New Zealand’s Studio West opens Auckland’s largest soundstage

As New Zealand’s screen industry returns to normal, Auckland-based production unit Studio West unveils what will be the city’s biggest soundstage.

Studio West, a regular base for local and international productions for the past 25 years, began development on its expansion in 2019, but construction was suspended throughout the year during the most difficult phases of the pandemic.

“In April 2021, I would say we started construction quite boldly,” says Kay Howe, CEO of Studio West. “But things look pretty good now. We are ready to open our doors and film and television production in New Zealand is back on the rise. It’s been an interesting journey to get here.”

Located in the Glen Eden neighborhood of Oakland, Studio West spans eight acres and features three pre-existing sound studios (3,315 sf, 5,650 sf, and 7,530 sf), production and leasing offices, production, locker room, laundry room, green rooms, hairdressing and makeup spaces. . However, the new phase, called Studio 4, will give the installation a significant boost. The building adds 16,236 square feet of open-plan production and post-production offices and a state-of-the-art 36,570-square-foot soundstage.

“We’ve long heard from the international industry that Auckland could use more stage space,” says Jasmine Millet, manager of Screen Auckland, the government-backed regional film office that champions the industry. “So it’s exciting to see Studio West grow from a studio that can support location-based studios to one that can also host larger-scale projects that require a decent amount of building space.”

“I certainly see that this fills a need that we’ve felt in Oakland for a long time,” adds Millett.

Studio West has already booked its first Stage 4 project. Period action drama to convertStarring Guy Pearce and directed by New Zealander Lee Tamahori, work on the installation began late last month.

Studio West’s Stage 4 joins the rising cost of Auckland’s production facilities that have attracted projects like Disney in recent years. mulan and tellers bros. megaAlong with a batch production line for streamers. New Zealand’s generous production incentives and diversity of natural beauty have always been a big draw for international cinema, but Auckland’s reputation for a strong team and rapidly improving technical capability has continued to reshape the region as a competitive production hub. worldclass. The city’s Kumeu Film Studios expanded their offerings in 2017 and now boasts the largest indoor diving tank in the southern hemisphere, 43,055 square feet of storage space, and two purpose-built 24,650-square-foot sets. Near X3 Studios also offers several flexible destination scenarios.

Howe says the demand Studio West saw for its new stage encouraged the company to expand further. In the first half of 2023, Studio West will begin the fifth phase of over 26,000 square feet.

“The film industry in Oakland is as big as the number of studios, facilities and employees we have to service projects,” says Howe. “So while there are other studios here in Auckland, and some of them are also expanding, we really feel like we’re all growing together to make New Zealand a bigger and better hub.”