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eNEWS #47  -  FEBRUARY 2014
 

In This Issue

Welcome from the ASE
State Updates
Meet the ASE Community
Meet the Sponsor
Call for Web Banners
Upcoming Events
Sponsor Updates
On the Web
Be in 'Meet the Member'
Sponsors

Find an Editor
Place a Job Ad
Forum

Join the ASE
Facebook
Twitter
 
The Turning
The 3rd AACTA Awards, including winners Matt Villa ASE and Jason Ballantine ASE
Greetings Editing Colleagues,
 
Happy New Year and welcome to 2014.

Congratulations to our AACTA award winners:
  • Matt Villa ASE, Jason Ballantine ASE & Jonathan Redmond for The Great Gatsby,
  • Mark Atkin ASE for Mrs Biggs Ep 3 (shared with Ben Lester)
  • Lawrence Silvestrin ASE for Desert War, Ep 1 “ Tobruk”.
I was incredibly pleased to note that on a couple of wins, the producer or director involved thanked their editors. Mentions were made of Paul Murphy, editor of Red Obsession, and Phillipa Rowlands ASE, for her work on Redesign My Brain. It’s fantastic to see an acknowledgment of our editors in this public arena.

The 3rd AACTA Awards Luncheon was held at the Star Event Centre in Sydney, and presented by Deluxe. There were ample bottles of Moët and a three-course menu (including spanner crab, duck and barramundi). The jokes were plentiful and the day was great fun.

At times the merriment was overshadowed by worries about the financial realities for future AACTA awards and the local industry as a whole, mixed with concerns for the potential sale and privatisation of the ABC. In his opening address, AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella made mention of his concern for the future of the non-televised craft awards.

In a related article from Screen Hub, Wednesday 29 January, 2014 by Rochelle Siemienowicz, Damien Trewhella had this to say.

...this is probably the last luncheon,” said Trewhella,“...if we’re going to continue to run this number of awards, then the industry are going to have to find some way of supporting them because nobody wants to pay for them.”

...”if you value editing, direction, comedy, whatever it is, come and talk to us about it, or talk to your guild, because unless the industry ownership and contribution are more adequate, there’s just no way to sustain them...”

There was also a big push by AACTA President Geoffrey Rush for industry professionals to become card carrying members and support the continuation of Australia’s most prestigious Cinema and Television Awards ceremony.

In a rousing speech regarding the ABC, Anthony Partos, who won for Best Original Music Score in Television for Redfern Now said, “I was alarmed to learn that the Victorian branch of the Liberal Party has advocated selling off the ABC entirely and the Murdoch press is actively doing everything in its capacity to undermine our national broadcaster,”.

Arguments abound that either no one watches the ABC so it’s not worth funding, or that it is taking away too many viewers from commercial networks and therefore it is an unwarranted competitor. Clearly you can’t have it both ways”.

It would be an incredible travesty to lose the ABC and the AACTA awards so please lets all get behind the multi-guild push to help them both.

In other news, we are about to issue a new wages and conditions survey.
Our aim - to be able to publish the range of pay rates for each type of project that you embark on.

You are the only ones who can give yourselves a pay rise and the way to do that efficiently is to be aware of what other editors of the same level as yourselves are charging, so please fill the survey in as we really want to be able to work with you on this.

We have events and seminars planned for this year but we WELCOME any ideas you may have about what you, the membership, would like.

~ so to quote an ex president ~

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.
 
Regards,
Dany Cooper ASE
ASE President 
 

State Updates

VICTORIA

The Victorian committee had its first meeting this week and are pleased to announce our new partnership with Backlot Studios.

Our “Sunday Sessions at the Backlot” kicks off with a screening of the original iconic Australian film Mad Max and a Q and A session with its editors Clifford Hayes and Tony Paterson.

This marks an exciting new chapter for the ASE in Victoria. We will be holding film screenings, forums and panel discussions the first Sunday of every month between April and November at Backlot, a new deluxe cinema space in Southbank which hosted this years AACTA screenings.

We hope to see as many members as possible at these events which are of course free and exclusive to members of the Australian Screen Editors Guild.

Booking will open early March for the Mad Max event and you will need to be quick as we expect a full house.

Details of all the events will be released soon through Facebook and the ASE website.

And of course the ASE is run by members for members so if you have an event you would like to stage at Backlot come along to our next committee meeting on the first Monday in March and get involved. Stay tuned it is going to be a BIG year...


Steven Baras-Miller
Chairperson

Victorian Committee
 
 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

January has been a successful month for SA with 2 films posting in Adelaide receiving high marks at Sundance. 52 Tuesdays was edited and shot by Bryan Mason, and the film collected quite a buzz throughout the festival, Director Sophie Hyde, also took out top gong in the World Cinema division. 

The Babadook was equally as well anticipated, post being finished in SA at KOJO, Director Jennifer Kent, has also recieved a huge amount of great reviews and press. She has been pipped as "one to watch" from several articles. We look forward to seeing what's next. 

February is also looking to be a great month for post and production in SA, Wolf Creek 2, edited by our own Sean Lahiff, will open in cinemas February 20th. It's already received a high 4/5 from Empire.

The Water Diviner has been shooting in several locations around SA including Port Augusta, but it won't be our only Anzac themed production in the state, along with Anzac Girls, Sam Worthington has just confirmed he will shoot his new Gallipoli mini series in SA as well.

It's a great start to the year for post in SA and we look forward to it continuing throughout 2014.

Carly and Sam
SA Committee Members

 
 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Well the big news from the West is the success of the film Desert War - Ep1 Tobruk at the 2014 AACTAs. Nominated for Best Sound, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Doco, it won both Best Sound for Ric Curtin, Glenn Martin, Ash Gibson Greig, Ash Charlton and Chris Bollard and Best Editing for Lawrie Silvestrin ASE (yes that's me and I'm so thrilled).  Congratulations also to Mark Atkin ASE and Ben Lester for Best Editing in Television for Mrs Biggs Ep3 and to Matt Villa ASE, Jason Ballantine ASE and Jonathan Redmond for Best Editing in a Feature Film for The Great Gatsby. Congratulations also to all the nominees....and to the VFX people for CG too - what amazing work!  

And finally, a sincere "hats off" or rather "hats thrown in the air!" to the ACS for receiving this year's Byron Kennedy Award....really well deserved and an inspiration to us all at the ASE.

Further news from the West, ASE WA was first cab off the rank to write to our State Treasurer regarding his comments about the possible sell off of Lotterywest which helps fund the local screen sector. This caused a flurry of follow-on from other industry groups and we thank them for their support in this matter.  It's something we'll be following closely as Lotterywest funds the local screen sector and art community and other charity groups to the tune of $123million a year. So Lotterywest has significant influence in the west and any proposed changes to how it operates needs scrutiny. We'll keep you posted.


Lawrie Silvestrin ASE
Chairperson
Western Australian Commitee
 

Meet the ASE Community

 

Meet The Member: Matt Villa ASE

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 “The Final Winter”, "Australia", "Daybreakers", "The Great Gatsby" and the upcoming "Predestination".  He is currently working on Russell Crowe's directorial debut, "The Water Diviner"


I knew I wanted to work in post when… 
I first saw Star Wars,  just like thousands of 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 that's where all those elements merge to create magic.

My first break in the industry came when… I worked as a second assistant editor on a mini series called "Tracks Of Glory" in 1991.  It was my first job after attending North Sydney 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… Unemployed.
 

MEET THE SPONSOR

Meet The Sponsor: Cutting Edge

Towards the end of last year, the ASE was most pleased to announce Cutting Edge as one of the Guild’s newest sponsors. We caught up with them recently and got the lowdown on one of Australia’s largest post facilities.

In a nutshell, what is Cutting Edge?

Cutting Edge is a fresh and inventive creative communications company that celebrates ideas and ingenuity. We create compelling content and clever backend solutions for the creative and business industries, and our key services include Post-Production, VFX, Digital, Design and Corporate Communications. As Post Production and VFX specialists, we service both the advertising and Film and TV industries, and our visual treatments are regularly seen in the biggest brand campaigns and the brightest film and TV projects.

You have a broad range of clients - how does your operation facilitate their varying needs?
We’re a diversified business, as you have to be in order to meet the needs of clients today. However, in each of our areas of specialty, we have key people running the operation, experts who really know the business inside out, and who are highly respected. People like John Fleming, our EP in Melbourne and Simon Maddison, our VFX Supervisor in Sydney, are two good examples. They have the best teams and the right technology in place, matched to suit their client’s needs. 

Tell us about a recent job that was challenging and/or different to the usual… 
We recently completed an amazing TVC job for Sony China. It explores M&C Saatchi Tokyo's creative idea of floating high in earth’s stratosphere and the near-limitless feeling of witnessing the earth from a new perspective.




Stills from the recently completed TVC for Sony China

The 60 and 30 second spots, directed by our own Jeff Gaunt, show astronauts floating in near space, firing away shots on their new A7R cameras, with the imposing far reaches of the world serving as a visual jaw-dropping backdrop.

Our post team, including Ant Heberl, Compositor; Kerry Farrell, Senior Editor; and Ross Batten, Senior Sound Designer, all added deft touches throughout to add to the spots’ sense of isolation and time.

The shoot posed multiple challenges, all of which were met through a combination of meticulous planning, experimentation, experience and teamwork.

Sony wanted something that communicated how their new camera was a world-first. So we had to push the boundaries in a number of ways. The concept demanded visual authenticity, and shooting from the dizzying heights of 15,000 feet was necessary to fully encapsulate Sony China’s narrative.

To get the required results, Jeff enlisted the help of infamous base jumper, parachuting and skydiving DOP, Shane Sparks, and his camera assistant Rob Douthat. To prepare for the shoot, Jeff, Shane and Rob practiced formations with the skydivers, and went through the shoot on the ground.

In order to get the lighting correct, Jeff was only able to shoot twice a day. Each jump, from preparation to reaching jump-ready height and landing, took just under an hour. The result was only having four opportunities a day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, to get it right. 



Why do Cutting Edge choose to support the ASE?
We’re big supporters of the creative industries in general; that’s something we’ve always believed in, and we think it’s important to give back to the industry. In terms of the ASE in particular, we’re obviously huge believers in the power of great storytelling, and the impact that an editor has on the narrative. So we’re proud to support the guild’s efforts in promoting the role of the editor.

What do you think the biggest issue/s are in the post production industry at the moment?
We’re innovators, so the pace of change in the industry is something we embrace, rather than see as a challenge. People often talk about shrinking budgets too, but we think of them more as shifting budgets. The old adage is as true as ever: listen to your customers and you’ll succeed. 

 
 

CALL FOR WEB BANNERS

Help us promote your creative endeavours. Supply an image for the ASE website banner here: newsletter@screeneditors.com.au. It's great to proudly display the diverse work of our membership on our website: www.screeneditors.com.au.
 
 

Upcoming Events


Linda Aronson: How screen editors can construct and fix flashback, ensemble and Pulp Fiction-style films, TV and documentary

Linda Aronson is one of the busiest screenwriting gurus on the international circuit, best known for her pioneering work on how to structure flashback, nonlinear and other film structures that don’t fit the conventional one-hero Hollywood model.

Screen editors are the unsung heroes of the screen world. We writers complain but we get a lot more kudos than screen editors, who are all and have to be, natural storytellers, natural structuralists. They're frequently being called upon not just to finesse story structure, but to do a massive rescue job. You could call them the search and rescue specialists of the industry.

Anyway, I've always felt an affinity with editors and it's often occurred to me that my work on how to structure complex films would be of use to them. I've kept meaning to make contact with their organisations but haven't. Interestingly, I've recently started to get screen editors contacting me, saying that my work as explained in my books is of a lot of use. Which is great.  

So now that I'm about to give a couple of 2-day seminars in Australia, I thought I'd get the ball rolling and make a special effort to reach screen editors.  Hence, I'm writing a post here specifically for screen editors in Australia. This way they'll get to hear about what I do and, if they think it worth it, they can attend  one of the two Australian seminars, which are hosted by the Australian National Film School in (Sydney 22-23 Feb, Melbourne 1-2 March. These seminars are entitled 'New Structures in Screenwriting.'

For enrolments and further information:
 http://www.open.aftrs.edu.au/course/W571

Continue reading Linda's article on complex story structures here:


GOODPITCH2 Australia

For more information: http://www.goodpitch2australia.com.au

 

WORLD OF WOMEN’S CINEMA: WOW FILM FESTIVAL

World of Women’s Cinema: WOW Film Festival is delighted to announce Rachel Griffiths is the Festival Patron for 2014 for the 20th anniversary celebrations. From March 4 to March 14 WOW celebrates the achievements of women filmmakers with 10 days of Australian and International shorts and doco screenings, forums, In Conversations, director Q&As, awards and parties. Highlights include ‘In Conversation’ with Margaret Pomeranz at Art Gallery NSW, stills photographic exhibition at Black Eye Gallery, rock docs and live music at The Vanguard and shorts screenings everyday at the Powerhouse Museum and Australian Shorts Opening Night at Dendy Opera Quays Cinema. Visit www.wift.org/wow or (02) 9357 1490 for more information. 

 
 

SponsOr Updates













A case study on Blue Post
www.digistor.com.au/Customers/BluePostNov13.aspx

Last chance to enter Digistor’s competition to win a copy of Avid Media Composer
Competition closes Feb 14.

http://www.digistor.com.au/Specials/MediaComposer7Comp.aspx

LTO Archiving for Digital Media Webinar
A live webinar providing a practical overview of requirements, trends and approaches to archiving. As video production has moved to High-Definition file-based digital recording, organisations are amassing large quantities of digital files on hard drives — and are now wondering how to archive these long-term. 1 Beyond CEO and Founder, Terry Cullen, and VP, Rony Sebok, present an overview of technologies, techniques and insights into archiving solutions. 

http://www.digistor.com.au/Events/1BeyondLTOArchivingWebinar.aspx

AJA Professional Video Masterclass Tour - Melbourne & Sydney
www.aja.com
AJA Video Systems presents the Professional Video Masterclass Tour featuring workshops and speakers focused on the latest broadcast and post-production products to help you stay at the forefront of video technologies and systems! This is a must-see tour covering on-set solutions, post-production and engineering. From SD through to 4K.

Melbourne: 3 March - http://mel-ajamasterclasstour.eventbrite.com/
Sydney 6 March - http://syd-ajamasterclasstour.eventbrite.com/
 



 
 AFTRS Open logo





 
VFX & EDITING COURSES - PIXAR ARTISTS, AVID MC, MOGRAPH MOTION GRAPHICS & MORE @ AFTRS OPEN
 
AFTRS Open has a large number of new exciting courses for Editors and VFX specialists.  Highlights include FINDING ANIMATION with two PIXAR artists in May and NEW STRUCTURES IN SCREENWRITING with Linda Aronson - a world expert on nonlinear and complex film and TV structures whose practical guidelines are embraced by editors and writers.  There are also AVID MEDIA COMPOSER 101 and 110 courses, a CINEMA 4D CERTIFICATION course, a new MOGRAPH MOTION GRAPHICS INTENSIVE plus innovative CGI software courses HOUDINI: AN INTRO TO LIGHTING RENDERING & COMPOSITING and HOUDINI: INTRODUCTION TO PYROTECHNICS. And that’s just a small taste of what’s on offer in the coming months.
 
ASE members are entitled to the 10% Industry discount for all AFTRS Open short courses.
 
For a complete list of AFTRS OPEN short courses in Sydney, Online and around the country visit the website http://www.open.aftrs.edu.au/
Don’t forget ASE Members are entitled to 10% off all training courses!
   
 

ON THE WEB


'Captain Phillips,' 'American Hustle' Win American Cinema Editors Awards

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/captain-phillips-american-hustle-win-678515
 
 

BE IN 'MEET THE MEMBER'

If you are interested in being featured in the 'Meet the ASE Community' section of our eNews, please contact: newsletter@screeneditors.com.au

 

Our Sponsors

Deluxe The Editors Avid Autodesk Blue Post
Digistor Adobe Two Dogs Video Craft Roar Digital
Spectrum Films Langoor  

We would like to thank our Sponsors for their invaluable support of our Guild.
Copyright © 2014 Australian Screen Editors Guild, All rights reserved.


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