DJ Stipsen
It was DJ Stipsen’s father who inspired him to embark on a storytelling career. Born in Indonesia and imprisoned in a Japanese concentration camp as a boy, Henri Stipsen instilled a strong work ethic in his son — plus a love of storytelling. He revealed snippets of his upbringing which sounded so fascinating and otherworldly, DJ developed an intense interest in wanting to tell peoples stories.
DJ was born in Lower Hutt, where his father worked for TVNZ as a props master. DJ spent many childhood weekends at Avalon TV studios, or out in Whitemans Valley on the sets of shows Country GP and The Fire-Raiser. It felt like his dad was “paid to have fun”. After DJ's final year at Hutt Valley High, he started a building apprenticeship, but didn’t last long.
Stipsen’s interests had changed. He started working with cameras and applying for filmmaking courses. After winning an International TV Association scholarship, he used the money to apply for Australia's Swinburne University, but ended up at Broadcasting School in Christchurch. Stipsen grew to love camerawork; he graduated with a Broadcasting Diploma in the early 1990s. TVNZ offered him an internship in their Auckland camera department, where he learnt a range of camera techniques, via both studio and outside shoots.
When his internship ended, TVNZ offered him a permanent job. Stipsen stayed for three years, shooting magazine and current affairs shows like Waka Huia, Maggie’s Gardening Show and Tagata Pasifika. There was one area that grated. "I hated the outside broadcasts. You’d be stuck at the cricket every summer weekend... but it taught me how to read people and follow action, which is important when shooting documentaries."
Stipsen’s first break came via alternative late night news show Newsnight. Staffers Paul Casserly and Justin Pemberton asked the camera department for Stipsen’s services. "The camera superivosor thought I was too inexperienced to be let loose on a show by myself." After TVNZ declined the offer, Pemberton pushed back. Newsnight got their new cameraman, and Stipsen forged a fruitful working relationship with Pemberton.
On their days off, the two started shooting music videos, using old TVNZ film equipment and some "excellent" grip and lighting gear from mates working on Hercules. Stipsen’s music video credits include Bic Runga's Drive, Strawpeople's Taller than God, and Anika Moa’s Mother among others.
In the late 1990s Stipsen went backpacking from Thailand to London. His travelling companion was an editor and sound operator; en route to London they made money covering the 1999 Hong Kong takeover, for news agency WTN. In London Stipsen met up with Pemberton, and found work on soap Family Affairs. "I got that job because I could work a pedestal [studio] camera, which was a rare skill by then — thanks TVNZ."
Pemberton got Stipsen on board to shoot music videos for the likes of PJ Harvey (Angelene) and dance band Faithless (God is a DJ ). Stipsen also worked with director Megan Jones on Return to Romania, which chronicled Romanian orphans.
Stipsen would cross oceans for Pietra Brettkelly's medical documentary Kill or Cure and Pemberton's documentary Three Chords and the Truth. The later followed a young Anika Moa, as she wrestled with signing to a major record label in New York — an offer she would ultimately reject. "It was amazing to witness someone that young decide 'no' to that kind of career offer."
Stipsen's run with Pemberton continued. Airports and Overtures (2005) followed a world tour by the NZ Symphony Orchestra; it earned Stipsen his first Kiwi camera award. "You can’t go wrong shooting images of travel. My favourite shot was at Shinjuku railway station in Japan, following these highly trained musicians as they lugged their own instruments up and down escalators for an hour. You wouldn't see the London Philharmonic doing that!"
Award-winning documentary Love, Speed and Loss (2005) explored the tumultous life of Kim Newcombe, a Kiwi motorbike designer who was killed while racing in 1973. "His widow Janeen had shot a lot of amazing Super 8 footage of their life on the road, and at races in Europe. We shot a lot of our own Super 8mm too."
The Nuclear Comeback (2007) tests the idea that nuclear power could be a viable option for New Zealand. Stipsen and Pemberton travelled to London to interview leading nuclear energy representatives, before heading to Ukraine to film the site of the nuclear disaster. They nearly didn’t make it.
"British Airways lost our luggage for three days, and we only had a five day permit to shoot. I couldn’t hire a camera for love or money in Kiev. To access the Chernobyl reactor area, we had to wear special suits. Our guide was using a Geiger counter he sometimes slapped to get accurate readings. It was a two kilometre walk to the control room. We could only film for four or five minutes tops, because of the radiation. It was pitch black ... a very quiet and heavy feeling, as if we were underwater; like filming in the wreck of the Titanic."
Stipsen had never been a sports fan, but shooting Pemberton’s Emmy-nominated docudrama The Golden Hour (2012) provided him with juicy visual material, including recreations of 1960s era New Zealand and Rome, and Pemberton’s unusual approach to interviews. Inspired by American documentarian Errol Morris, those interviewed were unable to see the camera crew. "So it becomes either an inquisition or a confession, depending on the interviewee." The Golden Hour was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2013 International Emmy Awards.
The Golden Hour is just one of many high profile TV movies on Stipsen's CV. The list includes Billy T James biopic Billy, Rainbow Warrior dramatisation Bombshell and Siege, based on the 2009 “Napier siege” ((which won him an award at a Chinese television festival). Filming for Siege took place in the actual home of convicted murderer Jan Molenaar, a unique opportunity for a true crime film. Given the licence to experiment, Stipsen used an elevated camera on wires to get overhead shots of Napier’s steep streets.
Award-winning documentary Erebus: Operation Overdue (2014) was based on the tragedy of Air New Zealand Flight 901. Some scenes were dramatised; Stipsen says designer Tracey Collins and art director Davin Voot did an "incredible job" recreating the Mt Erebus crash site at an off-season Tekapo skifield. Stipsen only had a small window to film before weather conditions changed, as the snow was melting around the set. Operation Overdue won a clutch of awards, including Best Cinematography at Aotearoa's Documentary Edge Festival.
On the drama front, Stipsen worked on Go Girls (including this first episode) using an HD camera that was so new on the market, there were only three in the country. In 2013 he joined Harry (2013), a police series starring Oscar Kightley. When the original cinematographer pulled out, Stipsen grabbed his chance. He enjoyed the high quality script, and the production’s visual palette. "It was gritty and understated...one of the most creative Kiwi shows I've worked on. I was gutted when TV3 didn't pick it up for a second series".
Also a "fantastic experience" was 2015 miniseries When We Go To War. Working again with director Peter Burger (Go Girls), Stipsen appreciated the WWI drama's high attention to detail.
Stipsen got the call to shoot Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s 2014 vampire comedyWhat We Do In The Shadows specifically because of his documentary experience. "Jemaine and Taika wanted a doco feel. So we decided to take a risk and pull our own focus to get a more documentary feel [normally a separate crewmember concentrates on keeping the image focussed]. The only people who were allowed to see the script were the shooting crew. The idea was that the other actors would react to Jemaine and Taika's performance, thus keeping the documentary feel."
The success of What We Do In The Shadows flowed on for many involved. Stipsen was asked on board for spin-off series Wellington Paranormal, and when word went around the Paranormal crew that an American version of the show was brewing, Stipsen crossed his fingers. He got the call and in 2018 headed to Toronto to shoot the first of two seasons to date.
Stipsen was nominated for Emmy awards for his work on both Shadows and Netflix fantasy series New Legends of Monkey. In 2019 he shot Dispatches from Elsewhere, an anthology series created by and starring Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall).
Amidst all the international flying, Stipsen shot Kiwi series Fresh Eggs. He thoroughly enjoyed the visual and creative direction the black comedy took, but feels it suffered from unfortunate timing. The series was pulled off-air after the Christchurch terror attacks in March 2019; the remaining episodes screened at a later date.
Profile written by Gabe McDonnell; published on 30 July 2020
Sources include
DJ Stipsen
DJ Stipsen website. Accessed 30 July 2020
'D.J. Stipsen' Internet Movie Database website. Accessed 30 July 2020