JOHN A GIVINS

Recently John has produced the successful situation comedy B & B  and  T Sistaz present TORU talent search entertainment series for Maori Television. He has also been the Executive Producer on the DNZ international documentary FAMILY TIES for TVNZ and Produced Farr from Heaven a documentary on the world of leading NZ Composer Gareth Farr for the TVNZ Arts programme Off the Wall.

Livingstone has also produced for Maori Television the stories of rural Maori women in the series Nga Wahine Mauri Ora. Johnny also directed the entertainment series T Sistaz Series Two.

Award winning producer John A Givins has a successfully varied career based on four aspects of his creative talents. In addition to his work as a television producer and director, he is a media teacher and an actor.

He has extensive experience in all genres of television, from children’s (In Focus, Short Sportz) and magazine programmes (Asia Dynamic, Kaleidoscope) to drama (Shortland Street, Country GP) and comedy (LaughInz, Theatresports) to arts documentaries (Magic Kiwis Herbs); sports (1990 Commonwealth Games) and live events (Wearable Art Awards, Halberg Awards, Fashion Collections).

After University (MA Hons), he worked in theatre as an actor and director for seven years before moving into television in 1982. He worked as director and producer for TVNZ in most departments: special interest programmes, drama, arts, children’s and entertainment. In 1989, he left TVNZ to establish Livingstone Productions.

Livingstone Productions, with Johnny at its helm, has had a busy time since the new millennium continuing to produce Queer Nation through its eleventh series while spending 12 months on the high-rating documentary series Captain’s Log and producing a short film The Hill (dir: Tainui Stephens), selected for screening at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival in the USA and other international film festivals. The company in association with Lion Rock Entertainment is also developing Witi Ihimaera’s novel The Uncles Story as a feature film with the assistance of the New Zealand Film Commission. Johnny has also assisted Mark Prebble complete his first digital feature Futile Attraction by being the Executive Producer marshalling and coordinating post production for the comedy.

In 2005 Johnny has also been the Executive Producer on the DNZ international documentary Family Ties and Producer for Farr from Heaven an arts documentary featuring NZ composer Gareth Farr both for TVNZ.

Johnny was contracted to assist Maori Television develop its inhouse producton unit and has worked closely with the programme commissioners to develop and produce the talent of the T Sistaz and B&B the leading comedy programme for the network.