While New Zealand film production, television broadcasting, and film and video distribution experienced slight drops in revenue last year, post-production revenue rose by 51 per cent. Digital graphics, animation and effects accounted for 75%, or $362 million, of total post-production revenue, according to the annual screen industry survey published last week by Statistics New Zealand (SNZ). Digital animation, the most significant part of post-production, more than doubled in revenue in the last two years, to $362 million, which was even higher than revenue for all of post-production in 2008. There were 156 more businesses active in digital animation in 2009, a 38% increase from the previous year.
In the 2008/09 financial year, gross screen industry revenue rose 3 per cent to $2.8 billion, and the number of businesses increased by 20% to 2,673. Unlike the previous year, most of the revenue received by screen production companies came from domestic sources in 2008/09: 60%, or $525m of their $873m total gross revenue, compared to 42% the year before. Meanwhile, revenue for the production companies from overseas fell by more than a third. Spending by screen production companies was heavily concentrated in Auckland and Wellington. Regional information about the industry will be available in May.
The SNZ survey also showed a large increase (45% more revenue) in the amount of production and post-production work done by contractors, compared to that done by screen production companies. Total salaries and wages in the screen industry rose 10% to $391 million, although employee numbers were only up 4%. Employees of companies within the production and post-production sector boasted the highest salaries and wages in the industry, with average earnings of $84,943. For more details, see this NZPA article in the National Business Review or download the Survey from Statistics NZ. The final report won't be available until August.