Opinions on the NZ film industry (Mr Mullen)

ChrisHurn · Mar 16, 2005

Hi there,

I am currently doing an article for homework (media class) on the New Zealand film industry, and how it has changed over the years. I'm interested to get comments and views from people in other countries. It would be really cool to get an answer from Mr Wagner, Mr Mullen or Mr Laszlo, but if anyone else would like to answer please feel free to do so. Please leave your first and last name, and your country on your post.

Anyway, basically I was just wondering a few things:

1) Did you ever think about the NZ film industry, or NZ at all before The Lord of the Rings trilogy?

2) What are your thoughts on the industry? (if any).

That's it for now. Please feel free to add anything else. I will edit this if I have any further questions.

Thanks!

-Chris

David Mullen ASC · Mar 16, 2005

I don't really have any relevant to say about the NZ film industry other than I wish them the best and it looks like a great location to make movies in. Actually, I never really gave NZ much thought, filmmaking-wise, until I saw Peter Jackson's fake documentary about a pioneering NZ filmmaker, "Forgotten Silver", which was made before LOTR.

Hamco · Feb 21, 2006

Obviously i'm biased towards the film industry in NZ, but here are some interesting films you might want to have a look at, im not sure if you will be able to get them all in the US.

The World's Fastest Indian http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412080/
Whale Rider http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298228/
River Queen http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388377/
Once Were Warriors http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110729/
Heavenly Creatures http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110005/
In My Fathers Den http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385017/

Not a comprehensive list but it does show that our industry is not just limited to the lord of the rings!

The films i have listed above I consider true New Zealand films, made by new zealanders with mostly new zealand money. Many other films choose to shoot in New Zealand, because its dirt cheap (US$ is worth 70 cents) and because we have every type of scenery you could want in a small geographic area, from beaches, forests, deserts mountains, cities etc.

Many hollywood productions are now outsourcing their effects work to Weta Digital, the effects company owned by Peter Jackson, which has now become famous for its work on LOTR and King Kong.

So i suppose in answer to your question, yes I definitely did think about the NZ film industry before LOTR, but LOTR was definitely what enspired me to get into the buisness, because up till that point NZ films had been very low budget, and did not get a lot of publicity. LOTR showed us that NZ can produce world class blockbusters, and is infact the ideal location for filmmaking.