Dunedin filmmaker Wayne Johnson's award-winning debut film Lost Tower did not quite follow the script he or the story's two characters had in mind. But Jo Kippax and Sean Waters manage to create a happy ending even if their ambitious climbing expedition in northern Patagonia in 2007 did not go to plan.
Even more happily for the two climbers and Johnson, the film of the expedition has won the Hiddleston/MacQueen award for best New Zealand-made film at the 2009 New Zealand Mountain Film Film Festival in Wanaka from July 3 to July 5.
Adventurers Kippax and Waters, aged in their late 30s, have impressive outdoor pedigrees and won Sparc sponsorship for their Patagonia trip. They will be in Wanaka for the film festival.
Kippax, an Australian, studied medicine at the University of Otago and works as an emergency doctor in Tasmania.
Waters was raised at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds - his parents were outdoor instructors at the New Zealand Outward Bound course - and now lives in Christchurch.
The climbers were university flatmates and have been adventure companions for many years.
Johnson first met Waters in 1995, when he was studying outdoor pursuits at Aoraki Polytechnic in Timaru.
Waters was his tutor and they soon became good friends, enjoying a variety of daredevil adventures such as climbing Otago University's Hocken Building and jumping off Mt Cargill's television tower, in the days when it could be used as a bridge swing (cables now prevent this stunt).
Johnson was raised in Whatawhata, near Hamilton, and introduced to the outdoors by his father, Jack Johnson, a former Wildlife Service ranger who now lives in the Catlins.
He owned a camera as a youngster and really enjoyed taking images. Like anyone else with a video camera and an adventurous bent, he has filmed hours and hours of his adventure activities using a hand-held camera.
Johnson moved to Dunedin four years ago, after several years working in the Queenstown and Fiordland adventure industries.
Following the birth of son Eli two years ago, parenthood is now "the new adventure" for Johnson and his wife, Anna Hughes.
During their Lost Tower expedition, Waters and Kippax spent many hours with the camera and made a comprehensive video diary.
When they got home, they presented the plethora of material to Johnson for editing and production but the full-time media producer at Otago University and sleep-deprived first-time father soon realised he could not do all-night editing stints any more.
"I was worried about hogging this really nice film and felt I had to get it out for Jo and Sean because they took so much footage. So I didn't make the film alone," Johnson is at pains to explain.
He asked his friend Graham McArthur, of Dunedin's Video Factory, for help.
Film editor Lisa Hastie, sound mixer Rudy Adrian and musicians Nathan Tane and the Julian Temple Band were also encouraged to come on board.
Lost Tower is the first film Johnson has submitted to a festival and he is thrilled with the result.
He hopes the film will also be accepted by the Banff Film Festival in Canada.
But he has no plans to give up his day job filming for the university and creating content for the university's website.
"It is really varied. And there is adventure in it, like filming a hysterectomy [for the Dunedin School of Medicine]. There are some amazing jobs, I am stoked to be here and a learning a lot about audio and post-production... I have been the fly on the wall to some incredible lectures," Johnson said.
Despite spending more time behind the camera and in production suites of late, his passion for adventure remains strong.
He will be taking his family on a "boating" holiday in Fiordland. Boating in his parlance means kayaking, white water.
• THE FACTS
Film-maker: director and producer Wayne Johnson (36), of Dunedin
Film: Lost Tower (65 minutes).
About the expedition: Big dreams by Kiwi climber Sean Waters and Australian Jo Kippax to complete the first ascent of an isolated rock tower on the northern Patagonian icecap are threatened by bad weather.
Screening: Lake Wanaka Centre, Sunday, July 5, 9.15pm. (Best made in New Zealand film; Hiddleston/MacQueen award).
About Johnson
Originally from: Whatawhata, near Hamilton.
Qualifications: Diploma outdoor recreation, Aoraki Polytechnic; papers towards a diploma in digital film, Southland Institute of Technology.
Employed: Otago University media producer.
Family: Wife Anna Hughes, son Eli (2).
Lives: Dunedin.
