The New Zealand Film Industry

Demonstrate understanding of a specific media industry

Level 3 Credits 4 Assessment External

Achievement Achievement with Merit Achievement with Excellence

Explain how a specific media industry is organised and controlled.

Analyse how a specific media industry is organised and controlled.

Analyse perceptively how a specific media industry is organised and controlled.

This will be assessed by an essay written in the external exams on Monday, 28 November.

What we’re going to look at• How is the film industry organised?

– Basic overview – how it works• Freelance & Fragmented

– Changes in the industry due to digital– An increasing emphasis on Post Production

• How is the industry controlled?– Boom & Bust– Cultural vs Commercial

• External / Governmental– NZ Film Commission

• Large Budget Screen Production Grant

• SPIF

• Elevator

What is a New Zealand Film?

Made in New ZealandMade by New Zealanders

Made about New Zealand or New Zealanders

Costa Botes – New Zealand Filmmaker(Forgotten Silver, Making of Lord of the Rings, Saving Grace

Why study the NZ film industry?

The film industry is important to NZ because:

It’s economically important to NZ - It’s a creative industry and part of the ‘knowledge economy’

It’s culturally important - it helps us to form a national identity and to show the world who we are

“The film industry is driven by economics. It’s Creative and Commercial. Art and Money.

The film industry isn’t a one-size fits all industry and we are not one size fits all

people”.

Phillipa Campbell – Film Producer(Black Sheep, Rain, No. 2)

What do you know?

• About how the New Zealand film industry is organised? How does it work?

• What New Zealand Films do you know?

• What issues are you aware of?

Film Production in New Zealand

1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

5 15 12 3 4 4 17 56 38 60 70

Note: 2010s extrapolated on pro rata basis

Our most successful films in NZ

$ Amount earned at box office

Film Year

$9,237,976 BOYTaika Waititi

2010

$7,047,000 THE WORLD’S FASTEST INDIANRoger Donaldson

2005

$6,795,000 ONCE WERE WARRIORS Lee Tamahori

1994-95

$6,400,000 WHALE RIDERNiki Caro

2003

$4,075,000 SIONE’S WEDDINGChris Graham

2006

Our films overseas

What is the NZ film industry?

“The film industry is really diverse. There are lots of different areas of endeavor that filmmakers undertake, and films are made using different types of government forms of finance or independently with private finance or both…

Some make for small neighborhoods, some for NZ audiences, some for countries around the world. Very diverse and has lots and lots of different layers to it. From 48 hour film festival, neighborhood organizations to large scale feature films…

Organisational overview• Most film makers are self employed and

contracted for the period of time the film is being made.

• Exceptions would be people in development for large companies such as South Pacific Pictures.

• In order to produce a film, you have to get financial backers

• This can come from government, private investors, co-productions

• Someone with an idea for a film will generally either produce it themselves, or take it to a producer who will help them find funding for it.

• It isn’t until funding is approved that production companies will hire other personnel.

• Most people employed in the film industry are self employed and make a living by also working in the tv or advertising industry – it’s a screen industry.

A background to the current NZ film industry

• We have always had a strong film industry

• Before the Lord of the Rings trilogy filmmakers were struggling to make a living from film

• LOTR (1999-2001) helped the Labour government to see the potential return in film making as a creative industry

What is the NZ film industry?

The increase in technology has changed elements of control over the industry. Filmmakers can have more control over their product and access to the making film with digital technologies and the Internet is changing distribution methods.

The film industry is driven by economics. It’s Creative and Commercial. Art and Money.

The film industry isn’t a one-size fits all industry and we are not one size fits all people”.

Philippa Campbell – Film Producer

What is the NZ film industry?

“Film making is a marriage of art and commerce. Success, whether it is measured in artistic, cultural or commercial terms, is for the most part elusive. There can be no guarantee of recoupment, let alone profits; there is no formula that can ensure a successful film..”

Peter Jackson (film commission review)

A Sustainable Industry

• The Labour government wanted both foreign and local film to cohabit and bring in a profit

• BUT they required a cultural pay-off

• They wanted film making to become self-funding

• They put more money into supporting the film industry than previous governments

The rise of the film industry

After the Screen Industry task force of 2002:

• The government formed Film NZ (the locations and NZ film info office)

• The Film commission’s (government funding organisation) funding doubled to $20mill from 2004 (25 mill in 2007/8)

• The screen council was formed to facilitate growth and stability

If you build it they will come…

• International film infra-structure created by PJ in Wellington encouraged overseas production to come here and also meant local film makers now had world class facilities for production and post-production

• The Large Budget Grant Scheme was introduced in 2003 to encourage overseas film and TV production to come to NZ (and they did!)

Westies rule!

• Westywood (Henderson studios) is closely following Wellington as being a source of employment and infrastructure for screen workers.

• Westywood is worth approx $10 mill annually - rivaling tourism and wine industry.

Co-productions

• For both financial and creative reasons, some films attract funding from NZ and overseas.

• A co-production can be a 'New Zealand film’ and get funding from the NZFC

• New Zealand is a party to co-production agreements with Australia, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Singapore, Germany and Ireland.

Local Film funding

• Many local film makers get funding from the film commission

• The film fund was created in 2000 with $22mill for local 2nd time filmmakers

• The fund was a one off but has been topped up by profit from 7 feature films so is still going

• Another funding scheme for local and overseas film makers is called the SPIF – funds film and television

• There’s also a number of short film funds available

In 2008/9

• Auckland’s revenue for feature films declined in 2008/9 by 42 % to $220 million

• Feature films produced by Wellington businesses earned two-thirds of the revenue for feature film production. In the Wellington region, revenue for this subsector grew by 70 percent to $429 million

• The rest of the country accounted for $5 million revenue

Things to consider:• More post-production work is undertaken in Wellington• A reduction in overseas funding is one of the reasons

Auckland lost revenue• Screen workers often straddle the film and tv industries• Screen industry revenue as a whole increased 3% in

2008/9 to earn NZ $2,806 million

In 2010

• Success for local film in NZ – “Boy” “Home by Christmas”

• Success for local film overseas –

“ Untouchable Girls” , “This Way of Life”, “Matariki”

• The review of the Film Commission

http://www.mch.govt.nz/projects/culture/100628NZReport.pdf

What now – Boom or Bust?The industry is faced with unique challenges• It’s a creative and a business venture• It needs $$$ input up front, despite there being no

indication of success and return of those $$$• It relies on overseas film makers for $$$

BUT: it is also a local industry wanting to tell local stories• It’s competing against other countries who want to lure

film makers there• It relies on diversification into other screen production

areas to build skill

What now - Boom or Bust?The industry is faced with CHANGE:

• The global recession

• A change in government and government priorities

• Changes in the way films are distributed

• Changes in the ways films are produced

• Changes in way films are consumed by audiences (and the pushing and shoving to get an audience at all)