Great to see such strong turnout from the local industry at the recent Masters of Motion event in Wellington! With over 90 creatives from across CG, VFX, FX, motion design, and animation, it was a fantastic evening of networking, specialist Q&As, and big-picture industry discussions.

While the U.S. has ramped up tariffs on imports from multiple countries, New Zealand has taken a deliberate, non-retaliatory stance—and that could be a strategic win for our screen sector. Furthermore, the tariffs seem to be more about leverage in future trade negotiations, not long-term policy.

A massive shoutout to the talented 3D Animation and VFX students behind Interception, whose sci-fi comedy short has just been named a semi-finalist at the FilmHaus Festival as this is one step away from the Grand Prize.

New Zealand’s VFX and animation sector generated $460 million in 2023/24, maintaining near-identical revenues to the previous year despite major disruptions from Hollywood strikes and increasing international competition. The data comes from the first-ever VFX Guild survey, completed by 66% of local businesses—marking a milestone in measuring the VFX and animation industry's scale, resilience, and export strength.

Our recent Pub Nights in Wellington and Auckland showed the value of getting the community together in person. Both gatherings drew a healthy mix of VFX, animation, sound and music professionals who swapped ideas, compared workflows and forged new connections over drinks and chips.

NZFC has announced two big moves to boost New Zealand animation, revealed by Chief Executive Annie Murray at the Wellington Animation Film Festival (WAFF) in March.

The upcoming release of Forgive Us All underscores the robust collaborations within New Zealand's visual effects (VFX) sector.

The VFX Guild recently attended the New Zealand premiere of A Minecraft Movie, a live-action/animation hybrid that brings the iconic game's blocky universe to the big screen. Filmed with support from the NZ Screen Production Rebate, the film showcases the exceptional talent and capabilities of our local VFX and wider screen industry.

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage has launched a consultation on a Media Reform programme aimed at modernizing New Zealand’s regulation and content funding landscape. These proposals could have a significant impact on the screen sector, including VFX and animation.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for The Art of Direction and Visual Development with Virginie Bourdin at Miramar Creative Centre! It was an incredible evening filled with insights, inspiration, and engaging discussions on creative direction, working with iconic franchises like "Alien" and "Barbie," and the evolving role of AI in visual storytelling.

We’re delighted to announce our board has grown from 9 members to 13, bringing even more expertise to our guild. From an ex-NASA rocket scientist and award-winning producers to seasoned VFX veterans and fresh creative minds, this board brings decades of combined experience across local and global productions. Check out our stellar lineup and what’s in store for the VFX community:

On Friday, 21 February at 9:00am-10:00am, End City Productions will be hosting a 1 hour online masterclass about Visual Effects and its functions in the film industry with Oscar-winning Visual Effects Supervisor, Dan Lemmon.

Member Spotlight: Cause and FX has announced the exciting addition of award-winning VFX Supervisor, and VFXG member, Thrain Shadbolt to their team. Thrain brings decades of experience to Cause and FX, having worked on some of the most iconic projects in cinema!

PRPVFX recently wrapped up work on DJ Flying Lotus’ sci-fi thriller ASH, delivering 340 visual effects shots that helped bring this tense, otherworldly drama to life. Collaborating with Flying Lotus was an inspiring journey—he described the PRPVFX team as "a one-stop shop that made our tiny indie feel like a baby blockbuster!"

Last week, the Visual Effects Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (VFXG) had the privilege of attending the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim at the iconic Hobbiton Movie Set, hosted by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC).

The Visual Effects Guild (VFXG) has made a submission to the government’s Amplify Creative Strategy, highlighting the crucial role New Zealand’s VFX, animation, and post-production sectors play in driving digital export growth. With post-production growing at an impressive 33% annually and contributing to some of the highest-grossing films in history, the Guild stresses that the sector’s global potential depends on targeted policy support.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is seeking feedback on the 2023 changes to New Zealand’s 5% Uplift Test and the Post, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Rebate e.g. the lowering of the threshold to $250k.

We’re excited to announce the launch of our first industry survey, conducted by the independent firm Premium Research. This survey is critical to understanding and promoting the value of the VFX and animation industry to the New Zealand economy. The survey has been drafted and will soon be sent to you via the research company, so please look out for it.

Discover the global landscape of VFX with the Visual Effects World Atlas 2024 by Joseph Bell. This guide provides trends on the world’s largest VFX hubs, top studios, and emerging markets, including a special feature on Australasia.

The new 'Make it Here' initiative, created by Screen Wellington, showcases the incredible animation, games, VFX, and creative tech work being done in Wellington, a UNESCO Creative City of Film.