Author: Roberto Pavez, Mount Maunganui TV
What’s it like filming interviews and behind-the-scenes clips for a feature movie? How cool is it to meet Cliff Curtis!? These are questions I’m often asked. Well, we did film a few scenes for MURU, shot in Whakatāne, and I’d like to share my story with you!
It was Sunday evening when we got a call asking if we’d film a behind-the-scenes style documentary and interviews for a movie. After a few conversations, we were part of the crew. At the time, we didn’t know what movie or project it was. That same afternoon, we cleaned our lenses, prepared our cinema cameras, charged our lighting and camera batteries, formatted our CFast cards, and made sure we were having a good sleep to get ready for a full day of filming.
Monday morning we showed up at the set, met with the producers, and got our filming sheet for the day. It was only at this point that we realised we were going to work with one of the most important actors and producers in New Zealand, Cliff Curtis, on feature movie MURU. We felt like we were in Hollywood with a massive cast and production, including helicopters, flipping cars, and stunning New Zealand nature spots.
Our main work during the following days was filming behind the scenes. Filming behind-the-scenes is all about capturing the magic of a moment, which is why we’re so excited to have had the chance to film such amazing and experienced actors, directors and filmmakers.
The first time I saw a director Tearepa Kahi pull an actor aside and tell them how to play a scene differently, I was blown away, and we got it on camera. It made me realize that these people really care about what they do—they’re not just doing it for the money. They’re actually trying to create something meaningful that will make you feel things!
It’s amazing to see how much thought goes into every little thing on set. When you watch a movie or TV show, you might think that everything is planned out from start to finish, but there are so many moments when things go wrong (or right!) and everyone has to scramble around like crazy trying to fix it.
We had a very hard time covering our cameras during a helicopter landing; the amount of dust can cover your equipment, and it was crucial to constantly clean our camera gear in order to get the best shots possible.
This is undoubtedly a great opportunity to see how the magic behind filmmaking happens. Even if you’re not an actor, a filmmaker, or even a movie buff, watching behind-the-scenes videos can help you learn new techniques.
For us, it was the most spectacular experience to be part of. We learned so much and we got to film with Cliff; as filmmakers, what else could we ask for?
