Thursday
09
Mar
2023
The Floating Rock Pitchfest!

The Floating Rock Pitchfest!

Posted Tuesday 28 Feb 2023

WIFT NZ and Floating Rock presents:

The Floating Rock Pitchfest

•       Do you have an idea for a feature film or tv series you want to make?
•       Do you need guidance with crafting a pitch deck to secure funding?
•       Do you want some money to develop your story?
Floating Rock can help!

Boutique animation studio Floating Rock is offering an opportunity for storytellers to realise their stories through the Floating Rock Pitchfest. They are primarily interested in animation and VR projects.

This workshop is your chance to find out more about this exciting opportunity, this dynamic company and the team behind it all.

Not everyone has the funding or the team to make a series or feature film. With Pitchfest, Floating Rock aims to help people create a well-rounded pitch deck to take to distributors. The goal is to get the pitch funded and have the stories produced at Floating Rock.

Come and hear Floating Rock Co-Founder / Creative Lead / Animator Stephanie Parker, and Floating Rock Production Manager Ruby Cumming and find out where the opportunities are for you!

WIFT NZ members free; non members $15 cash; includes wine and nibbles.

RSVP essential to office@wiftnz.org.nz

Date: Thursday 09 Mar 2023
Location: Taia Studios, 4 Bay Rd, Kilbirnie, Wellington
Time: 6pm networking for a 6:30pm start

Floating-Rock.com

About Floating Rock

Floating Rock Studio is an animation company founded by Garrick Rawlingson, Lukas Niklaus, Stephanie Parker, and Laurent Herveic. These 'Floaties' are veterans of the VFX and animation industry, having worked previously on feature films such as Paddington, Peter Rabbit 2, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Ant-Man, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts I and II.
Floating Rock remotely provides high-end animation and visual effects services, and is now kicking off its own IP division with Pitchfest.

WIFT NZ members free; non members $15 cash; includes wine and nibbles.

RSVP essential to office@wiftnz.org.nz

Date: Thursday 09 Mar 2023
Location: Taia Studios, 4 Bay Rd, Kilbirnie, Wellington
Time: 6pm networking for a 6:30pm start

Date: Thursday 09 Mar 2023
Location: Taia Studios, 4 Bay Rd, Kilbirnie, Wellington
Time: 6pm drinks for 6:30pm sharp start

Thursday
09
Mar
2023

Upcoming events...

Wednesday 29 Mar 2023

In Conversation With Helen Bowden

Helen Bowden is one of Australia’s most celebrated drama producers. Her company Lingo Pictures partnered with recently formed production company Luminous Beast to produce After the Party, a 6 x 43 minute episode show currently shooting in Wellington.

Come along to hear about Helen’s approach to co-productions. 

Facilitator: Georgina Allison Conder 

Georgina Conder from Miss Conception Films is a Wellington based film and TV producer. MCF focuses on marginalized voices especially female, Maori, Pasifika and immigrants and is responsible for recent Kiwi films  Cousins, Red, White and Brass and TV series Not Even.

Some of the topics and questions Helen and Georgina will explore are:

  • What does it take to make an tv series with international appeal?
  • How does one nurture a successful co-production with international partners?
  • How can you determine who the best partner(s) for you and your project?
  • Traditional broadcasting platform or streaming service? Which is best for your project?

WIFT members free; non members $15 cash; includes wine and nibbles.

RSVP essential to office@wiftnz.org.nz

Wednesday 12 Apr 2023

Key Art & Design Elements with Jeremy Saunders

A film or TV show's poster needs to capture its tone, mood and theme, as well as the interest of a potential audience. Jeremy Saunders is one the most sought-after poster designers in the world, having created key art, title design and marketing for nearly 400 films and shows. These include works for Lars von Trier, Jane Campion, Taika Waititi, Steven Soderbergh, Andrea Arnold, Warwick Thornton and many more. Come and hear filmmaker Marina Alofagia McCartney find out from Jeremy what it takes to design one of the most successful promotional tools for your project.

In this conversation Jeremy will discuss:

  • The aspects of film marketing from a filmmaker's perspective;
  • Practical steps filmmakers can take to help the process;
  • Potential pitfalls and points of fracture that can be avoided;
  • His process for creating successful posters and title design;
  • What stage an art designer should come onboard a project;
  • Some of the most successful projects and what makes them successful;
  • What clients should include in a brief for poster and/or title design to ensure success;
  • A case study of one of his posters.            

Jeremy Saunders has created key art and titles for very nearly 400 movies and shows including works by Lars von Trier, Jane Campion, Taika Waititi, Steven Soderbergh, Andrea Arnold, Warwick Thornton and many more. Key art refers to the art of movie marketing campaigns, including movie posters, trailers, TV and internet advertising. His designs are innovative and striking with varied imagery that captures the eye. Check out his work above, and online at JeremySaunders.com

Facilitator: Marina Alofagia McCartney
Marina Alofagia McCartney (Samoa, English, Romani) is an award-winning filmmaker and scholar with films featured in numerous festivals, including Palm Springs, Berlin, SXSW and more. Marina is a PhD candidate exploring Moana Pasifika film, writing for several writer’s tables, and developing a variety of projects including her NZFC Catalyst short film The Return and her next feature Dusky.

RSVP essential to office@wiftnz.org.nz

WIFT NZ members FREE; non-members $15 cash, includes wine and nibbles.

Wednesday 21 Jun 2023

Sharon Menzies: What I've learned along the way

For the past 25 years Sharon Menzies has grappled with, and solved, cashflow finance; 15 of those years for 450 film and television projects across Australasia.  

Producers know that without the cashflow they would be generally unable to complete production. And in some cases innovative and creative financing solutions are needed to get stories to screen.

What is cashflow finance? How are productions being financed in our post-COVID world? How has finance changed over the 15 years Sharon led Fulcrum? Sharon will share tips to make cashflow financing easier and decrease financing costs.

So many questions and so much information to be shared!  AND, what is Sharon going to do now?  Come along to this essential workshop to find out!

Facilitator: Jill Macnab 
Jill Macnab is the General Manager of Vendetta Films, a leading Australia-New Zealand film distribution company, and is also co-owner of their sister company, Vendetta Productions. She is the producer of feature film Born To Dance, feature documentary In The Zone, interactive project Give Kate A Voice, and has executive produced a number of other features and documentaries, adding to a slate of projects in varying stages of development.

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