The Work Is Coming: Screen Hawke’s Bay Builds a Regional Crew Database
If you are crew, we need you!
Hawke’s Bay’s screen industry is growing and Screen Hawke’s Bay wants to know who is ready to be part of it.
There is a shift happening in Hawke’s Bay. More producers are talking to us about bringing film and television productions to the region. More projects are looking at our locations, our people and our ability to support productions from development through to delivery. And as those conversations grow, one thing has become increasingly clear:
We need to know where our crew are.
Screen Hawke’s Bay is currently working with a number of producers and production teams to build a portfolio of screen work in the region. Those conversations are creating opportunities from feature films and television through to short films, commercials, documentaries and other screen projects. To make the most of those opportunities, we are developing a robust regional crew database of people who are interested in working on film and television productions in Hawke’s Bay.
We want to know about the people who live here. We also want to know about the people who have strong connections to the region. Perhaps you grew up here, have whānau here, own a home here or have somewhere you can stay when a production comes to town.
Why?
Because productions need to know that they can access skilled crew locally, and that people are available to work when the call comes. This database isn’t just for people who currently call Hawke’s Bay home. We are particularly interested in hearing from crew who have a connection to Hawke’s Bay and somewhere to stay when work comes up. That might mean you are currently working in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch or elsewhere in Aotearoa, but you have whānau, friends or accommodation available in Hawke’s Bay. If you can get here and work here, we want to know about you. For productions, this can make a significant difference. Having access to experienced crew who already have a connection to the region means productions can bring specialist skills into Hawke’s Bay while also strengthening the local industry.
Screen Hawke’s Bay’s role is to help build relationships between producers and the region, and to make filming here as straightforward as possible. We already have strong regional relationships, established protocols and access to a wide range of locations, infrastructure, suppliers and screen professionals. Our website highlights the breadth of experienced cast and crew available in the region, from directors and cinematographers through to grips, gaffers, sound and location specialists.
The more we can demonstrate that Hawke’s Bay has the people to support productions, the stronger our case becomes when producers are deciding where to spend their production budgets.
Recent productions and projects coming through the region are demonstrating the appetite for Hawke’s Bay as a place to make screen content.
Projects such as Te Whaiao are deliberately looking to employ Hawke’s Bay cast and crew and work with local businesses, showing how a production can invest directly back into the region. (Boosted). The Fly By Ms Magpie team are doing the same building relationships and connections with local businesses, private land owners and manawhenua.
And production companies such as Velvet Moss are continuing to develop projects for New Zealand and international audiences, demonstrating the scale of opportunity that exists across the screen sector.
Our job is to make sure Hawke’s Bay is ready when those opportunities arrive.
Send us your CV and let us know what you do, where you are based and, importantly, what connection you have to Hawke’s Bay if you don’t currently live here.
We are building this database so that when producers come knocking, we can open the door for our regional crew.