Draft 2 PhD Introduction - ResearchSpace@Auckland

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The investors, who include businessman Eric Watson, were supportive and
wanted the film to be finished. He said the film's star, Kiefer Sutherland, left
New Zealand last week to return to his television series 24, but had agreed to
return to finish filming his scenes. 983
Sutherland is said to be very committed to the project and has been very accomodating
in re-working his schedule. It remains to be seen, however, whether the film can be
salvaged. If investors are offered an insurance payout, they may now be reluctant to
risk another shoot, particularly if an increased investment is required.
From the perspective of the current thesis, it is clear that the project is an important one
for Ward's career, and one that has already involved years of creative work. It is also
evident from the previous projects I have documented that the problems are
unfortunately all too familiar - the financial pressures of the New Zealand film
environment, the complexities of matching up New Zealand-based projects with the
interests of the global film industry, the pressures involved in trying to operate on a
pared-down budget, and Ward's need for collaborators as committed as himself (with a
similar passion for perfectionism and the ability to be stimulated by difficult locations).
From the perspective of auteur theory, Ward is facing the old curse of Orson Welles -
trying to operate as an artist within a system that operates as an industry. One must
acknowledge, however, that the industry has valid concerns of its own - most investors
need profit to stay in business, and crew members have fought hard over the years to
obtain acceptable working conditions. It is also apparent that Ward is not the easiest of
directors to work with - his working methods are particularly difficult to reconcile with
the severe financial pressures of local film-making. Also, the local industry has
changed its character in recent years due to the huge wages for key crew members on
the large international projects being filmed in New Zealand (Lord of the Rings, The
Last Samurai, Vertical Limits, Hercules, and so on). Whereas local filmmaking in the
days of A State of Siege was driven largely by enthusiasm and idealism, and felt more
like a privilege or a crusade than a job, it has since become another “industry” or
“career choice” for technicians – though admittedly still an insecure way of life. There
are obvious benefits to the expansion and consolidation of this infrastructure, but it is
not necessarily a better environment for a filmmaker such as Ward. It is understandable
983 Ainsley Thomson, "The River Queen Is Still Alive, Say Backers," NZ Herald 3 August 2004.