A Note to Our Members – Reflecting on the Year and Looking Ahead Together
It’s no secret that this year has been challenging for many in our industry. Work has been inconsistent, productions have felt the pressure, and everyone has had to navigate a shifting landscape. Through all of this, we want you to know: we are in this with you.
The Executive Committee—led by Christian Gower and Adrian “Wookie” Hebron—continue to volunteer their time to advocate for you. The Guild is you: everyday people on the ground sharing what matters so we can support you in the best way possible.
Staying Connected and Keeping You Informed
You may have noticed an increase in communication this year. Between our socials, the new Wrap newsletter, and our website news section, we’ve worked hard to keep information flowing. A huge thank you to our amazing social media manager, Tania, for keeping everyone updated and engaged. If you haven’t visited the news section yet, take a look anytime for the latest industry updates.
New Training and Member Resources
Behind the scenes, we launched our Leadership Skills Modules this year for our members. We know many incredible crew work their way up to HOD roles without ever having access to formal leadership training, so we built something to help bridge that gap.
Right now, the modules are available exclusively to SIGANZ members—so if you’re not a member yet, this is a pretty great reason to join us. We’re also exploring ways to open the modules to the wider industry for a small fee, which would help fund even more training resources.
A huge thank you to to NZOA and NZFC for funding this training, and to our project manager Tracey, who has created an outstanding, interactive resource. While these modules focus primarily on HODs, anyone can complete them—and you’ll earn a SIGANZ micro-credential for your efforts.
Tracey has also been leading the refresh of our discounts programme, that will be launched in the New Year and rebranded as ProdPerks. This work is well underway, making the whole system easier for members and for production companies (who can also subscribe and save thousands on their shows).
And here’s the truth: it costs you more NOT to be a member. With more than 80 discounts available covering paint, tech, tyres, insurance, appliances, on-set gear, and more—it’s easy to save your membership fee many times over.
Our major Pro Partners include:
- Bunnings, massive discounts on most of their brands and particularly look out for the timber savings!
- Z Business, offering 11c off per litre every day
- Hirepool, newly joined and offering significant nationwide savings
Plus, don’t forget the Gallagher Insurance public liability discount, and the Air NZ battery support letter (thank you, Muzz!) to help you travel with your batteries. With Christmas coming, now is the perfect time to make the most of these offers.
This programme is our win/win: you save money every day, and your membership allows us to continue doing this work on your behalf.
Building Community and Advocating for You
This year we’ve held networking and branch meeting evenings across the regions. Thank you to our branch chairs and secretaries for gifting your time, and thank you to all members who attended - you make these gatherings meaningful.
We’ve also supported many of you directly. This includes:
- Free contract reviews
- Creating contract companion guides for productions
- Ensuring NZ-funded projects follow the Blue Book and SIWA requirements
- Assisting with late payment issues
- Signposting to external support and wellbeing networks
- Advising on concerns you bring to us - every single day
- Supporting productions with Crew Rep nominations and voting, keeping you connected and represented
We continue to be at the table with the other Guilds and Unions, working to get SIWA across the line.
As a not-for-profit, securing funding in a slow period is challenging. This is why your membership matters so much. The more members we have, the more we can do. Our membership is currently at an all-time high, and we would love to double it in the coming year.
ScreenSafe – Supporting Safety and Respect Across the Industry
Wearing my ScreenSafe hat now: ScreenSafe sits under the Guild, but the website and resources are for everyone—from pre-production all the way through to post. The guidelines cover every department, plus mental health resources, bullying and harassment support templates, and the Professional Respect Training (PRT) online module. I encourage everyone to complete PRT before you need it—you’ll receive a ScreenSafe Certificate that can be added to your CV.
This year we delivered in-person PRT workshops in Auckland, Wellington, and Queenstown. The feedback has been outstanding. There is genuine culture change happening. People want safer, more respectful workplaces—sometimes we just need the tools. Tools to call out disrespectful behaviour, handle disclosures safely, and support mentally healthy environments. That’s the Kaupapa behind all our work.
Mental Health: What the Data Tells Us
Our 2025 Mental Health Survey, shared earlier this year, had a 3% uptake from screen workers—similar to participation rates in the UK and Australia. As we analyse the results, we are seeing the same concerning mental health patterns emerging in Aotearoa as those found overseas.
This data will help guide our next steps: further conversations with the sector, identifying what support programmes are needed, and determining how we can prevent the conditions that lead to these outcomes.
To do this work, we need funding. I am actively pursuing every avenue to secure support and expand ScreenSafe’s capacity to deliver the services our industry urgently needs.
Now for the Thank You and Appreciation!
This year I have a lot of appreciation to share.
To Christian and Wookie, who volunteer their time every single day and work tirelessly for the Guild—thank you.
To our Executive Committee, Branch Committees, and Finance Committee—thank you for giving up your time for meetings, emails, and big decisions. You keep us on track, afloat, and focused on what matters.
To our dynamic team, Tracey and Tania—your knowledge, design skills, logistical wizardry, and tech expertise have brought so much more connectivity and engagement to the Guild. Thank you for everything you do.
To Annette, our wonderful accounts person—thank you for keeping our financial checks and balances in order and making sure we stay stable.
To NZFC, thank you for the core funding that keeps the day-to-day running of the Guild going.
To NZOA, thank you for supporting our training programmes and helping us bring more opportunities to our members.
And finally, to you—our members.
You are our heroes.
You choose to support us so we can support you and the industry as a whole.
We truly cannot do this without you.
Moving Forward Together
This year has tested our industry, but it has also reinforced the strength of our community and the importance of standing together.
Your voices, your experiences, your challenges, and your victories shape everything we do.
Thank you for being part of this Guild.
We’re here for you.
And together, we look forward to building a safer, stronger, more supportive industry in the year ahead.
Ngā mihi
Kelly
