Making Movies

What Making Movies does

Making Movies is a privately held screen production company headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, operating with approximately 30 employees. Founded per the company's own website copyright in 2014, the firm specialises in producing documentary and drama content with particular capabilities in aerial cinematography, alpine and marine location filming, and extreme-environment production. Its portfolio includes documentaries such as Modern Dinosaurs (6x43), Beneath New Zealand (and its Season II), New Zealand from Above, Volcanic New Zealand, Colours of China, A War Story, Shackleton's Captain, and The Ultimate Waterman, as well as the Moa Award-winning drama Abandoned. James Heyward serves as the lead Producer/Executive Producer across the slate.

The company operates three revenue streams. First, one-time licensing of completed documentary and drama productions to broadcasters and streaming platforms including TVNZ, Prime TV, SkyGo, BBC, National Geographic, Smithsonian Channel, ZDF, and Arte. Second, professional production services covering planning, budgeting, scheduling, location scouting, permits, pre-production, casting, and crewing for commercials, documentaries, drama, and formats requiring specialised aerial, alpine, marine, or FX-studio capabilities. Third, recurring stock-footage licensing from an archive of stabilised aerial, landscape, wildlife, and adventure footage across categories such as Mt Everest, Dawn and Dusk, Extreme Sports, Scenic Beauty, Coastal New Zealand, and Timelapse. Production services are quoted competitively with transparent budgets; stock footage is offered at negotiable, pay-as-you-go rates.

Making Movies' go-to-market motion is sales-led, anchored in international co-productions that de-risk individual project economics and unlock European, South American, and Asian distribution. Core co-production partners include gebrueder beetz filmproduktion (Germany), Grifa Films (Brazil), and CICC (China), supplemented by public funding from the NZ Film Commission, NZ On Air, and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. Distribution runs through direct enterprise broadcaster relationships globally and via DVD/BluRay retail (NZ From Above through Readers Digest) and VOD platforms domestically.

Name

Making Movies

Legal name

Making Movies

Website

https://makingmovies.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Privately held Auckland screen production company producing documentaries, dramas, and licensable stock footage with specialised aerial, alpine, and marine filming capabilities. It serves TVNZ, BBC, National Geographic, ZDF, Red Bull Media House, and international co-production partners across Germany, Brazil, and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAA)

Keywords

• Documentary production
• Screen production services
• Stock footage licensing
• International co-production
• Aerial cinematography

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Content Production and Sales: Producing and selling completed documentary and drama series to broadcasters, streaming platforms, and international distributors. Revenue generated through licensing deals, co-production funding, and broadcast rights sales.
2. Production Services: Offering full production services including planning, budgeting, scheduling, location scouting, permits, pre-production, casting and crewing. Specializing in stabilised aerials, alpine and marine locations, and FX studio shoots for commercials, documentaries, drama and formats.
3. Stock Footage Licensing: Licensing archive footage including stabilised aerials, landscapes, wildlife and adventure footage. Revenue from licensing rates to production companies, broadcasters, and media buyers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Making Movies is an Auckland-based screen production company that produces and sells documentary and drama series to broadcasters, streaming platforms, and international distributors. The company also provides full production services covering planning, budgeting, location scouting, casting, crewing, and specialized shooting in stabilised aerial, alpine, marine, and FX studio environments, and licenses a stock footage archive of New Zealand landscapes, wildlife, and adventure content.

Product overview

Making Movies is a screen production company based in Auckland, New Zealand that produces documentaries, dramas, docuseries, and stock footage. The company operates two main product lines: (1) Production Services offering full-service film and television production including planning, budgeting, location scouting, casting, and specialized shooting in aerial, alpine, and marine environments; and (2) a portfolio of documentary and drama titles including Modern Dinosaurs, A War Story, Abandoned, The Ultimate Waterman, Colours of China, Shackleton's Captain, Beneath New Zealand, New Zealand from Above, Volcanic New Zealand, and others. The company also maintains a Stock Footage archive of New Zealand landscapes, wildlife, and adventure footage available for licensing. Productions are distributed through broadcasters including TVNZ, Prime TV, SkyGo, and international partners such as Red Bull Media House, ZDF, BBC, and National Geographic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Production Services Full-service production offering covering planning, budgeting, scheduling, location scouting, permits, pre-production, casting, and crewing, with specialization in stabilised aerials, alpine and marine locations, and FX studio shoots. Offered to commercial clients, broadcasters, and independent productions.
• Stock Footage Licensing Licensable archive of stabilised aerials, landscapes, wildlife, and adventure footage from New Zealand, with categories including Mt Everest, Dawn and Dusk, Extreme Sports, Scenic Beauty, Coastal New Zealand, and Timelapse. Licensed to production companies, broadcasters, and media buyers at negotiable rates.
• Abandoned Single 84-minute drama about four men who set sail on the yacht Rose Noelle, which capsized in a storm, with the crew surviving 119 days adrift in the Pacific before washing ashore on New Zealand's Great Barrier Island. Aired on TVNZ and won the Moa Award for Best TV Drama at the 2017 Rialto Channel NZ Film Awards.
• Modern Dinosaurs Six-part documentary series exploring New Zealand's isolated wildlife and the zoological species that have survived for 100 million years. Co-produced with gebrueder beetz filmproduktion (Germany) and Grifa Films (Brazil).
• A War Story Documentary about CNN journalist Peter Arnett's 1997 interview with Osama bin Laden and the events leading up to 9/11. Directed by John Laing and premiered on TV1 Sunday Night Theater.
• Miracle at Sea Documentary about sailor Tony Bullimore who survived six days under his capsized boat in the harsh Southern Ocean.
• The Ultimate Waterman Documentary produced for Red Bull Media House following the world's finest watermen competing in six different surfing disciplines over eight days in New Zealand.
• Colours of China Feature documentary and 5-part TV series exploring traditional and modern Chinese culture through the lens of five colours representing emotional, physical, spiritual and directional forces. International co-production with ZDF/arte (Germany) and CICC (China), directed by Emmy Award-winning Mike Single.
• Shackleton's Captain DocuDrama about Captain Frank Worsley who navigated the Endurance through Sir Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition and saved the crew when the ship was crushed.
• Volcanic New Zealand Three-part documentary series exploring New Zealand's volcanic origins and geological features.
• Beneath New Zealand Three-part documentary series exploring the geological forces beneath New Zealand including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, sink holes and tsunamis. Season II premiered on Prime TV in 2019 and topped ratings on SkyGo VOD.
• New Zealand from Above Aerial documentary series presenting a journey across New Zealand from the deep south of the South Island to the northern tip of the North Island. DVDs distributed by Readers Digest as one of their highest selling titles.
• Dying for Everest Documentary about double amputee Mark Inglis who summited Mt Everest and the controversy surrounding his passage of an incapacitated British climber. Co-produced with Balance Vector for TV3 New Zealand.
• Cave Hunters Six-part documentary series produced in partnership with GebruederBeetz (Berlin), Grifa Film (Sao Paulo), ZDF/arte, and Discovery.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• gebrueder beetz filmproduktioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman production company and recurring co-production partner for multiple projects including Modern Dinosaurs (Germany co-production), Colours of China, Shackleton's Captain, and Cave Hunters. Partnership enables international co-production funding and European distribution.
• Grifa FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian production company co-production partner for Modern Dinosaurs series. Partnership enables South American co-production funding and regional expertise.
• CICC (China Intercontinental Communication Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChinese state media organization and co-production partner for Colours of China documentary series. Partnership enables Chinese market access and production funding.
• ZDFcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman public-service broadcaster and co-production partner for Colours of China and Cave Hunters. Also commissions work including Terra X documentaries. Provides broadcast distribution for German-speaking markets.
• ArtecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranco-German public broadcaster and co-production partner for Colours of China and Cave Hunters. Provides European broadcast distribution for French and German markets.
• Red Bull Media HousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAppointed to produce The Ultimate Waterman documentary for Red Bull Media House Films. Red Bull commissions and distributes adventure sports content globally through Red Bull TV and media network.
• Balance VectorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Zealand production company co-production partner for Dying for Everest.
• Orana FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Zealand production company co-production partner for Off the Rails.
• WildbearminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanberra-based Australian production company co-production partner for Beneath New Zealand series.
• TVNZcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary domestic broadcaster partner screening productions including Abandoned, A War Story, and Beneath New Zealand on TV1 and TVNZ OnDemand.
• Prime TVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew Zealand television broadcaster and broadcast partner for Beneath New Zealand Season II.
• BBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBritish Broadcasting Corporation listed as broadcast partner for documentary content.
• National GeographiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational broadcast partner listed for documentary content distribution.
• Smithsonian ChannelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS cable and satellite channel listed as broadcast partner for documentary content.
• New Zealand Film CommissioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment-funded organization supporting and co-production partner for New Zealand film productions including Colours of China.
• NZ On AircoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew Zealand government funding body supporting local television content and broadcast partner.
• Readers DigestminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher and media company distributing NZ From Above DVDs and BluRay products.
• DiscoveryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal TV network listed as co-production partner for Cave Hunters project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Matchbox Pictures: Australian factual and scripted production company (part of NBCUniversal) with comparable nature and adventure content, but primarily Australia-focused and operating at a larger scale under a major parent.

Direct peers

• Blink Films: UK factual and documentary producer working with BBC, Discovery, National Geographic, and streamers. Comparable focus on premium factual content and international broadcaster distribution.
• Icon Films: UK independent factual production company producing natural history, adventure, and specialist factual content for global broadcasters. Comparable genre, scale, and broadcaster-led revenue model.
• NHNZ (Natural History New Zealand): New Zealand-based factual and natural-history production company of similar scale, producing nature, adventure, and documentary content for global broadcasters. Closest direct peer given shared NZ base, factual focus, and international broadcaster client base.
• Wildbear Entertainment: Australian factual and nature production company that co-produces 'Beneath New Zealand' with Making Movies. Comparable in scale, genre focus (nature, wildlife, adventure), and broadcaster client mix.
• Touchdown Productions: Specialist adventure, extreme-sports, and travel production company with comparable niche focus on extreme environments and action documentary content for global broadcasters.
• Grifa Films: Brazilian production company that co-produced Modern Dinosaurs with Making Movies. Comparable role as a regional factual production partner with international co-production experience.
• gebrueder beetz filmproduktion: German factual and documentary production company and recurring co-production partner on Modern Dinosaurs, Colours of China, Shackleton's Captain, and Cave Hunters. Direct peer in international co-productions of premium documentary series.

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic Productions: UK-based premium factual and natural-history producer with blue-chip broadcaster relationships (BBC, Netflix, National Geographic). Comparable genre and distribution model but materially larger scale and broader international footprint.
• Plimsoll Productions: UK-based premium factual and natural-history producer working with Netflix, Apple, BBC, and National Geographic on premium nature and adventure documentaries. Comparable genre and tier-1 buyer access at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/making-movies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Making Movies