11 September 2006

The completion of a new purpose-built soundstage at Auckland’s Henderson Valley Studios will strengthen New Zealand’s appeal as a film making destination.

Work on the 49 foot (15 metre) high and 21,527 square foot (2000sqm) soundstage is due to start in December 2006 and is expected to be up and running early next year (2007).

The project is a regional initiative between Waitakere City Council and Film Auckland. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has contributed a grant of NZ$1 million towards the project.

Investment New Zealand’s Screen Production Investment Manager Paul Voigt says the development represents a necessary addition to the New Zealand screen production industry’s infrastructure and will assist the industry in meeting growing demand from overseas and locally for world class soundstage space.

“We have a lot of facilities in Auckland but for a major feature they have limitations. We have lost a number of high profile international movies simply because we haven’t had the infrastructure that they require,” Mr Voigt says.

The facilities will complement Peter Jackson’s 39ft high [12m] soundstage at Stone Street and 107,639sq ft [10,000sqm] Park Road Post film production facility in Wellington.

“It is hoped the modern soundstage at Henderson Valley Studios will become part of a fully integrated studio over time,” Mr Voigt says.

Henderson Valley Studios has already been used for several high profile productions including the TV series Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys along with major features including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The studios have been fully booked this year (2006) with the production of 30 Days of Night, a vampire horror set in mid-winter in a small Alaskan town.

Film Auckland Chairman Peter Parnham says the idea is to attract productions which otherwise would be deterred from shooting here by a lack of suitable soundstages.

“We have had considerable success already in developing the screen production industry but this was a clearly identified factor limiting growth,” Mr Parnham says.

He says it isn’t about competing with large studio complexes in Australia or the United States, but about targeting a sector of movies who would love to come here but need studio space as well as the locations, the people and the industrial space.

“The target market is a medium budget movie to whom this kind of space is affordable and practical and the whole New Zealand economic package makes economic sense,” Mr Parnham says.

For more information, please contact:

paul.voigt@investmentnz.govt.nz

+64 9 919 9042