Tag Archives: Peter Jackson

Honouring the Honourable

Posted on by under Entertainment

Peter Jackson’s membership in the Order of New Zealand is Gandalf Approved. Photo: Ian McKellen

Yesterday Sir Peter Jackson became an Additional Member of the Order of New Zealand, the highest honour available to someone in New Zealand (That’s contentious I guess, but technically speaking). There are only twenty living people at a time who are members of the Order of New Zealand, with only a handful of “Additional members” who receive the same rights and regard as the official members. He’s also the youngest member of the order, at the age of 51, by a good ten years. For a film director and producer to be anointed such a prestigious position is an exceptional honour, but also shows the effects that one person can have on a nation and an entire industry.

The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research conducted a study into the effects the Lord of the Rings films had on New Zealand’s economy and film industry. The rise in jobs, studios and financing as a result of the films are astounding. There is realistic and appropriate evidence to suggest that the films single handedly boosted the New Zealand film industry from zero to hero in the space of several years. The study is well worth a read for anyone interested in the economical aspects of the film industry or the film industry of New Zealand.

All this is a result of the attitude of one man, which I have discussed previously,  and the aspirations and enthusiasm of his youthful interest in film. Peter Jackson’s love of his home country meant to him that the films couldn’t be filmed anywhere else in the world. A decision the New Zealand government have loved. Not only have the films caused a huge boost in the industry, but they also caused a jump in tourism.

New Zealand is now affectionately regarded as Middle Earth to fans of the movies and Tolkien’s universe. There’s nothing that could make your country more enticing than a label like that. In reality, the New Zealand Tourism department didn’t need to say a thing, once people found out it was filmed in New Zealand, the message spread itself. It is worthwhile to honour those who deserve it, and I think that Peter Jackson has firmly cemented his deservingness of this title through the huge impact that he’s had on the nation of New Zealand. So on this day, I tip my hat.

 

 

Technologies

Posted on by under Entertainment, Life, Networked Media

Red HFR Cameras – The future of cinema? Photo: Ian Muttoo

Vannevar Bush’s “As We May Think” creates a feeling of possibility and speculation from the first read in. While Bush recounts the history of communication – particularly storage techniques – I could not help but feel my mind inclining to thoughts of future technologies and inventions (This one came to mind straight away). The fact presented early in the article is true. We now have a network with abundant amounts of knowledge, currently however, we are relying on methods of storage and knowledge retention that do not take full advantage of it. To speculate this in 1945 deserves bonus points. I guess the another main point is that in 1945 we were faced with similar problems. Storage, categorising, sorting, organising. Now we have these better methods, but we also have a lot more information and knowledge to retain, store, sort and organise.

Technology surrounding storage methods of communication (ie, photography, film, etc) are still clunky, but everything is headed in the direction of minimising this clunkiness. We only have to look at companies like RED digital cameras. Smaller than a traditional video camera, yet more capable of producing high definition digital images. The prospects of technologies like this are only just starting to be explored by film-makers on a major level. HFR (High Framerate) films and Peter Jackson and James Cameron in particular come to mind. (Although this one is taking a while to rub-off on film experts – the fans seem to love it – I can only assume that this will become a standard in the future.)

Interestingly enough, this ties back in with the ideas of Model I and II learning that Adrian introduced us too a number of weeks ago. It’s funny how everything relates and interconnects in the network. When something new – ie change – is proposed or implemented, defensiveness and criticism is always the initial response.

But enough about loops and connections. As Bush’s article outlines we are moving towards new technologies even now after such incredible leaps and bounds we have made to make things more accessible. The bulk of the article discusses the histories of technologies and how they’ve evolved. How we’re all able to take pictures that are higher resolution then experts could take only years ago. How we’re able to manufacture greater more powerful devices and technologies with even more ease than a basic device required back in the day. As our inventions become more adventurous, so too must our methods of communication, production and storage. Since this was written, our technologies have become even more advanced and adaptable.

 

Directing Cinema

Posted on by under Entertainment, Life, Networked Media

Peter Jackson doing what he does best. Directing. Photo: Andy Zeigert

Here’s an interesting read. An interview with Peter Jackson from the DGA (Director’s Guild of America). I have always held most interest in film out of any are of media. I haven’t really set any career goals though, perhaps I am trying to avoid disappointment as it is a very hard industry to make it in. But I guess that’s just life. Nothing comes free, maybe I just need to go and do it. The point is, I love hearing from experts and what they have to say. From their way of life, their upbringings, how they got into the industry and most of all, their job. Peter Jackson has always been forthcoming with this sort of information (6,000,000 hours of behind the scenes content for The Lord of the Rings proves this) and I feel that it’s a great opportunity to get an insight into the industry.

For anyone interested in making films or joining the industry, it could definitely be a worthwhile investment. I love the way Peter keeps himself removed from the glam of Hollywood (what a load of rubbish, at least as removed as humanly possible for a multi-academy-award-winning director), and the fact that he uses his homeland for everything he can, keeping a great work-life balance. I think anyone would love to make the money he does and experience what he does and live five minutes away from their workplace.

Another thing that makes Peter interesting (okay, so what, heaps of directors and film producers are like him), is the fact that he has not gone through traditional cinema education. Maybe it’s for the better:

We didn’t have any film schools. In America they had them, yeah, but I was a kid growing up in New Zealand, and there was no possibility in my mind that I would ever go to a film school in America. It would have been like going to the moon. There’s something about being here in New Zealand, a certain isolation, and back in the ’60s and ’70s, it was even more isolated than it is now.

This sort of attitude is admirable, and desirable. To be able to back yourself and dive into a project or career path without any real “guidelines” of sorts, that’s a credit to you. It also ties into immersing yourself in the world and the experience. Something that ties back a little to the Symposium Mark I and what Adrian discussed:

“OK, I’m going to teach myself. I’m just going to grab a camera and do it. There’s a very go-to kind of attitude in New Zealand that stems from that psyche of being quite isolated and not being able to rely on the rest of the world’s infrastructure.”

I think it’s great. Inspiration. Motivational. Reading things like this really helps to inspire me, I love to immerse myself in things like that and I think it’s something everyone should do when you get a chance. Be passionate, enthusiastic and jump in. Not just on-board.

Disclaimer | Background image: Emma Gawen
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