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IMDbPro

John McKay(I)

  • Sound Department
  • Producer
  • Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
John McKay
Watch POW Studios Showreel 2022
Play demo reel2:43
POW Studios Showreel 2022
1 Video
1 Photo
John McKay is a creative expert and an entrepreneur. He has twice been nominated for a Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Golden Reel Award (2002, 2003) for outstanding achievement in sound editing in film, television, and across the entertainment industry. His career in film editing, sound design and mixing spans nearly five decades and includes Peter Jackson's epic Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the supervision of multiple television series and a slew of New Zealand-based feature and short film productions, most recently James Ashcroft's acclaimed Coming Home in the Dark.

John's Sound Supervision work includes over 25 New Zealand TV series throughout the 1990's including Marlin Bay, Riding High and Starunner. Over the 2000's in addition to collaborations with Peter Jackson he worked on multiple local productions.

John has won NZ Film Awards (2000, 1992, 1987) and nominations (2013, 1995, 1992) and was a nominee in the Listener GOFTA Awards (1987).

John founded POW Studios in 2015 with Matthew Lambourn (Creative Director) and Jason Canovas (Supervising Dialogue Editor) . POW Studios' now offers full sound, picture and VFX post production services to clients all over the world, from the heart and soul of New Zealand's film industry in Wellington. POW Studios has worked with Yi Animation of Guangzhou on two feature film animations, Kung Food and the highly successful I Am What I Am.

John also has a deep commitment to nurturing local talent and is a driving force behind Create Wellington the industry led collective that represents screen businesses and practitioners, advocating on issues that influence the sustainability and success of the sector. He is a on the Board of the New Zealand Screen Music and Sound Guild.
  • More at IMDbPro
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    • Agent info
    • Resume
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 3 nominations total

    Known for

    The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)
    The Rule of Jenny Pen
    6.1
    • Sound Department
    • 2024
    The Kung Fu Kid (2024)
    The Kung Fu Kid
    7.6
    • Sound Department
    • 2024
    Josh Hartnett in Fight or Flight (2024)
    Fight or Flight
    6.4
    • Sound Department
    • 2024
    John Clarke, Rawiri Paratene, Peter Rowley, Fiona Samuel, Brian Sergent, and Peter Hayden in Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale (1986)
    Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale
    7.0
    • Sound Department
    • 1986

    Credits

    IMDbPro

    Sound Department



    • Louise Jiang and Maaka Pohatu in Warren's Vortex (2025)
      Warren's Vortex
      6.9
      TV Series
      • re-recording mixer
      • supervising sound editor
      • 2025–2026
    • Finding Honk (2026)
      Finding Honk
      • foley supervisor
      • 2026
    • Trenton Colbert and Tim Hamilton in Pop (2025)
      Pop
      6.5
      • supervising sound editor
      • 2025
    • Notes from A Fish (2025)
      Notes from A Fish
      7.1
      • pow studios chief executive
      • 2025
    • Holliday Grainger, Ambika Mod, and Denise Gough in The Stolen Girl (2025)
      The Stolen Girl
      6.4
      TV Mini Series
      • supervising sound editor
      • 2025
    • Josh Hartnett in Fight or Flight (2024)
      Fight or Flight
      6.4
      • supervising sound editor
      • 2024
    • The Kung Fu Kid (2024)
      The Kung Fu Kid
      7.6
      • supervising sound editor
      • 2024
    • The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)
      The Rule of Jenny Pen
      6.1
      • supervising sound editor
      • 2024
    • Joyena Sun, Jess Hong, and Eden Hart in Grafted (2024)
      Grafted
      5.6
      • foley supervisor
      • 2024
    • Honey Kaha (2023)
      Honey Kaha
      Short
      • re-recording mixer
      • 2023
    • Freedom Fighter (2023)
      Freedom Fighter
      Short
      • supervising sound editor
      • 2023
    • Freedom Is Beautiful (2023)
      Freedom Is Beautiful
      4.6
      • sound designer
      • 2023
    • The Watch (2023)
      The Watch
      Short
      • re-recording mixer
      • 2023
    • Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary in Wellington Paranormal (2018)
      Wellington Paranormal
      7.6
      TV Series
      • supervising sound editor
      • 2019–2022
    • I Am What I Am (2021)
      I Am What I Am
      7.5
      • supervising sound editor
      • 2021

    Producer



    • Trenton Colbert and Tim Hamilton in Pop (2025)
      Pop
      6.5
      • executive producer
      • 2025
    • Notes from A Fish (2025)
      Notes from A Fish
      7.1
      • executive producer
      • 2025
    • What Will I Be Today? (2024)
      What Will I Be Today?
      TV Series
      • producer
      • 2024
    • The Life Before (2024)
      The Life Before
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2024
    • For Thom (2023)
      For Thom
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2023
    • The Understudy (2022)
      The Understudy
      6.7
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2022
    • Zero (2021)
      Zero
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2021
    • Song for Serbia (2021)
      Song for Serbia
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2021
    • Turn of the Screw (2020)
      Turn of the Screw
      5.8
      • executive producer
      • 2020
    • Nori Roller Coaster Boy (2018)
      Nori Roller Coaster Boy
      6.6
      TV Series
      • producer
      • 2018

    Second Unit or Assistant Director



    • Heart of the Stag (1984)
      Heart of the Stag
      5.7
      • first assistant director
      • 1984
    • The Lost Tribe (1983)
      The Lost Tribe
      5.3
      • first assistant director
      • 1983

    Videos1

    POW Studios Showreel 2022
    Demo Reel 2:43
    POW Studios Showreel 2022

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