The economic contribution of the screen industry

Abstract

This report provides an analysis of the economic contribution of New Zealand screen industry. Currently in New Zealand it is common for screen industry statistics to be produced by individual agencies, and in some instances without adequate reference to the industry. One of the objectives of this work is to establish a common set of frequently used statistics that will illuminate the role of the screen industry in the New Zealand economy and society. The screen industry is broadly defined as the combination of the production, distribution and exhibition of film, television, online and digital content. Digital gaming is excluded from the statistical definition of the screen industry in the Statistics New Zealand Screen Industry Survey. Digital gaming is also not readily identifiable in other published Statistics New Zealand information. This is due to statistical definitions and collections not keeping pace with a rapidly evolving industry. However, we recognise that there is a high degree of complementarity between post-production in the screen industry and digital gaming, and that skilled professionals often move between the two.