E-NEWS
EDITION #019
April 2011
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Greetings Editing Colleagues,
I hope you've had a productive and rewarding month tapping away on those keyboards creating kinetic magic!
The ASE had a great month for new membership registrations. May I remind you of the current membership drive ... and you benefit.
Introduce a new full member (or re-ignite the interest of a lapsed full member) and not only do they receive a special price, but so do you for promoting your Guild. $99 full membership for one year! Offer is valid for a limited time.
Contact Margaret Slarke for details nswoffice@screeneditors.com
The Committee are most excited to announce a flurry of ASE 'Members Only' Screenings with Editor Q&A's over the following few months.
The next one being, ASE Member Leanne Cole's, 'Wasted On The Young', Wednesday 20th April 7pm at AFTRS. Refer to emailed invitation soon to hit your Inbox for RSVP details.
The following event will be ASE Member Claire Fletcher's screening of 'Mad Bastards' with Q&A. Again, keep an eye on your Inbox for invitation and RSVP details. Remember to get in quick as seats do fill fast. These are a wonderful opportunity to meet those involved and hear their unique experiences.
The biggest news of the month is we now officially have a Western Australia arm to the Guild, so very exciting! Roland Smith will Chair, Lawrence Silvestrin Secretary and David Fosdick Treasurer.
There are no less than five eastern State Committee members hailing as Sandgropers!, who have a heart-felt connection to supporting the efforts of our west coast colleagues.
Know you have some friends should you be headed that way. And vice versa!
Hot off the press: AFTRS have announced their new Head of Editing. None other than ASE Member (and Academy Award Nominated Editor... and Director) Luke Doolan. Huge congrats to you Luke!
"I'm very excited by being chosen as the Head of Editing at AFTRS. I feel as though the time is right for me to help contribute and pass on the knowledge and skills I've acquired from my many and varied experiences in the industry over the past 13 years. The opportunity to nurture new and emerging talent is a great responsibility, and one I don't take lightly. I am looking forward to a new chapter in AFTRS continuing legacy." - Luke Doolan
New Head of Editing at AFTRS & ASE member Luke Doolan
And remember, it really is a matter of "what can you do for your Guild?". Please let us know what you'd like to contribute or make available to share.
Let's find great comfort in supporting each other.
Regards,
Jason Ballantine ASE
ASE President
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VICTORIAN UPDATE:
The Young Editor's Night was such a success that the ASE team is
going to run another night in September. For those of you who are
just starting out in the editing arena we would love you to submit
something when we advertising it later in the year. Congratulations
to Tommy Meadmore and the rest of the committee for a great night. A
big thank you to MRPPP for allowing us to use their fabulous
facilities and to MRPPP's Tim Isaacson for his invaluable comments on
the night.
For those who like a casual get together the next Sundowner is
happening on Sunday the 1st of May at the Union Club Hotel 164 Gore
Street Fitzroy between 3pm and 7pm. It's open to film makers from
all guilds and persuasions. So please encourage your friends to come
along and make it a fun afternoon. Can't think of a better way to
meet editors can you?
Are any of you fantastic at trivia nights? Or just enjoy a laugh.
The ASE needs you! We're booking a table for the St Kilda Film
Festival Trivia Night, which is on the 4th of May. If you like
working the entertainment neurons while munching on pizza please join
our table. RSVP to vicoffice@screeneditors.com
The fabulous editors that make up the Victorian Committee are working
hard to bring you a variety of events this year. Hot off the press
the ASE in conjunction with the St Kilda Film Festival will be
presenting a panel on the craft of editing short films. More details
soon. We'll be manning a table at the industry day of the festival
so please come and say hello we'd love to meet you.
Cindy Clarkson
Chairperson
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NEWS:
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***SFF reveals a sneak peek of its 2011 program
Sydney Film Festival announced a cross-section of films in the lead-up to taking over the city’s silver screens from Wednesday June 8 to Sunday June 19.
Three of twelve Official Competition Films for 2011 have been revealed; the critically acclaimed adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood; award-winning Greek drama Attenberg and the highly-anticipated second feature from the director of Me and You and Everyone We Know, Miranda July’s The Future.
The Official Competition winner receives a $60,000 cash prize in recognition of courageous, audacious and cutting-edge filmmaking.
Festival Director Clare Stewart relishes Sydney Film Festival’s role in championing ‘new directions in film’: “Our award criteria encourages the world’s filmmakers to be bold, adventurous risk-takers; to strive for the unique and the unexpected. Our annual search for international excellence uncovers some exceptional cinema and we can’t wait to show Sydney-siders in June.”
In addition to the Official Competition, the festival hosts a number of awards to recognise excellence in filmmaking, including the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films (which are Academy Award® eligible) and the FOXTEL Australian Documentary Prize. The finalists for these competitive sections, along with the remaining festival selection, will be announced Wednesday 11 May.
Now entering its 58th year, the festival showcases feature films, documentaries, short films and animations across the city at the State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Opera Quays, Art Gallery of NSW and UNSW.
Which film do you want to see most and why out of the Teaser Films Sydney Film Festival released this week! THE FUTURE directed by Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know) or is it EVEN THE RAIN starring Gael García Bernal. Write your choice below and let the debate begin. Check out the full list and purchase FlexiPasses at www.sff.org.au
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***Calling all Film Makers, Animators and Media Creative’s… It’s Time to Put Yourself in the Picture…The 2011 ATOM Awards program wants you!
Entries are now officially open for the 2011 ATOM awards – Australia and New Zealand's most prestigious awards for achievements in Film, Television, Animation and Educational Content.
Production houses, students, game developers, educational resource developers, independent film makers, documentary makers, animators … anyone who has produced anything for the screen is encouraged to enter the 2011 ATOM Awards.
This year, the ATOM Awards program will recognise and celebrate excellence, featuring thirty-four awards across three categories - Student, Educational / Vocational and General.
Entries for the 2011 ATOM Awards will close at 5pm (AEST) on Monday 13 June 2011.
Awards will be presented to the most outstanding entrants at the 2011 ATOM Awards Night, held at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank Melbourne on Friday 21 October 2011.
For more information or to enter the 2011 ATOM Awards please visit www.atomawards.org
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'Meet the Members'
…with Matt Villa
Matt Villa has been part of the Australian film community for twenty years. Before becoming an editor in his own right, he rose through the ranks of assistant and VFX editor, serving on many local and international productions.
His editing credits include “I, Robot”, “The Final Winter”, "Australia" and "Daybreakers" His credits as visual effects editor include “King Kong”; “Moulin Rouge” and “Mission Impossible II”. He is currently working as an editor on the animated film "Happy Feet 2".
ASE Member Matt Villa
I knew I wanted to work in post when…I first saw "Star Wars". Yeah, yeah I know, me and about a thousand others who grew up in the seventies and eighties and wound up in the film industry. But that was my first real experience of this medium that can enchant and captivate an audience using every form of storytelling at once - words, pictures, sound and music. Why post? Because I soon learned that's where the magic really happens.
My first break in the industry came when…I worked as a second assistant editor on a mini series called "Tracks Of Glory". It was my first job out of TAFE and it starred Cameron Daddo. I didn't think it could get any better than that.
The thing I love most about editing is…that feeling you get when the story you are intending to tell begins to emerge from the mass of raw footage. You keep chipping away, finding the perfect cut here, the best piece of performance there until suddenly you can see the narrative that is worthy of an audience. It's great when it happens according to plan but it's even better when it takes you by surprise. The second thing I love most is seeing that audience laugh, cry, jump or be moved in all the ways you intended.
The best tip I’ve got for aspiring editors is...take any opportunity to be involved in the film making process. Regardless of scale, budget or position, the best way to learn the craft is to be around it, watching the way other people work and doing it yourself. And you will NEVER stop learning.
If I wasn’t in post-production I’d be…sitting at home contemplating the fact that even if I wanted to, I'm actually unable to do anything else.
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'Meet the Members'
…with Kento Watanabe
ASE member Kento Watanabe and friend.
Kento is an assistant editor that has worked on many big-budget films such as Happy Feet, Australia, Knowing and Wolverine. He has recently returned from Tokyo, and is busy setting up a fundraiser for the Japan disaster. (If anyone is interested in helping Kento with this fundraiser please contact him at kento@kentowatanabe.com)
I knew I wanted to work in post when… I was in my last year of high school. I did a 1 unit short course at EORA TAFE and really enjoyed it. Before that I had no clue about what I wanted to do.
My first break in the industry was… while I was studying film at North Sydney TAFE. I was doing casual PA/Runner jobs on Toyota commercials. From my work on that, the production company offered me a full time Assistant Editor position. I left TAFE early (on the advice of several industry people and teachers) and took the position. One of the editor's I worked with doing commercials had started working on features, and he got me my next job on Happy Feet.
The thing I love most about editing is… the challenge of creating a story. I think it's fascinating to watch, and be a part of, the evolution of a film. And with the the industry constantly changing and new technologies appearing, It’s one of the only jobs I know of that combines technical and creative skills. Every job I do is different, so I'm always facing new challenges.
The best tip I’ve got for aspiring editors is... question whether you really want to be in the film industry. Working in Post can be an amazing experience and you get to meet some really amazing people, but it is hard work and there are long hours, so if you do want to do it, you really have to make a commitment to it. Once you decide that you do, do whatever it takes to get the job and get the job done.
If I wasn’t in post production I’d be… critic, a drunk or a comedian.
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'Meet your Committee'
…with ASE Treasurer Lile Judickas
ASE Treasurer Lile Judickas
I specialise in… documentary and News & Current Affairs editing.
My first break in the industry was… receiving a 3-year traineeship at the ABC.
The highlight of my career so far… working on ‘Crude’, a feature-length documentary with a 3D animated carbon-dioxide molecule as the main character. Somewhat of a challenge!!
I was inspired to join the ASE committee… to fulfill my pre-ordained destiny and become ASE Treasurer (2 years in a row!!)
The ASE is important because… it’s the one organisation that seeks to push the craft of editing into the limelight where it deserves to be, after having spent far too much time lurking in the dingy back rooms of the industry. (And I say that in the nicest possible way!)
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'Meet our Sponsors'
…with Roar Digital
Evelyn Cronk (from ASE sponsors, Roar Digital)
ROAR Digital is a welcoming post house nestled neatly in Port Melbourne. Evelyn Cronk or Heather Everard will greet you as you enter the re-purposed warehouse. It has inviting nooks and crannies for hire. Four edit suites sporting either Avid or FCP with everything backed up on a central system. For screenings there is an intimate theatre seating eight with a 2K projector. Then there’s the fab boardroom where you would have found the producers of ‘Cloud Street’ ensconced when the programme was being cut by Geoff Hitchins last year.
ROAR is the first to use a fully kitted out Da Vinci Resolve, which is capable of real-time 2k grading with exciting bells and whistles. Corey Steer, the colourist and digital artist creates great titles, credits or visual effects and waves his hands over the Di Vinci. Long time Roar stayer Mark Pitman, can be found editing anything from a corporate to features in an adjacent room.
ROAR is happy to a support projects in house, at the editor’s lair, or interstate. They are currently supporting Circle of Lies shooting in Sydney with 2 Avids based at Fox Studios. Their RED camera & DIT kit are also being used by the production. ROAR’s resident technophile Shane Betts backs the technical side of it having the RED workflow down pat. Shane’s own editing experience enables him to create optimum working environments for Editors.
While continuing long term relationships with corporate producers, recent projects that have gone through the ROAR experience are the independent feature ‘Surviving Georgia’ for a grade and digital out, ‘Cloud Street’ for offline editing facilities and independent film The Sunset Six. The producers of Sunset Six also shot with Roar’s Red Camera.
I heard a whisper that an Epic is on the way too.
Above all Evelyn Cronk’s vast experience and knowledge of postproduction is brought to bear on every project. She loves looking after editors and assistants and will always be on hand budgeting and scheduling with the creative process in mind.
Editor Trevor Holcombe had this to say after his first visit. “Part of me wants to keep it a secret. But I couldn’t help spread the word around the traps. It feels tailor-made for editors and producers and there is an unequivocal sense of ‘family’ and ‘creativity’.”
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Take a look at their website www.roardigital.com.au
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SPONSORS NEWS:
Media Composer tutorial "Avid Artist Controllers"
One of the things we try to stress to people when they’re getting to know Media Composer is the importance of getting to know the keyboard. Knowing all the shortcuts and ins-and-outs of the keyboard brings a greater degree of control over the application than just using the mouse to click-around. But there are still going to be times when the keyboard cannot replace the presence of a dedicated control surface.
Now in Media Composer 5.5 we're introducing the Artist Series of controllers—Artist Transport, Artist Mix, and Artist Control. These are three Ethernet-based control surfaces that really raise the level of interaction between you and Media Composer.
http://www.avid.com/US/products/Media-Composer/Hardware-Options?cmpid=AV-SM-MCH-3
Media Composer Tutorial "New Find Tools featuring PhraseFind"
One of the most important aspects of any editing project is organization. One of the great strengths of Media Composer® has always been how well it manages and organizes metadata. Media Composer 5.5 takes another huge leap forward with new Find functionality and the new PhraseFind™ option.
http://www.avid.com/US/products/phrasefind?cmpid=AV-SM-MCH-3
Media Composer tutorial "SmartTool v2: Transition Manipulation"
When Media Composer® 5.0 was first introduced in 2010, one of the biggest changes to the application was the introduction of the SmartTool. The SmartTool is a palette or a collection of five different modes that are very common to working in the timeline. In Media Composer 5.5, the Keyframe button has been moved out of the palette to make room for a new button called "Transition Manipulation"
http://www.avid.com/US/products/media-composer?cmpid=AV-SM-MCH-3
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HELP NEEDED SECTION:
16mm viewer wanted by The Royal Children’s Hospital.
The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne has a few boxes of old 16mm films made there over the years, some of which may be of historical value. Many are unlabelled and they have no machine to view and assess them on. They don’t have a budget to hire a viewer, and are reluctant to hand the films over to the NFSA. They are hoping there might be an editor who knows of a Melbourne based 16mm flatbed machine or a manual viewer with winders that they could use for a day or two.
If you can help, they would be most grateful. Please contact:
Rob Grant - Senior Video Producer
Educational Resource Centre
The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, Vic 3052
Tel: (03) 9345 6299 Mobile: 0417 308 044
Email: Rob.Grant@rch.org.au
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
***Revelation 2011 Travel Fellowship
Applications Open Now
In an Australian first, Revelation is looking to provide three filmmakers, academics, craftspersons or film-lovers from any state or territory of Australia (not including WA) up to a $1000 contribution toward travel and accommodation in order to attend the festival in Perth. The package also includes a range of other "access" benefits that extend to parties and VIP functions, master classes, special events and other event components.
http://www.revelationfilmfest.org/go/news/2011-travel-fellowship
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SCREENINGS:
NEW SOUTH WALES
***The Bill Hicks Story + Q&A with Directors Paul Thomas & Matt Harlock (Popcorn Taxi)
4 May 2011
In the country, which enshrines freedom of speech in its constitution, Bill Hick’s story is truly about what it means to be an American. Now Bill’s remarkable story is brought to life in AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY, a feature-length documentary which combines live action with a stunning new animation technique manipulating 1,000s of photographs
to uniquely immerse the audiences in his world, which is re-told from the point-of-view of the people who shared it with him.
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VICTORIA
***Ladies on the Tube (ACMI)
19 May 2011
Join a stellar line-up of Live in the Studio lady alumnae - all feisty, saucy and whip-smart - as they put their best chromosomes forward to deliver a full night of `sisters on the tube`.
Dr Saige Walton fights the good fight with Battlestar Galactica and Veronica Mars while Dr Esther Milne maps out Laguna Beach, The Hills and The City.
Mel Campbell investigates how TV treats a female boss, Catherine Deveny looks at `our women` in Aussie commercial television and Clementine Ford gets nostalgic with `80s sitcoms Golden Girls and Roseanne.
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas looks at horror film hostesses such as Vampira, Elvira and Australia’s own ghoul friend Tabitha, and Professor Angela Ndalianis guides us through reality TV.
A major ladies` night, featuring both lectures and performances.
www.acmi.net.au/lis_ladies.aspx
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WESTERN AUSTRALIA
***Mad Bastards Australian Preview Tour + Q&A with Director Brendan Fletcher
20 Apr 2011
Prior to the national cinema release on May 5th, 2011, special screenings of Mad Bastards will take place in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Broome and Byron Bay and will be followed by a Q&A session with writer / director Brendan Fletcher and star Dean Daley-Jones, followed by live music from the soundtrack performed by legendary Broome musicians The Pilgrim Brothers and multi-ARIA winner Alex Lloyd.
email.pollen.com.au/t/ViewEmail/r/81BA863DEB9A7C4B
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SOUTH AUSTRALIA
***49 - Adelaide Screening
13 May 2011
`49` is an independent feature film directed by H Lawrence Sumner. This daring project was filmed over six weeks in June / July of 2010 with 1 camera and very little budget. Running at 102 minutes and featuring professional and emerging actors`49` presents a paradigm shift in the processes and thinking that surround feature film making in SA.
Hell bent on revenge for the death of his wife, an Aboriginal park ranger lures the gang that killed her into the bush. What follows is a night of mayhem and traditional punishments.
www.facebook.com/pages/49-The-Movie/285956844268?ref=ts
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
"You (must) have the courage of your convictions. When you're editing you have to make thousands of decisions every day and if you dither over them all the time, you'll never get anything done."
(Anne V. Coates: Lawrence Of Arabia, The Elephant man, Out of Sight)
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Until next time
The ASE Committee