Matthew
20-04-2003, 10:35 PM
1970 Script Screen and Art
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
March 3, 1970.
Dear Mr. Wade,
It would appear that Script, Screen & Art is beginning to kindle an interest in the Australian Film Industry from film producing countries on the other side of the world. In time no doubt, it will attract a lot more as the quality and coverage improves, and it is to be hoped that what is a potentially fundament news organ of our film industry, will utilise its cogency to the fullest advantage by illuminating its overseas readers as to the unexplored and obscure capabilities of the human cogs employed in laying the foundations for an Australian Film Industry.
A growing need for activity "down under" to be publicised in other countries, cannot be sufficiently stressed. Surely, if Australia is to attract overseas talent and finance (which will in turn develop the mass of talent in our own studios), there must be more communication and interaction between ourselves and other film producing countries, initially through published media.
Although the Government's token gesture has injected a million dollars into home production (which is a start) vast sums of capital, as well as the experience and talent of people from major producing countries, are essential requirements if Australian production is to get off the ground and feel its way into an adventurous and creative industry such as exists throughout European and Eastern countries.
Perhaps an exchange or scholarship scheme could be introduced, whereby Australian directors, editors, cameramen, script writers and affiliated technicians would be sent by arrangement to work in an overseas studio, for a set period of time, while conversely our selected studios would receive replacements from overseas for the same period. An arrangement of this type could only be of benefit, with the influx of foreign ideas and experience plus the knowledge Australians would return with.
Commercial and documentary production in this country is the mainstay of Australia's industry, while feature films remain a pipe dream. Inarguably, the Government is taking steps to augment the Australian film industry with finance and the proposed film school which is to be set up in the near future. However, this alone will not sponsor dramatic progress.
Australia has the physical resources and persons with the artistic potential to make a developed feature film industry earn as substantial an increment for the country as mineral deposits.
So many facets of Australian development over the past two hundred years have relied heavily on foreign intervention and assistance, and it follows that this country for feature making has been how it will be once the potential of this country for feature making has realized overseas. Script, Screen & Art is rapidly approaching the position where it can be an effective implement towards achieving a very fine Australian asset, through which we can all be proudly inspired.
Yours sincerely,
Judi Shepherd (F.E.G.A.)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
March 3, 1970.
Dear Mr. Wade,
It would appear that Script, Screen & Art is beginning to kindle an interest in the Australian Film Industry from film producing countries on the other side of the world. In time no doubt, it will attract a lot more as the quality and coverage improves, and it is to be hoped that what is a potentially fundament news organ of our film industry, will utilise its cogency to the fullest advantage by illuminating its overseas readers as to the unexplored and obscure capabilities of the human cogs employed in laying the foundations for an Australian Film Industry.
A growing need for activity "down under" to be publicised in other countries, cannot be sufficiently stressed. Surely, if Australia is to attract overseas talent and finance (which will in turn develop the mass of talent in our own studios), there must be more communication and interaction between ourselves and other film producing countries, initially through published media.
Although the Government's token gesture has injected a million dollars into home production (which is a start) vast sums of capital, as well as the experience and talent of people from major producing countries, are essential requirements if Australian production is to get off the ground and feel its way into an adventurous and creative industry such as exists throughout European and Eastern countries.
Perhaps an exchange or scholarship scheme could be introduced, whereby Australian directors, editors, cameramen, script writers and affiliated technicians would be sent by arrangement to work in an overseas studio, for a set period of time, while conversely our selected studios would receive replacements from overseas for the same period. An arrangement of this type could only be of benefit, with the influx of foreign ideas and experience plus the knowledge Australians would return with.
Commercial and documentary production in this country is the mainstay of Australia's industry, while feature films remain a pipe dream. Inarguably, the Government is taking steps to augment the Australian film industry with finance and the proposed film school which is to be set up in the near future. However, this alone will not sponsor dramatic progress.
Australia has the physical resources and persons with the artistic potential to make a developed feature film industry earn as substantial an increment for the country as mineral deposits.
So many facets of Australian development over the past two hundred years have relied heavily on foreign intervention and assistance, and it follows that this country for feature making has been how it will be once the potential of this country for feature making has realized overseas. Script, Screen & Art is rapidly approaching the position where it can be an effective implement towards achieving a very fine Australian asset, through which we can all be proudly inspired.
Yours sincerely,
Judi Shepherd (F.E.G.A.)