Wellington’s Creative Pulse in a Changing Year

A lot has happened since we last checked in here from te Upoko o te Ika. Perhaps the most obvious is that GT is not in the byline above. I would like to add my voice to the chorus who thank Graeme for his work producing the engaging and thought-provoking NZTECHO for the Guild over many years. Luckily for us, there will be other opportunities to read his insightful prose in Stuff or listen to him on Radio Active.

Our branch committee has undergone changes: we welcome Daisy Hall and Sadie Wilson both from Art Department to our ranks as well as Laurie Wright from ADs. We thank Richard Bluck and Corey Le Vaillant as they step aside. Richard especially has been active on the Wellington committee for many years, and continues to be a central figure at Screensafe. We also thank Sally Cunningham and Wookie Hebron for their service as chair and vice-chair respectively (both remain in the Wellington and National Executive committees and Wookie is now the Guild's Vice-President). The Guild have hosted several hui and casual get-togethers, where we have seen growing attendance, including from people new to the industry and/or region. Local Guild membership remains solid and active.

Virtual production on Avatar: Fire and Ash wrapped at the end of winter after several years of shooting at the southern end of Stone Street Studios. Post has continued around the corner at Park Road, and in five days from the time of writing, the Embassy Theatre will host a red carpet NZ premiere event for freshly-sworn kiwi James Cameron’s latest blockbuster! The film itself will be one to watch in more ways than one: many in our rohe, our motu and indeed in the industry worldwide are invested in the continued commercial success of this franchise.

On a smaller scale, Avalon Studios has hosted a flurry of projects in the second half of this year starting with NZ/Canadian co-pro Project Dewey in September. A fun and fabulous 8 episode TV show for kids of all ages, it will screen on TVNZ for local viewers. Next up was Black Sheeps, the follow-up feature to the 2006 cult-classic horror comedy Black Sheep. As well as on the sound stages at Avalon, shooting took place around the region including the dramatic Ōhāriu valley. Overlapping by one day, also shooting many scenes in Ōhāriu and similarly featuring a great many ovine extras is A Dog’s Show, where audiences will revisit one of this country’s most compelling concepts for broadcast: competitive shepherding. Shooting is due to wrap at the end of this week. On-set vibes for all three projects have been straight whanaungatanga in a way that can only be experienced here in Wellington.

Looking ahead to 2026, James Ashcroft will direct a feature-length adaptation of 1980s horror novella When Darkness Loves Us (again, based at Avalon), and the second season of Red Rocks will get underway. And then in the middle of the year, many are fizzing about the prospect of a return to Middle Earth.

But for now we look to enjoy a bit of down-time and hākari with family and friends, hoping to revel in a few proverbial Good Days.