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DerekMorton

  • Director
  • Editor
Derek-Morton-Key-Profile.jpg

Derek Morton is one of those happily unsung industry all-rounders who has done a little of everything: from documentaries and children's television, to commercials and underground films. He has run his own production company, and done time as a cameraman, editor, writer, producer and director. 

Screenography

First Fleet
1987 Director Short film
Sailing On
1987 Director, Camera Short film
The Dominant Species
1985 Editor, Producer, Writer, Camera, Director Television
Pathways to Profits
1985 Director, Writer, Producer, Editor Short film
Roche - First Episode
1985 Director Television

Biography

Although Derek Morton dislikes personal publicity, some details have been extracted for NZ On Screen.

Morton began acting while at school in the Taranaki. At Victoria University, he studied science then English literature, and "became keen to make arty films, but nobody else there believed that was possible". Morton was hanging out with a group of jazz musicians (including teacher Geoff Murphy and Bruno Lawrence) "who didn’t think it was possible either, but eventually became convinced".

Awards

1970 Feltex Awards (New Zealand)
Best Speciality Programme: Kid Set

“He was constantly active, working on many projects and was a major influence in the industry in the days before it was an industry.”

— Director Geoff Murphy, on Derek Morton

Related images

Derek-Morton-Gallery-1.jpg
A shot of the village set created for unfinished film The Magic Hammer. Derek Morton is behind the camera. The set was pre-fabricated in Geoff Murphy's garage in Wellington, then transported to the site in Makara on the roof of his Morris Minor.
Kindly supplied by Geoff Murphy.
Derek-Morton-Gallery-2.jpg
Shots from the making of unfinished musical The Magic Hammer. Geoff Murphy is pushing the dolly (mobile camera platform), while Derek Morton is behind the camera, which is enclosed in homemade, soundproof housing and mounted on a beer crate.
Kindly supplied by Geoff Murphy.
GeoffMurphy_Gallery3.jpg
Bruno Lawrence as a burglar, Derek Morton as a bystander and publisher Chris Wheeler as a policeman. This photo was taken during the filming of 1969 short film The Box.  
Photo possibly taken by Helen Whiteford
Geoff_Murphy_Gallery1.jpg
Derek Morton and Geoff Murphy, shortly before setting up a car crash stunt on Wild Horses. The film was released in 1984.
Photo taken by Jocelyn Carlin
GeoffMurphy_Gallery2.jpg
Left to right: Derek Morton, Geoff Murphy and (seated) cameraman Alun Bollinger, during the making of short film The Box (1969?).
Photo believed to have been taken by Helen Whiteford
Derek-Morton-Gallery3.jpg
The three witches from Geoff Murphy and Derek Morton's unfinished film The Magic Hammer: Cackle (played by Christine Olsen), Lop (Mary Wootton), and Zap (Catherine Slavof). Photo believed to have been taken by Barry Clothier.
Kindly supplied by Mary Wootton (née Wheeler)
Derek-Morton-Gallery-3.jpg
David Potter and (holding camera) Derek Morton on the Makara set of The Magic Hammer. Photo taken by Gary Girvan.
Kindly supplied by Derek Morton
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Cast and crew on the 1965 Palliser Bay shoot for teleplay Down by the Cool Sea. Back row, left to right: film director Romano Pianti, actor Barry Hill, overall director/producer Douglas Drury, sound recordist Ian McIntyre, cameraman Cyril Townsend, and scriptwriter Maurice Shadbolt (holding pipe). Front row: actor Sandy Chadwick, production secretary Angela Nicoll, actor Glenis Levestam, and location manager Derek Morton.
Photo supplied by Derek Morton
Douglas_Drury_Gallery4.jpg
Actors Barry Hill and Glenis Levestam at Palliser Bay, shooting a scene for 1966 teleplay Down by the Cool Sea. This was likely the first time New Zealand television went on location to shoot drama. Derek Morton is at the right of frame, holding a battery-powered light.
Photo supplied by the late Douglas Drury
Douglas_Drury_Gallery3.jpg
Setting up a shot at Palliser Bay in late 1965, during probably the earliest location shoot for a New Zealand television drama: teleplay Down by the Cool Sea. Derek Morton is standing on the left of the camera, with so-called 'Film Director' Romano Pianti (arms obscuring his face) on the other side of the rock. Note actor Barry Hill, lying on the sand at the left of frame.
Photo supplied by the late Douglas Drury
Douglas_Drury_Gallery1.jpg
A shot from one of the earliest location shoots on a New Zealand television drama: actors Barry Hill and Glenis Levestam and location manager Derek Morton at Palliser Bay, while filming teleplay Down by the Cool Sea. The slate Morton is holding reads 5 December 1965. 
Photo supplied by the late Douglas Drury