E-NEWS
EDITION #013
AUGUST 2010
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Hello and welcome to the August edition of the ASE monthly E-News. In this months edition there is an update from the president, details of our new sponsor, Roar Digital, and news about the 2010 ASE Awards so please read on for more details.
Once again we always welcome news of upcoming events or your views on any issues that may be of interest to other editors. Please forward any production and publicity stills (copyright cleared), of current productions you are working on or have recently completed, to be featured on ASE website banners, to:
newsletter@screeneditors.com
First up is news from the ASE committee…
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ASE COMMITTEE:
The ASE Awards sub-committee, Melanie Annan and Lile Judickas, kicked into action this month by preparing the call out for entries for the 2010 ASE Awards (which are due August 31st). As you'll know from recent newsletters we are accepting new and renewed memberships with Award entries for the first time, so let your colleagues know it’s not too late to join up and enter their work.
The Awards are a flagship event for the ASE and our membership, and we are making a substantial effort to use them strategically to draw attention to the art of editing, its value to storytelling and the notable achievements that have occurred in the editing industry this year. We are also very pleased to have The Lab and Avid on board as ASE Award sponsors; their extra support is allowing us to spread the word more widely than ever before. To add your own contribution to the committee's efforts you can print out the colour announcement you were emailed last week and post it at your workplace or pass it on to another editor.
In other news Phillipa Rowlands, spearheading the ASE Accreditation effort, will shortly be calling for nominations. I hope that more women in the guild will nominate this year as they are under-represented in the ranks of accreditees, and nominations for men usually outnumber nominations for women by a large percentage!
The Events sub-committee, Deb Peart, Katrina Barker and Karen Fleming are working with the AFI to coordinate some evenings with editors during the AFI awards screenings in Sydney and Melbourne. New committee member Gwen Sputore is also working with OzDox on an event that will focus on the director/editor relationship. All of these upcoming events will not only be fun nights, but, as they are collaborations with other organisations, they will be great networking opportunities – so make sure you're there!
Finally, as promised, I attended the NSW Industry Forum at the end of June, where representatives from the film and televisions industries brainstormed ways forward for increasing audiences and developing new talents. I raised the ASE Mentorship scheme as a model for the latter, and when the possibility was raised of implementing government funding for mentorship schemes, I registered our interest! With regard to the question of audiences, I was disappointed by the lack of representation of the new media sector in the conversations and continue to believe that unless the issue of deriving revenue from the internet is addressed with energy and focus, audiences, wages and conditions will continue to decline.
Dr. Karen Pearlman
ASE President
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NEWS:
Call for Entries: 2010 Australian Screen Editors Awards
The Australian Screen Editors Guild is dedicated to the pursuit and recognition of excellence in screen editing across all its forms. Every year the ASE presents Awards that celebrate outstanding achievement in Editing. In 2010 the ASE is calling for entries in the following categories:
- Avid Award for Best Editing in a Feature Film
- The Lab Award for Best Editing in a Television Drama
- Best Editing in a Documentary
- Best Editing in Television Non-Drama
- Best Editing in a Commercial
- Best Editing in a Music Video
- Best Editing in a Short Film
For entry forms and full terms and conditions please go to the ASE website - www.screeneditors.com/ase_awards or emailawards@screeneditors.com
Don’t delay and get your entries in …Entries must be postmarked by August 31st 2010
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SPONSORS NEWS
Roar Digital - New ASE Sponsor
The ASE welcomes our newest sponsor Roar Digital. Below is some information about the company and their personnel:
“Roar Digital is a full service post house, with the capability of managing post production for any project from feature film to website development. It is our firm belief and business practice that post planning starts before shooting. We assist with pre-planning of technical aspects of the project to production of final master.
The Roar Digital team has worked together over a period of 14 years. In this time we have experienced the full gamut of change in methodology of image making and post-production.
The compact structure of our company together with the technical and creative resources of our team, allows us to manage each project on an individual basis. Currently running both Avid & FCP, all suites run from a SAN. We also have theatrette and grading suite pus a small studio with cyclorama.
Mark Pitman - Senior Editor
30 years editing experience in drama, documentaries, broadcast television, news and current affairs has given Mark an encyclopedic knowledge of Final Cut Pro, Avid and associated applications and a vast understanding of the entire post path. Mark’s ability to do practically any job in the process gives him a special understanding of what’s required from each link in the chain, making hand-over from one department to another seamless. He can also train dogs.
Evelyn Cronk - Post Production Manager
Over 40 years experience in editing and post production management with emphasis for the past 15 years on managing long-form and short-form projects within the Roar Digital environment. Evelyn also has a long time interest in the training and development of younger people.
Corey Steer – Designer/Colourist
12 years experience in postproduction as editor, motion designer, compositor and colourist. As part of the Roar Digital team, Corey’s general knowledge and inventiveness is also invaluable. Our no-barriers style of teaming your project benefits from Corey’s creative thinking combined with a head for technical stuff.
Shane Betts – Infrastructure
With over 25 years experience in film and television, in roles as diverse as writer, director, producer, DOP, editor, stills photographer and sound recordist, Shane joined Roar Digital in 2008 to lead the way to our current capabilities. From building Red camera kits and increasing our post capacity three-fold, to fitting out the theatrette, to designing ergonomic desks for the editors and colourists, Shane brings a wide range of skills and experience to bear here at Roar Digital.”
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THE LAB SYDNEY CREATES STORMS & STEAMSHIPS ON “SOUTH SOLITARY”
(PRESS RELEASE)
“The Lab Sydney has lent its talent to Director Shirley Barrett’s (Love Serenade) recent feature film, South Solitary by providing postproduction and VFX services to the film.
Produced by Marian Macgowan (Macgowan Films) the film was premiered at the Sydney Film Festival’s gala night, which is a testament to the entire production and postproduction team. The film will be released nationally July 29.
South Solitary was filmed mostly on location at Cape Nelson, near the historic seaside town of Portland in Victoria and lighthouse interiors were shot at Cape Otway in Victoria. The story, which is set in the 1920’s, involves an unlikely relationship between a lonely young woman (Miranda Otto) and a shell-shocked lighthouse keeper on a remote island. Violent storms and rough seas batter the rugged island as the story unfolds.
At the commencement of production, Cape Nelson offered up only the most calm of seas and the bluest of skies. What was actually required for the film however was just the opposite - rough winds, overcast skies and wild seas. Enter The Lab Sydney to develop solutions to recreate these missing elements through its 3D, 2D, VFX, matte painting and digital intermediate grading departments.
The Lab’s Head of Film and TV, Prue Fletcher said “We had teams of 2D compositors, 3D animators and matte painters creating and generating storms, different sky sequences, producing antique lighthouse lamps, constructing an old 20s steamer and replacing and cleaning up shots. It was a tremendous effort. The clean up shots included the removal of windmills from a wind farm and we also had to generate rough seas and then composite them into different shots.”
The Lab’s VFX Supervisor, Soren Jensen (Two Fists, One Heart; Charlotte’s Web) and Head of Digital Intermediate, Al Hansen (Tomorrow When The War Began; Catch a Fire) were both involved in the project right from pre-production. Soren participated in the original surveys of the location with the Director, Producer, DOP and Production Designer. Hansen travelled to Victoria to set up the pipeline for daily rushes at The Lab Sydney’s sister company, Digital Pictures Melbourne. Visual effects, digital intermediate grading and postproduction was completed at The Lab Sydney.
The Director was able to take full advantage of the provision of streamlined services between the two Omnilab Media companies. Offline suites were set up at Digital Pictures Melbourne to undertake the film’s rushes and editorial. The media was then delivered to The Lab Sydney where the Director’s cut and fine cut were locked off.
The Lab completed different visual effects breakdowns with a total of 57 shots required throughout the film.
‘In my experience this amount of visual effects is considerably large for an Australian film of this size and modest budget. It is quite unique,’ said Soren Jensen.”
(Continued - check the ASE website for the rest of this article)
www.screeneditors.com
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
NATIONAL
***Samsung Mobile AFI Awards
The 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards season has fired up today with the announcement of feature films in contention and the launch of the 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards Screenings.
The 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards Screenings are one of the most important events on the AFI calendar. They provide AFI members and the general public with the opportunity to view all films in competition for the purposes of judging the 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards.
The 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards Screenings showcase an outstanding and unique range of Australian films, including all feature film contenders and the nominees in the categories of short fiction film, short animation and feature length documentary.
We look forward to coordinating some exciting special events co-hosted with screen craft guilds and industry associations including filmmaker introductions and forums during the screenings program.
http://www.afi.com.au
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
***Show Us Your Limits
Entry Deadline 31st August
The Show Us Your Limits photographic, short film and digital media competition is closing soon! For your chance to win great prizes submit your entries by 4.00pm on 31 August 2010.
http://www.canberra100.com.au/projects/show_us_your_limits.php
NEW SOUTH WALES
***Possible Worlds - Canadian Film Festival
2nd – 8th August
Possible Worlds - Sydney's 5th Canadian Film Festival - presents a selection of the best new features and documentaries made north of Hollywood, many of which will screen in Australia for the very first time. The Festival will screen 20 new films at Dendy Opera Quays, Dendy Newtown and venues across Sydney from Aug. 2nd to 8th 2010.
Welcoming prestigious filmmakers to Sydney, the Festival provides a rare chance for Australians to watch the best new Canadian films and meet the artists. Running alongside the film premieres will be filmmaker Q&A’s, panel discussions and of course, parties.
http://www.possibleworlds.net.au/
***2010 Sydney Underground Film Festival
9 - 11 September
The Sydney Underground Film Festival is dedicated to nurturing an alternative film culture through the promotion of independent and experimental films. The festival seeks to support filmmakers who operate outside established film industry infrastructures, by providing a platform for exhibition, exposure and critical discussion. Founded in 2007, the festival runs on the dedication and enthusiasm of its staff, volunteers and interns.
http://www.sydneyundergroundfilmfestival.com/
QUEENSLAND
***An evening with Ross Grayson Bell
Thursday 12th August
The Australian Writers' Guild and AFTRS are proud to present an evening with Ross Grayson Bell, creative producer behind Fight Club.
Ross has worked with an A-list of filmmakers including directors David Fincher, Gillian Armstrong, Pedro Almodovar, Gore Verbinski, Sam Raimi, Stephen Hopkins. Ross was recently appointed Head of Screenwriting at AFTRS. There will be a conversation with Shayne Armstrong followed by Q & A session.
http://www.awg.com.au/index.php?option=com_events&id=39&Itemid=
TASMANIA
***David Bradbury: “Frontline” screening & Q&A
Thursday 26th August
Wide Angle Tasmania is proud to present internationally acclaimed documentary filmmaker David Bradbury in Tasmania this August. David Bradbury is one of Australia’s best-known and most successful documentary filmmakers. His films have been shown on all the major Australian commercial and public broadcast networks as well as overseas. He has won countless international film festival prizes, won five AFI awards and received two Academy Award nominations.
Frontline is David Bradbury’s first film, and is a portrait of courageous Tasmanian news cameraman Neil Davis. The film earned Bradbury his first Academy Award nomination. It was shown at the Margaret Mead Film Festival, won first prize at the Sydney and Melbourne Film Festivals, the coveted Grierson award at the American Film Festival and was screened world wide on PBS, BBC and TF1 in France.
http://www.wideangle.org.au/index-3.html
VICTORIA
***Beyond the Frame: Introducing Australian filmmakers and media artists to Fulldome
Monday 9th August
The emergence of 'destination cinema' and the proliferation of large-format screens in public spaces present a challenge - and opportunity - to filmmakers working in traditional screen formats.
At the very least a new cinematic language is required, one that takes account of the audience's very different experience of stories presented on large-format, 'frameless', screens.
As Academy-Award winning director and Dome Lab tutor, Ben Shedd, puts it, "the frame is our frame of reference", when we remove it "we create virtual first person experiences rather than second hand events".
Fulldome is such a format, presenting large-scale immersive experiences on hemispherical screens. However, unless you have the chance to experience this for yourself, it's almost impossible to grasp its immersive power and story-telling potential.
http://film.vic.gov.au/www/html/185-event-details.asp?intEventID=1053
***THE OTHER FILM FESTIVAL 2010
25th – 29th AUGUST
From its inception, The Other Film Festival has always had its gaze fixed firmly on the future. The festival dares to dream that one day everybody's story will be written boldly across the cinema screen and that universal access to the cinema will be the norm not the exception. The program this year offers an exhilarating array of choices: sessions dedicated to the experience of people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, films that celebrate the power of expressive dance, workshops for emerging actors and filmmakers, a forum on accessible cinema, and of course Rob Spence and the world premiere demonstration of the Eyeborg prosthetic eye.
http://www.otherfilmfestival.com/
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
***ROTTOFEST
27th - 29th August
Rottofest is back for 2010 bigger and better! We have amped it up this year with a big marquee and a wide variety of entertainment to keep you partying throughout the festival weekend.
http://www.rottofest.com.au/
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ASE SUNDOWNER:
Thanks to everyone who came down to the August Sundowner at The Clock (in Surry Hills). There were lots of new faces (and of course our faithful regulars) and everyone seemed to have a relaxing afternoon drinking and chatting about all things editing. Make sure you watch out for the details on Facebook and via email for the time and place of the next Sundowner.
And as always if you have any great pubs that you think we should visit we'd love to hear from you. Please send requests to:
newsletter@screeneditors.com
All the best and see you next time,
Melanie and Chris
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COURSES & TRAINING:
***SPECIAL OFFER on Avid courses from Amber Video and Audio Post for ASE MEMBERS. Please heck the link for prices and course schedules:
http://www.avap.com.au
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EDITSEARCH:
Please check the ASE website for up to date job listings.
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MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS:
***Members receive discounts to the Sydney and Melbourne film festivals, which are both coming up soon so check their websites for details.
***Palace Cinemas in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney are now offering ASE members $13.50 entry to any film, any session (not including festivals or special events) upon presentation of membership cards.
***Did you know ASE members get concession rate at Popcorn Taxi events? We do! So just remember to show your ASE members card.
***Special Limited Offer – free ASE shirt for every member. We have t-shirts or singlets in a variety of sizes. Follow these links to claim your free shirt (you only have to pay for shipping):
• Head to http://www.remogeneralstore.com/ASE
• Close the special offer box
• Choose your style and size and add to cart
***Mentorship Scheme:
We have recently re-invigorated our popular Mentor Scheme. The ASE Mentor Scheme started in 2004 and is a successful link between younger or less experienced members and other members of the Guild who have been working for many years in their field of expertise.
Given the changing structure of the industry and the fact that the assistant editor has less and less contact with the editor it’s extremely important to make sure knowledge is passed on. If you are a well-established editor and have the time and inclination to mentor a budding editor please let us know.
If you are interested in taking part in the scheme please head to our website http://www.screeneditors.com/mentor_scheme/index.htm for more information on how to apply.
***Online Editor Database:
As well as exclusive access to EditSearch – the ASE jobs bulletin, we have another way to help members find employment. We are currently working on an online Editors Database. This will be a members-only list of Editors and their CVs – making it easy for Producers and Directors to find you. If you would like your CV displayed on the ASE Database please email it to website@screeneditors.com
***Online Membership Payment:
There’s never been an easier way to join or re-new your membership to the ASE! We are excited to announce our new online payment facility. You are now able to pay online with your credit card. If you would like to join the guild follow the link for Online Application Form:http://www.screeneditors.com/ase_membership/membership_application_form.htm.
Or if you are renewing your membership access to all the ASE benefits will be yours at the click of a button:https://www.screeneditors.com/membership/form.php
***Discounted AFI membership, check the link below for details
http://www.afi.org.au/AM/ContentManagerNet/ContentDisplay.aspx?ContentID=7014&Section=Guilds
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EDITING ON THE WEB:
Thought this might interest you...
***“Thousands of hours of footage logged. Characters on the edge often doing the unthinkable or unimaginable. Storylines that must be teased or outright wrangled in order to become clear. It's all just another day in the life of an editor on a reality program.”
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118021955.html?categoryId=4049&ex=5er4&cs=1
***There is also a great interview with Australian Editors Lee Smith & John Lee about their work on the new blockbuster from Christopher Nolan, “Inception”:
http://www.studiodaily.com/filmandvideo/currentissue/Editing-Inception-for-a-Photochemical-Finish_12353.html
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
“You know, people always think if you start out as a film editor, you shoot less footage. Actually, just the opposite is true. I tend to grab as much coverage as I can because as a former editor I know how important it is to have those few frames.”
Robert Wise (Editor of “Citizen Kane” & Director of “West Side Story”, “The Sound of Music”, “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”)
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Until next time
The ASE Committee