NZCS Accreditation overview
NZCS accreditation is the highest honour that can be bestowed on an NZCS member.
- NZCS accreditation means recognition by peers as a master cinematographer with a substantive body of work that reaches a consistently high, world class standard.
- NZCS accredited members must have been a NZCS full member for a minimum of three years. Prior to this they must have been a professional cinematographer for five years or more to gain NZCS full membership. Building a body of work that reaches accreditation standards usually takes considerably longer.
- NZCS accreditation is not easily achieved and full members may apply more than once before gaining accreditation.
- NZCS accreditation recognises professional accomplishment within the field or genre in which you work.
- Accredited members are the only people who are allowed to use the letters NZCS after their name.
The letters NZCS after your name is seen locally and internationally as recognition of your skills and experience. With such recognition comes responsibilities. An accredited member represents NZCS wherever they are in the world and continues to strive for the very highest level of practice and craft. They are expected to participate within NZCS and contribute to the society, passing on their knowledge and experience to upcoming cinematographers.
Considering Applying?
Membership status: If you intend to apply for NZCS accreditation you must be aware of your level of membership or ‘membership status’.
Only Cinematographer members (aka full members) may apply.
- The applying member must have worked a minimum of eight years in the role of professional cinematographer, of which they must have held the membership status of Cinematographer member for at least three years continuously.
- Members whose fees were in arrears at any time during the three-year period and members currently in arrears are not eligible to apply for accreditation.
- NZCS accreditation is intended for NZCS members who satisfy the accreditation guidelines and are either citizens of New Zealand who currently reside in New Zealand or have a strong affiliation with New Zealand.
NZCS members are responsible for monitoring their own membership status. If you are not yet a Cinematographer member (aka full member), you should change to cinematographer membership as soon as you are eligible. Once a cinematographer member, you may apply after the three-year period has been achieved.
Eligibility
You must meet the following criteria for your application to be considered:
- You must be currently active as a director of photography and not retired.
- You must have worked a minimum of eight years in the role of professional cinematographer.
- You must have been a cinematographer member of the NZCS for at least three years continuously, be in good standing and support the aims of NZCS.
- The NZCS accreditation is intended for individuals who are either citizens of New Zealand and currently reside in the country, or have a strong affiliation with New Zealand.
Applying: If you meet the membership conditions above, then you need to get a body of your work together in the form of a proposed submission.
Achieving NZCS accreditation is a really important step in your career but it may not be easy to attain and therefore the NZCS recommends the following:
- Consider if you really believe you are ready to apply based on the range and quality of your work to date.
- Put considerable thought, research and time into selecting what to include in your proposed submission.
- Allow ample time to prepare your submission as it can take a lot of time sourcing and collating your media and creating the written components.
- Optional: Reach out to two other accredited members that you may know to get their opinions and feedback on your submission before you register and complete an accreditation application form.
Evaluation of applications
Each application for accreditation is considered at length by the NZCS Accreditation Committee. NZCS accreditation is not a competition and each application is judged on its own merits.
To qualify for NZCS accreditation your body of work must demonstrate a high degree of professional competence and skills. These skills include craft skills and directing a camera crew. However, NZCS accreditation requires more than professional competence and experience. It requires a high degree of creativity and contribution to storytelling that reaches a consistently high international standard across a variety of productions and challenges within your field of expertise. A cinematographer who reaches accreditation standard is likely to be winning NZCS or ACS Awards.
Accreditation committee
The accreditation committee consists of a minimum of five accredited members who evaluate accreditation applications according to the written procedures. The NZCS board awards accreditation on the recommendation of the accreditation committee.
Some of the things that may be considered by the accreditation panel when assessing NZCS accreditation submissions. (NB: depending on the field of cinematography an applicant works in, not all points may be applicable.)
- Does the applicant shoot in a specialised field? If so, is the applicant’s work outstanding in their specialised field?
- Is the work composed consistently well?
- Is the work technically excellent?
- Is the work lit extremely well?
- Is the camera movement right for the work?
- Is the work aesthetically innovative, creative or artistic?
- Does the visual construction impress?
- Do the cinematographer’s contributions carry the narrative well?
- Are the images of a consistently high standard that the work can be considered above just professional competence?
- Does the cinematographer demonstrate the ability to achieve different looks and/or lighting?
- Is there enough work of a consistently high standard to fairly appraise the submission?
- Has any of the work been recognised Nationally or Internationally or is it of that standard?
- Has the applicant mentored others or been actively involved in the NZCS?
- Finally, is the applicant worthy of NZCS accreditation?
Expectation of accredited members
If you are considering applying for accreditation, please be aware, that should you be successful and receive your letters, it comes with a certain degree of responsibility and commitment. The Society expects your involvement on awards judging panels, on accreditation panels, offering advice to prospective accreditation applicants, participating as a mentor via the mentorship program and possibly even offering your time to either volunteer guest speak at an event or take on a paid role of tutor at a NZCS lead masterclasses or workshop.
The Society is only as good as its members, and by gaining your letters, which is indeed a privilege and the highest honour the Society can bestow on you, does in turn mean the Society expects that you will be an active contributor in order to continue the growth of the Society. We ask you to seriously consider this before you apply for accreditation.
If you don’t believe you can commit to helping the Society in some of these ways, then maybe you shouldn’t apply for accreditation.
Applications
Applications are called for annually with accreditation certificates presented at the New Zealand Cinematography Awards. The evaluation process is separate from the New Zealand Cinematography Awards.
NZCS Accreditation Committee may suggest the applicant re-applies after further developing their body of work. If the applicant reapplies within two years a second application fee will not be required.
Honorary Accreditation
On the recommendation of the accreditation committee, in rare cases, NZCS may award honorary accreditation to a cinematographer whose body of work and reputation is well known and speaks for itself. In this case there is no need for the cinematographer to submit an application. Once awarded, there is no difference between an honorary accreditation and any other accreditation.
Accreditation Committee 2025
Murray Milne NZCS (Chair), Denson Baker NZCS ACS, Sigi Spath NZCS, David Paul NZCS, Maria Ines Manchego and Donny Duncan NZCS.
Upon accreditation
An accredited member may adopt the post nominal letters NZCS for only as long as they remain a member of the society. The use of the NZCS letters after a person’s name is exclusively reserved for those who have received NZCS accreditation.
How to apply for NZCS accreditation
Guide to applying for NZCS accreditation.
If you have any questions about the application process, or you would like to discuss the process prior to making an application, email eo@nzcine.com.
