News / Events

Results of the long-awaited Colmar Brunton Screen Production Survey 2000 have been released by the Screen Producers and Directors Association. The survey confirms that the screen production industry is surging ahead, with job creation and foreign exchange increasingly dramatically.

Key findings include:
-Company turnover now exceeds $1 billion, up from $805 million in 1999
-Production financing is close to $500,000, up from just over $300 million in 1999.
-Of that half billion dollars, $343 million is foreign funding, up from $151 million in 1999.
-Total foreign exchange generated is $455 million, up from $155 million in 1999.
-37% of production budgets were spent in Auckland, 29% in Wellington, 18% in Queenstown and 4% in Canterbury.
-Over 14,000 jobs were undertaken this year, compared to 7,730 in 1999 (full time, part time and contractors).

No economic multipliers have been used.

"These are minimum and quite conservative figures", said SPADA's chief executive Jane Wrightson. "One or two companies decline to participate for reasons of commercial sensitivity, and there is also some lower budget, sometimes self-funded work which we will not have uncovered".

"What's most exciting is that, even if the effects of Rings and Vertical Limit are discounted, the underlying trend is still strong", she said. "The screen production industry has huge flow-on effects for other industries in New Zealand: we are major customers for the building and building supplies industry, accommodation, catering, travel and vehicle rental companies, equipment and technical hire firms, tourism operators as well as for legal, accounting, technology and professional service companies."

"And that's not even beginning to talk about the jobs created for actors, writers, designers, crew and others involved in the creative process", she said.

"The most disturbing trend is the continuing static nature of public funding available for television production. While the broadcasters are contributing a little more ($42 million, up from $39 million in 1999), public funding at $49 million is only comparable to last year and still $8 million less than in 1997", said Wrightson.

The survey is the only formal measure of production activity in the film, television and commercials production industry and involves data collected from over 100 organisations and individuals. It covers the year ending 31 March 2000. Data this year include estimates for the first year of production of The Lord Of The Rings and the Hollywood film Vertical Limit which was shot in Queenstown.

The survey is funded by the NZ Film Commission, Trade New Zealand and NZ On Air. The full survey will be available in the new year.