The showreel Infinite Worlds. One Location. has Dunedin as the backdrop for comedic homages to a series of famous films, with the aim of catching the eyes of film-makers, producers, location scouts and industry execs by showcasing the city’s varied and conveniently close landscapes, locations and settings.
The three-minute video was created entirely in-house by Film Dunedin, part of Enterprise Dunedin, for less than $20,000.
In it, Dunedin-born actor and comedian James Mustapic plays multiple somewhat-familiar characters on backdrops around the city.
Middlemarch poses as ‘‘Middle Realm’’, the Dunedin Railway Station as Platform D from Harry Potter, Princes St and the Exchange stand in for New York and Ocean View Beach is a deserted island, a nod to the film Cast Away .
Mustapic said it was a pleasure to return to his home town to film the project.
‘‘Here’s hoping it’s so successful that Dunedin takes its place on the world stage, and who knows, maybe I’ll be back there to work on a blockbuster comedy or period drama.’’
The city was the location of Netflix’s The Royal Treatment, which has clocked more than 40 million viewing hours, and other film projects, from Hollywood juggernauts such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Oscar-winners The Hobbit and The Power of the Dog to indie films like Uproar and Mārama.
The upcoming Netflix miniseries East of Eden, filmed in the city last year, is expected to attracted many eyeballs.
Enterprise Dunedin’s Film Dunedin lead Stefan Roesch said the miniseries, an adaptation of the Steinbeck novel, was predicted to bring tourists to Dunedin and Otago.
‘‘Netflix has over 300 million paid subscribers globally. On the destination side, research into film- and TV-induced tourism shows average visitor uplifts of around 30%, with some locations seeing increases of up to 300% once a production gains traction.’’
It could also be a springboard for more film-making.
‘‘Our plan with the showreel is to shine a light on Dunedin’s amazing locations with the intention of attracting more productions of East of Eden’s calibre.’’
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said Enterprise Dunedin and Film Dunedin were continuing the ‘‘fantastic’’ effort they had already made to ensure the lower South was well positioned to capture both the economic and cultural value of screen production as well as supporting local talent.
