Screen industry awards presented at the SPADA Conference on November 12. The award given to Rob was for Onfilm/SPADA Industry Champion! Congratulations Rob!
SPADA members include producers, directors, production companies and allied craft professionals working in film, television, TVC, video, post-production, animation and interactive media; lawyers and accountants, completion guarantors, and industry suppliers.
Rob Tapert
With his latest series, Spartacus, currently in production in Auckland, and all of his productions since 1993, Rob Tapert has brought in $NZ745 million of offshore funding to date. He has produced 375 hours of television in New Zealand, 309 hours of that before the Large Budget Screen Production Grant was introduced. His television series are: 5 x Hercules telefeatures, Hercules, The Legendary Journeys, Young Hercules, Xena: Warrior Princess, Jack of All Trades, Cleopatra 2525, Amazon High, Legend of the Seeker and Spartacus. Plus feature films Boogeyman and 30 Days of Night.
He was the first major offshore producer to see the potential of New Zealand not only for stunning locations, but also for talented crews, actors, directors, producers, editors, stunt performers etc. In 17 years of operating in New Zealand, he has enabled the growth of local infrastructure and the development of skills by providing the projects, the challenges, the training and the promotions, while continually raising the bar. He has been responsible for the careers of thousands of kiwis, all the while developing new ways of making television. He is respected and loved amongst kiwi crews for his innovation, generosity and humour, as well as his enormous contribution to the growth of the industry in this country.
Tapert's early days were with his producing partner Sam Raimi on cult hits Darkman and Evil Dead, a partnership which has also included the feature films The Quick and the Dead, The Gift and The Grudge.
News submitted by Pat