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Screen Editors
eNEWS #71  - MAY 2016
 

In This Issue

Welcome from the ASE
State Updates
Industry News
Meet the ASE Community
• Feature of the Month
Upcoming Events
• Jobs Board
Education and Training
Workspace of the month
Sponsors

Find an Editor
Place a Job Ad
Forum

Join the ASE
Facebook
Twitter
 
 
                                             
Sherpa - edited by ASE member Christian Gazal

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
Dear Members,

Again things have been busy behind the scene with the committee working hard to ensure that the guild is working to make conditions good for you. This is in the face of our government showing a sad lack of interest in the arts with the budget slashing $105 million from the Australia council and $40 Million from Screen Australia.

The MEAA states: “The arts community is the place where we know the adage, ‘from little things big things grow’, is absolutely true. The lack of funding and incentive for talented young people hoping for a break means the well of Australian talent will be far drier than it ought to be.’

This following on from the closure of local venues such as Metro Screen which is so important for emerging and practicing filmmakers to develop their craft, makes organisations such as the ASE so vital for us all. It is the voluntary labour of the committee, helped by the support of our sponsors which enables us to maintain contact with colleagues, keep up the conversation about our craft, share knowledge and support each other.

We also really value the work of our ASE administrator Margaret Slarke and I would like to thank her for her constant support, unwavering commitment that the editing community are not exploited, and her excellent management of guild affairs. She has been working like a navvy for us for over a decade, and it was unanimously agreed at the last committee meeting to give her a long overdue pay rise.
 
The ASE have been actively involved with the guild collective body, the Australian Screen Industry Group (ASIG), helping to develop a Screen Industry policy and presenting it to the government. The Prime Minister has declined the offer of a meeting with ASIG representatives, but has forwarded the request onto Minister Fifield’s office, (Minister for the Arts) in relation to a potential meeting.
 
The policy can be viewed here: http://www.screeneditors.com.au/asig-the-future-of-the-screen-industry/
 
We have the Sydney Film Festival coming up soon, and ASE members are really well represented across the Australian films that are being screened. In particular, I would like to say a huge congratulation to the editors of the films who are screening in the Documentary Australia Foundation Award 2016 category.
 
Nine of the 10 films chosen have been edited by ASE Members, which is wonderful representation of our talented guild. A special congratulation to Denise Haslem ASE who has two films in competition.
 
It is great to see our members involved in the St Kilda Film Festival with the The "Post Like a Pro" and “Focus on Editing” seminars being hosted by Andrew Brinsmead. He and Editors Katerina Borys, David Hansen and Danielle Boesenberg giving the lowdown on professional post production pathways to short filmmaking and dissecting three very good films to see the anatomy of the editing.
 
And congratulations to the Western Australia committee who hosted a hugely successful Post Production Seminar with Marc Van Buuren, Editor, Producer and Post Supervisor. Marc has worked on a variety of interesting productions locally and for overeas.
 
We are thrilled that Videocraft are running presentations for our members where we get to see and talk about the latest developments in the Avid Media Composer and Nexis storage systems. These are great opportunities to keep up your professional knowledge as they are designed for you to ask your specific questions and refresh your knowledge if you have been away from Avid, or working on an earlier version for a while. And share some food and drinks!
 
Stay tuned for upcoming events and Sundowners..

Fiona Strain ASE
ASE President 
 

State Updates

VICTORIA

 
On March 30th, the VIC ASE committee hosted a New Editors Night for anyone interested in becoming an assistant editor or editor.   The informal gathering took place at Long Play Bar in Fitzroy North, which has an intimate private theatre out the back. We started the night by screening a WIP edit of a short film I've been working on, and a scene assemble from a feature film Ben Joss is currently editing. After some feedback and discussion, the conversation segued into industry talk. Topics centred around getting work, software skills and hearing "how they got their first break" anecdotes from the experienced editors.   It was a great night allowing industry neophytes a casual glimpse into the editing world.  Graeme Pereira  VIC Committee
 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

In Perth on Saturday 7th May, Australian Screen Editors in association with ScreenWest and Lotterywest and FTI were pleased to present:

FIRST PAST THE POST:  Riding the New Wave of Film Post Production.
 
Cinema audiences have always marveled at the magic of the movies. Today much of that magic is made in Post.
 
More than any other area of filmmaking, Post Production has seen technological advances drive filmmaking into ever more complex areas of sophisticated digital workflows.
 
Editor, Post Production Supervisor and Producer, Marc Van Buuren presented a full day seminar tracking the entire workflow of a typical modern feature film from Rushes through to Delivery focusing on the role of the person whose job it is to manage all the complexity and the creative chaos, the Post Production Supervisor/Producer.
 
Marc’s career in post production spans over thirty years starting in 1979 as a junior in the Editorial department of George Lucas’s “Empire Strikes Back” to Post Production Producer on James Cameron’s 3D documentary, “Deep Sea Challenge” in 2013.  More recently he’s just finished editing the feature film “A Few Less Men”.
 
He’s been nominated for awards around the world; winning an AFI Award for Best Sound on
“Mad Max 2” and an Emmy Award for Best Visual Effects on Stephen King's TV Series “Nightmares & Dreamscapes”.

Marc’s wealth of knowledge enthralled the capacity crowd at the all day seminar.  A detailed exploration of the intricacies of modern digital workflows on big-budget, high production value films was balanced with informative and often amusing anecdotes about the sometimes crazy world of film making in the rarified air of Hollywood.
 
As well as his many successes in film post, Marc was also one of the driving forces in the early days of the Australian Screen Editors Guild attending that legendary meeting at the Harold Park Hotel in Sydney.  In fact he can claim the honor of being (for a time at least) member No. 1 (he relinquished the honor to the illustrious Henry Dangar when he became the ASE’s first President).
















Lawrie Silvestren WA Committee


SOUTH AUSTRALIA





A big congratulations to Sean Lahiff, who has taken a break from chairing the SA Committee to welcome Rori Shey Lahiff into the world, born 2 May 2016. 






 
 
INDUSTRY NEWS
 


WORLD OF WOMEN'S CINEMA - WOW FILM FESTIVAL

During May the ASE was proud to support the 21st WOW Film Festival which opened with a screening of “My Brilliant Career” introduced by Director Gillian Armstrong, who gave great insight into her early directing experiences. The Festival was the biggest ever: four venues, 64 films, 11 panels and masterclasses and a lot of champagne!
 
ASE members were involved in the Jury for all categories, with the best Best Film Editing award shared between local film "Clan", edited by Florence Holmes, and "Joanna" edited by Aneta Kopacz, Pawel Laskowski & Rafal Samborski.

 















WOW Opening Night with NSW Committee member Jenny Hicks, Daphne Paris and Anna Howard ACS
 
















WOW Opening Night with Director Gillian Armstrong













WOW Closing Night with producer Rosemary Reid, Fiona Strain ASE, WiFT NSW President Laura Sivis and WiFT NSW Secretary Lolina Grover
 

Meet the ASE COMMUNITY

 

Meet The Committee: Bin Li (NSW)


The first week after finishing year 12, I started as an attachment editor on a feature film, the show was edited on 35mm film and my job was rubber numbering the rushes and making tea. For the next 26 years, I stayed in the feature film editing world working as an assistant editor and later editor on many feature films. In 1997 I took two years off to study at the Australian Film Television and Radio School.
 

I knew I wanted to work in post when… I saw an editor working on a 16mm Steenbeck while I was on work experience from high school. After explaining the process to me, the editor (Stewart Young ASE) demonstrated by trimming a shot by 4 frames. When he played the cut back I could see the effect of the trim and suddenly I had this notion that one day I too can trim a shot in a dark room while sipping tea.
 
When I start a project I… look for temp music that would work for the film, I also enjoy chatting about post-production workflow with the assistants. I then go and meditate on the music and workflow.
 
When I finish a project I… actually miss talking with the director and assistant editors and wonder if I’ll ever work again.
 
It makes my day when… the director likes an edit and I’m not fired.
 
I hide under my desk when… my 3 year old son visits me at work and we play hide and seek, sometimes we accidentally break things in the room, like a desk lamp or a mouse.  
 
I love the editing in… many films but Captain Philips I remember was beautifully edited.
 
I was inspired to join the ASE committee…because I want to be part of helping the editing community grow and raise awareness of our importance in the process of film making.
 
The ASE has… great members and is a fantastic guild that promotes interaction between people who share the same profession. We often have the same questions and concerns and ASE is here to help us provide answers.

 


Meet the Member: Sean Lewis (VIC)


Sean has been kicking down doors of post production houses since graduating from film school in 2013. He has spent the last few months as the assistant editor for Peter Carrodus, on the feature film Don’t Tell, starring Jack Thompson, Aden Young, Rachel Griffiths and a bunch of other amazing Aussie actors. As an assistant editor, other credits include Winter at Westbeth - showing at this year’s Sydney Film Festival, Eddie Perfect’s The Future is Expensive, ABC’s The Divorce, Luke Nguyen’s United Kingdom, and countless TV commercials. Way back during university, Atom - the animated short won him and his mates 11 international awards, including Best of the Next at MIAF 2012, but enough about the past! Between gigs and while in transit, Sean is also known amongst his mates for his photography of faces on the streets - and no one’s ever seen him without his Leica!
 

When I start a project… If not at my home desk, I’ll start with my usual decontamination procedures all over the keyboard and mouse. Then I organise the crap out of my media.
 
When I finish a project… Most cuts now feel about a frame or two off. 
 
It makes my day when… As an editor, any time the director is delighted with my work! Maybe they’re exaggerating when they say genius! But it certainly makes my day when my work is exciting them. As an assistant, it makes my day when timecode syncs perfectly. You just want to celebrate when that happens. I guess some days - it’s just time to celebrate whenever something doesn’t totally f**k up.
 
I hide under my desk when… deadlines are closing in like the garbage compactor from Star Wars.
 
I love the editing in… The opening scene of Cidade de Deus (City of God). It’s just an amazing thing to watch. It’s unbelievable how quick some of the shots are - but you’re with it every step of the way. I also love the editing (and everything else) in The Matrix - which I first laid eyes on when I was about 9, and I’m pretty sure may have nudged me towards my interest in film making and story telling.
 
I was inspired to join the ASE because… first thing was the mentor-scheme. I knew it would be really beneficial for me to be in that kind of a relationship where someone genuinely wants to give help and advice for my career. Absolutely invaluable. I also wanted to be more involved in the industry in a general sense - to be kept in the loop with industry news and events, and to meet all the other cool people out there!
 
The ASE is important because… I’d say it's Australia’s epicentre for all things editing, and it brings us all together - aww, family.
 

If you would like to be featured on Meet The Member, please email newsletter@screeneditors.com.au
 

feature of the month


WHAT SOUND EDITORS WANT PICTURE EDITORS TO KNOW


This month NSW member Bin Li speaks to Derryn Pasquill - she has worked on some of Australia's top grossing films of the past decade, including Gods of Egypt, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Lego Movie and The Great Gatsby. 
As the key assistant sound editor and now dialogue editor at Big Bang Sound, she has experienced many picture 
turnovers on some of the most intensive and complex films made in this country. 


Tell us the best and worst experience of receiving a turnover from the picture editing department. 
The best turnovers we have had were from Assistant Editors who were extremely organized with naming conventions and version numbers for each turnover. We constantly kept in contact over the phone and via email. The communication was incredibly important for us to work together effectively and create a system, which made sure everyone was up to date and working on the same page.

Some of the most difficult turnovers included pictures without time code reference, or didn’t have 2 pips to check sync. There have also been deliveries of picture updates in which we discovered edit changes that we had not been told about. Again it comes down to communication, and the lack of it was the biggest problem on those projects.
 
What suggestions would you give picture assistant editors to ensure a successful turnover?
Firstly I would recommend sitting down with or calling the assistant sound editor to talk about what they need and what works best for you as well. Every production is different and what works well for one project, isn’t necessarily the best approach for another. Having a diligent naming system is also very important to make it clear which version of the edit everyone is working on.
 
How do you deal with the constant picture changes at the sound editing, pre and final mix stage?  
To conform our tracks up to new versions we use a program called Conformalizer which is fantastic and saves us a lot of time. This program uses the picture EDL’s to create a change list and then puts our tracks back in sync with the new cut. We then go through and tidy everything up to the new version. During the Sound Editing process this can happen quite a lot. We tend to move up versions more around temp screenings rather than every time an edit is done. However sometimes if there is quite a significant change made, editorial might suggest we get the new pictures earlier than that.
 
When we get to the premix and final mixing stages of the production, our first move is to contact the editorial department. We find out from them which reels are the most solid and likely to have the least amount of changes before they are locked, and aim for those first. We hope that by the time we get to mixing the remaining reels that they are closer to being locked as well.
 
What tea do you drink to maintain calm? 
I love tea but the main drink that gets me through productions is Diet Coke. It has got to the point where I refer to the more crazy days as a Double Diet Coke Days as I need more than one to get me through.
 
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL


 







Full programme out now! http://www.sff.org.au/


St Kilda Film Festival

The ASE is proud to be hosting this event at the festival:

Focus on Editing
Wednesday 25th May at 8pm
https://stkildafilmfestival.com.au/film/focus-on-editing

Join the editors from these three Top 100 films for an encore screening and a dissection of the editing techniques used. Slingshot  (Editor: David Hansen), Vampir  (Editor: Katerina Borys), The Aquarium (Editor: Danielle Boesenberg). This session will be moderated by the ASE’s Andrew Brinsmead (editor series 1 & 2 on Al McGlashan’s Fish’n with Mates and Post Production Supervisor Series 3 Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Storm Surfers 3D). Seating is limited.
 
 


 









































TO RSVP please email your details to:

Sydney - rsvp@screeneditors.com.au Melbourne - rsvpvic@screeneditors.com.au
 

 
 

JOBS BOARD

                 

Head of Editing
6 year contract
$121,306 to $126,343 pa
Moore Park, Sydney

 
AFTRS is Australia’s national screen arts and broadcast school located in a purpose built campus including studios, theatres, production suites and lecture rooms. We offer a range of Industry relevant award qualifications from Diplomas to Masters, as well as short courses.
We are looking for a professional Screen Editor with a comprehensive knowledge of the theoretical, creative and practical elements of screen editing and extensive experience in teaching and assessing at a tertiary degree level to take on this newly created role. As Head of Editing you will have academic leadership in relation to Editing, developing curriculum and advising on the related content in both Award and Non-Award courses, and teaching exceptionally talented students. You will have the opportunity to initiate and undertake relevant research and will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of Subjects including managing and developing Editing lecturers, resource management, and related administration.  
To be successful you will need an understanding of the AQF framework and curriculum development within a tertiary environment, and must be committed to excellence within a practice-based learning pedagogy. It is vital that you work collaboratively and communicate effectively, and that you are able to represent Editing within AFTRS and the industry.   
Terms:  This is a 6 year maximum term contract and can only be offered to an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident.  The successful applicant will need to gain a Working with Children Clearance.
Enquiries:  For application information visit www.aftrs.edu.au/about/working-at-aftrs/positions-vacant  or contact Human Resources on (02) 9805 6619 or at jobs@aftrs.edu.au.
Applications:  Written applications outlining skills, experience and qualifications, addressing the selection criteria and nominating 2 referees should be emailed to the Head of Human Resources at jobs@aftrs.edu.au.
 
Closes:  cob Monday 6 June 2016
 
 
AFTRS supports workplace diversity.
 


 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING


AFTRS OPEN: 

AFTRS 2016 MID-YEAR INTAKE
Don't wait until 2017 to jump start your screen and broadcast skills. AFTRS 2016 mid-year intake opens April 22 through to June 27. 
Part-time courses, all delivered by highly credentialed and respected industry practitioners, in Camera, Art Direction, Editing, Directing, Documentary, Sound Radio, and VFX are on offer.

MORE: www.aftrs.edu.au/midyear        
GOT A QUESTION: 
study@aftrs.edu.au
 
AFTRS OPEN - EDITING & VFX SHORT COURSES
AFTRS Open has a range of short courses year-round, all taught by industry experts in AFTRS state-of-the-art facilities. Here are some highlights:
 
After Effects for Broadcast Graphics 28 - 29 May 

A detailed introduction (over a weekend) to desktop compositing for broadcast using Adobe After Effects CC, the most commonly used graphics program in Australia for the preparation of broadcast design/graphics in TV.
 
Intro to Premiere Pro 2 - 3 June 

This two day intensive course is an introduction to the basics of using Premiere Pro and is designed for absolute beginners. 
 
Speed Networking at AFTRS 2 June, 5 - 8.30pm, $15 

Find your future film, TV and digital content collaborators in this fun event, taking place as part of Vivid Sydney 2016.
 
TV Editing Intensive 8 - 19 August 
 
This 10-day Intensive course delivers technical training in the use of the non-linear film/video editing application Avid Media Composer and will prepare you for Avid’s User Level certification in Media Composer 8.

To view all upcoming courses visit the AFTRS Open website .


 





 
Digistor has a range of trainers available for specialist tools such as Premiere Pro CC, Avid Media Composer, Autodesk 3ds Max, MAYA, Cinema 4D and DaVinci Resolve & Fusion plus The Foundry Nuke.  We specialise in short notice customised training to suit your requirements so if you have any specific training requests please let me know and we can organise a trainer to suit.
 
NEW – just announced Blackmagic Design Fusion training Thursday 26th May or Thursday 7th July. For further information training@digistor.com.au .

We can also offer 1 on 1 or small group training for your entire team on demand. For further information or to make a booking: http://www.digistor.com.au/Training.aspx
 
Current Class schedule for May/June 2016
 
Adobe After Effects CC Training Monday 23rd & Tuesday 24th May
Adobe After Effects CC for Compositing. Our instructors are experienced in editing and post-production pipelines and real-world use of the tools they teach. You and your team will receive the benefit of practical guidance from specialists who understand deadlines and workflow and are committed to staying up-to-date with developments and passing this information onto customers.

Adobe Premiere Pro CC – 2 day course 20th & 21st June
Learn how to navigate Adobe Premiere Pro while utilising Adobe Premiere Pro within the Creative Cloud workflow. This 2 day class is specially designed for editor’s who wish to increase their skill set and come up to speed on Premiere Pro. We also offer Premiere Pro customised training to suit your requirements. Let us know what you want to achieve and we will design the course content to suit your individual requirements.

MAXON Cinema 4D Express – Monday 27th June
Learn how you can create 3D images quickly using Cinema 4D’s intuitive design and logical workflow. In this introductory course, you’ll learn about using Cinema 4D for animation, lighting plus camera techniques, typography and objects. 1 Day Intensive. Learn with Maxon Certified Trainer – Annette Rays

We also have a range of editing classes for those wishing to upgrade to a new editing platform in 1 Day - Avid Media Composer or Adobe Premiere Pro available.
 
Digistor offers training discounts for members of industry organisations. For a discount code please contact training@digistor.com.au
 
 

WORKSPACE OF THE MONTH



Send us a picture of your workspace and win an Australian classic DVD.

Tell us what you love (or hate) about your workspace. 









 Fiona Macintosh (NSW)

Welcome to the Edit Cave!
 
This is my desk in the Edit Assistant’s Room on Lego Batman! In this dark and mysterious room we hide away from all windows in the freezing air-conditioning and, like Batman, only emerge to fight crime at night. I am really at home here, (I’m not sure that is a such a good thing) everyone has lots of Lego on their desks! (I am currently displaying my Marvel Collection, and the TARDIS!) The truly best thing about this desk (apart from the Lego) is that it is also a standing desk! That’s right, with the holding down of two buttons the desk majestically rises skyward and I can stand as much as I like! We have a great and interesting room filled and visited with so many awesome people! Not that you can see that in the pictures, we night loving AE’s after all. Anyway, as you can see Batman is hard at work filming his 11th feature so I should get back to it! He wants you to check out the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBJyp2LFHgk
 
































 
 

Our Sponsors

 
Avid Blue Post Two Dogs
 
Video Craft Audio Network The Editors
 
Roar Digital Spectrum Films
 
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