Spirit of the moose inspires pioneering filmmakers

Nelson often astonishes with the hidden world-class creative talent we have right here, making a huge impact on the wider world. ‘Moose Ninja Studios’, a group of talented filmmakers who’ve been shooting high-quality, comedic short videos over summer, is the latest such interesting and potential-filled collaboration. Justin Eade talks to a few of the people involved and finds out how Moose Ninja came about and what they hope to achieve.

The brainchild of NMIT lecturer Neil Benson, Moose Ninja Studios takes inspiration from the intriguing history of the elusive moose in Fiordland during the early 1900s, with recent reignited interest in this enigmatic creature serving as a symbolic muse for the studio's name and ethos.

The group includes some of Nelson’s top filmmaking talent, involves many of Neil’s CGI (computer-generated imagery) students, and creates web content which has already made a big splash – their first YouTube Short achieving 168,000 views in short order.

Neil Benson, 43 and originally from the US, came to live in Nelson with family at the age of 13, and has called New Zealand home ever since. For a significant part of his life, he’s been engaged as a lecturer, and is now specialising in post-production.

Lecturing at NMIT since 2011, he’s been teaching the Bachelor of Computer Generated Imagery Degree course and Computing and IT programmes for several years now, creating a world-class facility for students to learn VFX (visual effects) right here in Nelson. He says, “alongside this fulfilling career, I'm immensely fortunate to have a supportive wife and four wonderful children who inspire and motivate me.”

Neil’s been able to collaborate with his students on various short films over the years, some of which have done well in festivals, and he and his students have also contributed VFX work to a local feature film, showcasing their skills on a larger scale. However, while giving students real world experience and helping local filmmakers enhance their projects, Neil nursed dreams of launching his own endeavour one day.

“The concept for Moose Ninja Studios has been percolating for some time, drawing inspiration from notable groups like RocketJump, SoKrispy Media, Viva La Dirt League, and especially Corridor Digital. These creators produce short entertainment films, often pushing the boundaries of creativity. Corridor Digital, in particular, is renowned for pioneering new techniques and technologies in their work.”

Neil began reaching out to potential team members in January 2023, and since then they've been meeting weekly to plan and prepare. They filmed their inaugural short in May 2023, and commenced production on a series in October. They aim to constantly create quality content, with a focus on videos being short and entertaining, and highlighting the splendours of our region and its boundless possibilities.

The team consists of Donna Botha, Douglas Brooks, David Kwant, Macca Clark, Jonathan Lopardo, Kevin Tye, Daniel Wye, Charlotte Holdaway, Sarah Wallace, and Kris Cavit. “Each member brings invaluable skills and dedication to our collaborative efforts,” Neil says.

Neil’s brothers-in-law, Jeremy Mackay and Benjamin Stiles, have also joined the team, and bring immense talent and humour to the table. The Top of The South Filmmakers community has also been an incredible support, providing access to cast, props and costumes, with Alli Campbell and Matt Griffin in particular making significant contributions.

Neil says the most fulfilling aspect of this endeavour is the shared passion within the Moose Ninja team. “Witnessing everyone's enthusiasm and their generous contributions of time and skills towards our shared vision is incredibly gratifying. It's this collective dedication that propels us forward, fuelling our determination to craft something truly extraordinary.”

Donna Botha, 33, a dog handler, is a primary actor in Moose Ninja videos. She moved to Nelson from Auckland at the end of 2017 and says since then she’s been fortunate enough to discover opportunities in both acting and crew roles that wouldn’t have been provided otherwise. “The film community in Nelson shows an eagerness to facilitate involvement, fostering a supportive environment that is unlike any other I’ve encountered.”

Neil contacted Donna in early 2023 and extended the invitation to be involved in creating shorts and collaborating with fellow creatives in the region. “I said ‘yes’ without hesitation, and kept asking for more opportunities and roles that I could fill. While my primary focus is acting, I assist with crew roles wherever it’s needed - mainly first assistant director.”

Donna says she’s had a passion for acting since she was a child. She finds great joy in performing and seeing the reactions of the audience, whether they’ve been entertained, moved, or gained new insights. “Acting is a form of self-expression for me, but it also cultivates empathy and understanding, which fosters deeper connections with others, whether on stage or through the screen.”

According to Donna, Moose Ninja is a highly collaborative team that offers support and encouragement to anyone in whatever role they want to take on. While the focus is creating high-quality content, they also strive to maintain an enjoyable and fulfilling environment where people can pursue their passions. “I would love for us to continue creating content that people enjoy. In an ideal world, I would love to do it every weekend.”

Jean-Phillipe Pujo, 30, another actor for Moose Ninja, is from the south-west of France and had a degree in acting in Cours Florent Paris, but had thought acting was behind him. He wanted to have a lot of different experiences and travelled to know himself more and learn, and he ended up in Nelson. “Nelson is a small town, so cheaper than Auckland or Wellington, and close to the sea, I really enjoy it.”

Studying CGI at NMIT, Jean-Philippe had Neil as a tutor and told him that he had acting experience, and Neil invited him to a meeting. “I wasn’t expecting anything at all because, most of the time when people say ‘I will do something’, they don’t. So I was very surprised to be called and involved.”

In the ‘Taverndor’ medieval series, Jean-Philippe plays the Knight, one of the main characters, trying to prove himself. He has found the whole experience ‘awesome’. “Everything was very organized, everyone was giving 100% to make the best result, we shoot in very beautiful places, I met amazing people and I was acting! A really good experience, only positive!”

Harrison Wing, 20, is from Auckland but moved to Nelson with his family two years ago. He studied programming at Pakuranga College because he’d known for years that he wanted to get into game development. “I taught myself how to use Blender and made 3D models for the games my friend wrote the code for.”

Harrison is in his third year at NMIT studying CGI, which has been a great opportunity to learn and improve his 3D modelling skills as well as learn many other useful industry-standard software packages that he wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. “It’s also been great to have tutors, like Neil, who have experience in the industry and can provide a lot of support and allow us to create whatever we want.”

Late last year Neil reached out to Harrison and his classmates, asking if they wanted to help with some 3D animations for a Moose Ninja project. “I liked the idea of the short film and I was interested in being part of the project, so I met up with Neil in class and shortly afterwards I began work on the animations.”

So far Harrison has only been a part of one of the short films – ‘Not So Friendly Fire’ – as the 3D animator, but he hopes to be a part of any future projects. “It was great working with Neil on this project. I liked having the creative freedom to animate the assets that Neil provided and contributing to a project that I was passionate about.”

Harrison says he had always leant towards game development, but studying at NMIT has opened new horizons to working in film as well. He’s keeping options open though, and always looking for opportunities to get into either industry. Neil Benson says he knows it will take time but sees Moose Ninja Studios as a potential game-changer for the Nelson Tasman region, showcasing our capacity as a top-tier filmmaking region. “We're not only shaping our own success but also hoping to pave the way for larger-scale productions to choose Nelson as their destination. The sky's the limit.”

YouTube ‘Moose Ninja Studios’