South Seas Film & Television School

What South Seas Film & Television School does

South Seas Film & Television School is a New Zealand Private Training Establishment that operates as a campus of Yoobee College of Creative Innovation, itself part of the Up Education Limited group. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in a 40,000 sq ft studio complex on Auckland's North Shore, the school delivers 1-2 year intensive practical programmes covering directing, screenwriting, screen and stage acting, post-production, camera, audio, lighting, and production management. The institution has produced alumni working on productions including Avatar, The Hobbit, and Power Rangers, and holds designations such as Toon Boom Centre of Excellence, Houdini Certified School, and The Rookies Certified School.

The school runs a tuition-based business model with two distinct price tiers: domestic students access shorter and longer programmes at fees including NZD 4,320 for 16-week AI short courses and NZD 32,770 for a Master of Management, while international students pay a premium of NZD 38,000 plus NZD 2,400 in additional costs. Domestic students may be eligible for New Zealand government fees-free subsidies, and international recruitment is conducted through education agents, indicating a dual-channel go-to-market approach. Curriculum partnerships with Toon Boom, Houdini, IBM, AWS Academy, Cisco, and EC-Council extend the school's reach into technology and cybersecurity credentials beyond core creative disciplines, and newer AI-flavoured short courses position the school within the growing generative AI education market.

The institution is led by Campus Director Daniel Guerra and is part of the broader Yoobee and Up Education ecosystem, gaining shared marketing, back-office, and distribution scale. The school hosted its 2nd International Academic Conference, suggesting an intent to build institutional profile across the Asia-Pacific region. The OnScreen partnership connects students to the New Zealand screen industry. Business model mechanics are entirely fee-for-service with government subsidy support; there is no disclosed B2B, corporate, or enterprise revenue stream, and growth depends on student throughput, international recruitment, and the continued ability of the Up Education parent to fund cross-campus initiatives.

Name

South Seas Film & Television School

Legal name

Yoobee Colleges Ltd

Website

https://southseas.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

South Seas Film & Television School is a New Zealand Private Training Establishment operating as a Yoobee College campus, delivering 1-2 year practical programmes in film, screen acting, and production to domestic and international students from a 40,000 sq ft Auckland studio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Colleges (Theatre, Dance, Musical Theatre) (EDAHAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animation, Game Art & Digital Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAI), Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Film school
• Television production training
• Screen acting programmes
• Creative diploma courses
• Post-production training

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Full-time diploma and certificate programmes charging tuition fees for domestic and international students. Programmes range from 16 weeks to 3 years in duration.
2. Government Fees-Free Funding: Eligible domestic students can access government fees-free study options, reducing or eliminating tuition costs for select programmes
3. Scholarships: Corporate-sponsored scholarships (Tech Futures, Master's, Indigenous Legends, Women in Tech, Maori & Pasifika) provide financial support that enables enrollment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

South Seas Film & Television School delivers practical 1-2 year intensive diploma and certificate programmes that prepare students for careers in film, television and screen acting. Instruction takes place in a 40,000 square-foot Hollywood-style studio campus on Auckland's North Shore, covering directing, screenwriting, documentary, camera/audio/lighting, production management, post-production, on-screen acting and art department, supplemented by newer AI-related creative programmes offered on campus and online.

Product overview

South Seas Film & Television School is a specialised film school operating as a campus of Yoobee College of Creative Innovation. Located on Auckland's North Shore in a 40,000 square Hollywood-style studio complex, it offers 1-2 year intensive practical programmes across directing, screenwriting, documentary, production management, camera, audio, lighting, post-production, on-screen acting, and art department. Key products include the Diploma in Film and Content Creation, Diploma in Film and TV Production, Diploma in Screen and Stage Acting, and Diploma in Drama (Screen Acting). Broader Yoobee offerings span technology (AI programmes including AI for Creative Industries and Introduction to AI), animation, design, and marketing disciplines. All programmes are available on campus and online.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diploma in Film and Content Creation A Level 5 NZQA 40-week diploma that teaches all aspects of content creation including social content, music videos, and corporate pieces, with emphasis on analysing impact and acquiring cutting-edge industry skills for aspiring filmmakers and content creators.
• Diploma in Film and TV Production A Level 6 NZQA 40-week diploma teaching fundamentals and professional practices of film and television production, with students participating in more than 20 productions to build hands-on industry skills.
• Diploma in Screen and Stage Acting A Level 5 NZQA 40-week full-time diploma providing foundational training in the screen and stage industry, building performance skills for aspiring professional actors.
• Diploma in Drama (Screen Acting) A Level 6 NZQA two-year diploma offering in-depth training in voice, body, imagination and collaboration, with opportunities for live performance and guidance on forming industry networks.
• AI for Creative Industries A Level 4 NZQA 16-week programme helping creatives navigate AI while protecting and strengthening human creativity, using technology to assist process while keeping creative vision human-led across text, image, audio, and video generation.
• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) A Level 4 NZQA 16-week programme providing hands-on experience with top generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, Gemini, DALL-E), building coding confidence, digital literacy, and practical AI skills while examining ethical, cultural and social implications.

Named customers4 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

AI capability9 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OnScreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationwide free-access film development programme and competition for school students. Filmmakers create short films, documentaries or music videos, running projects like real film sets. Students can engage with industry mentors and attend workshops. Yoobee partners with OnScreen to support skill development and highlight creative pathways for future filmmakers.
• EducaiderminorOthersEducational resource provider partnered with Yoobee for student learning materials and support
• Up Education LimitedcoreOthersYoobee Colleges is an Up Education Limited company. Up Education operates multiple colleges across Australasia including NZ School of Tourism, Elite Beauty, Cut Above Academy, Healthcare Academy of NZ, NZMA, NZ Institute of Sport, The Culinary Collective, and Builders Academy NZ.
• IBMcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with IBM incorporating IBM SkillsBuild into Bachelor of Software Engineering degree. IBM delivers AI and Cyber Security electives. Students receive IBM Digital Badge Certification in Data Science, AI, and Cybersecurity.
• AWS AcademycoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud students gain access to industry-recognized AWS Industry Certifications with hands-on experience using AWS cloud lessons based on real industry scenarios.
• IT Professionals (ITP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allows Yoobee to advocate on behalf of the Education Sector through IT Professionals organization.
• Canterbury TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Zealand's leading tech community connecting businesses, government, and education. Yoobee students get discounted membership with access to events, networking, and learning opportunities like Tech Fest and annual Tech Summit.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New York Film Academy: US-based private film school offering short-term and degree programmes across filmmaking, acting, and animation with a practical, conservatory-style model. Highly comparable in student profile and programme mix to South Seas.
• Vancouver Film School: Canada-based private film school offering intensive 1-year diploma programmes in film production, acting, animation, and screenwriting with a similar hands-on, industry-focused model. Closely comparable operating philosophy and target student to South Seas.
• Los Angeles Film School: US private film school offering associate, bachelor, and masters programmes in film, animation, and entertainment with a Hollywood-adjacent industry-focus model. Comparable as a private, intensive, industry-aligned film school.
• National Film and Television School (NFTS): UK's national film and television school offering postgraduate diplomas and masters across filmmaking disciplines. Comparable as a specialized screen-industry tertiary provider with strong industry placement outcomes.
• Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS): Australia's national screen arts and broadcast school offering graduate and undergraduate programmes in film, television, and radio. Directly comparable as a specialized tertiary provider focused on practical screen-industry training across the Australasian market.
• Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School: New Zealand's national drama and acting school offering intensive conservatory training in acting for stage and screen. Closest domestic peer for the acting/drama programmes at South Seas.
• SAE Institute: Global creative media institution with campuses worldwide offering diplomas and degrees in film, audio, animation, and game development. Comparable operating model (private tertiary, intensive creative programmes) and overlapping curriculum in film/animation.
• MetFilm School: UK-based independent film school offering practical industry-focused programmes in filmmaking, screen acting, and post-production. Comparable as a privately-operated film school emphasizing hands-on training and direct industry entry.

Regional players

• Unitec (Te Pūkenga) - School of Creative Industries: NZ tertiary provider offering diplomas and degrees in screen production and performing arts. Operates in the same Auckland market as South Seas with overlapping screen-arts programme mix.
• Auckland University of Technology (AUT) - School of Communication Studies: Major NZ university offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in film, screen production, and creative technologies. Competes for the same Auckland-based prospective students with degree credentials and student-loan access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yoobeecolleges
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@southseasfilmschoolnz
• Facebookfacebook.com/yoobeecolleges
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-seas-film-&-television-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/southseasfilm
• TikToktiktok.com/@yoobeecolleges

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries8 records

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 South Seas Film & Television School