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AC Magazines
| | Editor:
Lizz Vernon
In This Issue
Message from the President
VALE ~ Paul Booth
National Awards Update
Copyright - Have your say!!!
Hit Aussie Web Series World Premier Starting From ...Now! Season 4
RED WEAPON Video - Check it out!!!
ACS HQ Drop In
OzDoc Tribute to Tony Wilson ACS
John Platt ~ Fujifilm X-TI
CANON Timelapse Workshop
Andrew Hyde - Risking Life & Limb
AFTRS Survey
Sydney Film Festival ~ Entries now open
Tropfest Junior
AFTRS OPEN - Lastest Courses
ACS Shop Online
Message from the President
Greeting ACS members, sponsors, colleagues and friends, Hot off the press below is the current Program of Events for the ACS NATIONAL AWARDS for CINEMATOGRAPHY in Adelaide from April 29 through to May 2. There are many outstanding events, most free of charge to you all, that will no doubt entertain and inform. All bookings must be done online, and those bookings will be open very soon. I look forward to seeing and to welcoming you to Adelaide for yet another spectacular Awards presentation, and my thanks and congratulations to Ernie Clark ACS and the fantastic team from the SA Branch. Until next time
Ron Johanson OAM ACS
National President
VALE ~ Paul Booth (July, 1957 - January, 2016)
We at the ACS report, with great sadness, the passing of Sydney based gaffer, Paul Booth, on the 24th January aged only 58, after a protracted battle with a rare blood disorder. Paul started in the industry around 1980, working with the small advertising production house, Camfilm Productions, based in Glebe, Sydney with Director, the late John Bowen, DoP David Wakeley ACS, Editor John Hoskins & Camera Assistant Danny Pope (now ACS). Paul went on to become a much sought after gaffer working with a wide range of DoPs on everything from TVC's, music videos, TV series & features. "Rest in Peace Paul. We'll miss that cheeky grin and amazing attitude both personally & at work." David Wakeley ACS A funeral to honour Paul's life will be held on:Tuesday 2nd February
11am at the Magnolia Chapel,
Macquarie Park Crematorium. There will be refreshments afterwards from 12 noon in the Terrace Room.
The family has requested no flowers as it was Pauls wish to have donations made instead to the RPA. There will be envelopes at the Chapel.
Garry Phillips ACS ~ Pays tribute to Paul "BOOTHY"Booth
It is with a heavy heart that I inform the ACS of the passing of Paul Booth. A gaffer known to many in the Society. I first met Boothy on set around 25 years ago. I was a camera assistant and he a best boy in the lighting department. We both progressed through the industry in tandem. He putting a lighting truck together in the early 90s, as I began operating and then shooting. He was my go to gaffer for anything I was shooting.
That is , when he was available!
 Picture courtesy Paul's daughter, Lani Tweddle. |
I loved his eye for light, his technical know how, but most of all I think
it was his sense of humor and his enthusiasm for life that made him stand out.
Over the years he became a great gaffer and he became a true friend to me. Over the years I got to shoot feature films with him, such as
The MONKEYS MASK, CANDY , BURNING MAN as well as countless television commercials. He, of course, was favored by many other cinematographers as well. Andrew Lesnie ACS ASC, Geoff Simpson ACS , Dion Beebe ACS ASC, Warwick Thornton and Brian Breheny to name a few.
His filmography includes the following, The Sapphires
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Bran Nue Dae
BABE, Pig in the City
Doing Time for Patsy Cline
Holy Smoke
The Oyster Farmer
The Rage in Placid Lake
Razzle Dazzle
Old School
Packed to the Rafters This list really only scratches the surface of his work
. He leaves behind two fabulous children, Lani and Archie, both have inherited their fathers lust for life and my deepest condolences go out to them. You'll be sadly missed, Garry Phillips ACS
2016 National Awards:
 Ron Johanson OAM ACS & Nigel Walters BSC |
45th National Awards for Cinematography,
Saturday 30 April
Adelaide Convention Centre. Ray Martin AM is our MC
and our Guest of Honour is Nigel Walters BSC
(BSC Vice President & recently retired IMAGO President)
Ticket prices will be $150.00 per person, incl gst.
All bookings and registration for events will be online. There are some events,
i.e. Winery Tours and other Tourism associated events that will NOT be free of chargeCurrent National Awards program:
Friday 29/4/16
0800 Expo set-up access: Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hindley Street
1300-1700 SOUTHERN LIGHT EXPO 2# @ Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hindley Street
1400-1600 Exhibitor Presentations Saturday 30/4/16
0900-1500 SOUTHERN LIGHT EXPO 2# @ Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hindley Street
1000 -1300 Exhibitor Presentations @ Grand Chancellor Hotel
1100 -1230 Ray Martin Photo Retrospective @ Hotel Grand Chancellor.
(Ray Martin has travelled the globe and has documented his travels with some superb photography. Ray tells in his unique way his experiences on these travels, as seen though his lens. This retrospective was presented in Hobart last year & the inaugural NT Awards 2014 both to a full house, so dont miss it!!)
1330 -1500 "Meet the Nominees Screening/Q&A moderated by Kim Batterham ACS.
1500 -1630 "Dean Semlers Road to Hollywood Screening/Q&A presented by Director-Cinematographer David Brill ACS.
1830-1100 ACS NATIONAL AWARDS for CINEMATOGRAPHY at the Torrens Rooms 5 & 6, Adelaide Convention Centre.
AFTER AWARDS PARTY Sunday 1/5/16
0900-1630 National AGM to be held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor.
1000-1600 TBC Winery Tour to McLaren Vale Monday 2/5/16
0930-1700 "John Seale ACS ASC Presents"....
(John Seale ACS ASC presents.... Ably supported by David Burr ACS. A fascinating day of discovering how they shot that! Clips from 40 years of motion picture brilliance explained by the masters. First preference will be afforded ACS members to attend this Masterclass). This is a FREE event.
Accommodation deals:
As part of our ACS Awards package, Grand Chancellor - Hindley Street have offered the Executive King or twin bed suite for $155 or $170 with breakfast. More hotel deals will be coming, along with information as to how to book your Awards accommodation.
HAVE YOUR SAY!! - The Laws they are a changing....
The Federal Government are reviewing the Copyright Laws and are seeking your input. Heres the link for more information. https://www.communications.gov.au/have-your-say/updating-australias-copyright-laws Thanks to NSW member Sidat De Silva for bringing this to our attention.
Starting From ... Now! will have its world premiere at the Mardi Gras Film Festival on 1 March
An Australian web series that has made it big. Amassing a global audience of 20 million views across its first three seasons, Queer Screen is thrilled to present the world premiere of the Screen Australia and Screen NSW supported fourth season in one glorious sitting!
Starting From
Now!, the hit online drama follows the tangled, increasingly complicated lives of four inner-city Sydney lesbians as they struggle to find a place where they belong and perhaps even find someone to love along the way.
NSW ACS Members Marcus Stimson (Series DOP) & Lizz Vernon (B Camera Operator & 2nd Unit DOP) teamed up to film Season 3, 4 & 5 of Starting From ...Now! and just to add to all their fun invited 2 Accredited ACS members to come and play with lighting helping them in the camera department for a day each, SA ACS Member Malcolm Ludgate ACS, back in Season 3 and fellow NSW ACS member Velinda Wardell ACS for Season 4.
Find out why the series is so popular and catch up on the first three season HERE then be one of the first in the world to see what promises to be Starting From
Now!s best season yet!
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Starting From... Now! » - Purchase party tickets to join us in the Gold Class lounge for an exclusive VIP 20 MILLION VIEW PARTY! |
Time to check out the latest ACS Technical Committee and FXPHD Video
The ACS Technical Committee and FXPHD have done an "Introductory Video" looking at Reds new Carbon Fiber Weapon camera. The video looks at new features and performance levels. Included are some specific tests to see how the upgraded signal processing in the Weapon improves dynamic range performance and how the dynamic range compares with the previous Red Epic Dragon and Arri's Alexa XT.
The January Drop-In night at the National HQ of the Australian Cinematographers Society was a packed event and featured two video camera related presentations. Firstly, Anthony Kable of Sony Australia filled in the latest developments within Sony's large frame sensor product range. With many recent model releases by Sony it was a great opportunity for everyone to get up to speed.
NSW member Pieter de Vries ACS followed with a talk centering his recent assignment as a cinematography mentor aboard Aurora Expedition's Polar Pioneer. In particular, the use of Sony A7R Mk2 cameras and the Atomos Assassin 4K recorder to cover his 4K cinematography and stills photography on the journey to South Georgia and Antarctica.
Tribute to legendary documentary cinematographer, Tony Wilson ACS
Ozdox: the Australian Documentary Forum presents an all-star seminar revealing the inner workings of the filming techniques of the late Tony Wilson ACS. The event will also be streamed via AFTRS and OZDOX. Tony Wilson ACS, who died suddenly in 2010, was regarded by his colleagues as one of Australias greatest observational cinematographers, a talented collaborator who was guided not only by his eyes but by his ears and, instinctively and intelligently, created footage that was a dream to cut in the edit room.
Wilsons camera work contributed to four decades of Australian films. They were screened worldwide on television, won acclaim at Cannes, the Oscar nominations and the Logies, winning multiple awards in Australian and international festivals. More than anything, they brought Australian life and society alive with an unforgettable immediacy. What was the role of cinematographer in creating these films how did he do it?
Leading documentary filmmakers who worked with Wilson will dissect sequences from their films to explore what gave Wilsons work such impact. This revealing seminar offers film lovers a unique insight into the art and techniques which led to the flowering of Australian documentary.
The event is at 6:00 pm for a 6:30 start at AFTRS, Entertainment Quarter, 130 Bent St, Moore Park, Sydney. Entry by donation includes refreshments. No bookings, but to be sure of a seat
JOHN PLATT SHOOTS KILLING GROUND ON SET STILLS WITH FUJIFILM X-T1
Highly acclaimed stills photographer John Platt chose to use a Fujifilm X-T1 to shoot on-set stills of Killing Ground, an Australian feature film directed by Damien Power. Platt explained, In addition to the primary X-T1 I also used a second body, 23mm and 50mm lenses and a 50-140mm zoom lens.
 Photo: John Platt |
"As each actor arrived on set for the first time I would introduce myself and ask if they would be OK with me shooting during the take, while the camera was rolling. I also made a point of highlighting the cameras silent shutter. Every one of them agreed they were relieved to know I wouldnt be asking them to repeat shots just for stills as the Killing Ground storyline is quite confronting and emotionally charged and as such difficult for the actors to recreate for stills.
 Photo: John Platt |
On set stills photographers have for many years been able to shoot while the camera is rolling with the use of a blimp to deaden the shutter sound of the SLRs and DSLRs but they never fully silenced it. In addition to that the blimps are bulky and slow to use. The XT-1 with its compact size and profile allowed me to get into position near the camera without disturbing the actor or their performance and just as importantly DOP/camera operator Simon Chapman ACS and focus puller, Inaki De Ubago. The end result was a very happy production team. Platt used the X-T1 and his lenses in many configurations to get the results he wanted. He said, For me the experience has been a great way to get to know the camera even better over the combination of day and night shoots. For the days I would have my two zooms attached, 18-55mm and 50-140mm using auto focus with manual exposure. At night I would swap to my primes and in most circumstances have the 23mm and 56mm lenses on and the 35mm in a pouch on my belt ready if needed. My monopod was invaluable at night and at times I pushed the ISO up to 4000. I found the peaking focus assist accurate and invaluable at those wide open stops mixed with constant action, running and fighting.
MakeTIME for this Canon Workshop!
Andrew Hyde ~ On Location in the Northern Territory
Andrew Hyde is on location in NT using "The Chivo Rig" while shooting "Monster Crocs" for Animal Planet. Perfectly balanced as always and poised for a quick getaway!!! Pretty to watch!
AFTRS is undertaking a comprehensive industry survey - LAST CHANCE the Survey is only active until 31st January 2016
AFTRS is asking the industry to tell us what skills and talent are needed both today, and in the future. This could range from a particular skills gap that needs addressing immediately, to a demand for talented creatives who understand emerging formats and platforms, ~ Neil Peplow, AFTRS CEO.
@Sydney Film Festival is NOW OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
Entries are now open for the 63rd Sydney Film Festival for features, documentaries and short films (under 40 minutes). Submissions close on Friday February 26, 2016.
Go to http://www.filmfestivallife.com/sydney-film-festival for full eligibility criteria and submission details.
TROPFEST Junior ~ 14th February 2016
Tropfest, Trop Jr is a short filmmaking competition and a free, outdoor cinema festival held on Sunday, February 14 at Sydney's Centennial Parklands at 11AM.
This year, we'll be screening 15 finalist films made by talented kids and teens aged 15 and under. The event is complete with live music, entertainment, competitions, great food and drinks...and its free to attend!
ACS SHOP
| | CINEMATOGRAPHY SHORT COURSES - AFTRS OPEN
ACS members receive a 10% discount on all AFTRS Open short courses. Upcoming cinematography course include: ADVANCED LIGHTING SKILLS with Roger Lanser in February, CAMERA & SOUND BASICS with Paul Warren in March, plus DATA WRANGING and MODERN CINEMATOGRAPHY with Ellery Ryan ACS in April. ACS members receive a 10% discount on all AFTRS Open short courses. To view all AFTRS Open Cinematography courses visit the AFTRS Open website: AFTRS OPEN Cinematography Short Courses
ADVANCED LIGHTING SKILLS
This advanced lighting course with Roger Lanser, ACS is for cinematographers wanting to expand their knowledge in lighting for film and television drama. This course gets outstanding feedback:
Not only the lecturer but the grip, gaffer, best boy & camera operator contributed enormously from their experience & knowledge. 3 - 6 February
ADVANCED LIGHTING SKILLS
 Roger Lanser ACS |
CONTENT CREATION IPHONE/IPAD: ONLINE
From the comfort of your keyboard, learn how to shoot quality videos with your iPhone or iPad and create stories on the go, in this five week online course. Filmmaker and cinematographer Gareth Tillson will lead this course featuring video tutorials, weekly assignments and a weekly online chat session will take place Thursday evenings from 19:30 to 20:30 AEST. Starts 3 March, 5 weeks
CONTENT CREATION IPHONE/IPAD: ONLINE
CAMERA & SOUND BASICS
Led by experienced cinematographer Paul Warren (The Cup, Wrath), this course is suited to those who have limited camera and sound recording experience. It will introduce you to techniques and practical skills that will enable you to produce high quality images and sound for documentary and drama - with an eye to great storytelling, the goal of all good filmmaking. 19 - 20 March
CAMERA & SOUND BASICS
VIDEOMAKING 101: SHOOT, EDIT, PUBLISH
Do you - or your staff - want to shoot, edit and upload your own short videos for your corporate website, social media marketing or just for your own interest? Then this course is for you.
4 - 8 April
VIDEOMAKING 101: SHOOT, EDIT, PUBLISH
DATA WRANGLING ON SET: FILE BASED CAMERAS
This one 1-day course is an introduction to managing data from file-based cameras in an on-set environment. Working in the AFTRS Studio, you will get an overview of all types of data and metadata from file-based cameras from manufacturers including Sony, Canon, Blackmagic, ARRI & Red and you will learn how to prepare for and manage this data confidently and responsibly in a high pressure on-set environment. 2 April
DATA WRANGLING ON SET: FILE BASED CAMERAS
MODERN CINEMATOGRAPHY: ELLERY RYAN ACS
What is great cinematography, and how is it achieved? This weekend course, led by two time AFI Award winner Ellery Ryan ACS (I Love You Too, Van Diemens Land, The Rage In Placid Lake) will show you how to convert text into an engaging visual story. 2-3 April
MODERN CINEMATOGRAPHY: ELLERY RYAN ACS
To view all AFTRS Open courses visit the AFTRS Open website: AFTRS Short Courses
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