Tandem has just won the contract to make a documentary celebrating the New Zealand Fire Service’s 150 year history in Christchurch.

Its release will mark BECA Heritage Week in late October, and will be the second documentary made by Tandem for the heritage week celebrations. The first doco was last year’s Citizen Soldier: ake ake kia kaha – forever strong. This film celebrated 150 years of the Second Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast Battalion Group.

The story of the NZ Fire Service is a long rich one, and it’s the people, their stories and experiences that have made it such an important story to tell. We plan to utilise the wealth of knowledge of historian and current serving fireman Tony Phillips – who wrote the book Always Ready: Christchurch Fire Brigade 1860-1985.

We will also speak with former firemen, Christchurch’s youngest-serving fireman, look at some of the city’s biggest fires – including the Ballantynes fire in 1947 – and hear stories about how the brigade has developed over the years.

The documentary will be released on October 30.

Tandem is sad to see the loss of the man known as the ‘Waimate warrior’.

Eric Batchelor, one of New Zealand’s most highly decorated World War 2 soldiers, died in Waimate, South Canterbury, on Saturday, and is being buried with full military honours today.

Sergeant Batchelor, who would have turned 90 in August, was twice awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for conspicuous bravery during the Italian campaign, an award second only to the Victoria Cross.

He was mentioned in dispatches, and fought at El Alamien in North Africa, and Monte Cassino in Italy, both key battles for New Zealand troops.

Mr Batchelor was promoted to sergeant in the Italian campaign, gaining a reputation as an effective search and destroy operator with the nickname “The Ferret”.

Leading a platoon of mainly West Coast South Island infantrymen, he became a specialist in working many kilometres behind enemy lines at night, a skill he owed to his New Zealand childhood.

In later years, long after the war, he admitted he had not been a “very bright” school pupil and spent much of his younger days roaming the hills in and around Waimate shooting rabbits or “sneaking around at night raiding orchards”.

His first DCM was awarded after he captured a group of Germans after a fierce close quarter fight in a small house behind enemy lines.

His second came from a similar engagement two months later when he and three New Zealand soldiers, working well behind enemy lines at night, came upon a remote house.

Tandem met Eric when filming the documentary ‘Citizen Soldier’ last year. Eric and his wife welcomed us into thier home, made cups of tea and offered biscuits, with Eric then warmly sharing his experiences in World War Two. This video is with Eric from that documentary. (Full story at the ODT)

May he rest in peace.



A big part of the digital revolution over the last five years has been in digital cameras used for producing content. Once a high-end camera used for TVCs (television commercials) or documentaries would’ve cost many thousands of dollars. Now, for just a few thousand dollars, you can buy a quality camera that shoots in HD (High Definition) and captures superb image quality with low noise and natural colour.

The Canon EOS 7D is one such camera that fits this description and is now being used worldwide for music videos, TV commercials and even in the production of TV shows and cinema.

A local film maker – Logan McMillan from Gorilla Productions – has been using the Canon 7D for the last 18 months and most recently won the V48HR Furious Filmmaking competition for the best cinematography for New Zealand.

Logan has used the 7D and worked with Tandem on numerous projects including the documentary he filmed and co-directed last year with Tandem’s Dave Dunlay – Ake Ake Kia Kaha, Citizen Soldier (the excerpt from that documentary is below). Logan is again working on another documentary with the team here at Tandem and it was while on location that Dave got this short interview with Logan about the joys of the Canon 7D:

Here’s a piece from last years Citizen Soldier Documentary:

Following on from our previous post here is another excerpt from the Tandem Documentary Citizen Soldier.

This piece follows the men from 2Cants Battalion Group through the 2nd World War campaigns through Crete, Greece, Nth Africa and the hell that was Italy.

If you live in Christchurch you can see the full documentary on local TV station CTV this Sunday, ANZAC Day.

Lest we forget.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning – war memorials and remembrance in Christchurch.

Date: Saturday 24th April – Saturday 29th May, 2010

ANZAC day hours: 7am – 4pm, then Monday to Saturday, 10am – 4pm

Admission: Free

Where: Our City O-Tautahi, corner of Worcester Boulevard & Oxford Terrace

The exhibition, ANZAC day, is a poignant display of photographs that reflect on the duality of mourning and triumph expressed in many memorials around Christchurch.

Themes around public and private grief, and the role that symbolism, design, landscape and tradition have played in the construction and use of these memorials is discussed. Visitors will be encouraged to share their views and to consider what memorials mean to them.

The exhibition will also feature screenings of Citizen Soldier: ake ake kia kaha – forever strong. This film, produced by Tandem for the Christchurch City Council as part of Beca Heritage Week 2009, celebrates 150 years (1859-2009) of the Second Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast Battalion Group.