SoundLabs International

New Zealand Residency

Option 1: December 22, 2026 – January 3, 2027

Venue: Wellington, New Zealand

Why Wellington?

Wellington offers an exceptional concentration of professional, educational, and creative collaboration opportunities, making it an ideal setting for a transformative SoundLabs International experience. As New Zealand’s capital city and a globally recognized creative hub, Wellington provides direct access to leading practitioners and institutions across film, music, sound design, theatre, game development, and academia. Its compact, walkable layout fosters close connection between cultural venues, universities, studios, and performance spaces, while its strong reputation as a UNESCO City of Film underscores its international standing in screen and media arts. Surrounded by dramatic natural landscapes and rich cultural attractions, Wellington combines artistic energy, innovation, and inspiration—creating an environment that is both creatively stimulating and deeply memorable for students.

Park Road Post Production

• One of the world’s premier post-production facilities

• Known for:

• film scoring mix stages

• sound design & editing

• Possible talk or virtual walk-through

• Strong educational precedent for hosting visiting creatives

DAY 1 – Arrival, Listening & Musical Orientation

Morning / Afternoon

• Arrival, check-in

• Light walk along Wellington waterfront

• Acoustic awareness exercise: listening to a new city

Evening

• Opening Listening Seminar

• NZ composers (concert + film)

• discussion: musical voice vs. style

• Creative journal setup

• Short composition prompt (motivic sketch)

DAY 2 – Music, Place & Cultural Sound

Morning

• Guided visit to Te Papa Tongarewa

• Māori approaches to sound, rhythm, and storytelling

• listening as cultural responsibility

Afternoon

• Composition lab:

• place-based harmony & rhythm

• sound as narrative, not decoration

Evening

• Student works-in-progress sharing

DAY 3 – Composer Craft: Technique & Voice

Morning

• Intensive composition workshop:

• motivic development

• texture

• pacing

Afternoon

• Individual coaching sessions

• Score study seminar (20th–21st c. repertoire)

Evening

• Guided listening:

• orchestral vs chamber thinking

DAY 4 – University Composer Exchange

Morning

• Visit to Victoria University of Wellington

• Composition department visit

• Faculty or postgraduate composer talk

Afternoon

• Joint composer workshop:

• peer critique

• notation clarity

• rehearsal realities

Evening

• Free composing / practice time

DAY 5 – Filming for Composers

Theme: Composers create the image to serve the sound

Morning – Visual Thinking for Composers

Workshop:

• How composers think visually:

• pacing

• gesture

• silence

• movement vs stasis

• Viewing examples where music drives visual meaning

Guest context (optional):

• Short session with Film Wellington
  (location use, visual storytelling, working with crews)

Late Morning – Location Scouting

Small groups rotate through:

• Wellington waterfront

• Mount Victoria lookout

• Urban textures (stairs, alleys, light/shadow)

Focus:

• framing

• motion

• emotional intent
  —not cinematic perfection

Afternoon – Filming Lab

Students film:

• short atmospheric scenes (30–90 seconds)

• minimal dialogue

• music-driven pacing

Constraints (intentional):

• no dialogue-heavy scenes

• no narrative complexity

• visuals must invite music

Faculty emphasis:

“You are filming for the composer, not the camera.”

Evening – Scoring Begins

• Import footage

• Spotting session:

• where music enters

• where it should not

• First scoring sketches

• Peer feedback