29 October 2010: As the country's key movie industry players make statements of gratitude for taking action to secure The Hobbit, local press backlash hits the government. Conversely, the positive effects include confirmation from James Cameron that he wants the Avatar sequel projects to go to New Zealand.
Sir Richard Taylor and Sir Peter Jackson have released statements thanking New Zealanders and others for their support in keeping The Hobbit movie-making project in New Zealand. Both statements through the website of Weta, the digital effects company that only days ago believed that it's future involvement with the project could be in jeopardy.
Sir Richard Taylor, creative director of Weta, with Tania Rodger, said, "Everyone here has tried to stay optimistic for a positive outcome but in the darkest days of the past week it has been the amazing support from the fans of LOTR (Lord of the Rings) and our family and friends which has given us the resolve to stay cheerful and positive about the outcome for these films.
It is a fantastic result reported tonight by our Prime Minister, the Honourable John Key, and we are grateful for the support of our Government in recognising the challenges our film industry was facing. We are also very pleased that Warner Bros are happy to continue to see these films made in New Zealand – and thank them for their efforts.
Weta Digital Special Effects
Weta is not a studio, it does no casting or film crew hiring and does not make its own productions. But it does provide permanent employment for a range of craft technicians from local and international origins. It will be handling a range of work, from character creation to 3D effects for the new Avatar projects if talks with Cameron are successful. The company reports continued growth and success since its participation in the first Avatar film.
The Los Angeles Times quotes significant figures for Weta's contribution to New Zealand’s screen industry, which it says, employs 7,000 people and supported 2,673 companies in 2009. Most of the growth in the NZ industry has been in the digital graphics, animation and effects business, where revenue swelled to $196 million in 2009. Weta Digital is the largest of these players, having continually attracted globally prestigious contracts since the Lord of the Rings.
Sir Peter Jackson was a founder partner in establishing the Weta Workshop in Wellington in 1993, and was a key player in securing government support for the then highly speculative proposed Lord of the Rings project in the late 1990s, yet was somewhat vilified in the NZ press in the recent Hobbit dispute.
Weta's fan-friendly website quotes that Sir Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh stated on 28 October, "We are grateful to the Government for introducing legislation which shall give everyone in the film industry certainty as to their employment status. This clarification will provide much needed stability and reassurance for film workers as well as investors from within New Zealand and overseas."
Jackson continued, "I feel enormous gratitude to the film technicians, actors and fans who came out in support of making these films in New Zealand. To the thousands of people who took the time to write and let us know they were with us - thank you. It made all the difference."
Film Industry Legislation
Ironically, the law governing employee rights need not have been tampered with if an Australian union had not waded in and fostered international unrest among certain key workers. Now, legislation specific to the film industry, passed in the New Zealand parliament on 28 October 2010, renders contract employees in New Zealand, especially actors, potentially worse off in the long-term.
All because the initial protests made a huge movie company nervous about investing $500 million in a NZ based project. Or maybe everything in Hollywood is not as it may seem, in this instance?
Complexity in The Hobbit situation was also fuelled by the dire financial straits of MGM, which could be about to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy if its investors continue to fend off a variety of bids from alternative sources. One of these bids is from Spyglass, who were instrumental in getting MGM into the deal for The Hobbit, the Wall Street Journal reports.
MGM's involvement in the Hobbit movie, currently financially underwritten by Warner Brothers, could then boost its flagging DVD and video sales with the likely longevity of such a family-friendly product.
Sources
- Mike Spector and Lauren A.E. Schuker 'MGM Drama Nears Climax' Wall Street Journal 28 Oct 2010
- Richard Verrier 'Hobbit' casts cloud over New Zealand's 'filmmaker's paradise' Los Angeles Times 26 October 2010
- You May Also Wish to Read Valerie Williamson's Film School Articles on Post-Production and Editing, Digital 3D Cameras Revolutionize Mainstream Film Production or The Hobbit Movie Cast and Hobbiton Set Finalised
Valerie Williamson - Dr. Val Williamson is a freelance journalist and academic specialising in historical and popular culture topics.
