Dave Gibson (producer)

New Zealand television producer

Dave Gibson

ONZM

Gibson in 2013

Born|

David Timothy Gibson

1950s

Pahiatua, New Zealand

Occupation(s)| producer, director

David Timothy Gibson ONZM (born 1950s) is the founder of New Zealand film production company The Gibson Group. After its sale in 2013 to his business partners, he was appointed CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission.[1]

## Early life[edit]

Gibson was born in Pahiatua to Christabel Gibson, a schoolteacher and later lecturer, and David Maurice Gibson, a farmer. He studied at St Patrick's College, Silverstream, a boys’ boarding college in Upper Hutt. He began a teaching degree at Wellington College of Education in Karori, but left after six weeks for a degree at Victoria University of Wellington in education and English. During this time, Gibson started experimenting with film. He purchased a Super 8 film camera and began filming his friends at concerts and producing short pieces for the University's Drama Society.[2]

## Career[edit]

While still enrolled at Victoria University, Gibson began part-time work for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. This mainly involved labour, moving sets from Avalon Studios in Lower Hutt to the corporation's Waring Taylor Street locations.

In 1977, Gibson left his degree unfinished and established Gibson Films, in a rented office on Courtenay Place in Wellington. He began mining the genre of educational films, which he would then sell to schools and educational film distributors. One early piece about two children living on a high country sheep station sold to Encyclopædia Britannica.[3][4]

In the 1980s Gibson Films rebranded to The Gibson Group, and their genre offering widened. Early productions included The Silent One, an adaptation of the Joy Cowley novel of the same name, filmed entirely on the small island of Aitutaki in the Pacific. It was also the first New Zealand feature film directed solely by a woman. During this period, sketch comedy also became one of the mediums Gibson Group became known for. Satirical puppet show Public Eye, inspired by the UK show Spitting Image, proved popular despite having to be toned down for New Zealand audiences. Other genres included magazine-style shows The Edge (1993–94), Sunday (1995–97), B@ckchat' (1998–2000) and Frontseat (2004–2007).

Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, The Gibson Group broadened their mediums to work with interactive museum exhibitions both in New Zealand and overseas, including Our Space at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The popular children's shows The Simon Eliot Show and MyStory used cellphones and technology to let the audience interact with the host. MyStory was New Zealand's first show screened in a 'mobisode' format.[3]

Gibson's other notable productions include two natural disaster dramas for television. Aftershock (2008), an earthquake drama accompanied by a documentary and website about earthquake safety. This was followed by Eruption (2010), set in Auckland's volcanic landscape.

In the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours, Gibson was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the film and television industry.[5]

In 2013, Gibson was appointed CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission. During his tenure the commission granted funding for successful New Zealand films such as Tickled, Poi E: The Story of Our Song, Mahana, and Pork Pie.[1]

Gibson is currently a board member of the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency.

In June 2017, Gibson announced that he would be stepping down from the role of CEO. In a statement, Gibson said "I've thoroughly enjoyed the last few years but have always believed CEO's  [sic] shouldn't stay too long in organisations like the NZFC. I'm not sure what I'll do next."[6]

## Filmography[edit]

Title  | Year  | Credited as  | Notes

|
|
|

Producer
The Old Man's Story | 1979  | Yes  | Short film
Blackhearted Barney Blackfoot | 1980  | Yes  | Short film
The Silent One | 1985  | Yes  |
The Irrefutable Truth about Demons | 2000  | Yes  |
Cowboys & Communists | 2007  | Yes  | Documentary film
We Do Things Differently Here | 2011  | Yes  | Short film
Fresh Meat | 2012  | Yes  |
The Last Ocean | 2012  | No  | Documentary film
Executive producer

### Television[edit]

The numbers in writing credits refer to the number of episodes.

Title  | Year  | Credited as  | Network  | Notes

|
|
|
|

Director  | Producer
Hunchin' Down the Track | 1980  | No  | Yes  |  | Documentary film
The Monster's Christmas | 1981  | No  | Yes  | Television One | Television film
Nearly No Christmas | 1983  | No  | Yes  |  | Television film
First assistant director
Cuckoo Land | 1986  | No  | Yes  | Television 2 | Assistant director
The Haunting of Barney Palmer | 1987  | No  | Yes  | PBS | Television film
Public Eye | 1988–89  | Yes (6)  | Yes  | Television One  |
Jean: The Ballet of Jean Batten | 1990  | No  | Yes  | Television One  | Television film
Away Laughing | 1992  | No  | Yes  | TV3 |
Undercover | 1991  | No  | Yes  | Channel 2  | Television film
Bungay on Crime | 1992  | No  | Yes  | TV One |
Skitz | 1993–97  | No  | Yes  | TV3  |
Typhon's People | 1993  | No  | Yes  |  | Television film
Bitter Calm | 1994  | No  | Yes  |  | Television film
Rugged Gold | 1994  | No  | Co-producer  | The Family Channel | Television film
Mirror, Mirror | 1995–98  | No  | Yes  | TV One
Network Ten |
Telly Laughs | 1996–98  | No  | Yes  | TV3  |
Duggan | 1997  | No  | Yes  | TV One  |
One Man's Poison | 1998  | Yes  | Yes  | TV2  | Television film
Newsflash | 1998–2000  | No  | Yes  | TV2  |
Tiger Country | 1998  | No  | Yes  | TV3  | Television film
The Semisis | 1998  | No  | Co-producer  | TV3  |
Clare | 2001  | No  | Yes  | TV One  | Television film
Also writer
The Strip | 2002–03  | No  | Yes  | TV3  |
The Insiders Guide to Happiness | 2004  | No  | Yes  | TV2  |
Helping Hands | 2005  | Yes  | Yes  |  | Documentary film
Holly's Heroes | 2005  | No  | Yes  | TV2  |
The Insider's Guide to Love | 2005  | No  | Yes  | TV2  |
The Hothouse | 2007  | No  | Yes  | TV One  |
Time Trackers | 2008  | No  | Yes  | Seven Network
TV2  |
Aftershock | 2008  | No  | Yes  | TV3  | Television film
Paradise Café | 2009–11  | No  | Yes  | CBBC
TV2  |
Ben & Jeremy's Big Road Trip | 2010  | No  | Yes  | TV3  | Television film
Executive producer
Eruption | 2010  | No  | Yes  | TV3  | Television film
Panic at Rock Island | 2011  | No  | Yes  | TV2  | Television film

#### Executive producer-only[edit]

Title  | Year  | Network  | Notes

|
|
|

The Enduring Land | 1990  |  | Docuseries
Shark in the Park | 1990–91  | Television One  | Series 2–3
The Edge | 1993–94  | TV3  |
Cover Story | 1994–96  | TV3  |
Sunday | 1995–97  |  |
Backch@t | 1998–2000  | TV One  |
Dating Violence | 1999  | TV2  | Documentary film
Bookenz | 1999–2000  | TV One  |
No. 8 Wired | 2000–04  | TV3  |
Op' Stars | 2000  | TV One  | Documentary film
A Tale of Three Chimps | 2001  | TV3  | Documentary film
To Age or Not to Age | 2001  | TV One  | Documentary film
Tutus & Town Halls | 2001  | TV One  | Documentary film
Who Ate All the Pies? | 2002  | TV One  | Documentary film
In Search of the Moa | 2003  | TV2  | Documentary film
50 Years on Their Toes | 2003  | TV One  | Documentary film
Cartoonists Inc | 2003  | TV One  | Documentary film
Long Lost Sons | 2004  | TV One  | Documentary film
Frontseat | 2004–07  | TV One  |
Facelift | 2004–07  | TV One  |
Dare to Be Free | 2004  | TV One  | Documentary film
Tough Act | 2006  | TV2  | Docuseries
Here to Stay | 2007–08  | TV One  | Docuseries
The Simon Eliot Show | 2007  | TV3  |
Welcome to Paradise | 2007  | Prime |
Aftershock – Would You Survive? | 2008  | TV3  | Documentary film
How to Spot a Cult | 2009  | TV3  | Documentary film
Poking the Borax | 2011  | TV3  |
Operation Hero | 2011–13  | TV2  | Series 1–3
Street Hospital | 2013  | TV2  | Docuseries
Series 1
Survive Aotearoa | 2013  | Māori Television | Docuseries
Prison Families | 2013  | TV3  | Docuseries
Dragons in a Distant Land | 2013  |  | Docuseries
War News | 2014  | Prime  |

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "NZFC appoints Dave Gibson as new Chief Executive – New Zealand Film Commission". www.nzfilm.co.nz. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
2. ^ Macdonald, Nikki (30 August 2014). "Man in the frame". Retrieved 27 June 2017 - via Stuff.co.nz.
3. ^ a b "Dave Gibson – NZ On Screen". www.nzonscreen.com. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
4. ^ "Home » Gibson Group NZ". gibson.co.nz. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
5. ^ "Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee honours list 2012". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
6. ^ "New Zealand Film Commission boss Dave Gibson resigns". Stuff. Retrieved 27 June 2017.