Mike Oldershaw and Johnny Blick split from Automatic to form Waitemata Films in Auckland

Mike Oldershaw and Johnny Blick – the director and producer team responsible for the recent DairyNZ ‘Other Countries’ TV commercial, Fisher & Paykel’s ‘Lost My Sock’ and the L&P ‘Tourism Paeroa’ campaign, have departed Automatic and formed new production company Waitemata Films.

“We’ve really enjoyed our time at Automatic and we remain good mates with the guys there, but Mike and I are at a stage in our lives where we are ready to move on and achieve some other things”, says Blick.

Adds Oldershaw: “We’ve called the new company Waitemata Films. Duringour time away on the DairyNZ job we asked Josh & Jamie to use theircreative expertise and come up with a good name. They didn’t come upwith anything, but our camera assistant suggested Waitemata Films,which felt right”.

Waitemata Films is aligned with Cherub Pictures in Australia. Cherub isone of Aussie’s leading production companies whose directors boastseveral Cannes Lions, AWARD and Sundance gongs between them and areresponsible for a couple of Campaign Brief’s Top 30 TVC’s of thedecade. The Cherub Pictures directors are available in New Zealandthrough the Waitemata Films office.

“We share a commonality of just wanting to do really good creative work across all mediums”, said Oldershaw.

“We love making commercials, we work bloody hard and we really enjoywhat we do. It’s a pretty basic business formula that’s worked so far”,said Blick. “Also, it’ll help people spell Waitemata correctly.”

“We’ve settled into our Ponsonby Road office with a view of theWaitemata Harbour and if Waitemata Sparkling Ale still existed we’d becelebrating with a few crates of that…instead I guess we will just havea couple of Peronis”, says Blick.

www.waitematafilms.co.nz

Office: 09 360 0369

Johnny: 021 361 271

jblick@waitematafilms.co.nz

mike@waitematafilms.co.nz