Mana’s work as Music Supervisors to the Film and TV sector over the years has won us many awards. Recent achievements of our commissioned work include Best Score for Feature Film for “No.2” and Best Score for TV Series for “The Insider’s Guide” at the 2006 NZ Screen Awards; the 2006 APRA Silver Screen award for Song of the Year for “Bathe In The River” from “No. 2” and Best Soundtrack Album at the 2005 APRA & AGSC Screen Awards for “The Extra”.  We also have considerable experience working with score composers.  We can make recommendations depending on your requirements and also assist in negotiating the composer agreement if required.

Mana Music will shortly begin work music supervising Series Two of "City Homicide", Australia’s top rating drama series. The new series will consist of 22 one hour episodes focusing on the activities of a fictional homicide squad in Melbourne. Created by the writing team behind Australia’s most successful Police based series Blue Heelers and Water Rats, CH explores the world of a homicide squad based in urban Melbourne. Produced by Maryanne Carroll, the show stars Nadine Garner, Damien Richardson, Aaron Pedersen and Daniel MacPherson as a young, ambitious and intelligent homicide team with support from the likes of Shane Bourne and Noni Hazlehurst. The show follows a squad whose ability to find the humour in some dark situations is a necessary survival trait in a world where you are surrounded by blood, grief and trauma in your daily work. This is a fast paced high-end drama with a modern sound track and a strong sense of the city in which the series is set.

One of the elements which helped make "City Homicide: Series One" such a success was the music. Last year we included songs by artists as diverse as Nick Cave, Cansei De Ser Sexy, Lisa Gerrard, John Butler Trio, Dallas Crane, Little Birdy, Clare Bowditch, Josh Pyke, My Friend the Chocolate Cake and Augie March.

“Summer Heights High” is the latest TV program from Chris Lilley, the writer and star of hit Australian TV Series “We Can Be Heroes”.  Out now on DVD, this was one of 2007's most popular shows amongst critics and fans alike.

Mana were very proud to be involved in one of the year's most important and affecting documetaries- "Rampant," produced by Penny Chapman for the ABC, is an inspiring documentary that examines how Sydney responded to the emergence of AIDs in 1982.

Mana are currently music supervising “Playing For Charlie,” an independent Australian feature film. This is an inspiring coming of age tale that "owes much of its uplifting sensibilities to the big skies of Australia and its tradition of barracking for the underdog". We are very pleased to have Lisa Gerrard on board to compose the film's score.

“Stupid Stupid Man” is a comedy set in the office of a fictional mens magazine called COQ (it’s French for rooster) and stars Wayne Hope, Matthew Newton, Bob Franklin andGeorgie Parker. COQ’s editor Van Dyke’s personal hero is Leo Sayer, so the show features many of Mr Sayer’s hit tracks and even the odd cameo from the man himself.

After a successful first series, Mana are excited to be back on board for the 2008 season.

"Bondi Rescue"

Mana are currently working on the third series of this popular show.

“Eagle versus Shark” is the debut feature by Academy Award nominated short film director Taika Waititi. The film tells the story of two socially awkward misfits and the strange ways they try to find love; through revenge on high-school bullies, burgers, and video games and stars Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords and Loren Horsley. The film features original score by The Phoenix Foundation who also wrote original songs for the film. The film also includes a couple of existing Phoenix songs as well as songs from band member Luke Buda's solo album together with works by local artist Age Pryor and internationals including M. Ward, The Stone Roses and Devendra Banhart.  The film debuted at the Sundance International Film Festival and is distributed by Miramax in North America. With successful releases in the UK and US, the film has received great reviews claiming it to be the best comedy of its type since “Napoleon Dynamite”. Besides music supervising the film Mana also negotiated a world wide soundtrack release with Disney’s label, Hollywood Records. The film is currently screening in Australian cinemas.

The second series of “Outrageous Fortune” was the highest rating of all TV series on TV3 in 2006 with the Christmas Special Telemovie capturing 60% of all screens when broadcast on Boxing Day. As a result, TV3 have commissioned a third series and Mana NZ has already started work on compiling a library of tracks for use in the series.  The first series of Outrageous Fortune is currently screening on the Nine Network in Australia and has been sold to a number of territories internationally.   mana is currently preparing a soundtrack album for release to coincide with the launch of the new series. The soundtrack CD will feature tracks from each of the three series of the show.

“Curtin - the Telemovie” is the raw and intimate story of Australian Prime Minister John Curtin, a driven and inspirational man who struggles to battle his own personal demons while serving and protecting his country during the Second World War.  The program is to be screened on the ABC in March 2007.

"Murder in the Outback" is a telemovie based on the story of Joanna Lees and the murder of her boyfriend, Peter Falconio. Produced by Matt Carroll for Network 10 and Spencer Campbell for Granada the telemovie features Bryan Brown, Joanne Froggatt and John Wood.

“The Ferryman” is the story of a group of twenty-something's who charter a boat to Fiji for the trip of a lifetime, before stumbling upon an evil that demands vengeance at any cost. A New Zealand production starring Kerry Fox, John Rhys-Davis, Tamer Hassan and Craig Hall, the film features a mix of classic and contemporary Antipodean rock music including Dragon, Split Enz, Dimmer and Shihad.

"Here To Stay" is a documentary series which looks at the social history of several of the main groups of settlers that arrived in NZ during the colonial period, and what traits make up parts of the kiwi personality and character today that can be linked to these Settler groups. Instead of commissioning an original score for the series, the producers have used instrumental excerpts from a number of existing songs including Goldenhorse, The Black Seeds, Pluto, Age Pryor and Minuit.

"The Hothouse" is the latest television drama from the Gibson Group whose "Insiders Guide" series were a major success. Contemporary and confrontational, "The Hothouse" deals with the complicated lives of five 20-somethings, who live together and are involved with the law in some way – a lawyer, three cops and a charming rogue who’s on the wrong side of the law. The series features music from a wide range of local independent artists including the Reduction Agents, Voom, Connan and the Mockasins, Luke Buda, Samuel Flynn Scott and Twinset, to name a few.