Make your house a TV home
If you have visions of your lounge becoming the next big set on your favourite TV drama, chances are you simply need to have the right house, on the right street, at the right time. Amberleigh Jack reports.
With life being a ‘‘bit boring after Covid’’ Auckland’s Jackie (last name withheld by request) jumped at the chance to have her house become a filming location for a scene on Shortland Street.
She responded to a flyer in her letterbox, asking her to get in touch if she was willing to lend her house to the film crew. Jackie figured ‘‘why not?’’
Last month, New Zealand’s longest-running medical drama set up base in her lounge, which merged into another chance to have a TV advertisement filmed shortly after.
Now Jackie jokes she is on a mission to ‘‘be famous by not being famous. You never know where it leads. One opportunity opens up another opportunity,’’ she says.
Unfortunately for anyone with dreams of their house enjoying television fame, getting your home on TV often comes down to pure luck, and being in the right place at the right time.
Rob Deacon is a location scout for Shortland Street, and says while websites exist overseas with databases of locations, in New Zealand if he is after a specific look, his job involves a lot of ‘‘looking on Google Maps, finding something suitable and doing some door knocking’’.
‘‘If it’s not so specific I’ll put some flyers in letterboxes and see if people are keen.’’
That is how Jackie’s cul-de-sac in West Auckland became a Shorty hub for two days. She thought the disruption might be an issue for neighbours, but it became more of a talking point than anything.
‘‘They were all really good about it and saw it as something different. A little bit of excitement, something to talk about on the street.’’
One neighbour, Deborah Larkins was even offered $100 to let the film crew use her driveway for the day. But that meant a 6am start – something Larkins was not willing to get up early for.
But if you really want a famous lounge, is there anything people can do to boost their chance of being chosen? Not really, says South Pacific Pictures location manager Jason Fitch, who is working on local series Ahikāroa.
‘‘Sometimes we’re looking for really posh places, sometimes we’re looking for a [rundown house],’’ he says. So giving the house a makeover will not necessarily improve your chances.
Homeowners can list their property to rent on local website Shared Space, but locations are still generally found through door knocking, online searches and drive-bys.
Although if you live in a street with limited parking and nowhere for the crew to head for lunch, you probably will not be first choice.
‘‘You might find an amazing house that’s perfect [but there are] no parks within 10 minutes for the crew to sit and have lunch in,’’ he says.
Having a stunning-looking house is not a sure win either. ‘‘It’s kind of like acting. You could have the best house in the area, but what we’re actually looking for is crappy windows and old-school design. There are no guarantees.’’
If you do get the chance to invite a film crew into your home, Jackie says it is worth saying yes. And don’t be scared of them leaving a mess.
‘‘They come in and take photos of how you have your house. They do all the changes they need, and they put your house back exactly as it was.’’
Although Fitch does suggest, while film crews are careful, it is best to put away ‘‘Nana’s antique vase’’ or anything irreplaceable.
And once you’ve said yes to putting your house up as a film set? There is a fair bit of planning involved, says Deacon. You will likely need to leave for the day and it’s best if the animals do as well.
The director and art director will assess the house and make sure it is what they are after.
‘‘After that we do a technical recce,’’ [a film term. It basically means checking out the location to make sure it has everything they need] and a plan is made for where lights, actors and props will go.’’
South Pacific Pictures location manager
‘‘You might find an amazing house that’s perfect [but there are] no parks within 10 minutes for the crew to sit and have lunch in.’’ Jason Fitch
Deacon then collates the notes and heads back to the homeowner with a plan.
‘‘That’s their opportunity to say, ‘well, actually I don’t want you to move that sofa’.’’
‘‘Pretty much everything is agreed to in advance and typically the homeowners will leave for the day. We’ll do our thing, have a tidy up and give it back to them. It seems to work quite well.’’
And the most important thing, if you do agree to have a film crew invade your house for the day, you get paid, right?
Absolutely, says Deacon. A location fee is always paid to homeowners. As for how much, that is for you and the crew to discuss.