Canada and New Zealand have a lot in common. Both live in the shadow of a more powerful neighbor and both have low dollars that are routinely taken advantage of by other countries looking to get more mileage out of their own currencies, especially in the production sectors.

But even Canada’s low dollar translates favorably to New Zealand currency (the Kiwi dollar is worth approximately $0.68 on the loonie), which explains why Canadian production houses like Imported Artists (shooting Royal Bank) and untitled (shooting Canadian Tire) have both recently turned to New Zealand, and why others like The Players Film Company are anxiously waiting for the right job to make the trip.

But the exchange rate is only part of the story. The fact is that New Zealand – thanks to skilled, affordable crews and diverse terrain – makes for an excellent off-season substitute for Canada.

‘Our winter is their summer, so that’s a big bonus,’ says Industry Films’ president and executive producer Tina Petridis, who has shot two spots in New Zealand. The commercials were with MacLaren McCann and client Reactine, directed by Vadim Perelman, and an Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp. spot through Taxi directed by Richard Sears.

‘You can really match Canada quite well there in terms of the landscape. When we were there the first time we were able to shoot the dead of winter in the mountains, and at the same time, shoot a spot for the same campaign in a boat on a beautiful summer’s day.’

Industry’s experiences in New Zealand have been roadhoused by Margaret Slater’s Slater Film of Auckland.

Freelance producer Dee Anderson, who has shot in New Zealand once, was very impressed with how far the Canadian dollar can go there and, like Petridis, was pleased by the vast array of potential locations. She says, though, because of the 22 hours it takes to get to New Zealand and the rigors of fatigue involved with the 17-hour time difference from her Toronto home, it is not the kind of place a producer should go to for an average one-spot, two-day shoot.

‘I think it makes sense to explore New Zealand if you are doing a pool of commercials and if you have varied locations,’ says Anderson. ‘It’s very difficult to go to the States now. Even though they may have locations that we want, with their dollar being considerably more than ours it doesn’t make a lot of sense to go there. I think it really depends on if you are doing a pool of spots and what the requirement of the creative is.’

New Zealand is about 1,600 kilometers in length, made up of two large islands – the North Island (approximately 115,000 square kilometers) and the South Island (approximately 151,000 square kilometers) – and a number of smaller ones. It is a natural spot to shoot outdoor location ads, with mountains like the Tasman and Silberhorn, rivers like the Taireri and the Waikato, and lakes like Wanaba and Taupo.

In addition to its outdoorsy splendor, it has a growing but already solid production infrastructure, including post and animation facilities, many of which cater to commercials.

The largest boost to the profile of the production community is the Lord of the Rings feature film trilogy, directed by Oscar nominee Peter Jackson, himself a New Zealand native. The film can be used quite effectively as a three-hour travel brochure, depicting on film the many scenic reasons to shoot in New Zealand.

Anderson and Petridis agree that the crews in New Zealand are surprisingly good and the infrastructure already established left neither of them wanting. Petridis was even able to access a crane built specifically for and used only by Jackson on Lord of the Rings.

‘Their crews are not unionized so there is a flexibility factor we don’t have here,’ says Petridis. ‘They’d rather work the extra 15 minutes and get out of there instead of taking a break or whatever. I have never seen crews work as hard as they do.

‘I think they are still at the level where the industry is fresher for them and they really want to prove to anyone who is coming there that they are as good as Toronto or L.A. or any other major film center. They have an incredible work ethic and pride themselves in the work they do, because they want you to come back.’

Foreign producers do not require a special permit to shoot in New Zealand, other than the permission of the landowner or the proper authority governing the proposed location. They also have the option of buying out the talent they use for a spot or campaign. These are exactly the kinds of perks that have Players executive producer Luc Frappier interested in trying the country out for himself.

‘It’s come up quite a few times since the beginning of the year,’ says Frappier. ‘This is the time of year when there are a lot of travel jobs happening, and obviously weather is a big factor in making that decision, so taking all that into consideration you are traveling quite far away so you want to try to maximize on the weather, but cost-effectiveness is another big part of it. New Zealand offers both.’

With the popularity of New Zealand as a production location on the rise, can this mean another blow to the Canadian production industry which finally seems to be turning itself around after a couple of difficult years?

Petridis doesn’t think so. She says New Zealand is a great place to shoot if the need to shoot there is prevalent.

‘Primarily you want to go to another place because it is the best thing to do for the script or board you have,’ she says. ‘If you’re in the middle of February in Toronto and you need to shoot something for the summer, it’s just not going to happen. That is where New Zealand comes into play.’

-www.industryfilms.com

-www.playfilm.com