Bethells Beach proves a smart move for Samsung
Auckland’s Bethells Beach is again making waves around the world with the release of Samsung’s latest TV advert.
Police cars and army SWAT teams, Roman soldiers, Mad Max, an American football team, Marie Antoinette and a Minotaur all
swarmed Bethells Beach to illustrate Samsung’s latest smart television technology.
The advert’s creation was an international affair, with the Korean electronics giant employing Somesuch & Co, a London-based advertising agency and production company with Kiwi links, who in turn employed renowned French
Greek director Romain Gavras (who has directed music videos for Kanye West and Jay-Z, and M.I.A.).
Film Auckland worked with local producer William Grieve of Big Pictures to bring the advert to life, handling the
logistics of a large-scale, challenging shoot with tight deadlines.
“This advert could only be done at Bethells,” says William Grieve. “The beach was the perfect location for shooting the
advert involving more than 400 cast and crew. The local community is supportive of filming – it just understands how
film production works.
“We contracted locals to fill some of the roles that the shoot created, from catering through to traffic control.”
“Auckland is unique – there are so many diverse film locations all within short distances of the CBD. This makes our
city an incredibly attractive proposition for offshore directors and agencies.”
Michael Brook, Manager Film Auckland says it was great to help bring such a diverse production to Auckland.
“It was great to be able to help bring an international line production to Auckland, and the region’s new film protocol
will help bring more by building on our reputation as a film-friendly location,” says Mr Brook.
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