A discussion on New Zealand’s creative sector exports, the screen sector, the influence of Weta, advanced technologies, the challenges our creative exporters are facing, and how she sees the future of the sector.
Jordan Small
Executive Director
This week I bring you a discussion on the creative export sector with Kristy Grant of the Miramar Creative Centre.
It is a pre-COVID discussion recorded late last year but Kristy’s message for the future of the screen sector and broader creative sector is still on point – continue to up-skill the creative industry, giving our creative talent a broader set of skills to succeed, and continue to advance our technological edge in the sector.
Our discussion focuses mainly on the screen sector which has been hard hit by COVID but there are green shoots appearing, with segments of Hollywood looking to move to New Zealand’s near-Covid-free shores. It is reported that 47 local productions with a spend of around $200 million were stalled or unable to start when lockdown hit. That was on top of seven or eight international projects in production or about to start, employing about 3300 people and spending just under $400m.
Kristy with Jamie Selkirk and Victoria University of Wellington set up Miramar Creative Centre to offer students the opportunity to hone their crafts in the heart of Wellington’s creative industries. Connected to and drawing on industry. They’re focused on empowering the next generation of industry talent – who are not only technically talented but also equipping them with transferable skills that prepare them for the increasingly competitive and ever changing world in which we live.
Recorded late last year this discussion with Kristy follows the release of a report on New Zealand’s creative export sector – co-authored by Kristy. You can find a link to that report in the episode notes. We look at the origins of Wellington’s screen sector and the influence of Weta, how the screen sector and broader creative sector through advanced technologies create broader commercial opportunities, some of the challenges our creative exporters are facing, and how she sees the future of the sector.
Guest bios:
- Kristy Grant: https://www.miramarcreative.nz/what-we-do
- Creative Sector Export Report: https://www.exportnz.org.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/181164/CreativeExportersReport_FA3.pdf
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