David Timothy Gibson (born 1950s) is the founder of New Zealand film production company The Gibson Group. After its sale in 2013 to his business partners, he was appointed CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission.
Early life Gibson was born in Pahiatua to Christabel Gibson, a schoolteacher and later lecturer, and David Maurice Gibson, a farmer. He studied at St Patrick's College, Silverstream, a boys’ boarding college in Upper Hutt. He began a teaching degree at Wellington College of Education in Karori, but left after six weeks for a degree at Victoria University of Wellington in education and English. During this time, Gibson started experimenting with film. He purchased a Super 8 film camera and began filming his friends at concerts and producing short pieces for the University's Drama Society.
Career While still enrolled at Victoria University, Gibson began part-time work for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. This mainly involved labour, moving sets from Avalon Studios in Lower Hutt to the corporation's Waring Taylor Street locations.
In 1977, Gibson left his degree unfinished and established Gibson Films, in a rented office on Courtenay Place in Wellington. He began mining the genre of educational films, which he would then sell to schools and educational film distributors. One early piece about two children living on a high country sheep station sold to Encyclopædia Britannica.
In the 1980s Gibson Films rebranded to The Gibson Group, and their genre offering widened. Early productions included The Silent One, an adaptation of the Joy Cowley novel of the same name, filmed entirely on the small island of Aitutaki in the Pacific. It was also the first New Zealand feature film directed solely by a woman. During this period, sketch comedy also became one of the mediums Gibson Group became known for. Satirical puppet show Public Eye, inspired by the UK show Spitting Image, proved popular despite having to be toned down for New Zealand audiences. Other genres included magazine-style shows The Edge (1993–94), Sunday (1995–97), B@ckchat''' (1998–2000) and Frontseat (2004–2007).
Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, The Gibson Group broadened their mediums to work with interactive museum exhibitions both in New Zealand and overseas, including Our Space at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The popular children's shows The Simon Eliot Show and MyStory used cellphones and technology to let the audience interact with the host. MyStory was New Zealand's first show screened in a 'mobisode' format.
Gibson's other notable productions include two natural disaster dramas for television. Aftershock (2008), an earthquake drama accompanied by a documentary and website about earthquake safety. This was followed by Eruption (2010), set in Auckland's volcanic landscape.
In the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours, Gibson was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the film and television industry.
In 2013, Gibson was appointed CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission. During his tenure the commission granted funding for successful New Zealand films such as Tickled, Poi E: The Story of Our Song, Mahana, and Pork Pie''.
Gibson is currently a board member of the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency.
In June 2017, Gibson announced that he would be stepping down from the role of CEO. In a statement, Gibson said "I've thoroughly enjoyed the last few years but have always believed CEO's shouldn't stay too long in organisations like the NZFC. I'm not sure what I'll do next."
Filmography TitleYearCredited asNotesProducerThe Old Man's Story1979Short filmBlackhearted Barney Blackfoot1980Short filmThe Silent One1985The Irrefutable Truth about Demons2000Cowboys & Communists2007Documentary filmWe Do Things Differently Here2011Short filmFresh Meat2012The Last Ocean2012Documentary filmExecutive producer
Television The numbers in writing credits refer to the number of episodes.
TitleYearCredited asNetworkNotesDirectorProducerHunchin' Down the Track1980Documentary filmThe Monster's Christmas1981Television OneTelevision filmNearly No Christmas1983Television filmFirst assistant directorCuckoo Land1986Television 2Assistant directorThe Haunting of Barney Palmer1987PBSTelevision filmPublic Eye1988–89 (6)Television OneJean: The Ballet of Jean Batten1990Television OneTelevision filmAway Laughing1992TV3Undercover1991Channel 2Television filmBungay on Crime1992TV OneSkitz1993–97TV3Typhon's People1993Television filmBitter Calm1994Television filmRugged Gold1994The Family ChannelTelevision filmMirror, Mirror1995–98 TV OneNetwork TenTelly Laughs1996–98TV3Duggan1997TV OneOne Man's Poison1998TV2Television filmNewsflash1998–2000TV2Tiger Country1998TV3Television filmThe Semisis1998TV3Clare2001TV OneTelevision filmAlso writerThe Strip2002–03TV3The Insiders Guide to Happiness2004TV2Helping Hands2005Documentary filmHolly's Heroes2005TV2The Insider's Guide to Love2005TV2The Hothouse2007TV OneTime Trackers2008Seven NetworkTV2Aftershock2008TV3Television filmParadise Café2009–11CBBCTV2Ben & Jeremy's Big Road Trip2010TV3Television filmExecutive producerEruption2010TV3Television filmPanic at Rock Island2011TV2Television film
Executive producer-only TitleYearNetworkNotesThe Enduring Land1990DocuseriesShark in the Park1990–91Television OneSeries 2–3The Edge1993–94TV3Cover Story1994–96TV3Sunday1995–97Backch@t1998–2000TV OneDating Violence1999TV2Documentary filmBookenz1999–2000TV OneNo. 8 Wired2000–04TV3Op' Stars2000TV OneDocumentary filmA Tale of Three Chimps2001TV3Documentary filmTo Age or Not to Age2001TV One Documentary filmTutus & Town Halls2001TV OneDocumentary filmWho Ate All the Pies?2002TV OneDocumentary filmIn Search of the Moa2003TV2Documentary film50 Years on Their Toes2003TV OneDocumentary filmCartoonists Inc2003TV OneDocumentary filmLong Lost Sons2004TV OneDocumentary filmFrontseat2004–07TV OneFacelift2004–07TV OneDare to Be Free2004TV OneDocumentary filmTough Act2006TV2DocuseriesHere to Stay2007–08TV OneDocuseriesThe Simon Eliot Show2007TV3Welcome to Paradise2007PrimeAftershock – Would You Survive?2008TV3Documentary filmHow to Spot a Cult2009TV3Documentary filmPoking the Borax2011TV3Operation Hero2011–13TV2Series 1–3Street Hospital2013TV2DocuseriesSeries 1Survive Aotearoa2013Māori TelevisionDocuseriesPrison Families2013TV3DocuseriesDragons in a Distant Land2013DocuseriesWar News2014Prime
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