Post Production Infrastructure

With full post-production laboratory, sound and digital facilities, as well as one of the world's largest digital and VFX post-production facilities, New Zealand's multi-disciplinary expertise is unparalleled.

Battle-hardened by epics, and now a thriving international community, New Zealand post production has come of age. Talented, experienced teams network to provide the ultimate boutique service, from old-school 8mm film to next-generation stereoscopic high-definition and everything in between.

See Production Contacts: Post Production for company details.

Remote working

New Zealand is never too far away. With internet conferencing and collaborative software like Cinesync, for example, filmmakers, clients and producers can see each other worlds away, and all parties can see, playback and draw on video dailies. This ability to share work in progress with clients or digital artists in other parts of the world can be critical. With clients based in Europe, Asia and the United States, New Zealand filmmakers and facilities have invested heavily in leading-edge digital collaboration technologies. Remote working with the US via Aspera and MediaNet and the UK via SohoNet allows for speeds up to 100mbps.

Quality assurance and technology

Several generations of production experience and extensive investment have resulted in state-of-the-art facilities and an enviable post/digital/visual effects infrastructure to support filmmakers at world-class levels.

Laboratories

New Zealand's laboratory facilities offer the full range of lab services, and connect via high-speed data links to VFX and post-production facilities.  

• Kodak Imagecare accredited full service laboratories
• Traditional opticals and titles
• Super 16mm blow-ups to Super 35mm
• Super 35mm squeezes
• 3-perf grading, printing and projection
• Nitrate preservation
• ArriScan film scanner 2K, 4K, 6K
• Arri laser film recorder
• Spirit Datacine 2K, 4K

Dailies and digital remastering

New Zealand has a number of facilities experienced in delivering product of the highest standards.

• Telecine
• 8mm, 16mm, Super 8, Super 16 and 35mm transfers
• Spirit Datacines with either Pandora Evolution or Da Vinci 2K Plus grading
• Cintel Millennium
• SDTV, HD, 2K and 4K scanning
• Avid Nitris and Mojo DX
• Final Cut Pro
• Baselight 4, Da Vinci 2K Plus, Quantel Pablo, or Da Vinci Resolve colour grading and enhancement
• Quantel iQ or Autodesk Smoke online SD, HD, 2K

Digital intermediate

Filmmakers can expect quality services including digital conforming, digital grading, digital restoration, and deliverables HD, DCI and DCDM.

• Quantel Pablo Digital Intermediate System capable of 4K and TrueLight colour management in a dedicated suite equipped with 2K digital and 35mm projection onto a 6-metre screen
• Baselight 4
• Luster
• Da Vinci Resolve

Screening and grading theatres

• Digital grading theatre with 2K digital and 35mm projection onto a 6-metre screen
• Quality control theatre with specialised QC projector and analytical sound tools
• 180-seat cinema with 2K digital and 35mm projection onto a 12-metre screen
• Digital grading theatre with Christie 2K digital projection and Dolby 3D on to a 4.26-metre screen

Editing

New Zealand offers international filmmakers the options of state-of-the-art edit suites for dry hire or fully equipped edit suites where highly experienced editing crews and technical support are part of the total package for making features, television and television commercials. Most major New Zealand centres can offer SD, HD and film, with Avid and FCP suites. Filmmakers can choose to work in extensive state-of-the-art facilities or equally impressive and well-specified boutique suites.

Animation

There are a number of New Zealand companies offering full-service animation, design and visual effects solutions, with teams thoroughly versed in the myriad styles and techniques involved in 2D and 3D animation. Increasingly these companies are being approached early in the creative process to provide perspective and comment on the limitless possibilities that great scripts offer. A number of New Zealand animation companies are almost exclusively servicing international studios from New Zealand bases, and producing exceptional work.

Visual effects/CGI

With the security of large-scale facilities or the flexibility of smaller independents assembled to suit, New Zealand's VFX industry provides conceptual design and artwork, previsualisation, digital workbook, and full onset and post-production supervision for filmmakers.

• Software: Maya, 3DS Max, XSI, Massive, Renderman, Houdini, Zbrush, Studio Paint, Motionbuilder, Boujou, Syntheyes, 3DE, Shake, Inferno, Flame, Flint, Smoke, Flare, After Effects, Combustion, Fusion, Nuke, Silhouette Roto
• Hardware: Avid and FCP editorial, dedicated renderwall servers, Quantel IQ, Inferno, Flame, Flare. High-end graphics workstations
• Storage: Terabytes of storage, BrightDrive SAN
• Fibre Network: Up to 100-megabit connection including to the US (via MediaNet) and the UK (via SohoNet)
• Motion capture: 64 camera ‘Giant Systems’ motion capture set,  40 camera Motion Analysis system.

Miniatures

In New Zealand you'll find a miniatures construction department capable of producing everything from modern high-tech cities through to medieval architecture and detail-heavy landscapes. The work of Weta Workshop can be seen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Legend of Zorro, King Kong, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Avatar. They have a large-scale urethane spray plant, a 3D rapid prototype, three computer-controlled robotic routing tables, digital scanning equipment, a laser cutter and plasma cutter on site, along with a 2,790 m² (30,000 ft²) miniatures construction and shooting stage.

Music

New Zealand boasts a vibrant music industry, fuelled by its unique heritage and talented people. The country's combined Maori, Pacific Island, Asian and European heritage has produced a dynamic musical landscape that provides a fresh and exciting musical repertoire for the world.

As it matures, New Zealand's music industry is forging a strong international reputation and spawning artists across all genres who are enjoying success in major overseas markets. These include singers Hayley Westenra and Neil Finn, singer/songwriters Bic Runga and Brooke Fraser, soul diva Hollie Smith, talented trio Evermore, rockers The Checks, punksters Die!Die!Die!, and Kiwi folk music parody duo Flight of the Conchords.

New Zealand is fast becoming a source of fresh and compelling music content for film, television, TVC, games and digital interactive media projects. New Zealand groups who are finding new international audiences through successful synchronisation of their work into film, television and game projects include groove band The Black Seeds, rockers Goodnight Nurse, high-tech soul group Fat Freddy's Drop, and rock'n'rollers The D4 and The Bads. Artist collective Plan 9 collaborated with composer David Long to compose the 'cultural music' and musical sound design for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. New Zealand music has been used in several international projects from Pluto's song Long White Cross featuring in Cricket '07 (an Electronic Arts game), to Pitch Black appearing in CSI: Miami, to tracks by Breaks Co-op, Flip Grater and Dukes being included in the hit television property, Brothers and Sisters.

Modern indigenous music artists Whirimako Black, WAI and Te Vaka have achieved recognition in the UK and Europe on the world music circuit. Classical composers Gareth Farr, Jonathan Besser and John Psathas are championed around the world by a growing number of top international artists.

For international filmmakers, New Zealand offers a consummate range of composers and artists available to meet synchronisation needs, whatever the production. A highly developed music industry infrastructure can provide any supervision, publishing or legal expertise required.

Sound post

New Zealand studios offer everything required for sound and music recording, editing, mixing and mastering. Whether you dry-hire the facility or take on teams comprising award-winning sound designers, editors and re-recording mixers, foley and ADR studio options are here at your disposal.

• Dolby accredited, digital equipped, feature film mixing in cinema-scale theatres with 35mm and cinema-grade video projection
• THX accredited cinema-scale mix theatres with Euphonix System 5
• Television sound mixing, ADR and foley facilities
• Independent sound designers, sound editors,  foley artists and re-recording mixers
• Wide usage of the Pro Tools platform along with DSP and Fairlight systems
• ISDN / DolbyFax capability for international remote ADR and music recording sessions
• Dolby and DTS sound camera for shooting sound negatives.