DEGANZ Welcomes Screen Sector Review

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DEGANZ logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

15 December 2021

The Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ) welcomes the review of the New Zealand Government’s Investment in The Screen Sector.

“The screen industry is rapidly changing,” said DEGANZ President Robyn Paterson, “so it is timely that the Government is looking to better leverage its investment in the New Zealand screen industry to improve outcomes for Aotearoa’s screen workers, businesses, and our own stories.”

In 2018 the Sapere Report, ‘Evaluating the New Zealand Screen Production Grant’, highlighted a gross additional economic benefit of $542 million directly attributable to NZSPG. This was later confirmed in a review of the Sapere Report by Infometrics.

The Infometrics evaluation also supported Sapere’s findings that the NZSPG has contributed greatly to the development of the film and television industry and all of the associated activities.

“The economic benefit of the NZSPG to New Zealand is undoubted”, added Paterson. “As is the positive impact it is having on the development of parts of the New Zealand screen industry.”

“The real opportunity with this review, however, is to determine how to make it more effective for the development of local IP including with our Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations, the creation of New Zealand stories for the international market place, and the sustainability of Aotearoa’s creative workers. This includes prioritising New Zealand-led productions for the international market, and looking at ways in which international productions that choose to film here may be encouraged to employ and develop our local directors, editors and other creatives.”

Infometrics questioned the long-term sustainability of the New Zealand screen sector without the NZSPG, and pointed to the need for indirect benefits to accrue, such as skills development, technology transfer, tourism and cultural benefits.

“A revised NZSPG with an emphasis on developing and growing our domestic capability while protecting its attractiveness to international productions, can deliver increased economic, cultural, technical and employment benefits for New Zealand well into the future,” Paterson went on to say; “It’s important that we build a stronger, less vulnerable, and more sustainable local sector.”

ENDS

For further information contact:

Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director, Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand
tui@deganz.co.nz
021 659 950

Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand is a not-for-profit Incorporated Society and Union that represents Directors, Editors and Assistant Editors in the New Zealand screen industry. This includes Directors, Editors and Assistant Editors of feature drama and documentary; television drama, documentary and factual programmes; short films; video art; animation; commercials and web content.

DEGANZ’s two primary roles are advocacy and professional development. We:

  • are dedicated to promoting excellence in the arts of directing and editing.
  • foster collegiality and unity within the screen industry.
  • promote members’ creative and economic rights.
  • work to improve industry working conditions and remuneration.
  • offer professional advice and information on contracts and industry standards and practice.
  • offer professional development events, networking opportunities, career advice, dispute resolution, mentoring, workshops, training, discounts and regular news bulletins for members across all levels of expertise, from novices to seasoned professionals.
  • are a voice for Directors, Editors and Assistants in influencing policy in the interest of our members. We do this through our membership of various pan‐industry bodies, and by making submissions to government and public officials.
  • internationally work co-operatively with other directors’ guilds.
  • belong to the International Affiliation of English‐Speaking Directors’ Organisations, Writer’s & Directors Worldwide, Alliance of Asia-Pacific Audiovisual Writers and Directors, and the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers.

DEGANZ is Auckland-based with an office in Grey Lynn.

Contact Details:
Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa NZ
Level 2, 66 Surrey Crescent
Grey Lynn
PO Box 47294, Ponsonby
AUCKLAND
admin@deganz.co.nz
+64 9 360 2102
+64 21 659 950

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ScreenSafe COVID 19 Health and Safety Protocols Review – The Traffic Light System

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14 December 2021

The Traffic Light system is designed for living with COVID-19 in the community. This is of course a huge mind-shift for everyone, but it is built on the foundation of one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.

Overall, the intent of the new system appears to be:

  • Encourage everyone to get vaccinated so that we can safely reopen the country
  • Reduce stress on the health system and protect the vulnerable
  • Ensure certainty and business continuity by incentivising businesses that use the vaccination passport system

The Traffic Light System will offer businesses much more flexibility and more certainty in regards to business continuity. COVID-19 restrictions within each level of the Traffic Light system are designed to encourage businesses to use vaccination passports, where only vaccinated staff, contractors and customers are allowed into a business or work site.

For productions using vaccination passports there are no restrictions on numbers on a work site. And Close Proximity work (make up, stunts, actor interaction, etc.) can happen at all levels, although with increasing risk minimisation tools (PPE, hygiene measures, testing, etc.) in place when moving to the higher levels.

Productions choosing NOT to enforce a vaccination passport system may have restricted access to some council and private locations, and some locations may not be available to those productions. Close Proximity work is only allowed in the green level.

We STRONGLY urge you to familiarise yourself with the new protocols. And in the next week we hope to also publish department specific guidelines for the new system.

Thank you to the NZ On Air and the New Zealand Film Commission for funding the review of these protocols.

Full release here of the key updates.

ScreenSafe COVID 19 Health and Safety Protocols Review – Traffic Light System Documents:

ScreenSafe COVID 19 Health and Safety Protocols for the Traffic Light System Guidance – updated 14th December 2021

ScreenSafe COVID 19 Health and Safety Standard

These documents need to be read and utilised together. These documents are intended to give Production Companies and HOD’s guidance and forms to manage Covid 19 on a working production.

Vaccination Passport Productions Traffic Light System Guidance – updated 14th December 2021

Non-Vaccination Passport Productions Traffic Light System Guidance – updated 14th December 2021

Surveillance Testing information sheet here updated 14th December 2021

Each production is required to register with ScreenSafe – please read about these requirements carefully in the Protocols.

ScreenSafe Production Registration link

ScreenSafe COVID 19 Health and Safety Department Roles (these will be updated in the coming week – 14th December 2021)

A very big thank you to the ScreenSafe COVID 19 Health and Safety Group for all of your hard work putting these documents together.

Ngā mihi,

Kelly Lucas
Executive Director
Screen Industry Guild Aotearoa New Zealand Inc.
(Previously the NZ Film & Video Technicians’ Guild Inc.)

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Upcoming World Premiere for Chambers’ KARANGA on Sky Arts

Member Mary-Lyn Chambers’ new short film, KARANGA, is set to have its world premiere on December 13 on Sky Arts. The film is a cinematic exploration of the Māori contemporary dance work of the same name, choreographed by Merenia Gray.

The work is a love letter to Gray’s late mother Tiahuia Te Puea Hērangi Ramihana Gray (Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne, Tainui), who performed the karanga – an ancient Maori ceremony only performed by women. KARANGA involves dance and the spoken word, led by performer Miriama McDowell.

Normally to be found in the editor’s chair, DEGANZ member Adam-Luka Turjak, also worked on this multidisciplinary dance work as the projections designer.

Watch KARANGA at 8:30pm, December 13 on Sky Arts.

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The Gone Gets Greenlight Under Te Puna Kairangi Interim Production Round

Peter Burger

Decisions are out for the Interim Production Round of Te Puna Kairangi Premium Fund. A panel made up of members from NZ On Air, NZFC and Te Māngai Pāho have made conditional offers to two drama series, one documentary series and a feature film.

We’re excited to see that DEGANZ member Peter Burger will direct the first block of new drama series The Gone (6 x 60 min), a co-production between New Zealand and Ireland.

Michael Bennett, Simone Nathan and Irish screenwriter Anna McPartlin will write the show. The Gone follows an Irish detective Theo Richter and Kiwi cop Diana Henare, who team up to find a young Irish couple after they vanish from an infamous rural North Island town. The project begins pre-production in January 2022.

The $50 million Fund supports the Aotearoa New Zealand production sector recovery from COVID-19 by supporting high-quality productions that tell New Zealand stories for global audiences. The four screen projects in the Interim Round will share over $11.5 million.

Read more

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Screen Industry COVID-19 Protocols – Traffic Light Update

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Red traffic light against clouds in the sky

Friday 3 December 2021

Hi and welcome to the Traffic Light system!

The following areas are currently in the RED level: Northland, Auckland, Taupō and Rotorua Lakes districts, Kawerau, Whakatane, Ōpōtiki districts, Gisborne district, Wairoa district, Rangitikei, Whanganui and Ruapehu districts

And these regions are in ORANGE: The rest of the North Island (Waikato, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa and Wellington), as will the entire South Island.

Note: The Auckland land and air boundaries will remain in place, so until 15 December 2021 people will only be able to travel out of Auckland for permitted reasons. From 15 December 2021, restrictions at the Auckland boundaries ease and personal travel will be permitted for any reason for travellers who have a Vaccine Pass or have a negative COVID-19 test, taken within 72 hours of travel.

The Protocols are currently out for legal and peer review. We were hoping to publish the revised protocols today, but we are still waiting for legal sign-off. Hopefully we will be able to publish in the next few days.

The new Protocols are very similar to the draft guidance provided on 17th November. But for now, the main things to keep in mind are:

  • Make a CLEAR decision whether you are doing a vaccination passport job or not.
  • Discuss your requirements with your safety office prior to commencing work and make clear guidelines to share with your crew.
  • If you need a film permit from a local council or film offices, please get in touch with them. Like everyone else, they are working hard to create clear guidelines for the new system.

Remember to get your My Vaccine Pass if you are double vaccinated or you have an official vaccination exemption. And productions should download the NZ Pass Verifier if you choose to use a vaccination passport on your production.

Finally – be nice to each other. It’s a strange new world for everyone, whether you are vaccinated or not. And it will take a while for everyone to adjust.

Kia kaha!

Sincerely,
The ScreenSafe COVID-19 Group
Email: info@screensafe.co.nz

Download this update in PDF

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