rADz logo (with red r) designed and made by Barry Thomas, owner of YETI Productions who produced all NZ and UK rADz.
rADz are a series of short artistic films shown during television ad breaks in the 1990s. They were an idea by Barry Thomas, consummated[clarification needed] with two rADz he made with Red Mole in 1991 then a further four series (106) were made from 1997-2001 by New Zealand film makers. Four collections were purchased by TV3's TV4 with the proviso that all rADz were nominally paid to be in the ad breaks (selling nothing) and that all rADz would be played with credits across the TV schedule, including prime time. Around 60 further films were made in the UK, with and for small communities and later screened on late night BBC Two.[2][3]
[4] rADz were initially modelled on television adverts in New Zealand - for art versus hawking anything - so were exactly 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90 second long.[5][3] With less televisual constraints in the UK, rADz were more community focused and ranged up to 12 mins duration.[6] "As with much 20th Century art - the quest has seen the redefining of, not only the subject of art (and who the artist is) but also its means, purpose and modi, finding new 'galleries' and contesting aestheticism, the politics of 'taste' and the status quo." (Barry Thomas).
Conceptually, rADz fit within the genre of intervention art - intervening into advertising breaks with fresh, stimulating and challenging ideas and narratives. Genres are often humourous, sometimes political, alluring, whimsical and many are green. They tend to express youth culture, concerns, aspirations, vision, beliefs and lifestyles. As such rADz align with the notion of culture jamming, artists expressing skepticism about monolithic markets and media, bureaucracy and even democracy... advancing 'freedom of speech' where such freedoms have been curtailed or siloed into silence.[3][7][8][5][9][10][11][12]
"rADz interface poetry, art and film with no commercial imperative... using all the tricks and skills of advertising without having to hawk anything" - Barry Thomas.[6]
Commentators have described them as: "standing the whole idea of advertising on its head"... "did I just see that?"( Chris Trotter)[9] "Art dancing in the devil's playground." (Alan BruntonBarry Thomas)[7] An early version of tik tok: "you could just have 30 seconds of someone jumping" (Dame Gaylene Preston),[5] "You started TikTok" (Richard Moore)," Anti Ads",[5] "Searing and brilliant - geniale",[13] "A tiny slice of personal propaganda" (NZ Film Commission)[11] "getting art in the middle of commercials?" (Barry Thomas),[12] "... subversive" (Simon Vita),[12] "Imagine a bubblegum card sized piece of televisual media empire that's struck just for you. Chewing on the flavourless pap you had to buy just to win the card you see it's all worth it now. After years of short-lived tasteless sensations on the tube you've got an image you can call your own that won't walk out on you in the morning. TV's a costly business (and the programmes don't come cheap either), but now it's payback time because there's a new breed riding on the coattails of this behemoth who won't be told anymore that the price of talking TV is beyond them. Enough generations have learned the jingles, glimpsed the personalities, goggled at the visual short-hand and generally been sold short on reality to realise they've already paid their price. The Pay-back is rADz - that bubblegum card is yours. Throw away the shrink-wrapped, toll free, send-no-money-now world's stick of flavourless, sugar-coated jaw ache away and lay your cards on the table. [make rADz]" (Matt Poff call for entries collection # 2). "If there's room for advertising to interrupt art then there's room for art to interrupt advertising" - Barry Thomas.[14]
They arrived at a time at the very beginnings of the internet and digital production era when films had to be brief. The very first digital morphing had just arrived and Yeti Productions wrote its own morphing software,[15] the world's first fully capable capture board that was powerful enough to import a full 25 frames per second video had only just been invented.
Origins
Barry Thomas made environmental films,[16] commercials[9] and winning awards[8] so he offered New Zealand's national TV broadcaster - TVNZ, the idea of making short environmental clips to help New Zealanders improve their environmental footprints via mainstream Television by utilizing what were then called "Community Service slots". All broadcasters were bound by law to make these off peak, charitable promotions available to community groups.[7] Thomas had made many with the Hillary Commission - "Women in Sport", Kiwisport", Cancer Society's "Fit Food", "Salvation Army", The Department of Conservation (DOC) including Dame Whina Cooper and Jacques Cousteau.[3][8]
1 minute of TVNZ airtime per day during the "Holmes show" was dedicated to Earthcare sponsors and dozens of short clips were made advancing conservation and environmental issues. There was concern about the overall quality of production and accuracy of messaging. The brand also sold around a million dollars of sponsorship to the NZ Lotteries Commission (Lotto), Fisher and Paykel etc. at a reported $350,000 each. Sponsors received dedicated advertising spots in TVNZ's other off-peak environmental programmes. Revenue was earned from previously unsellable TV dead-time using the good names of the country's green groups. Thomas made Kevin Smith (CEO of Forest and Bird) aware of these facts in 1992. All sponsors withdrew and Earthcare was dead in two weeks.[7]
The first two "Book of life" rADz were called "Cheap Spots", made by Yeti with Red Mole which screened on TVNZ in November 1991. (From left) Alan Brunton, Carlos Wedde and Sally Rodwell. Directed by Barry Thomas and Art Directed by Russell Collins. (Thomas Photo)
Undaunted, Thomas re-jigged his idea via his art roots and reached out to Red Mole Enterprises to make the first haiku art films (with no commercial imperative). The first two rADz were made under the name "Cheap Spots" in 1992 - a collaboration between Yeti Production Ltd. and Red Mole Enterprizes.[7][6]
The first two "Book of Life" Cheap Spots aired in November 1991 and even Jenny Holzer was quoted saying "I want the work to look like it belongs on TV, but not to look like a local car ad. The jolt comes from the context".[7]
The name came from the notion that the Cheap spots played in affordable off-peak TV airtime which only cost $68 per screening.[3]
The crew: Barry Thomas - Director/ camera/ edit, Russell Collins Art Director, Alan Brunton, Sally Rodwell scripts and acting, Carlos Wedde acting.[7]
Z Spots
Thomas re-named Cheap Spots as "Z Spots" - as all TVNZ advertising was rated A-Z depending on audience size, expensive to cheap. He loaned his idea to three film makers including Jonathan Brough and Glenn Standring (Lenny Minute).[17] This became a trademark dispute with the two sides agreeing to settle out of court.[5][12]
rADz New Zealand 1997-2001
Thomas then re-named them 'rADz' which he trademarked and sought to widen access by successfully applying to the NZ Film Commission and Creative New Zealand's Screen Innovation Fund for what became the first of four successive collections of about 30 rADz each. Each Collection received c. $NZ30,000.[8][6]
The first grant was in 1996 and the first collection of 31 rADz was made in 1997. Bettina Hollings (commissioning editor of TV3) bought the first collection (and subsequent following three) for the brand new youth oriented TV4.[3]
Thomas negotiated contracts between the film makers, YETI Productions and TV3. He secured nominal payments of $500 per collection from the broadcaster so as to secure the history of having been paid to be in the middle of terrestrial TV ad breaks with art films, "selling nothing but Ideas, originality and art".[11][3] Secondly Yeti Productions was paid to manage, run competitive tendering throughout the country for film makers and pay them 50% of any sales. rADz received 500 minutes of airtime per collection on TV4 - displayed throughout the schedule including prime time. Each rAD was either 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90 seconds duration and every rAD screened with proper film credits (unlike TV ads). Film makers were each given $500 to make their rADz.[3]
He appointed two fellow adjudicators: film historian Lawrence McDonald and film maker Jane Perkins. Each Collection had its own flyer and a large screening was held to celebrate each collection at the Paramount Theatre in Wellington NZ on completion.[3][12]
In total around 100 film crews, amounting to hundreds of artists were chosen from always well patronized calls for each collection. Some film makers were seasoned like Paul Maunder and Barry Thomas (who donated his own rAD "The End..." to the first collection) but the majority were up and coming directors, actors, etc.[8]
In Collection # 2, Thomas announced "I don't care if you shoot it on sellotape, come and make history, make rADz.
rADz collection # 1 flierrADz collection # 2 flier for screening 1999. Art in the supermarket aisle, Consumers could buy tins of rADz and other "Leonardo and Duchamp specials only 2.97kg." Zoe Roland and Andy Galaxy.
Collection # 1 screened an astounding 1,530 minutes in one year amounting to more than 15 feature films.[12] Speaking of the difference between TV adverts and rADz Simon Vita reporting for City Voice Newspaper said that Johanna Sanders' rAD "Healthy Living" about the proposed destruction of inner city Wellington communities from the new urban motorway extension - "That makes worrying about whether your shampoo is going to do the biz kinda irrelevant".[12][18]
Clermont Ferrand
Jan. 2001 and Jan 2002.
Following the screening of Collection # 2 at the Paramount theatre, The NZ Film Commission's Kathleen Drumm approached Thomas to represent rADz at the next Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France in January 2000. After receiving no funding support and taking the advice from fellow film maker John Reid "It might be time to sell the motorbike" - Thomas joined the party and managed to sell rADz to In-Movies ltd. in London and Sundance TV.[12]
UK rADz
Thomas initially attempted, but failed, to attract televisual outcomes in the UK. All rADz made in the UK followed the same modus operandi. Yeti Productions worked with local groups, funders and each film was workshopped within a short period, co-scripted and film crews were selected depending on the will and passions of the mainly young participants - acting to co-directing. Thomas tended to film most rADz on his Cannon XL1 Mini DV camera (for efficiency) and edit all the rADz into a collection that was then screened back to the community in large gatherings. Participation certificates were awarded.[19][20][21]
Thomas made 30 rADz in London with In-Movies Ltd. in 2000, co-producing with In-Movies Ltd. and the youthful What-ever Pictures (Bruce). Including "Vrooom" Clare Palmer[22] and "Big man the drink of heroes"[23]
Manchester
John Wojowski of Manchester's Kino Film Festival engaged Thomas and Yeti Productions to make a total of seven collections with mainly young people poorer suburbs. The series was largely funded by the European (Community) Social Fund through the Manchester Youth College. And in a Kino Press release 16 April 2001 "rADz have been a hit all over Europe... and here in Manchester adapted to provide disenfranchised youth with vocational opportunities".[19][20]
London
BBC
Thomas was the BBC's only supplier of Blast TV's first screening of youth TV on late-night BBC Two.
He donated 26 of the 'One Minute Wonder' - rADz in 2003 to Blast TV. The following year Thomas became an advisor to Blast TV. BBC commissioned Thomas to make "Meadows Comin Thru' " which was transmitted on 18 October 2003. Each participant was awarded a Broadcast Certificate that testified that their film was included and broadcast - usually in the middle of the night. Exec Producer - Jane Quinn; Project Manager-Laia Gasch; Producer-Cathy Sheehan. (BBC CBBC Blast TV).
Pirate Castle
Sue Crockford with young Pirate filming "Masters of our canal" - with Barry Thomas. This rAD was commended with a "Communications Prize at the Tokyo Video Festival 2003.
Thomas was employed by the Pirate Castle London(inc.) part time in 2002 and full time in 2003 as resident film maker and activities co-ordinator. He lived on his own narrow boat 'Spirit' at the Pirate Castle and edited in its turret. He initiated several projects including Junior Captains, film making and the purchase of a wide beamed accessible community narrow boat.[24]
Lisson Green
Collaboration between Thomas and Sue Crockford. June 2002 North London with Groundwork London Waterways, The Pirate Castle, Featuring 2003 Tokyo Video Festival winner
He made several other series of rADz - some with Sue Crockford, Charlie Bleakley and with local Club members and others.
Market Estate
This 2002 project was described by Caroline Ryder as depicting the real difficulties faced by youth growing up on estates.[10][21] Funded by Youth Plus Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and co managed between Yeti Productions and Groundwork London. It was one of two London rADz projects that Adrian Cooper collaborated on.
Lancaster Youth Centre
Yeti with Barefoot films (Adrian Cooper). Thomas exec. produced, directed, filmed and edited the youth dance troupe (20/20) rAD. Hayden Anayasi did graphics, In the first sequence Thomas devised the idea of what was coined a year later in NYC as "Flash mob" A street beggar with a getto blaster who is approached by Dance troupe leader Monica, offers the beggar a CD. Once the music starts dancers appear out of nowhere in front of Ladbroke Grove train station. A real audience magically appears and watches the dancing and the filming. Samir Mamod was 2nd unit camera. Flash mobs are another form of culture jamming.
Porirua
"Oi what about us" a series of rADz made at Aotea College, Porirua about the effects of alcohol on young people's lives 2008.
Thomas made a series of rADz "Oi what about us" at Aotea College to highlight the role of alcohol in their lives.[25]
Aro Valley
In 2007 Thomas came to live Wellington (where he still resides) and ran a short film making course at the Aro Valley Community Centre where he also made rADz with young locals.[26]
"Happy Too" - Claymation made in the Aro Valley depicting children's aspirations for the upgrading of their valley and community centre. The Aro Valley Park is the most popular in Wellington.
Te Arohou Apartments
In 2010 Thomas, with Catherine Allison, was engaged by the Wellington City Council's Social Housing upgrades team to use rADz to engage estate young people to plan and design their own playground at the Te Arahou apartments in Newtown. They made a claymation rAD about the "animal themed" playground and a documentary about the process. The design won an Australian Design and Planning award and community artist Debra Bustin was then engaged to make the playground with the same youth. The Claymation involved the local legend of two taniwha Whataitai and Ngake, who created Whanganui a Tara - Wellington Harbour. Ngake can be viewed in the playgound. Children came up with the basketball ring to be held by a giraffe reflecting the nearby Wellington Zoo.[27][28]
Festivals
Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2000 and 2001. At the 2000 Festival Thomas met John Wojowski and Lawrence Penn from the UK who then employed him through the four years he lived in the UK. In 2001 at Clermont-Ferrand, Thomas also met Sita Banerjee of the Capalbio International Film Festival.
Sita Banerjee was employed to run Rome's Festival of Brevity for Italy's Ministry of Culture. She selected and arranged the film components of the Festival and invited Thomas to show and talk about rADz - This was covered in Il Messagero newspaper by Venice Film Festival's critics week judge Fabio Ferzetti (See further reading).[13]
↑Efford, Brent (5 April 2009). "Film making group to carry on". Valley Voice. pp.front page.
↑more, Join Wellington Scoop MembersTo keep Wellington Scoop thriving we are now Member-Supported Join a growing community of engaged Wellingtonians who believe in the power of independent journalism Find out; more, join us: Become a Member Find out. "Upgrade of council's Newtown apartments to be celebrated on Saturday". Retrieved 2025-11-29.
↑more, Join Wellington Scoop MembersTo keep Wellington Scoop thriving we are now Member-Supported Join a growing community of engaged Wellingtonians who believe in the power of independent journalism Find out; more, join us: Become a Member Find out. "Thistle Hall: Old new borrow blues". Retrieved 2025-11-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
