Matthew
12-04-2003, 02:23 PM
by Jane St. Vincent Welch, December 1998
I was in Amsterdam with my partner Nick Torrens because our film "To Get Rich is Glorious" had been invited into the video competition section of the IDFA ( International Documentary Festival Amsterdam ). It had 3 screenings, (the second two with packed-to-the-aisle houses) with question and answer sessions after each, the audience really loved it. It was really rewarding to get such great feedback on our film.
It was also wonderful to see so many delicious documentaries at once, the added bonus being to meet the film-makers as well. The festival mood was incredibly friendly and open which meant that you also drank more beer and coffee (and smoked more cigarettes ) in 8 days than I had in the previous year!
The only other editor I met was Ot Louw. I found out in the festival program that he was the most respected editor in the Netherlands. In 1992 he was awarded the Golden Calf award, the highest Dutch honour for editing. He has edited about 350 films and videos. Ot has written a number of books about editing as well as numerous articles for film magazines such as Skrien. He also guest-lectures at Dutch Films Schools.
I asked him about editing in the Netherlands.
Ot says that about 65% of editors are men and 35% are women. In Germany 90% of editors are women. ( "Interesting, I don't know why? Just tradition?".) Documentary editors are also paid more than drama editors. I told him this was quite the opposite in Australia which he found intriguing. ("Because documentary is more difficult of course!")
The editing profession in the Netherlands is divided roughly into thirds. One third work full-time in TV, one third work in documentary (not quite fully employed) and the last third are the top line drama and documentary editors (almost fully employed).
Most feature films are shot on 16 or 35 mm and edited on film or Avid Film Composer. Avid seemed to be the preferred system, although Lightworks is also popular. Documentaries are shot on super 16, whilst cheaper productions are shot on Betacam. DV is being used more and more although it is not the norm yet. Most video productions are cut on non-linear systems but I got the impression that most film productions are cut on flatbeds.
Ot has a great set-up in the town of Bussum, about 15kms south of Amsterdam. ("you drive opposite the peak hour traffic") He has two partners, one is an established editor like himself and the other is an apprentice editor from a Dutch film school. The previous apprentice had left the editing nest to build his own reputation ("and doing very well I have to say!"). They don't have an editors guild and Ot was very keen to hear about ours and is looking forward to looking at our newsletter.
The editing apprenticeship tradition is being threatened by the impact of new technologies, as we all know. However the 7 Dutch television stations all share a central facility called NOS at Hilversum 35 kms south of Amsterdam.
This is where everyone gets his or her work experience including Ot.
He graduated in 1969 from the Dutch film academy and then worked at NOS.
Dutch TV has 2 main public stations and 5 commercial B grade stations.
After leaving NOS Ot gradually set-up his own studio until he had 2 Steenbecks, edge number machine, sound transfer suite and sound library. The sound library has an impressive 7000 fxs on a data perfect base with a cross reference system.
He now has an Avid Media Composer and an Avid Xpress. This sounds like bliss to me!
Ot works 5 days a week ("I start about 10 o'clock after a coffee, work, then we all stop for lunch, I don't like to eat in the same room as my work and then I get home about 6.30-7 O'clock, this is normal.") He works occasionally on the weekends but only to meet a deadline. A one-hour documentary takes about 8 weeks and a drama takes a week for every 10 minutes. He earns NLG 70 per hour (approx. same as our Australian dollar.) He's a happy man did I tell you?
Ot is also a busy man. He was one of the judges for the Joris Ivens Award (for best film documentary at the festival), is appearing on various panel sessions, socialising and right now is smoking 5 or so cigarettes with black coffee at 10 in the morning. One of the other judges is waving at Ot and pointing upstairs to their screening room.
I wanted to ask more about his approach to editing and style but I'll have to do that next time or learn Dutch and read his books.!
P.S. The Australian representation at the festival was impressive. There were five entries. Chris Tuckfield's "A Breath" ( editor, Nicholas Holmes) in the Reflecting Images Section , Lisa Wang's "Reunion" (editor, Andrew Narozny) in the First Appearance Section,
Chris Olsen and Penny-Fowler Smith's "My One Legged Dream Lover" (editor, Cushla Dillon), Curtis Levy's "Hephzibah" ( editor, Veronika Jenet) and our "To Get Rich is Glorious" ( editor, Jane St. Vincent Welch) in the Video Competition.
It was a great night for Australia at the Vondelkerk (the decommissioned church where the Festival's awards were presented) amid candlelight and a cascade of rose petals, when "Hephzibah" and "One Legged Dream Lover" were nominated for the Silver Wolf award for Best Documentary. The third contestant was a great French production " A Crime in Abidjan" by Mosco Boucault.
"Hephzibah" won! Curtis gave a great speech acknowledging Australian documentary and told them we'd be back!!
Thanks Amsterdam it was a wonderful experience.
- Jane St. Vincent Welch
I was in Amsterdam with my partner Nick Torrens because our film "To Get Rich is Glorious" had been invited into the video competition section of the IDFA ( International Documentary Festival Amsterdam ). It had 3 screenings, (the second two with packed-to-the-aisle houses) with question and answer sessions after each, the audience really loved it. It was really rewarding to get such great feedback on our film.
It was also wonderful to see so many delicious documentaries at once, the added bonus being to meet the film-makers as well. The festival mood was incredibly friendly and open which meant that you also drank more beer and coffee (and smoked more cigarettes ) in 8 days than I had in the previous year!
The only other editor I met was Ot Louw. I found out in the festival program that he was the most respected editor in the Netherlands. In 1992 he was awarded the Golden Calf award, the highest Dutch honour for editing. He has edited about 350 films and videos. Ot has written a number of books about editing as well as numerous articles for film magazines such as Skrien. He also guest-lectures at Dutch Films Schools.
I asked him about editing in the Netherlands.
Ot says that about 65% of editors are men and 35% are women. In Germany 90% of editors are women. ( "Interesting, I don't know why? Just tradition?".) Documentary editors are also paid more than drama editors. I told him this was quite the opposite in Australia which he found intriguing. ("Because documentary is more difficult of course!")
The editing profession in the Netherlands is divided roughly into thirds. One third work full-time in TV, one third work in documentary (not quite fully employed) and the last third are the top line drama and documentary editors (almost fully employed).
Most feature films are shot on 16 or 35 mm and edited on film or Avid Film Composer. Avid seemed to be the preferred system, although Lightworks is also popular. Documentaries are shot on super 16, whilst cheaper productions are shot on Betacam. DV is being used more and more although it is not the norm yet. Most video productions are cut on non-linear systems but I got the impression that most film productions are cut on flatbeds.
Ot has a great set-up in the town of Bussum, about 15kms south of Amsterdam. ("you drive opposite the peak hour traffic") He has two partners, one is an established editor like himself and the other is an apprentice editor from a Dutch film school. The previous apprentice had left the editing nest to build his own reputation ("and doing very well I have to say!"). They don't have an editors guild and Ot was very keen to hear about ours and is looking forward to looking at our newsletter.
The editing apprenticeship tradition is being threatened by the impact of new technologies, as we all know. However the 7 Dutch television stations all share a central facility called NOS at Hilversum 35 kms south of Amsterdam.
This is where everyone gets his or her work experience including Ot.
He graduated in 1969 from the Dutch film academy and then worked at NOS.
Dutch TV has 2 main public stations and 5 commercial B grade stations.
After leaving NOS Ot gradually set-up his own studio until he had 2 Steenbecks, edge number machine, sound transfer suite and sound library. The sound library has an impressive 7000 fxs on a data perfect base with a cross reference system.
He now has an Avid Media Composer and an Avid Xpress. This sounds like bliss to me!
Ot works 5 days a week ("I start about 10 o'clock after a coffee, work, then we all stop for lunch, I don't like to eat in the same room as my work and then I get home about 6.30-7 O'clock, this is normal.") He works occasionally on the weekends but only to meet a deadline. A one-hour documentary takes about 8 weeks and a drama takes a week for every 10 minutes. He earns NLG 70 per hour (approx. same as our Australian dollar.) He's a happy man did I tell you?
Ot is also a busy man. He was one of the judges for the Joris Ivens Award (for best film documentary at the festival), is appearing on various panel sessions, socialising and right now is smoking 5 or so cigarettes with black coffee at 10 in the morning. One of the other judges is waving at Ot and pointing upstairs to their screening room.
I wanted to ask more about his approach to editing and style but I'll have to do that next time or learn Dutch and read his books.!
P.S. The Australian representation at the festival was impressive. There were five entries. Chris Tuckfield's "A Breath" ( editor, Nicholas Holmes) in the Reflecting Images Section , Lisa Wang's "Reunion" (editor, Andrew Narozny) in the First Appearance Section,
Chris Olsen and Penny-Fowler Smith's "My One Legged Dream Lover" (editor, Cushla Dillon), Curtis Levy's "Hephzibah" ( editor, Veronika Jenet) and our "To Get Rich is Glorious" ( editor, Jane St. Vincent Welch) in the Video Competition.
It was a great night for Australia at the Vondelkerk (the decommissioned church where the Festival's awards were presented) amid candlelight and a cascade of rose petals, when "Hephzibah" and "One Legged Dream Lover" were nominated for the Silver Wolf award for Best Documentary. The third contestant was a great French production " A Crime in Abidjan" by Mosco Boucault.
"Hephzibah" won! Curtis gave a great speech acknowledging Australian documentary and told them we'd be back!!
Thanks Amsterdam it was a wonderful experience.
- Jane St. Vincent Welch