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ACS South Australian Branch
[Kinemagraphe]
April 2023
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From the Pres
National Awards Bookings Open
Meet a Cinematographer Night
More re SA ACS Emerging Cinematographer Award
"Read the Newsletter" Prize
Profile - Jai McGregor
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From the Pres
The National ACS Awards for Cinematography judging is over and this year the NSW branch are hosts. The awards will be at the Crystal Ballroom at Luna Park at Milsons Point to be held on Saturday May 6, with some satellite events in the days prior, so save the date in your calendars. Come and celebrate the best cinematography from across Australia. I'm not licensed to give financial advice but I wouldn't be surprised that you may discover that attending the awards and some associated costs could possibly be tax deductible! Booking link in the story below.
Garage Sale April 1
SA ACS Gold sponsor Pro Av Solutions is having a Garage Sale (and free sausage sizzle) tomorrow, Saturday April 1, 9am to 12:30 at their soon to be renovated showrooms @ 247 Greenhill Rd Dulwich so you better get your skates on.
Congratulations
 How good was this!
Mandy Walker AM ACS ASC recently became the first female to win the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) award in the Theatrical Feature Film category for her amazing work on 'Elvis'. Congratulations, so very well done Mandy!
If you haven't seen Elvis yet it is available on Netflix.
Lest we Forget
 A request from SA committee member Maxx Corkindale: Are there any current or former defence force members amongst our members, who may want to contribute some content to our Anzac Day social media posts? Or are there any members who have worked closely with the defence forces and have photos and stories we could use?
Please send any stories or content to Maxx via this link.
ACS SA W+ Get together
At the beginning of March, 11 of our members and 8 students from Flinders uni got together for a social catch up of the ACS SA W+ group @ Prohibition Bar. 21 was a great turnout and we hope to encourage more Women+ to join the ACS and grow our diverse community.
Claire and Grace introduced the students to our exisiting members and encouraged them to join the association. It was a great opportunity for students to learn about the benefits of the ACS community. Special thanks to those that brought 35mm and polaroid cameras to capture this event.
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53rd National Awards for Cinematography
Bookings are now open for the 53rd National ACS Awards for Cinematography proudly sponsored by the National Platinum sponsor FUJINON FUJIFILM and to be MC'd by Ray Martin AM at the spectacular Crystal Ballroom at Luna Park on Milsons Point on Saturday May 6, 6pm through to midnight. Come and celebrate the best of the best cinematography from across Australia and mix with some of the best cinematographers from each State & Territory!
There are some fantastic, free satellite events leading up to awards night with a Special Screening at AFTRS sponsored by Panavision on the Friday night May 5th from 6pm followed by a Q & A and Meet the Nominees event presented by ARRI Australia at 10 am at AFTRS on the Saturday May 6th followed by a Special Guest Presentation. So save the dates, book some accom and buy a ticket or two to the awards, especially if you won Gold at our last year's State Awards.
For accomodation close by the ACS has a special rate at Quest Apartments in North Sydney. Contact: Joshua Harkness, Business Development Manager, Quest Apartments, 223 Miller Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060 M: 0405 981 604 E: jharkness@questapartments.com.au W: questnorthsydney.com.au
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Meet a Cinematographer
We are having a free "Meet a Cinematographer" night so our Student, Active and CineKids members as well as students from the various uni's & film courses can come and have discussions one-on-one about the careers of numerous SA cinematographers. A bit like speed dating without any of the complications!
We are asking participants to come with at least 5 questions prepared as we'll have a bunch of cinematographers from across various genres that students can have personal discussions with on topics such as but certainly not limited to:
- how did they get started in the industry
- were they an AC before they began shooting
- did they head straight to a certain genre
- have you always worked in the same genre
- what it's like to be a cinematographer, are you constantly working
- etc, etc.
It's on Friday April 28, starting at 1830 @ In.Studio + Café 268 Pirie St Adelaide. Drinks & some finger food provided. All attendees need to book by CoB 21/4/23 via this link.
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More re SA Emerging Cinematographer Award
The SA Emerging Cinematographer Award aims to recognise and support an emerging SA ACS member so they can pursue creative ideas and enhance their career in cinematography.
 The award is supported with a cash grant from the SA branch of $1,000 and sponsored by SA ACS Gold Sponsor Picture Hire with a generous camera package for up to three consecutive days to the value of $5,000 (T&C's apply). We anticipate this Award will give the recipient access to a better camera and lens package than they normally could afford.
The cash grant could be used to hire extra gear for the shoot, used to complete a course to further their education, or on something else to advance their career. Only financial SA ACS Active members of one year or more may apply. Submissions from applicants for this award will only be accepted from July 1 to July 14.
Some of the criteria we are looking for in your submissions include:
- a bio of their career including what education or training you may have had
- any mentors you may have had, or those who have been influential in your career
- how has your cinematography improved and why
- what Awards, if any, have you won.
- provide files or links to some of your best cinematography
- if known, what would you use the Camera package prize and the cash prize for?
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"Read the Newsletter ASAP" Prize
 "And the winner was....Kirsty Stark who replied with The Emerging Cinematographer Award window is July 1 to 14."
You've got to be quick. Kirsty email came in seven minutes after the newsletter was published.
The first, SA ACS member with the correct answer to the question below will be reimbursed up to $40 for purchase of two tix to a movie of their choice. Winners should buy their tickets, take a picture of them and either sms or email Mylene the picture of the tix with their bank details for reimbursement of up to $40. The answer to the question will be found in this month's newsletter.
This month's ? What is the venue for the 2023 Annual National ACS Awards for Cinematography?
T&C's: A member may only win 1 double pass prize in any financial year.
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Profile Jai McGregor
Jai how did you come to working in this industry?
During my teenage years I always knew that I wanted to do something creative for work. I started off doing a Media course at Uni-SA which led to working at Rising Sun Pictures (Visual Effects House) as a Paint and Prep Artist.
Then you moved into the camera department, tell us about that.
 I then became interested in pursuing a more hands on camera type of role, as I was keen to get out of the dark environments that often accompany working in the VFX Industry. This led to me working at Floodlight Media (Now called Floodlight Content) as a camera assist/editor. This is where I gained the majority of my onset experience.
After working at Floodlight Content for a couple of years I slowly moved out into the freelance world and began strengthening my networks as a corporate cinematographer/editor. This is now the main type of work that I do. The pic is when I was Camera assisting on a Floodlight content commercial.
What are some of your most important lessons?
I think being extremely easy to work with, combined with being efficient and producing work to a high standard seem to be the golden three for me. I have noticed maintaining these three qualities throughout each project ensures that the client is happy and your name is passed on.
What keeps you motivated to do this job?
 Being able to work in an industry that provides both creativity and diversity is deeply rewarding for me and motivates me to keep on pushing myself further. Telling a story that is both personally meaningful, as well as striving to make each shot look its best is definitely at the core also. Lately I’ve really enjoyed pushing my lighting setups to a higher level with the goal of maintaining consistent shape from shot to shot, as well as always keeping the lights' motivation in mind. The pic is of me setting up the Inspire 1 drone for a Renewable Energy Shoot.
What has been most meaningful this year?
This year I have been working on a personal documentary where I have had the chance to directly impact the subject's life. This has been very special for me as it has really given me purpose and makes me feel that I am making some sort of difference in the world. It has also been a challenging project as I have been driving it alone, so it has been rewarding seeing it come together into the very first edit.
How do you do relax?
Meditation has become a very important relaxation tool for me. I feel it gives me some sort of control over the thoughts in my mind and seems to keep me calmer throughout the day. It is always a challenging exercise though as the mind always likes to wander.
What's next?
My intention moving forward as a cinematographer is to continue building upon the skills necessary to perform at a higher level. For me these include clear communication, great pre-production and planning and clear focused attention while shooting. Next year my main goals are to finish my documentary as well as produce a music video and short film with the intention of entering the finished pieces in the SA Awards.
What is one of the best lessons you have learned on your journey?
I think patience is one of the most important things I have learnt over the years too. As with anything in life it has taken time to develop my networks and skill set and I have had to remind myself frequently that it's all a very long game. I remember reading that you can learn the fundamentals of a discipline quite fast but it's the experience you gain over time that ultimately makes you a more informed and versatile professional. Learning to be comfortable with the quiet periods and the unknown has also been challenging. When you have been working less frequently there is always a tendency to overthink things and feel like something has gone wrong. Continuing to remind myself that it is all part of the journey though has definitely helped to put my mind at ease.
Cutting out unnecessary distractions has also enabled me to progress a lot further with my career. For a long time I have always let myself easily get distracted pursuing different hobbies. This has led to me spreading myself thinner with my film work and not quite achieving the outcomes I am after. I have recently started asking myself the question "Is pursuing this interest going to help me further my career or is it just going to pull me further away from it?" which I have found helpful in keeping myself focused. The pic below is from a mixed mediums production with Nick Berry Smith on the right. Good times!
Thanks Jai, wonderful insights, we look forward to seeing more of your work in the near future.
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ACS Facebook Group
All current financial ACS members can join our Facebook group. Members can post their work, connect across states, link to events, ask for advice, and put up equipment for sale, etc. To join, simply follow the link below and request to join, and one of your local committee members will approve your request. Of course, if you're not a member please don't apply as rejection is not really in our DNA.
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Upcoming Dates
2023
April 3 - Committee Meeting
April 28 - Meet a Cinematographer night
May 1 - Committee Meeting
May 6 - National ACS Awards in Sydney plus satellite events
May 7 - National Executive meeting @ ACS HQ Sydney
June 5 - Committee Meeting
June 30 - Membership fees due date
July 1 to 14 - SA Emerging Cinematographer Submissions window
July 3 - Committee Meeting
August 1 to 21 - Awards Entry Window
August 7 - Committee Meeting
September 1 to 21 - Accreditation Application window
September 1 to 3 - 43rd SA & WA ACS Awards for Cinematography Judging
September 4 - Committee Meeting
October 3 - Committee Meeting
October 13, 14 & 15 - Accreditation Assessments @ ACS HQ,
October 28 - 43rd Annual SA & WA ACS Awards for Cinematography
November 6 - SA AGM
November 26 - National AGM via Zoom
December 4 - Committee Meeting
December 11 - Annual SA ACS Christmas Get Together
December 12 - SA Branch goes into hibernation.
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South Australia Gold Sponsors
South Australia Silver Sponsors
South Australia Bronze Sponsor
National Major Sponsor
National Diamond Sponsor
National Platinum Sponsors
National Gold Sponsors
National ACS CineKids Sponsor
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