Homegrown TV

Homegrown is a New Zealand content production company owned by Jude Dobson.

Outputs have been diverse - filmed content is the first, true love. End to end video production ranges from long-form prime time broadcast documentaries and multi camera non-broadcast events, to television series and short-form digital web series.

Similarly, written work ranges from running a writing team of academic writers producing child development literature reviews to more public facing content for the Woman’s Weekly. The driver that feeds everything though is wanting to tell a good story.

The company came into existence in 2002, when Jude’s daily lifestyle show she had anchored for five years ‘5 o’clock with Jude Dobson’ (and previously to that ‘5.30 with Jude’ ) was not renewed. She decided to go behind the camera and produce content she felt passionate about.

‘Homegrown’ - the name - came about because as a mum of young children, the company was to be run from home, and she wanted to make homegrown NZ content. The original content focused on what it took to raise a family, something she was living every day as a mother of three children. Given children were also ‘grown’ in a home, the company name seemed the perfect fit all round. 

Jude also knew that the impact of the first years is life-long. The first 1000 days (conception to age two) is a formative period that sets a child up for life. It is when their ‘blueprint’ for the adult they later become is being formed, as their neural pathways connect.  This knowledge, coupled with her background as a registered nurse and her own ongoing research in this area of interest, made child development and parenting support a key area of focus for early content production.

And so, having pitched and got the broadcast green light, found the funding from the market and formed a production team, the first series was underway. Employing passionate parents enthused about the content, meant production managers, directors, researchers and writers would mostly work remote (before remote WFH was even a thing).

Homegrown has been Jude’s vehicle to make a myriad of content since 2002. Most of the broadcast commissioned work has sold offshore and enjoyed diverse international audiences. While most projects are video based requiring contracting of a production team, other ‘Homegrown’ projects are solo ventures for Jude. Her skill base has increased over time from presenting to researching and writing, producing and directing, event management, consulting work and governance. Collaborating with stakeholders is a rewarding part of the production process to pull an idea together with them and see it to fruition.