Storybox NZ

What Storybox NZ does

Storybox NZ is a Wellington-based creative studio (Storybox Ltd) founded in 2010 operating with a 6-person multidisciplinary team across visual design, moving image/video production, experiential installations, and documentary filmmaking. The studio's core output spans commissioned visual design campaigns, immersive installations (proprietary water screen projection, projection mapping, VR experiences such as Manawa Hau, data-generated interactive mandalas), and documentary series including the 8-part Hua Parakore and Shot Bro. Its signature work is the Mana Moana series, a curated collaboration between Māori and Pasifika artists producing multimedia works that have been exhibited at international light festivals across Portugal, Japan, the UK, Singapore, and Australia.

The company generates revenue primarily through project-based commissioned work for government agencies (Wellington City Council, Porirua City Council, Dunedin City Council, Electoral Commission, ministries), cultural institutions, NGOs (UNICEF NZ, SafeKids Aotearoa, SPREP), healthcare bodies (Health Quality and Safety Commission), education institutions (University of Otago), and corporates (Microsoft, Air New Zealand). Pricing is quote-driven and project-based with no disclosed retainer or subscription component. Secondary revenue streams include documentary production grants from NZ On Air, Te Māngai Pāho, Creative New Zealand, and Doc Edge, plus licensing and broadcast income via Māori Television/Whakaata Māori and festival distribution.

The go-to-market approach combines direct public-sector commissioning (where Wellington City Council serves as a repeat anchor client), grant-funded documentary production, and invitation-based international festival selection. The business is founder-led by director Jess Feast, operates with no disclosed external funding, and has built deep relationships with Māori and Pasifika creative communities that function as both a production resource and a cultural-credibility moat for sensitive subject matter.

Name

Storybox NZ

Legal name

Storybox Ltd

Website

https://storybox.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wellington-based creative studio (6 employees, founded 2010) specializing in documentary filmmaking, experiential installations, visual design, and moving image production for government, healthcare, NGO, and corporate clients, with signature indigenous artist collaboration Mana Moana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Studio Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Creative studio services
• Documentary production
• Experiential installations
• Visual design
• Moving image production

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

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. Commissioned Creative Projects: Storybox generates primary revenue through commissioned creative projects for government agencies, cultural institutions, NGOs, and corporate clients. Projects include video production, visual design campaigns, experiential installations, and documentary content. Pricing is project-based and quote-driven.
2. Documentary Production Grants: The company receives funding support from public media agencies including NZ On Air, Te Māngai Pāho, Creative New Zealand, and Doc Edge for documentary productions. These grants support original documentary content development.
3. Festival Distribution and Broadcast Rights: Documentary content is distributed through film festivals (Doc Edge, FIFO) and broadcast on Māori Television and Whakaata Māori, generating exposure and potential licensing revenue.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Storybox NZ is a Wellington-based creative studio that delivers commissioned creative projects including documentary production, visual design and animation, experiential art installations, and moving image/video content. The studio serves government agencies, cultural institutions, NGOs, and corporate clients with comprehensive end-to-end creative services spanning strategy, design, illustration, animation, video production, and large-scale public installations. Their signature Mana Moana initiative is a curated artist-led collaboration producing multimedia works combining Māori and Pasifika cultural storytelling with proprietary projection and immersive technologies.

Product overview

Storybox NZ is a Wellington-based creative studio offering multidisciplinary creative services organized around five core disciplines: documentary production, visual design, experiential art/installations, and moving image/video content. Their signature offering is the Mana Moana series, a curated artist-led collaboration between Māori and Pasifika creatives producing short art films. The studio also produces specific branded sub-products including Digital Ocean (immersive digital experience), Manawa Hau (Māori VR experience), Pasifika Voices (climate action video series), and various animated/video campaigns. The company operates as a project-based creative services firm rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Experiential Art and Installations Large-scale projection artworks, interactive installations, and experiential art for events and festivals globally. Includes physical installations that inform, engage, and delight audiences, for government, cultural, and corporate clients.
• Visual Design Design thinking and collaborative creative services including strategy, media planning, illustration, animation, and video production for campaigns, brand development, and visual communication targeting government, NGO, and corporate clients.
• Moving Image Video production services including animation, live action, and documentary content. Creates emotionally connecting stories for clients and develops independent content for broadcast and festival distribution.
• Documentaries Independent documentary production including series on Māori food sovereignty, social issues, and cultural topics. Notable works include Hua Parakore (8-part series on Māori Food and Soil Sovereignty), Shot Bro, Gardening with Soul, Rise, Make it 16, The Secret Lives of Sex Workers, and Aren't Can't Don't.
• Mana Moana Curated artist-led collaboration between Māori and Pasifika visual artists, musicians, writers, and choreographers producing short art films. Features water screen projections and multimedia works exploring themes of ocean, migration, and diaspora.
• Digital Ocean Digital multimedia experience featuring rolling water visuals creating an immersive landscape, originally designed as physical water display translated to digital during COVID lockdowns. Part of Mana Moana collective.
• Manawa Hau Māori immersive VR experience exploring practices of hauora (wellbeing) through guided meditation introducing energetic centres of the heart line (pū manawa, manawa, whatumanawa).
• Pasifika Voices Collection of artistic video works created to amplify Pacific voices driving global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Part of the Pasifika Voices series.
• Pono Series Three-year documentary video series for Health, Safety & Quality Commission capturing consumer, family and whānau lived experiences of mental health and addiction services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Winner Best Documentary Moa, New Zealand Film Awards 2013
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Mana Moana CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration with curators Rachael Rakena and Mike Bridgman to produce the Mana Moana series of multimedia and moving image artworks. Storybox serves as producing partner for this indigenous Māori and Pasifika artist collaboration.
• NZ On AirmajorOthersGovernment funding body providing financial support for documentary productions including Hua Parakore (8-part series), Shot Bro, and Make it 16.
• Te Māngai PāhomajorOthersMāori broadcasting funding agency supporting Hua Parakore documentary series with funding and broadcast partnership through Whakaata Māori.
• Creative New ZealandmajorOthersNational arts funding organization supporting Mana Moana Vol. 1 and other creative projects.
• Doc EdgemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDocumentary Edge Trust providing commissioning support, funding through the Rei Foundation Film Fund, and festival platform for Rise, Make it 16, and other documentaries.
• Māori Television / Whakaata MāorimajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner for documentary content including Hua Parakore, Shot Bro, and Mana Moana series. Distributes documentary content to Māori audiences through Māori Plus platform.
• Wellington City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor local government partner supporting multiple projects including Matariki celebrations, Ahi Kā projections, and various creative campaigns and installations.
• Massey University College of Creative Arts - Toi RauwhārangisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting Mana Moana Vol. 1 and Pasifika Voices 2022 projects with creative collaboration and institutional backing.
• The SpinoffsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital media partnership for Aren't Can't Don't documentary series, with Spinoff serving as presenting partner and co-commissioning content.
• Health Quality and Safety CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year partnership creating documentary narratives for the Pono Series capturing consumer and whānau lived experiences of mental health and addiction services.
• Vanishing PointsupportingTechnology or IntegrationWeb design and build partner for Digital Ocean project within the Mana Moana initiative.
• National Park StudiossupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative studio collaboration on Frankfurt Book Fair animation project and Let's Talk Labels animated video.
• Te Waka Kai OrasupportingOthersKaitiaki (cultural guardians) of the Hua Parakore (Māori organics) system, providing cultural guidance for documentary series.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Park Studios: New Zealand creative studio collaborating with Storybox on Frankfurt Book Fair and Let's Talk Labels projects. Comparable on animation and visual-design production for NZ government and education-sector clients.
• Augusto\n: New Zealand animation and creative content studio producing short-form animation, motion design, and branded video. Direct comparable on the animation/moving-image production side for NZ clients.
• Film Construction: Wellington-based film and content production company producing commercials, documentaries, and branded content. Direct comparable on the moving-image and documentary production side with similar NZ client base.
• Resn: New Zealand creative technology studio known for award-winning interactive and immersive digital experiences. Direct comparable on the experiential/interactive installation side and shares Wellington creative-industry DNA.
• Sugar Research: New Zealand creative studio producing documentary, branded content, and design work with cultural and social focus. Comparable in mission-driven creative storytelling and government/NGO client mix.
• P\u016bkeko Pictures: New Zealand animation and children's content studio. Comparable on the indigenous storytelling and family/cultural IP angle, with similar reliance on NZ and international co-production funding.
• Assembly (NZ): New Zealand creative content studio producing video, design, and campaign work for government and corporate clients. Most direct comparable in scale, NZ footprint, and full-service creative delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Colenso BBDO: One of New Zealand's largest advertising and creative agencies with deep government and corporate accounts. Comparable on the brand-campaign and content-production side, but operates at significantly larger scale across a broader service portfolio.
• Wingnut Film Productions: Peter Jackson's Wellington-based film production company. Comparable on NZ-based film and moving-image production capability and Wellington industry presence, though at much larger scale and primarily feature-film focused.

Regional players

• St\u00f6ki (formerly DNA Design): Auckland-based creative and production studio with design, video, and digital capabilities. Comparable on the integrated creative services model for NZ corporate and government clients, with a different geographic base.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/storyboxnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/storyboxnz
• Instagraminstagram.com/storybox_nz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Storybox NZ