Music Videos launched on NZ On Screen

2 June 2009

Music Videos launched on NZ On Screen

NZ On Screen has today launched a collection of New Zealand music videos.

Established late last year, NZ On Screen is a showcase of New Zealand screen culture, featuring collections, interviews, bios and over 450 film and television titles.

The website - awarded Best Entertainment Website at the 2009 Qantas Media Awards - is now adding a Music Videos collection.

A selection of 80 New Zealand clips will be on the site from today (June 2), with more to come.

Broadcaster and Kiwi music fan - former TV3 and C4 (retro show Flashbacks) host - James Coleman has kicked off music videos on NZ On Screen by curating a choice selection of clips for the site. He says this was a highly enjoyable but daunting task. “We’ve never had the big budgets for music videos that overseas artists enjoy, but we’ve had an admirable DIY resourcefulness within our budgetary limitations, and this has produced a stash of stunning clips.

“Because NZ On Screen exists to showcase and celebrate the NZ screen industry, I’ve chosen the music videos based on the concept, execution and impact of the clip itself, quite apart from the success of the song. Having said that, most of our top artists are represented in the collection.

"The oldest title in the collection is Len Lye's Swinging the Lambeth Walk from 1939, which was something of a proto-type music video. Then there’s The Swingers from the early 1980s, through to recent gems for Gin Wigmore, Tiki Taane, Hollie Smith and Midnight Youth."

As an extra bonus for users, NZ On Screen will launch the new music video collection with an exclusive premiere screening of the new Boh Runga video Evelyn. This brand new music video debuts exclusively on www.nzonscreen.com.

NZ On Screen Content Director Irene Gardiner says the new music video collection is just the start, many more will be added to the site in the coming months.

“This is a very exciting development for us. Music video is an important part of our screen industry. It’s the place where a lot of our top directors and other crew members got their start, and many still return to music video from time to time for the creative outlet it provides. As well as a calling card for the band and creative team behind the clip, it’s also a sophisticated art-form in its own right.

“We’ve come a long way from when promos were just ‘radio with pictures’ – a show I worked on way-back-when so I can personally vouch for this!”

Gardiner said NZ On Screen was very grateful to the music video directors, artists, and record companies for their help in clearing the videos for inclusion on the website.

Music videos, and over 450 other television and film titles, are all available to view free of charge on www.nzonscreen.com

Winner Best Entertainment Website; Finalist Best Website Design, Qantas Media Awards 2009.

ENDS