Auckland has once again proven the strength of its local screen industry with October’s release of the delightful feature film Baby Done, a comedy from Piki Films and Madman Entertainment that explores the emotions of impending parenthood.
Set in the leafy surrounds of a gloriously green city, a story of new life and new roles unfurls when arborists Zoe (Rose Matafeo) and Tim (Matthew Lewis) find out they are having a baby. Determined not to let parenthood change them, Tim runs towards being a dad, while Zoe runs away from being a mum – trying to live out her long-deferred dreams, including competing in a world tree climbing event.
The idea for Baby Done was born when husband and wife creative team, director Curtis Vowell and writer Sophie Henderson, fell pregnant while living in Melbourne. The script was then developed by Carthew Neal and Taika Waititi’s Auckland-based production house Piki Films – known for international hits Jojo Rabbit and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, along with Kiwi favourite The Breaker Upperers. With a script in play, Morgan Waru was brought on to produce the film.
Filming took place across the region in March and April 2019, with about 35 cast and 40 crew bringing the story of Zoe and Tim to life – mostly on location.
Jasmine Millet, Screen Auckland Manager at Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), says Baby Done demonstrates the region’s flexibility as a screen location.
“Screen Auckland works with productions to understand their creative vision and find locations to suit. Baby Done is a great example of how the team worked with Piki Films to find perfect locations that met the production’s needs.”
Screen Auckland facilitated Auckland Council film permits for Baby Done across a diverse range of locations including: a driving loop at the harbourside suburb of Point Chevalier; a rickshaw ride at Wynyard Quarter’s lively North Wharf dining precinct; a night scene at urban Mount Eden Potters Park playground; a café scene in trendy Grey Lynn; multiple scenes at Narrow Neck Beach and Fort Takapuna Reserve; and the creation of a world tree climbing competition at the region’s iconic Auckland Domain.
Baby Done producer Morgan Waru, says Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland was the perfect backdrop for the film.
“Our aim for Baby Done was to set it in a miscellaneous city – a city that was relatable to a wide audience – but also a city that was tree-filled, lush and green to reflect the arborist and ‘new life’ storylines. Auckland was a fantastic location because it is malleable – it became the city we needed it to be.”
Morgan Waru says collaboration was key to realising the film’s creative vision.
“It was great to work with the Screen Auckland team, who were open to hearing what we needed from a creative point of view. The shoot at Auckland Domain was by no means standard as we filmed the cast climbing in trees. Screen Auckland ensured a smooth facilitation process, connecting us with the right people for an awesome creative outcome.”
Auckland businesses and people also got to play a starring role in the film’s production.
“With so much of the film shot on location, we were frequently reliant on Aucklanders during production. We found the region to be really film friendly – local businesses were receptive to being on screen and the public was generous and interested in what we were doing,” explains Morgan Waru.
“A highlight for us was shooting at Fruit World New Lynn. The store is open seven days a week and the owners wanted it to remain open throughout the shoot for customers to shop as per usual. So, we shot while the store was open, with customers and staff taking part. It was fantastic!” says Morgan Waru.
Local businesses helped Baby Done make its way to the big screen, including: film and digital camera rental house Panavision providing technical equipment; Epic Eats keeping the cast and crew nourished with delicious food; and Department of Post finishing the film at its state-of-the-art central Auckland facility during the initial New Zealand-wide COVID-19 Alert Level lockdown.
Pam Ford, General Manager Economic Development at ATEED says while it’s been a challenging year for the screen industry, both at home and abroad, local productions have navigated the uncertainty and continued to produce stellar work.
“When the nation went into lockdown in March, the screen sector was among the many impacted by the restrictions required to manage the pandemic. However, it’s been heartening to see our people come together to find a way for people to keep working safely.”
This included Screen Auckland’s role in the development of the national ScreenSafe COVID-19 Health and Safety Standard and Protocols, and Screen Auckland COVID-19 Alert Level Guidelines for Filming.
Pam Ford says that while Auckland is proud to be the main production base for high-profile large-scale international productions such as the Amazon Studios streaming series based on The Lord of the Rings, Netflix Originals’ Cowboy Bebop, and Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan, local productions play an equally important role.
“Domestic productions are the lifeblood of the sector and continue to speak volumes about Auckland’s skill and capacity. In addition, they open career pathways for Aucklanders into the industry, see creative talent bloom and enable us to share our stories with New Zealand and the world.”
Catch Baby Done in cinemas now.