Oscars & BAFTAs
It was originally planned to give this space over to members’ responses to our survey regarding the Guild’s name, as previously promised. But with the delay of production of this issue, owing to illness on a variety of fronts, I find myself writing this just as the Oscar winners are being announced. And goodness me - another Kiwi celebration! Suddenly it seems much more important (and satisfying) to pay tribute to the successful Kiwis, and especially those who are members of our Guild.
KIM SINCLAIR has clearly had one heck of a week! A double whammy - both the BAFTA and the OSCAR, for his work on Avatar as Art Director.
(Congratulations too to the other team with that double whammy - Avatar’s Visual FX quartet.)
But we’re also impressed by Sound Mixer TONY JOHNSON getting his second Oscar nomination, as well as a BAFTA one, this year - and equally impressive is long-time Wellington Guild Chair KEN SAVILLE - for his achievement in being in the BAFTA race - up against TJ.
Just as prestigious as the above awards, within the sound world at least, are those given out by the Cinema Audio Society. Once again this year, Ken and Tony were up for the same award - though both missed out to the team from The Hurt Locker. Our congratulations and commiserations!
For those of you who keep back copies of NZTECHO, you can read more about Kim in Issue 16 / August 2005; and Tony features in a long interview in Issue 25 / March 2007. Kim’s also got a website: www.kimsinclair.com.
Other moments of note in the 2010 Oscars that amused:
Sandra Bullock scoring another kind of double - an Oscar to go with her Razzie (“Golden Raspberry Award”, for the worst film work in the year). Bullock garnered much credit for turning up to receive her Razzie. This is the woman who, on being told she was the first female star to have her movie make more than $200 million, said: “It’s nice, but it’s odd… I know I’m a second-class citizen. I’ve been aware of that since puberty.”
In that vein, much has been made of Kathryn Bigelow’s Best Director Oscar being the first for a woman - as well as the first by an ex-wife of a fellow nominee. Jane Campion, one of only three women to be Oscar-nominated as a director (and the only female winner of Cannes’ Palme d’Or) has a forthright take on this: (from an interview by English journalist Larushka Ivan-Zadeh)
“…it’s a reflection of men’s and women’s opportunities in the world. I’m so sick of people going ‘Whoop! There are 2 per cent more female directors!’ So, now there are only 95% male directors? Whatever.”
Her answer to the problem: “I think women should be given 50% of the films to make. I’m not kidding! It would change the world overnight. Women see things differently, so it would be better for everyone.” Maybe she’s right!
Tony F.
