After watching the short movies at Flickerfest, I noticed cultural differences between US and Australian films. Many of the Australian short films displayed common themes such as mateship and distant parenting. In the film An Act of Love, the intimate connection between identical twin sisters May and June is shown. Their lives revolve around doing the same activities and wearing the same outfits, but their relationship is tested when one attempts to step beyond their shared identity by cutting her hair. In the end, the other sister who feels as though she cannot be her own person without her sister, cuts her hair too, as an act of love and display of mateship. This film shows the struggles of being an identical twin, yet the undeniable love between two sisters and best friends struggling to find themselves. Another aspect of this film that stood out to me was how distant the mother was from these young girls. The mother seemed to have more important priorities than worrying about her daughters and recognizing their internal struggles. She acts uninterested when she’s in the car with them and freely drops them off at an arcade unsure of when she will pick them up. I found it interesting that many of the films displayed detached parents, and it made me wonder if the laid-back nature of Australian culture was a result of the distant parenting styles. Whereas in America, parents often tend to be hands on compared to those of other countries.
(more…)

lmckeever

More Posts

My view from breakfast at the Chateau Tongariro. Breathtaking!

lmckeever

More Posts

During the Wellington City Walking Tour, I learned so much about the history of the city and all that it has to offer. One thing that I specifically remember our tour guide saying is that Wellington is the most livable city in the world. I was shocked to hear this statistic because I hadn’t heard much about Wellington until I took this class. He went on to explain that it was ranked number one for best quality of life, and the rankings look at purchasing power, safety, health care, cost of living, property price to income ratios, traffic commutes and pollution. Wellington was ranked as the least polluted of the cities and was ranked fourth best for property to income ratio and commuting, and fifth for its climate, overall earning the top spot. Our guide said, “on an international scale, we are safe, the city is affordable and we’ve got good transport connections. Most importantly, we’ve got a city full of wonderful people which makes everyday living here a pleasure.” Wellington seems like a place that is easy to live in. It’s compact, connected, and innovative, and the people seem extremely proud of their city. As we have learned in class and throughout our week here, New Zealand is environmentally friendly, has a favorable climate and kind people. I really enjoyed these aspects of Wellington as well as its breathtaking beauty. 

(more…)

lmckeever

More Posts

Douglas is the name of our amazing and hilarious bus driver. He has taken us all across New Zealand the past five days, educating us about its unique culture along the way. He shows great knowledge and pride for his country and speaks fondly of every aspect of New Zealand. He is soft-spoken, yet captivating when he speaks because of his sharp wit and interesting stories. I distinctly remember one comment about New Zealand that Douglas said as we were on our way to Tongariro National Park. He said, “There are three things that you will find in every New Zealand town. Number one is a pub. Number two is a church, and number three is a rugby field.” I found this extremely interesting because it really depicts what is most important in New Zealand culture. From this past week, I have noticed that people in New Zealand love a good pub have a very easygoing nature to them. They are friendly people that like to take things as they go, thinking that everything will work out in the end. They appreciate a glass of beer at the local pub in the evenings, attend church on Sundays, and according to Douglas, they live and breathe rugby. It is an ingrained aspect of everyday life in New Zealand. He emphasized how when the All Blacks win a game, the whole country is celebrating, and when they lose a game, the whole country is mourning. Despite New Zealand’s small population, New Zealand is the best in the world – both in the male and female leagues. It is a source of pride for their nation, and from a young age children – both boys and girls – are introduced to it and play it. The All Blacks are national heroes and everyone knows and recognizes them.

(more…)

lmckeever

More Posts

Ever since 2001, many of us have come to recognize New Zealand as “the place where Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, was filmed.” Now, even more people know it as the place where they took their last vacation. The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit Trilogy have greatly affected the geography, tourism and the lives of the people in New Zealand. Since 2001 when the first Lord of the Rings film was released, there has been a 50% increase in arrivals to New Zealand. Hobbiton especially appeals to a very large number of tourists. Tourists are able to walk through the natural countryside and take in the breathtaking views that remain extremely really well kept as displayed in the movie. Uniquely, in New Zealand, a percentage of what you see on screen you can actually see in real life. They are not trying to sell the movie. They’re trying to say that the sense of awe and grandeur that you get with the movie is very much what you’ll get with the experience, further adding to the extreme rise in tourism.

Tourism is not the only industry that has had a boost from Jackson’s movies. Other jobs have been created as a result of the studios co-created or co-owned by Jackson, which include Weta Workshop, Stone Street Studios, Park Road Post Production, and others. In addition, the government of New Zealand recognized the importance of the industry, specifically the contribution of Jackson’s The Hobbit when the New Zealand postal service issued stamps with the faces of characters from the movie, as well as uncirculated commemorative coins. Entertainingly, the New Zealand Custom Service currently stamps visitor’s passports with a “Welcome to Middle Earth” stamp. Movies like Lord of the Rings and The Hobbithave done more for tourism in New Zealand than the Rugby World Cup or Americas Cup. They are now known as a film location, and as a place, New Zealand is now known as ‘Middle Earth’. These films have given individuals insight into the spectacular landscapes that New Zealand has to offer, which in turn has encouraged many to see it with their own eyes. 

(more…)

lmckeever

More Posts

Hobbiton was an amazing experience that provided a lot of insight into filmmaking, all that goes into producing a film, and how important it is to find the perfect scouting location. Walking through Hobbiton was an incredible journey that brought life to this small village that before seemed like a fantasy. Throughout the tour, we gained knowledge about forced perspective and how the sets were built. I discovered that finding the right locations is all-important, and effects every aspect of production. It’s not just about the visuals, shooting on the right location gives so much to the actors and the crew as well. It brings inspiration, energy and focus to the production. Hobbiton brought life to the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as changed the lives of the unassuming owners of this small and now-famous piece of farmland in the rolling hills of the Waikato region. I learned that location scouts must find a spot that resembles important aspects of the story line, is able to remain private and has a favorable climate. 

Our guide described to us the story of how Peter Jackson discovered the Hobbiton filming location. In 1998, Peter Jackson’s team of location scouts were searching for the iconic rolling hills and lush green pastures of Hobbiton. An aerial search led them to the Alexander farm, a stunning 1,250 acre sheep farm in the heart of the Waikato. A location scout knocked on the door of the farmer who owned the land to ask if he could walk through it. Our guide laughed as she said how the farmer only opened the door because it was halftime of the rugby game. She said if it was during the game, Hobbiton may have never been what it was today. Peter Jackson soon discovered that the fantastic views and rolling countryside closely resembled that of the ‘Shire’ in the popular classics by J.R.R Tolkien. The three things that Peter Jackson was looking for were a large tree, a lake, and a hillside. Thankfully for him, on one particular part of the farm, a magnificent pine tree towered over a nearby lake, adjacent to a rising hill. Bag End now sits atop that hill, overlooking the “Party Tree.” The surrounding areas were untouched and remain well kept. There were no power lines, no buildings and no roads in sight. This meant that Peter Jackson could leave the 20th century behind, and fully submerge himself in the fantasy world of Middle-earth. The set took two years to build before they were able to begin filming. 

(more…)

lmckeever

More Posts