Business Showcase brought to you by Screen NZ International l 21 September 2026
Halcyon Digital:
Engineering Confidence Behind Every Frame
Power of the Dog Image : Courtesy of Kirsty Griffin / Netflix
Every frame of a film or television production has to arrive where it needs to be, whether in front of a director on set, with a cinematographer reviewing an image, or in the hands of a post-production team, exactly as intended. Making that happen requires sophisticated digital imaging, video engineering and production workflows. For more than 15 years, Auckland-based Halcyon Digital has brought that expertise to some of New Zealand’s most ambitious screen productions.
Founded in 2009 by friends and technology enthusiasts Johnathan Guest and Nick Burridge, Halcyon Digital emerged as filmmaking shifted from traditional film to digital cinema. Productions needed specialists who could bridge the gap between creative vision and rapidly evolving technology. Halcyon provides on-set monitoring, wireless, playback and data management, but the company has always positioned itself as a technical partner, helping productions navigate increasingly complex workflows.
That philosophy remains central today. Halcyon describes itself as a custodian of the image, managing picture quality from camera through to post-production. Every project is approached with bespoke workflows and custom-engineered solutions. They tailor to specific requirements, rather than relying on standardised systems.
This approach has earned the company a reputation for solving problems others avoid. Whether working in remote forests, on windswept beaches or aboard boats at sea, the team embraces technically demanding environments. Its Morningside headquarters includes an in-house fabrication workshop with CNC machinery, allowing the team to design and manufacture custom monitor rigs, specialised cases and purpose-built hardware when existing solutions don't exist.
Innovation has often been driven by necessity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when international productions faced unprecedented travel restrictions, Halcyon rapidly developed remote directing and monitoring systems that enabled filmmakers around the world to collaborate with crews on New Zealand sets. From low-latency communications networks to remote monitoring workflows in isolated locations, the team engineered solutions without a roadmap because productions needed them. Many continue to provide flexible production options today.
Continuous investment remains central to the business. As technology evolves, Halcyon reinvests in the latest tools and more sustainable production solutions, including electric vehicles and custom-built battery systems designed to reduce generator use on set. The aim is simple: ensuring productions choosing New Zealand have access to the technical standards they would expect anywhere in the world.
Pike River Image: Courtesy of Matt Grace
Equally important is the calibre of the people behind the technology. Halcyon's specialists are deliberately cross-trained across video engineering, IT infrastructure, colour management, data workflows and wireless communications. This multi-disciplinary approach allows Halcyon to adapt quickly to the diverse demands of modern production and reflects the ingenuity for which New Zealand's screen industry is internationally recognised.
As international productions continue to choose New Zealand while local filmmaking reaches new creative heights, Halcyon Digital remains focused on what it has done since day one. Its approach combines technical excellence with practical problem-solving, engineering confidence behind every frame.
For more information visit www.halcyon.digital
Where not otherwise specified, all imaged are owned by and used with permission of Halcyon Digital
CONTACT HALCYON DIGITAL
6 Collins Street, Morningside, Auckland
+64 9 969 2253
Johnathan Guest - Director / Owner
Nick Burridge - Director / Owner