New Zealand to Build Digital Screen Campus at Christchurch (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe Christchurch, New Zealand-based University of Canterbury is to build a Digital Screen Campus, developing skills and talents necessary for a more converged media future.The development is expected to be the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

It will be constructed over 14 hectares (35 acres) and involve a $65 million (NZ$97 million) investment from the university itself.The aim of the new DSC is to add skills in film production, game development and the metaverse to the country’s abundant filming locations, generous production incentives and award-winning craft personnel in traditional sectors.The University of Canterbury expects to welcome the first students to the DSC in 2023.

New Zealand has been home to major international film and TV productions including “Avatar,” “Lord of the Rings” and “The Luminaries.” South Island-based Christchurch is only a short distance from locations used for “The Power of the Dog” and “Mulan.” The country is also home to Oscar-winning VFX company WetaFX (previously Weta Digital) and props and creature design specialist Weta Workshop.The Christchurch DSC is designed in collaboration with leading studio architect Roger D’Arcy.

It will provide a vibrant environment specifically geared towards commercial production and development facilities, education, innovation and research.