Raising production finance for your series demands great imagination, inventiveness and resilience. Although it can seem so unreachable, financing your series and reaching your audience in New Zealand and overseas, is possible.
There is an increase in the number of international co-productions in place to finance series that are conceived in New Zealand, and an increase in commissions from broadcasters / platforms / distributors as well.
To help demystify the process Executive Producer Richard Fletcher of Libertine Pictures will present a case study on the financing of three seasons (29 episodes) of Mystic. In the telling of this financing story you will learn how a NZ production company created an international series and how the parties involved contributed to the development, financing, along with false starts, alliance changes, and conditions that came with the money. The case study will cover the unofficial co-production with UK production company Slim Film + Television, bringing on an international distributor, and the broadcasting arrangements in NZ, Australia and the UK. Plus a candid look at the behind the scenes challenges and obstacles in getting the series into production.
This Deep Dive Workshop is a rare opportunity to hear about the pieces of the puzzle that came together to get Mystic into production and on screens around the world. Come along and be inspired by how you might do it too.
About Mystic
Mystic is a co-commission by UK children’s BBC channel, CBBC and TVNZ with investment from NZ On Air and Te Puna Kairangi (Series 2 and 3) with financing from Fulcrum Media Finance and is coproduced by Libertine Pictures and Slim Film + Television. The series is distributed by Daro Film Distribution and has sold to over 65 territories worldwide, including North America, Germany and France and to broadcasters including, ABC, ZDF, Canal +, Netflix and Disney +. It is based on New Zealand author Stacy Gregg’s internationally bestselling book series Pony Club Secrets with a combination of NZ and UK writers and was entirely shot and post-produced in New Zealand.
When: 9:30am-12:30pm Tuesday 18 October, with a 30min morning tea break
Where: Covert Theatre, 51 Mackelvie Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Who it is for: Mid-career and experienced practitioners who write, produce and direct projects
Cost: General Admission $80.00 (incl. GST)
ABOUT RICHARD FLETCHER
Richard has more than 20 years’ experience in international film and television production. He has produced and executive produced a range of feature films, documentaries and TV series, including Under the Vines, Mystic, We Are Still Here, Muru, Gloriavale, Griff’s Canadian Adventure, The Letter for the King, Rhys Darby: Big in Japan, The Legend of Baron To’a, Griff’s Great Kiwi Road Trip, Daffodils, Yellow is Forbidden, Belief: the Possession of Janet Moses, Wild Survivor, Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, The Last Ocean, Boy, Under the Mountain and River Queen. His productions have played at major international festivals including Berlin, Busan, Melbourne, Shanghai, Sundance, SXSW, Toronto and Tribeca film festivals and he has worked with a range of partners including the ABC, BBC, Disney, ITV, National Geographic, Netflix, Network Ten, Sky, TVNZ and Twentieth Century Fox.
Richard previously worked at the New Zealand Film Commission as Head of Business Affairs and in distribution in Australia for Beyond Films and in the UK for the Feature Film Company.
He has extensive domestic and international relationships across all sectors of the screen production industry. He has practical experience of film and television drama and factual production, financing and distribution in multiple jurisdictions. In addition, Richard has considerable experience in successfully managing the requirements of government funders, private investors and distributors.
For more information about Richard’s background and experience, visit his page at www.nzonscreen.com
Calling all aspiring filmmakers, storytellers and creatives! Want to learn how to use the power of cinema to tell your stories?
The 2022 South Auckland Short Film Workshop is a two-day workshop about how to turn an idea into a short film. Whether you’re new to filmmaking or have some experience, we are calling everyone who aspires to tell their stories on the screen to come and learn what it takes to bring your story to life.
Over one weekend you will be guided by experienced filmmakers about the principles of how to write a short film, the role of the director, what it takes to get your short film off the ground, and making a good pitch to funders and collaborators. Speakers include Marina Alofagia McCartney (Milk & Honey, Vai), Bala Murali Shingade (Perianayaki, 800 Lunches), Shreya Gejji (Kāinga, Perianayaki) and Nikki Si’ulepa (Same But Different, Mā, Snow in Paradise). The pitching panel will be made up of Michael Bennett (Beyond the Veil, In Dark Places), Marina Alofagia McCartney and Nikki Si’ulepa.
This workshop is intended for people who either live in South Auckland or have a connection with the area.
Who it is for: New and emerging creatives from any industry or background with a connection to the South Auckland community who have an interest in short filmmaking.
When: Sat 1st Oct and Sun 2nd Oct, 2022 (9am-5pm each day)
Where: Māngere Arts Centre – Ngā Tohu o Uenuku, Theatre. Free parking available.
Cost: General Admission $10 plus fees. Tickets via Eventbrite.
What to Bring: Pen and paper. Coffee, tea and snacks provided. You can bring lunch with you or there is a café in the building, and many places to buy lunch in the immediate vicinity.
Participants from this workshop can apply for Script to Screen’s South Shorts 2023 Mentorship Programme. Read more about South Shorts here.
9am – Welcome
9:30am – Introduction to Screenwriting with writer Marina Alofagia McCartney
12pm – Lunch
1pm – How to pitch your story with Marina Alofagia McCartney
2pm – Break
2:30pm – Case Study: Making award-winning short film Perianayaki with writer/producer Shreya Gejji and director Bala Murali Shingade
4:30pm – End
9am – Low-budget filmmaking – Get out and make it! with writer/director/actor Nikki Si’ulepa
11am – Break
11:30am – Pitching! Deliver a short verbal pitch of your short film concept to the panel for some feedback – panellists are writer/director Michael Bennett, writer Marina Alofagia McCartney and writer/director/actor Nikki Si’ulepa
12:30pm – Lunch
1:15pm – Pitching continues…
5pm – End
Marina Alofagia McCartney (Pitonu’ū, Satupa’itea and Vailoa, Palauli – Savai’i, Samoa / Newcastle –England / Romani – England) is an award-winning filmmaker and scholar with films featured in numerous festivals, including Palm Springs, NZIFF, ImagineNATIVE, Hawai’i International Film Festival. Her last film Vai, an award-winning portmanteau feature made with 9 Moana Pasifika women, opened the NATIVe section at the 2019 Berlinale, and screened at festivals including SXSW, Edinburgh Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival. Marina is a PhD candidate exploring Moana Pasifika film, a proud Mum and developing several creative projects including her next feature and her NZFC Catalyst short, The Return.
Nikki Si’ulepa is an Aotearoa-born Samoan with German and Chinese ancestry from the villages of Sātalo, Falealili and Solāua. She’s an actor, writer, director, camera operator, screen tutor, and founding Pacific Islands Screen Artists Komiti member (PISA, est. 2020). She’s worked in the New Zealand screen industry since her debut acting role in Whole of the Moon in 1995 where she won two best actress awards. Her films have also won awards and nominations and have screened at international film festivals including Berlinale, Tribeca, Sydney, Melbourne, FIFO, Queerscreen, NZIFF, Hollyshorts, and imagineNATIVE.
In 2021, Nikki created ScreenFit classes for writers, directors and actors of various skills, backgrounds and experiences to come together and work scenes to stay ‘screen fit’. Nikki has taught acting for screen and facilitated workshops on writing and filmmaking at South Shorts, The Actors Program, Excel Performing Arts, Actors Lab Studio, and various PISA events. Nikki can be seen on Canadian and New Zealand television screens in South Pacific Pictures’ thriller, The Sounds, in Roseanne Liang’s (Shadow in the Cloud) post-apocalyptic comedy drama, Creamerie, and guest stars opposite Kiwi Xena icon, Lucy Lawless in My Life is Murder. Nikki’s currently writing and developing a new slate of films and series’.
Nikki loves arthouse films, vegan ice cream, fun film festivals, and short walks on the beach
Bala Murali Shingade is a writer, director and actor for screen and theatre based in Tāmaki Makaurau. In 2019, he wrote and directed 800 Lunches, a short film funded by the Outlook for Someday as part of Someday Stories Series 3. His second short film, Perianayaki, was funded by Script to Screen and NZFC’s Fresh Shorts program. Perianayaki premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival 2022, where it received the NZ’s Best Short Film award, the Audience Choice award and the Emerging Talent award.
Bala has also written and directed theatre and has worked as an actor in various screen and stage productions. In 2020, Bala was one of six recipients of the Arts Foundation’s Springboard award.
Shreya Gejji is a Kiwi-Indian screenwriter and producer. She has worked in various production roles for television and web content. Dubai Dreams, her first feature screenplay, was a finalist at the Screen Writers Awards New Zealand in 2015.
Perianayaki, Shreya’s first short film as writer and producer, was awarded NZ’s Best Short Film at the New Zealand International Film Festival in 2022. She is one of the writers on Kāinga, the third film in the Waru and Vai trilogy produced by BSAG Productions. Shreya is in early pre-production for her directorial debut short film Night Visions scheduled to shoot in 2023. She is also a co-producer of a funded feature television documentary about the New Zealand Kabaddi team.
Shreya is in the third year of her PhD with Creative Practice at the University of Auckland, currently writing the first draft of an ensemble feature screenplay.
Script to Screen, in partnership with Northland Youth Theatre, presents a free four-day film workshop in the October school holidays for 14 – 22 year olds.
The workshop helps young participants to develop skills in crafting a story idea, writing a script and acting. The aim of the workshop is to foster writing talent and encourage aspiring filmmakers. No experience or prior knowledge of filmmaking is necessary.
The programme will be taught by actor and Director of West Coast Youth Theatre, Holly Shanahan (Power Rangers Jungle Fury).
When and where:
Tuesday 11 October – Friday 14 October 2022
9am – 2:30pm each day
Northland Youth Theatre, 197 Lower Dent Street, Whangārei 0110
Programme Structure:
Day 1 – Participants learn how to find a story they want to tell and how to craft a narrative that is compelling on screen.
Day 2 – Participants develop their own film concept and write a scene for their film.
Day 3 – Holly leads exercises in acting for the screen. Using what was written on day two, participants act in scenes written by other group members, guided by Holly.
Day 4 – We will tape the scenes, watch them as a group and discuss what was learned.
Cost: The workshop is free but please register via EventBrite as spaces are limited.
Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea are provided. However, if you have special dietary requirements (allergies, gluten free, dairy free, keto, paleo, etc) please bring food with you.
How does an idea become a story, and how does a story become a series?
This one-day workshop digs into those all-important first steps that take you from the very beginnings of an idea to having a developed project you can use to attract collaborators, platforms and funders.
During this practical hands-on day, workshop participants will create new projects from scratch, interrogate successful shows & analyse why they work, bring original ideas to develop in the room, and learn about the essential materials you need to sell a project and how to create them.
The workshop is pitched at the developing writer – if you have ideas you would like to turn into a series drama, this day is for you. Bring a notebook & pen, an original idea – a few lines is fine – and your creative energy.
When & Where:
Saturday 24th September 2022
9:00am – 5:00pm – Workshop for paid participants
5:00pm – 7:00pm – Industry Mixer – Join us after the workshop in the courtyard of the Stables at the Sherwood for some drinks and nibbles provided by Film Otago Southland. The mixer is a free event open to workshop participants and any industry members who would like to join.
Cost: General Admission $23 (incl. GST) via EventBrite
What to Bring: Pen and paper. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided. Please bring your own lunch, there is a restaurant on-site or Queenstown township is a short drive away.
Christchurch dates: This workshop will also be held in Christchurch in November 2022
About Fiona Samuel
Fiona Samuel is an award-winning writer and director for television, theatre, radio and film and an esteemed writing teacher and mentor.
In her career she has created a body of work that centres female experience, starting with her ground-breaking television drama series The Marching Girls and continuing with an acclaimed trilogy of telemovies Piece of My Heart, Bliss, and Consent – The Louise Nicholas Story.
Alongside this work, Fiona is also a teacher, mentor and script consultant, teaching the Masters in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington and working with directing students at the South Seas Film & Television School in Auckland. Fiona is an NZ Arts Foundation Laureate, a MNZM for services to television and theatre and the Co-President of the NZ Writers Guild.
Travel Grants
Film Otago Southland is generously offering travel grants to enable participants from outside Queenstown, but who reside within the Otago and Southland region, to attend.
-For those within an hour’s drive of Queenstown, $50 travel grants are available.
-For those further afield, $100 travel grants are available.
Film Otago Southland will offer up to $500 worth of grants, which will be issued, first come first served.
Please email Kahli Scott (kahli@filmotagosouthland.com) to request this support. Confirmation of your workshop registration will be required before the grant will be offered. Any person accepting the grant and failing to attend the workshop in person will be liable to return the grant.
This workshop is presented by Script to Screen and made possible thanks to generous support from Film Otago Southland, Queenstown Lakes District Council Film Office, Central Lakes Art Support Scheme, Queenstown Lakes Council Creative Communities and the New Zealand Film Commission.
Don’t miss this interactive and practical weekend workshop that will help you navigate through the complexities of writing a feature film.
Great stories create an umbilical cord between the screen and the audience, where the audience feels everything that the character does. This workshop will look at the elements that you need to consider to build that level of engagement with your own stories.
Through writing exercises and watching clips, you will look at a wide range of aspects of story and character including how to hook an audience from the first moment they meet your protagonist, tips and tricks to making an audience connect with how your character feels, and ensuring that your stories don’t run out of momentum.
To gain the most out of the workshop, please come with a film concept in mind.
When: 9am – 5pm Saturday 27 August & 10am – 3pm Sunday 28 August
Where: Samoa House, 20 Beresford Square, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
Who is it for? Anyone writing a feature film
Cost: General Admission $40.00 (incl. GST) via Eventbrite.
ABOUT GAVIN MCGIBBON
Gavin McGibbon was the Programme Leader of the MA Screenwriting programme at Liverpool John Moores University. He has worked as a development executive for the New Zealand Film Commission, taught playwriting at Victoria University of Wellington for the International Institute of Modern Letters, where he also works as an MA Supervisor on Ken Duncum’s MA Scriptwriting Course. Students that Gavin has taught have gone on to win numerous awards for their writing and are currently working on major television shows in the UK.
Gavin, now makes his living as a freelance screenwriter and has optioned films and tv series in the UK, as well as here in New Zealand. He is currently writing two feature films for Libertine Pictures.
Gavin has a very different take on scriptwriting and what it takes to build a story that connects with people. He doesn’t believe in formula – he believes in craft meeting art, and using that combination to create an engaging, emotional journey for an audience.
This workshop is made possible thanks to generous support from Creative Communities and New Zealand Film Commission
Script to Screen introduces Deep Dive Workshops. These workshops are for mid-career and experienced screen practitioners to extend and build on what you already know so you can continue to make powerful stories for the screen. They will be smaller sessions with limited tickets available. Here are the details for our first one.
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ABOUT DAVID COURT
David Court is the Founder of Compton School, Australia’s first business school for creative people. He is also Chairman of Screen Canberra and a Director of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation. David was formerly Head of Screen Business at the Australian Film Television & Radio School where he developed Australia’s first screen business qualification. David has been involved in the financing of more than a dozen film and television productions including John Weiley’s Antarctica, Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom, Dean Cavell’s The Wiggles Movie, Jerzy Domaradski’s Lilian’s Story, Robert Connolly’s The Bank, Andrew Horne’s The Animated Leunig and Don Featherstone’s The One Percenters. David was founding editor of the highly regarded industry newsletter Entertainment Business Review. As author of Film Assistance: Future Options (Allen & Unwin, 1986), he was the policy architect of the Film Finance Corporation, established by the Australian Government in 1988. The FFC invested more than $1 billion in Australian film and television productions during the next 20 years. In 2010, with Sir Peter Jackson, David undertook a review of the New Zealand Film Commission for the NZ Government. He holds a PhD from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University.
This workshop is made possible thanks to generous support from
New Zealand Film Commission
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Learn how to make your feature film script stand out in this in-depth scriptwriting workshop. David White will lead you through some of the things he discovered when writing and directing This Town.
Openings! Whether on the page or on screen, the opening scene needs to grab the audience. During the first half of the workshop, David will explore ways to write an impactful opening scene by sharing his experience with the scripted opening of This Town, and the vast changes made to translate the script to the screen.
Write what you know! From locations to characters, using richness from the world around you can help create depth especially when working with the lower budgets of first films. In the second half of this workshop, David will explore how using texture from places and characters you know intimately can help you build a believable world for your film.
Saturday 7th August 2021
9am – 5pm
Drama 2, Te Whaea National Dance & Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Road, Newton, Wellington.
Who it is for: This workshop is aimed at beginning and emerging feature film writers. Directors and producers wanting to learn more about taking a script into production will also find this workshop valuable and are encouraged to attend. All levels of experience welcome.
Cost: General Admission $23 (incl. GST) via Eventbrite.
What to Bring: Pen and paper. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided. Please bring your own lunch or there are places to buy your lunch in the vicinity.
COVID Alert Level Note: This workshop will go ahead under Alert Level 1. If Wellington is in Alert Level 2, the workshop date will be reviewed. If Wellington is in Alert Level 3 or 4, the workshop will be postponed.
ABOUT DAVID WHITE
David White has produced and directed a substantial body of documentary and drama work that has enjoyed considerable national and international success, among them Meat, Shihad: Beautiful Machine, I Kill, Little Criminals, The Cleanest Pig and This Town. His work has screened at over 50 film festivals including Sundance, AFI, SXSW, SilverDocs, Tribeca, MIFF, TRUE/FALSE, Clermont Ferrand and been commissioned and screened on BBC, Sky and PRIME TV.
He was the first New Zealander to be shortlisted for a Cinema Eye Honor for his film I Kill (2013). His next two documentaries Little Criminals (2015) and Of Decades in Colour (2017) aired on PRIME TV to strong ratings and critical acclaim. Feature documentary Meat (2017) opened to 4-star reviews and sell-out audiences throughout NZ, was released on multiple NZME platforms and has sold globally.
David’s (writer/director/producer) debut comedy film This Town was developed at the prestigious Venice Biennale College – Cinema, amongst just 12 selected from a worldwide call. It was critically acclaimed and stayed at number one at the NZ theatrical box office for 21days. World sales are being handled by The Film Sales Company.
This workshop is made possible thanks to generous support from New Zealand Film Commission and Creative Communities Wellington.
Script to Screen, in partnership with Northland Youth Theatre, presents a free four-day film workshop in the July school holidays for 15 – 23 year olds.
The workshop helps young participants to develop skills in crafting a story idea, writing a script, and acting. The aim of the workshop is to foster writing talent and encourage aspiring filmmakers. No experience or prior knowledge of filmmaking is necessary.
On Day 1, participants will hear from writer/director Hamish Bennett (The Dump, Ross & Beth, Bellbird) about finding a story they want to tell and crafting a narrative that is compelling on screen. On Day 2, participants will develop their own film concept and write a scene for their film, guided by actor Laurel Devenie (Shortland Street).
On Day 3 Laurel will lead a workshop on acting for the screen, including working with the scenes written the day before. Each participant will get the chance to act in a scene. On the last day, we will tape the scenes, watch them as a group and discuss what was learned.
Tuesday 13 July – Fri 16 July
9am – 2:30pm each day
Northland Youth Theatre, 86 Bank St, Whangarei 0110
Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea provided. However, if you have special dietary requirements (gluten free, dairy free, keto, paleo, etc) please bring food with you.
The workshop is free but please register via EventBrite as spaces are limited.
This workshop is presented in partnership with Northland Youth Theatre and is made possible thanks to generous support from New Zealand Film Commission and Foundation North.
This workshop has now reached capacity. You may join the waitlist if you are still interested in attending and we will contact you if a space becomes available.
Due to popular demand, we’re excited to be bringing you another Auckland workshop! Join us for a one-day workshop in Waitākere this June to learn how to jumpstart your feature film idea or revitalise an old one. This interactive and practical one-day workshop will give you the means to propel your feature film project forward.
Over the course of one day, Hamish Bennett (Bellbird) will explore character and story and how the two are intertwined. He will use clips and examples to support the learning.
Hamish will talk about how to tap into your own knowledge and experiences to build a story that is authentic and memorable. He will also talk about his process preparing as a director and give you methods for making time for writing when you’re not a full-time writer.
No matter what your experience is, come along. The passion that drives you to create will be invigorated and you’ll come away with new knowledge and ideas to further develop your stories.
Saturday 12 June 2021
9:00am – 5:00pm
The Seminar Room, Level 1, Lopdell Precinct, 418 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland
Parking: Free parking behind the Lopdell building, entrance is off South Titirangi Road. Alternative parking is available outside the building on Titirangi Road or at the parking building opposite – off South Titirangi Road.
Who it is for: Emerging to established filmmakers. If you are at the beginning stages of writing a feature film or are interested in writing a film this workshop will be very beneficial.
Cost: General Admission $23 (incl. GST) via EventBrite
What to Bring: Pen and paper. Please bring your own lunch or there are plenty of cafes in the area if you wish to buy lunch. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided.
This Script to Screen workshop is made possible thanks to generous support from Auckland Council Creative Communities and the New Zealand Film Commission.
Passion, Persistence, Patience and Intense Ominous Whooshing
Script to Screen is proud to present a one-day directing workshop in Queenstown with David Stubbs (Daffodils, Black Hands, Reservoir Hill). This interactive workshop will give you the tools you need to find the best director within you.
Over one day, David will talk about his experience finding inspiration, choosing the right projects, how to build longevity in your career as a director and give you an in-depth look into the best and the hardest parts of being a director.
David will teach you how to effectively work and communicate with key collaborators and take you through the detailed journey of the director from pre-production to post.
Saturday 20th March 2021
9:00am – 5:00pm
The Stables, Sherwood Queenstown, 554 Frankton Road, Queenstown
Who it is for: This workshop is aimed at beginning and emerging directors, as well as those wanting to transition from other roles in the industry into directing. Producers and writers wanting to learn more about the directing process will also find this workshop valuable and are encouraged to attend. All levels of experience welcome.
Cost: General Admission $23 (incl. GST) via EventBrite
What to Bring: Pen and paper. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided. Please bring your own lunch, there is a restaurant on-site or Queenstown township is a short drive away.
COVID Alert Level Note: This workshop will go ahead under Alert Level 1. It will be reviewed under Alert Level 2 and will not go ahead if the country is under Alert Level
Travel Grants
Film Otago Southland are generously offering a max of 5 x $100 travel grants to enable participants from outside Queenstown, but who reside within the Otago and Southland region, to attend.
Please email Kahli Scott (kahli@filmotagosouthland.com) to request this support. Confirmation of your workshop registration will be required before the grant will be offered. The first five confirmed applicants will be supported. Any person accepting the grant and failing to attend the workshop in person will be liable to return the grant.
About David Stubbs
David Stubbs is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with an eye for the uncomfortable truths in everyday life. He has moved between drama, documentary, music videos and digital projects in a 35-year career that’s been eclectic and highly accomplished. Most notably he was the director and co-producer on feature films Daffodils (2019), Belief: The Possession of Janet Moses (2016), TV drama mini-series Black Hands (2020), and series/digital projects Reservoir Hill (2010 – 2011) and Girl versus Boy (2013-2015). David’s films and television have screened internationally on networks, Netflix and at numerous prestigious film festivals. In 2010 David won an International Emmy Award, a Qantas Media Award and in 2017 was judged Best Director Documentary at the New Zealand Film Awards.
This workshop is presented by Script to Screen and made possible thanks to generous support from Film Otago Southland, Queenstown Lakes District Council Film Office, Queenstown Lakes Council Creative Communities and the New Zealand Film Commission.