By Michelle Curran
Executive Communications Manager, Pasifika TV/PCBL
Pacific storytellers from across the region will get the opportunity to flex their point of difference and diversity in Pasifika on Air’s (POA) Focus on Film Masterclass, with Samoa’s MP Studios leading the charge.
Earlier this year, ten crews from Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Hawai’i were selected from a high calibre pool of applicants to explore Pacific story sovereignty, sustainable creative industries, and the storytelling development under the tutelage of interim General Manager at Pacific Islands Screen Artists (PISA) Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa.
Representing Samoa, MP Studios’ Creative Director Meraz Parker Potoi and his crew participated in Stallone’s first Masterclass, in Apia, in early August.
New Zealand born Samoan Meraz, spent his childhood in Samoa before returning to Aotearoa for university, says both countries share the same wealth of stories from culture and traditions to the modern world which inspires his work.
Turning point
In 2018, while on holiday in Samoa, Meraz joined TV3 Samoa to do work experience, where he developed his skills working on a wide range of productions.
“What started as a creative interest eventually grew into MP Studio Samoa and a full-time career,” Meraz explains.
Later that year, Meraz established his multimedia production company MP Studios, and has been directing, mastering cinematography, editing, photography and producing content for local businesses, government organisations, regional agencies and international development partners since.
“Filmmaking has allowed me to combine creativity with meaningful storytelling, particularly stories that reflect the experiences, challenges and strengths of Pacific communities,” he adds.
Meraz says there have been many takeaways from Stallone’s Masterclass, but the main one for him is learning the importance of preparation and having a clear creative vision before arriving on set.
“Stallone also shared practical knowledge about directing actors, structuring a story and making strong creative decisions when working within limited time and resources,” Meraz adds.
“The Masterclass reinforced that a successful film does not always require a large budget or complicated production – a simple idea, when executed well, can still connect strongly with an audience.
“It was also valuable learning directly from a Pacific filmmaker who understands our environment, humour, culture and the realities of producing films in the region.”
Practical and relevant information
For Meraz, and his filmmaking peers, he says the knowledge shared during the Masterclass is practical and directly relevant to his future work.
“I can apply it to commercial productions, documentaries and narrative filmmaking,” he says.
“It has also given me more confidence to continue developing my own stories and to approach filmmaking with greater intention, especially during the writing, pre-production and directing stages.”
During the Masterclass, Meraz began to develop two short-film concepts and hopes to take it a step further by creating a feature film/documentary about Samoa, in some way, while MP Studios Samoa continues working on several other projects with local, regional and international organisations, he says.
“My long-term goal is to create more original Pacific films, grow the local production industry and provide opportunities for emerging Samoan creatives to gain practical experience – and maybe just maybe, a design school in Samoa for the future creatives and innovators.”
Meraz says there is no shortage of talent or stories in the Pacific, but access to training, resources, funding, and professional networks can be limited.
“Programmes like this help bridge that gap while encouraging Pacific filmmakers to tell our own stories through our own perspectives, while strengthening connections between filmmakers across the region and show emerging creatives that it is possible to build a career in the industry without leaving their culture or identity behind.”
At the conclusion of the first workshop in Samoa, Stallone says holding the Focus on Film Masterclasses in the respective islands of each successful team, is all about ensuring the short films made shows what makes their storytelling unique.
“MP Studios led by Meraz Parker Potoi certainly made that clear with their first short film made during the Masterclass titled Aisinga on the Cake, a film that brings a surprising amount of heart which will echo with a Samoan audience.
“I am looking forward to Pasifika TV sharing this film with Samoa and the Pacific in the future,” Stallone says.
Successful Masterclass and Shorts Fund recipients:
- MP Studio (Apia, Samoa)
- Cook Islands TV (Rarotonga, Cook Islands)
- Pacific Standard Time (Rarotonga, Cook Islands)
- Suva Hotspots and Histories (Suva, Fiji)
- Tali Films (Suva, Fiji)
- The WANS Ltd (Port Moresby, PNG)
- Pixel Production (Port Moresby, PNG)
- Dreamcast Theater (Solomon Islands)
- Native Lens (Solomon Islands)
- Knew Country (Honolulu, Hawai’i)