Winner Showcase: Hamilton - Kirikiriroa

Posted 7th July 2021

Over the next little while, we will be showcasing some of our winners from across Aotearoa. 

Next up our 2021 Hamilton Runner Up: 

Muddy Brilliant and their film "Meat Your Match"

We heard from the team leader Jonathan O'Neill:

All team members are teachers at Hauraki Plains College in Ngatea. This year we had teachers from a range of subject areas: English, Music, Media Studies, Art, Social Studies, Wood Technology, Science, Maths and Digital Technology. Our students started competing in 2014 and in 2016 we thought it was time to join in on the fun. It's just great to do something social and creative with friends. 

What were your pathways to becoming filmmakers? 

We have only ever experienced short filmmaking through the 48Hours competition. There is always talk of developing a short film project outside of the competition, but we just haven't managed to get there yet; so without the competition as a catalyst we wouldn't be making anything. 

How did the shoot weekend go?

The shoot went really well, considering the obligatory shoot weekend setbacks. Our original plan to shoot the final scene at the Ngatea Water Gardens was shelved when torrential rain rolled in on Saturday night. We had to quickly rewrite that scene and film it across the road from school where there was a nice little sheltered alcove on the outside of a real estate office. 

Alissa Place, our lead actress, also came down with a pretty violent stomach bug in the early hours of Sunday morning, so a scene that we intended to film in a cafe on Sunday morning was canned, and replaced with a new scene that we filmed in her kitchen in Thames. This also meant rewriting the script and roping in another teacher as an actress. Other than that, it went pretty smoothly.

What was the story writing process like for your team?

Our team all contributed to the story, and the process was absolutely effortless! The hard thing (for most people in the competition no doubt) is that you start the competition pretty knackered at the end of the working week, and you just wonder how you are going to find the energy to come up with some decent ideas and write a script. We kicked things off with curries and beer at the local pub and then felt like going home for a nap, but there's that collective excitement at 7pm that pulls you through. 

What are you most proud of about your film?

We are very proud of our Maths teacher, Robert Torrance, who braved the weather to walk down the main street of Ngatea in his undies. That got a great reaction from our students when they saw the film! 

What's next for you and your team?

Aside from world domination, entering the competition again next year and seeing how far we can get. There is always post-weekend talk of putting some more preparation in the weeks leading into the competition, but that might be taking things a bit too far.