Kiwi Filmmakers Spread the Word about NZ in Los Angeles

December 9, 2013

Kiwi Filmmakers Spread the Word about New Zealand in Los Angeles

American film crews visited New Zealand and rubbed shoulders with their Kiwi counterparts without even having to leave home when they were guests at a special event at “The Book of New Zealand,” hosted by Film New Zealand.

The enormous pop-up book of New Zealand, a multi-media installation spanning the length of two tennis courts, was created at the Beverly Hilton Hotel by Tourism New Zealand in celebration of the premiere ofThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and inspired by four locations seen in the film.

The Film New Zealand gathering saw a select group of 50 filmmakers, including location scouts, producers and directors, tour the book in the company of New Zealand filmmakers, many of whom worked on The Hobbit Trilogy, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM).

Film New Zealand CE Gisella Carr says it was a great opportunity to showcase New Zealand to screen industry professionals in a very personal way.

“We’re always looking to inspire filmmakers about working in New Zealand and this was a unique chance to bring professionals who are making decisions about where to base productions to visit a piece of New Zealand in LA.

“Guests were able to walk through Middle-earth and experience the New Zealand landscape up close and talk to their counterparts working in screen production.

“The Book was an incredible showcase, not just of the jaw-dropping locations, but of skill of the filmmakers involved and New Zealand’s capacity and capability for screen production, not to mention the cutting edge technology the film represents.”

FILM NEW ZEALAND BACKGROUND

Film New Zealand is the country’s national film office and international screen business attraction agency, marketing New Zealand’s screen production industry off-shore. The organisation acts as the principal gateway for incoming international production and provides a locations enquiry and facilitation service as well as working in partnership with New Zealand companies to help bring screen investment to New Zealand.

For more information, please visit www.filmnz.com

About “The Book of New Zealand”

The locations in The Book of New Zealand are:
• Lake-town - Lake Pukaki/Aoraki-Mt. Cook
• Forest River - Pelorus River/Marlborough
• Beorn’s House - Paradise/Glenorchy
• Hidden Bay - Turoa/Central Plateau

The Book was staged at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, with a capacity of 225 people, where select publicity activities for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug took place.

Scores of worldwide media outlets visited “The Book of New Zealand” as it served as the location for both a NZ Inc VIP function as well as all official publicity activities surrounding the global release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

About 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand

Tourism New Zealand's new three-year marketing strategy features publicity related to The Hobbit Trilogy in conjunction with its on-going 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign.

Tourism New Zealand is working to convert the international attention drawn to the film Trilogy’s production in New Zealand into a campaign which demonstrates how easy it is for people to come to New Zealand, see Middle-earth first hand, and experience all the country has to offer.

Investment in marketing New Zealand's association with The Hobbit Trilogy is paying off in increased visitor motivation and arrivals.

Tourism New Zealand's own Active Considerer monitor-tested the impact of the 100% Middle-earth, 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, first launched in August 2012, in key markets. Between August and October 2012, 82 per cent of respondents stating the campaign increases their interest in New Zealand, and 73 per cent stating the campaign improved their opinions of New Zealand.

International Visitor Arrivals data for January-October 2013 show that holiday arrivals into New Zealand are up 10.5 per cent as of last year. Holiday arrivals from the United States, a key target market for the Middle-earth campaign, are up 19 per cent during the same period last year.

Information gathered from the International Visitor Survey shows that 8.5 per cent of all international visitors surveyed January to June this year, say The Hobbit films were a factor in stimulating their interest in New Zealand as a destination.

Thirteen per cent of international visitors over January to June 2013 say they took in aThe Hobbit Trilogy-inspired experience while in New Zealand, including group tours specifically visiting film sites or visiting Hobbiton.

About The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The screenplay for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a WingNut Films Production, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The film is a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM. www.thehobbit.com

ENDS

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