A Way of Training

Not much 3D imagery work happens in Auckland despite it becoming more and more prominent throughout our industry. It’s time for Auckland to step up says** Lou Taylor**. She is part of a project aiming to upskill technicians in quickly advancing 3D technologies.

We have to stay competitive in Auckland. We have to keep up or even ahead of technology. Right now Auckland has some 3D knowledge but it is largely limited to the few who worked on Yogi Bear or on 3D films in Wellington. Our project is an opportunity for those few to share their knowledge with others in the industry.

A colleague once told me “the more knowledge that we as artisans have, the more useful and valuable we are to clients – that benefits all of us.” This statement is right at the heart of what our project aims to do. If we continue to upskill ourselves and pass that information our industry will thrive.

I have heard a lot of discussions about training going around lately. Knowledge is key, certainly the more you have, the more you’re worth.

My background has a strong apprenticeship mentality with a philosophy of learn-do-teach. If we live by this then we will have a strong and competitive industry for years to come.

The best way to learn is to get out there and do, however this is not always possible on set as money and time constraints do not allow for the teaching process to occur.

So when a short 3D project with the goal to train crew with 3D workflows and equipment came up a few months back I jumped at the chance to get involved. It ultimately aims to attract more 3D work to Auckland.

About a month ago the producer had to step aside so I agreed to step up and take this project on. I did not want to see this great opportunity for our industry pass by.

Everyone working on the project is a seasoned professional that wants to give back to their craft and/or take the time to learn a new skill. Everyone is coming on board because of the nature of the project and not because it’s another days work.

I am delighted about the people and enthusiasm it has attracted.

Of course, it’s always comfortable to work with crews that you’re familiar with. But it means that once HoDs find crews they like then they rarely change them. So only small and specific groups of people learn new technologies and that information is often not passed on.

For this project we are trying to find people who do not normally work together to hopefully spread the knowledge base further so the team is as varied as Auckland’s population and truly represents Auckland’s diverse industry.

To give a bit of background about some of us involved. I have about eight years of production experience plus six years of engineering project managing. Along with lighting, mechanical effects, rigging and pyrotechnics in the industry here.

Rahela Jagric is a 3D director from Slovenia who is on an extended trip to New Zealand. She has an impressive resume including exclusive film labs and fellowships such as Kyoto Filmmakers Lab, Berlinale Talent Campus, and fellowship from German Nipkow. She has agreed to mentor an experienced 2D director to give them the opportunity to learn about 3D. Rahela has also agreed to give a presentation after the shoot about the process and what is different in 3D. We would also like the 2nd director to talk about his/her experience and what they learned.

Simon Riera an experienced DoP with credits such as Bigger Better Faster Stronger, Bloodlines, Power Rangers and Xena Warrior Princess is excited about the chance to test his 3D researched knowledge.

To help Simon out we have a very experienced 3D crew with James Rua as stereographer and** George Hennah **as 1st AC who both just finished working on The Hobbit, both have other impressive credits like Spartacus, Yogi Bear, The Chronicles of Narnia, Apron Strings, P.S. I Love You and I Am Legend.

The script is aimed at the preservation of the Auckland’s pristine and precious wetlands, but it is written specifically with 3D in mind making it the ideal candidate for this project. And with the minimal dialog and characters it allows for fewer set ups and therefore the schedule allows for longer set ups to accommodate those learning.

The finished film will be less than five minutes long. The idea is that it will be used as a calling card for the Auckland film industry. Therefore we would like to see all of the film guilds and societies support this project in some way. This would make it a true industry-wide collaborative project to support and advertise our industry as a community that works well together. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) thinks it is a great project and has come on board. They have requested an anaglyph (a type of 3D image using pictures in contrasting colours) version to upload on the NZTE website to demonstrate what the Auckland film industry has to offer.

While this project is Auckland based, others in the industry can still learn and benefit from it. If this project goes well, it can hopefully be used as a model in the future.