DavidSims
- Director
- Editor
There were times when the career of longtime National Film Unit director David Sims could have been cut short. Having survived close encounters with steam locomotives in mountainous terrain, he narrowly escaped being blown up, drowned and burnt alive at sea. Even filming a planned set-up on location had its hazards, as he found when his call of “action!” sent exploding rocks whistling by perilously close overhead.
Screenography
Biography
While growing up in Auckland, David Sims developed an interest in railways. That interest led him to take up photography, and travel to places where the spectacle of steam power could best be captured. Using fireworks to light a night scene was one trick he used to make the most of a limited budget. His photographic skills, along with a BA in English Literature and History from Auckland University, helped land him a job at the National Film Unit in Wellington, at a time "when the place was humming along on a high".
Awards
1992 International Film and Video Association Video Awards (New Zealand)
Silver Monitor: Total Steam
1993 International Film and Video Association Video Awards (NZ)
Certificate of Merit (shared with Hugh Macdonald): On Denniston
“Around us is a myriad of stories and images. Every time we went out on location we were barely scratching the surface. ”
Related images
