Professional Development Opportunities
DEGNZ runs a comprehensive programme of professional development workshops, seminars and events for directors and editors with the financial support of the New Zealand Film Commission, and further financial assistance from Vista Foundation, New Zealand On Air, and the Australian Screen Directors Authorship Collecting Society.
Most of our programme is free for our members. With our workshops, masterclasses and training initiatives, we typically open a call for applications from individuals to be selected to participate.
For Editors
For Directors
“I have been a member of DEGNZ for several years now, and will keep paying my sub without hesitation because it is a great organisation that fills a gap. Every year, DEGNZ organises numerous workshops that serve to inspire, motivate and, most importantly, up-skill a sector of the film community that struggles to find opportunities to practise their craft. Every workshop I have been on has been excellent – professionally run, high quality and useful. They also hold regular networking events that are vital for this industry as many of us work in isolation and use these occasions to build connections and market ourselves.”
Events
Film Talk
A series of film screenings celebrating the latest in New Zealand cinema in association with Rialto Cinemas Newmarket, Auckland, with the Guild moderating a Q & A after with the filmmaker(s). $12 member discount tickets are available for select sessions.
Screenlink
A special networking event held every two or three months, giving DEGNZ members the opportunity to network with members from two other guilds or associations over drinks and nibbles. A speaker, usually from the screen sector, presents on a topic of interest.
Young Creators
A programme of events with a mission to inform and inspire younger or emerging directors and editors to build successful, sustainable careers in the screen industry.
DEGNZ Selects
Presented on an ad hoc basis, usually with a renowned screen practitioner. Previous guests have included Australian director Garth Davis, director Niki Caro, US director Paul Haggis, and TV commercials director Nathan Price.
What’s On
Training
Emerging Women Filmmakers Incubator
The Incubator is a year-long programme consisting of five one-day workshops for up to eight emerging women directors. The Incubator is designed to advance the selected directors’ careers, projects, networks and understanding of the industry through interaction with industry experts from a variety of backgrounds, including development, finance, directing, producing and distribution.
Run with additional financial support from Vista Foundation.
“Being a part of the DEGNZ’s Incubator has been a highly motivating and encouraging experience. Not only has it been an opportunity to increase my knowledge and skills in a number of areas relating to the business and practical side of filmmaking, but we heard from a range of directors and producers about how they work and their experiences in the industry. It is rare to get a chance to talk frankly with such experienced practitioners, but this programme created a space in which such useful dialogue could take place. The Incubator also provided regular meetings with other filmmakers at the same stage in their career.”
TV Drama Director Attachments
An ongoing paid attachment scheme with the financial support of NZ On Air. Our TV Drama Director Attachments pairs one emerging director with a highly-experienced drama director to shadow on a telefeature or TV drama series. Previous productions have included Westside, Shortland Street and Ash vs Evil Dead.
The selected attachment gets to attend pre-production meetings, shoots and editing. At the discretion of the drama director and production company, the attachment may also direct for the production either one or more scenes, 2nd unit and/or pickups.
Feature Film Editing Attachments
A new, ongoing DEGNZ initiative in 2018 that sees one emerging drama editor each time shadow a highly experienced practitioner on a telefeature or feature film. The attachment can be expected to attend rough cut, fine cut and screenings for the director/producer/broadcaster/funder, with the opportunity to edit on the production at the sole discretion of the production team.
Intended for emerging editors who want to progress on to a career as a feature film editor. The initiative allows quality learning time between editor and attachment, and at the interface where feedback and approvals occur.