Richard S Long: A lifetime of shooting pictures…
Veteran cameraman Richard S Long has captured images everywhere from Singapore to the Southern Alps. Long's career began by shooting news for TVNZ in the mid 1970s. He then moved on to filming lifestyle and drama programmes like Heroes and Holiday. Long also did extended time directing commercials in Asia, before returning home and writing and directing his first feature Not for Children.
Paul Gittins: From TV doctor to TV director...
Actor Paul Gittins biggest screen role to date is as Doctor Michael McKenna, the original boss of the clinic on long-running soap Shortland Street. He has also acted in a number of movies, including Other Halves, The End of the Golden Weather, and The Whole of the Moon. Gittins’ love of history led to the creation of popular docudrama series Epitaph, which he hosted and sometimes directed.
Neill Rea: From Hercules to The Brokenwood Mysteries...
Neill Rea is an actor and casting director who began his screen career with a guest role in the 100th episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. He went on to appear in other TV shows including Duggan, Mercy Peak, The Strip and Ivanhoe show Dark Knight. Having created a stir by playing a rapist in nightly soap Shortland Street, he is now back on screens as good guy detective Mike Shepherd in Prime TV series The Brokenwood Mysteries.
Stuart Dryburgh: On good, old-fashioned camera tricks...
Cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh is the eye behind some of the most iconic images in New Zealand film. His first job in the industry was as a 'general assistant' on Middle Age Spread. From there he worked as a gaffer on films including Smash Palace, Goodbye Pork Pie and Came A Hot Friday, before becoming a fully-fledged cinematographer, learning much of what he knows from his mentor Alun Bollinger, who operated the camera for him on The Piano. Since shooting The Piano, Dryburgh has been working overseas, returning to film In My Father’s Den in 2004.
Pat Cox: On Footrot Flats, Murray Ball saying no, and more...
Producer Pat Cox instigated Kiwiana classic Footrot Flats: The Dog's (Tail) Tale and has produced some of New Zealand’s most iconic commercials, including the long-running Speights 'onya mate', Mainland Cheese 'these things take time', and the 100% Pure NZ tourism campaigns.
Aaron Jeffery: A Kiwi actor making it in Australia…
Aaron Jeffery is a Kiwi-born actor who has spent most of his life working in Australia. He played a cop in TV series Water Rats, before winning fame and Logie awards on soap McLeod’s Daughters. Jeffery has also appeared in NZ comedy dramas Outrageous Fortune and Step Dave, as well as Australian series Underbelly and Wentworth.
Waka Attewell: Cinematography highlights...
Cinematographer Waka Attewell is something of a legend in the Kiwi film industry. From landmark 70s TV series Tangata Whenua, he has gone on to climb mountains with Sir Ed; shoot commercials, shorts and six and a half features — including the acclaimed Starlight Hotel — plus direct Ian Mune doco In the Shadow of King Lear.
Two Heads: The two heads behind The Food Truck...
James Anderson and Nick Ward are the brains behind Auckland based production company Two Heads. They've made a name for themselves producing fresh and quirky documentaries and TV series such as Santarchy, Making Tracks, The Cheerleaders and Funny Roots. Two Heads are also the creative force behind TV ONE’s hit show The Food Truck.
Shavaughn Ruakere: The leap of faith from TV presenting to acting...
Shavaughn Ruakere began her screen career as a presenter on kids TV show What Now?, and later graduated to music channel C4 after a stint on UK morning show SM:TV. Since then Ruakere has made the switch to acting, and appeared in a number of shows including The Jaquie Brown Diaries and a long stint in Shortland Street as Roimata Ngatai.
Whai Ngata: Māori broadcasting pioneer...
The late Whai Ngata (Ngāti Porou, Whānau ā Apanui), NZOM, had a long and distinguished career in television, radio and print. Beginning as a Māori reporter for The Auckland Star, Ngata moved on to Radio New Zealand in 1975, then joined TVNZ in 1983. Soon he was reading the news in Māori on Te Karere. Along with Ernie Leonard, he helped set up the Māori Programmes department at TVNZ, and was a key member of the Waka Huia team. In 1994 Ngata became head of the Māori department and was instrumental in creating long-running programmes like Marae and Mai Time.