Wellington Wrap

For most crew here in Wellington, there has been a noticeable improvement in the amount of work compared to a year ago. Aside from the odd quiet patch, or instances of being overlooked for out-of-town crew, many of our kaimahi kiriata have had a solid and industrious summer.

Family drama A Dog’s Show based its production and post-production offices at Avalon Studios, with filming taking place on location across Ohāriu Valley, Battle Hill and Lyall Bay. After wrapping in mid-December, editorial moved to Park Road Post Production.

In early February, horror feature When Darkness Loves Us began with a week of filming in Mākara, before moving across other Wellington fringe locations including Whitemans Valley, Akatārawa and Upper Hutt. In March, production shifted onto the stages at Avalon, wrapping just a few days ago.

There were concerns that the widely reported issues at the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant might delay Season Two of Secrets at Red Rocks. However, thanks to careful planning and a bit of luck, production began on schedule in late February. Filming has taken place along the south coast, from Lyall Bay through to Red Rocks, with wrap expected in mid-April.

Wellington based on-set VFX teams have been away from home in Auckland, Queenstown and Sydney for Zelda and Greyhound 2.

Closer to home, short films River River and Orc, along with the low-budget feature Inducive, plus a number of TVCs and corporate shoots, have helped keep crews active.

Some have also spent time up the line in Ōtaki, taking part in Māoriland Film Festival, Aotearoa’s leading celebration of indigenous film.

Meanwhile, activity continues to build at Stone Street Studios as preparations ramp up for the next Middle-earth production. Production, construction, IT and locations teams are already engaged, with occasional camera tests drawing additional crew to the stages on Te Motu Kairangi. With a mid-year start date approaching, activity is expected to increase.

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