Come join us for our second networking drinks of the year with WIFT (Women in Film and Television).
We look forward to seeing you there!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 October 2015
The Directors & Editors Guild of NZ (DEGNZ), NZ On Air and South Pacific Pictures Limited (SPP) announce actor and director Aidee Walker as the DEGNZ TV drama director attachment to SPP’s WESTSIDE 2 television series.
Walker will shadow well-known New Zealand actor and director Michael Hurst through a two episode block of the show, which starts production in October.
“I was so stoked to hear that I have been given this opportunity on Westside,” Walker commented. “I can’t wait to observe the whole process from read through to directors cut and I’m excited about the collaborations with every department.”
Walker is well known as an actor, having held numerous roles including in popular TV shows Step Dave, Outrageous Fortune, Shortland Street and Mercy Peak. As a director, she has written and directed four short films with the recent Friday Tigers winning Best Short Film at the New Zealand International Film Festival and selected to play at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
“This is a great initiative from DEGNZ and NZ On Air and South Pacific Pictures are pleased to be able to support it,” said SPP CEO Kelly Martin. “Aidee’s wealth of experience in front of the camera combined with her short film successes make her ideally suited to this opportunity. We hope it will be the beginning of a beautiful new relationship!”
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for Aidee to observe firsthand the high-pressure world of fast-turnaround television from the other side of the camera,” said DEGNZ Executive Director Tui Ruwhiu. “She will undoubtedly benefit immensely working alongside the highly experienced Michael Hurst.”
“We are delighted to support Aidee’s further development as a director with this initiative,” said NZ On Air Chief Executive Jane Wrightson.
Westside is the NZ On Air-funded prequel to hit SPP drama Outrageous Fortune. It is set in 1970s Auckland against a backdrop of real-life historical events. Westside tells the story of legendary safe cracker and career criminal Ted West, his wife Rita, their son Wolfgang and their friends, associates and nemeses. The second series will be produced by Mark Beasley.
This attachment is the second in the DEGNZ TV Drama Director Attachment Scheme, with actor and director Matthew Saville recently chosen to attach to director Roc Pellizarri on Screentime’s telefeature Bombshell: The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior.
The scheme is an industry professional development initiative funded by NZ On Air and the production company involved and managed by DEGNZ. It is intended to give emerging drama directors the opportunity to shadow an experienced director through the pre-production, production and post-production process as a means to improve their craft skills. Three emerging directors will attach to New Zealand drama productions in the 2015/2016 year. The intended outcome is for the attachments to find work on domestic and international productions in New Zealand.
Ends
For further information, please contact:
Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director
Directors & Editors Guild of NZ
tui@deganz.co.nz
021-659-950
South Pacific Pictures
South Pacific Pictures is New Zealand’s largest screen production company and has an international reputation for producing world-class television and film. The company celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2013 and to date has produced around 4000 hours of programming. Drama series and serials, feature films, and more recently, entertainment, reality programming and documentaries are all part of the programming mix. In addition to Westside 2, South Pacific Pictures’ 2015 production slate includes: 800 Words, Shortland Street, Step Dave 2, Word Up, Forensics and The Brokenwood Mysteries 2.
Directors & Editors Guild of NZ
The Directors & Editors Guild of NZ is a not-for-profit membership organisation that represents Directors and Editors in the New Zealand screen industry. This includes Directors and Editors of feature drama and documentary; television drama, documentary and factual programmes; short films; video art; animation; commercials and web content.
DEGNZ’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.
- is a voice for Directors and Editors in influencing policy in the interest of our members. We do this through our membership of the pan‐industry group SINZ (Screen Industry New Zealand), and by making submissions to government and public officials.
- Internationally work co-operatively with other guilds and we belong to the International Affiliation of English‐Speaking Directors’ Organisations (IEASDO).
DEGNZ is Auckland-based with an office in Grey Lynn.
Contact Details:
Directors & Editors Guild of NZ
Level 2, 66 Surrey Crescent
Grey Lynn
P.O. Box 47-294, Ponsonby
Auckland
+64-9-360-2102
admin@deganz.co.nz
www.deganz.co.nz
www.facebook.com/degnz
www.linkedin.com/in/degnz
@degnz_online
We are excited to invite you to the Christmas parties taking place this year in both Auckland (November 30) and Wellington (December 2).
Check out our posters for details and please RSVP on Eventbrite with the links below.
Auckland: http://tinyurl.com/on8b69o
Wellington: http://tinyurl.com/porg8u7
We can’t wait to see you there!
The Big Screen Symposium is coming up fast and we’re excited to be offering a free ticket (valued up to $335!) to a new, first-time member who joins DEGNZ between now and October 6.
The winner will be drawn on October 7, leaving just enough time for them to get ready and go to BSS on the weekend of October 10 and 11.
Spread the word – this is going to be one amazing industry weekend!
The Directors & Editors Guild of NZ invite applications from editors with a minimum of 5 years editing experience for eight places on a drama editing workshop with two of New Zealand’s top drama editors, Michael Horton and Jonathan Woodford Robinson.
This will be a very special drama editing workshop with Michael (Second Hand Wedding, Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, Once Were Warriors, Goodbye Pork Pie) and Jonno (What We Do In The Shadows, Rage, The Last Ocean, Hope and Wire), separately and together, accounting for the editing of a significant volume of New Zealand’s iconic and quality drama and documentary.
The workshop will include:
- A look at both traditional and contemporary approaches to cutting drama, examining the pluses and minuses of each.
- The changes that have occurred from film to digital, and the efficiencies and techniques afforded with today’s digital equipment that editors can use.
- Methodologies of working
- Working processes employed by different directors during editing, and how to make them work for you, the director and the project
- Cutting/recutting of scenes/footage and review
This is a fantastic opportunity for editors to learn from one of New Zealand’s most highly regarded senior drama editors AND one of its rising stars.
The workshop will be held across two full days on the Saturday and Sunday of 22 and 23 October at The NZ Film and Television School in Wellington. Lunch will be provided each full day.
The selection panel will comprise highly experienced drama and documentary editors Annie Collins and Peter Roberts with input from Michael and Jonno. The selection will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
All applicants must have a working knowledge of AVID edit systems. If successful, please bring your own settings.
What: Drama Editing Workshop with Michael Horton and Jonathan Woodford Robinson
When: Saturday and Sunday, 24 & 25 October 2015
Where: NZ Film & Television School, 86 Vivian Street Wellington
Cost: DEGNZ members free, non-members $100.
To apply, please send by email to admin@deganz.co.nz with Drama_Editing_Workshop in the subject line your application in ONE pdf, to include:
- CV
- links to samples of your work
- a maximum one-page letter stating why you should be selected.
Deadline: 9AM Monday 5 October 2015
Notification: By 5PM Friday 9 October 2015