Thirty years ago, Robert Whitehouse left the unique, sensory-rich city of Rotorua for an adventure across multiple countries that would eventually land him in London where he now resides, despite the dodgy weather. Like many of us, he was seeking ever bigger opportunities, and the UK has not disappointed.
Rob now owns one of the UK’s most successful and respected film finance entities in the industry, Piccadilly Pictures by providing funding and short-term liquidity to producers and distributors of films such as Black Water Abyss directed by Andrew Traucki, Mandy featuring Nicholas Cage and Zoo, based on a true story.
“Have a plan, any plan, but be ready for it to go out the window.”
Rob and his colleagues assess the creative and commercial aspects of a film or television project with the sole purpose of ascertaining which of these projects will and won’t work in the marketplace. They assess the risk before deciding to lend the funds required to create any new project. What most people don’t know is that it takes huge levels of optimism needed to be in the film and television industry at every stage and at every level.
Like most creative projects, without the optimism and passion of the people behind them many would have fallen by the wayside long ago. Thank goodness the people behind these projects often, simply “keep going”. Which is exactly what Robert does. He was fortunate enough to have received some great advice early in his career “Have a plan, any plan, but be ready for it to go out the window.”
Most people can guess that films and television productions cost a lot of money, what is less well known and something Robert recommends for anyone in the process of creating a project in this industry is that you should “… develop ideas that are commercial”. With that realistic approach coupled with eternal optimism, it’s no wonder Robert has had a long and successful career and business in Piccadilly Pictures. It’s why he continues to raise funds and deploy those funds to exciting, mind blowing film and television projects.
One of the biggest surprises for Robert working in the UK has been just how well prepared and adaptable Kiwis are on the international stage. We often underestimate ourselves, but Kiwis arrive with lots of resilience, pragmatism and a willingness to get stuck in, qualities that travel well in competitive industries like film and television.
As an industry, like many, film and television are shifting rapidly, and it’s those huge market changes that are what are currently influencing Robert’s thinking most. From funding and distribution to changing audience habits, it’s a constantly evolving landscape. The people who survive are the ones who stay curious, aren’t afraid to flex and keep adapting. It’s why for Robert, being part of a creative community built with New Zealanders in mind is important. It helps keep him connected to what Kiwis are achieving around the world. We have a habit of quietly doing extraordinary things without making much noise about it and a community like the Creative Kiwi Collective will help change that. It’s important we show pride in our global contribution and when it comes to what he’s most proud of creating here in the UK, Robert is understated, but building Piccadilly Pictures into one of the UK’s most respected film finance businesses is no small achievement. According to Robert, if he was to bump into his younger self, he’d probably say “Sounds like an interesting business…”
Like most of us, Aotearoa is never far from Robert’s mind and it’s the relaxed lifestyle, openness of its people, the landscape and the privilege that comes with living there that he misses most.
