All Blog Posts

Double Whammy From Uncle Sammy Means…
BlogAll the American Guilds (DGA, IATSE, WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and The Teamsters), together with the Motion Picture Association of America (made up of the major studios and streamers like Walt Disney Studios, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video &โฆ

Happy, Sad or Bittersweet?
BlogFilm researcher Stephen Followsโ latest piece of work examines the endings of films to see if the โHollywood Endingโ still rules the day. What he found is that there are three types of ending: Happy, Sad and Bittersweet. It got me thinkingโฆ

When Is a Levy Not a Levy?
BlogElectioneering is in full swing as we head towards November. It was just eight weeks ago that Reuben Davidson, Labour Spokesperson for Broadcasting, Media and Creative Economy, stood in front of the New Zealand screen industry at the Bigโฆ

Career Spotlight: Peter Roberts ANZSE
Blog, Career SpotlightsAfter half a century in the film and television industry, Peter has worked across drama, documentary, news, sport, music, commercials, corporates, theatricals, and broadcast. Despite all of the technical and exhibition changes over the years,โฆ

How’s Theatrical Doing?
BlogThe New Zealand International Film Festival kicked off last night with the screening of Big Girls Donโt Cry, directed by Paloma Schneiderman. A very accomplished and cinematic execution by a first-time feature filmmaker. The programme hasโฆ

Different Pathways
BlogThe Big Screen Symposium has run its course for another year. This time around, it had an emphasis on local content makers on the big and small screen, with micro-budget productions getting a good share of the limelight. I moderated a sessionโฆ

Documenting Winners
BlogLast night I attended the Doc Edge Awards 2026, which recognised the best New Zealand and international documentaries submitted to the fest, along with some special awards for contributions to documentary. Chief among those was the Raye Freedmanโฆ

Work Opportunities
BlogEvery once in awhile we get contacted at the guild by producers or other individuals wanting recommendations for directors, editors or assistant editors. And I can tell you, we do get contacted about Hollywood projects as well. To be fairโฆ

Double Whammy From Uncle Sammy Means…
BlogAll the American Guilds (DGA, IATSE, WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and The Teamsters), together with the Motion Picture Association of America (made up of the major studios and streamers like Walt Disney Studios, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video &โฆ

Happy, Sad or Bittersweet?
BlogFilm researcher Stephen Followsโ latest piece of work examines the endings of films to see if the โHollywood Endingโ still rules the day. What he found is that there are three types of ending: Happy, Sad and Bittersweet. It got me thinkingโฆ

When Is a Levy Not a Levy?
BlogElectioneering is in full swing as we head towards November. It was just eight weeks ago that Reuben Davidson, Labour Spokesperson for Broadcasting, Media and Creative Economy, stood in front of the New Zealand screen industry at the Bigโฆ

Career Spotlight: Peter Roberts ANZSE
Blog, Career SpotlightsAfter half a century in the film and television industry, Peter has worked across drama, documentary, news, sport, music, commercials, corporates, theatricals, and broadcast. Despite all of the technical and exhibition changes over the years,โฆ

How’s Theatrical Doing?
BlogThe New Zealand International Film Festival kicked off last night with the screening of Big Girls Donโt Cry, directed by Paloma Schneiderman. A very accomplished and cinematic execution by a first-time feature filmmaker. The programme hasโฆ

Different Pathways
BlogThe Big Screen Symposium has run its course for another year. This time around, it had an emphasis on local content makers on the big and small screen, with micro-budget productions getting a good share of the limelight. I moderated a sessionโฆ
ANZSE Career Spotlights
Read about the illustrious careers of ANZSE-accredited editors.

Career Spotlight: Peter Roberts ANZSE
Blog, Career SpotlightsAfter half a century in the film and television industry, Peter has worked across drama, documentary, news, sport, music, commercials, corporates, theatricals, and broadcast. Despite all of the technical and exhibition changes over the years,โฆ

Career Spotlight: Jonno Woodford-Robinson ANZSE
Blog, Career SpotlightsJonno Woodford-Robinsonโs career as an editor is a testament to versatility, rhythm, and a deep understanding of storytelling across genres. From blockbuster VFX spectacles to intimate indie dramas and documentaries, his work combines technicalโฆ

Editor Jesse Dixon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI didnโt always want to be an editor. I loved film and the moving image, but I was put off by the big crews and the โart by committeeโ feel of it all. Like many artsy teens, I thought I was a revolutionary artist with something profoundโฆ

Director & Editor Jack Woon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI made my first film when I was about 8. I hijacked my dadโs chonky Hi-8 home video camera, hit record, stopped, then hit record again. I could make people vanish! In my first year of high school, I made a Star Wars parody about the ozoneโฆ

Director Justin Scott: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI remember being asked in university what I wanted my career to be. Many of my peers were saying Director, Producer or DOP- my answer was Production Assistant (I think I was a bit realistic about what opportunities were available to me leavingโฆ

Editor Francis Glenday: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryMy earliest, real childhood memory is being about 3 years old. Iโm sitting in front of an electric heater, one of the old fireplace-mounted ones. It has two bright orange electric resistors. In my left hand, I have a toy; a silver metal cowboyโฆ

Director Hweiling Ow: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryA forty-five-second short horror film, garnering 16 million views online, propelled me into a dream I didnโt know I desired. Life is a game of random chances. You put in the work and hope the universe aligns. For me, the creative professionsโฆ

Editor Cushla Dillon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryWhen I started back in 1986 (my first official job was as Directorโs assistant on โStarlight Hotelโ) the only โfilmmakingโ courses in NZ were a Masters in Broadcasting at the University of Auckland and a newly established Broadcastingโฆ
A Kลrero 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.

A Kลrero with Music Supervisor Aminรฉ Ramer
A Kลrero With..., NewsThe A Kลrero withโฆ blog series is back for 2026! This time, DEGANZโs Izzi spoke with Music Supervisor Aminรฉ Ramer to hear all the ways music plays its part in screen productions.
An award-winning music supervisor and consultant, Aminรฉโฆ

A Kลrero with Animation Studio Mukpuddy
A Kลrero With..., BlogAs a follow-up to this year's Animation Matchmaking series, DEGANZ's Izzi Hoskyn sat down with Ryan Cooper and Alex Leighton, two-thirds of the team leading Mukpuddy Ltd. Mukpuddy originated from humble beginnings in 2002, starting in a basementโฆ

A Kลrero with Director of Photography Simon Raby NZCS
A Kลrero With..., BlogFor this iteration of DEGANZ's new blog series, A Kลrero With..., Izzi Hoskyn spoke with Director of Photography Simon Raby NZCS. Simon is a freelance Director/Cinematographer with 45 years of industry experience. He works largely in featureโฆ

A Kลrero with Colourist Damian McDonnell
A Kลrero With..., BlogDEGANZโs Izzi Hoskyn sat down with award-winning Colourist Damian McDonnell to take a peek behind the curtain of the craft of colour grading. Damian has over twenty yearsโ experience as a colourist and editor in both Hollywood and Aotearoa.โฆ

Editor Jesse Dixon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI didnโt always want to be an editor. I loved film and the moving image, but I was put off by the big crews and the โart by committeeโ feel of it all. Like many artsy teens, I thought I was a revolutionary artist with something profoundโฆ

Director & Editor Jack Woon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI made my first film when I was about 8. I hijacked my dadโs chonky Hi-8 home video camera, hit record, stopped, then hit record again. I could make people vanish! In my first year of high school, I made a Star Wars parody about the ozoneโฆ

Director Justin Scott: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI remember being asked in university what I wanted my career to be. Many of my peers were saying Director, Producer or DOP- my answer was Production Assistant (I think I was a bit realistic about what opportunities were available to me leavingโฆ

Editor Francis Glenday: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryMy earliest, real childhood memory is being about 3 years old. Iโm sitting in front of an electric heater, one of the old fireplace-mounted ones. It has two bright orange electric resistors. In my left hand, I have a toy; a silver metal cowboyโฆ

Director Hweiling Ow: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryA forty-five-second short horror film, garnering 16 million views online, propelled me into a dream I didnโt know I desired. Life is a game of random chances. You put in the work and hope the universe aligns. For me, the creative professionsโฆ

Editor Cushla Dillon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryWhen I started back in 1986 (my first official job was as Directorโs assistant on โStarlight Hotelโ) the only โfilmmakingโ courses in NZ were a Masters in Broadcasting at the University of Auckland and a newly established Broadcastingโฆ
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 directingโwith no two stories the same. They offer advice for those starting out.

Editor Jesse Dixon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI didnโt always want to be an editor. I loved film and the moving image, but I was put off by the big crews and the โart by committeeโ feel of it all. Like many artsy teens, I thought I was a revolutionary artist with something profoundโฆ

Director & Editor Jack Woon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI made my first film when I was about 8. I hijacked my dadโs chonky Hi-8 home video camera, hit record, stopped, then hit record again. I could make people vanish! In my first year of high school, I made a Star Wars parody about the ozoneโฆ

Director Justin Scott: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI remember being asked in university what I wanted my career to be. Many of my peers were saying Director, Producer or DOP- my answer was Production Assistant (I think I was a bit realistic about what opportunities were available to me leavingโฆ

Editor Francis Glenday: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryMy earliest, real childhood memory is being about 3 years old. Iโm sitting in front of an electric heater, one of the old fireplace-mounted ones. It has two bright orange electric resistors. In my left hand, I have a toy; a silver metal cowboyโฆ

Director Hweiling Ow: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryA forty-five-second short horror film, garnering 16 million views online, propelled me into a dream I didnโt know I desired. Life is a game of random chances. You put in the work and hope the universe aligns. For me, the creative professionsโฆ

Editor Cushla Dillon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryWhen I started back in 1986 (my first official job was as Directorโs assistant on โStarlight Hotelโ) the only โfilmmakingโ courses in NZ were a Masters in Broadcasting at the University of Auckland and a newly established Broadcastingโฆ

Editor Jesse Dixon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI didnโt always want to be an editor. I loved film and the moving image, but I was put off by the big crews and the โart by committeeโ feel of it all. Like many artsy teens, I thought I was a revolutionary artist with something profoundโฆ

Director & Editor Jack Woon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI made my first film when I was about 8. I hijacked my dadโs chonky Hi-8 home video camera, hit record, stopped, then hit record again. I could make people vanish! In my first year of high school, I made a Star Wars parody about the ozoneโฆ

Director Justin Scott: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryI remember being asked in university what I wanted my career to be. Many of my peers were saying Director, Producer or DOP- my answer was Production Assistant (I think I was a bit realistic about what opportunities were available to me leavingโฆ

Editor Francis Glenday: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryMy earliest, real childhood memory is being about 3 years old. Iโm sitting in front of an electric heater, one of the old fireplace-mounted ones. It has two bright orange electric resistors. In my left hand, I have a toy; a silver metal cowboyโฆ

Director Hweiling Ow: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryA forty-five-second short horror film, garnering 16 million views online, propelled me into a dream I didnโt know I desired. Life is a game of random chances. You put in the work and hope the universe aligns. For me, the creative professionsโฆ

Editor Cushla Dillon: How I Got Started in the Industry
How I Got Started in the IndustryWhen I started back in 1986 (my first official job was as Directorโs assistant on โStarlight Hotelโ) the only โfilmmakingโ courses in NZ were a Masters in Broadcasting at the University of Auckland and a newly established Broadcastingโฆ
