Biographies
Veronica McCarthy - Senior Producer
Boundless enthusiasm for the art of storytelling, a meticulous eye for detail and a strong social conscience are elemental to Veronica's ethos.
Commencing her career with New Zealand's national broadcaster, TVNZ and later establishing Raconteur Productions alongside Director Bill De Friez. In recent years Veronica has ventured into the international marketplace producing for BBC and AL Jazeera, and has produced numerous top rating documentaries and children's series represented by Beyond Distribution Ltd.
Veronica is intrigued by a wide range of social and cultural issues and is driven by the belief that the most compelling stories are ones that give voice to those behind closed doors - tales of the ordinary person becoming extraordinary. With creative content foremost, she enjoys a reputation for producing high rating entertainment with quality production values.
A Churchill Fellow, Veronica's previous work has also included a youth focus and her inventive children's television productions have gained international standing.
Veronica is a passionate supporter of all things NZ: art, food, wine, and music; when her schedule permits she escapes to her beach house on New Zealand’s wild West Coast to indulge in improving her swing dance and surfing skills.
Previous work by Veronica can be seen at the following links
Raconteur Productions
Virginia Wright - Senior Producer
Not one to shy away from difficult subject matter, Virginia is driven by curiosity and relates to Dorothy Parker's suggestion "Curiosity is the cure for boredom. There is no cure for curiosity."
Virginia has a diverse set of credits, first working as a director and producer for Television New Zealand, and later as a freelancer for New Zealand’s leading production companies. Screen credits range from primetime arts programming to docu-drama on networks such as Discovery Channel, National Geographic and Fox Television’s Natural History New Zealand.
For the past decade Virginia has developed and produced popular factual television delivering viewers an opportunity to probe the mystery of the mind, question biology and explore the spirit that motivates our actions and ambitions. Distributed by TVF International, Virginia’s programmes screen in numerous territories around the world.
Having a double honours degree in French and English, Virginia has lived in France, and regularly attends the Mip markets not solely for the industry experience, but also for the chance to refresh her language skills via French editions of popular thrillers and crime novels
Previous work by Virginia can be seen at the following links
Southern Screen Productions
Gaylene Barnes
Born in Southland, New Zealand. Twenty years in the film and television industry in various roles. She has production designed two feature films, three short films and many tvc’s; directed three short films, four documentaries, 25 music videos and over a hundred commercials; edited a dozen documentaries, over 50 music videos, three children's television series and three award winning prime time television series. She has been nominated twice in the New Zealand Screen Award’s – "Best Documentary Editing" for ‘Out of Sight/Out of Mind’ (2005) and "Best Production Design" for ‘Scarfies’ (1999). Gaylene was the Art Director for the television series 'Kaitangata Twitch' - which earned 'Best Production Design in a Television Series" at the recent 2010 Screen Awards. She has a Diploma in Fine Art in Computer Art from Otago Polytechnic (1991), and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Otago University (1996). She has also tutored and lectured at Southland Polytechnic, Otago Polytechnic and Otago University in Fine Art, Digital Design, and Filmmaking. She is currently putting the final touches to her animated short film 'The Mobile Meat Processing Unit' - funded by Creative New Zealand and the Independent Filmmakers Fund, and has just finished editing a television series called 'Coasters' - due to screen on TVONE later this year. Her other interests include herb farming, gardening, egg tempera painting, renovating(!), breeding bunnies and bantams, playing way too much Klondike and just generally mucking around.
