But if producers hypothetically spend, say, $4 million on a project and it is deemed eligible for one of the two rebates, they would receive $800,000 back under the international rebate or $1.6m back under the domestic rebate. <\/p>\n
It cannot receive both.<\/p>\n
Dame Julie Christie and a cameraman near the scene of where Tom Phillips was shot and killed by police this week. Photo \/ Mike Scott<\/p>\n
A New Zealand Film Commission spokeswoman said: \u201cA registration for the screen production rebate has been received by the NZFC; however, no rebate application has been received relating to a documentary about the Tom Phillips case.\u201d<\/p>\n
Documentary maker Christie said in a text message: \u201cRegistration is just a formality and does not mean we will apply. You probably need to research the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
She did not respond to further questions or a request for an interview.<\/p>\n
A source said, \u201cBy registering, she\u2019s shown her intent, her desire to want to access the screen rebate.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is understood that another, international production firm and platform – there has been speculation of a Netflix-type deal – are attached to the documentary.<\/p>\n
The source said: \u201cThe thing is, she clearly has found the resources to produce. It doesn\u2019t matter where the resources come from; if she has the resources and does produce and produces the net receipts for what it costs, then she can claim the rebate on that because she had registered.\u201d<\/p>\n
TV producer Dame Julie Christie at a police checkpoint in Waikato, near where Tom Phillips was shot and killed this week. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
The rebate has been in place since 2014 – and has sometimes attracted political noise. The New Zealand Film Commission, which administers the rebate, says it is essential for the growth of the screen industry.<\/p>\n
In the eight years to 2022, about $1.15 billion has been paid out through the rebate scheme, with those productions spending about $5.2b in the same period in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
There are criteria that productions have to meet in order to receive the rebate. For example, in order to receive the 40% domestic screen production rebate, productions have to demonstrate significant New Zealand content through a points test and they require local distribution agreements.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for Sky TV and Three said yesterday that the two broadcasters were not involved in the Phillips documentary.<\/p>\n
A TVNZ spokeswoman said: \u201cTVNZ is not involved in this production. As far as we\u2019re aware, it\u2019s an independent production by NHNZ Worldwide. We talk to Julie Christie regularly around content she and NHNZ Worldwide are producing, like we would any other production company.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if TVNZ would speak to Christie about this specific documentary and whether they were interested in screening it, the spokeswoman said: \u201cIt\u2019s too early to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, an NZ on Air spokeswoman said the funding agency did not usually \u201cconfirm or deny the existence of applications for funding as these are commercially sensitive\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, with the permission of the producer, we can confirm NHNZ will not be applying to NZ on Air for funding for the documentary on the Tom Phillips case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s really important to me\u2019<\/p>\n
Christie is one of our finest producers and storytellers, and most astute businesswomen. She is a powerful media industry player, having established some of the best-known reality TV shows in this country and taken them to the world.<\/p>\n
She has sent text messages to the media this week about the production, including one to the Herald earlier in the week:<\/a> \u201cI\u2019ve been doing police follow docs for 32 years. We\u2019ve been working on this one all year and through much of the investigation. It\u2019s really important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n She also sent a text to Herald Now\u2019s Ryan Bridge yesterday, in light of concerns around the Phillips children\u2019s privacy: \u201cWe have never asked to shoot anything with the children. We have been with the same small group of detectives only for the past seven months. We have not seen the children. We abide by strict police rules at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n Many in the screen industry yesterday had no doubt the documentary would attract a huge audience, but questioned when it might screen.<\/p>\n \u201cJulie has got a f***ing cracking story, and look, she might not be able to tell it in one or two years, or it might even be four or five years. It\u2019s like investing in futures … it will be published, but it\u2019s going to be a long, long wait.\u201d<\/p>\n Police involvement<\/p>\n Police have been in the spotlight this week<\/a> as to why they have allowed the documentary team to be given exclusive access behind cordons. <\/p>\n Christie herself was allowed behind the cordons and into the area where Phillips was shot and killed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe kind of talk that\u2019s happening between all the reporters is why is this allowed to happen?\u201d said one journalist on the ground in Waikato this week. \u201cWe\u2019re here for the public interest. They\u2019re there to make money. Why would the police be giving them such access? Maybe it\u2019s because the police are able to control the narrative somewhat.\u201d<\/p>\n Police have defended their deal with the documentary crew. Police had never given the crew access to film anything involving the children, nor had such access been sought, said police spokeswoman Claire Trevett.<\/p>\n \u201cThe agreement with police specifies that, beyond photos already in the media, the children will not be identified on screen in the film.\u201d<\/p>\n Trevett said the focus of the documentary team for the past seven months had been on the work of the police investigation team.<\/p>\n Who\u2019s the international production firm\/streamer?<\/p>\n Last December, a British-based production firm, Rare TV, contacted a Herald reporter, saying it was in funded development with Discovery for a documentary series on the Phillips case. <\/p>\n Rare TV did not respond to messages overnight.<\/p>\n Another source also believed Discovery might be involved, but another played this down. <\/p>\n What is the screen production rebate?<\/p>\n The rebate on qualifying international and domestic productions in New Zealand is used to attract and incentivise investment, boosting the local screen sector and generating economic benefits. <\/p>\n International productions are eligible for a 20% rebate (with a 5% uplift in some circumstances); domestic productions are eligible for a 40% rebate.<\/p>\n The Film Commission has previously highlighted an economic impact assessment of the Netflix series Sweet Tooth, produced in New Zealand.<\/p>\n It received $9.6m through the rebate scheme and was estimated to have produced $6.91 in GDP for every dollar of the rebate \u2013 a $66m contribution to New Zealand\u2019s GDP in 2020. The series also created 1180 full and part-time jobs that year with $21m spent on wages and salaries.<\/p>\n An NZFC spokeswoman said last night: \u201cTo be eligible for the rebate, all applicants must either register or make a provisional application to NZFC. This is the first step in being able to make a final application for the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate (NZSPR) and the rebate is only granted after a final application is made and considered. <\/p>\n \u201cOnce a project is registered or a provisional application approved, the production can apply for the rebate. <\/p>\n \u201cThe final application for the NZ screen production rebate must be submitted within six months of completion of the production. The application is then assessed and presented to the rebate panel for a decision under the published criteria.\u201d<\/p>\n Sky wins Olympics rights<\/p>\n Sky has won the New Zealand TV rights to the 2028 Summer Olympics – and is finalising the deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Media Insider can reveal.<\/p>\n The pay-TV operator has been in a duel with TVNZ for the rights for the Los Angeles Games, just as the companies battled for the 2026 Football World Cup rights recently.<\/p>\n TVNZ won the rights to screen the football and will use next year\u2019s tournament as its first event to showcase its subscription TV service, but it confirmed to Media Insider that it had missed out on the Olympics.<\/p>\n Sky TV chief corporate affairs officer Chris Major said last night: \u201cWe are in constructive discussions with the IOC, and we look forward to sharing more details soon.\u201d<\/p>\n A TVNZ spokeswoman said: \u201cWe do not have the rights for the 2028 Olympics. Yes, we\u2019ve been formally advised. The successful bidder would need to confirm the rights package they\u2019ve secured.\u201d<\/p>\n In an interview last July,<\/a> Sky TV chief executive Sophie Moloney talked of the fee paid, in 2014, for Sky to win the rights to the 2024 Paris Olympics. She indicated last year that Sky would barely break even for the 2024 Games, despite huge ratings.<\/p>\n It was clear at the time, in discussions with industry sources and Sky itself, that the pay operator would not \u2013 knowing what it does now \u2013 pay the same price for the rights today.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re spot on to ask that question in the context of when the rights are secured,\u201d Moloney said at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cThe context of securing rights is critical to determining their value \u2013 2014 [being a] very, very different circumstance to where we are now.<\/p>\n \u201cThe rights at the time … I\u2019m sure they looked very straightforward in the five-year plan that the prior CEO would have been running, but it\u2019s not just about the rights costs, it\u2019s the production costs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe costs of delivery of the number of feeds that we receive are pretty phenomenal contribution costs, as well as then producing the content in a location that has euros.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the New Zealand dollar to pay for it, even with good hedging, it\u2019s a challenging uplift on those costs.\u201d<\/p>\n There has been one major shift since that interview – the emergence of TVNZ as a much stronger competitor for sports rights. <\/p>\n It remains to be seen just how much Sky TV has had to pay to win the rights to the 2028 games.<\/p>\n \u2018Cloth-eared clowns\u2019: Sir Sam Neill vs RNZ<\/p>\n If ever there was an illustration of the public challenges facing RNZ as it tries to freshen up RNZ National, it came in the form of some stinging words from our greatest living actor on a very modern social media format.<\/p>\n Sir Sam Neill did not hold back on Instagram yesterday, reacting to the news, first reported in Media Insider last week<\/a>, that RNZ is planning to dump its Sunday afternoon movie-review segment At the Movies, hosted and produced by Simon Morris.<\/p>\n Neill said Morris was \u201calways superb\u201d.<\/p>\n He also asserted that RNZ was planning to dump Matinee Idle, its regular holiday afternoon music show hosted by Morris and Phil O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n Neill said of Matinee Idle: \u201cAn institution for all of us for so many years, irreverent, funny, a holiday on a holiday. Simon and Phil, what a pair\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cSo who is running RNZ? What cloth-eared clowns got that job? Fix this, the country is angry.\u201d<\/p>\n An RNZ spokeswoman said: \u201cWe are still in the feedback period for the proposed changes to how RNZ covers music, arts and culture and will not be commenting further than the statement that we have already given on this proposal.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, to clarify, the continuance or otherwise of the Matinee Idle programme is not specifically considered in this change proposal. Decisions around the summer holiday programming have yet to be made.\u201d<\/p>\n RNZ interim head of content John Hartevelt said last week the proposed changes to RNZ\u2019s coverage of music, arts and culture were a \u201cnecessary response to the reduction of RNZ\u2019s funding\u201d.<\/p>\n Taxpayer funding for RNZ is being slashed by almost $5 million a year<\/a> – about 7% of its annual budget – and the Government has said it wants to see improved audience reach, trust and transparency.<\/p>\n Hartevelt said: \u201cThe [change] proposal aims to allow RNZ to adapt to the changes in audience behaviour and spread the available funding for this type of content more evenly across platforms, while allowing for a wider range of voices and a structure that fosters collaboration.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have shared the proposal with impacted kaimahi [staff] and will not be commenting further on it while we await their feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n Media Insider has been leaked a specific proposal<\/a> that includes \u201cdecommissioning\u201d youth platform and podcast Tahi.<\/p>\n \u2018They have saved the day for us\u2019<\/p>\n A regional media firm that went into voluntary administration with debts of more than $600,000 has been rescued, with a well-known Northland identity taking ownership and saving around 20 jobs.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have saved the day for us,\u201d administrator Garry Whimp, of Blacklock Rose, told Media Insider.<\/p>\n Northland-based Integrity Community Media employs about 18 people, plus contractors, and has a portfolio of five titles \u2013 weekly community newspaper Kaipara Lifestyler and four monthly titles Northern Farming Lifestyles, Waikato Farming Lifestyles, Taranaki Farming Lifestyles and Manawatu Farming Lifestyles.<\/p>\n The Dargaville company was placed in voluntary administration in late July and since then Whimp has been sorting through debts of about $650,000, predominantly to the IRD and staff owed holiday pay.<\/p>\n Creditors are unlikely to see any money from the sale but the jobs would be saved, said Whimp. He confirmed a sale and purchase agreement had been signed, with settlement today. <\/p>\n \u201cI am very happy. I think it\u2019s for them [new owners] to announce, but they are local identities and have a real interest in keeping those jobs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was more about the staff there and keeping local content. They have saved the day for us. We are very happy about that.\u201d<\/p>\n The new owner is Rural Matters Ltd, a company formed this week and whose sole shareholder and director is Mangawhai-based Mike Howard.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that business and having business survive in the district is critical,\u201d Howard told Media Insider.<\/p>\n \u201cThese five papers keep 20 families in food. So that\u2019s a key thing \u2013 we don\u2019t want to lose that to the community. It\u2019s a very viable business and it connects to my history of 44 years in the advertising and media game.\u201d <\/p>\n He said the media firm was a critical voice for the community.<\/p>\n \u201cThe greatest opportunity… you think about the Lifestyler … is to have a local voice that can uphold the principles of the Fourth Estate, which are unfortunately badly abused too often these days.<\/p>\n \u201cMy key thing is a good, strong, viable, local voice.\u201d<\/p>\n READ THE FULL STORY AND MORE ABOUT CREDITORS HERE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018They\u2019ll all be scrambling\u2019<\/p>\n One of the country\u2019s biggest advertising accounts is coming up for grabs, with ANZ launching a review of its media agency partnership.<\/p>\n Advertising and bank industry sources expect \u201chuge interest\u201d in the pending pitch process, with incumbent PHD, which has held the account for more than 13 years, facing a battle to retain it against allcomers.<\/p>\n The matter is so sensitive that one agency didn\u2019t wish to have its name associated with this piece; others did not return messages. <\/p>\n ANZ itself is understood to have locked down media comment; it said it did not have an update to provide on the process.<\/p>\n However, sources through the media and banking sector expect \u201chuge interest\u201d in the pitch.<\/p>\n Names already being floated include Accenture Song, whose Australia-based media managing director Melissa Fein was previously with Initiative, which won the ASB account two years ago. Accenture did not wish to comment.<\/p>\n Another New Zealand agency, Together, is expected to be among several who put up their hands. Together did not respond to several emails and text messages yesterday.<\/p>\n PHD would not comment either.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the economy the way it is, you\u2019ve got the banks and the telcos, insurance companies and some fast-food companies who are basically the biggest advertisers and have stayed reasonably resilient,\u201d said one well-placed source.<\/p>\n \u201cSo they\u2019ve got money to spend on advertising. If you\u2019re an advertising agency, you want one of them as an account. Most agencies try to have, as part of their blue-chip clients, at least one bank.<\/p>\n \u201cBanks still have a little bit of money to spend on brand. Most companies now are very much retail-focused \u2013 sell something, get people in the door kind of thing, rather than grow the brand.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Nielsen, ANZ was the sixth biggest spender of advertising dollars in New Zealand last year.<\/p>\n Top 20 NZ advertisers for 2024<\/p>\n FoodstuffsHarvey NormanWoolworthsChemist WarehouseKFCANZ BankOne NZSpark NZIAGMcDonald\u2019sLotto NZThe WarehouseReckitt BenckiserUnilever AustralasiaUberBunningsBrand DevelopersMitre 10FarmersBank of New Zealand<\/p>\n ANZ Group chief marketing officer Astrud Burgess will be a key figure in the decision-making.<\/p>\n In a media statement last month, an ANZ spokeswoman said: \u201cThe media landscape is changing quickly, with new technology, data, AI, and shifts in media formats and agency models.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe now is the right time to conduct a thorough review to ensure we have the best partner model for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n The bank will no doubt be factoring in the upcoming mega-merger of Omnicom (OMG) and Interpublic (IPG).<\/p>\n Through their various agency brands, those two companies hold just about every major New Zealand bank advertising account, including BNZ, ASB, ANZ, KiwiBank and SBS.<\/p>\n ANZ might well be seeking a separate path.<\/p>\n \u201cThe review will start in September with an initial market assessment,\u201d the ANZ spokeswoman said. <\/p>\n \u201cPHD remains our media agency during this time and it\u2019s business as usual. Both Australia and New Zealand are in scope for the review.\u201d<\/p>\n Current NZ banks and their agencies<\/p>\n ANZ \u2013 PHD (OMG)ASB \u2013 Initiative (IPG)BNZ \u2013 Hearts & Science (OMG)Kiwibank \u2013 OMD (OMG)SBS \u2013 OMD (OMG)TSB \u2013 MBM (Publicis)Westpac \u2013 Spark Foundry (Publicis)<\/p>\n Top Mann<\/p>\n Congratulations to Pacific Media Network chief executive Don Mann, who last week received the New Zealand Pasifika Leadership Award, alongside AUT assistant pro vice-chancellor Pacific Dagmar Vaikalafi Dyck.<\/p>\n Speaking to Pacific Media Network radio host William Terite, Mann highlighted the importance of the recognition for the Pacific community. <\/p>\n He called the award a \u201cwonderful recognition\u201d of everyone who had contributed to PMN\u2019s three decades in operation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s due recognition for everyone who\u2019s been a part of PMN but also for Pacific people who take up leadership spaces right across various sectors. I was fortunate to be standing alongside Dagmar and Maseina [nominee Maseina Koneferenisi, of Masterton District Council] last night. It\u2019s recognition for a lot of things and gratitude to be there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n The awards are organised by Robert Walters in partnership with the Graeme Dingle Foundation and recognise leaders across various sectors who drive excellence, growth, and innovation.<\/p>\n In case you missed it<\/p>\n A week of Media Insider stories has included plans to split MediaWorks into two<\/a>, with the potential to sell some of our most popular radio stations; the Advertising Standards Authority ruling<\/a> that a YouTube version of the extremely popular Tina from Turners ad has breached its rules; the Broadcasting Standards Authority ruling that a TVNZ news story on its Destiny Church investigation breached a woman\u2019s privacy<\/a> by revealing her face to some viewers; and Sky TV commentator Jeff McTainsh\u2019s madcap, last-minute dash to Eden Park <\/a>to call the All Blacks test after Tony Johnson started losing his voice.<\/p>\n Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand\u2019s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"But if producers hypothetically spend, say, $4 million on a project and it is deemed eligible for one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16446,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[1740,3041,18464,5837,5195,18459,18462,18463,859,156,2082,2936,12814,1073,409,18461,111,139,69,5106,90,10936,8417,3109,18458,15265,12718,45,18460,5419,8485,8861,61,5134,6445],"class_list":["post-16445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-ad","tag-agency","tag-anzs","tag-battle","tag-be","tag-beats","tag-clotheared","tag-clowns","tag-documentary","tag-entertainment","tag-for","tag-insider","tag-looms","tag-media","tag-movies","tag-neill","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-olympics","tag-on","tag-phillips","tag-production","tag-public","tag-rebate","tag-registered","tag-rights","tag-rnz","tag-sam","tag-screen","tag-sir","tag-sky","tag-to","tag-tom","tag-tvnz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Police at the location of one of Tom Phillips’ campsites just off Te Anga Rd near Waitomo. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n
Christian Convery as Gus in Sweet Tooth. Photo \/ Kirsty Griffin, Netflix<\/p>\n
Kiwi high-jumping gold medallist Hamish Kerr at the Paris Olympics last year. Photo \/ Iain McGregor, Photosport<\/p>\n
Sir Sam Neill has hit out at RNZ over reports it is to axe certain shows from its schedule. Photo \/ George Heard<\/p>\n
This week’s edition of the Kaipara Lifestyler.<\/p>\n
ANZ has been with PHD for more than 13 years. Photo \/ RNZ, Marika Khabazi<\/p>\n
Accenture Song media managing director Melissa Fein.<\/p>\n
ANZ group chief marketing officer Astrud Burgess.<\/p>\n
Pacific Media Network chief executive Don Mann. Photo \/ Mike Scott<\/p>\n