Murray Milne

How long have you been in screen production and how did you get started?

I started in Wellington in the mid-70s. After a one-year still photography course at Wellington Polytechnic I got a job with Motion Pictures as a junior camera assistant working with cinematographer Graeme Cowley (Smash Palace, Utu, etc). We worked on the early New Zealand film Goodbye Pork Pie and after travelling the length of the country with that crazy gypsy troupe I was hooked forever. I left in 1981 to freelance as a focus puller and had a tremendous career here and in many parts of the world, assisting on commercials, docos and films.

I began shooting short films and docos for crew friends which progressed to DoP with Peter Jackson on Meet the Feebles and Braindead. Both were shot on 16mm for blowup to 35mm.

When Wellington became quieter I moved to Auckland around the early 90s, doing mostly television series work and the change-over from film to video. I then began investing in my own equipment.

What genre(s) does your work tend to come from?

I am lucky to have several strings to my bow. I always enjoyed many adventure sports and was asked to take cameras into those situations. It has meant continued involvement in unusual camera specialties such as underwater, Steadicam and aerials. Because I work in so many roles I do find I am not reliant on just one area of the industry so fortunately I don’t have too many quiet patches.

How easy is it to make a living in this industry/how often do you work outside the screen production industry?

After over 30 years in this business I have endured many cycles of boom and bust. But I have found work has become more consistent, with this many years of experience behind me.

How does your department work as part of the ‘whole’ that other crew probably don’t realise?

I think the cameraman should be involved with early location choice and can be especially helpful with setting up the ‘staging’ of the day’s shoot with respect to the sun’s path and making the pictures look the best they can, and to hopefully avoid any major problems with nasty shadows or other ‘difficult to fix’ situations that can be avoided with prior planning.

How have your rates changed/improved over the years?

I believe we were paid better during the 80s than we are now, especially as the cost of living was quite a lot lower then. However, I think our passion for our type of work means we are still happy as long as we are working and getting paid for it.

What sort of changes (e.g. in apprentice/newbie crew skill sets, abilities, other areas) have you noticed? Have you noticed any trends?

I love seeing the enthusiasm the new and younger crew still have for our type of work. As we know, there are a lot of ‘wanna-be’s’ but very few places for new crew to start. So anyone who shows real enthusiasm is noticed and should be encouraged to keep trying. I also love seeing the second generation coming through, the sons and daughters of our original film industry stalwarts. I never thought I’d see the day that we have camera assists that are excellent at their job but have never loaded film – but that is happening now!

What strengths do you think the New Zealand industry has/what could contribute to a more sustainable industry?

I think as long as producers and crew have respect for each other and what strengths each brings to every shoot, then we will continue to have a happy working relationship in this country that is better than many other parts of the world. I also think our Kiwi ingenuity plays a big part in our reputation as a ‘can do’ industry and we should remain an attractive filming destination for many years to come.