Dunedin is stepping into the spotlight with a new campaign designed to attract filmmakers, producers and location scouts to the southern city.
Enterprise Dunedin has partnered with Dunedin-born comedian James Mustapic to create a showreel promoting the city as a versatile screen production destination.
The promotional video sees Mustapic take on a range of roles in parody scenes inspired by famous films, as Dunedin doubles for everything from a deserted island and an alien planet to New York City and a grand English estate.
“Dunedin and its amazing locations are the lead actors, quite the ensemble. I’m just here in a sort of supporting role really,” Mustapic said.
Although he grew up in the city, Mustapic said the project gave him a new appreciation for the range of locations on offer.
“Not many actors can claim to have been in a New York crime drama, historical fiction, sci-fi adventures and fantasy epics all in one location for the same project,” he said.
“The city — and I — got to be cinematic chameleons.”
The showreel was produced in-house by Film Dunedin, part of Enterprise Dunedin, with the aim of showcasing the variety of landscapes available within easy reach of the city.
Film Dunedin head Stefan Roesch said the region had long been under-utilised as a filming destination despite offering locations suitable for a wide range of genres.
“You can literally film any genre here, be it sci-fi or zombie films,” Roesch said.
“We’ve got beautiful sweeping vistas around Middlemarch that could be amazing for fantasy films or certain sci-fi genres, and it’s all within half an hour to an hour’s drive if you’re based in Dunedin.”
Roesch said the campaign was designed to stand out from traditional location marketing.
“We wanted to do something completely different and create a story that would cut through the noise while showcasing the width and breadth of our locations in a way that already gives production companies ideas about what genres could be filmed here.”
The initiative also draws on the growing influence of screen tourism. A report commissioned by the New Zealand Film Commission estimates that $2.7 billion in international tourism expenditure is linked to screen industry output.
Dunedin has previously attracted several major productions including X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Power of the Dog, The Hobbit and Uproar.
More recently, Netflix’s romantic comedy The Royal Treatment, filmed in Dunedin, generated more than 42 million viewing hours within its first four days of release.
Roesch said the production delivered significant local economic benefits.
“It generated thousands of bed nights and employed a crew of around 120 to 130 people, with about 60 to 65 percent of the crew being locals, so there was a strong upskilling component as well.”
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said the city council was enthusiastic about the new campaign.
“When it was shown to councillors there was clapping at the end. It was just such fun and it really showcased Dunedin,” Barker said.
“We have so many different landscapes and quirky locations. Film brings huge numbers of people into town, but it also lifts the city’s profile internationally.”
The showreel cost just under $20,000 to produce, with about half of the budget covered by income from location permitting fees.
Enterprise Dunedin hopes the campaign will help put the city on the radar of more international productions in the years ahead.
