Draft 2 PhD Introduction - ResearchSpace@Auckland

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Ward might seem to have selected the most difficult of all the possible documentary
topics in the area. He also was unconcerned about potential audience appeal – he
trusted his own interest in the subject. Before shooting on the film could begin, there
were a number of problems to be solved. The first of these was power, since it would
be necessary to light interiors, but the nearest source of power was about three miles
away. It seemed that some kind of generator would be necessary, but although a small
generator would have been inexpensive to run, it would have been very noisy. Ward
wanted to retain the quiet atmosphere of the location for sync filming, but also to use a
power source that was economical. As a solution, “a power system was specially
devised, using twenty car batteries mounted on a trailer”. The batteries were recharged
overnight at the crew’s place of accommodation”. 473
Lighting also posed a problem, as Ward wanted the lights to be rigged in a semipermanent
fashion, so they would not interfere with filming, but it would have been
impractical to use light stands in the limited space inside Puhi’s house. As a
compromise, windows and doorways (natural lighting) were used to provide the “key”
light, while quartz halogen lights provided the “fill”. It was possible to set up lights in
the kitchen as Puhi and Niki tended to move in very clearly defined spaces within the
area. However, in practice, it was not always possible to make use of this style of
lighting, as “capturing a particular moment often meant speed and necessitated filming
from the first accessible position”. 474 A 16mm camera was used, a more complex
technology than the small digital video cameras that might be used today.
Ward’s initial treatment for the film differs in its approach from the final script in
several significant ways. Firstly, instead of focussing on Puhi calling on the marae, it
begins with an old man planting kumaras by the moon, followed by a series of images
from the “private lives of three Tuhoe elders and their families”. 475 This would seem to
be attempting to place Puhi in the context of the Tuhoe community, rather than focusing
on her as an individual largely isolated from the community. The rest of the treatment
is similar to the completed script, with the exception that there is a sequence where Niki
473
Ward, “A Documented Account of the Making of In Spring One Plants Alone,” Section on Pre-
Production, 11 July-24 September 1978.
474
Ward, “A Documented Account of the Making of In Spring One Plants Alone,” Section on Pre-
Production, 11 July – 24 September 1978.
475
Ward, “A Documented Account of the Making of In Spring One Plants Alone,” Section on Pre-
Production, 11 July – 24 September 1978.