Crinoid
09-05-2003, 11:37 PM
Politics industry censures howson
dec 1971
The Australian Writers' Guild, The Film Editors' Guild and the Producers' and Directors' Guild of Australia all protested strongly to the Minister for Environment, Aborigines and the Arts over the deferment of the National Film & TV School.
Australian Writers' Guild President, Lance Peters, in a letter to Mr. Howson wrote:
"Speaking in purely economic terms, the turning out of talented, qualified film makers will doubtless be a most crucial step in making a viable Australian film industry a reality, and this in turn will eventually lead to film and television production minimising the deficit which now occurs through the massive importation of programme material from overseas. The original decision to establish a film school was a far sighted one and it seems appalling to us as creative writers that near sightedness has taken over."
Mr. Peters wrote that it was quite obvious that the best means of ensuring that Australian films and TV programmes improve in quality is by the creation of highly skilled personnel. The deferment of the school is a most negative move, he continued, which will please only those people who have a vested interest as importers of foreign material because they have found this process to be an easy and profitable one despite its depressing effect upon Australian creative and technical media workers and colonised audiences.
Reasonable cost
In a statement issued to the press in Victoria the P.D.G.A. said 'not only is this estimated cost ($7 million) reasonable for the training complex proposed ... it should be noted that present economic limitations should be overcome by the time the school has progressed to an operable stage,' The statement continued: 'It is a pity that the recommendation of an experienced cornmittee whose research also involved the time and effort of many others in the industry, should not be readily accepted by the Government. Not only has the establishment of the proposed school been deferred, there has been no Budget allocation for this year for the continuing work of the Film Development Corporation,
it would seem obvious that the present Cabinet does not support the development of the Arts with as much enthusiasm as the previous Ministry during which time the Australian Council for the Arts, the Experimental Film Fund, the Film Development Corporation, and the Interim Council for a National Film and Television Training School were set up.'
The P.D.G.A. in Sydney sent a telegram to Mr. Howson protesting in similar terms and also pointing out that Mr. Alan Hulme Postmaster General, had himself stated in a recent speech that the lack of trained personnel was inhibiting the expansion of the teievision industry.
Proven talent
The Film Editors' Guild of Australia's Chairman, Tony Buckley, in a letter to Mr. Howson, wrote that the Liberal Government had made the first positive moves in forty years to assist the ailing Australian film industry with the establishment of the Film Development Corporation and the Experimental Film Fund.
'Already the early results from the Experimental Film Fund have proven the creative talent and ability of our young film makers,' he wrote, continuing: 'This talent must be given every opportunity to gain full professional training and this can only be obtained through a film school, and not by being placed in any job available in a commercial. film studio.' Mr. Buckley pointed out that experience in the creative arts cannot be taught "on the job as the National Institute of Dramatic Art has successfully proven with the theatre directors and actors it has produced.
Tony Buckley also wrote to former Prime Minister and champion of the arts, John Grey Gorton, on behalf of the Guild. He wrote:
"Dear Mr. Gorton,
The President and Committee of our Guild have instructed me to write to you endorsing our full support and appreciation of the continuing campaign you are leading for the establishment of a National Film and Television School and the Australian entertainment industry as a whole.
For both the artist and the technician it is gratifying and heartening to know we still have a voice in Parliament willing to speak out for Australian cinema and television, a voice that we feel is no longer falling on deaf ears."
Seven days later Mr. Gorton sent this reply:
"Dear Mr. Buckley,
Many thanks for your letter of 14 October.
I greatly appreciated the support expressed in your letter and it has been a help to me to keep fighting for the establishment of this School, 1 enclose a copy of my recent speech in Parliament on this matter.
Yours sincerely,
JG Gorton
In his speech in the House on October 13 Mr. Gorton said: (from Hansard)
"We have been variously told by the Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts (Mr. Howson) firstly, that in 12 months time consideration will be given to the recommendations made by the interim council. In my belief this statement was made by the Minister on the direct verbal instructions of the Prime Minister (Mr. McMahon).
Secondly, we were told by the Minister that in 12 months time consideration will be given not to the interim council's recommendations but to some other, at present unformulated, recommendations which the Minister believes will be better. We have been told by the Prime Minister that the matter has not been deferred for 12 months because well before 12 months time some proposals - it is not clear what proposals - will receive Government consideration.
Today we have been told by Mr. Phillip Adams, through a newspaper, that the Prime Minister has assured him, on the telephone, I understand, that Mr. Howson's comments in the House were misinterpreted and that it has already been decided that work on the national school is definitely to proceed. At least this is an advance on considering the matter at some time in the future.
dec 1971
The Australian Writers' Guild, The Film Editors' Guild and the Producers' and Directors' Guild of Australia all protested strongly to the Minister for Environment, Aborigines and the Arts over the deferment of the National Film & TV School.
Australian Writers' Guild President, Lance Peters, in a letter to Mr. Howson wrote:
"Speaking in purely economic terms, the turning out of talented, qualified film makers will doubtless be a most crucial step in making a viable Australian film industry a reality, and this in turn will eventually lead to film and television production minimising the deficit which now occurs through the massive importation of programme material from overseas. The original decision to establish a film school was a far sighted one and it seems appalling to us as creative writers that near sightedness has taken over."
Mr. Peters wrote that it was quite obvious that the best means of ensuring that Australian films and TV programmes improve in quality is by the creation of highly skilled personnel. The deferment of the school is a most negative move, he continued, which will please only those people who have a vested interest as importers of foreign material because they have found this process to be an easy and profitable one despite its depressing effect upon Australian creative and technical media workers and colonised audiences.
Reasonable cost
In a statement issued to the press in Victoria the P.D.G.A. said 'not only is this estimated cost ($7 million) reasonable for the training complex proposed ... it should be noted that present economic limitations should be overcome by the time the school has progressed to an operable stage,' The statement continued: 'It is a pity that the recommendation of an experienced cornmittee whose research also involved the time and effort of many others in the industry, should not be readily accepted by the Government. Not only has the establishment of the proposed school been deferred, there has been no Budget allocation for this year for the continuing work of the Film Development Corporation,
it would seem obvious that the present Cabinet does not support the development of the Arts with as much enthusiasm as the previous Ministry during which time the Australian Council for the Arts, the Experimental Film Fund, the Film Development Corporation, and the Interim Council for a National Film and Television Training School were set up.'
The P.D.G.A. in Sydney sent a telegram to Mr. Howson protesting in similar terms and also pointing out that Mr. Alan Hulme Postmaster General, had himself stated in a recent speech that the lack of trained personnel was inhibiting the expansion of the teievision industry.
Proven talent
The Film Editors' Guild of Australia's Chairman, Tony Buckley, in a letter to Mr. Howson, wrote that the Liberal Government had made the first positive moves in forty years to assist the ailing Australian film industry with the establishment of the Film Development Corporation and the Experimental Film Fund.
'Already the early results from the Experimental Film Fund have proven the creative talent and ability of our young film makers,' he wrote, continuing: 'This talent must be given every opportunity to gain full professional training and this can only be obtained through a film school, and not by being placed in any job available in a commercial. film studio.' Mr. Buckley pointed out that experience in the creative arts cannot be taught "on the job as the National Institute of Dramatic Art has successfully proven with the theatre directors and actors it has produced.
Tony Buckley also wrote to former Prime Minister and champion of the arts, John Grey Gorton, on behalf of the Guild. He wrote:
"Dear Mr. Gorton,
The President and Committee of our Guild have instructed me to write to you endorsing our full support and appreciation of the continuing campaign you are leading for the establishment of a National Film and Television School and the Australian entertainment industry as a whole.
For both the artist and the technician it is gratifying and heartening to know we still have a voice in Parliament willing to speak out for Australian cinema and television, a voice that we feel is no longer falling on deaf ears."
Seven days later Mr. Gorton sent this reply:
"Dear Mr. Buckley,
Many thanks for your letter of 14 October.
I greatly appreciated the support expressed in your letter and it has been a help to me to keep fighting for the establishment of this School, 1 enclose a copy of my recent speech in Parliament on this matter.
Yours sincerely,
JG Gorton
In his speech in the House on October 13 Mr. Gorton said: (from Hansard)
"We have been variously told by the Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts (Mr. Howson) firstly, that in 12 months time consideration will be given to the recommendations made by the interim council. In my belief this statement was made by the Minister on the direct verbal instructions of the Prime Minister (Mr. McMahon).
Secondly, we were told by the Minister that in 12 months time consideration will be given not to the interim council's recommendations but to some other, at present unformulated, recommendations which the Minister believes will be better. We have been told by the Prime Minister that the matter has not been deferred for 12 months because well before 12 months time some proposals - it is not clear what proposals - will receive Government consideration.
Today we have been told by Mr. Phillip Adams, through a newspaper, that the Prime Minister has assured him, on the telephone, I understand, that Mr. Howson's comments in the House were misinterpreted and that it has already been decided that work on the national school is definitely to proceed. At least this is an advance on considering the matter at some time in the future.