Philippa Steele

Philippa Steele trained as a nurse in Dunedin before entering the world of journalism as a sub editor, first at the Sydney Morning herald, then at Wellington's Dominion.

In the early 1980's she had dabbled in film, moonlighting as an animation cell painter for Gnome Productions while still working at the Dominion. Soon after, she became fully immersed in the film industry with her partner, cameraman and director, Warrick ‘Waka' Attewell.

From 1986, Steele was the Co-Producer/Production Manager & Company Administrator for Attewell's busy company, Valhalla Productions. Valhalla undertook a huge range of commercial and non-broadcast work, and occasionally made documentaries on the side.

In the 1990's Steele began specializing in props and set decoration. She was the props buyer or set dresser for many TV dramas, feature films and commercials. On some large international shoots, she ran a department of four people.

Most recently, Steele has had a change in lifestyle, leaving the film and television industry to run a 50-acre beef & sheep farmlet with Waka; and some weekends she can be found serving at Otaki's well-known Brown Sugar Café.