Source: Radio New Zealand
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Lights, camera, action, Ōtepoti! A new pitch is hoping to put Dunedin centre stage as the next Hollywood A-list film location.
Enterprise Dunedin has teamed up with Dunedin-raised comedian James Mustapic to entice location scouts, filmmakers and producers to set their sights on the southern city for their next project.
The showreel was designed to sell Dunedin as a place to film, with Mustapic testing his acting chops playing some familiar characters in parodies of famous films.
Around him, the city transformed from a deserted island, the Big Apple, an alien planet to an English Estate.
A movie poster for the showreel Supplied/ Enterprise Dunedin
“Dunedin and its amazing locations are the lead actors, quite the ensemble, I’m just here in a sort of supporting role really,” Mustapic said.
He grew up in Dunedin, but said he had a new appreciation for the city after returning for filming.
“Not many actors can claim to have been in a New York crime drama, historical fiction, sci-fi adventures and fantasy epics all in one location for the same project,” he said.
“The city (and I) got to be cinematic chameleons.”
James Mustapic swaps the Scottish Highlands for the Otago Peninsula. Supplied/ Enterprise Dunedin
Film Dunedin, which is part of Enterprise Dunedin, produced the showreel.
Film Dunedin head Stefan Roesch said the city and its surrounds had a lot to offer and was under-utilised as a filming destination.
“You can literally film any genre here, be it sci-fi, zombie. We’ve got [these] beautiful sweeping vistas around Middlemarch which could be amazing for fantasy films or for certain sci-fi genres, and it’s all within half an hour to an hours’ drive if you’re based in Dunedin,” Roesch said.
Supplied/ Enterprise Dunedin
The showreel was created entirely in-house by Enterprise Dunedin.
Research into screen-influenced tourism showed a significant increase in interest for some locations once a production gained traction, Roesch said.
“A recent report commissioned by the New Zealand Film Commission estimates that $2.7 billion in international tourism expenditure is linked to screen industry output.”
Roesch wanted the showreel to cut through the noise and offer a different take on a typical destination pitch.
“We wanted to do something completely different and create a story that hopefully will garner some attention, and at the same time showcase the width and breadth of our locations in a way that already gives production companies ideas what genres could be filmed in Dunedin,” he said.
The city has a good history of attracting productions – X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Power of the Dog, The Hobbit and Uproar to name a few.
Netflix’s 2022 release The Royal Treatment was filmed in Dunedin and saw more than 42 million viewing hours within the first four days of its release.
“It generated thousands of bed nights … it was a crew of 120-130. I believe 60-65 percent of the crew were locals so there was a great upskilling part in that,” Roesch said.
Dunedin was still underutilised as a filming destination and Roesch said he would love to welcome more sets to the city.
Supplied/ Enterprise Dunedin
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker could not wait for more people to see the showreel.
“Super excited about it. When it was shown to all of us councillors there was clapping at the end. It was just such fun and I think the wonderful thing was how much it showcased Dunedin,” she said.
“We have so many different landscapes, so many quirky spots and you don’t really want to be everything to everybody, but I think we are.”
Filming was a boon for accommodation and local hospitality, but she said it also encouraged viewers to become visitors to the city.
“Film brings huge numbers of people into town. It also is great for our city profile because things like The Royal Treatment had huge numbers … watching it…
“We know that people come and see places that were in films.”
She did not want to play favourites when it came to suggesting locations, but said the Hereweka/ Harbour Cone could possibly make a striking Mount Vesuvius on film.
The showreel cost almost $20,000 to produce, with about half the budget covered by income from location permitting fees.
Now the showreel has been launched, there were hopes Dunedin would soon feature on more film call sheets into the future.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
