TV2s Award Celebrates A New Generation Of Ideas

MEDIA RELEASE

A story on a funny and crazy Polynesian family seen through the eyes of a son; a clever animation involving nursery rhymes and a domestic drama with a twist have given four talented young New Zealanders the chance of a lifetime as the winners of the TV2s Award for 2003.

The Award winners for 2003 chosen from the 10 finalists are Fabian Suisala (18) from Sunnyvale, Auckland for Sole; jointly Antoinette Visser (20) and Stefanie Powell (19) from Hobsonsville, Auckland for Nursery Rhyme Crime Prevention and Rachael Walker (21) from Okura, Auckland for Strings Attached.

“It has been a great representation of New Zealand this year with the vernacular of our Indian community and the Pacific representation getting more vivid,” said TVNZ CEO Ian Fraser. “It is a coming of age for new voices and it is our duty and privilege to give this next generation an opportunity.

“In the entries we can see shapes emerging; they are the shapes of our culture in 10 and 20 years time.”

In the four years since the TV2s launched in 2000, more than 5000 ideas have been submitted for consideration. This year there were more than 1500 entries. The finalists’ programmes are from 5 to 10 minutes long.

The Award celebrates visions of promise and gives young New Zealanders (aged 16 – 22) an opportunity to submit a story idea. They are then judged, those selected go through a workshop process and finally ten are chosen to make their ideas a reality.

Each winner or winning team will receive a $5000 grant towards their education or work experience in the industry.

All finalists’ programmes will be broadcast on TV2.

“It is a great privilege to be associated with TV2s and to see these fledgling 21st century New Zealand programme makers beginning to tell their own stories in so many different ways,” said Convener of Judges Robert Boyd Bell.

Following are the judges’ comments.

Sole

The judges commend this winner as demonstrating the emergence of genuine new talent - both from the director and the performers.

Like some other entries this year, Sole leads the viewer into a new perspective on world just streets away from where many of us live.

We enjoyed the assured performances, visual gags, subtle timing and generally understated competence displayed.

These are stories we want to see more of!

Nursery Rhyme Crime Prevention

This delightful work incorporates whimsical treatment of classical nursery rhyme characters with 21st century animation technology in a fashion that the judges could only admire.

The affectionate treatment of widely-known and well-loved characters takes viewers along wholly new paths with convincing suspension of disbelief.

The judges commend Stefanie and Antoinette’s work, which demonstrates significant development from her early draft, took notice of workshop comments and suggestions, and overcame some upheavals to make it to screen.

We find it an impressive winner with potential for further development - like its Director.

Strings Attached

The judges assessed Rachael's entry among the winners for its assured delivery of a relatively simple comedic idea, well-executed.

This is a universal story given a new twist, with a shrewd turn at the end and displaying convincing control of technique.

Of all this year's entries, Rachael's demonstrates the value of holding true to her original concept and honing it to its best. It's a very satisfying piece and complete in itself.

TV2 Judges
Robert Boyd-Bell (Convenor of Judges), Stacey Daniels (TVNZ), Elizabeth Mitchell (Producer/Director), Jude Anaru (Producer Flipside), Joss King (Shortland Street/Writer), Jim Mora (Writer/Presenter), David Rose (Producer), Julia Baylis (Head of TV2 Programming).

Programmes will be broadcast in the first week of December on TV2.
-ends-

(Synopsis of all 10 finalists’ programmes attached)

TV2’S AWARD -2003 FINALIST STORY SYNOPSIS

SOLE
Fabian Suisala, 18
Sunnyvale, Auckland

Kiwi bred Samoan teen thinks his family is ‘nuts’.

The high school boy has thought his whole life that his family was the most crazy family in the world until he meets his ‘dreamgirls’ family.

NOT WAVING BUT DROWNING
Richard Fairgray, 18
Torbay, Auckland

A look at the life of a television and film executive, hearing pitches for films and TV shows. The story focuses on Richard, who was once a big name but after saying yes to a few bad ideas (parodies of Postman Pat, Hogan’s Heroes and Castaway) is left with nothing but directing bad shampoo commercials. This film is done as a flashback, showing Richard.

DOWN BY THE DAIRY
Aarni Singh, 17
Birkenhead, Auckland

The pilot for a series about an Indian family of 2 brothers, a very arrogant sister and a nosy grandmother. There is the eldest brother who is the butt of most jokes, a second brother who is a player and is convinced he is Italian. The sister is a party animal and loves the dating scene. They have been sent to New Zealand under their grandmothers’ watchful eye to further their education. It follows their journey and allows us to see what living Indian style really means.

THE BABOON WRANGLER (Animation)
Tim Molloy 22, Adam Kay 21, Chris Mitchell 21
Sandringham, Auckland

A quiet suburban setting. Ever vigilant helper is baboon ‘Karl’ as he goes about his chores. The master of the house leaves for the shops. Karl takes advantage of the master’s absence and steals money from the kitchen bench top, get a taste for evil!
Chaos happens. Baboon Wrangler comes to the rescue.

POETRY IN MOTION
Rosie Riggir-Cuddy, 20 and Laurel Devenie, 20
Wellington

The walls and pavements of Wellington are covered in the chalked ideas of a secret yet exhibitory poet. Lyra, a passive observer, realizes on closer examination, these once dismissed ramblings have become relevant, even predictive to her own life.

This story portrays the connection between strangers, words, walls and worlds as Lyra and her anonymous poet, fall intentionally into each other’s solitary paths, uniting muse and artist in a love story narrated by pavement poetry.

BLACKOUT
Vincent Thompson, 19
Taupo

With a subliminal theme of The Seven Deadly Sins, Blackout is a suspense-filled thriller about a young guy who wakes up on a Sunday morning with no memory of the night before. He has blood on his shirt – whose blood is it? Reality verses the power of paranoia, takes Jordan to new levels of suspicion and intrigue as he and his best friend Anna try to retrace his steps. A shocking story unfolds.

STRINGS ATTACHED
Rachael Walker, 21
Okura, Auckland

When a housewife vacuums up a g-string from down the back of the couch, her worst fears about her husband’s extra marital love life are confirmed. She could suck the g-string back up and forget about it or she could consider unique revenge.

BETTER OUT THAN IN
Emma Nichols, 22
Mt Eden, Auckland

An integration of live action and animation showing the changes smoking will make in a young man’s life. In the end, the man stubs out the cigarette and throws a new packet away.

NURSERY RHYME CRIME PREVENTION (Animation)
Antoinette Visser, 20 and Stefanie Powell, 19
Hobsonville, Auckland

Nursery rhymes are being altered from within by a “bug”. A way to enter the rhymes has been found by scientists, but only children can enter. Two children enter the nursery rhymes to tackle the “bug” and find clues along the way that lead them on a journey to unscramble the rhymes and save them from extinction.

THE BATTLE OF GATE PA
Matthew Hooker, 16
Tauranga

A recreation of the Battle of Gate Pa encompassing the contrast between the brutal and bloody battle and the compassion of the Maori woman who gave water to the wounded and dying British troops.

© Scoop Media