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NZTECHOAUTUMN 2012 | ISSUE 52

The New Zealand Film and Video Technicians’ quarterly

Insight into the production office

Attracting attention from overseas for the right reasons

Disability in our industry – it’s all about attitude!

www.nztechos.com

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GUILD NEWS & VIEWS2 Behind the scenes Executive Officer Karla Rodgers reports

3 President’s rave Pres Alun ‘Albol’ Bollinger ponders the year ahead

INDUSTRY5 Extreme close-up: Sally Cunningham

6 Attitude Telling human stories with social impact

10 Next step on the production ladder Understanding production

TECHOSPHERE4 Fine print: Talking to lawyers

15 Point-of-view: Industry promotion versus protection

16 Members with benefits: What benefits do you want?

Our departing executive officer Fritha Stalker did a fantastic job with

planning this issue of NZTECHO. However, her completion of it was not to

be with her daughter Iris’ arrival a little earlier than expected. So firstly a big

congratulations to Fritha on the birth of her little girl – we wish her all the

best. It’s also a good opportunity to extend a warm welcome to our new

executive officer Karla Rodgers. She is already off to a great start in what

will be an exciting new chapter for the Guild.

Somehow, between Karla, designer Justin Westgate, vice president Sioux

MacDonald and me, we managed to get this magazine out. What can we

say, better late than never.

We talk to crew from Attitude TV in our cover feature. The film and television

industry is hard enough to work in for a fully able person so there is much

to be said for those with physical disabilities. We also step back into the

production unit to give further insight into some of the issues surrounding

it in a two-part series following from issue 51. Lawyer Tim Riley gives useful

advice in how to deal with his own kind while Steve Barr looks into

immigration rules impacting the industry in New Zealand.

Along with the changeover of executive officers, the Guild has moved out of

the Macaulay St office in Newton. A room in Karla’s home is the new Techos

‘control centre’. Otherwise it is business as usual – the phone number, email

and postal box address have not changed.

We are very pleased to get this edition out. Hope you enjoy it.

Carolyn Brooke, Stand-in editor

A special message for Fritha

I would like to put a few words together to extend our huge thanks to

the tireless work that Fritha Stalker put into the Guild during her three

years plus as our executive officer. Fritha was based in an office next

door to Film Crews in Newton, so our contact with her was regular, and

it was fabulous to have her there whenever we had questions regarding

Blue Book issues or other curly questions that were Guild related.

Fritha bought with her a wealth of knowledge, coming from an admin-

istrative and academic background she was able to tidy up a lot of

systems within the Guild. These have now been left safely in the hands

of our new executive officer.

I know all members who dealt with Fritha, will join me in wishing her

all the best with her latest production – her baby daughter Iris. We all

know, this kind of production can take up a lot of time and cause sleep-

less nights, but we look forward to updates from her soon.

Sioux MacDonald, Film Crews

CONTENTSEDITORIAL

Cover shot: Attitude TV presenter and associate producer Dan Buckingham at task.

ISSUE 52 AUTUMN 2012

Editor

Carolyn Brooke

Publisher/advertising

Karla Rodgers

Design

Justin Westgate / biote

Printing

TP Printing Services Ltd.

Contributors

Steve Barr Alun ‘Albol’ Bollinger Carolyn Brooke Dara McNaught Tim Riley

Advertising

Advertising queries, please contact Karla Rodgers on 09 302 2202, [email protected] or 0800 TECHOS. For a copy of our ad specs and rate card, please visit our website.

All contents are copyright New Zealand Film and Video Technicians’ Guild, 2012, unless indicated otherwise. May not be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form without permission.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the New Zealand Film and Video Technicians’ Guild.

www.nztecho.com

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2 | NZTECHO Autumn 2012

Many of you will already know me, but for those who don’t, I have been in the film industry for more than 20 years chipping away at the coalface. I’ve been fortunate to experience a good number of the ‘factories’ in our industry from advertising agency work, production company commercial work, TV drama, feature-film, documentary and TV studio work, predominantly as a production manager, line producer and producer… but I have also been the coffee girl!

Contrary to how the outside world views our industry, it is a ‘ga-zillion’ miles away from the perceived image of movie stars and swimming pools. We do it tough. We work in an industry which is stressful and pressured but we do it smartly, guided by an amazing document called The Blue Book which sits beautifully alongside that other fine document the Safety Code of Practice. The Blue Book gives fair and workable guidelines. It wasn’t created casually on the back of a beer coaster over a quick beer. It took some years of careful, thoughtful collaboration between technicians and producers – who in all honesty should be placed in a hall of fame for the foundation they created. It continues to be discussed to reflect any industry changes.

In the short time I have been at the Guild I have been surprised that many technicians are unaware of how vulnerable they really are under the current New Zealand labour laws. Self-employed contractors (which is the majority of technicians in the New Zealand film industry) are not protected by the New Zealand labour law. As a self-employed person in New Zealand it is up to the individual to independently negotiate the terms and conditions of engagement. Basically, by law, you are on your own.

Whilst The Blue Book is not a legal document, it is, so to speak, a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between freelance technicians and producers alike, and continues to be upheld due to the solidarity and existence of the Guild. The Guild upholds the conditions you work under: your travel, your lunch breaks, your right to be paid for certain public holidays, your overtime, turn-around hours… and so on.

Whilst speaking to various people in the industry I despair at the numbers who say “but the Guild doesn’t really do anything for me”.

Sadly, our Guild membership has been declining in recent years, due in part to the perception that the “Guild does nothing for me”. I need not preach to the converted, but for those who do not believe how important it is to support the Guild, or assume that it is set in stone that you are ‘entitled’ to a catered ¾-hour lunch or a craft table with on-tap coffee and cold drinks, think carefully and ask yourself what other self-employed industry offers such conditions? Without the Guild there would be no one to uphold the provisions as set out in The Blue Book and Safety Code of Practice.

So my goal as executive officer is to try and raise awareness and Guild membership numbers so that the Guild can remain a sustainable organisation. This, however, must be a team effort – I cannot do this on my own as I do not work in the field. You, as members, are the Guild, so this is where you must do a little of the work. I will support you in any way possible. If you need resource material let me know. Give me your

ideas on how we can work towards increasing members. Think member benefits, friends who have businesses who may be able to offer benefits to technicians. Or just call me, keep in touch and, if we’ve never met, introduce yourself.

So, get familiar with the Blue Book and the conditions agreed within it, start talking to other crew on set, ask them if they are members and encourage them to contact me to discuss joining up. Make it a goal to find five crew who are not members and get them to join – I challenge you! n

BEHIND THE SCENES With over 20 years in the film industry, Karla Rodgers is now Executive Officer for the Techos’ Guild.

Kia ora all – from me Karla Rodgers – your new Executive Officer

Mick Sinclair

Ph +64 9 360-9995 www.sinclairblack.co.nz

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NZTECHO Autumn 2012 | 3

Another year is well underway and our little industry is as busy as it’s ever been with drama shoots happening in all reaches of the country, from North to South.

I wonder how this has come about given the apparent state of the world’s financial systems. Perhaps it’s something to do with the fact that people still want entertainment even in tough times, or especially during tough times. Or perhaps it’s something to do with the fact that it’s still relatively cheap to shoot here in New Zealand. Or perhaps it’s not so much that it’s cheap to shoot here but that we can deliver the best quality for the best price.

Whatever the reasons, it’s great that people are busy in their work. Hopefully people are also happy in their work. And I guess we should be happy to have the work.

When I hear news of financial troubles in other parts of the so called ‘western world’ I figure things are going to come to a head. The ‘occupy’ movements have been pointing out the enormous and growing disparities between ordinary folk and the wealthy. As an example... in 2010 the average wage in the USA rose 3% to $33,000, whereas the average CEO’s income rose 28%, up to an average of $10.8 million! Obviously this sort of disparity can’t continue without there being serious social upheaval.

I look at the situation in Greece where there is massive unemployment and those who do have work are seeing their incomes being steadily eroded, and I wonder if, in fact I’m almost certain that if all the Greek millionaires and billionaires got together they could pay off their country’s debts tomorrow.

A local example which intrigued me... When I made a donation to the Women’s Refuge organisation a couple of years back we got a pamphlet from them which mentioned the generous donations that Telecom made, more than $250,000 over the previous five years. Then in a separate newspaper article I noted that Telecom’s CEO earned $5.1million in a single year.

And then we hear stories of factories in China where people working assembling Apple computers have been committing suicide because of piss-poor working conditions and lack of payment, and we know that Apple is one of the most financially successful companies around the world. I thought the ‘western world’ had abolished slavery in the 19th century.

I could go on and on about this subject but I’m sure we all have a growing awareness of what’s going on in the world. I just wonder where it will all lead.

I’m hoping we come around to the realization that it’s not a competition between socialism and capitalism, that societies need a healthy bal-ance of the two. We need socialism for the holistic health of societies and we need capitalism for stimulus, and to finance socialism.

But enough of all that.

I’m away to work in a minute. That’ll keep me busy through till the end of April.

Many of you have work which will keep you busy for much longer. I hope everyone’s work goes well and that we make plenty of worthwhile and thoroughly watchable screen hours.

And while you’re at it, talk to your colleagues about joining the Techos’ Guild.

There are many folk working in our little industry seemingly unaware of the work the Guild does on their behalf. We can’t continue to do this work, most of which is voluntary, without the ongoing support of you folk who are out there working in the industry. n

Happy sailings ahead for all this year

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FINE PRINT Tim Riley is a lawyer with Dominion Law, a specialist entertainment law firm that recognises that creative people need creative lawyers.

The editor suggested I do a piece on how to deal with lawyers when

seeking legal advice. Let’s get a couple of lawyer jokes out of the way

first. There’s a rabbit and a possum lying dead in the middle of the

road, how do you tell the difference? There are skid marks in front of

the possum. Why don’t sharks attack lawyers? Professional courtesy.

Good, let’s move on.

Given most of you are in business on your own account, you probably

already have a lawyer and know how to talk to them. With some lawyers

admittedly, this can be difficult as they appear to speak a different

language. Not only that, but it’s hard to even know what they are say-

ing, because everything is couched in alternatives and contingencies,

‘well Mr Riley, it’s possible that if x occurs, and if the circumstances are

y, then you may want to consider z. Then again, you may not. And here’s

your bill.’ Goddam it, you still haven’t told me told what I should do!

Then again, sometimes that’s your fault. And sometimes your expecta-

tions as to what your lawyer can do for you are unrealistic. Definitely, it

is sometimes appropriate for a lawyer to take control of a situation and

tell you what they think you should do. But only in respect of areas in

which the lawyer has expertise – that is, legal matters. On the whole,

people need to sort their own shit out. You can’t expect a lawyer to be

a solution to your own indecisiveness. Most of the time, legal advice is

about facilitating the client’s own decision making process. Lawyers are

very good at sorting through stuff and identifying what is really relevant.

I find with some clients, just talking the issue through with them is

sufficient. The process of the client explaining what has happened,

and thinking about what to do, can be very valuable in its own right. It’s

like I always say with agreements like property agreements (pre-nups)

and shareholder agreements. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred those

agreements will never ever be looked at again after they are signed

and put in the safe. But that does not mean it was a waste of time and

money putting it together in the first place. The process of putting the

agreement together is what is valuable there. The requirement to think

specifically and seriously about how this relationship is going to work

and what happens if it doesn’t is very worthwhile in its own right.

Having said that, a key consideration to bear in mind when talking to

a lawyer is that time is money. You are paying for them to talk to you.

So the more concise you can be about summarising your situation and

narrowing down just what you want out of the interaction, the cheaper

it will be for you. If you come to a lawyer with a long confusing story

that you have not really sorted out in your own head, without being sure

just what it is that you are looking for – what outcome you have in mind

– then that will cost you more (although as I noted above, it can be a

valuable function of a lawyer to help you sort out what is important).

Another thing I will say is be absolutely up-front with all relevant

information right from the start. Often clients will withhold important

information because they feel it reflects badly on them, or weakens their

position. That just holds us up from doing our job and makes it more

expensive for you. Remember, everything you say to us is in confidence

and we are morally agnostic. We don’t judge (at least not on the job).

We just want the unadulterated truth. Yes, we can handle the truth!!

One final tip. When you want a lawyer to draft a document, it is hardly

ever cheaper and more efficient for you to have a go first. No disre-

spect, but you don’t have a go at wiring the house and then get the

sparky to come in just to finish it off. The reality is it will nearly always be

cheaper for the lawyer to start from scratch with a clean sheet of paper

and their own precedents, than to try and modify the document you got

off the internet.

I would like to finish with the observation that although lawyers can

seem expensive in a small business context, I am of the strong opinion

that a good lawyer is a cost saving mechanism, because it is nearly

always cheaper to get stuff sorted out from the start than to try and sort

it out down the track when things go wrong. n

How to talk to a lawyer

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EXTREME CLOSE-UP

PROFILE: Sally Cunningham – Production (travel and accommodation coordinator)How long have you been in screen production and how did you get started? I’ve been in screen production since 2005. I did a degree in film and media at the University of Otago from 2001 to 2003 and afterwards I thought I’d better go learn how to actually make stuff. So I did the year-long course at The New Zealand Film and Television School in Wellington and have been working in the industry ever since. It’s a way of life for me. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.

What genre(s) does your work tend to come from? Most of my work comes from drama. Be it a short film, TV series or film. There have been bits and pieces of factual, but I tend to enjoy drama projects a lot more. I also teach at The New Zealand Film and Television school periodically.

How easy is it to make a living in this industry/how often do you work outside the screen production industry? If/when you do work elsewhere, what do you do and is it a choice to do so? I know a lot of people have secondary jobs that they fall back on, luckily I haven’t had to do that yet (I probably should have sometimes though). I think I might go insane in a ‘real’ job. I find it hard to think of anything outside the industry that I would enjoy as much. If I was to do something else, it probably would have to involve the arts in some way.

How does your department work as part of the ‘whole’ that other crew probably don’t realise? I think, in general, a lot of crew don’t realise what really goes into other departments to make the ‘whole’ work. When I’m working in production, which is what I’m doing 99% of the time, I think people don’t realise the amount of work that goes into the job after hours that we don’t get paid for. We don’t get paid for those 10pm phone calls or those weekend runs to find/return lost equipment. I mean, I love the job, but sometimes you are left thinking how people run their own lives when they aren’t on a job.

How have your rates changed/improved over the years? I haven’t been in the game for very long in the grand scheme of things, but my rate has certainly improved since my first running job. In the same sort of job over the last few years it hasn’t changed much.

What sort of changes (e.g. in apprentice/newbie crew skill sets, abilities, other areas) have you noticed? Have you noticed any trends? When I finished film school I remember it being a no-no to say that you were from there, some of my crew were specifically told ‘don’t tell people you went to film school’. I found this odd, as why would it be assumed that film school graduates were sub-par when they are taught by practising industry professionals? Since then I’ve found attitudes have changed a bit. They haven’t come full circle but I notice there is a lot less of the eye rolling if you put a graduate forward for a role. I think it’s still hard for newbies to break into the industry or even established crew to change departments. It’s the

catch-22 of you won’t get hired without experience, but how do you get experience if you don’t get hired.

What strengths do you think the New Zealand industry has/ what could contribute to a more sustainable industry? I think our strength is in our people and our attitude to things. Anything you want done, can be done here and it’s because our industry is filled with innovative, problem solving people that just get on with the job.

I think we could do with a lot more studio space, especially in Wellington. Avalon being sold is just lunacy! Here is a purpose built facility that gets used time and time again, with everything you need to make a project happen and it’s being thrown away. Ridiculous!

I think we need more protection. At the moment there is no account-ability for productions that completely take advantage of their crew, ignoring the Blue book or putting pressure on crew to accept a dodgy deal. What do we do? Is it a case of getting basic Blue Book clauses made law? Our standard work day, turnaround or standard overtime for example – things that we wouldn’t have to negotiate time and time again. Is it even possible to make these things law seeing as we’re contractors? I don’t know, but I think it’s something all of us should be talking about. I for one think having some rights in our own industry would make it a healthier one

Below: Sally taking a breather on set with 2nd AD Henry Aitken on Kehua 2008 shoot.

6 | NZTECHO Summer 2011

Attitude Pictures has made nearly 300 programmes in the last seven

years, telling human stories with social impact. Filming is done around

the globe and is now attracting international interest. Tanya Black,

Dan Buckingham (both presenters and associate producers) and

Jai Waite (editor) are among Attitude’s staff members living with

disability. Dara McNaught spoke to the trio about their experience in

forging successful careers in film and television.

Images opposite page, clockwise from top-left: Dan gets behind the lens during a shoot last year in Flagstaff, Arizona. Credit: Brent Gundesen; Tanya with camera operator Greg Parker filming in Marlborough. Credit: Nicola Salmond; On the job at the editing desk is where you’ll often find Jai Waite. Credit Natasha Cantwell; Tanya and Dan take to the stage at the Attitude Awards 2011; From left, Lieutenant General the Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mataparae, Lady Janine Mataparae, security officer in background, chief human rights commissioner David Rutherford and Matt Frost from Autism New Zealand with Dan, Tanya and Jaden Movold up front. Credit: Dave Olsen; Catching up a moment at the office for Tanya. Credit Natasha Cantwell.

People with disabilities make up 17% of our

population, yet the majority – many of them

keen, skilled and willing to work – are not able

to find jobs. In the New Zealand screen indus-

try disabled people tend to be conspicuous by

their absence.

The reluctance to employ people with disabili-

ties is puzzling. Employment studies consist-

ently show that people with disabilities make

exemplary employees – loyal, hardworking

and take less sick leave. Also, other employees

feel that if anything should happen to them

then their employer would be supportive and

this can lead to productivity rises… yet the

myths that create barriers to their employment

persist.

Three Attitude TV staff share their journey

and talk about the barriers they face and about

the value that people living with disability add

to the industry.

Tanya: Prior to falling down a steep set of stairs

in December 2006, I had been in the United

Kingdom managing several top restaurants

and I had returned to set up my own business.

At the time of the accident, when I lost the use

of my legs, I was studying English literature

along with Film and TV at The University

of Auckland. I was attending a gym when

Attitude Pictures came to do a story there,

I was intrigued and before I knew it I was

interviewed to work as a researcher on the

show. Robyn Scott-Vincent (producer) sent

me to an AFTVA course on documentary

making. My favourite part of the job is getting

out and meeting new people, hearing their

inspirational stories.

Dan: I was studying Surveying at Otago

University in 1999 when I put my head the

wrong way in a rugby scrum. I have tetraple-

gia. After my accident I studied under Jim

Tully in media communications at the

University of Canterbury. Wheelchair rugby is

a huge part of my life and I was president of

New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby when Robyn

did a documentary on them and recruited me

as a researcher. She had recognised the need

for people with disabilities to present and

work in the industry. I have been to

Melbourne to study directing and storyboard-

ing for drama. Last year I was filming in Papua

New Guinea. That was a challenge!

AttitudeFEATURE

Jai: I have a Graduate Diploma in Digital Media from AUT University and was recruited direct to Attitude TV. I have tetraplegia fol-lowing a swimming accident in 2000 when I was in Ios, Greece. With Dan, I’m a member of the Wheel Blacks team that won Gold at the Athens Paralympics. I’m married with an 18-month old daughter, which probably explains why I recently found our missing TV remote tucked in the carry bag on my chair.

What have you found are the myths people – employers – have that create barriers to employment?

Tanya: People have a perception that it will be costly to adapt an environment, but there were no modifications needed for us to work here.

Jai: I have ergo rests at my desk (for my arms). But that’s all.

Dan: Toyota sponsored us a company car with hand controls so we can drive ourselves.


“It’s not the

unity of uniformity

that we seek, it is

the harmony of

diversity.”

Tanya: People think that other staff mem-

bers will be affected in some way, and that

more time off will be needed. Not true.

We also have to deal with lower expectations

of friends and families as to our capabilities.

I had been managing restaurants in London

and in New Zealand was owner/manager with

my brother of our own bar and café. I was

told I “could be a telemarketer”. I thought,

“is that all there is?” I was determined that

it wouldn’t be. We’re told, “you don’t have

to work – ACC will cover you.” Only 18%

of people who have a spinal injury get back

to work.

Dan: Low expectations also come from other

people with disabilities.

Jai: There is often a perception that if a

person has a physical disability they must also

have an intellectual disability. Some people

talk over my head to my wife.

What other barriers do you see to employ-

ment?

Tanya: There’s a lack of role models who have

disabilities, problems with access to public

transport, a lack of car parks and there are

local problems with travel. People with higher

levels of disabilities will need some kind of

additional support. Auckland City Council

says there is an expectation that people want

to work, but they are not actually envisaging

young disabled people being in business

settings, so they are not providing the

facilities such as access on to buses and car

parks for them that would make it possible.

The four basic needs I see are for shelter,

food, to love/to be loved and to be able to

make a contribution. People with disabilities

are being denied that.

Dan: I wonder if with able bodied people

there’s an element of fear, fear of saying the

wrong thing or being offensive. The

disability community is one that anyone

can join at any time – they look at us and

think: that could be me. I’m also concerned

that many people think you’re only well-

adjusted if you play paralympic sports. When

I travelled to Sydney recently the cabin crew

all wished me luck with the game as I was dis-

embarking – but I was going to a conference!

Not everybody wants to be an athlete, so why

should we be any different? Then you have

people like Michael Laws on talkback who

said disability sports are ‘ludicrous’ because

paralympic gold medallist Adam Hall fell

during his final run in the Slalom at the

Vancouver Winter Paralympics and still

managed to win gold… yet he was racing at

120km an hour – faster than you’re legally

allowed to drive a car – with no feeling in

his legs and no sensation in his feet. He’s an

outstanding athlete by any measure.

What kind of edge do you think people with

disabilities can bring to a workplace?

Dan: We become very good at problem solv-

ing. We have to – when we meet an obstacle

we have to find a way around it.

Tanya: Every day, navigating an ‘able-bodied

world’ we’re having to work out… ‘how do

I reach something, how do I get from A to

B, how do I get up that curb?’ There’s always

a way, you just have to think creatively. In

today’s marketplace employers want people

who are flexible to change and can think out-

side the box. There are one or two things we

can’t do but a million things we can – people

tend to focus on the negative.

Dan: This is a great quote: “It’s not the unity

of uniformity that we seek, it is the harmony

of diversity.”

Tanya: It’s especially important in the screen

industry environment, where you want

diversity and different perpectives. It’s like

with our mental health, where ‘everyone is

somewhere on the mental health spectrum’ –

that is, we are all differently abled.

Jai: As a person with a disability you have to

think outside the square. You must do things

differently anyway and editing needs creative

and innovative input.

Dan: You have different experiences, so you

think differently. It has been a very full life.

I remember having a conversation with my

father when I was 17, when I laid out my plan

for the next ten years and where I expected

to be. I was going to do my degree (in sur-

veying), do a year’s OE, and in ten years I

expected to be managing the farm. It didn’t

turn out that way! I’ve had a very interesting

time – different from what I had planned but

just as interesting.

Read Dan’s article on Adam Hall’s achievement

at: www.attitudepictures.com/about-us/

dan-buckingham/dan-blog/adam-hall

Dara McNaught is a freelance writer. In a

former life she worked for the NZ Writers Guild.


Left: Over 47 years in the industry, sound designer Kit Rollings’ impaired vision hasn’t haltered him.

Below: Kit gets down to the mixing at Park Road Post in 2007.

Sound design – Kit Rollings I was registered as a blind person in 1960, spent three unpleasant years at the Foundation of the Blind in Auckland and then returned to Wellington to find a career. My brother-in-law had a close friend who was chief camera-man at The National Film Unit and he told me one day that ‘The Unit’ was about to advertise for sound trainees. Television had begun and now they wanted to start shooting local programmes. The Unit had the equipment but not enough staff to provide contract workers for TV. I applied with some trepidation as my sojourn in Auckland had taught me that if one used a white cane, one was frequently assumed to be intellectually handi-capped as well.

Blindness was also an excluding condition for most jobs so I didn’t disclose this when I applied. At the interview the sound director asked at one point if I knew the resistor colour code. “Of course,” I replied and then had a sinking feeling he was about to ask me to sort a box of resistors. While I knew the colour code, I could no longer discern subtle colours. To my intense relief however, he went on to other things.

The next challenge was a visit to the admin officer who handed me a form to fill out. With a practised hand I reached inside my jacket for imaginary glasses then confided to him that I had been so nervous that morning I had left my reading glasses at home, so could I take the form with me and return it in the morning. “Of course,” he replied with an indulgent smile and I breathed again. So in March 1965 I was on the staff of the NFU.

Sometime after the standard three month probation period, I was asked to take a car to the airport, which I had to decline. The same admin officer called me over. “I understand you don’t drive,” he said. “We’ll have to get you a licence, you must be able to drive.” I had to confess that my vision wasn’t quite up to driving. An awkward moment but then I was nearly always with a cameraman so I didn’t think it mattered.

The training at the NFU was literally on the job. We were shown how to operate the gear and then thrown in to all manner of assignments. I enjoyed the work for television, in particular the Compass programme. My first solo job for the NFU was a 40-minute showcase of the meat industry. The film had been shot in several freezing works but without sound so I had to make a full list of every process then go to Ngauranga to record. Back to base after three days, transfer the sound to 35mm mag and edit to picture. Add the music, stir all sounds together and mix well.

The mixing theatre had a footage counter under the screen which was just too far away for me to read. I had to learn to begin a mental count from zero while concentrating on the mix as well. Since we usually mixed our own films I knew the tracks. Some directors though, edited the narration and didn’t amend the original written footages. I overcame this by dubbing the narration to a separate track, advancing it two seconds (enough to fade down music and fx) and feeding it to an indicator light on the mixing panel. Once demonstrated, everyone began using the system.

In 1969 we began on a three screen presentation for Expo’ 70 in Osaka. This is New Zealand was to have a three-channel magnetic stereo track, sometimes mono for each screen, sometimes stereo. There was no port-able 1/4-inch mag stereo recorder available so we devised a scheme using two Mk 3 Nagras locked together electronically. Fine for recording but replay was a challenge. One three-track 35mm mag recorder and two replay machines were bought so we had to pre-mix. This would prove of great advantage when it came to the restoration and 5.1 mix 36 years later, having a music pre and an fx pre.

I often questioned why some things were done a particular way. For example, we were told only a bit of ‘atmos’ at the end of a roll and the same on the start of the next roll. Why? The sound neg. is 20 frames ahead of pic on the married print so the first 20 frames of roll two is always cut off when the 1,000 feet rolls are joined for projection. So why

not put a 20-frame overlap on the end of roll one? I was told it wouldn’t work but I tried, found it possible and perfected it. Why did sound crash in with a butt cut? With experimentation I found that a head demagnetizer carefully wiped over the first two frames of a sound gave a smooth fade in, so this too became a standard until computers replaced mag.

At the NFU soundmen worked closely with directors who edited their own films. It was easy finding ways to ask them about the job if I couldn’t see what was on screen. Later we began using assistants – usually trainees – and as tracks became more complex they became a necessity. So I always had someone to ask.

I left the NFU in 1986 to work free-lance, editing and recording. Not driving has been a significant problem. The last film I edited on mag. was Bread & Roses and I realised that if I wanted to keep working I had to move to computer editing. Goodbye assistants. So the computer had mixed blessings. One particularly useful skill I had learnt at the Blind Foundation was touch typing — now a boon. When Mac OS X came along I found the voice over utility was of enormous help and I now rely on it completely. My database is Filemaker Pro and I’ve been able to work out scripts to read documents, etc. The Mac screen magnification is in constant use also.

In 2006 Archives NZ commissioned Hugh Macdonald and me to super-vise the restoration and mixing of This Is New Zealand into a digital 5.1 version. I was delighted to do this, putting the music and fx pre-mixes into the computer, adding the necessary ingredients and mixing at Park Road Post. We have since made a documentary about the three screen project and hope it will be released on DVD shortly. Currently I am working on sponsored promotional programmes and still enjoying it.


Don’t see the production office as the

enemy – you’re all on the same production.

Everyone is in the same boat working under

stressful conditions and tight deadlines.

Try and understand why decisions are made

or why someone might be at the end of their

leash and snapping at you. The crew might

be on location, up to their knees in mud

and heavy rain, while the production office

will be frantically trying to find alternative

weather cover and produce multiple call

sheets. Information from the 1st AD onset

can often only be gathered in snippets dur-

ing breaks or maybe the AD is out of range.

Remember, while crew are fighting the

elements, the production office is getting

heat from up the line, on delivery schedules

or budgets from producers, studio, account-

ants and completion guarantors. None of

them want to hear about weather problems.

Understanding the parameters both are

working with. Crew can complain about

getting call sheets late but production

could be waiting on a whole magnitude of

information. For example, you have a wet

cover day and the production office needs

to publish a second and often very differ-

ent call sheet, which may require different

cast, additional crew and different locations.

Something changes after all of this, after it

has been printed. When you need some-

thing from the production office and it’s

not urgent then best to not approach on the

lead up to callsheet publication. It could be

likened to being in the middle of a take after

three hours of lighting set up and a piercing

drill then starts up down the road. If it can

wait, check in with them after wrap or the

next day. The production office might com-

plain about lost equipment but often crew

are packing up late at night, in poor light.

No one deliberately loses gear. Getting

contracts done is a major. Productions are

obliged to get them signed. Crew often

demand their contracts but don’t return

them. Sign your contract or if there is an

issue, go to your HOD. If it is unsigned

Next step on the production ladder:We’re all on the same show here

A bit of flack is thrown at production staff in the film and television industry.

Not understanding crew needs, being first in line for pay or being out of touch

with issues on set are some common gripes. Another perception is that all pro-

ducers are ‘creaming it’ despite this often not being the case at all. NZTECHO

caught up with a few production people for their take.

CLOSE-UP

“People can

fester on set

and production

has no idea what

the problem is or

that there even

is a problem.”


then you have no recall. By accepting your

first pay, whether you a have signed or not,

you have in fact accepted the terms of your

contract. Although you put everything in

contracts, the goal posts change all the time

– acts of god, all sorts. Remember very often,

production doesn’t get paid overtime – they

work very long hours but they only get their

daily rate. Often they could be doing 16-

to 18-hour pre-production days but only

getting paid for 10. They are there before

call and after wrap.

The crew needs a crew rep, a ‘go to’ per-

son for on set issues. A good crew rep can

solve so much. People can fester on set and

production has no idea what the problem

is or that there even is a problem. There is a

clear line of communication – the crew rep

approaches the production manager in the

first instance who in turn, will speak with

either the line producer or producer. Prob-

lems should initially go through the HOD or

if the problem is the HOD, then talk to the

crew rep, they might be able to deal with the

issue onset. Pushing limits with broken turn

around especially driving heavy vehicles is a

common issue – putting health, safety and

licenses at risk. The production can ask to

break the rules (excluding driving and safety

rules) but crew can say no. A crew rep can

be the support for unreasonable requests.

Lunch should be delivered within five hours

of call time but sometimes, due to unfore-

seen circumstances, it can be a lot longer

before everyone gets fed. With a reasonable

approach this can often be fine, but not

when it happens regularly. Crew reps seem

to be diminishing. Fewer productions are

insisting on this role now. It is the younger

crew members, who often fall through the

cracks. Being young and starting out in the

industry, it’s not unusual for them to accept

their lot, even though they could be working

14- or 15-hour days, then driving, often car-

rying actors or crew. A good crew rep should

generally be a senior member of crew, a

Guild member and should understand the

Blue Book, the Safety Code of Practice and

have a good knowledge of other rules and

regulation such as OSH. Ideally they are a

good moderate person, a good negotiator

and not a pitball.

There are some really unrealistic budgets

especially when it comes to overtime and

weather cover. If crew members are asked

to do ridiculous deals on their gear and

rates, let that be the red flag that the budget

is probably fairly tight, so be prepared. Bad

weather re-scheduling might bite into an

already small contingency and blow other

areas of the budget. The producer is respon-

sible for creating the budget, it is then past

over to the line producer and/or the produc-

tion manager, who run the budget. Often a

departmental budget is given to the HODs

to break down as they are the experts in their

area, it is then basically the responsibility for

the HOD to make it work.

No training budget is an issue. Productions

are not allowing any extra money for HODs

to bring trainees or junior crew onset. Apart

from some ongoing larger budget produc-

tions there is not a lot of vision for the

future. People get pulled from above ranks

to cover shortfalls. If there is no budget for

an additional assistant to lug and carry lights

“If crew members

are asked to do

ridiculous deals

on their gear and

rates, let that be

the red flag that

the budget is

probably fairly

tight, so be

prepared...”

Experience, Safety, Innovation

Call 027 4525 787Neil Radley, General Manager


and grip gear then no one knows anything

about the gear in the truck. HODs need a

chance to see if a person is worth investing

their time in. Generally no one is going to

take a person outside of the onset experience

unless they feel they have the right attitude

or skills but it’s catch-22 because you need to

see how people operate onset.

Payment terms for crew should be better.

Payment terms of 20th of the month follow-

ing invoice means work done in the end of

February (for a week ending beginning of

March) isn’t paid until April 20th. Crew get

a call sheet, turn up, work an entire day and

it’s on good will – on an unspoken gentle-

man’s agreement that crew will be paid on

20th month following. But this is not set in

stone. There is always that fear that if you

complain, the production will black list you.

Some companies are shocking even when

invoices are all in order whereas others will

pay within two weeks. Speak with your pro-

ducer to set your terms of payment before

the job begins. If your job straddles over two

months make sure you know what the pay-

ment arrangements are in advance.

Producers should ‘really’ listen more

often – they say “we can’t afford to” and it

is sometimes a ‘knee jerk’ reaction. If they

listened better and really heard the problem

then often the solution is not too far away

and may not even require money. There is

common perception by crew that produc-

ers are creaming it. Generally the producer

doesn’t get paid until the production is

completed. If the production contingency

has been used up then the next pool of

money is the producer’s fee i.e. their wages.

Taking on a production is a huge risk. The

producer might have worked on a project for

three or four years before it actually starts,

using their own money. Not all productions

are development funded. Depending on the

size of the budget, they might get $100,000

but take this over four years and it’s not a

lot. Remember crew come in, work hard,

get paid and walk away to start their next

project. Often the producer still has a year in

post production.


A lot falls under the production umbrella in film and television. It’s not just setting up the office or organising crew and facilities either. Production co-ordinator Kylie Gaudin tells Carolyn Brooke a bit about the job, from convincing custom officials to let a prosthetic body on as hand luggage to organising extravagant wrap parties.

The job

It never really ends. “You think your day is done and then something happens after hours. Your list is never completed even when you wrap a job you hand it over to someone else to finish off.” Taking phone calls over the weekends has also become part of the job. “You’re literally working seven days a week without being paid for it some-times – you’re expected to be available.” Getting paid overtime is generally a given for crew but it’s not often the case for the produc-tion team. Sometimes it seems there is more of an expectation for doing the job for the love of it whether you want to or not. Having to say no to crew can also be hard. “A lot of the time I’m just a messen-ger really,” Gaudin says. “It’s just information that’s gone around in a circle and I have to be the person at the end of the line who makes the phone call. I’d love to say yes all the time but unfortunately it doesn’t always work out like that.”

The Team

Organising crew, facilities and equipment; setting up the office including phones, photocopier and IT; preparing and sending crew lists and schedules; organising travel, transport and catering; dealing with immigration issues; organising freight and day-to-day operations are among tasks that the production team looks after. Sometimes there are also location logistics such as generators, fuel, toilet blocks, waste water and recycling to sort out. There can also be some involvement in post production.

The production team can include a manager (in charge overall), co-ordinator (mix of paperwork and practical co-ordination), secretary (quite often lots of paperwork) assistant (often more hands on/practi-cal) and runner (errands and everything in between) – usually three to six people depending on the size of the job. A line producer is more budget focused and works closely with the producer and production accountant. Gaudin says having a sense of humour and keeping calm are important. “When everyone is working well together it just feels

great,” she says. “Everyone in the business knows it can be stressful and sometimes people don’t cope so well.” Kylie’s role is largely desk bound which can be frustrating, so she enjoys being onset when she can. “Even though it’s long hours, there are parts of it that feel like you have a bit of freedom – you can wear what you want, swear like a pirate and listen to music in the production office when it’s practical.”

Wrap parties

From extreme Lord of the Rings parties in Wellington to backyard bar-beques, the wrap party comes under the production unit’s umbrella. “Organising wrap parties can get pretty insane,” Gaudin says. “The Spartacus season one wrap party was ridiculous – DJs, stand up comedians, burlesque dancers, jazz bands, projectors and lasers. You can go from that to just telling everyone to go to a bar.”

Freight

It always gets there in the end but shipping goods in countries like India and Lithuania can get tricky. Gaudin often finds herself having bizarre conversations about freight. “I don’t think people realise how much stuff we a move around the world. Everything from chainmail to dried stingrays and it’s across borders,” she says. “We sent a prosthetic body of a six year old boy as excess baggage with a lead actor because it was the quickest way to get into another country and it didn’t go down very well. This poor actor had to carry a box as big as couch.” She has worked on productions where doing freight is a job on its own.

Production logistics – it doesn’t just happen

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Booking a job as an individual contractor is remarkably similar to attracting overseas productions as a national industry.

As individual contractors, we make ourselves attractive to potential employers with our skills, CVs, reputations and competitive fees. When we’re offered employment, we consider the compensation as well as the opportunity costs, working conditions, potential safety issues and long-term value to our careers.

As a national industry, we make ourselves attractive with tax incentives, coproduction treaties, skilled crews, beautiful locations and increasingly lax regulation. When a foreign production wants to shoot here, we must consider the benefits to our economy as well as the possible drawbacks of lengthy hours, poor working conditions, unsafe productions, damage to our locations and long-term impact to our international reputation.

In both cases, we want to be as attractive as possible without allowing the employer or investor to take unfair advantage. It’s a continual balancing act between attractiveness and assertiveness.

Currently, the Government seems to be focusing solely on the ‘attractive-ness’ side of the equation. Prior to March of last year, any work application for an entertainment industry worker had to include a Letter of Non Objection (LONO) from New Zealand Guilds that covered the work in question. This process ensured that the Guilds considered every applica-tion and engaged in dialogue with foreign producers before they reached our shores.

In March of last year, immigration rules changed so that work visas could be granted to foreign productions without securing LONOs from the Guilds. Under the current ‘silent approval process,’ the Guilds are given three days to lodge an objection to any given application, and if those three days pass without a response then the work visa is automatically granted.

This was an unwelcome change from the point of view of the Guilds – including Techos. While the Guilds objected to only 14 applications out of more than 4800 received over the previous two years (all of which objections were ignored by the Government), the more important damage was the loss of dialogue with the foreign producers and lack of oversight of their productions.

Next month the rules will change again. Under the 14 Day Labour Market Check Waiver, a screen industry worker who will be in New Zealand for 14 days or less will be exempt from any vetting process. This will further distance foreign production from dialogue or oversight from local industry representatives.

This change is designed to make us more attractive, but runs the risk of the foreign productions being above the law. As Techos president Alun Bollinger said last October, “The government makes the claim that all businesses operating in NZ are bound by NZ laws and regulations. The question remains: who’s going to advise – let alone monitor – an isolated and very mobile sector as it goes about its business, when there is no way of even identifying who is working in the country?”

An often-cited example of the dangers inherent in this situation is the Bollywood production The Players. According to several techos who worked on that production, invoices were paid several weeks late, damage to locations negatively affected relationships between the location owners and local crew. Health and safety rules were either not understood or were deliberately ignored by the Indian producers. New Zealand HODs and

production workers felt the responsibility to uphold local laws and industry practices, but often didn’t have the authority to do so.

To be fair, the unprofessional and dangerous situation on The Players is something of an outlier. Bollywood productions have been shooting in New Zealand for over 10 years, and it’s relatively rare for a production to be so problematic. For example, the recent Bollywood production I Hate Luv Storys employed local crew in a safe and professional manner, and promoted New Zealand as a tourist destination to millions of Indians.

With that said, this new relaxation of Immigration requirements will make it easier for slipshod productions like The Players to avoid local industry consultation or oversight.

One potential solution lies in the recent co-production treaty between India and New Zealand. To qualify for co-production incentives, there must be a New Zealand co-producer who has equal authority to the Indian co-pro-ducer, and who will be responsible for working conditions and compliance with health and safety regulations. With the local producer’s reputation on the line, concerns would be quickly addressed.

However, not all foreign productions will be under official co-production treaties. Several troubling questions remain regarding non co-production shoots (whether features, TV or commercials) including who will have oversight and responsibility, who will keep track of foreign production and what criteria will be used to evaluate the success or failure of the new rules. There are valid arguments to give oversight to the Department of Labour, Immigration, Film NZ or the industry Guilds, but currently the lines of communication and authority are unclear.

In an international marketplace with increasingly limited resources, it is in our best interest to make ourselves attractive to foreign investment. However, we can’t become so accommodating that our laws can be flouted and our crews mistreated without consequence.

(Many thanks for their help on this article to Mladen Ivancic and Jasmin McSweeney of the NZ Film Commission, Sue Thompson of Film NZ, and several Techos who chose to remain anonymous.)

PlayersSteve Barr looks at the balance between promotion and protection of our industry internationally.

POINT-OF-VIEW


MEMBERS WITH BENEFITSWhat do you want as member benefits? It’s time to speak up, work your networks and put your thinking caps on. Do you know of a company that would be interested in offering a benefit (discount/special rates/freebies) to Techos members?

Email ideas and suggestions to: [email protected]

Check out current member benefits on the website: www.nztecho.com

A special thank you to Sioux MacDonald for continued dedication to the Guild. Especially for her involvement with the recent office move – all Sioux’s hard work (from negotiation with the ex-landlord to scrubbing walls) was not unnoticed. So thanks Sioux, we know you have a busy enough time running your own business and your time is appreciated.

Thank you also to Brendon Durey (who also had a lot of involvement in recent Guild matters) and Murray Milne. We do appreciate your time!

Payment received with thanks

Also thanks to all the members who promptly pay their annual renewals. It really helps with the accounts processes.

Any late payers out there?

Please catch up your dues as soon as possible. Following up with you takes up lots of time and as is there are minimal resource avail-able. It’s also important also to let us know when you move so we can ensure your mail (including this magazine) gets to you.

Email [email protected] with address changes.

Gold stars and chocolate fish

PO Box 8068, Symonds St, Auckland 11509A Akatea Rd, Glendene, Auckland 0602

09 8181981www.dolly.co.nz

JIBSTECHNOCRANES

DOLLIESCAMERA SUPPORT

TRUCKSSCREENS

HELICOPTER MOUNTSSTUDIOS


NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD

TECHOS’ GUILD OFFICE

President Alun Bollinger 03 732 8123

Vice President Sioux MacDonald 021 969 609

Treasurer Brendon Durey 021 866 977

Auckland Chair (interim) Nick Treacy 021 280 8950

Auckland Branch Pieter Huismann 021 0241 8216 Dot Kyle 021 210 1579 Murray Milne 0274 422 150 Lou Taylor 021 0245 0878 Michael Williams 021 286 4539

Wellington Chair Dave Brown 0274 774771

Wellington Branch Sally Cunningham 021 157 6589 Roger Feenstra 0274 468 327 Adrian ‘Wookie’ Hebron 027 443 7028 Jules Lovelock 021 682 801 Carey Johnson 021 927 587 Ken Saville 0274 448 123

Queenstown Chair Mark ‘Goat’ Gillings 021 993 557

Queenstown Branch Jaime Couper 021 499 346 Josh Dunn 021 229 1603 Brett Mills 029 932 6685 Narelle Wilson 0274 208 7372 Thom Watson 021 533 887

Exec Only Axel Paton 027 2899 559

Karla Rodgers, Executive Officer Carolyn Brooke, Accounts Officer

Tel: 09 302 2022 0800 TECHOS (0800 832 467) Fax: 09 302 2025 PO Box 68-294, Newton, Auckland 1145 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.nztecho.com

Techos’ Guild office hours Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm Outside these hours, please leave a phone message or email us.

NEW MEMBERS

AucklandJeremy Osborn, Grip

Dominic Halpin (rejoining), Lighting

Rewa Harre (rejoining), Camera

WellingtonNic McGowan, Sound

Oren Graham, Student

Chris Hiles (rejoining), Sound

Join us in giving the following new members a hearty welcome!


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

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