All Blog Posts

A Lot Going On

There’s a lot going on in the NZ screen industry at the moment, so I thought I would touch on a number of subjects. First up is the NZFC’s Ramai Hayward Directors' Scholarship for wahine Māori. A lot has been made of the fact that there…
Read more

Online Content – Take 2

It’s rare that I raise the same issue two weeks in a row. But the contracts that online platforms are seeking to put in place—or are with those who either don’t know what they’re signing or don’t care—are so unfair that that the…
Read more

Web Series – Opportunities or Rorts?

Ever since Auckland Daze transitioned from online to TV, web series have been seen as an opportunity for young scripted programme makers to get the break they so desperately want and have been effectively shut out of in broadcast in New Zealand. Of…
Read more

Just Do It?

I was listening to an interview with British director and editor Ben Wheatley on a podcast the other day. Wheatley in case you don’t know him is considered the new enfant terrible of British film. He started out making videos for YouTube…
Read more

Newsflash

I try to stay up to date with what’s happening in the film and TV industry both at home and abroad by reading as many items and articles as I have time for. A few things have caught my attention in recent times that I would like to share with…
Read more

Down Tools?

I was considering what to write about this week when an email came in announcing a possible strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA). It was 2007 when the WGA last went out on strike. It lasted for 100 days. They were finally able to…
Read more

The Slap… Not Just An Aussie Drama Series

While the Australian screen industry is different from ours, there are sufficient similarities to warrant us keeping a close eye on what happens across the Tasman. The uproar that occurred when Freemantle Media hired a Canadian female director…
Read more

Doing the Berlinale

I was extremely fortunate to be invited to the Berlin International Film Festival by the German Federal Government last month. I participated in an information tour of the Berlinale together with 25 other guests from around the world, made up…
Read more
Group photo from Directors Toolkit with Charlie Haskell

What’s Up In 2020?

We’ve got the elections this year and that means everything is up in the air. Simon Bridges says he’ll likely reverse the TVNZ-RNZ merger if National gets back into power. The Film Industry Working Group’s recommendations around…
Read more
Group photo from Directors Toolkit with Charlie Haskell

A Big Year

It has been a big year for DEGNZ and the Screen Industry. At the Guild we have unionised, and we have recently been accepted by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) as an affiliate. We are now well poised to represent New Zealand…
Read more
Group photo from Directors Toolkit with Charlie Haskell

An Active November at DEGNZ

, ,
November was a particularly busy month in events for DEGNZ. We ran a 2-day weekend Directors Toolkit in Wellington with director Charlie Haskell, which was greatly enjoyed by the directors in attendance. The following week, DEGNZ vice-president…
Read more
Group photo from Directors Toolkit with Charlie Haskell

War of the SVODs World

Well it’s happening. The SVOD wars have really kicked off. Apple TV+ debuted in New Zealand on 1 November with 14 original shows. Very much a tortoise approach from Apple, and you don’t have to pay for it for a year if you’ve bought…
Read more
Group photo from Directors Toolkit with Charlie Haskell

An Answer to NZ’s Broadcasting Industry Dilemma?

As Minister of Broadcasting Kris Faafoi gets set to decide the New Zealand broadcasting industry’s future with hopefully sound advice that includes a note that the industry is more than just News and Current Affairs, I postulate further on…
Read more
Group photo from Directors Toolkit with Charlie Haskell

Eye On Asia

I had the good fortune to attend the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) for the official launch of the Alliance of Asia-Pacific Audiovisual Writers and Directors (AAPA) last week. Guild president Howard Taylor signed the MOU for DEGNZ’s…
Read more

ANZSE Career Spotlights

Read about the illustrious careers of ANZSE-accredited editors.

A Kōrero With…

In this guest blog series, we speak to screen professionals to find out more about their job and what most people might not know, including those working in the industry. This blog offers an inside look into different parts of the industry and offers insights into how directors and editors can be successful in the collaborative process of their mahi.

How I Got Started in the Industry

In this guest blog series, our members reflect on how they made their way into assistant editing, editing, and directing—with no two stories the same. They offer advice for those starting out.