Photo: screenshot
As TV broadcasters shy away from making and screening local documentaries, funding is now available for online outlets to make them.
Jeremy Rose looks at the first major documentary paid for with the public purse.
The 30-minute documentary Under the Bridge was launched on the NZ Herald site on 7 February, accompanied by a series of background articles.
It follows three Year-13 Papakura High School students over a year.
NZ on Air contributed a little over $71,000 to Under the Bridge. In the same funding round South Pacific Pictures received double that for Shortland Street: Mirror of a Culture - a documentary exploring the cultural impact of the popular local soap opera.
Other online media outlets awarded NZ On Air documentary funding for 2017 include:
The Spinoff - $170,000 for The Generation Game - an interactive documentary on the housing crisis,
Fairfax Media’s Stuff Circuit team - $320,000 for a documentary on New Zealand’s involvement in Afghanistan
Stuff website - $90,000 for The Last of the Few - a short documentary series about airforce veterans.
