Sector: Creative Industries – Screen Production

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, NARNIA, and all book titles, characters and locales original thereto are trademarks of C.S. Lewis Pte Ltd. and are used with permission. © DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC and WALDEN MEDIA, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; the very title of C. S. Lewis’ classic novel evokes a land of myth and possibility. Parallels can be drawn with New Zealand, the principal shooting location for the film adaptation. In helping meet the expectations of over 60 million readers, New Zealand-born Director, Andrew Adamson, turned to his homeland with truly magical results.

While filmmakers scoured the world for locations that could bring Narnia to life, New Zealand’s diverse landscapes kept beckoning.

“Every time we went somewhere else, we would end up talking about no matter how wonderful it is, it’s not as great as New Zealand.” enthused Producer Mark Johnson. “We really felt we could create Narnia in New Zealand, with the size and grandeur and majesty of certain locations.”

Shooting in such unspoiled, yet remote regions, would have proven impossible had New Zealand’s telecommunications infrastructure and service standards been anything less than world-leading. Telecom New Zealand worked very closely with the filmmakers to ensure they remained in contact despite the isolation of their location. A secure internet connection sent up to 10 gigabytes of filmed material at up to 100mbps on a nightly basis: more reliable and less expensive than the previously-used satellite systems.

The filmmakers were able to use this technology, and the time difference between New Zealand and the United States, to great advantage. Effectively, the time difference created a 24 hour production cycle, with footage sent to studio at the end of the day in New Zealand ready for their American colleagues when they arrived at work.

While locations and telecommunications are essential ingredients, the success of a production of this size and complexity ultimately depends upon the calibre of the people involved. Five hundred New Zealanders worked on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, representing 85 percent of the cast and crew.

Filming in New Zealand made economic sense with the Large Budget Screen Production Grant scheme contributing to its attractiveness. The scheme provides a rebate on production expenditure of more than NZD15 million within New Zealand. This incentive, combined with a deep pool of skilled people, flexible labour laws, a wide array of previously unused locations and world-class infrastructure, provided the filmmakers with unparalleled value.

Walden Media, one of the production companies behind The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, will begin filming a second feature in New Zealand in early 2006, called The Bridge to Terabithia.

Andrew Adamson praises his homeland’s ability to help fulfil his creative vision by saying, “It is easy to see that this is a magical land, filled with magical people.” The critical acclaim and box office success heaped upon The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe proves that the world agrees.

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