New Techos' Guild President: Richard Bluck NZCS

Richard Bluck is a cinematographer based on the Kapiti Coast. He worked for Television One at Avalon before becoming a freelancer in the film industry in 1979. He has worked on all forms of film and television projects but now mainly works on features and television series.

As a long-term member of the Techos’ Guild, he has been a committee member and crew representative and has helped with the development of the early versions of The Blue Book. Richard’s involvement with the Guild stems from his belief that industry members need to have a collective voice to promote fair and equitable treatment of all members and to have a forum to interact and develop ideas to make the industry more sustainable.

As the NZ industry again becomes more internationally competitive, he believes the role of the Guild is becoming even more important. Equally, with the rising prevalence of low-budget NZ films, producers need to understand the terms and conditions that NZ film technicians work under. As the Government increasingly legislates for health and safety issues, the Guild can act as a forum and for the promotion of safe practices.

Richard believes the Guild will become even more relevant to the film industry in the future as it represents the largest group of film workers and can be an advocate for a vibrant and sustainable industry. As well as becoming national president, Richard is the Wellington branch chairperson of the Guild and is the current president of the New Zealand Cinematographers Society (NZCS).