Brooke O’Donnell, General Manager, Education and Communications, recently returned from New Zealand, where she spent the week filming new content for the Ryda and Driver Coach programs. Take a peek behind the scenes.
Recently, I found myself in a place I never quite expected: standing on a dark movie soundstage in New Zealand where, rumour has it, the new Minecraft movie was filming right next door. I was watching actors play out life’s big moments — getting married, buying houses, winning football finals, hanging out with mates, and even building a father-daughter relationship over time through some very intentional one-on-one learning.
So what does all of this have to do with road safety?
Quite a lot, actually.
One of the strongest messages we hear from students is that they connect deeply with short, sharp, powerful videos — especially when those stories feel real. It’s their learning language. Thanks to a generous funding grant, we had the opportunity to expand this part of Ryda’s content, heading to New Zealand to film three new videos: two for the Ryda program and one for our parent workshop, Driver Coach.
One of the new Ryda videos explores the power of speaking up. It’s something we talk about often with young people — but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Speaking up can take a moment of real bravery, especially when you’re with friends or don’t want to rock the boat. It’s not all about courage, though; there are also some practical ways to deliver a message that can help you get the response you need. Through this video, we explore how small moments can have a big impact — and why finding your voice as a passenger is always worth it when safety is on the line.
The second video takes a different, more reflective approach. Through the evolving relationship between a father and daughter, it highlights the crucial role parents play during the learner-driver phase. The message is simple: varied experience matters. Those hours with L-plates on the car and a parent in the co-pilot seat are a rare and valuable opportunity to build cognitive skills, confidence and good habits — long before a young person is driving solo. As we often say, it’s not just the time you spend, it’s how you spend the time.
Our third shoot took us somewhere very different — out onto an airport strip — where we filmed a new Speed and Stopping video. This is always one of the biggest “wow” moments for students. Seeing just how far a car travels, and how dramatically stopping distance changes with even small increases in speed, makes the risks real in a way words alone can’t. We’ll still demonstrate this element live wherever we can, but this video gives us a great back-up for those inevitable rainy days. (Speaking of rainy days, I quickly found out that a “rainy”, in fact, “stormy” day in New Zealand does not mean a pale-skinned Aussie who forgot to pack sunscreen is safe from second-degree burns. It turns out Ryda students aren’t the only ones with lessons to be learned.)
Together, these videos add depth to Ryda’s already extensive library of content. They use young people’s voices, real-world scenarios, and a mix of warmth, humour and seriousness — all grounded in best-practice principles designed to support genuine behaviour change.
I won’t give too much more away — beyond these few behind-the-scenes images. If you want to see how these stories come to life, we’ll see you at Ryda in 2026.
Big shout out to the talented crew from One Day Video – we just love your work.
