Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ)

Overview

The Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ) is the professional association and registered trade union representing screen directors, editors, and assistant editors working in New Zealand film, television, and screen content. Formed in 1995 when 18 directors gathered at a conference in Wellington to discuss working conditions and the need for independent representation, the Guild split from the Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA), which had previously represented both producers and directors. DEGANZ is headquartered in Auckland with regional representatives in Wellington, and is an incorporated society registered as a union under the Employment Relations Act 2000 and as a worker organisation under the Screen Industry Workers Act 2022 (SIWA).

DEGANZ represents directors and editors of drama and documentary features, television drama, documentary and factual programmes, short films, commercials and promotions, animation, video art, and online content. The Guild is affiliated with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.

The 2026 DEGANZ National Executive board includes President Ben Powdrell, Vice President Rahera Herewini-Mulligan (Ngai Tuhoe/Ngai Tai/Te Whanau a Apanui), and Treasurer Phil Gore, along with returning members Martin Brinkler ACE, Chris Dudman, Celia Jaspers, and Rebecca Tansley, and new members Jesse Griffin and Kim Webby.

Membership Costs and Structure

DEGANZ offers four membership types with fees based on income tier for full members. Both annual and monthly billing options are available.

Full Membership (Tiered by Income)

Other Membership Types

Membership is open to all who identify as directors, editors, or assistant editors working within New Zealand or holding New Zealand residency and/or citizenship. Associate membership is available to full members of other screen industry guilds or associations who support DEGANZ's aims. Student membership is open to full-time students at New Zealand tertiary institutions. Life membership is bestowed by board vote for special commitment to the Guild.

Benefits by Membership Type

Members paying monthly are reminded of their annual renewal date and may change membership level or terminate at that time. The membership sign-up form is available at deganz.co.nz/join.

Copyright Advocacy

DEGANZ has been seeking shared copyright for directors with producers since 2005. In the UK, the producer and principal director are joint copyright shareholders of a film. In the EU, an EU council directive requires all member states to recognise the principal director of a film or audiovisual work as an author and therefore first owner of copyright. In more than 37 territories worldwide, the director is the primary copyright holder. In New Zealand, directors are recognised as authors with moral rights under the Copyright Act, but the economic rights conferred by copyright go to producers, not directors. DEGANZ continues to advocate for legislative change to align New Zealand with international norms.

Advocacy and Industry Engagement

DEGANZ engages with the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), NZ On Air (which funds New Zealand broadcast content), major broadcasters including TVNZ and Three, and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage on policy and contractual issues affecting its members. The Guild participates in industry discussions around New Zealand's screen production incentive structure, including the Screen Production Grant, and its impact on both domestic production and international production activity in the country.

The Guild publishes a Workflow Best Practice Guide for editors and producers, covering the full production workflow from before budgeting through to DCP delivery. This guide, developed by a group of senior editors, assistant editors, sound designers, online editors, VFX artists, post-production supervisors, post houses, and producers, is endorsed by NZFC, which recommends it to all successful production applicants.

New Zealand Screen Industry Context

New Zealand's screen industry operates within a distinctive context shaped by geographic isolation, a small domestic market, and the international production activity that developed since the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The country's experienced crew base, diverse landscapes, world-class post-production facilities (particularly Weta), and the Screen Production Grant make it an attractive production destination. DEGANZ members work across the full range of New Zealand production, from NZFC-funded domestic features through international productions that use New Zealand as a shooting location.

SPADA (the Screen Production and Development Association) represents producers separately from DEGANZ, with membership fees ranging from $250 NZD for sole producers to $750 NZD for medium companies, plus a 0.1% production levy on all productions. The Blue Book (Code of Practice for the Engagement of Crew in New Zealand) is developed and published by the Screen Industry Guild (SIGANZ) in cooperation with SPADA and the Advertising Producers Aotearoa, and the current edition is dated May 2023.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For international productions engaging New Zealand directors and editors, DEGANZ membership signals professional standing and commitment to New Zealand industry standards. The Guild's standard agreements and workflow guidelines provide the reference framework for how New Zealand above-the-line talent operates professionally. Productions accessing the New Zealand Screen Production Grant should consult DEGANZ's standard agreements when engaging directors and editors.

For New Zealand directors and editors, DEGANZ membership at $179 to $552 NZD per year (depending on income tier) provides contract and legal advice, standard agreements, professional development travel allowances, eligibility for attachment and talent programmes, and voting rights on Guild governance. The Guild's copyright advocacy work directly affects the long-term economic position of New Zealand directors.

The DEGANZ Constitution (September 2025 version) is available as a PDF at deganz.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DEGANZ-Constitution-September-2025_FINAL.pdf. Membership rules and terms are at deganz.co.nz/members/degnz-rules-terms-conditions.

See Also

For the New Zealand government film funding agency, see New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) in this directory. For the New Zealand below-the-line crew union, see Screen Industry Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (SIGANZ) in this directory. For budgeting productions engaging New Zealand directors and editors under DEGANZ standard agreements, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator to estimate above-the-line costs.