Stories

It's 2016. Film is supposed to be dead by now and a whole generation of filmmakers may never know what it's like to load a mag and check the gate.

I wanted to see if it was still feasible and economical to shoot a film on film. I also wanted to examine it as a serious aesthetic choice. Is it only useful as a nostalgia gimmick? Or is there something subjective you gain by losing objective clarity?

Shooting on film certainly requires more time and discipline. I was a solo loader/operator/focus puller on this shoot supported by a very efficient grip and lighting team. We needed a few 10-20 minute breaks while I loaded the mags but overall the process wasn't too different from shooting digitally.

I'm still undecided whether or not the look can justify the cost and inconvenience. But I can't deny the visceral joy of receiving my processed film weeks later and seeing the results.

This is mum and dad.

25 years ago they said goodbye to all of their friends, family and everything they knew and flew off to an alien country with one purpose: to secure a better future for their children.

Because of their courage and hard work, it's possible for me to live this fulfilling, creative life.

Cheers, parents. And thanks New Zealand for giving us a warm welcome.

The Dunedin city center is silent in the witching hour.

I've moved here from the 24/7 noise of Auckland to work more closely with NHNZ on some engaging documentaries, the most significant of which is China Borderlands, a series of cultural and wildlife episodes exploring the lesser-known frontier regions of China.

Dunedin itself is lesser-known, though it's the oldest city in New Zealand. The light and shadow here is full of nostalgia.