New Zealand On Screen at the heart of the action

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New Zealand On Screen at the heart of the action

New Zealand On Screen Press Release
28 October 2011

Overwhelming numbers of locals and visitors have enjoyed a taste of the finest Kiwi film and television, right at the heart of Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) and REAL New Zealand Festival.

Nearly 80,000 people have engaged with the New Zealand on Screen project: in souped-up shipping container installations on the Auckland and Wellington waterfronts, and all over the South Island via the ‘cinema on wheels’ caravan.

This weekend is the last chance to see the showcase of Aotearoa screen culture in the RWC 2011 Fanzones: at Queens Wharf in Auckland, Te Papa Promenade in Wellington, and camped at Hagley Park in Christchurch.

Funded by the Lotteries Commission as part of the REAL New Zealand Festival, the New Zealand On Screen project presented an opportunity to use cutting edge technology to celebrate the treasure trove of content on www.nzonscreen.com (New Zealand’s “liveliest cultural website”, historian Jock Phillips), and take it to the streets.

As content curator Paul Ward says: “it’s a totally unique celebration of New Zealand spirit and identity as seen on our screens. The project presents an authentic and emotion-stirring dose of what it means to be Kiwi, from Snell to the Topps, Boy to Billy T … these are our stories.”

The project is a partnership between the award-winning nzonscreen.com, Wellington design and web agency Chrometoaster, and production design company Storybox.

The centerpiece of the container is a giant 4X2m interactive video wall, showcasing over 250 magic screen moments. NZ On Screen Project Director Brenda Leeuwenberg says, “The feedback has been incredible. We’ve had groups of people spontaneously dancing to Poi-E and Dragon music videos, people bringing their friends to look at their favourite scene from Goodbye Pork Pie, oldies explaining what Goodnight Kiwi was to their kids (who flip out at Count Homogenized and Dog Show), and laughs and tears as people enjoy short film classics like Taika Waititi’s Two Cars One Night.”

Rob Appierdo from Storybox says, “We are exceptionally proud of the feature wall — developed in conjunction with Wellington company Lumen Digital. The wall uses Xbox Kinect technology to pick up users’ bodies and gestures, and they control film clips with their arm actions. It’s been fantastic to watch people —young and old —move, and be moved by the clips —folk regularly have to be gently ushered on to give others a turn!”

Dave Turnbull of Chrometoaster who worked to develop a unique iPad 2 App called ‘Scene Stealer’ for the project, is overjoyed with the interactions. “During the project nearly 20,000 e-cards have been sent by visitors to their friends and their social networks. The ‘Scene Stealer’ App allows you to have your photo taken in front of a green screen and then inserts your face into an iconic Kiwi film or TV scene. You can put yourself on the set of BOY or be photographed in Came A Hot Friday with Billy T, or even sit in on Bro’Town. Enabled by a wee mix of movie magic and 21st century technology, people have just loved getting hands-on with their favourite screen moments.”

Another example of front-running technology utilised by the project is the giant QR code on the side of the installations. If the project is closed, these codes can be used by those with QR readers on their smart phones, enabling them to watch short films and explore the NZ On Screen website.

Meanwhile in the South Island a touring caravan spent one month showcasing the project in 18 towns and centres: Picton, Blenheim, Kaikoura, Rangiora, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, Wanaka, Queenstown, Gore, Invercargill, Hokitika, Greymouth, Westport, Arthurs Pass, Murchison and Nelson. The last two weeks have been spent at Hagley Park at the RWC 2011 Fanzone.

The ‘cinema-on-wheels’ had thousands of visitors around the mainland who climbed onboard to watch a selection of New Zealand short films, use the Scene Stealer or enjoy the website. Director Robert Sarkies’ film Signing Off shot in Dunedin in 1996 has been a particular favourite.

This Saturday and Sunday is the last chance to visit New Zealand On Screen.

The exhibitions are free and will be open at Queens Wharf 10am – 6pm both Saturday and Sunday (Auckland), 11:30am – 6pm on Te Papa Promenade (Wellington) and 10am – 4pm at Hagley Park in Christchurch.

The project has been supported by sponsors including Wellington City Council, Powershop, KIA, Henshaw Signs, Resene and the Interislander.

ENDS

http://real.nzonscreen.com
http://www.facebook.com/newzealandonscreen2011

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