Fritha Stalker Reports on Winter Activities
Guild Executive Officer Fritha Stalker reports on another busy winter at Macaulay St and beyond
Reviewing our communications and visual identity
It’s no secret that my approach as EO is to be completely open and frank discussing what it takes to be an effective organisation. The communications review is a current initiative based in the office that is forging ahead with great potential for improvement in this area.
In the dark about what a communication review actually does? (I was). As I now understand it a communications review essentially takes an overview of all the ways an organisation communicates information, internally and externally. It considers the profile of the organisation, where it sits and what makes it different within the sector ('positioning'), as well as the most effective use of available resources.
Sitting snugly alongside the review, the Executive Board recently approved a refreshing of our “Identity Assets”, that is – the visual and textual elements used to represent our organisation.
Without re-inventing the wheel, our tame designer, Justin Westgate, has sharpened up the Techos’ ID elements and provided a set of guidelines to ensure consistent quality representation wherever the assets are utilised. If you’re visually inclined (and I have to assume our members are more so than the general populace!), you’ll notice a phasing in of the new look over the next while. Everyone should notice when they receive their new more durable and custom printed membership cards.
Once the cards begin to circulate as members’ renewal dates come up, we will be snapping photographs of members proudly displaying their cards (à la Actors’ Equity ‘Acting as One’ campaign) as a visual representation of solidarity amongst Techos.
We will also be looking into other cost-effective ways for members to advertise their membership of Techos’ Guild via email signatures, stickers, apparel and similar. If you have any ideas/feedback in this area please let us know.
Inter-craft understanding
You might also notice an increase in material in NZTECHO relating to those craft groups who have received less ‘column inches’ than others in the past. This is a purposeful strategy to communicate the breadth of crafts the Guild represents and so all members see themselves represented in their publication. It is also intended that by reading about other departments, members will have a better understanding of each other in a professional sense. This complements that Kiwi ‘number 8 wire’ ethos as it is applied to screen production: if a job needs doing it’ll get done via creativity and cooperation from anyone with the skills and ideas to do it. Not only that, but better inter-craft understanding contributes to cohesive production and a better industry overall.
Film Commission
The Guild met with the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and several other industry associations to discuss the now infamous review conducted by Sir Peter Jackson and David Court, Head of Screen Business at the Australian Film, Television & Radio School. What a creativity-driven funding model will mean for crew clearly requires further consideration and feedback to the NZFC. If you have a view about this, please contact us (email info@nztecho.com, Subject Line: NZFC Review). We will collate and forward to the NZFC, and share with the membership in a subsequent issue. The NZFC expressed genuine desire for input from all stakeholders, including those ‘below the line’, in regard to a way forward.
The Guild’s commitment to overall industry quality, sustainability, and health and safety (H&S) was reiterated. The importance of building H&S measures into the process from the inception of projects was acknowledged by all parties. Encouraging the development of scripts reflecting an appreciation of how productions are actually made, from pre-production to shooting and post, was discussed as essential to building and maintaining both industry sustainability and robust H&S.
The Writers’ Guild was supportive of ensuring that these aims are met by valuing and nurturing understanding of the practical side of production in local screen writers. I can see great scope for effective communication between these usually temporally and spatially separated elements of screen production. Give it some thought: What would you say to screen writers about the constraints and nature of your area
of expertise?
WiFT Awards
The WiFT Awards once again reflected a heartfelt gratitude from Award recipients for the crew who stand invisibly behind each of their successes. It may seem trite but, almost without exception, crew (in the broadest sense) were recognised, acknowledged and applauded. I look forward to the technical awards categories in the Qantas Film & Television Awards where more direct acknowledgement is made of some of those working behind the scenes. Our members tend to be of the ‘just get on with it’ mentality, and certainly do not seek the limelight via awards or similar. I suggest we ameliorate this mentality with a dose of wariness about too much self effacement (or even – heaven forbid – tall poppy syndrome) when the opportunity to celebrate ourselves or our peers comes around. After all celebrating twice a year is by no means overdoing it!
Immigration
There’s been a fair bit of action in the discussion around immigration lately. It struck me when listening to another discussion about allocation of public funds that a key point bares reiteration with regard to decisions in both cases - that is, process and decisions are based on pre-defined criteria, not on the vagaries of an individual’s preference or on undefined criteria. When a decision is made that the Guild ‘not object’ to the importation of a crew member from overseas (or indeed to object to same) it is made after assessment of the application against criteria set by Immigration New Zealand policy.
I encounter a good deal of confusion around supply of information required to complete assessments and find that in a vast majority of cases this is where problems begin and end. There is nothing more satisfying in my assessment process than where a production supplies as much information as early as possible, instead of second-guessing or under-estimating the process. Almost invariably where a production works constructively with the Guild to understand the process and the criteria, all hurdles are overcome. Recently a classic example of utilising the experience of an international to build capability in the local industry came across my desk.
A genuine requirement for training was met alongside completion of a project by an international individual with unique expertise. In future, up-skilled locals will be capable of this work without requiring anyone to come from overseas. The criteria were met, capacity was built, and everyone was happy.
National Executive
The National Executive had a successful meeting in July and caught up on many issues including the updating of Guild publications, immigration, industry safety concerns and the role of the board in the organisation. The AGM is coming up and spaces will become available for new members to step up to committee roles, guiding the Guild and communicating the opinions and needs of members. New perspectives are always valuable and I urge you to consider bringing yours to the committee(s).
Committee composition (craft, age, gender etc...) should reflect that of the membership, and if you see yourself not represented why not give it a shot? In my last job I reluctantly put my hand up to represent my peers as I figured I could hardly ask others to do what I would not.
Let’s face it it’s a rare beast who willingly steps into the breach, but this participation is the foundation of associations such as ours. Personally I found it a very enriching experience, the inevitable challenges having their own rewards, and I have taken with me a lasting appreciation of the efforts of volunteers in any organisation.
Endnote
Well, I know things are tough out there for many of you, but I hope the rumours of a better summer ahead come to fruition. It’s difficult to ride out the lean times that are inevitable in this industry. Can we positively impact just how low production volume dips in down times? I’ve had some fascinating conversations lately about what might encourage a better spread of work nationwide and across the seasons. More than once infrastructure has arisen as a key area of discussion (sound stages, anyone?), and also funding models as they impact on opportunities for career development and significant investment in gear.
I’d love to hear members’ thoughts about these issues. To develop an industry that enables more than just survival, that provides viable domestic careers, in this small (but perfectly formed) country, everyone is going to have to contribute to the discourse. It may not be the most comfortable head space for many crew but the big issues impact us all. Putting back via consideration and contribution of ideas is surely not too much to ask?
