Welcome to the Double Loop Films newsletter, your source for the latest updates, projects, and insights from our filmmaking journey. Through this newsletter, we aim to keep you informed about our upcoming releases, behind-the-scenes stories, and industry trends that inspire our work.
In each edition, you'll find stories about our current projects, interviews with the talented crew and cast, and a glimpse into the creative process that drives us. We also want to share our thoughts on filmmaking techniques, storytelling, and the evolving landscape of cinema.
Thank you for being a part of our community. We look forward to sharing our passion for film with you in the issues to come. Stay tuned for our next release!
Story telling is what we specialise in best, creating imagery that grabs your attention.
I took a punt and I felt fear! In 2024 we (Paige Larianova, Pam Kaval, Rod Petsef, Joanna Bishop, Kayla Cahe, and Alyssa Jenkins) got together to make a short for the 48 Hours Film festival, Waikato Regionals. After the regional heats, that was about it for the film, nothing really happened after that. We didn’t get to nationals but there you go. A bit of a learning curve and push yourself out of the every day comfort zone. Later in 2025, I was looking at a self challenge to cut a trailer for the short film. Just give it a go!
Welcome to this new exciting episode of The Double Loop Podcast. I was fortunate enought to sit down with Morgan Samuel in his Te Awamutu studio, and talk about this career as a audio engineer, and some of his inspirations
Welcome to this exciting episode, I am privileged to talk with Mike Jonathan, a seasoned professional with an incredible career spanning nearly three decades as a cameraman, director of photography, and director in both television and film. Known for his outstanding work on documentaries and short films, Mike has released his debut feature film, Ka Whawhai Tonu - Struggle without End.
Here’s the next exciting episode talking with Haydn Butler first time feature director but long time story teller.
Haydn Butler is a New Zealand filmmaker whose career reflects a blend of grassroots storytelling and inventive dark comedy. Hailing from Kawerau, Butler studied film at Waikato University, where he met long-time collaborator Lanny Joe. His early short film Fresh, which delved into the culture of "dossing" among young Antipodeans in London, earned both Best Film and Audience awards at the UpOverDownUnder Antipodean Festival . After years working in television across Auckland, London, and Sydney—including roles in reality TV and editing projects like Suddenly Royal—Butler returned to New Zealand to pursue his passion for filmmaking.
Sam is one of those people that can just get things done. He’s a great contributor to many Waikato indie films and a valued team member in those productions. I hope you enjoy listening to Sams conversation with me.
Great to see this Farmers Weekly article on Rabobank senior animal proteins analyst Jen Corkran and the work the team has done. The article is well worth the read. Looking forward to working with the team and continuing to tell their amazing stories.
I'm thrilled to introduce you to the charismatic and witty Te Radar, our special guest today. Te Radar, a renowned New Zealand comedian, television presenter, and documentary maker, has captivated audiences around the world with his unique blend of humor, curiosity, and storytelling prowess. With a penchant for exploring the quirky and offbeat, Te Radar takes us on a delightful journey into the intriguing, the unexpected, and the downright fascinating aspects of life. In this episode, we're in for a treat as Te Radar shares his incredible adventures, unravels hidden gems, and imparts wisdom gained from his years of travel and exploration.
If you’ve never heard of the Rural Support Trust I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s a non-profit organization that provides support to farmers and rural communities across New Zealand. Established in 2000, the Trust operates on a regional basis, with 14 trusts covering different areas of the country. The Trust's primary goal is to provide emotional and practical support to farmers and their families during times of stress or crisis.
Awesome morning with the Frank Risk Management team as they help plant 2000 + trees along waterways helping restore them. I love these stories and always keen to tell them and encourage others to get involved. Check out https://kaitiakitangatrust.com/ if you want to get involved and https://www.frankrisk.co.nz/ to learn more about them.
Like the first few seconds when you first meet someone you make a decision about the person whether you are conscious of it or not. The same happens when someone looks at your website. From logos, colours, and layout, to photos and videos, all tell an important part of your branding story.
Taurikura is an initiative that I really love. Started by Kawena Jones and Kirsty Barber to help gain a wider spectrum of voices in our political bodies. This is a cause that I can really get behind. This project brief was simple, bright positive portraits to help put faces to names. With some ngahere (forest/bush) background to capture the grassroots feel of the organisation, and some incredible light coming through some single portraits but also some team photos of them together these portraits captured the essence of the project.
New Zealand is famous for it's stunning landscapes, pristine environment, and amazing people. But, our waterways (catchments) need our help. With the hard work and effort of many volunteer catchment groups around the country, many catchments are being returned to health. New Zealand Beef and Lamb are doing their bit to support these groups.
This podcast we talk to Nathan Higgins, who’s storytelling journey started in theater where he found his passion for performance. He also started roping in his family to home made films, directing and filming short skits. A regular in many Waikato productions as a producer, assistant director, and a wide range of rolls behind the camera Nathan has built up his experience by getting stuck in. Now he’s made the leap to directing his first short Drink Up You’re Next.
Consider this… Perhaps you have your own playlists on spotify, or a stash of CDs in the sunvisor of your car, the soundtrack that helps you block out the noise and fuss of the world. Your soundtrack to your life that helps you feel inspired, energised, creative, or calm and peaceful. Music can be the curtain you pull across to help create your own space. Music certainly plays a role in our life from the beat of our mothers heart to learning in school, and beyond.
Music plays a vital part of my creative process as a storyteller, giving emotional connection to my footage, helping drive the rhythm of my edits, and helping the viewer understand the significance of a scene, on a deeper level.
I was very keen to interview Jeremy about his work as a musician, composer and artist. I met him, a few years ago, taking his photo for a story about .. his beard. He’d entered an international beard growing competition. It was a great shoot, and we’ve stayed in contact ever since.
Once and a while you get to meet someone that really has a lot more to say than they let come forth. That quietly spoken person that says what needs to be said in not much more. I had the great pleasure to meet and work with Ben Woollen on the set ofAdam Harvey’s Minimally Invasive. There I was able to watch him create some pretty stunning visuals for that short, and had the advantage to do it as the behind the scenes camera operator. The great thing about shooting behind the scenes is it gives you the chance to be part of that team but not have the pressures of the production crew. I got to watch Ben create with Adam, which always suits my visual journalistic nature. To see a creative team take ideas from the page to the screen is really fascinating to me.
I’d met Adam Harvey a couple of years ago through the Waikato Film Hub, and had the happy opportunity shoot a Behind The Scenes mini doc for his latest film “Minimally Invasive”. It’s a unique horror short that expresses Adams dark, whimsical, and wry sense of humor. Adam brought his experiences as a medical professional to this story, exploring an unsettling tale of the fear and sometimes terror people go through when they go under the knife, with a horror twist.
Sometimes I get a whole bunch of time to create a set of branding portraits for my clients. We might go to a couple of locations, use the portable studio setup, but sometimes clients are busy and need to get as many options as possible in the shortest amount of time. So key for me is to get have several sets of shirts or tops or jackets so that in one sitting we can get options to use in multiple situations.
The future of marketing is changing, but telling great stories about you and your business still connects with viewers no matter what platform you use or how you do it. New Day Egg needed to connect to their customers and dispel the multitude of misconceptions about what free range chicken farming is all about. Mr Otto McGirr is a passionate kiwi farmer who loves his flock and has created a farm to give them the best of a true free range life. You can feel his passion and care with this story.
