National Awards Booking close 5pm, Friday 22nd April (ACST) ~ Don't Miss Out! Mid April National Update on all things ACS

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Editor:

Lizz Vernon

In This Issue

45th Annual Awards for Cinematography ~ Booking close 5pm Friday 22nd (ACST)
What on at the Awards & LINKS to book
2015 ACS-NFSA John Leake OAM ACS Award to an Emerging Cinematographer recipient Josh Carmelo reports on an ASC Masterclass he attended.
FUJIFILM launch @ ACS - SAFC Southern Light Expo 2016 and associated presentations event as part of the ACS National Awards Weekend
Bus Stop Films @ HQ
MPIBS - Raffle, check out the prizes
Cine Gear Expo: Los Angeles 2016
Time to sign an important petition prepared by REED MORANO ASC
AFTRS OPEN courses
ACS SHOP - Merchandise and so much more

BOOK NOW 2016 ACS NATIONAL AWARDS IN ADELAIDE

Sponsors have you booked your complimentary tickets? We'd hate you to miss out!

The 45th Annual Awards for Cinematography on Saturday 30 April will truly be a celebration of the best Cinematography Australia has to offer and a taste of the wonderful things Adelaide has on offer.

Thanks to our Major National sponsor, FUJINON - FUJIFILM for their overwhelming support of the Society and our National Awards, and to the the South Australian Film Corporation for supporting the Southern Light Expo 2016 and also to the South Australian Tourism Commission for their patronage of our McLaren Vale winery tour and ACS sponsors packs.

A generous vote of thanks to all our ACS National sponsors, Supporters and our National Awards Partners, without whom these Awards and associated events would not be possible.

Events to be held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley include:

ACS - SAFC Southern Light Expo 2016 and associated presentations, Exhibitor Presentations, Ray Martin AM stills Retrospective, Meet The Nominees, Dean Semler’s Road to Hollywood screening, 2016 AGM, and John Seale ACS ASC “Presents”……ably supported by David Burr ACS take a nostalgic look at "how they got that shot" with work spanning the last 40 years.

Download an EXPO Guide »

Saturday night - 46th Annual Awards for Cinematography

Our Special Guest is Nigel Walters BSC and Ray Martin AM will MC. So get your black tie or best frock organised for the Awards which start at 6:30pm at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

BOOK NATIONAL AWARDS TICKETS HERE

Also an ACS Tour of the iconic Adelaide Oval - ONLY 4 PLACES LEFT!!

This is a group tour especially for the ACS and will take 1.5 hours, you need to walk about 2.5k’s. Please read the FAQ’a as suitable footwear is required: Click for Oval FAQ's

Book via ACS SHOP $17 inc GST.

A Chinese banquet

On Friday night, 29 April, 1900 to 2100 a delicious and generous Chinese banquet especially organized for the ACS.

Book via ACS SHOP $55 per person inc GST.

McLaren Vale winery tour with lunch - ONLY A FEW PLACES LEFT

Lunch and winery tour on Sunday May 1 1000-1600. Bus pick up from Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley, meet in foyer at 09:45. McLaren Vale is an easy 45 minutes drive from Adelaide.

Compliments of South Australian Tourism you'll be visiting Hugh Hamilton & Primo Estate (where you'll also taste their famous olive oils) before a special tasting at 2016 National Awards Partner Penny’s Hill winery followed by lunch at their Kitchen Door Restaurant where you will have a fantastic plated share lunch. BTW $15 off first purchases at Primo Estate!

Book via ACS SHOP $110 per person inc GST.

Click to go to Penny's Hill website »

Awards event over the 'long' weekend include:

Friday 29/4/16

  • Adelaide Oval tour $17 per person
  • ACS - SAFC Southern Light Expo 2016 and associated presentations @ Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley
  • Exhibitor Presentations
  • ACS Chinese Red Fire Monkey Banquet @ CitiZen $55 a head (excludes drinks)

Saturday 30/4/16

  • ACS - SAFC Southern Light Expo 2016 and associated presentations @ Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley
  • Exhibitor Presentations
  • Ray Martin Stills Retrospective Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley
  • Meet the Nominee’s Screening/Q&A moderated by Kim Batterham ACS Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley
  • Dean Semler’s Road to Hollywood documentary presented by David Brill ACS Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley
  • 2016 National ACS Awards Adelaide Convention Centre, Riverview Rooms 6, 7 & 8 ~ Tickets $150 incl GST
  • After Party?... Make your own, try Bank, Peel or Leigh Streets or if you’re really brave give Hindley Street a go!

Sunday 1/5/16

  • National AGM: Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley
  • McLaren Vale Winery Tour (10am-4pm) Tastings at Hugh Hamilton, Primo Estate with lunch and wine tasting @ Penny’s Hill Winery $110 incl gst. per person

Monday 2/5/16

John Seale AM ACS ASC & David Burr ACS

Bookings for 'How they shot that!' are essential via ACS SHOP

ASC MASTER CLASS by Josh Farmelo - 2015 NFSA - ACS John Leake OAM ACS Award winner

The American Society of Cinematographers holds a 5-day masterclass in Los Angeles a few times a year, offering cinematographers the opportunity to learn from a rotating roster of ASC members in a mostly practical environment. I was fortunate enough to attend one of these masterclasses in March this year, where the line-up of instructors included, among others, Robert Yeoman ASC, Checco Varese ASC, Bill Bennet ASC, Don McCuaig ASC and Jacek Laskus ASC. Many other ASC members were also present throughout the week's classes to answer questions and share an anecdote or two. My classmates were from all over the world (including a couple of fellow Australians) – most of them working cinematographers already with a lot of experience under their belts.

Each instructor taught techniques relevant to their area of expertise: Bill Bennet taught us the basics of shooting car commercials; Robert Yeoman taught us effective cross shooting techniques and lighting for multiple cameras, after breaking down scenes from some of his feature lm work. He also had a few tips for us on nailing perfect whip pans. Checco Varese enlightened us on the virtues of being fast and taught us how to shoot economically while we recreated a scene from The 33. Don McCuaig spoke about how to be an effective second unit DOP, an under-appreciated position if there ever was one, I've now learned.
The masterclass also included a trip to E-Film for a colour correction session with colourist Tim Stipan and Joachim Zell and a talk on colour science with image scientist Josh Pines. We closed the week with a talk on the politics of cinematography, where a panel of ASC members spoke about navigating the mine field of producers, production managers, actors, agents, and job interviews – information many of them wished they had earlier in their careers and had to learn the hard way.

The recurrent theme over the week was that every DP has their own perspective and shoots differently and there is no one way to do anything as a cinematographer; this was echoed by nearly all of the instructors. Some ASC members even sat in on the others' classes, just to get a rare chance to see how their peers work. Checco, when asked how he got to the position he is in now as a cinematographer, insisted “All I can say is, don't do what I did” - reiterating that every cinematographer will travel their own path and nd their own way of shooting.

The ASC is an enormously generous organisation, and every member we met was more than happy to share their wealth of knowledge with us, and to offer any insight and guidance they could, whether it was during the day's classes or over a beer in the clubhouse afterward. I was amazed at just how approachable these cinematographers were, and how warm and welcoming the ASC was – many of them were quick to hand out their email addresses and told us to contact them any time if we had any questions, and also to stop by and visit the clubhouse if we were ever in town.

The ASC Masterclass affords cinematographers the opportunity to learn from some of the most pre-eminent and inspiring cinematographers working in the industry today. It was an amazing experience and an amazing opportunity for a young cinematographer to learn and develop, and is something I would not have had the chance to do if not for the John Leake OAM ACS Emerging Cinematographer Award. I am eternally grateful for the support offered by the Australian Cinematographers Society and the National Film and Sound Archive.


Josh Farmelo

FUJIFILM LAUNCHES NEW FUJINON CABRIO XK6x20 4K COMPATIBLE ZOOM LENS

Delivers T3.5 brightness for the entire zoom range from 20mm to 120mm and will be demonstrated at this year’s ACS National Awards Expo

FUJIFILM has announced that it will release the FUJINON Cabrio XK 6x20 zoom lens, the XK6x20 Cabrio is a standard zoom lens that delivers T3.5 brightness for the entire zoom range from 20mm to 120mm. The XK6x20 Cabrio will be showcased for the first time in Australia at this year’s ACS National Awards Expo alongside the four other lenses in the FUJINON Cabrio series at the Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley in Adelaide.

Designed for the video production and PL cine markets, this 20-120mm Cabrio features industry-proven Cabrio flexibility - at an affordable price. It is also equipped with a unique detachable servo drive unit, making it suitable for use as an ENG-style or standard PL lens.

The 20-120mm Cabrio is also fitted with a nine-blade iris, to capture the most natural looking imagery possible. It comes equipped with all the lens data outputs that are required by today’s cine-style shooters. LDS and /i Tech metadata compatibility are very useful when users need to record the position information of zoom, iris, and focus for computer animation and similar postproduction operations. The digital servo on this new lens has 16-bit encoding, so operators can be assured that the lens data outputs are extremely accurate.

Check out the WOW Pozible Crowdfunding Campaign... Please help WOW Film Festival reach their target

The WOW Film Festival, an initiative of Women in Film & Television (WIFT) NSW, will launch a seven day Pozible crowdfunding to gap finance the last leg of their budget. The campaign will feature exclusive Festival All Access passes, festival merchandise and access to special events.

http://www.pozi.be/wowfilmfestival » - WOW Crowd Funding Campaign - Donate Now!

Gillian Armstrong, acclaimed Australian director, has been announced as WOW Film Festival Patron for 2016, and her seminal 1979 drama film, My Brilliant Career, has been selected to screen at the WOW Film Festival opening night gala. The festival will also hold a special 25th-anniversary screening of Ridley Scott’s iconic 1991 film Thelma and Louise.
WOW Film Festival is now in its 21st year, with its ultimate goal to celebrate and recognise films by and about women, by Australian and international creative teams. WOW FF will also facilitate important conversations around increasing access, participation and recognition of women in all aspects of the film industry.
The program features eight curated programmes of short films as well as four international feature premieres. POW-WOW, a large series of masterclasses and panel discussions will also run alongside the screenings, offering film goers and makers the chance to learn firsthand from some of the most experienced and celebrated individuals in the Australian film industry.

Bus Stop Films @ACS HQ ~ Lighting Workshop

"The ACS had the honour on Saturday 9th May to host the Bus Stop Films lighting workshop at the ACS HQ, where 14 students of varying disabilities were guided through the basics of 'three point lighting' in an excellent Powerpoint presentation on screen by Jarryd Hall."

Bus Stop Films is run by Taste Media's Genevieve Clay Smith & partner, Henry Smith, who dedicate hundreds of hours each year to the development of these young students to the point where many of them are mentored by Genevieve & Henry with fellow industry volunteers to participate, both behind & in front of the camera, in the production of now five internationally recognised short films. Genevieve was elected Young Australian of the Year 2015.

Photos: David Wakeley ACS

The students on Saturday were very responsive & later showed great recall of the varied lighting options, followed by comments in the HQ guest book like "We learnt a lot & had a wonderful time!"

From the Bus Stop Films Vimeo site: "Bus Stop Films has a focus on creating inclusion within the film industry. So far Bus Stop has been involved with creating five inclusive films, that have been screened both nationally and internationally, these films have also picked up a number of awards including the top gong at Tropfest 09.

People from diverse and marginalised communities fulfilled roles within the cast and crew of the films showcasing their talents and ability. The films also provided our participants the chance to be involved in film making at a professional standard."

We strongly recommend that you take a look at some of the films produced by Bus Stop personnel. For information check out the links below:

http://www.busstopfilms.com.au »
https://vimeo.com/busstopfilms »

ACS hosts for the workshop were Marianne & David Wakeley ACS with David Lewis ACS.

Cine Gear Expo: Los Angeles 2016

Cine Gear Expo 2016 is the premier annual event for professionals engaged in the technology, entertainment and media industry. The show lasts four days in Los Angeles this June in Hollywood, California.

Cine Gear features more than 300+ exhibits, new product and service introductions, 30+ complimentary seminars led by industry leaders, master classes, film competition, awards ceremony, special screenings in state of the art theaters and ample opportunity to network with peers within a studio environment.

Dates: June 2nd - 5th, 2016

June 2 — Film Series Competition Screenings, Pre-Conference Sessions
June 3-4 — Exhibits, Premier Seminars, Exclusive Screenings, Awards Presentations, Special Events
June 5 — Master Classes

For regular updates continue to check back at www.cinegearexpo.com

Register via the links below:

http://www.cinegearexpo.com/la-expo-attendee-registration »
REGISTER NOW »
Cinegear LA Expo Industry Partners »

Check out this petition prepared by REED MORANO ASC

We would like to request that the tvs come to the consumer with "smooth motion" turned off so they are seeing everything in it's original look intended by the filmmakers.

Motion Interpolation was an effect that was created to reduce motion blur on HDTVs but a very unfortunate side effect of using this function is that is takes something shot at 24 fps or shot on film and makes it look like it was shot on video at 60i. In short, it takes the cinematic look out of any image and makes it look like soap opera shot on a cheap video camera. It is unbelievable that this is a default setting on all HDTVs because essentially what it is doing, is taking the artistic intention away from filmmakers. As artists, these new HDTVs are preventing our vision from being seen the way we shot it and it's also affecting the viewer's experience with the story because they are often put off by the odd "home video" look. It's actually very distracting watching a classic like "Five Easy Pieces" and having it look like a sitcom shot on video.

Any filmmaker or film buff should be aware of this and help stop it from being a default setting. At this stage, the majority of the world are not seeing the films and tv shows as they were intended by the creators.

It's fair to have smooth motion as one of the options in the picture settings on HDTVs, because it actually is a great way to watch sports. But for literally everything else on tv, it cheapens the look and makes it look as if it's a soap opera. If you care about the artistic integrity of the visuals that you watch and appreciate cinematography and a cinematic experience, then you should sign this petition. And if you don't care about visuals and you only care about story, you should still sign this petition because the visuals are there to set the mood for you to get into the story.

As a consumer, you should know that this function is ruining the theatrical experience that you are supposedly paying for when you purchase these expensive HDTVs. Don't you want to see the films and tv shows as the filmmakers intended you to see them- how beautiful and rich they look in the movie theater? If you are going to spend most of your time at home watching movies on your television, don't you want it to be as much of a theatrical experience as possible?

A further irony is also that some of the manufacturers of these HDTVs (Sony and Panasonic) also manufacture the high end digital cameras that shoot in 24fps to give a more cinematic "film" look and they are the very same people negating that artistic choice. For a more in depth explanation on motion interpolation, see
Motion Interpolation

For all the technological advances we have made in our industry, it's as if we're taking a million huge steps backwards in terms of the look of the image by allowing motion interpolation to be a default setting.

The Ideal:

Manufacturers working together with broadcasters to create a way for the signal to automatically switch on "smooth motion" when sports are on tv. And the signal would switch OFF smooth motion for everything else, allowing everything to look it's best on tv.

Smooth motion is also known as auto motion, motion boost, HD natural motion, digital clearmotion, TruMotion, smooth 120 Hz, Intelligent frame creation, etc.

HERE IS A LINK TO ASSIST IN TURNING OFF THE MOTION INTERPOLATION ON YOUR TV:

https://www.change.org/p/hdtv-manufacturers-please-stop-making-smooth-motion-the-default-setting-on-all-hdtvs »

OUR INDUSTRY’S CHARITY, MPIBS, URGENTLY NEEDS YOUR HELP!

As part of the National Awards presentation in Adelaide, we will be holding a special raffle for those attending, with some fantastic prizes, and all proceeds going to the Motion Picture Industry Benevolent Society. Every little bit helps, so please dig deep for this very worthy cause.

Here's what you could win...

1st PRIZE
~ EMPYRE BOUTIQUE HOTEL in Castlemaine, Victoria - 2 night Luxury getaway including breakfast and champagne – Courtesy of Tony and Angela Forrest.
2nd PRIZE
~ South Australian Tourism Commission - 2 “Adelaide Oval Roof Climb” tickets.
3rd PRIZE -
~ Justin Langer Autographed cricket bat - courtesy of a cricket tragic.

The Motion Picture Industry Benevolent Society (MPIBS) of NSW provides financial and emotional assistance to industry workers who have fallen on hard times.

Established in 1931 for cinema exhibition and distribution workers hit hard by the Great Depression, it has accepted beneficiaries from the film production and post-production sector since 2003. It is the only state benevolent society providing support to current or former workers – and their spouses - in all states throughout Australia.

Without additional contributions, the Society cannot meet the increasing demand from the film production & post-production sector.

The MPIBS recognises the challenges faced by film production and post-production personnel who need to set aside funds for a possible “rainy day”, especially in an increasingly uncertain production environment. In the knowledge that the MPIBS will be there to provide support and comfort, we appeal to you to make a donation to support the vital work the MPIBS is doing on behalf of you and your colleagues.

Please make your donation cheque or money order payable to:

Motion Picture Industry Benevolent Society (no abbreviations please) and send to Bruce Leonard, Secretary/Treasurer MPIBS, 9 Collins Crescent, Lapstone NSW 2773.

Donations can also be made by direct deposit to the MPIBS's ANZ bank account, BSB 012-010 Account Number 86 43764. (Please note - If paying by direct deposit, please e-mail Bruce Leonard at brunard@optusnet.com.au with your mailing address so he can send you a receipt for tax purposes.)  Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.

I greatly appreciate and value your support. Thank you very much.

Yours sincerely,


Murray Forrest,
Chairman, MPIBS.

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CINEMATOGRAPHY SHORT COURSES - AFTRS OPEN

All ACS members receive a 10% discount on AFTRS Open short courses.


SHOOTING HD ON YOUR DSLR
Cinematographer Gareth Tillson will show you how to make the most of your DSLR and open up the world of the moving image.This introductory course for new filmmakers, photography enthusiasts & existing filmmakers will familiarise participants with shooting HD on their DSLRs.
30 April - 1 May
SHOOTING HD ON YOUR DSLR


CONTENT CREATION IPHONE/IPAD: ONLINE

SIX THINGS EVERY CINEMATOGRAPHER MUST KNOW
Over five intensive days,join industry expert Cinematographer Russell Bacon ACS (Farscape, Packed to the Rafter, Sea Patrol, Wonderland) in the AFTRS professional studios for the tips and trick you need to know to successfully plan, light six commonly found scenarios.
16-20 May
SIX THINGS EVERY CINEMATOGRAPHER MUST KNOW

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.
27 June
VIDEOMAKING 101: SHOOT, EDIT, PUBLISH


To view all Cinematography courses visit the AFTRS Open website: AFTRS Open



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