E-NEWS
EDITION #033
September 2012
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings Editing Colleagues,
Spring is in the air, a spring in your step too I hope.
What a month for quality viewing of Australian television drama. Congratulations to ASE Members Rod Balart for his fine work in 'Howzat'. Deb Peart and Nicole La Macchia for their fine work in 'Puberty Blues'.
On the silver screen, congratulations to Dany Cooper ASE with her film 'The Sapphires' cracking the $10million takings at local Box Office. Also to Rod Balart (again) for his work in 'Storm Surfers 3D', attracting a tremendous response.
This year is the tenth anniversary of our first Accreditations. The Class of 2002 - congratulations to Nick Beauman ASE, Jill Bilcock ASE, Alec Cullen ASE, Henry Dangar ASE, Denise Haratzis ASE, Denise Haslem ASE, Roberta Horslie ASE, Veronika Jenet ASE, Bill Russo ASE, Ken Sallows ASE, John Scott ASE and Ray Thomas ASE.
Next month, we'll be celebrating their successes, in NSW and VIC. Stay tuned for details!
Free AVID training for ASE Members continued to travel the country, with Brisbane and Adelaide receiving guidance from ASE Member David Forysth. Thank you David for sharing your knowledge.
Entries are now closed for the 2012 ASE Awards. Best wishes to all those who have entered. A personal thank you to all volunteer judges. Your task will start soon, accompanied by complimentary popcorn.
Accreditation submissions close end of this week.
Remember, it really is a matter of "what can you do for your Guild?".
Please let us know what you'd like to contribute or make available to share.
Let's find great comfort in supporting each other.
Regards,
Jason Ballantine ASE
ASE President
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VICTORIAN UPDATE
I want to the thank the mammoth effort of the Vic committee who’s toil has presented 5 events in the past 6 weeks. Absolutely ridiculous I know but enjoyed by ASE members and a wide variety of new faces as we did joint events with ACCTA, ATOM and MIFF. Guys you are champions!
I would also like to acknowledge the participants who gave up their time to talk about that thing we love - Peter Carrodus ASE, Scott Gray ASE, Andy Canny, Chris Hocking, CJ Dobson and Roslyn Di Sisto, Sasha Dylan Bell, Nick Meyers ASE, Rodrigo Balart, Stephen Witherow, MaryJeanne Watt, and Karen Fleming.
Unsurprisingly Richard Greenhalgh is flooded with events to be edited for the Art of Guillotine so if you could volunteer some time to flex your editing skills he would be delighted to hear from you. Maybe there’s an event you missed you wished you hadn’t. Please contact [email protected] and let us know.
On September 5th the Howzat! The Kerry Packer Wars went down a treat with an abundance of show and tell material to get a great idea of creativity and dealing with the archival footage. Patrick McCabe organised this marvelous event with aplomb, Karen Fleming was a fab moderator plus the speakers (mentioned above) were marvelous.
It is a thrill to announce in October Jill Bilcock ASE ACE will be doing an ASE event on P J Hogan’s Mental. Those of us lucky enough to see the film at the closing night of the Melbourne International Film Festival know that a treat is in store. This is not an event to miss. We’ll keep you posted.
On that note have a spectacular September!
Cindy Clarkson
ASE Victorian Chair
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEET THE MEMBER:
DAVE FORSYTH
Dave Forsyth has been in production (one way or another) for over 25
years. He is an Avid Certified Senior Instructor and has been teaching
editors all about the wonders (and vagaries) of the Avid Media Composer
since 1995. Armed with a keen eye, a sense of humour and the fervent
desire to keep the bank from foreclosing on the mortgage, he is willing
and ready to tackle (almost) any job.
I knew I wanted to work in post when… It became obvious that actors and I
were never going to agree, that lights were always going to be too high
up, writing just could not keep me awake long enough for me to produce
anything useful and I was too darn lazy to lug a camera around all day.
My first break in the industry was… Compiling ads and cutting short
cooking segments on tape for a company who screened this stuff (off VHS)
on TVs hanging off the walls in shopping centres.
The thing I love most about editing is… Taking all those little bits they
bring me and have it come out the other end all making sense. And then
delivering something they never expected; something more than the sum of
its parts.
The best tip I've got for aspiring editors is… Be flexible. Learn not to
be too precious and to collaborate. Take pride and care in what you do
and remember always that the great idea you have may not be the best one.
If I wasn't in postproduction I'd be… a builder... and probably rich!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEET THE MEMBER:
ANGE GRAF
I knew I wanted to work in post when… I was 15 years old, hiding my film texts, scripts and shooting schedules under my math books in class. I remember feeling lucky compared to my friends at school - everyone still so confused about what they wanted "to BE". I made films so that I could edit them. I always knew I would be an editor. After studying FTV at high school and then at QUT, I was fortunate to be awarded a scholarship with AFTRS in Digital Non-Linear Editing. I cut documentaries, short films, music videos - anything I could to get more experience and enjoyment. I knew I had a knack for it and nothing made me happier.
My first break in the industry was… I got a very coveted junior position at Brisbane Post Production Services (now The Post Lounge). I learned everything from tapes and linear online (that has to give away my age a little!) to SGI-based systems such Flint and Flame to of course, AVID non-linear Editing. I worked on Television Commercials - both international and domestic, Marketing and Music Videos. I was young; I worked very hard and learned so much from the constant workload and from the very talented senior staff there. Then, I travelled to Sydney where I worked in Music Television for cable and free-to-air TV as an AVID editor for over 5 years. My passion and specialty has always been working with music. Again, I cut short films and music videos in my spare time, forming relationships with talented directors and producers, while working at MTV and SONY Music.
I have been back in Brisbane for almost 4 years now and I have been working as an editor in reality television, cutting teasers and program content for shows like Channel 9's "The Voice" and at the moment, I’m working on "Big Brother".
The thing I love most about editing is… It is the last writing stage. It is storytelling. Without great editing, a project can never be truly exquisite - just as without great music. It is in the edit where so much of the magic happens. Music, Video, Story - enuf sed.
The best tip I’ve got for aspiring editors is... Edit. edit Edit. The best way to learn and improve is to DO. Never get distracted from the art of story. Stay inspired, persevere and NEVER give up.
If I wasn’t in postproduction I’d be… behind the scenes in Theatre, or the CIRCUS….
http://www.linkedin.com/in/angegrafeditor
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEET THE COMMITTEE:
JEANETTE McGOWN
Jeanette was considered the ‘arty’ one in the family and as a child became obsessed with films due to the family drive-in movie outings in an outback mining town. She wanted to be a cinematographer but in the mid-1970s was often told it was not a role women pursued. After a few years of overseas travel, some short courses in cinematography, and FTV, and despite pressure to continue a career in computing, Jeanette was able to find work as an editor and to later teach editing at Queensland University of Technology. She has edited short and long dramas, documentaries, art videos, TV news, corporate and educational productions.
I knew I wanted to work in post when… I was working as a computer operator (massive big main-frames which would now be the size of an I-pad) and a couple of days a week before my night shifts I would go and see two movie features in a row. I started to become really aware of how the films were put together and techniques that were being used. If I admired the editing, I often saw the same film two or three times just so I could look for something that I hadn’t noticed before. I realised how important the role of editing was to the story and that I would love a career as an editor.
My first break in the industry was… In 1985, I had just completed an associate diploma in FTV and went for an interview at ABC-TV in Brisbane for an assistant film editor’s position. The job went to someone who had already been working there but they called me back for 11 months temp work as a film assistant and news editor until company structure changes. It was a fantastic start in the industry and made an easy transition into successful freelance work, including further work at the ABC.
The thing I love most about editing is… I love just about everything about editing --– except some of the long hours and annoying technical things! A couple of the things I love about teaching editing is showing students the wonder of the craft and the skill editors can possess in problem solving and storytelling.
The best tip I’ve got for aspiring editors is… Watch lots, cut lots, ask lots, listen lots, network lots. Don’t be afraid to experiment but understand the needs of the story.
If I wasn’t in postproduction I’d be: Retired.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEET THE COMMITTEE:
ALEX FITZWATER
I did my first edit on a BVU in my dads study. I was 12 and I loved it. Cutting together footage from Top Gun To Metallica's 'Creeping Death' was a turning point and after a varied 12 year career I'm now lucky enough to work with my friends at theneedle.tv in Brisbane, combining music and video on a daily basis for interesting projects. Seeing the guild take shape in Queensland this year has been great. It will be a great way to connect with other post professionals around the country and to encourage new talent while learning from Australia's best editing knowledge base.
I knew I wanted to work in post when… I discovered I enjoyed it.
My first break in the industry was… Ambience in Crows Nest: 2001. A great group of talented and friendly editors, animators, producers and designers, all under one roof. It really opened my eyes to the possibilities available in post to tell any kind of story.
The thing I love most about editing is… Finding unusual ways to tell a story.
The best tip I’ve got for aspiring editors is… The next 20 years will be very interesting for our field of work. Get involved!
If I wasn’t in postproduction I’d be… Married.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEET THE SPONSOR:
BLUE POST
Over the last decade, Melbourne post production house Blue Post has been growing steadily and surely within the local post production community. They focus predominantly on long form work, which makes sense when its founders are prolific editor Peter Carrodus ASE and Post Production Supervisor/Line Producer Peter Millington. We caught up with the Peter M in Melbourne recently to get the lowdown on this very busy house!
“Peter and I met on The Secret Life of Us back in 2000 and we basically saw an opportunity to take on some of the more mechanical stuff like conforming and mastering,” Peter states. “Our growth was gradual we started on some of Secret Life and then in the mid 2000’s there was the emergence of these grading technologies and high def editing systems with prices coming crashing down. So rather then outlay a million bucks you could dip your toe in and build the equipment up without having to bet your life on it”.
It’s a business mantra that is proving quite successful for the two Peters. Peter Carrodus continues to freelance as an editor while Peter Millington took on looking after the business full time in 2008 as the companies profile and workload began gaining momentum. They also recently moved to larger premises to allow an upgrade to their storage infrastructure and accommodate their busier workload. “The growth and timing of it has been good because we came in at a point were all of these technologies were becoming more accessible so we never had to buy gear that became quickly redundant. Our entry to the market happened when film was on its way out and it’s allowed us to build organically”. Their South Melbourne premises in Yarra St allows them to facilitate digital cinema post production, HD online editing, colour grading and mastering, VFX design, supervision and implementation, offline editing, tech support and creation of data centric post workflows amongst other services.
“There are two areas we want to push into more, they are VFX and Digital Cinema,” Peter explains “DCP delivery of film, not having to deliver prints anymore has opened a huge door for us. Nobody wants prints, in six months time you won’t be able to screen a print in Australia as virtually every cinema will be digital”. They also recently completed two telemovies with a heavy VFX shot count. These included the Channel Nine telemovie Beaconsfield, and a soon to be aired American telemovie called Fatal Honeymoon, “this was a huge job for us with over 50 VFX shots, a big grade a tight turnaround and shooting on 2 Epic cameras, which meant it was very data heavy”
With their strong editorial backgrounds, both Peter’s also ensure that the assistant editors they employ are given more opportunities to cut and learn, rather then sit in a pile of data. In long form (TV Drama particularly) there is more demand for online content, recaps and promos to accompany delivery of episodes; “we get assistants cutting stuff like that, it’s a really good way to them cutting material that is important and then getting feedback from editors and producers.”
2012 has proved a massive year for Blue Post and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of things slowing down. Recent productions include Dangerous Remedy & Time of Our Lives (both for the ABC), the third series of Offspring and documentaries Dr Sarmast’s Music School & Exodus from Croker Island.
For more information go to www.bluepost.com.au
Peter Carrodus ASE
Peter Millington
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPONSOR UPDATE:
DIGISTOR
NewTek Unveils TriCaster 40
The Most Complete HD Multi-Camera Video Production Studio Under $6,000
NewTek has unveiled TriCaster (TM) 40--the company's latest entry in its TriCaster family of live production systems. TriCaster 40 creates a new entry point for broadcasters and producers who need full-resolution, HD, multi-camera live production and streaming capabilities, at a breakthrough price. Distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Adimex, the easy-to-operate, integrated, desktop system is the first on the market to offer such a comprehensive set of real-time video production capabilities retailing locally for under AU$6,000 inc GST.
READ MORE HERE…
http://www.digistor.com.au/News/News2012/NewTekUnveilsTriCaster40.aspx
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPONSOR UPDATE:
AVID
The recent Avengers webinar is now available on demand!
Webcast and Q&A– archive
In case you missed it (or want to see it again) we’ve got The Avengers—The Editing Team Speaks webinar waiting for you to watch at your leisure.
Meet The Avengers team—editor Jeff Ford, assistant editors Robin Buday and Matt Schmidt—and hear how they helped create one of the most successful films of all time with the help of Media Composer®, Pro Tools®, and Avid® shared storage...
READ MORE & SEE IT HERE…
http://apps.avid.com/Avengers-archive/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVENT REPORT:
ASE Digital Workflows - From Shoot to Screen
Tuesday31st JULY, Melbourne.
ASE Victoria recently hosted yet another insightful ‘tech-based’ event that focused on digital workflows. We were fortunate to have a panel of highly skilled practitioners from some of the best post facilities in Melbourne. They were:
Chris Hocking - Postproduction Supervisor at The Butchery, and Technical Director of Late Nite Films.
Roslyn Di Sisto – Colourist at Method Studios (formerly MRPPP)
CJ Dobson - Colourist at Illoura
The panel elaborated on a number of areas including standard workflows for colour grading, popular camera formats they currently deal with in the commercial verses independent stream, film verses digital, EDL’s verses XML’s, file management and some discussion on the much debated topic…the future in editing software!
The evening was hosted by Swinburne School of Film & Television at the Prahran campus. Everyone seemed to enjoy the panel discussion and there were lots of questions from the audience throughout the night. There were approximately 45 people in attendance, many of whom stayed on after the more formal discussion to chat further with panel members over tea and coffee.
It was also good to see a number of students and lots of non-members in attendance, including Agostino Soldati (Editor, music videos & corporate) who followed up by sending an email not only commending the event, but pledging to become a member:
Wanted to say I really enjoyed last night’s session at Swinburne. It was insightful and illuminating and the hosts were so humble and helpful.
Great stuff.
So thanks again to all the panel members, Chris, Roslyn and CJ for their generosity in sharing their knowledge and time with us. Also, thanks to the ASE Victorian Committee including Patrick McCabe who organized the event, our moderator Rob Nairn, Rob Buttery for taking care of the door, Sasha Dylan Bell and Richard Greenhalgh thanks for filming, Jill Holt for Swinburne and Cindy for stills!
So the upshot is, more ‘tech based’ events…and we’ll keep you posted!
Jill Holt
ASE Victorian Committee Member
L-R: Rob Nairn (moderator), Roslyn Di Sisto, CJ Dobson, and Chris Hocking.
EVENT REPORT:
Nick Meyers ASE rocks the MIFF House.
At 11 am on Sunday the 12th August a sell out group of keen and bleary eyed editors, film makers and curious assembled in the cosy confines of ACMI’s studio 1. With a brand new spanking ASE signage to lead the line (thanks to Mel Annan for bringing it down) Nick spoke for two hours using Balibo and The Rocket as examples.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
http://www.screeneditors.com/cms/documents/Nick%20Meyers%20ASE%20rocks%20the%20MIFF%20%20House.pdf
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVENT REPORT:
Lifting the Lid - Factual and Reality Television
Tuesday 14th August, AFTRS
A wonderful night exploring Factual and Reality cutting - something we rarely get an insight on. We heard and saw work from Dana Hughes (I Will Survive, My Kitchen Rules, Bondi Rescue), Sam Wilson (Masterchef, Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta, The Biggest Loser), Nikki Stevens (Recruits, The Family, Big Brother) and Marissa Bacon (Masterchef, Missing Persons Unit, The Renovators).
It was great to see Factual editors centre stage and hear about their different work patterns, ways to approach those huge and ever-growing pile of rushes and the importance of ethics in factual cutting and the issues faced when dealing with real people on screen.
Belinda Fithie also joined us to shed some light on the factual television post-production work flow.
Panel - Left - Right: Belinda Fithie, Sam Wilson, Nikki Stevens, Dana Hughes, Marissa Bacon
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVENT REPORT:
Lifting the Lid 2 - Television Drama
Wednesday 5th September, AFTRS
An evening filled with stories, insight and advise from highly experienced Television Drama editors - Nicholas Holmes ASE (Redfern Now, Underbelly: Badness, The Straits), James Manche ASE (Packed to the Rafters, All Saints, Dance Academy), Nicole La Macchia (Puberty Blues, Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms, East West 101) and Antonio Mestres (The Great Mint Swindle, Crownies, Sea Patrol).
We saw examples of their work and it was fascinating to see how television drama editing has changed over the years. Old rules like not cutting down the line and not crossing the line are now thrown out as television audiences embrace faster paced cutting and different editing styles.
With unbelievably fast turn arounds there was a common theme - trust your instincts when putting the scene together. It's also important to present a really good first cut as sometimes that is what ends up on air. There's also a great sense of freedom in cutting television drama once you've built up trust with a production team and network executives.
To work in this area you obviously have to have an amazing work ethic and it's important to build up those good relationships with directors and producers. Advice to people wanting to get into cutting television drama is "don't be afraid to assist" as that's where a lot of our panel started out.
A big thanks to all the panellists on both nights for taking the time to share their stories with us and a special thanks to Committee Member Deborah Peart for organising both events and doing a wonderful job as Moderator.
Panel - Left - Right: - Nicole La Macchia, James Manche, Nicholas Holmes, Antonio Mestres
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS:
AACTA Awards Screenings - Join AACTA for Complimentary Admission and Voting Rights
The second Awards of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television (AACTA) are under way, with the first Non Feature Film Nominees and Feature Films in Competition recently announced. These films, each competing for an AACTA Award, will screen at the AACTA Awards Screenings in Sydney and Melbourne during October. The Screenings are held for judging purposes - voting is your opportunity to recognise excellence in your craft. Screenings are complimentary for AACTA members.
To attend and to vote, become an AACTA member by 28 September. Join today
AACTA Raymond Longford Award - Call for Recommendations
AACTA is now seeking recommendations for the AACTA Raymond Longford Award, the highest honour that the Australian Academy can bestow upon an individual. The Award recognises a person who has made a truly outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Australia’s screen environment and culture.
To submit a recommendation, please provide a letter detailing your chosen candidate's achievements and your thoughts on why they should be considered for the Award. Please also provide a copy of the candidate’s CV or brief filmography.
Email recommendations to Awards Manager, Chloe Boulton, by Friday 28 September 2012.
CONTINUATION OF AACTA MEMBERSHIP REDUCTION FOR ASE MEMBERS
In order to expand our services and membership program, we have revised our price structure and as such, we invite members of ASE to become members of AACTA at the rate of $80 (full AACTA membership is $110). This is a saving of over 25%.
For further information, or to join please visit WWW.AACTA.ORG/MEMBERSHIP
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITING & VFX SHORT COURSES - AFTRS OPEN
AFTRS Open has a host of upcoming Editing and VFX short courses including Avid Media Composer 101 and 110, Advanced After Effects and Cinema 4D - An Introductory and Advanced course. Plus we have Final Cut Pro The Basics (V7) in Brisbane17 Sept andData Management for Editors in Melbourne on 20 Oct. That’s just a small taste of what’s on offer at AFTRS Open.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE…
http://www.screeneditors.com/cms/documents/AFTRS_Courses_Sept2012.pdf
For a full list of Editing and VFX courses visit: http://www.open.aftrs.edu.au/courses/courses+for+industry/editing
Any questions? Contact AFTRS Open 1300 065 281 / [email protected]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Motion Picture Industry Benevolent Society Appeal
The MPIBS has been serving the industry for over 80 years, providing financial and emotional support for cinema industry workers. As well as providing Winter Comfort and Christmas Cheer packages, MPIBS assist with payments for pharmaceuticals, Vital Call units for those living alone, Sleep Apnoea machines as well as small subsidies to assist with paying for electricity, gas & water bills. Whatever the genuine or special need is, the MPIBS endeavours to help. Despite the generous and regular support from individuals in the industry, as well as monies from some Cinema Exhibition and Distribution companies, there is always a substantial shortfall every year.
Cheques should be made out to: -
Motion Picture Industry Benevolent Society (no abbreviations please)
and posted to: -
Bruce Leonard, Secretary, MPIBS
9 Collins Crescent
Lapstone, NSW 2773
Donations can also be made by direct deposit to the MPIBS's
ANZ Bank Account
BSB: 012-010
ACC: 8643764
(Donations of $2 or more are Tax Deductible)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ON THE WEB:
Q&A – Christopher Gay (Emmy-Nominated Editor)…
http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/2012/08/christopher-gay-interview.php
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting the flick: Movies to be seen in a new light…
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/getting-the-flick-movies-to-be-seen-in-a-new-light-20120803-23knj.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
And for anyone that has missed the fantastic ASE promo…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdm-V04pyFA&feature=player_embedded
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
"The essence of cinema is editing. It's the combination of what can be extraordinary images of people during emotional moments, or images in a general sense, put together in a kind of alchemy."
- Francis Ford Coppola
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Until next time…
The ASE Committee