Green light for NZ film village
05 Nov 2008
A New Zealand farm north of Auckland has been given the green light to open up its rural pastures for domestic and international film producers.
The 338ha farm at Wainui, 30 minutes from Auckland, wants to become a one-stop production facility where film-makers can live and work. The property has already been used in major films like The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Meeting major demand
The owners say Kelly Park Film Village will meet strong national and international demand for large production facilities, and the zoning rights just granted by Rodney District Council mean it will no longer be necessary to get resource consent for each project.
There are currently two studios, a 350 hectare back-lot, production offices, an animation studio, set-building and storage on the site. The owners have been pushing for rezoning for more than four years.
Extensive facilities
The new Kelly Park Film Village will have high-tech facilities, film sets, new studios, creative workshops, an international film and digital hub, viewing theatres, and even an animal training precinct.
There are also plans for a film education centre for international and local graduate students and, further down the track, a film tourism adventure trail.
Kelly Park founder Matt Barker said there was a pressing need for a high-quality, attractively priced, full-service production and post-production facility close to Auckland.
The rural environment away from busy urban areas where traffic, industrial and construction noises cause problems during productions would be a key attraction, he said.
Film industry support
Support for the film village has come from the industry, including Whale Rider director Niki Caro, and Film New Zealand chief executive Judith McCann.
As well as The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the site has also been used for The Ferryman; 30 Days of Night, and The Vintner's Luck.
The project will provide up to 300 jobs.
Development programme
The first phase of development includes an 8000sq m sound stage, three 600sq m workshops, 1440sq m of office space, back-lot facilities, post-production suites and areas for buildings sets.
Hotel-style accommodation and catering is also planned and will allow crews to stay on site during a production. Further plans include a second sound stage by spring 2010, and a film school.
Kelly Park accommodation
It is hoped to attract a substantial investor for development of a housing subdivision aimed at film and television people who want to "live, work and play on site".
Eco-housing using high-quality materials will be designed to fit the rural character of the landscape. Zoning imposes limits on scale, density and appearance of buildings.
Kelly Park chief executive and La Luna Studios director Cristina Casares says: "It will be a beautiful film village designed to fit the land, not a big, ugly industrial zone."
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