Screen Wellington has spotlighted New Zealand’s creative technology scene with a new showreel.
Hoping to continue to attract filmmakers to Wellington, which has been a UNESCO City of Film since 2019, Make it Here reinforces Wellington’s significant presence and growth in the creative tech scene.
Featuring work from local creative production companies including Wētā FX, Wētā Workshop, Big Adventure, Lost Cosmonauts, PikPok, A44 Games, Floating Rock, Wildboy, Beyond and more, the reel showcases Wellington’s impact on some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.
Wētā FX’s work has been seen globally, having crafted VFX for global blockbusters Deadpool & Wolverine, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, HBO’s The Last of US, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, among many more.
In addition to VFX, Wellington’s contributions to gaming, animation, and digital content are on display, highlighting the diversity of the region’s creative economy.
Chantelle Cole, program director for the Game Development Sector Rebate (GDSR) at NZ On Air, said many were unaware of the investment in creative tech across New Zealand, and the success stories it has led to.
“In terms of Wellington examples, studios like PikPok, one of New Zealand’s oldest and largest, have seen their games downloaded over half a billion times,” she said.
“While Dinosaur Polo Club’s titles, Mini Metro and Mini Motorways, are enjoyed by over 10 million players globally— that’s double the population of Aotearoa.
“These are just a small sample of the world-class talent we have right here in our own backyard. And it’s why the GDSR was set up – to help support that growth and development of the sector.”
Screen Wellington head of attraction Mark Westerby said he hopes to attract filmmakers to the region for its impressive hub of digital and creative technology, having previously some of the world’s biggest physical productions, including Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water.
“We’re so proud to unveil this slick piece of content to showcase the incredible creative tech work being accomplished in the region,” he said.
Wellington will always be home to more traditional filmmaking methods, but we see this creative tech as a major contributor to our creative economy, especially in terms of ‘weightless’ exports.”
To support the region’s growth in creative industries, Wellington provides leading creative tech education, connecting screen graduates to thriving production companies.
Victoria University of Wellington’s Miramar Creative Centre was recently included in The Hollywood Reporter’s 15 Best Global Film Schools list.
Filmmakers and creatives can engage with Wellington’s creative tech scene at several upcoming industry events across New Zealand, including the New Zealand Game Developers’ Conference (October 17-19), Wellington Games Week (October 13-19), Show Me Shorts (October 16-20), NZ Youth Film Festival (December 6-7), Māoriland Film Festival (March 2025), Wellington Animation Film Festival (March 2025), and Square Eyes: Around the World in Eight Days (Kids Film Festival and animation workshops).