FILMING IN NIUE: Pacific Islands Fixer and Production Services

While the Bunker Street Film Co. team call Aotearoa home, we also regularly provide film fixing, production support, local crew and production services throughout the Pacific Islands.

Recently, we had the privilege of providing fixer and production services in Niue for UK-based Open Planet Studios, supporting the production of a film featuring in the incredible Niue Ocean Wide (NOW) Trust team and their work to protect Niue's ocean.

"What an absolute joy you have been to work with throughout this entire process. Thank you all so much, and we can’t wait to put the film together. We hope to work with your whole team again really soon".

Dan H. - Open Planet Studios

Filming in Niue

Niue is a unique location for film production. A small self-governing island nation in the South Pacific, Niue is known for its spectacular coastline, marine environment and strong connection between community, culture and ocean conservation.

The film we supported follow NOW's work on long-term ocean conservation, climate resilience and a sustainable blue economy. Niue is one of the first countries to commit to sustainably managing 100% of the waters within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and through the NOW Trust, direct contributions and Ocean Conservation Commitments (OCCs), the initiative is working to create sustainable financing for long-term ocean protection and climate resilience.

"I was going through some of the BTS footage and it brings back great memories and such good vibes even though it was only a couple of weeks ago, I think that week was pure magic to be honest! Definitely keen to work with you all again".

JinNam - NOW Trust

Pacific Film Fixing and Production Support

For international productions, getting the right local support can make all the difference. With direct Air New Zealand flights operating between Auckland and Niue, the island is accessible from New Zealand, but filming there still requires careful planning around flights, accommodation, transport, weather, local suppliers, permits and the availability of resources on the island.

We joined the project right at the beginning, our favourite time to get involved, and provided an initial full production feasibility and budget forecast, identifying potential challenges and opportunities before the project was confirmed.

We also completed a virtual location scout and location recommendation report, covering the requirements for the hero interviews, vox pops and key B-roll.

Once the project received the green light, we managed the full pre-production process remotely from New Zealand, including:

• Crew sourcing and onboarding

• Contracts and contributor paperwork

• International travel and accommodation

• Ground transport and vehicle logistics

• Permit applications

• Marine mammal interaction permissions

• Production and shoot scheduling

• Location research and coordination

• Budget management and production planning

  
  

On-the-Ground Production Support in Niue

Once we arrived in Niue, we connected with the incredible NOW team and the rest was magic. On-location production support is where Bunker Street really shines. We managed the practical day-to-day requirements of the shoot, including:

• Production and budget management

• Location liaison and management

• Contributor coordination

• Location and contributor releases

• Crew catering and welfare

• Transport and logistics

• Weather and schedule changes

• Production problem-solving

• Health and safety

• Local stakeholder liaison

Filming in the Pacific requires flexibility. Weather can change plans quickly, resources can be limited, and schedules sometimes need to move around what is actually happening on the island, which it very much did! That's where having an experienced local fixer and production partner makes a huge difference.

For this production we also provided production crew; Director Tuki Laumea & DOP Joe Murdie. Tuki is a BAFTA-nominated documentary director and long time collaborator with the Bunker Street team. Both Tuki and Joe brought world-class production experience as well as intimate understanding of the pacific to the production to ensure we delivered the very best footage and content for Open Planet Studios to use in their film.

Building Pacific Production Connections

We were incredibly grateful for the support of the Niue Film Commission, the Director of Civil Aviation and Niue Department of Agriculture and Fisheries throughout the production. Working alongside the NOW Trust team and local Niuean partners also allowed us to build a network of trusted contacts that we can draw on for future productions in Niue and throughout the Pacific.

For us, that's one of the most valuable parts of working as a Pacific Islands film fixer and production services company, building genuine local relationships that make future productions easier, more efficient and better connected.

"I haven't stopped saying how great you have been and how grateful I am to be working with you on this". 

Georgia H. - Open Planet Studios

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Production Wrap and Post-Production Support

Our involvement didn't finish when the team left Niue. Back in New Zealand, we managed the production wrap, final budget reconciliation and wrap report, as well as compiling the often-overlooked production notes and content sensitivities needed by the post-production team. For international productions, we believe good production support should cover the whole journey, from initial feasibility and location research through to pre-production, filming, logistics and wrap.

Why Use a Pacific Islands Film Fixer?

Film production in the Pacific can be incredibly rewarding, but it comes with a different set of logistical considerations to working in larger production centres. In Niue, for example, the population is small and access to the island is limited, which means advance planning, local relationships and contingency planning are particularly important. But that's also what makes productions here so special. The Pacific offers extraordinary locations, communities, stories and environments, and we're passionate about helping international productions access them responsibly, efficiently and with the right local support. We're proud to have been part of this production and to have supported Open Planet Studios in bringing the story of Niue Ocean Wide to screen.

Supporting Niue's Ocean

As part of our involvement in the project, Bunker Street also took the opportunity to make our own Ocean Conservation Commitment (OCC) and support the work of NOW Trust. An OCC provides funding towards the long-term protection and conservation of Niue's ocean, with each sponsorship representing one square kilometre of Niue's marine protected waters for 20 years.

Find out more about Ocean Conservation Commitments:

Niue Ocean Wide – Ocean Conservation Commitments

Whale-sized gratitude and fakaaue lahi to everyone involved in this incredible production.

Bunker Street Film Co.

Film Fixing | Production Services | Local Crew

Aotearoa New Zealand + Pacific Islands

Looking for a film fixer or production support in the Pacific?

Bunker Street Film Co. provides film fixing, production management, local crew, location research, permits, logistics, travel, accommodation, transport and on-the-ground production support across Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. We work with international documentary, television, commercial and factual productions filming throughout the region.