’s AIP was accepted by the Techos’ Guild, the application was presented to a number of our executive board members and the comment on reading the full proposal was ‘it’s a no brainer’.

Naturally it’s important that the press continues to investigate issues of immigration but it is imperative in the name of responsible, balanced journalism that facts and relevant opinions are provided to the reader.

So, I hope this gives clarity to make an informed judgment with the additional imperative facts that the Herald on Sunday reporter omitted from the article.

Since this article was written a complaint was made to the editor of the Herald on Sunday by the Guild. The editor apologised and told us he ‘was not happy that this had happened’. To put our side forward he offered the Techos’ Guild the lead spot in the letters to the editor section. This letter was limited to around 200 words (which was a real challenge). Our letter was run after other letters and in the last column. Additionally the letter submitted was signed by both Alun Bollinger and Sioux Macdonald with their respective designations as president and vice president on behalf of The New Zealand Film and Video Technicians’ Guild. Both designations were omitted from publication, after reassurances that our final letter submitted would be printed. The letter to the editor is not online either. We felt it was a very disappointing outcome from the Herald on Sunday.