Rāngai students Te Aroha Harrison-Kaa and Adriana Hoogland filming on location in Tokomaru Bay for the production Battle of Fort Koghan.
Rāngai students Te Aroha Harrison-Kaa and Adriana Hoogland filming on location in Tokomaru Bay for the production Battle of Fort Koghan.
Students at Gisborne’s Rāngai will soon have the opportunity to be part of Tairāwhiti’s growing creative community while working on an innovative Māori superhero series.
Aspiring filmmakers can kickstart their careers by gaining hands-on experience working on Pūkeko-Man, an exciting new television series that’s caught the attention of Whakaata Māori with a commitment to air.
Rāngai is a Tairāwhiti-based education provider which aims to combine film and screen studies with real-world experience.
Rāngai students on location in Tokomaru Bay filming for the production Battle of Fort Koghan.
“The upcoming film courses at Rāngai studios offer more than just classroom learning,” says Rāngai manager Jacqui White.
“Students will be part of the production team behind Pūkeko-Man, a ground-breaking series featuring a Māori superhero who draws his powers from his whakapapa and culture, where being Māori is literally his superpower.”
The show is the brainchild of Rāngai students Te Aruhe Fox, Te Aroha Pokai Harrison-Kaa and Kaj Tata. It follows the journey of Pūkeko-Man, who is trying to keep the streets of Tūranganui-a-Kiwa safe, in a Batman-like vigilante role. He is assisted by his sidekick, Camera-Man, who films his exploits.
The series, which weaves te ao Māori with a contemporary coming-of-age story, has already filmed a pilot (proof of concept) and is gaining momentum.
“The feedback from Whakaata Māori has been incredibly positive,” White says.
At Rāngai studios, students will learn essential industry skills including professional camera operation, sound recording techniques, lighting design, post-production processes, set management, production planning and content creation.
“The intention is to be able to tell our own stories, start to finish without sending the opportunities and high-paid employment out of the region.”
It is the real-world experience that sets the Rāngai programme apart according to White.
Students will be working alongside industry professionals, learning practical skills while building their portfolios.
“They’ll see their names in the credits of a real television production – that’s something special for a CV.”
The timing couldn’t be better for aspiring filmmakers, as the New Zealand film and television industry continues to grow and attract international productions. The skills learned at Rāngai studios, combined with hands-on experience on Pūkeko-Man, provide a solid foundation for various career paths in the creative industry.
Enrolments are now open for upcoming courses, the Level 4 Certificate in Screen Production and the fees-free Bachelor of Screen Arts with Film, Animation, Game Development and Concept Art and Design major. There is also a Level 2 Trades Academy through EIT where students study screen, fashion and game design.
“Whether you dream of directing, cinematography, sound design, production management or game design, Rangai studios offers a practical pathway into the creative industries.”
Rāngai students Te Aroha Harrison-Kaa and Kaj Tata in the production Battle of Fort Koghan.
For course information and enrolment, contact Jacqui Knight at jacqui@rangai.nz.
