Vince McMillan Wanted To Be A "Fancy Director In A Limousine". Instead, "It's A Lot of Emails"

For Vince McMillan, what started as a childhood obsession with movies eventually turned into a full-blown film career, honing his skills as a director’s assistant before stepping into editing, screenwriting, and directing.

Proudly hailing from Papakura, New Zealand, Vince turned his love for his hometown into the hit TV series Kura, which quickly became known as South Auckland’s answer to Outrageous Fortune. He’s also behind TVC’s for big names like Z Energy, Air New Zealand and Spark, all while making the most imperfect things look cinematic.

“Only 10 years ago, I was sitting at home dreaming of ‘man I can’t wait to be a fancy director in a limousine’. And that’s not the case. It’s a lot of emails, actually,” says Vince.

​Speaking on Reel Factory’s director spotlight series Reel Good Yarns, which sees directors share stories of their journey through the film industry, Vince delves into how music influences his filmmaking and why it’s important to unleash the hounds.

“I was always interested in film magic growing up, I grew up on TV and I loved movies. After high school, I did a film diploma, and from there, I ended up getting a job as a director’s assistant. I’m basically sitting in the front row, I’ve got my radar up and I’m thinking that’s a good tip, that’s a good trick -- that…. not so much.”

A talented drummer and guitarist, music has been a big and important part of Vince's life, and as he explains, it shapes his filmmaking.

“One of the disciplines I took away from being a drummer in a band, is there’s moments where you need to do a fancy drum fill and you get your little drum solo, but a majority of the time you’re serving the song. And I think that applies to filmmaking as well.”

A career highlight and passion project for Vince has been writing and directing three seasons of the critically acclaimed TV series Kura, a breakout hit praised for its authentic, humorous and heartfelt portrayal of young Māori life in Aotearoa.

“When I got this opportunity, I knew I wanted to depict a truer New Zealand”, says Vince.

“We filmed in Papakura, we filmed real locations, with real people, finding beauty in the banality and making imperfect things cinematic.”

Join Vince and his trusty sidekick, Hamish the Maltipoo for a cuppa, as they sit down for an inside look at the life of a director, and check out more of Vince’s work here.