Orphans & Kingdoms | Blog | One night. One house. One Island.

O&K PledgeMe Campaign
- Posted on 6th Jul
- Category: Production
O&K is running a crowdfunding campaign through NZ-based platform, PledgeMe, to help raise the $20,000 critically needed for post production.
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We've done the hardest part already; developed a completely original story, written 8 drafts of a screenplay and beaten 75 other applicants to receive a micro-budget production funding grant from the New Zealand Film Commission, and we're in production already. Yay for us! We are shooting for the entire month of July on location on beautiful Waiheke Island, just off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand.

New Zealand Film Commission’s Escalator scheme - $250,000!

Random Films have invested another $50,000, and they’re partnering with us to produce the behind the scenes videos, so you get to see exactly how this film is made!

Dozens of local sponsors on the island (including SeaLink, Jucy, The Oyster Inn, Kina & Stay Waiheke) are moving, housing and feeding the crew and supplying them with lots of desperately needed coffee.

We’re being joined by a whole host of A-List crew members who are working for next to nothing to help us make Orphans & Kingdoms a reality – all because they believe in the story we want to tell. This includes:

+ Philippa Campbell, Executive Producer (Top of the Lake, Black Sheep, Rain)

+ Simon Raby, Cinematographer (Lord of the Rings, District 9)

+ Cushla Dillon, Editor (Shihad: Beautiful Machine, Topless Women Talk About Their Lives)

+ Colin Moy (In My Fathers Den, Spartacus, Shortland Street)

+ many other talented people

We're taking a big risk with this film and we're throwing all that investment 'at the screen,' which means that if we don't get a little more money, from you, no one will ever see it. And that would be a shame 'cos it's going to be a beauty!

We have big plans for this little film, like an international premiere at an A-List festival such as Cannes or Sundance but to do that we'll need these:

$14,000 for a Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound Audio Mix.

$6,000 for a DCP (Digital Cinema Package), which is all the finished audio and video wrapped up in a snazzy little bundle so that cinemas all around the world can project it, along with your name in the credits.

To be perfectly honest we need a whole lot more than this to get it finished just how we really want it, but $20k will get us over the line.

If you'd like to help us out, or simply read more, head HERE to check out our PledgeMe Campaign!

Cheers

Fraser, Paolo & the O&K Whanau
Orphans & Kingdoms Official Production Update No. 2
- Posted on 2nd Jul
- Category: Pre-Production
The latest production update video is up!
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See all the latest from O&K, including the camera test with Simon Raby, and the tech recce to Waiheke Island!

Bellissimo.

Fraser, Paolo & the O&K Whanau
Piritahi Marae welcomes O&K with a Powhiri
- Posted on 1st Jul
- Category: News
The O&K cast and crew were lucky enough to be welcomed onto the island by the local tangata whenua last night with a moving pōwhiri, followed by a great spread laid on by Aunty Kath at the Marae! A great start to our month on Waiheke. Click here to see more photos.

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O&K Cast Revealed!
- Posted on 25th Jun
- Category: Pre-Production
We're finally able to reveal our amazing cast for O&K! Click below to check out the actors and the characters they'll be portraying.
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Introducing the Orphans and Kingdoms lead cast…

COLIN MOY is Jeremy, a successful architect with his own practice and a beautiful house on Waiheke Island. But beneath Jeremy's seemingly perfect exterior lies a tragic secret.

HANELLE HARRIS is Tibs, (Tabitha, but don't call her that to her face) the eldest of three siblings. Tibs is strong willed and loyal and she'd do absolutely anything to protect her family. Thanks to a less-than-perfect mother, Tibs has spent most of her life nurturing her siblings at the expense of herself.

JESSE-JAMES PICKERY is 17-year old Jesse. He's a street-smart kid who's penchant for escapism through drugs and alcohol are beginning to become a problem...

CALAE HIGNETT-MORGAN is Kenae. 'Key' has never had any real adult guidance in his life and he instinctively believes that the only way to be noticed is to be notorious. Kenae is a natural rebel with a healthy disrespect for... pretty much everything.

FINN MCLACHLAN is Scotty, Jeremy’s son. He's a good kid but struggles to connect with his dad.
Orphans & Kingdoms in the Gulf News!
- Posted on 23rd Jun
- Category: News
Waiheke's own Gulf News has published a fantastic article about our upcoming shoot on the island. Thanks, Julianne!
Click below to check out the article.

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Orphans & Kingdoms Official Production Update No. 1
- Posted on 20th Jun
- Category: Pre-Production
Ok, here is it, the long awaited official O&K production update. Phew! We had a crazy idea to produce one of these, every week, from now until the film is released. Why? Because we're mad and foolish.
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But also cos we're really keen to tell this story, not just the kids on the island with the man, story, but the middle-aged guys with families and mortgages try to make a mircro-budget film on an island in the middle of winter, story. Please let us know what you think.

Bellissimo.

Fraser, Paolo & the O&K Whanau
Oops, we lied. Sorry David Blyth.
- Posted on 24th May
- Category: News
We have been lying to you all this time. Ok, it hasn't been that long and it's more of a mistake than a lie, but still, that's just not cool. We've been saying that O&K will be the first narrative feature to be set and shot entirely on Waiheke Island. That's simply not true. David Blyth bet us to it in 1984! Sorry David, and thanks to (know it all) Peter Mayo for showing us the error of our ways.

Check out the trailer to Death Warmed Up and check out a young and spunky Michael Hurst...
O&K Casting Blog #1
- Posted on 31st Jan
- Category: Pre-Production
We got quite excited by the start of the casting process. It's incredibly exciting to see the characters you've worked so hard to create on paper, suddenly come to life in front of you.
O&K Directors Update #1
- Posted on 9th Jan
- Category: Directors Update
O&K writer/director, Paolo Rotondo, kicks things off with our first video blog. Complete with authectic Waiheke stray dog noises in the background.
O&K Teaser Film - Moodboard
- Posted on 10th Aug
- Category: Development
Back in August last year we made the NZFC's long-list of projects on their Escalator initiative and were invited to Wellington to "pitch" our idea. As part of that pitch we produced this "moving image moodboard" to help demonstrate the type of film we wanted to make.
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This clip contains NONE OF OUR OWN WORK. It's a creative exercise only and in it we borrow clips from films and filmmakers that we have the utmost respect for. No copyright infringement is implied and if any of the copyright owners take exception we will gladly take it down.

With any luck this moodboard will give viewers an idea of the tone of Orphans & Kingdoms.

We'd appreciate any feedback. Does it feel like a film you'd want to see?

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