A Farewell and New Beginnings

Kia Ora All,

But also haere rā as this is my last piece for NZTecho before I hang up my EO hat. Speaking to Mr. Chris MacKenzie the other day, he questioned why I was not going to die with my boots on. I had to laugh, and Chris, I take that as a compliment, but after eight years, these boots are made for walking.

My decision to leave was not an easy one as the screen industry has been the only job I have known for the past 38 years. I came into it young and naive and learned if you didn’t toughen up quickly, you were toast. It’s a tough industry. For those of us who stay, we love it, it becomes a vocation with a small outlet for the insanity that keeps us there. I am sure many of you can relate to standing in the middle of nowhere, at some ungodly hour, entangled in the local flora, being savaged by the local fauna whilst the usual cheery dispositions of fellow crew having been replaced by incarnates of Attila the Hun? Who said the film industry was glamorous?

So, for this little filmy, it is exit stage left as I stand on the precipice about to take a leap of faith to do something different.

Working for the guild has been a compliment to my years of working on the coalface but also my philosophies regarding fairness, safety, and basically healthy environments in the workplace and to be part of influencing how we work in an industry that I love (oh yes and have hated at times) has given me the satisfaction of having done something that matters and truly makes a difference.

Sadly, when I joined the guild as EO, the old mothership was floundering, membership was low, and finances were struggling, all exacerbated by one of those cyclic work lows. It required me to take a big breath, roll up my sleeves, and find solutions on how to fix what was broken. Today membership is up and finances are stable. As an organisation, we are strong, noteworthy, and hold a respected position in the screen industry. We contribute significantly making a positive difference to not just technicians but all workers within the screen industry.

When I first started at the guild, it felt like we were on the outside knocking on the door and no one was answering or letting us in let alone listening. Crew just didn’t seem to be getting the respect for the worth they played in the making of visual media, whether that be drama or TVC. Their incredible talent and dedication just seemed to be overlooked and taken for granted.

Today the guild is one of the central voices when it comes to issues affecting our industry and respect for our crafts has deservedly come of age. It has been a slow turn of events which started way before I came to the guild. As an organisation, we have been chipping away at areas of concern for screen industry workers for many years. Things had been changing, albeit slowly.

The most significant tipping point in my time undoubtedly happened when we were invited by Government to meet and discuss possible changes to what was known as ‘the Hobbit Law’, which then led the Minister into creating the Film Industry Working Group. The simple fact that we sat in front of the minister just days after he was sworn in was influential in the decision to get the ball rolling sooner than later for a film industry working group. At the time I believe the guild showed ourselves to be informed and prepared, responding in a measured and intelligent manner whilst the media went into a frenzy of misinformation. We were proactive, not reactive, refusing to fuel the fire by being vigilant that we had the facts before we spoke publicly.

Post the Film Industry Working Group, we have since been invited to be part of the 10 Year Strategy Group, formed by industry groups at the request of the prime minister to look at the future of New Zealand’s screen industry going forward. Since then we have also been invited to have a presence on the Studio Working Group which was formed by ATEED. This is a group to look at the viability of studio space in Auckland and around all of NZ.

I can confidently say that today relationships within the industry and major influencers affecting our industry in government are very healthy. We are currently part of all significant discussions surrounding the screen industry. This is a long way from knocking on the door and not getting an answer. I feel proud of where the guild stands today, and I leave with a sense of achievement for my personal contribution (along with a merry band of wonderful members, most significantly, Sioux Macdonald, Brendon Durey, Nick Treacy and Richard Bluck) for our growth over the past eight years and our standing within the screen industry.

So, whenever someone says to you “what does the guild do for me?”, do remember that there is always so much more going on behind the scenes. Be an advocate for “your” guild and let those crew, who believe in unicorns and fairies know that the current conditions they get to benefit from didn’t just happen by “magic”.

So, with everything in the house in order I now pass the baton. It has been like a relay. I have swum the freestyle and now it is for someone else to swim butterfly. With all our infrastructure scrubbed up, in place and running smoothly, a new EO will be able to focus on other things, a new style (to coin a phrase from the swim analogy).

Accordingly, I now pass the baton to our new Executive Officer, the lovely Kelly Lucas. Kelly brings a whole new and timely set of skills to the guild. Many of you may remember it was Kelly who helped bring together our fabulous 30th Anniversary and name change parties, others may know her through her involvement with the New Zealand Cinematographers Awards, WIFT or Onfilm.

Kelly has over 15 years experience in the screen industry and possesses a broad range of skills and contacts that cover a wide range of industry people. One of the foremost attributes we were looking for in a new EO, was someone who would be a strong advocate of the Blue Book and ScreenSafe. Kelly showed a strong belief in the importance of this, acknowledging that it influences how the whole industry works, not just the technicians. She also possesses strong skills in event management and workshop co-ordination, something the guild endeavours, to be able to place more emphasis on over the coming years now we have our infrastructure finely tuned. Kelly also has a strong media understanding having spent many years with Onfilm and more recently the Data Book and the web service screenz.co.nz.

There is a lot to learn and take on board as EO so I will do my best to give Kelly as much information as possible without hopefully making her brain explode. I will not be far away as I will still remain part of the guild and will be on call for Kelly as long as she needs. The guild has literally become my baby so I need to know, its new mother has everything under control.

I trust you will all welcome Kelly into the fold and give her heaps of encouragement and support as she gets her head around the role of Executive Officer.

So dear Guildonians, nga mihi to you all as I leap off that cliff with those boots.