SEE PAGES 14 & 15 FOR BEACH HOP FEATURE
Te Kai Whakarongo 1 April 2025 | Proudly locally owned and operated Issue 1151 Circulation 9000
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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA
BASKER ROAST NIGHT Every Wednesday night from 5pm Pork, lamb, chicken or beef Buffet salad and sauce bar Bookings recommended
(07) 866 2090 info@theinformer.co.nz
3A Reweti Drive (opposite Mobil) www.basker.co.nz info@basker.co.nz Phone: 07 866 0645 Hours 8.00am to late
TINA’S MUSIC BY LOCAL COMPOSER Sebastien Pan has been a local resident of Whitianga for the past 10 years. He is a film composer, and the latest project he worked on is the movie “Tinā”
S
ebastien composed, produced, and recorded the music for this film, and it has been performing exceptionally well at the New Zealand box office. Since its release a month ago, it has remained #1 and has broken several records for a New Zealand film, including the one for the film with the widest release across the country. It has comfortably entered the top 10 of the highest-grossing NZ films of all time.
THE INFORMER INTERVIEWED SEBASTIEN
Q: You wrote the music and produced the music for Tinā – how did that journey begin?
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A: I’ve been working internationally as a composer for 15 years, scoring films and TV projects across different countries. But despite living in New Zealand for a decade, I never had the chance to work on a local production. That shifted a couple of years ago when I collaborated with Coromind to compose the music for an advertisement for the Mercury Bay Museum. It was a small project, but I really enjoyed the experience. That’s when I realised I wanted to bring my experience into projects that resonate with the people and culture here. So, I started looking into films in production in New Zealand and came across Tinā. The pitch immediately caught my attention. It had a strong emotional core, powerful themes, and a perspective that felt both unique and universal. I reached out to Dan Higgins, one of the
producers, to express my interest. He liked my profile and arranged a meeting with Miki Magasiva, the director. From our first conversation, I felt an immediate connection with him and his vision. He had a clear idea of the film’s emotional tone, but he was also open to creative discussions about how music could deepen the impact. We had a series of meetings to explore different directions, trying to find the perfect balance between subtlety and emotional weight. The goal was never to impose music onto the film, but to let it emerge naturally from the story itself. That collaborative process wasn’t just about composing a score, but about shaping an experience that would resonate with audiences on a deeper level. That’s how my journey with Tinā began. Continued on pages 2 and 3
The Coromandel Informer – 1 April 2025 | 1