Draft 2 PhD Introduction - ResearchSpace@Auckland

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in the end to choose locations close to Wellington for convenience since Anne Flannery
had to return to Wellington each night, and they needed to be close to the National Film
Unit processing laboratory in Wellington and to equipment hire facilities. 356 They
eventually found a cottage at Plimmerton, which was “reasonably isolated (yet
accessible), and was hooked to an electrical supply (negating the possible need for a
generator)”. 357 Initially they had difficulties gaining the rights to use the cottage, but
“the owners finally gave their consent only because ‘Vincent was so determined’”. 358
Most of the film was shot at Plimmerton, but some sections were shot in the Wairarapa,
for example the scene of Malfred painting at the beach, which was on the south-east
coast, overlooking Mana Island. White and Ward spent “a great deal of time […]
looking for an old bus with a lot of character”, and eventually found one in Greytown,
where the bus sequence was filmed. The scenes of the classroom, the fern-house, the
mother’s bedroom and the farewell party were shot in Upper Hutt and other parts of
Wellington”. 359
Production and Post-Production
The shooting schedule was for twenty-five days, preceded by five days for setconstruction
and five days set aside for contingencies. The film was shot in two blocks:
one in September 1977 and the other, later that year, in December. “The schedule had
to be arranged that way because Anne Flannery had other acting commitments in
October and November. In the first block lasting twenty-four days, all the scenes took
place in Wellington and at the cottage at Plimmerton. In the second block of twelve
days, they moved to the Wairarapa to film the bus journey and the painting
expedition”. 360 While they were filming in the Wairarapa, the entire crew stayed with
Ward’s parents, who were supportive to the point of paying the crew a week’s wages
when money was short. Malfred’s painting trip was shot on December 5 and 6, and the
school bus trip on December 9-11. This explains why the bus appears to be going
through a summery landscape, while the bach itself seems more wintry.” 361 Such
356 White, "Production of a Film Drama," 11.
357 White, "Production of a Film Drama," 12.
358 Campbell, “Vincent Ward: Living on Celluloid”, 23.
359 White, "Production of a Film Drama," 12.
360 White, "Production of a Film Drama," 13.
361 McDonnell, "The Translation of New Zealand Fiction into Film," 131.