Students adopt 3D approach

A TOUR of a big budget Auckland movie set convinced a group of Hamilton Boys' High School movie-makers to shoot their latest production in 3D.

The team, billing themselves as Monumental Media, have already completed a series of works and cut a deal with their school to give them time to complete a 40-minute 3D film by December.

Monumental members Juan Robertson and Robin Kuyper got a start in film-making while at Hamilton Christian School. Juan co-directed Esther with teacher Dennis Stevenson and Robin worked on the sound boom.

Arriving at Boys' High in 2007, Juan and Robin were joined by David Robinson who came on board to help with the 3D animation. The trio entered the 2008 TV2 Mad Movie Challenge with their first combined work titled Thrust - and won. With additional members Nathaniel Watson and Simon Lillis, the team entered agai n in 2009 and won, this time with Havoc.

Since then they have several more works, including two music videos for the band The Seed, which placed third in the Smokefreerockquest.

Ahead is a year-long project aimed at creating a 40-minute production.
Juan said 3D technology was seen as the future by leading studios, and the decision to go 3D followed the opportunity, arranged by a friend of a friend, to tour the Auckland production set of Yogi Bear, where they talked to the stereographer who produced blockbuster Avatar.

Loosely based around good- versus-evil, the boys hope to show the as-yet-untitled work at Village Skycity Chartwell in December.

To facilitate the project, a deal has been done with the school which allows Monumental Media members to attend school from 8.30am-11.30am and work independently with teachers and the help of correspondence. Time freed up is used to work on the film.

Challenges lie ahead, including raising funds to buy the correct cameras for digital 3D production.

HBHS acknowledge the Hamilton Press - Article by Geoff Lewis Photo Shane Morton