Wednesday
30
Oct
2024
Composing for Film - Auckland

Composing for Film - Auckland

Posted Monday 07 Oct 2024

Join musician and one of New Zealand’s first women film composers Jan Preston (Home By Christmas, My Year With Helen) for a fun in-depth exploration into the role of the film composer, music and dramaturgy, and how this can make or break films!

Using examples from her award-winning work and others, she will delve into:

·    What can music add to screen stories?

·    How does the composer interpret the director’s brief?

·    How does the composer invent unique music for different genres of film?

·    Is it the same process for all genres such as big budget action drama, intimate arthouse or comedy?

Jan Preston is an award-winning film composer who has composed music for hundreds of films and TV shows for more than 40 years. Some of her compositions have included the theme to Australian Story, the ABC drama series Bastard Boys and documentary series Australian Dynasties and, closer to home, the critically acclaimed films Home By Christmas and My Year With Helen.  As one of New Zealand’s first female composers she was also the musical director for Red Mole Theatre Troupe and has composed music for Limbs dance group.

Date:         Wednesday 30 October

Time:         6-8pm (6:00pm drinks for a 6:30pm start)                                

Location:   Envy Studios, Level 2, 55 Anzac Avenue, Auckland City

WIFT members free; non-members $20 cash; includes wine and nibbles.


BOOK YOUR SPOT HERE

Date: Wednesday 30 Oct 2024
Location: Envy Studios, Level 2, 55 Anzac Avenue, Auckland City
Time: 6pm (workshop starts at 6:30pm)

Wednesday
30
Oct
2024

Upcoming events...

Saturday 23 Aug 2025

Anchor Me - The Don McGlashan Story - Wellington

WIFT Pre-screening gathering: 

Buy your ticket to the film and join us to celebrate Director / Producer Shirley Horrocks stellar career. Shirley has had an exceptional 40-year career making award-winning documentaries about Aotearoa’s great artists, writers, and scientists (including Marti Friedlander, Len Lye, and Paul Callaghan). She is the New Zealand director who has had the most films in the NZ International Film Festival – this is her thirteenth! This is not just the usual kind of music documentary but the first in-depth feature portrait of an extraordinary creative figure, inducted in 2023 into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. His life story, told in his own words, is a rich evening’s entertainment that combines great music with much food for thought.

A drink and nibbles provided. Cash bar. Booking is essential. Register for Pre-Screening Gathering Here. Free to members and non-members. MUST HAVE TICKET TO SCREENING.

🎟️ Tickets for Anchor Me - The Don McGlashan Story screening

 

Wellington – you have a fabulous 26 hours of excellent content to view on 23 and 24 August! Here’s your schedule!

Saturday, 23 August, 12.45 PM:  TOITŪ Visual Sovereignty Venue Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Cinema
Unprecedented insight into the curation of the Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art exhibition reveals the struggle for Māori artistic sovereignty within the structures of Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural institutions. Directed by Chelsea Winstanley.  Produced by Desray Armstrong and Chelsea Winstanley.   https://www.nziff.co.nz/2025/te-whanganui-a-tara-wellington/toitu-visual-sovereignty/

Saturday, 23 August, 2 PM: Went Up the Hill Lighthouse Petone but you could see this instead at the Embassy at 8.30 PM on 21 August to avoid a clash!
An unsettling, sinister slow-burn thriller, Samuel Van Grinsven unites rising star Dacre Montgomery with Phantom Thread’s Vicky Krieps and New Zealand’s own Sarah Peirse for a supernatural chiller like no other. Produced by Vicky Pope.  https://www.nziff.co.nz/2025/te-whanganui-a-tara-wellington/went-up-the-hill/

Sunday 24 August, 1.45 PM: War Stories Our Mother Never Told Us Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Cinema
Seven women reflect on the emotional cataclysm of World War II in Dame Gaylene Preston’s landmark contribution to the collective memory of Aotearoa, which has lost none of its raw power on its 30th anniversary. https://www.nziff.co.nz/2025/te-whanganui-a-tara-wellington/war-stories-our-mothers-never-told-us/

And don’t miss War is Over, our talented Board Member Sophie Cherry’s Academy Award-winning short film, inspired by the music of John and Yoko this Academy Award winning animated short delivers a moving message.  Screening before One to One:  John & Yoko https://www.nziff.co.nz/2025/te-whanganui-a-tara-wellington/one-to-one-john-yoko

Tuesday 02 Sep 2025

Visual Takes: An evening with Getty Images

You know the story you want to tell. We’ll help you find the content to bring it to life.

Join the Getty Images team for an insider’s look at the suite of services available to producers, from pre-production to post and beyond. Whether it’s scripted or factual, we help producers find the right content (fast), access archival gems or fresh contemporary visuals, navigate licensing and clearance, negotiating and pricing, and much more.

Cass Avery from ‘Prime Minister’ will also be joining a panel of Getty Images experts, where we will delve into her recent project and discuss how partnering with Getty Images services across archive, video and stills was utilised across production Stages.

This session will explore:

  • Frame by frame: from development to distribution, support for scripted and

  • factual productions with Alyssa Orvis

  • A behind the scenes look at the role of a product specialist with Cathy Totten

  • Reel talk with Cass Avery and Alyssa Orvis

  • Lights, camera, quiz! Test your knowledge with an archival quiz

  • The wrap party – networking and drinks

Our panellists are:

Alyssa Orvis: Alyssa is a Sales Executive at Getty Images focused on supporting the TV, film, broadcast and production Industry. Alyssa was a Documentary Investment Manager at Screen Australia for eight years (2013 - 2021), where she was involved in the development, funding and management of a slate of documentaries including features, television series, online shorts, new media projects and emerging filmmaker initiatives. Prior to Screen Australia, Alyssa divided her time between Sydney Film Festival and the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, where she oversaw guest and industry teams and advised on programming from 2009 - 2012. Alyssa also lived in New York for 10 years, where she worked at Tribeca Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and the Bicycle Film Festival.

Cathy Totten: Cathy is a Product Specialist at Getty Images focused on connecting TV & Film producers with major international networks including BBC, NBC, TVNZ and ITN. Prior to joining Getty in 2018, Cathy's broad and diverse background includes competing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at UNSW, running established and emerging art galleries in New York City and shooting events such as Australian Fashion week. She now enjoys helping other creatives create their stories through Getty Images + partners extensive library.

Cass Avery: Cass is EVP of Production & Development at Dark Doris. As a producer, executive producer and writer, Cass has helmed and scripted more than 40 documentaries and television series commissioned in NZ, Australia and the US. Her projects have screened on Netflix, Amazon, WBD, Hulu, SKY UK and Seven Australia. Cass produced Chasing Great, releasing in 2016 which is New Zealand’s highest ever grossing cinema documentary.  In 2019 she executive produced and wrote Jessica's Tree, and co-produced it’s companion feature documentary Girl on the Bridge. Cass also produced the Amazon original Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles,  the 4 part true crime documentary series Black Coast Vanishings made for Warner Brothers Discovery with Studio Canal In 2025 she executive produced the John Clarke feature documentary Not Only Fred Dagg and produced the film Prime Minister that premiered at Sundance and won the coveted Audience Award at both Sundance and at The Sydney Film Festival.

📅 Date: Tuesday 2nd September
📍 Location: Grid, Lysaght Building
🕠 Time: 6.00PM – 8.30PM

We look forward to a relaxed, insightful evening and discussing how Getty Images can support WIFT members with their upcoming/current projects.

Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Free to WIFT members and $20 for non-members. Book Your Attendance Here

Programme is brought to you with generous support from the NZ Film Commission and Foundation North.