DEGANZ member James Fink-Jensen is seeking support for his new short film’s Boosted campaign. To bring Strangers to life, the team needs to raise $8,000 and only has 26 days left in their campaign to do so.
The five-minute short dwells in the nervous pressure of making that first impression on a date. Protagonist Nigel “Mr Wrong” Wilson, a young and awkward journalist, sure knows how to make a lasting impression. From Nigel to Darcy Owens, the cafe waitress who balances a plate on one arm and impatience on the other, to antagonist Felix Green, part-time bartender, part-time menace, the colourful cast of characters are all propelled on a rollercoaster of their own. But really, how much could go wrong in just five minutes?
James sits at the helm of this project as director, producer, editor, and writer. He attributes Table Reads as an integral part of the development of Strangers and thanks DEGANZ members Vice President Steven Chow and ex-Vice President Gabriel Reid for their guidance and support throughout this process. He has also brought other DEGANZ members on board, with Guillame Arnoulet as 1AD and Kevin Luck as sound recordist.
It’s always great to see our members utilise the DEGANZ community and resources to their advantage. Best of luck to James and co. on the Boosted campaign!
You can support the project by donating to the Boosted here.
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Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD, edited by Margot Francis (DEGANZ) and produced by Leanne Pooley (DEGANZ), made its mark at the International Oceanian Documentary Film Festival (FIFO) in Tahiti earlier this month. The feature documentary won the 1st Special Jury and the Youth Jury Awards, winning a total of 700,000 XPF (about NZ$10,000).
Dame Valérie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD was the [last film we saw] and it was the big slap. We had shivers when we left. The choice was not easy but in the end it was obvious because Valérie Adams is a source of inspiration, an example for us young people to follow. It motivates us to have a more positive outlook on the future obstacles that we will encounter in our lives.
Emotions were high when director Briar March received the award during the festival’s closing ceremony. She was moved by how much Valerie and the film touched the jury.
The award-winning documentary is also now available to watch online here.
Congratulations to Margot, Leanne, and the rest of the team!
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I’ve been an editor for 17 years – and the majority of that is in the documentary space. For those that don’t know me, I am also a wheelchair user – the result of an accident 22 years ago. That hasn’t burdened my career at all. In fact, as a wheelchair user, you have to become a problem solver and think outside the box – a handy skill when you’re trying to connect a scene or thought in a timeline.
Tuning Your Skills
My career began after the 2004 Athens Paralympics. I competed in Wheelchair Rugby, and after returning home with the shiny medal, I received a letter that allowed me financial help to study anything I wanted. I opted to complete a post-grad in film and television. Upon completing my course, I was lucky enough to step into an edit assist role at Attitude Pictures. Initially, my role was ingesting analogue tapes and shot listing. After about 6 months, I had started rough cutting some of the short stories that used to make up the magazine style programming – each roughly 5-6 minutes. The short length meant you had to get creative in transitioning from scenes and joining movement. Here I got to start online editing too. This really fine tunes your eye to any irregularities in shot.
Editor Jai (centre) at the 2004 Athen Paralympics / Photo: Supplied
After 3-4 years of cutting presenter led storytelling – the progression to longer form editing began. Here is where you start to think about story flow and what I like to call ‘riding the waves’ – taking the audience on a ride of emotions. This skill set isn’t something easily developed, and it takes time to know your craft and how to get the best out of the audio and vision. When doing jobs like this, it’s important to talk to your director or producer early on that you need time to work through the scenes. It gets quicker over time, but you need time to try things initially. There’s nothing wrong with kicking people out of the booth to try things on your own.
I feel you really start to trust your instincts by year 10. Again this comes back to how much leeway you’ve been given to tune your skills. It’s equally important to have snowballed all the skills from edit-assist to onlining to editing, so you understand the process and how best to do your job – and not make others’ difficult. You’ll get more work if you’re not costing producers extra $$$ after you’re finished.
Editor Jai at his editing desk / Photo: Supplied
In terms of software – I use it all. There’s no point limiting your potential work by being solely Avid or Premiere. Heck, I even edit in Davinci if I have to (great freeware, BTW).
My best advice is to be open to change and challenge yourself to do it differently.
About Jai Waite
Jai is an award-winning editor with an extensive background in documentary and factual projects, with a particular strength in storytelling. His accolades include two Apollo Awards for Best Editing in a Documentary/Factual film (2014 and 2016) and two Asian Academy Creative Awards for Best Editing (Australia/New Zealand 2018 and 2019). He currently works as a freelance editor and has a production company, Sweet Productions, with fellow member and long-term collaborator, Robyn Paterson.
How I Got Started in the Industry is a guest blog series from the Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ). 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. Get in touch with admin@deganz.co.nz if you’re a member and would like to share your story.
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Documentary filmmaker Kim Webby (DEGANZ) explores untold stories through TVNZ’s new show Passengers.
The docuseries takes viewers back in time through the hardships and triumphs of some of Aotearoa’s earliest Anglo-Indian, Cook Island, Chinese, and Bohemian settlers.
Each episode uncovers the backstories of four immigrants, examining their lives before and after their arrival in Aotearoa. Descendants of the immigrants, who often undergo emotional journeys as the stories unfold, are an integral part of the show.
Passengers take’s its name from beginning each story with the passenger list from the boat that brought them to New Zealand.
Kim brings her own unique view to the stories in Passengers, being born in New Zealand and raised in te ao Pākeha and te ao Māori, with half Chinese whakapapa.
Congrats Kim on getting another great series to air!
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DEGANZ member Jack Woon wore many hats while making new TVNZ docuseries Sik Fan Lah!as writer, director, and editor.
The titular Cantonese phrase translates to “It’s time to eat!”, announcing not only that food is ready but that it’s time to come together to share a meal. The six-episode show celebrates Chinese cuisine and its strong link to how Chinese identity is formed in modern-day New Zealand. The show takes viewers up and down the country to share various dishes and stories that define much of Kiwi-Chinese culture and identity. The diversity of meals shared reflects the myriad histories, origins, and languages of the Pan-Asian community here in Aotearoa. The show celebrates these differences, highlighting that there is no one definition of Chinese food and identity.
In an interview with The Spinoff, Jack discussed the importance of authentically representing Asian experience in Aotearoa by balancing trauma and joy. He confides that it was a deliberate decision to create such a celebratory show to represent Chinese New Zealanders positively.
Congratulations, Jack and the team, on this labour of love!
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