Bringing in Fresh Talent

Well, April 4th has come and gone and the new Health and Safety Act is in place. The world hasn’t changed, projects are still being made and the sky hasn’t fallen on us – at least not yet. The thunder rolling by outside might be an omen, but it is more likely a tropical storm that seems to sweep across the country in waves these days.

ScreenSafe has the website up and going: www.screensafe.co.nz – and there have been a series of successful roadshows in Auckland, Wellington, and Queenstown that helped to explain what the new legislation is about.

The more I am involved in talking about this new era of health and safety, the more I believe it is a combination of collective and personal responsibility. If we think about how to keep ourselves safe, and how to keep our fellow colleagues safe, we are a hundred percent better off than we were.

As the middle of the year approaches and a number of productions that started in January and February are coming to an end, it is a chance to take stock before the second half of the shooting season begins.

I am well aware of the stresses that we as small business owners feel working in the screen industry. The fluctuations in work and the lack of ability to plan long term, can cause stress and anxiety about the future. Take some time at the end of jobs to re-evaluate how you cope with this, and seek help to get perspective on your situation. It helps in the long term, as we want this industry to be your career.

I am privileged to be going to Los Angeles to represent the New Zealand Society of Cinematographers (NZSC) at the ASC International Cinematographers Summit, and to attend Cinegear. In looking at the agenda for the Summit we face the same issues as every other country – the same discussions about working conditions, gender and ethnic diversity, technology, the changing nature of our roles, and the pressures of budgets.

We as an industry have some challenges ahead of us. We need to increase our infrastructure. Studios in Auckland which can cope with a large international film are vital to continuing to bring in those studio films. And we need these films as they allow people to invest in equipment, which then becomes available for our local films. It provides opportunities for young people to be assistants, and to begin to learn the business.

The issue of how people join the industry is an international problem. How does a person understand the roles in a film crew without being part of the team?

Here are some questions we need to ask:

How does the education system portray the industry?

Media courses seem to be a part of many schools, but are they talking about how to turn this hobby into a career?

To make movies seems to be the ultimate dream of the beginner, but there are so many choices for them to understand, because a movie is a team effort. Do college guidance councillors understand the nature of the industry so they can discuss with students their options?

Film schools are the next link in the chain, but are they producing graduates that the industry needs?

There is a shortage of grips coming in to the industry to be able to take key positions in the future. How do we find the young people who will begin their careers now and in 15 to 20 years time be the key grips and best boys/girls of the future?

The NZCS has started a scheme devised by Kevin Riley called ‘Camera Pathways’. The programme aims to identify and assist people who are entering the industry and are committed to a future behind the camera. It provides trainees with a step-by-step pathway to becoming part of a camera crew on a production.

The Techos’ Guild is looking to instigate workshops for grips and production managers to try and bring in people to fulfil the industry’s needs.

It’s good to remember that, although we are at the bottom of the world, our industry is world-class, and we have solutions to issues that are built on cooperation and dialogue. This doesn’t always happen in other places. We need to continue to invest in infrastructure and invest in the development of our people, so we continue to innovate and grow our industry.

Bringing in fresh talent, among other things.