NZTECHO 35 Nov 2008 - NZ Film and Video Technicians` Guild

NZ
CHO
The New Zealand Film and Video Technicians’ Guild Magazine
Issue
35
www.nztecho.com
November 2008
NZTECHO 2
CONTENTS
Editorial, by another name
Our President Speaks
When’s a Dog a Croc?
Gold for Hawaikii
Is Polly Past It?
Sioux’s News
Freebie Winner!
Hello & Goodbye
Short Clips
Xmas Parties
National Executive
2
3
4
6
14
18
18
20
22
23
23
CREATIVE TEAM
Publisher
Fritha Stalker
Executive Editor
Tony Forster
Design / Layout
Alan Bright
Terry Buckley
Advertising
Fritha Stalker
Printing
Copy Direct Ltd
CONTRIBUTORS
Alun Bollinger
Tony Forster
Pieter Huisman
Sioux Macdonald
Matt Meikle
Megan Ritchie
Rowena Singh
Fritha Stalker
SPECIAL THANKS
Tom Burstyn, Martin Cowan
Mark (Goat) Gillings
Stephen Joyce, Mark Olsen
Richard Parsonson, Kevin Riley
PHOTOS Courtesy of
Tony Forster
Brent Hargreaves
Pieter Huisman
Rowena Singh
COVER PHOTO:
Preparing to shoot in Africa
Photo by Pieter Huisman
How We Did It
Megan’s resignation came out of
the blue - but we fully understood
her need to move on. However, her
desire to move quickly meant that we
had to also. We advertised widely
- but “the big idea” website yielded
most of our replies.
An initial vetting was done, with huge
help from Megan. Then an interview
committee had to be established
- who (in Auckland) was available,
daytimes, at short notice?
Jen Butcher took responsibility
as Branch Chair, and Nick Treacy
offered to assist, but in a junior role
he insisted, since he was a newbie
at such a task. Not for long! Paul
Richards and Murray Milne were
available for brief periods… Because
of this mag, I decided to participate
- it might help everyone if I made
sure we did not get someone I
suspected I’d find difficult!
The main trio all sat through three
full days of interviews - including a
conference phone call with a chap in
Wellington. I don’t think any of us
realized beforehand how taxing a day
of interviews can be!
At the end of Day One we had
two good candidates, and a new
confidence that we would get
someone brilliant - such was the
quality of the candidates already.
Day Two produced two more, and Day
Three two others! An embarrassment
of riches!
NZFVTG SUPPORTED BY:
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the articles
herein are those of the author(s),
and do not necessarily represent
those of either the NZFVTG or the
editors of NZTECHO. (Though, of
course, sometimes they do!)
We chatted and assessed the people
through lunch and again at the end
of the day. On the last day, we were
stumped. Reducing the best six down
to three wasn’t too hard. Reducing
to two was damned difficult, until we
realized we needed to be TOUGH…
But making the final choice was really
hard - at the end of the day after
all the interviews, we still had a
deadlock.
There was nothing for it - we had
to repair to the famous Gypsy Tea
Rooms in Grey Lynn (I hadn’t realized
how trendy a filmo’s place it is on
a Friday afternoon - I’m normally
never there till near midnight…)
We consulted references for our
last two extensively - international
phone calls included. They didn’t
help! But in the end, one of us gave
away a very slight preference and
yielded to the very slight preference
of the other two - and I think it’s
fair to say, we are all very happy with
our decision!
The fact that Megan and Fritha hit it
off so well, so quickly, bodes well for
the Guild - as does the immediately
apparent attitude of commitment,
focus, energy and personality that
Fritha is already bringing to the job.
Megan, we will miss you greatly - no
doubt - but we are confident that
with your gracious help, we’ve found
another “goodie”! Welcome, Fritha
- clearly you’re going to be good for
us - we hope that we will be good
for you too, and that you enjoy your
time with us.
My thanks to Jen and Nick especially,
for making an arduous task an
infinitely more pleasurable one than
it could so easily have been!
Tony F.
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el presidente’s rave…
do today, doing it for the sake of
doing it. It got tough there for a
while, when we started having babies
and there was a meagre and erratic
income from film-making. We relied
on other odd jobs to make financial
ends meet.
There were rumours at the time that
I’d been given the sack; but actually,
what happened was that the station
manager called me in to talk about
my dress. I was becoming too casual
in the way I dressed - no doubt
kicking my shoes off at inappropriate
times - and I’d gone right off the
idea of wearing a tie to work. So
when I was called in for a chat, I
suggested it might be time for me to
leave. The boss didn’t argue.
That’s largely why a group of us
would-be film-makers (including
Geoff Murphy, Martyn Sanderson,
Bruno Lawrence and others) moved
to Waimarama in the Hawkes Bay,
because we couldn’t afford to live in
the city. Communal living has a lot of
economic advantages.
I was with TV for two years and eight
months, and it was a wonderful
learning experience. I’ve always
been grateful to Ken White - back
then, Ken was the head of the NZBC’s
newly-formed cine camera section
- for taking me on as a trainee when
I had no relevant experience for the
job. I was no more than a likely lad
fresh out of school; but for some
reason Ken picked me out from the
interview process and I found myself
learning on the job and simply loving
the work. Now, forty years on, I’m
still glad I became a freelancer.
There were many years when it
was difficult to make a living as a
freelance cinematographer, but
that didn’t matter when I was still
young and single. I’d happily work
for no pay, as long as I got a feed
and a place to sleep. I wasn’t
shooting commercials of course - I
was shooting projects with mates,
in the same way young film-makers
Gradually, over the years, film work
has become quite a good earner; but
there have still been years in recent
times when there hasn’t been enough
film work to pay our way. I guess
it’ll always be an on-again-off-again
occupation - but to tell the truth,
that’s one of the things I do like
about my work, the unpredictability
of it.
There was a time when I’d get
restless when I hadn’t had any offers
of work for a couple of months, but
now I find myself hoping the phone
won’t ring. Don’t get me wrong, I do
still enjoy the work - it’s just that
I’ve found there are plenty of other
things that keep me interested and
occupied when there’s no film work
around.
Why I started this rave, apart from
the need to fill the el presidente
column while deliberately avoiding
the subject of politics, was that I’m
wondering if there are others out
there who have also been freelancing
in our industry for forty years or
more.
I know there are others who have
been in the industry longer than I
have, but what about freelancers or
individuals who have been running
their own business? If there are,
then we probably know each other Sigmund Spath Senior maybe? Let me
know. Write in to the mag. Give us a
bit of history.
… AlBol
CRANES
DOLLIES
SUPERTECHNOS
TYLER MOUNTS
CAR RIGS
SCREENS
TRUCKS
021 443 958
3MG6606/04/08
It was forty years ago last month
that I left my job at the New Zealand
Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) and
became a freelancer. I didn’t know
I was becoming a freelancer - I just
knew it was time for me to leave
television.
NZTECHO 4
When’s a Dog a Croc?
In 2007 and early 2008, I was working as cameraman on
a documentary for a wildlife film production company.
I travelled to a remote African location four times for
several months, to document the story of a pack of five
painted (wild) dogs being relocated to a remote island
in a lake. The dogs had been individually rescued from
poachers’ snares or had been orphaned because their pack
had been mauled by lions or killed by traffic. So these five
dogs were new to each other.
They were placed on an island where they had no
competition from hyenas nor any threat from lions. Only
ample food supply in the way of 80-plus waterbuck and
over 100 impalas. And the occasional elephant, a pod
of hippos, one civet cat, birds and some crocs swimming
around. They took to each other well, and bonds soon
formed.
The plan was to put these two young females and three
males on the island for a year, observe them closely (as
part of the documentary; and also scientifically, each dog
having a collar which could be tracked with a portable
device) and eventually hope they would build a den and
have pups in May/June 2008.
The story had been scripted and sold along the lines of:
“Wild dogs relocated and conquer a remote island, have a
large litter of pups, are transported back to the mainland
and the population of their species flourishes once again”.
The production company edited a snappy trailer from my
first footage, and sold the scripted idea to Animal Planet
and various smaller broadcasters in Europe. I was put up as
cameraman on the rather risky quest to do justice to the
story. I filmed the introduction of characters (animal and
human) in April 2007, the relocation in August, an update
(in stormy weather) in December; and then we waited for
the good news...
Cut to April 2008:
I get an urgent phone call on Wednesday. How soon can
I get to the island? The alpha pair of dogs are reported
missing. Missing? Off an island two x two kilometres?!?!
With over five kilometres separating it from the nearest
shore?!?! Even without tracking equipment we had always
been able to find them. How could this be?
Friday I got there, on my own, with some hefty HD kit.
We search for a week, on land and from a boat patrolling
the island. No sign. No carcass anywhere in the scrub; no
collar laying around.
Second last day, we manage a helicopter to track from
the air. We pass over the island several times, even to
the mainland should the two dogs miraculously have swum
over... Nothing. We return - and on the final pass, the
tracker shouts and points: a ‘moving’ signal down below
from the collar of the alpha-male dog! We hone in, circle
lower: it’s a strong signal! And it’s coming from... the
water! We follow the swimming dog, except - it’s not a
dog...
It turns out to be a rather large crocodile who’s managed a
meal in the form of our main character! And the collar is
still inside, and thus accounts for the ‘moving signal’…
Scripts for wildlife films are no guarantee, obviously. I
don’t know exactly what the plan is now: I haven’t heard
from the production company for a while!
More importantly, the three remaining dogs are still on the
island, apparently doing well (one female among them,
so all is not lost), despite the tragic loss of their former
alpha pair of male and female. Perhaps the footage from
four trips will be edited together to tell this tragic story
of dogs struggling to survive, being eaten by hungry crocs,
but rearing a litter nonetheless in 2009...?
I sit eagerly by the phone...
Pieter Huisman
www.eyesealand.com
Bio note...
Pieter is a Dutch wildlife documentarian who’s
planning to emigrate to New Zealand with his
wife and son sometime in 2009.
He’s already a member of the Techos Guild.
5
A filming platform on an island in Africa
NZTECHO
Pieter Huismann
NZTECHO 6
Gold for Hawaikii
Rowena Singh talks to award-winning Guild member, cinematographer MATT MEIKLE.
You won a rather special award for your short film,
Hawaikii. But first, tell us about the film itself.
The thing I really enjoyed about it was how it managed to
convey so much in 12 minutes.
I was approached by the producer, Libby Hakaraia, and
the director, Mike Jonathan, who I’ve since shot music
videos and commercials and shorts with. I really enjoy
working with Mike, he’s a good friend. They said they
wanted to do this short, Mike sent me the script and I
thought it was beautiful, a fantastic story, really heartfelt.
It shows an amazing effort by a father in very tough
conditions of what was going on with his family and his
job, and how he supports his five-year-old daughter. We
started chatting straight away and I said I’d love to do it.
Away we went and actually got a few deals - Park Road
Post were fantastic in coming on board and supporting us;
also Metro Films up here in Auckland, and so was Fuji Film.
I think it really left an impact on a lot of people, and
it did really well overseas in festivals as well. On the
Film Commission website you can see what it’s picked
up in terms of awards - and it was a finalist in the New
Zealand Film Awards as well. It was never submitted it for
technical awards here in New Zealand.
Describe the whole experience.
It was my first film shooting here since coming back to
NZ after three years shooting overseas. I lived two years
in Stockholm, Sweden, and a year in Canada. I left New
Zealand to get as much and as varied experience as a DP
as possible. I stepped away from being a camera assistant,
and I did masterclasses and seminars overseas, and I just
shot any drama, any doco, any music video that I could get
my hands on, experimenting and testing myself. I think I
was very fortunate to be able to come back and to bring
some of those skills I’d learnt overseas and practise here.
I think I was very fortunate too in that on Hawaikii I had
great support from the camera department, especially
Dana Little, who kindly came on and camera-operated he was terrific to work with, and made a big impact on the
shoot in the best possible way.
Our little star, Orewa Wilson Lawrence, was a firsttime actor, but she soon caught on. When it became
overwhelming for her she would hide in the bathroom, but
after some well-deserved attention from Mum she would
wipe away the tears, come back to set and give some
wonderful performances.
Understandably she was quite baffled by the whole thing
from time to time, and there’d be tears and running off
and there were moments where we thought we were
actually going to lose her from the film altogether!
So there were desperate times; there were set-ups that
I just went to shoot instantly because we had to get her
off set as fast as possible, to rest, to have some time out.
There were things I’d have liked to have done with the
lighting but time didn’t allow; it was just one of those
situations.
7
Were there any other challenges in terms of
cinematography with Hawaikii?
We had our lighting package reduced at the last moment,
from 12K’s to 4K’s; we had a whole bunch of recans,
thousand foot cans that were put down to 400 foot recans
from the film called Number 2; but we had an Arri3 from
Metro - and Andy gave us a great set of ultra primes
lenses.
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(ACS) Awards in 2007. I’d been a member of the ACS for
some time and I thought I would put it in and see how it
went. It won a Gold Award in New South Wales, which
meant that earlier this year it went on to be a finalist
representing NSW in the ACS National Awards in Australia.
Unfortunately it didn’t continue on, but I was very happy
that it got to that stage anyway.
And how did you get it into the ACS competition?
I think the toughest thing - and it really taught me a great
lesson - was that I had only six hours to grade Hawaikii,
because of a budget cut. Park Road Post once again were
fantastic and helped with that. I went in I think probably
the most prepared I’ve ever been for a grade - I’d spent
a week or two on and off making notes about how I was
going to approach the grade, making it as time effective as
possible.
Every year they allow their members to submit their work,
put it up for awards and have it judged. I’d never done
anything like that before, so I thought I’d give it a go because sometimes it’s very hard to gauge how your work’s
being received. I’m often questioning myself as to how my
work is going. I find I very rarely get feedback, so it’s nice
to get a little idea of where one’s work sits, and how it can
best be improved.
Tell us about the award, and how you won it.
The reason I joined the ACS was that I was working
as a clapper loader for some very good Australian
cinematographers who were ACS members; and they
I sent Hawaikii into the Australian Cinematography Society
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suggested I join. Being an Australian citizen as well as
a Kiwi one, I didn’t see too much of a problem... And I
really liked the fact that they were having workshops and
seminars and discussions over there, and really nice forums
- we’re starting to get that now at the NZCS, which is
marvellous.
I went to Australia for the finals in the National Awards,
and it was also the 50th Anniversary celebration of the
ACS, so that made it really enjoyable.
And what do you think the judges saw in your film, that
got you the award?
I understand that they look at the ability of the DP to
interpret the story. They’re also trying to assess the right
type of lighting for the story as they see it, and how the
DP contributes to the story-telling in the best possible
way. I hadn’t expected anything, and when a friend in
Australia contacted me, saying I’d won an award, I was
very pleased.
I notice from your CV on your website that you’ve done
quite a few other shorts as well. What appeals to you
about working on short stories?
As a cinematographer, I find short films offer their own
specific challenges. In my experience, the major factor
is being restricted by a very small budget and having to
find the best way to light and shoot the film with respect
to the narrative, while still maintaining the schedule.
It’s exciting to be given a script that instantly grabs your
attention and draws you in, then working with the director
to tell the story visually as best you can.
If I’m not working on commercial projects, I enjoy
shooting shorts. I find they give you a lot of freedom to
experiment and come up with different ideas. I find the
directors are quite open to a bit of that; but in saying
that, it does come down to the individual director.
The best way to describe it from my perspective would
be to say that some directors solely look for performance,
which is understandable - so you present your visual ideas
to them and you offer shots up and they really enjoy it if they feel that it tells the story well and gives them the
coverage that they’re after, that’s great. I’m happy if the
director’s happy, especially if I get to test and try things
and push my own limits as well.
Then there are other directors who think a lot more
visually and they’ll want a set list of shots - and that’s
fine too; it’s just a matter of working with the director
as best you can and finding the style in which they like to
work.
But what I have often found a concern on short films is the
lack of basic safety - working with first-time producers,
directors and first assistant directors who have had no
experience can be frustrating from time to time. But I
think short films are a great learning ground, and often
give us a chance to experiment and push the level of our
craft.
So what sort of work do you do for your bread and butter?
A mixed bag at this stage. Since coming back to New
Zealand I haven’t really specialised. I’ve found it quite
difficult - I think attitudes here are different. It takes
9
time to re-establish oneself, and I think some people are
less likely, in my experience, to give someone a chance
here than people were overseas. I got offered a lot more
opportunities in Europe and Canada - but also New
Zealand does work a little bit differently. People here
want to take time to get to know you (which is good in
many ways) and really see what you can do. What you’ve
done overseas sometimes doesn’t count for much here; so
when you return to NZ you’ve got to start all over again.
NZTECHO
few really nice clients, and I’m meeting new clients and
doing productions I find more rewarding - jobs where
there’s a collective interest in trying to maintain a high
quality of work throughout. Some companies I have
worked for in the past haven’t cared about quality, and it
can be frustrating when you’re trying to do your best. It’s
good now, though.
What got you into cinematography in the first place?
Influences? What inspires you?
What’s the difference between Canada and here?
The difference I found over there was the ability to walk
into a production company and just give them my showreel. The first time I spoke to a production company in
Vancouver, they looked at my reel and said, “Listen,
we’ve got a music video coming up; would you like to
shoot it?” It had a substantial size budget, bigger than
anything I’d ever done here. So I found getting accepted a
little bit easier over there.
I think perhaps there’s a novelty factor involved. Being
a Kiwi, with a relaxed style, and the habit of doing your
best and working hard and keeping a positive attitude
regardless, really works well overseas. Maybe in some
ways it helps set you apart.
So you’ve been back in New Zealand since...?
I returned in 2005.
And how did you find settling back into the industry here?
There were a lot of familiar faces and friends in
the industry here. I think the creation of the NZ
Cinematography Society recently is a great move, and
I think that’ll help create a collective group that allows
anything from having a good old catch-up to discussing
industry issues, and to talking about both the technical
and artistic elements of cinematography. It’s a feeling
that you’re part of a society that has the country’s
cinematographers’ best interests at heart, in terms of
lifting their profile in NZ - and also raising the collective
standard too. The more that cinematographers get to talk
and share their work, the more the standards rise, and
that happens through education and through knowledge
shared.
Do you feel well supported in terms of being able to earn
an income as a cinematographer in NZ?
Well, I’m not driving trucks, which is a good thing! I think
of the first year after coming back - I made something
like 15,000 NZ dollars gross, which is a bit scary; that was
tough. But now I’m getting to the point where I’ve got a
I think without knowing it I had an interest in
cinematography from a reasonably early age. My mother
was a schoolteacher, and she and some French friends
used to drag me along (that’s what it felt like at first!) to
these French films at the Academy Cinema; and I could
never read the sub-titles, being a small kid, but I loved
looking at the pictures. I think that had a big impact on
me. I also had a cousin who did wild-life photography,
and from time to time he’d give me his old SLR and take
NZTECHO 10
the film out and I’d run round and take shots of different
things, landscapes and the like. I think I was quite
fortunate to have those subtle influences.
Did you go to a film school, or learn on the job? I know
you’ve done various workshops overseas…
My plan was to combine two main paths, to get some
formal training and also to establish myself in the industry,
working my way up as a camera assistant.
I found in Europe that people were willing to hire someone
straight out of Film School to shoot 35mm commercials
and music videos - whereas in New Zealand they’re
not. They’re more inclined here to hire people who have
pushed their way up the ranks. I started in 1993 as a video
split operator, when I was living in London. I’ve tried
learn as much as I could, as an assistant, in both film and
television. Becoming a camera assistant in film, I got to
learn with some great people here; and just basically
pushed myself as hard as I could to try and set myself up
on a path where I could combine the best of both worlds.
I’ve also had upscaled education through the workshops.
I’ve just got back from doing a masterclass in Denmark
- it’s inspiring to go do these courses and meet other
cinematographers, discuss new techniques, and even
to just say “Hi”. It gets you thinking about different
techniques, different approaches, different styles...
You work with film as well as digital and HD. How do they
compare, and how does it feel moving from one medium
to the other?
I enjoy both, and for different reasons - but I think the
biggest thing for me personally is - when you look at a
project, you look the story and you ask, What’s going to
work for the story? Is 35mm going to work for this docostyle thing, or is Super 16 going to be better; or is it
perhaps HD? You’ve got those options there; and you’re
also thinking about where it’s going to go - big screen,
small screen - and what your post production process will
be, how you’re going to tell your story... So, there’s a
number of factors you know of straight away that you have
to consider.
I have had formal training in film and television, and
There are the constraints of your budget too. I find that
with the short films that I do the budgets are very, very
small, and you’re often very restricted – but that teaches
you how to use what you have around you, and then create
form or shape with the few tools that you have, and try to
be inventive. It all depends on the story, really. I like the
characteristics of HD, but I enjoy the characteristics of film
as well. I love shooting on both.
What’s your favourite type of project?
I’m aiming to specialise more in commercial
cinematography. I enjoy doing music videos, because once
again it’s a chance to experiment. I love to do drama, and
documentaries too - so it’s a tough question!
When I get a call for a documentary, I just can’t wait to go
somewhere new. I did a documentary, War Without Guns,
about the civil war where Bougainville was fighting a tenyear battle for independence from Papua New Guinea.
That was just a fantastic adventure, to get up into the
jungle and meet these amazing people and to have a really
great life experience.
So, I love these different genres and I think they present
all these different types of challenges that we face on a
daily basis - and each one’s really enjoyable. I think too
that there are certain genres where you can take little
tricks and apply them elsewhere, to other genres.
What’s stood out for you in terms of all the work you’ve
done, some of your favourite moments perhaps?
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I guess it would be the drama work. There’s all those
great little moments in drama where you walk away from
a shot with what you have been able to get, in the limited
time you’ve had to do it, but you feel you’ve actually told
the story well.
Hawaikii was a great film to work on - the story - and
it was just one of those great shoots that really come
together, where it’s a great supportive crew in production
and on set as well.
There was a shoot once where I had the worst experience
ever with a gaffer. But I felt that I overcame that problem
relatively well and tried to be really professional about it,
and still came out with a very good film; so that gave me
a little more confidence in terms of dealing with a not-soenjoyable aspect of being a DP.
Your favourite movie? And cinematographer(s)?
Gosh, you’ve got me stumped on this one! I have so many!
For all different reasons…
There are lots of Kiwi cinematographers that I’ve been
fortunate enough to work with over the years as an
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assistant, doing some gorgeous, stunning work. And I’ve
worked with some Australian cinematographers who are
equally good.
Overseas, I love guys like Robert Richardson (Snow Falling
on Cedars, who’s DP’d for Scorsese, Tarantino, John
Sayles…). I’d say Roger Deakins (Shawshank Redemption,
and the Coen Brothers’ favourite DP), Conrad Hall (Butch
Cassidy, The Road to Perdition), and of course, there’s
Matthew Libatique (Requiem for a Dream).
Apocalypse Now (Vittorio Storaro’s first American film)
is one of my favourites. You think about the logistics and
all the traumas that went on during the shoot; but I love
the way all the elements of cinematography combine for
such power. Something completely different is Amélie a visually gorgeous film, and a really sweet, quirky film as
well. It was shot by Bruno Delbonnel, a French guy who
was one of the speakers at the masterclass in Denmark
last week. Now, there are two films that are at opposite
extremes! I think Amélie is a beautiful love story, and I
think Apocalypse Now is a great story too.
But as I said, there are so many flash cinematographers,
especially in Australasia, it’s frightening sometimes!
We’ll end with perhaps one crazy story from abroad?
NZTECHO 12
There was a time when I was hired to operate a camera
for a music festival, a few hours north of Vancouver. I
was later told that the whole event was funded mainly by
cocaine money…
told him I was one of the camera operators. “How much
am I paying you?” he asked. He then extracted a big wad
of cash (the size of a golden syrup can), and paid me my
rate along with a few other operators and the DP.
On the way up, the DP told me that the director for the
shoot was crazy. “That’s okay”, I said, “All directors have
their own way of doing things.” “NO,” he said, “This guy
is completely, absolutely crazy.”
Later that night I was operating one of the cameras on
stage, when suddenly I felt a sharp tap on my shoulder
- it was the director, saying to me, “Give me that
thing!”. By that stage the director’s pupils were the size
of dinner plates. Feeling that I had no choice, I handed
the camera over, and watched as he lurched around
the stage, becoming so fixated on the viewfinder in the
eyepiece that he began bumping into the musicians as he
stumbled around. I walked back to the technical area,
quite concerned, but the technical director said, “Don’t
worry, he quite often does that. Just relax and watch the
show.” Some 10 minutes later he came off and handed
me back the camera, so I went back up and carried on
with my job. But soon after I saw the director with the
other on-stage camera on his shoulder - it was a seven or
eight camera shoot and the director managed to find his
way into all the shots, this time repeatedly bumping into
the lead vocalist and knocking his keyboards. The vocalist
was trying to smother the mike and tell him to “get the
We arrived at the festival, which was in the middle of this
big dry field in the middle of summer. We saw the bus
bringing the director and one of the bands pulling up into
this field of longish grass. The side door opened, and the
director just fell out - pancaked face first into the dust
beside the bus! He could hardly walk - when he was
helped up, his face was covered in dust! Apparently he
and the band had been hitting the cocaine and whiskey
during the whole three-hour trip from Vancouver.
The DP went over to him and helped him up. He asked the
DP to retie his shoelace as he wasn’t capable of it himself.
At the same time as he was trying to wipe dust off his
face, he looked at me and snapped, “Who are you?” I
13
NZTECHO
The First AD and the DP contemplate a tree growing in exactly the wrong
place for the shot!
**** off stage”. Eventually the director staggered off the
stage, the concert continued - and he was never seen
again! Most of the crew never got paid - luckily, thanks
to the encounter by the bus, we had been…. He just
disappeared - forever!
______________________________________
Hawaikii can be viewed at Matt’s website:
www.mattmeikle.com
Australian Cinematography Society –
Cinematography Gold Award, NSW, 2007
ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, Canada –
Best Short Drama Award, 2006
Park Road Post Award for Best Overall Film –
Magma Short Film Festival, Rotorua, NZ, 2006
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NZTECHO 14
Could Poly be Past It?
A year or so ago, a crew member (not a gaffer, I hasten
to add) mentioned the idea to me that New Zealand is
possibly one of the very few countries - possibly the
only one - still using polystyrene sheets as reflectors for
lighting purposes.
He suggested that while polystyrene is really useful, since
it’s very lightweight and provides a clean, perfectly white
surface, other countries have ceased using it because of
its environmental unfriendliness. It’s not biodegradable,
and when it breaks, little beads fly off in the wind, or get
buried in the ground, never to be retrieved.
Intrigued by this report - doubting its veracity, but not
having personally filmed overseas for many years now,
I became a touch curious. So, we sent out an email to
Guild members in the camera and lighting areas, inviting
comment. For a topic that one member clearly regards
as a trivial non-issue (see below), our query received a
surprising number of responses - in fact, more than any
other question NZTECHO has ever asked of members!
Thank you!
So, has polystyrene passed its use-by date within the film
industry? Or are there no decent convenient alternatives
available?
An edited selection of your replies:
From: Martin Cowan
I used to use them all the
time, but they do break up.
Now I wouldn’t be without my
Lasto-lite. There are many
variants around, including
“Litedisc” by Photoflex.
Basically, it’s a fold-up
reflector that can easily be
clamped to a lighting stand,
available in oblong or circular
shapes, either white or silver.
Excellent product, available
at Panavision.
____________________
From: Tom Burstyn
From my experience with polystyrene sheets, or
‘styrofoam’ as it is called in North America, it’s still in
wide use everywhere I work. This includes Los Angeles,
Vancouver, Toronto & Montreal. How I normally use poly
is in 1.2m squares, covered on one side with white card or
silver bounce, and the edges taped to prevent shredding.
True, when it does come apart the bits fly everywhere.
It is a nasty material, but I have yet to see a suitable
replacement.
American and Canadian film technicians seem unconcerned
with the environmental sustainability of their business.
Producers are beginning to step up to the plate, however:
On the last film I shot in Vancouver, the producer had a
carbon footprint assessment done for his production. What
he did with this assessment is anyone’s guess, but it’s a
start!
____________________
From: Stephen Joyce
I’ve been trying to get the guys to use 0800 nz recycle
(Onehunga Poly Recyclers) down at the shed, but it’s a
matter of being there for the weekly pickup at the same
random time they come around… I think SPP has one of
their bins on site; Rangers and Seeker should get one
too… Righto!
____________________
15
NZTECHO
From: Mark Olsen
Poly boards are still very
much in use in Asia. Every
shoot. Bits are broken off,
small pieces discarded, and
so on…
Zero consideration to the
everyday environment in
most Asian countries - and
in all but the most sensitive
of locations.
____________________
From: Richard Parsonson
One great thing about poly
is how long it lasts if treated
well. I have half-sheets that
are 8 months old and still in
regular use - that’s got to
be an environmental plus. Also I don’t think we go through
that much of it as an industry, compared to, say, the
building industry.
Here is a question for you though - where do all the
wooden pegs go? They seem to mysteriously totally
disappear from sets in their hundreds!
____________________
From: Pieter Huisman
A quick email from Hilversum, the media-hub of the
Netherlands. I can tell you that we definitely still use
polystyrene boards here. Whenever I hire a lighting kit,
big or small, I can always take out a medium or large board
(one side white, painted black on the other).
We’re not that environmentally conscious here either! An
alternative we sometimes use is a ‘depron’ of foam board
(actually used for floor insulation, I believe) - black and
white also. Very light, like cardboard but less vulnerable.
But whether or not they’re more environmentally
friendly...?
I personally prefer a ‘Lastolite’ reflector for my
camerawork on location, but of course this doesn’t fly on
larger, feature-like sets.
____________________
From: Mark Gillings
Let’s not go over the top and get too PC with this, for
God’s sake! Worry about something else, like the harmful
electromagnetic fields that the HMI ballasts emit or the
often unsafe working hours that crew working on feature
films and TVCs alike are often subjected to.
Let’s think about the art department and set construction
crew that use access machinery without proper training or
certification; and also how about the lack of safety officers
on set during preproduction set builds and prelights?!!
In my 20-plus years I have found poly is the best, most
available, cheapest product to bounce light from, and if
looked after it lasts a fair while.
Move on!
Goat.
____________________
“They love me in Japan.
But unfortunately I don’t
want their love.
I want their money.”
Actor HUGH GRANT, 1994
NZTECHO 16
From: Kevin Riley
I’d appreciate any thoughts or suggestions on the
elimination of polystyrene as a reflective material. On one
studio job we are using large white calico sheets hanging
from the lighting grid to achieve the same thing. This
works fine where gravity is on your side, but having rigid
sheets of white material that can be rigged at various
angles to bounce light is where polystyrene has been firmly
established.
In theory, any lightweight rigid material that could be
covered with sleeves of calico or reflective coating could
do the same job. If someone comes up with something
that does all this, plus can be cut to any convenient size,
then that would be great.
There is a product in the United States called
“Gatorboard” although I’m not sure of what it is made of
- it maybe similar to “Foam Core”.
Here’s what I could find on it:
Gatorfoam is an extruded polystyrene foam mounting
board encased between layers of a melamine and wood
fibre veneer. Gatorfoam/Gatorboard has a harder outer
surface than other foam core boards and resists warping.
For miniature builders, Gatorboard is often used as a
backing for wet materials like paper, clay or stucco
finishes which require a water-resistant backing while the
coating dries. Gatorboard is more durable than foam core
boards and is a good choice for non-archival applications,
where strength and light weight are important.
All the gaffers carry aluminium “4x4” frames in the
truck and some carry “6x4”. These frames are usually
covered in diffusion material, but by carrying a set of
white textiles with elastic corners that can be stretched
over the frames, an instant flecky board can be made
out of a diffusion frame. Another advantage of this
method is that “off white” textiles can be offered as an
alternative, which are sometimes more complimentary
to skin tones than pure white.
I think it will be some time before we see poly sheets
eliminated from our sets, but in the mean time responsible
use of the material can help eliminate impacts on the
environment.
Phone: 09 302 4100 Fax: 09 302 4102
A thin-bladed, very sharp knife will cut high-density
poly without loose beads flying around. The edges can
be trimmed with gaffer tape, to reduce further abrasion
and loose beads escaping. And before cutting a new
sheet to fit a corner, consider using a folded calico textile
instead.
____________________
17
NZTECHO
And finally,
From “el presidente”:
An interesting subject, and one that we should address.
There are alternatives to polystyrene sheets as reflective
surfaces, but none that give quite the same versatility
or quality of light. The fact that poly is lightweight and
easily cut to shape is an advantage for rigging. The most
commonly used alternative is coreboard, which is also light
and easily cut, and has the advantage of not blowing to
pieces in a wind. But coreboard has a harder, more shiny
surface and therefore not quite the same soft quality to
the light coming off it. The slightly stippled surface of
poly gives a lovely softness to light it reflects. It can be
a menace, particularly outdoors where something that’s
not going to blow to pieces, such as coreboard or cloths,
should be used. It’s also a worry if a light is placed too
close to poly and it starts to melt. I don’t know what the
gasses are that come off it, but I’m sure they’re not good
for either us or the planet.
But let’s not get too precious; polystyrene is being used
for many applications in many industries apart from
ours. It’s an extremely good insulation material, used
extensively in building. If, as an industry we are to
concern ourselves with our impact on the environment,
as of course we must, then we need to start with the art
department.
Art departments are using all kinds of weird and wonderful
chemicals and concoctions, including polystyrene, to
construct all kinds of weird and wonderful visual effects.
We don’t want to do away with the weird and wonderful
visual impact, but we do need to look at how we achieve
it.
... AlBol
____________________
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NZTECHO 18
Sioux’s News
Hi Everyone,
Firstly, on behalf of Vicky Bethell, we thank everyone
who sent messages of love and support when Ross Bethell
passed away in early October. Ross was a loved and
respected part of the NZ film industry and provided many
a magnificent backdrop to music videos, feature films,
television drama and hundreds of commercials over the
years. Tracks on his farm have even been affectionately
named after some of the jobs that have used them
(Hummer Corner, for instance).
Ross, you were an amazing man, and we hope that your
name and memory lives on in future years; and that
every time a camera rolls on your landscape you will be
affectionately remembered by all that had the great good
fortune to meet you.
For anyone interested in helping out on the land on the
occasional working bee – please contact Filmcrews in
Auckland for more information. The next working bee is
planned for November 29, and then another in January.
This is just a small way to help the family, and a little
effort from extra hands would be so welcome.
On a work front, the winter months slowed down a bit;
but it has recently picked up, and with Disney talking
about another series next year crew will remain in
demand, which is fantastic for the commercial sector.
Kingdom Come have taken on a lot of crew from all
around the country, and this will also mean new people
can enter the market and learn fantastic skills from the
old hands. Rumours of a few feature films in early 2009
are bouncing around, and I’m sure that once things settle
down again after the NZ election, things will be more
constant for crew.
When most people discuss this ‘recession’ that we are in,
they are doom and gloom – but my personal view is that
things like this could stimulate an economy. People will
still need to advertise, to encourage people to spend. This
in turn creates work for us, and therefore the commercial
market probably won’t feel too much of a pinch. Budgets
for these jobs may be smaller than the old days, but
volume should be more. I hope my optimism is realized in
the real world, but I guess all we can do is wait and see!
Sioux x
Winner!
At the Auckland Branch Committee
meeting last week, Megan’s last task
was to draw the winner of the book THE
BUSINESS OF DOCUMENTARY FILM-MAKING
from a bowl - the name she plucked out
was TAMARA PENNIKET, of Hamilton.
Congratulations, Tamara!
Meanwhile, another doco soundie, Nick
Treacy, was browsing the book and saying
things like, “My God, this is brilliant!” while his desire to win (he had put his name
into the draw) increased by the second.
Commiserations, Nick! - and also to the
others who missed out.
Nick reminded us of Sammy Davis Jr’s
dictum that “We’re in show business there’s two halves to it, Show and Business.
Pay equal attention to both.” He reckons
this book does exactly that. He’s buying it!
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NZTECHO
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NZTECHO 20
“You say Goodbye,
and I say Hello…”
Hi All,
Megan here. As most of you will know, I’m moving on from
the role of Executive Officer here at the Techos’ Guild,
and Fritha Stalker has taken the helm. We’ve spent that
last two weeks in handover, and Fritha is very capable, a
quick learner and pleasant to work with. I know she’ll be
a strong presence in the Guild.
I’m thankful for the time I’ve had with you all at the Guild.
I genuinely enjoyed the times when I was able to help. My
own circumstances have changed, and I’m moving on to
full-time work, but I feel lots of positive changes are afoot
for the Guild, and I’m sure it will continue to grow.
One thing I have learnt is that it pays to check your
contract – and if you’re hiring out gear to a production,
always specify who is responsible for its insurance. I know
an Exec member who always asks the production company:
Do you want to insure the gear, or do you want to use my
insurance? If they use his insurance, they pay an extra
fee on top of the daily rate. If they want to cover the
insurance, then this is specified in the hireage agreement.
If anything happens to the gear, it’s all spelt out in
writing. No disputes.
I apologise to people whom I wasn’t able to get back to
soon enough, or whose issues I wasn’t able to follow up.
Sometimes the workload in the office threatened to rise
up and swamp me! The good news is that Fritha is working
more hours than I did, and the Guild office will now be
open on Fridays. Allison Peirse – doing a great job with
the Techos’ accounts – is also working an extra day to
provide admin support. All this is a direct result of the
vote to increase subs. This will translate to better service
for you, the members.
Finally, an important issue I’ll be handing over to Fritha is
Mark of the Lion. I’ve had further talks with our lawyer
about this Charles Upham project and Safari Productions,
and sent out an email to crew updating them on possible
paths of action to recover debts.
Safari Productions has a registered office in Christchurch,
which indicated a shareholding entirely held by Fat
and Thin Productions Limited, which is presently in
liquidation. Effectively, this means that Safari is a
subsidiary of Fat and Thin, and Safari’s shareholding is
an asset of Fat and Thin’s that will be pulled into the
liquidation.
Our lawyer suggest some kind of “class action” on behalf
of all unsecured technicians – to possibly proceed against
the company directors for trading whilst insolvent.
Another possible option is to file a 289 Notice with our
lawyer – this would give Safari 10 working days to dispute
the debt or 15 days to pay it. In the event the debt is
neither paid nor disputed, then, on the expiration of the
15 working days, the debtor is deemed to be insolvent and
the creditor can apply to the Court to place the debtor
company into liquidation.
We’re investigating the pros and cons of 289 Notice versus
proceeding against directors for trading while insolvent.
So, it’s a busy time for the Guild, and good luck to Fritha!
I’ll be on the on the other end of the phone if she wants to
ask for advice!
Cheers,
Megan
Allison Peirse
21
… Hello Everyone,
A quick note from me as incoming Exec Officer... I have
had a wonderful handover courtesy of Megan, who has
done the most fantastic job for you behind the scenes.
I am enjoying the challenge of caretaking the office for
you all in the Guild. It’s a really fantastic change for me
after seven years in the Biology department of Auckland
University! I grew up with artist types around me so in
a way it feels like coming home. I’ve had some lovely
messages of welcome from people who remember me at
different stages of my life (including infancy!). It’s great
to have some connections already, and I look forward to
meeting as many of you as possible in my time in this role.
The biggest challenges in the position are dealing with
discussions surrounding overseas crew coming in to work
here, and the complex issues such as those surrounding
Mark of the Lion. Megan has a wonderful knowledge base
and a manner of dealing with both of these issues that I
can only hope to emulate. For an initial period I will be
asking you to indulge me when I call, as I’ll be taking in
details of your crafts. I promise to take this info on board
as quickly as I can, so that I can be of the most support to
the members.
That’s it from me for now.
More next issue!
All the best,
Fritha
For the music buffs:
The title heading these reports is a lyric from the song
Hello Goodbye, off the Beatles’ 1967 album
Magical Mystery Tour.
Below: Megan (L) and Fritha
NZTECHO
NEW MEMBERS - Welcome!
Thanks from all of us for your support!
Josh Barraud
Sam Cometti
Allan George
Nigel Mahoney
Jeremy Masters
Arthur Matthews
Richard Matthews
Ben Milsom
Peter Moerenhout
Eric Napier
Mark Newnham
Ryan O’Donnell
Marianna Salvini
Chris Tout
Art
Safety
Camera
Locations
Editor
Safety
Asst Dir
Art
Unit
Locations
Lighting
Lighting
Production
Camera
Wgtn
Akld
Akld
Chch
Akld
Wgtn
Wgtn
Wgtn
Akld
Akld
Wgtn
Wgtn
Akld
Akld
Selected Emails…
I’d love to be at your farewell drinks, Megan, but as you
know, we’re in Berlin. I’m sorry to hear you are leaving
and would like to thank you for being so friendly and
supportive. Good luck with whatever you do.
Cheers, Louise
____________
Thanks for all your great work on behalf of those who have
benefited from your time and energy. Although you will be
greatly missed, I look forward to meeting Fritha both as a
freelance Techo and as Chair of NZCS.
Best regards, Kevin
____________
You will be missed, Megan, muchas
respectos. (Anon.)
“In feature films, the
director is God.
In documentary film,
God is the director.”
ALFRED HITCHCOCK.
NZTECHO 22
Short Clips…
V. BEETHAM - A LOST MEMBER!
We hate to admit it, but there
appears to have been a glitch in
our systems… Possibly a hole has
secretly opened up during a software
change… But a certain “V. Beetham”
is paying a sub by automatic bank
payment, but we have no postal or
email addresses for this person. If
you are V. Beetham, or you know of a
V.Beetham in the screen game, please
let us know! We hate to think of a
member paying a sub but not getting
due service - including this mag!
CHELSEA & COREY HAVE A ROOM FOR RENT
Large double room for rent to a
non-smoker in Royal Heights, Akld,
$120pw. Large open-plan living
with deck and separate toilet. All
whiteware provided. Rent excludes
broadband, water and power. Two
other flatmates, mid-30s male &
early 20s female. Lots of OSP. Would
consider couple for slightly extra rent.
Ph Corey (021) 272-9778
KELLY PARK STUDIOS
The owners of this estate between
Kaukapakapa and Whangaparaoa
(30 mins from Auckland) have been
promoting big expansion plans in
the local rags. Search their website
- www.kellyparkfilm.com - worth
it. Not just more studios planned
- a residential village for crew, huge
open spaces, lakes and bushland all
approved for filming…
“LOVE HAS NO LANGUAGE”
Ken Kahn, the director of this Maori/
Indian cross-cultural romance shot in
Auckland, has asked us to let you all
know that the film is screening now.
ACADEMY CINEMAS
The Academy offer all industry guild
members tickets for only $11 at all
times - no restrictions to daytimes
and weekdays like others - but they
also offer “2 for 1 Tuesdays” - 2
people for $15 only!
AUCKLAND XMAS PARTY
Mark your diary now! Last year’s
first attempt at a combined event for
all industry guilds and associations
met with wide approval. This year’s
should be even better!
WELLINGTON XMAS PARTY
Wift and the Techos Guild have
organized one for the Windy City.
Techos members get 2 free glasses of
bubbles on entry!!!
APOLOGIES
The Editor sincerely regrets that
Megan’s name was inadvertently left
off the article about the Department
of Labour’s Mediation Service for
screen contractors in the last issue.
The Editor also regrets the slur on
Auckland café coffee charges - a trip
to Palmerston North recently showed
that even in that provincial city, café
coffee prices easily match Auckland’s!
23
NZTECHO
TECHOS’ GUILD
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE
2008 - 09
PRESIDENT
03 732 8123
Alun Bollinger
VICE PRESIDENT
021 936 423
Annie Frear
PAST PRESIDENT & TREASURER
David Madigan
021 741 810
Jennifer Butcher
Carey Johnson
AUCKLAND CHAIR
027 477 2299
WELLINGTON CHAIR
021 927 587
QUEENSTOWN CHAIR
021 229 1603
Josh Dunn
Brendon Durey
MEMBERS
021 866 977
Tony Forster
027 292 7750
Zara Hayden
021 315 102
Brett Mills
029 932 6685
Murray Milne
027 442 2150
Paul Richards
021 959 555
Ken Saville
027 444 8123
Byron Sparrow
021 516 026
Nick Treacy
021 280 8950
Thom Watson
021 533 887
NZFVTG OFFICE
Executive Officer - FRITHA STALKER
09 302 2022
0800 832 467
(0800 TECHOS)
Fax 09 302 2025
4-E Macaulay Street
PO Box 68-294
Newton, Auckland 1145
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Leave a phone message
outside these hours;
alternatively, email us.
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