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National E-News February 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | NATIONAL SPONSORSMajor National Sponsor
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National Supporters
| In this Issue:
From the PresidentGreeting ACS colleagues,
AACTA AWARDS AND THE BYRON KENNEDY AWARD
Congratulations to all the AACTA recipients, particularly Simon Duggan ACS (NSW) who received the Award in the Feature Film category for The Great Gatsby, Adam Arkapaw (VIC) in Television for Top of the Lake and Nick Robinson & Luke Peterson (NSW) for Kakadu in the Documentary category. These Awards were presented at the AACTA Awards Luncheon. The evening of 30 January saw the presentation of the 3rd AACTA Awards Ceremony in Sydney, and the Byron Kennedy Award to the ACS. It certainly was a star studded evening and great to see so many ACS members in attendance. It was a great personal pleasure for me to accept the Byron Kennedy Award on behalf of the Society.
Here is my acceptance speech made at the AACTA Awards ceremony... as I remember it! My sincere thanks to the AACTA Board and to Dr George Miller and the Byron Kennedy Award Panel for this truly humbling honour. I am truly proud to accept this prestigious Award on behalf of our 1500 Australian Cinematographers Society members, who work across all genres from Student films to TVCs, to News crews working in war zones, or just around the corner, Documentaries, TV Drama, Features and all those other cinematographers and associates who are proudly recognised as ACS members. The Society believes passionately that our industry, now more than ever, needs to be totally inclusive as our future depends on it, so I share this with our fellow Guilds. There are many to thank, particularly our founding fathers, our National Executive, our ACS Branch committees, our ACS sponsors along with all past and present members, with special recognition to ACS Historian and past National President, Ron Windon ACS for his thoughtful guidance and his counsel. Thank you all once again, this is fantastic! . It certainly is at times like this how proud one feels to be a member of such a Society, steeped in tradition and generosity of spirit. Ron Johanson OAM ACS
GUEST REPORT FROM NSW VICE-PRESIDENT: DAVID BURR ACS
The high point of the ACS calendar is obviously the National Awards held in May each year following the State and Territory Branch awards held around the country. These Awards nights is a celebration of the work accomplished by our members and present a great opportunity for members and sponsors alike to get together. Although these Awards evenings are well attended and hugely successful they are an annual event and while its good to go home with an Award or two, for some it is their only involvement with the Society. The establishment of the National Headquarters has undoubtedly raised the profile of the ACS and hopefully will continue to do so but the Society is really about the membership and a camaraderie built around the fact that we all do the same job, we all experience the highs and lows and we all appreciate a job well done by our peers. For the Society to grow and be strong it needs the support of its members and so its important that we all endeavour to be involved, as best we can, on an ongoing basis and not just once or twice a year. The NSW Branch Drop In evenings, and other ACS events held throughout the year, give us all the opportunity to support the Society and regularly be part of the ACS.
Congratulations to the following cinematographers on being nominated for an Academy Award in 2014.
The Grandmaster - Philippe Le Sourd
88 CINEMATOGRAPHERS SHARE THE BEST PROFESSIONAL ADVICE THEYVE EVER RECEIVED88 cinematographers and ASC members reveal thoughts, advice, tips, and tricks they've received that helped them throughout their professional careers. Their responses range from the simple to the complex, the obvious to the specific, and the easy to the hard but all of them stand to help you make the most of life in the film industry.
HERES AN INTERESTING LINK CLICK AWAY!SetLife Magazine (a recommended follow on Facebook) has compiled technical specification slates showing us who shot on what when it comes to the big 2014 Oscar nominees. Click to read on the EOSHD.com website
ACS - HQ REPORT January 2014January has once again been quiet mainly due to the holiday period. Geoff Burton ACS has continued his contribution for the AC magazine using the Headquarters to conduct interviews and research for upcoming articles. Piet De Vries ACS although very busy with his workshops in December took some time out, but will again return in Feb with his very successful PDV Digital Cinema Workshops http://www.pieterdevries.com.au Ian Nicholson a NSW member will continue his Sydney Short Film classes on Wednesday nights starting in February through April. www.sydneyshortfilmschool.com Leica Akademie Australia will conduct two weekends of classes with principal Nick Raines in February and hopefully will do more throughout the year. www.leica-akademie.com.au The Australian Production Designers Guild will again hold meetings in the Boardroom this month. Throughout last year the ACS made the Headquarters available for their meetings and the judging of their awards. The ACS is continually looking at ways to improve the Headquarters facility and hopefully in the coming months more of these can be achieved. Support the Headquarters and the ACS at the upcoming events and Drop Ins and watch it grow. Remember the HQ is there for all members to use. Anna Howard ACS
CML LINKS prepared by WA Member David Walpole, with thanks to Geoff Boyle.please click on the headings below to be redirected to the post on the CML website... Color Grading On 3D Registration Testing For Film Cameras Bright (Thick Wick) Candles For Film Shooting Reflection From 3 Mirrors Who Makes Custom Ground Glasses
ACS MEMBER PROFILE Allan Collins ACS
Allan Collins ACS grew up in Alice Springs and became the first Aboriginal person to be Accredited by the Australian Cinematographers Society in 2003 (Accreditation number 297). Some of Allans Impressive Credits For Cinema And Television Include:
A POSTCARD FROM QUEENSLAND INTERNATIONAL MEMBER ANTHONY DOD MANTLE DFF BSC ASC
MOVIE REVIEW - THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (2014) - James Cunningham
Martin Scorsese directs the story of real-life New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). The excessiveness contained within The Wolf of Wall Street, including sex and nudity but especially drugs, is both fitting and warranted within the narrative (based on the autobiography by (Jordan Belfort). With Scorsese at the helm of any film the production will come with certain liberties afforded to it. This film is big; and its Scorsese at his most unrestrained. Absorbing and agile, this is Wall Street (1987), meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), meets The Great Gatsby (2013). A fiery, circus-like examination of a complicated ring-master (Belfort)- realised by Scorsese's always fantastic, intuitive direction and outstanding performances from his smartly cast troupe of circus performers - including Leonardo DiCaprio (long overdue for an Oscar), Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, and Australias own Margot Robbie. Interestingly the film was shot on both film and digital. With longtime Scorsese collaborator Robert Richardson ASC unavailable, the legendary Director turned to Mexican-born Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto ASC AMC (who earned an Oscar nomination for Brokeback Mountain in 2005,and shot last year's Oscar winner Argo) to turn the best-selling book into celluloid. In a sense, I would say Rodrigos lighting is more naturalistic, and his cinematography more invisible, says Scorsese about Prieto, It has an impact on the subconscious and creates a kind of energy that nudges the audience in the intended direction. The Wolf of Wall Street is a feast for the eyes and a roller coaster of hedonistic debauchery. And look out for a cameo from the real-life Belfort who introduces his own character to a New Zealand sales seminar at the end of the film. Four stars.
FUJIFILM RECORDING MEDIA REACHES MANUFACTURING MILESTONE OF 100 MILLION LTO ULTRIUM DATA CARTRIDGES
FUJIFILM has announced that it has now manufactured over 100 million LTO (Linear Tape-Open) Ultrium data cartridges since its release of the first generation of LTO in 2000. This equates to over 53 thousand petabytes of data storage and more than 41 million miles of tape, enough to wrap around the globe 1,653 times. Exponential data growth and extended retention period requirements are challenging corporations, government agencies and other organisations that are faced with limited IT budgets. As a result there is an increasing need to cost effectively store large volumes of data over long periods of time. The LTO Ultrium format, a powerful, scalable open tape storage format, meets the challenge by delivering outstanding performance, capacity and reliability while offering lower total cost of ownership compared to other technologies. Since 2000, Fujifilm has led the development of large-capacity LTO Ultrium data tape for backup and archival applications. The most recent FUJIFILM LTO Ultrium 6 Data Cartridge is based on Fujifilms NANOCUBIC technology and incorporates Barium Ferrite (BaFe) particles, with superior performance and longer archival life compared to conventional metal particle (MP) tape. BaFe particles are also used in the production of large multi-terabyte enterprise system data tape, supporting the needs of various customers in diverse industries for their large volume backup and archival needs. In January 2010, Fujifilm and IBM Corporation announced a world record in data density on linear magnetic tape of 29.5 billion bits per square inch using Barium Ferrite particles. This demonstrated the potential of a high capacity tape cartridge capable of storing 35 terabytes of uncompressed data. Fujifilm also conducted a study that demonstrated the long term archivability of Barium Ferrite magnetic particles, withstanding realistic storage environment simulations. Results showed no change to BaFe magnetic properties under accelerated test methods, proving its reliability to be well over 30 years.
A WORD OR TWO FROM PIETER de VRIES ACS
Dear ACS members, Our NSW State President and HQ Manager David Lewis has outlined previously the many tasks for which the computer is now used, however in addition to his feedback I'd like to add my support by saying that this first-class asset has added more value than may have been anticipated. It has given the ACS HQ a state-of-the-art computer workstation, which is available to members and potential members of all ages and levels of experience. As you may know, I run cinematography and lighting training at the North Sydney HQ and as these are supported by the ACS, I have listed from my perspective, some of the ways in which the Mac Pro workstation is utilised: Students use the computer to access Vimeo and Youtube clips to screen in workshops and at individual training sessions During visits, students and members use it to access current technical information, to research equipment plus find where to purchase or rent Used to browse product reviews I use it at training sessions as an additional screen to demonstrate FCPX editing techniques Used by students to run FCPX tutorials on editing tips and tricks It is used to backup media files Used by students and members to view and critique their footage With the recent upgrade of FCPX to v10.1, I can demonstrate the portability of the FCPX Project Libraries. As I said in my opening sentence; "The Mac Pro added another layer of value for the members and students who visit and use our National Headquarters.
Pieter will be running his next two-day weekend Sydney course on the 15th and 16th of February [the Sunday is optional]. THE CAMERA, THE STORY and THE LIGHT: These three elements form the foundation of successful camera craft and are the foundations of the workshop, designed for users of *DSLR and conventional* video cameras alike. · Workshop bookings and information for video camera users: · Workshop bookings and information for DSLR users:
Ver3.0 Firmware Update for Sony F Series
The much anticipated Ver3.0 firmware for Sonys PMW-F55 and PMW-F5 Super35mm digital cinematography cameras became available at the start of January. Ver3.0 adds close to thirty new features including Slow & Quick variable frame rate control over the cameras high speed shooting functions. This now allows shooting at up to 180fps in HD and 2K plus the option of 240fps in 2K with the addition of the AXS-R5 RAW recorder. Other new additions include User LUTs, new S-Log3/S-Gamut3 log curve and colour gamut, QFHD (3840 x 2160) recording, Centre Scan mode for Super16mm lenses and AES/EBU audio inputs. Full details are available on the Sony F55/F5 online Community at http://community.sony.com/t5/F5-F55/NEW-Firmware-Version-3-0/m-p/255067#U255067 Sony PMW-F5 Bundle Offers Extended
Sony has announced that its very popular bundle offers on the PMW-F5 Super35mm digital cinematography camera have been extended until March 31st, 2014. Two bundles are available for the standard price of the camera body, with choice of OLED or LCD viewfinders plus a range of accessories included. With the ability to capture stunning HD or 2K images in a range of codecs as standard, plus the option to fit an AXS-R5 recorder for shooting 2K or 4K RAW, the PMW-F5 is the most powerful cinema camera in its class. Full details are at http://pro.sony.com.au/article/567544/section/promotions Sony 3-chip HXR-NX3 camcorder now shipping
Announced at the end of last year, Sonys new 3-chip HXR-NX3 camcorder has now started shipping to dealers in Australia and New Zealand. This latest member of the NXCAM family is priced at $3,999 including GST (NZD$4,699 including GST) and offers a 20X optical zoom plus a wealth of powerful and innovative features. The HXR-NX3 is ideally suited to any production application seeking a simple to operate but high performance professional camcorder at a very keen price - such as event videographers, education and corporate production. Sony pro dealers are also offering a special deal on the ECM-VG1 shotgun microphone, when purchased with the HXR-NX3 camcorder. Sony authorised Content Creation dealers are listed at http://pro.sony.com.au/section/shop
A POSTCARD FROM DION BEEBE ACS ASC
ARRI NOW TAKING AMIRA ORDERS
ARRI announced today that pricing has been set for its new documentary-style camera, AMIRA, and orders have begun to be taken. Prices for the camera with viewfinder start at AUD$42,990 and customers can choose from a wide range of feature and accessory options to build their ideal package. Flexibility of configuration is the key to ARRIs pricing structure. Temporary and permanent software upgrades allow owners to adapt AMIRA according to the changing professional needs of their evolving careers, extending the return on their investment. AMIRA is a versatile camera that combines exceptional image quality and affordable CFast 2.0 workflows with an ergonomic design optimized for the shoulder-mounted lone operating typical of run and gun documentaries. Ready to pick up and shoot straight out of the camera bag, AMIRA is rugged enough to take anywhere and suits a wide range of different production types and shooting environments. There are three camera configurations to choose from, differentiated by their software feature-sets. Customers then select a lens mount, battery mount and bottom plate to assemble a complete camera; these are configured separately because there are various options for each. Whichever AMIRA camera set is initially chosen, it can be upgraded with additional functionality by purchasing a license at the ARRI website. The entry-point AMIRA camera set allows Rec 709 ProRes 422 recording up to 100 fps and might suit owner-operators working mainly in the corporate, online and television markets. Next is the advanced set, a true all-rounder configuration that adds features such as Log C, ProRes 422 (HQ) at 200 fps, in-camera grading and a pre-record function, among others. The premium set incorporates features for high-end productions perhaps using AMIRA as a companion to ALEXA, including ProRes 4444 and 2K up to 200 fps, as well as limitless colour control on set and in post with custom 3D LUTs. Full pricing details are available through ARRI and its official sales channels. Delivery of AMIRA cameras is due to start early in Q2, 2014.
AFTRS OPEN
JUST SCHEDULED for Sydney in early March the fantastic MODERN CINEMATOGRAPHY with AFI Award winner Ellery Ryan ACS (I Love You Too, Van Diemens Land, The Rage In Placid Lake). This two day AFTRS Open course is designed to investigate the theory and practice of visual storytelling. Pretty pictures and standout shots are no longer enough. Cinematographers must take a written text and use technical and interpretive skills to help a Director convert that text into an engaging visual story. DATES: 1 - 2 March, Sydney http://www.open.aftrs.edu.au/course/C538 Other specialised courses available include PETER JAMES ACS ASC ANAMORPHIC LENS MASTERCLASS (15 - 16 Feb) This two day advanced Cinematography workshop unlocks the secrets of Anamorphic lenses with AFI winner and ACS Hall of Fame member Peter James ACS ASC. Peter James ACS ASC Anamorphic Lens Masterclass (15 - 16 Feb) http://www.open.aftrs.edu.au/course/C548
Important to remember that AFTRS Open Industry 10% discounts apply to all ACS members.
A POSTCARD FROM MATT HORREX ACS IN SINGAPORE
JOAN CHURCHILL ASC HONOURED AT CAMERIMAGE
Click here to read the news story on the ACS website ACS member and author of The Shadowcatchers; Martha Ansara had the following to say about inspirational cinematographer Joan Churchill ASC: It's great to have the article on the website.When I was first daring to even think about picking up a camera, Joan Churchill's photo in American Cinematographer shooting Punishment Park gave me tremendous encouragement. Soldier Girls, a documentary about women in the US Army, which she photographed and co-directed with Nick Broomfield, is perhaps one of the greatest examples of documentary cinematography I can think of. Thanks so much (Martha Ansara)
2014 ASC AWARDS
Good luck to NSW member Peter Levy ACS ASC in the upcoming 2014 ASC Awards for Cinematography in Los Angeles for his nominated work on "House of Lies". Well all be there in spirit with you Peter!!!
A POSTCARD FROM DANNY RUHLMANN ACS IN LONDON
"THE ART OF CINEMATOGRAPHY"
This is not only a wonderful book, but a great visual experience to once more demonstrate the individual sensitivity, the culture, the profession of an Artist that even with all the different technologies that the industry has used in several decades, they have given their personal input, as an individual signature, on all visual masterpieces that are determining the world cinema. The Book contains a TRIBUTE from Vittorio Storaro, Luciano Tovoli, Gabriele Lucci and Daniele Nannuzi to THE ART OF CINEMATOGRAPHY. The book is bilingual Italian/English with 350 pages and 150 images of the various films. Original photo stills are re-edited in double images by Vittorio Storaro, and includes a DVD of all 150 images of the selected films. The 90 minutes DVD represents a visual journeyof the great masterpieces of all worldwide cinema over the last century. This book is in essence, a tribute to Cinematographers from Cinematographers. The book can be purchased at THE ASC STORE or from www.AUREAWEB.COM. The cost is $US179.99 plus shipping, and is great value. There is a copy available at the ACS HQ library to have a browse through.
Women Film Something - Deadline Extended
Due to popular demand, Women Film Something has agreed to extend the deadline to enter the inaugural short film competition until February 14. Burgeoning enthusiasm has forced our hand, yet this creates an excellent opportunity for more women to enter and tell their story. 1) An Australian Cinematography Society membership and an ACS gift bag containing various ACS merchandise and a copy of THE SHADOWCATCHERS: A History of Cinematography in Australia by Martha Ansara.
YOUVE GOTTA LOVE PARIS Dick Marks OAM
A millionth of the wonders that are on display and for sale at the worlds best antique/flea market, in my humble opinion. It's at Porte de Clignancourt, the last stop on line 4 of the Metro. This shop is in my favourite section, Marche Paul Bert, and we left a few bob there. Don't pay the ticketed price as they will come down and the bigger the item, the bigger the discount. They will sometimes also pack and ship for free.
Forecourt of the Louvre, looking away from the glass pyramid entrance, towards the gardens. The first day I attempted to get in there was a line that stretched over 800 meters. As it was freezing, I went home. I then purchased a pass that allowed me to walk straight past the long lines at most Paris galleries and bingo straight in! Some you still have to queue for security, but that's always a much shorter line than the ticket sales. Never try to buy tickets at the venue on the day. Never!
One of the more famous cafes in Paris. St.German de Pres. A coffee at one of these big name cafes will cost between AUD$8.00 to $10.00, but worth every cent. Not because the coffee is so good, it's actually very ordinary by Australian standards, but just for the privilege of sitting under the famous sign, facing out, and watching some of the most beautiful people in the world glide by. The food is simple, but always of a very high standard.
INDUSTRY WORKING GROUP THINK TANKA review of Industry training is currently underway by Innovation & Business Skills Australia. An Industry Working Group is conducting an industry think tank to identify the core skills and knowledge required in each specialisation across the screen and media industries. The purpose of the workshop is to bring together a broad and diverse range of screen and media experts to identify and map skills to job roles. Refreshments and lunch will be provided, please provide special dietary requirements. Registration link is : Industry Think Tank
NEW CineAlta Magazine now availableSony is pleased to announce our new periodical, CineAlta Magazine, produced by Sony Professional Solutions of America.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Congratulations to our National President, Ron Johanson ACS for receiving the Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division for service to the Arts, particularly as a Cinematographer and Film Director. This wasn't Rons only celebration over the Christmas and New year break, Ron and his lovely partner Linda were married in front of family and friends in WA on Christmas Eve.
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Level 2, 26 Ridge Street, North Sydney NSW 2060 Ph: 02 8920 8535 HQ Manager: David Lewis ACS email UnsubscribeYou have received this correspondence because you are a member or affiliate of the ACS.
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