Matthew
20-04-2003, 10:48 PM
F.E.G.A. COLUMN
From Tom Foley, Chairman of Sydney Branch.
To those members who have asked me why the Guild does not have a regular column in Script Screen and Art I always make the same reply "Well, why don't we?"
The Guild is the members, and in my opinion the members must be willing to contribute more to the Guild than their occasional appearance at a monthly meeting. For this reason, 1 have avoided taking on a column to report on meetings, and including snippets of gossip, illustrated by the usual group photos (all carefully captioned with namesl. That type of column, unless supported by articles and items of wider general interest, is unworthy of the Guild, and is a waste of precious space in this publication. 1 would hate to think that the Editor had to hold over an article of more than general interest in order to give space to our "gripes and groups." No mention is far better than an uninspiring "regular report." Don't leave it to him/ them/the Committee. If you have something to write about ? write it. Remember it don't have to be a literary masterpiece (sic).
This year has had to be, however, a year of consolidation for the reconstructed Sydney Branch of F.E.G.A. Since our inaugural meeting last October, the membership has climbed steadily. It has been most heartening to see high attendances at meetings and friendly relations being established between members. This is, after all, what the Guild is all about.
From Josephine Willis, Acting Secretary of Sydney Branch.
The aim of the Film Editors' Guild of Australia as our Charter states is to foster and improve the professional approach to film editing, and we hope that in our first year we have laid a solid groundwork for fulfilling this aim. As time goes on, the Committee will try to organise meetings which will go into more detail about techniques and developments in film editing, than has been possible this year. To do that, though, members have to come to meetings regularly and feel at ease with each other, and be prepared to ask penetrating questions to get as broad an idea as possible of what is and can be done with film. We have had a number of meetings of general interest during the year, and now at last we are beginning to "gel."
One of our first meetings was a screening of "Age of Consent" and 1 have a feeling most of us breathed a sigh of relief when we found we could watch it and enjoy it without any embarrassment that it had been made in Australia. After that the Committee organised meetings with a view to giving members a cross?section of the things going on in Sydney; so, a tour of Supreme Sound Laboratories and a screening
of some of their films, including the prize?winning CocaCola commercial. Then, more commercials and a discussion with Robert Knapp, a director of commercials; a screening of the Oscar?winning film "Bullitt;" an insight into "Woobinda" and the problems in editing a series; and finally, "The Intruders" in September. At this last meeting, Don Saunders talked at length about the MagnaTech Rock?and?Roll mixing system, just to give us an idea of some of the things we don't have in Australia. (Maybe we could all chip in and buy one for our?1 selves!)
At the end of August the Television Society invited the members of the Film Editors' Guild to attend one of their meetings and let us hope that these sorts of joint meetings can be held as often as possible.
Throughout the year the Guild has had considerable help from Production Managements in putting on its meet?ings. The Committee, in particular, is grateful for their encouragement and assistance in allowing us to use their facilities and in lending us films for screenings.
"SCRIPT, SCREEN & ART" has also made a good start this year, and, as Tom Foley has said, let's hope that it will be used more and more by all those associated with it. Now that the Australian i Cinematographers' Society has joined the magazine, we have a solid cross?section of film people concerned with it, and an excellent opportunity to "get across" to each other.
VICTORIA
BRIAN KAVANAGH - NEW FEGA CHAIRMAN
Brian Kavanagh, now working as a freelance film editor in Melbourne, has been elected as chairman of a new steering committee of the Film Editors' Guild in Victoria. The election took place at a special meeting of the Guild on October 3rd, called to decide the Guild's future. Tom Foley, chairman of the N.S.W. Committee flew down for the occasion at the invitation of the out?going Victorian Committee headed by Mike Vance. N.S.W. members voted unanimously to pay Tom's return air fare to help their Victorian associates, who had decided to "blow" all the existing Guild funds on a wine and cheese night as an added incentive to entice people along. Over 110 invitations went out to film editors and assistants all over Melbourne. 60 said they would come; 40 turned up. But while the numbers were disappointing the sometimes stormy meeting relected the underlying enthusiasm of the people there. Speakers were Michael Vance, John Freney?Mills, Tom Foley, and Mal Bryning. The meeting was chaired by Ewart Wade. The meeting broke up after midnight with the following office bearers having been elected: Brian Kavanag, Chairman; Ray Daley (Artransa), Secretary; Peter Zerbe (Crawford Prod.) Treasurer; Mike Read (Cambridge Films), Evelyn Cronk (Senior Films), Bill Cooper (HSV7), and Mal Bryning (Senior Films) committee members. The new committee was to meet soon afterwards to frame a new policy for Guild affairs in Victoria.
Victorian FEGA member Ray Daley is currently collecting as much information about early Australian film productions as he can. He is anxious to hear from anyone who can help him either with the sources of historical films or any literature that is available. Ray is writing to Tony Buckley in Sydney, and Ross Cooper who recently completed a thesis on early Australian films, and Rudall Hayward in New Zealand who worked with Ray Longford and Beaumont Smith. Ray hopes that he will be able to supply the magazine with a number of articles that will be of great interest to readers. If you can help contact Ray at Artransa Films in St. Kilda.
From Tom Foley, Chairman of Sydney Branch.
To those members who have asked me why the Guild does not have a regular column in Script Screen and Art I always make the same reply "Well, why don't we?"
The Guild is the members, and in my opinion the members must be willing to contribute more to the Guild than their occasional appearance at a monthly meeting. For this reason, 1 have avoided taking on a column to report on meetings, and including snippets of gossip, illustrated by the usual group photos (all carefully captioned with namesl. That type of column, unless supported by articles and items of wider general interest, is unworthy of the Guild, and is a waste of precious space in this publication. 1 would hate to think that the Editor had to hold over an article of more than general interest in order to give space to our "gripes and groups." No mention is far better than an uninspiring "regular report." Don't leave it to him/ them/the Committee. If you have something to write about ? write it. Remember it don't have to be a literary masterpiece (sic).
This year has had to be, however, a year of consolidation for the reconstructed Sydney Branch of F.E.G.A. Since our inaugural meeting last October, the membership has climbed steadily. It has been most heartening to see high attendances at meetings and friendly relations being established between members. This is, after all, what the Guild is all about.
From Josephine Willis, Acting Secretary of Sydney Branch.
The aim of the Film Editors' Guild of Australia as our Charter states is to foster and improve the professional approach to film editing, and we hope that in our first year we have laid a solid groundwork for fulfilling this aim. As time goes on, the Committee will try to organise meetings which will go into more detail about techniques and developments in film editing, than has been possible this year. To do that, though, members have to come to meetings regularly and feel at ease with each other, and be prepared to ask penetrating questions to get as broad an idea as possible of what is and can be done with film. We have had a number of meetings of general interest during the year, and now at last we are beginning to "gel."
One of our first meetings was a screening of "Age of Consent" and 1 have a feeling most of us breathed a sigh of relief when we found we could watch it and enjoy it without any embarrassment that it had been made in Australia. After that the Committee organised meetings with a view to giving members a cross?section of the things going on in Sydney; so, a tour of Supreme Sound Laboratories and a screening
of some of their films, including the prize?winning CocaCola commercial. Then, more commercials and a discussion with Robert Knapp, a director of commercials; a screening of the Oscar?winning film "Bullitt;" an insight into "Woobinda" and the problems in editing a series; and finally, "The Intruders" in September. At this last meeting, Don Saunders talked at length about the MagnaTech Rock?and?Roll mixing system, just to give us an idea of some of the things we don't have in Australia. (Maybe we could all chip in and buy one for our?1 selves!)
At the end of August the Television Society invited the members of the Film Editors' Guild to attend one of their meetings and let us hope that these sorts of joint meetings can be held as often as possible.
Throughout the year the Guild has had considerable help from Production Managements in putting on its meet?ings. The Committee, in particular, is grateful for their encouragement and assistance in allowing us to use their facilities and in lending us films for screenings.
"SCRIPT, SCREEN & ART" has also made a good start this year, and, as Tom Foley has said, let's hope that it will be used more and more by all those associated with it. Now that the Australian i Cinematographers' Society has joined the magazine, we have a solid cross?section of film people concerned with it, and an excellent opportunity to "get across" to each other.
VICTORIA
BRIAN KAVANAGH - NEW FEGA CHAIRMAN
Brian Kavanagh, now working as a freelance film editor in Melbourne, has been elected as chairman of a new steering committee of the Film Editors' Guild in Victoria. The election took place at a special meeting of the Guild on October 3rd, called to decide the Guild's future. Tom Foley, chairman of the N.S.W. Committee flew down for the occasion at the invitation of the out?going Victorian Committee headed by Mike Vance. N.S.W. members voted unanimously to pay Tom's return air fare to help their Victorian associates, who had decided to "blow" all the existing Guild funds on a wine and cheese night as an added incentive to entice people along. Over 110 invitations went out to film editors and assistants all over Melbourne. 60 said they would come; 40 turned up. But while the numbers were disappointing the sometimes stormy meeting relected the underlying enthusiasm of the people there. Speakers were Michael Vance, John Freney?Mills, Tom Foley, and Mal Bryning. The meeting was chaired by Ewart Wade. The meeting broke up after midnight with the following office bearers having been elected: Brian Kavanag, Chairman; Ray Daley (Artransa), Secretary; Peter Zerbe (Crawford Prod.) Treasurer; Mike Read (Cambridge Films), Evelyn Cronk (Senior Films), Bill Cooper (HSV7), and Mal Bryning (Senior Films) committee members. The new committee was to meet soon afterwards to frame a new policy for Guild affairs in Victoria.
Victorian FEGA member Ray Daley is currently collecting as much information about early Australian film productions as he can. He is anxious to hear from anyone who can help him either with the sources of historical films or any literature that is available. Ray is writing to Tony Buckley in Sydney, and Ross Cooper who recently completed a thesis on early Australian films, and Rudall Hayward in New Zealand who worked with Ray Longford and Beaumont Smith. Ray hopes that he will be able to supply the magazine with a number of articles that will be of great interest to readers. If you can help contact Ray at Artransa Films in St. Kilda.