700 sheep found for 'McKenzie Affair'

Press, 15 October 1976, Page 11

700 sheep found for 'McKenzie Affair'

By

KEN COATES

Television Two has solved a major problem in producing its new five-epi-sode drama serial based on the story of Canterbury’s legendary sheep stealer, James Mackenzie. It has found a farmer willing to lend 700 highcountry Merino sheep for filming, with their wool still on.

The production, “The Mackenzie Affair” calls for filming the flock in four separate locations in the Mackenzie Country. Mackenzie and his dog are said to have driven the sheep south along a sceret inland route and pass.

“The trouble was that shorn by November ready most Merino sheep are for the December wool sale in Timaru,” said the unit manager, Mr Brian Waiden, whose job it is to arrange production logistics.

“But in Mr, Nix Buick, of Blue Mountain Station, 30 miles west of Fairlie, we managed to find one of the few Merino men who shears late, and he has offered tremendous cooperation. “We just could not do the programme without people of this sort,” Brian Walden emphasised “Not only has he agreed to muster the 700 Merinos and have them yarded ready for us, but has offered to remove all the identification tags from the ears of the sheep.

“His offer also means that he will have to muster twice — again for the late shear in February.” If there is anyone who can get alongside the local people it is genial Brian Walden. He did an outstanding job scouring the South Island for authentic props for “Hunter’s Gold,” and is determined that “The Mackenzie Affair” should be equally faithful in historic detail.

The unit manager says because a number of locations are necessary in the Mackenzie Country, permission of runholders’ to film is necessary. “But such is the response we have been getting that the people up there have offered bulldozers, snow-ploughs, and in fact, anything we need."

Brian Walden says the independent people of the district have a strong loyalty to the Mackenzie

Country and are pleased TV2 is actually filming part of the drama in the location in which it originally took place. “We were worried at one stage that because we plan some filming in Akaroa — parts of the town look like Lyttelton in the 1880 s — the local people might not be too keen on the idea. But they are not fazed in the slightest, and have offered their help. “Because of the co-oper-ation we are getting, I am convinced New Zealand is one of the easiest countries of the world to film in.”

“The Mackenzie Affair” is a joint production with Scottish Television and filming of the first episode began in Scotland on September 20. The title role will be played by a Scotsman, James Cosmo.

Filming near Christchurch will begin on November 13 and will involve the parts of the story in which Mackenzie escaped from prison at Lyttelton. Sequences filmed at Akaroa will be shot at night when pencils of light will help create the illusion that it is Lyttelton 100 years ago. At the beginning of December, the 26-man crew will move to a base between Omarama and Lake Ohau, and later to another base at the Benmore Station of Mr and Mrs Jim Sutherland.

Filming Mackenzie and the sheep at four different locations will portray a visual transition. A 8.8. C. director, Joan Craft, will direct the production and she is due to arrive in New Zealand on October 27.