This week NZFC Spotlight talks to producer Nigel McCulloch about his mahi and peeks behind the curtain of his documentary Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara
Kent Belcher and Nigel McCulloch
When did you first become aware of filmmaking?
I grew up in Rotorua and my dad had a mobile video business (VHS tapes!). Every day he would fill up his station wagon with movies and take them to the more far flung regions around Rotorua like Reporoa, Ātiamuri, Murupara etc etc where there were no video stores and he’d hire them directly to people. This meant that I had a literal private video store in my house. The entire basement was lined with all kinds of movies that I could pick through and watch. I was young so I basically watched the Back to the Future trilogy ad infinitum, but the fact that there were physical tapes in my house, each with different covers, pictures and blurbs on the back, meant I would spend hours looking through them and reading them all. Without fully understanding the process, that was probably when I first had an inkling that films were stories that people had put together, written and created.
What was your first film project and how did you get involved?
By the time I finished high school I was hell bent on working in film. I moved from Rotorua to Auckland and approached a long list of film production companies to see if there would be work available of any kind on upcoming features. I managed to score a junior position in the camera department on a feature film called Exposure.
This was directed by the great David Blythe and starred Hollywood actors who I vaguely recognised in Ron Silver and Alexandra Paul from Baywatch. It was the best introduction to film work I could have had. The camera crew were amazing and taught me the ropes, the cast was full of well-known NZ actors doing American accents and David Blythe was an absolute ball of energy on set.
I was in charge of video split so spent all my time making sure David could see what the camera was seeing in his monitor. It meant I was next to him and his directors monitor in video village while we were shooting and seeing David’s enthusiasm and love for each and every shot was a thrill.
Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara is a feature length documentary. What can you tell me about this project?
We have been following Alien Weaponry and their whānau for over 6 years now. It started when I heard an interview with them on the radio after they had won Pasifika Beats and Rockquest over two consecutive weekends. They talked about how they were a metal band that sung in te reo Māori and how they saw a wairua between the two.
At that point in time I found it interesting that they were so young (15 and 17) and making music like this so we got in touch and I quickly realised that there was much more to their story. They were obviously extremely talented, but it was their connection to their whānau and their taha Māori which really resonated with me and made me realise there were a lot of themes to dig into for a feature film. Their parents worked in the band, they were the tour manager and the sound engineer and they travelled with the band all through Aotearoa and the world!
The benefit of being with, and filming, this family over such a long period is that the growth and change for the brothers is made very real and relatable. Their passion for Māoritanga and for metaltanga is so apparent throughout, and how they represent te ao Māori on a global stage feels so natural, that they become an inspiration just through their day to day approach and the way they live their lives.
What were the highlights of your experience with this project?
Henry, Tu and Lewis
At its core the film is essentially a coming of age story and being able to watch the story (and the brothers) grow in real time was such a privilege. From a personal perspective, the fact that this family allowed us to film them, travel with them and put their lives on screen is an honour.
From the perspective of the film, the fact that we had access to a fascinating, inspirational story that was constantly shifting and moving was exciting. And the fact that we never really knew what was going to happen next made the whole process thrilling… and terrifying!
Also, being welcomed into and shown metal culture and the wonderful, colourful people who are drawn to it was a treat. Part of what drew me to this story initially is the fact the Metal world has been (and to some degree still is) represented as an angry, evil sub-culture – when in actual fact it is the opposite. Warm, welcoming, passionate people keen to gather together and celebrate music. The audiences are cross-generational – from kids to parents to the grand-parents that were there at the start!
And I also think it’s this community of metal fans that is responsible for a lot of Alien Weaponry’s success, especially when singing in te reo Māori. The metal community love seeing their own metal culture evolve, they love seeing metal done in different ways and they are accepting of it. And because of this the combination of reo Māori and metal music was something that is really exciting for people who love metal to see, no matter where in the world they’re from.
What was the best lesson you learned?
With a film like this, a documentary filming over such a long period, the best lesson I learned was to not force things. There is always the inclination to try and control the story or to try and create situations for dramatic reasons because there’s always that fear hanging over you that nothing of interest will happen and your film will be boring!
Instead, I learned just to trust those initial elements that drew me to the story in the first place and to allow the film to be what it wanted to be. The long production duration meant that I had time to figure out what the film was also, so we allowed our approach and focus to shift and alter depending on what was happening and what we were capturing and how the band were evolving.
What appeals to you about producing?
I think the number one reason I like producing is because I get to be involved in telling a story that I want to see told. This is especially true when it comes to film. When I think there’s a story that lends itself to film then I get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment out of figuring out exactly how that story should come together.
More broadly, I love producing because I’m able to work across all kinds of genres in both film and TV and work with a whole range of interesting and talented people. I am able to work on projects that express my taha Māori, I can work with friends on comedy projects and I can go deep into music or food or whatever interests me if I find there’s an interesting story to be told there. It’s a really varied way of working, especially in New Zealand where we tend to be less specialised in particular fields or genres, and it constantly offers something new.
What are the most important attributes for a producer?
I feel like the most important attributes for a producer are very similar to the most important attributes of film makers in general – be it directors, writers, editors or other collaborators. Primarily, it’s to be passionate about the film you’re making. Everyone needs to find their own way into the film and to find the reason they want to devote so much of their time and effort to it.
From that passion comes all of the other attributes you need to make that film a reality. Resilience is a huge one. Things always go wrong. Money is always hard to come by. People don’t always want to co-operate. As a producer I think it’s important not to let these things stop you or get you down. It’s part of the process and finding ways to deal with all of the road-blocks is just as much about making the film as anything else. And often times these difficulties will help to make the film better!
Also, identifying and communicating the overall vision for the film can be as much a focus for the producer as it is for the director. Many times a project is initiated by the producer and so the first elements that are shaped come from the producer. Finding collaborators who understand that vision, and who can elevate that vision, is all part of a producers role and one that lasts throughout the entire process – from the initial stages all the way through to the film’s release. Making sure everyone is making and promoting the same film is really important.
Can you tell me about your collaborations with other film talented people and how you work together?
Collaboration is the most enjoyable part of the process for me. Being able to work with different people, with different skills or opinions, to get their thoughts that eventually make the production better. To that end I have a lot of people I love to work with.
I work closely with my partners at The Down Low Concept, Jarrod and Ryan. We have been doing this a long time together and the ability for us to sit down and talk through anything, combine thoughts and ideas and offer feedback and notes is something that is really beneficial to all of the work we do.
For the film Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara there was a very small and tight group of people that were involved in a deep way throughout. From the start it was director Kent Belcher and I working on everything. We would constantly review and discuss the film and talk about what we could do to make it better. Then when our editor, Sacha Campbell, came on board those discussions extended to include the three of us. At that point it was an almost daily collaboration over many months where we would review footage, do re-edits, change structure. It was a great collaboration because we were able to make suggestions, try them out and then discuss them as a group. This was when the film really started to take shape and reveal itself.
What are your aspirations for the future?
It’s a tough time in film at the moment but my goal is to continue making films and to have them seen around the world. What I love about ‘Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara’ is that it takes the band’s kaupapa of sharing Māoritanga with international audiences and builds on it and widens the audience for that. The idea of being in Aotearoa, making films here about us and then sharing that globally is something I find really exciting and that I’m focussed on trying to do moving forward.
Do you have a particular film, filmmakers, quote, actor that inspires you and if so why?
Orson Welles has a famous quote that has always resonated with me:
"The Enemy of Art is the Absence of Limitations".
I think he was probably referring to things both outside of the film set and within the film making process when he said this, but for me limitations or obstacles are part and parcel of the process of film making and will, more often than not in my experience, make something better.
I’ve never been in a position where everything I’ve needed has been there for me, and I’m pretty sure most people have never had that luxury either! But, having to make decisions based on limitations – be it lack of money, lack of resources or just the weather not doing what you want – has meant that some of my best work has happened because I have been forced to think about something in a different way.
With regards to Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara this approach meant that I was much more confident in letting the real lives unfold without any input or manipulation from us as film makers which I think resulted in a much more authentic, truthful and heartfelt film.