From the Pres - Christmas Drinks
Well another year is drawing to a close. I hope you all have had a productive and successful year and soon will get time to spend with your families and friends. Financial ACS members can join us for our annual Christmas Drinks @ The Colonist Hotel on Monday December 11 starting at 6pm. Just rsvp via the trybooking link below, there are some great door prizes for those who book and attend. If you get the chance, check out our AC Magazine website at acmag.com.au Congratulations goes to our AC mag editor James Cunningham on producing a fantastic site & AC magazine.
If you're in Sydney why not drop into our ACS HQ @ Level 2, 26 Ridge Street, North Sydney. The NSW committee will do their best to open up for you, just contact David Lewis ACS dlewis@cinematographer.net.au or 0408 273 702
Anamorphic Day wrap up
 ACS members listen intently behind a trio of ARRI Alexa's. |
 Geoffrey Hall ACS and Viv Madigan |
Our Intro to shooting Anamorphic was quickly booked out so I hope you didn't miss out. Twenty ACS SA members spent a Saturday afternoon at Anifex with talented cinematographers Geoffrey Hall ACS and Viv Madigan taking us through all things anamorphic. Some of the subjects covered included:
Lens sizes are vastly different to using standard 35mm lenses.
Comparison of spherical lenses to anamorphic.
Mixing Anamorphics and widescreen Spherical
Differences between LoMo & Cooke anamorphics.
To use anamorphic lenses you need a camera with a 4:3 sensor.
How to use diopters for close ups, usually min focus distance is quite long.
Macro anamorphics.
Lighting considerations.
The edges of an Anamorphic lens can be very soft so lens checks important.
Depth of Field issues
Anamorphic flares
Generally shooting anamorphic is quite different to shooting spherical. The attendees got to see some great work shot by our presenters screened on Anifex's cyclorama. I received some very positive feedback about the afternoon. Many thanks to all who contributed to this free event including Cameraquip, HyperFocal, Picture Hire, ProAV Solutions, Sony, Anifex, Kojo & Nima Nabili Rad, and of course Geoffrey Hall ACS, Viv Madigan & your SA Committee.
 Viv discusses the difference in anamorphic lenses. |
Harassment or Bullying Policy
It is the policy of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) that each and every member of the Society and the greater Film and Television industry has the basic right to work in an environment free from any gender bias, harassment or bullying of any kind. The Society will not tolerate any behaviour that is considered threatening or disrespectful towards any of our members. ACS National Executive
Vale Patricia Walter 1926 - 2017
 Patricia Walter operating her 16mm Auricon Frezzolini Mitchell Camera |
Patricia June Walter - SA Camerawoman & Television News Pioneer Pat Walter was a pioneer in shooting news and lot's of other genres in South Australia. She became a member of the SA branch of the ACS in August 1972 and served as Secretary for the branch, then became a full member in 1982. Pat was acknowledged and honoured by the Australian Cinematographers Society on 24th October 1993 when she was made a Full Life Member and her award presented by Lynn Arnold the then Premier of South Australia. Sadly Patricia passed away on 23rd November 2017 at the age of 91 and was admired and loved by many who knew her. Please click the link below to read a lot more about this amazing South Australian legend and pioneering female cinematographer. Thank you to her daughter Lyn and son Craig for this tribute.
PRO TIPS: 10 Cinematography Sites
Our friends in WA recently published these "PRO TIPS" which cover some tips and tricks from cinematographers. Here's 10 Cinematography sites that are a must read, these are only recommendations so if you know some great sites or have a neat PRO TIP then send them in to erniefilms@gmail.com and we might add it to our next newsletter!
# 1 The first place to get ongoing news about the SA branch and invites to industry events and make sure you add all the branches so you can keep up to date across Australia.
# 2 A brand new funky website that features articles on the DOPs from Australia and around the world
# 3 A really great site for students and camera assistants at any level, it'll help you form and analyse your process and help perfect the art of focus pulling
# 4 Wandering DP is an in-depth visual and audio podcast covering everything cinematography, lighting and grading
# 5 Roger Deakins CBE ASC BSC is the master and you get so much info from this site, he includes detailed lighting diagrams from time to time and he even responds back!
# 6 Another master of his craft Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki is the man who everyone's been talking about and mate does that guy shoot some beautiful pictures
# 7 Australian cinematographer John Brawley covers a lot of topics on his site and has been a great resource for many cinematographers
# 8 This is another great in-depth video blog looking at lighting and cinematography, he often chats to DOPs and has a great understanding on the technicals of lighting and uses "Set Designer" to show you how it's all done
# 9 If you're looking to sell or maybe buy some gear then check out this group formed to bridge the gaps between the Australian states and open a market place for filmmakers to buy, sell and trade easily and more personally.
# 10 A most enjoyable website to see the weirdest contraptions ever constructed for film. Maybe your's is already there! Thanks for this list from WA ACS Branch committee member Ben Berkhout and editor of WA's eNews.
Profile Markus Strack
Markus, please tell us a little about yourself and what got you to start shooting? I was born in Germany and moved to Australia in 2011. Now I live in the Adelaide Hills, in a house that could probably best be described as a bit of a zoo because of the koalas, possums, birds and bats that wander in and out. I came into contact with photography for the first time during a school project when I was 15, and I was fascinated by the creative opportunities that came with it. It wasn't long before I started looking for more ways of capturing images. I started experimenting with my dad's 8mm camera, and when I was 18, I sold my car to buy my first film camera, an old ARRI 16ST. What was the first film you worked on? The very first movie I worked on was a German action film called Cascadeur. It had castles, car crashes, helicopters, gun fights and explosions everything a young guy could possibly want on a film set. Even though I was just an intern in the lighting department, wrangling cables instead of standing behind the camera, it was a huge amount of fun and I knew for sure that this was the industry I wanted to be in. I know you like to take on difficult films, tell us about some of them.
My most personal and challenging project so far has been a 30-minute film based on Franz Kafka's short story Before the Law. I wrote, produced, directed and shot the film on Super16. Inspired by Michael Ballhaus, I decided I had to have a 360 degree dolly shot in it - in the middle of a forest. It was a huge challenge in difficult terrain, but at the end of the day we got it on film. Another favourite was Carpe Noctem TC, an online streaming channel I ran in Germany until 2011 that followed the gothic and metal music festival scenes. What direction are you now taking with your career? Ive always been fascinated by aerial filming and the recent advances in drone technology have given me a chance to explore that. Getting all the necessary licences required to be a drone operator in Australia was a long process, but now I run Swoopcam, a small film production company that combines aerial and traditional filming. I just love the new freedom to make use of the third dimension, lifting the camera up into the sky. Do you have a favourite film? I can't really name a favourite film. Growing up in the '70s and '80s, the original Star Wars trilogy had a huge impact on me. But with the recent changes in the industry, Im also really enjoying this new golden age of television series. Mind-twisting storylines like in Westworld or high-value productions like in Game of Thrones just make it feel like watching a 10-hour movie. And finally, what do hope to one day achieve in our industry? Shooting a feature-length sci-fi or period movie is my ultimate goal. I'm just waiting for the right opportunity come along!
Upcoming dates
December 4 Committee Meeting December 11 SA ACS Christmas drinks Christmas / New Year Break 2018 February 5 Committee Meeting March 5 Committee Meeting April 9 Committee Meeting May 5 2018 National Awards for Cinematography in Brisbane @ Customs House May 6 National AGM May 7 Committee Meeting May 30 Membership Invoices sent June 1 Start thinking about getting your Accreditation Application together June 4 Committee Meeting June 30 Membership fees due July 2 Committee Meeting August 1 to 18 38th SA & WA Annual Awards for Cinematography entry window August 13 SA branch AGM August 31 to September 2 SA & WA Annual Awards judgings September 1 to 30 ACS Accreditation Application window September 3 Committee Meeting October 1 Committee Meeting October 27 38th SA & WA Annual Awards for Cinematography November 5 Committee Meeting December 3 Committee Meeting December 10 SA Branch Xmas Drinks
ACS online shop open
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