Reflections on the Industry

A bit about a lot

So what’s to write about? In our last _NZTECHO _I made brief mention of my hope that we can make a speedy transition to electric motor vehicles. Since then a cinematographer colleague has made contact and given me a drive of a RAV4 which he has converted to electric. He’s done a beautiful job of the conversion, the vehicle drives like a dream and it costs them four to six bucks a week to run. Seeing that vehicle made me realise how much simpler such a vehicle would be if it came off the manufacturing line as electric rather than having to convert an ICE-age vehicle (ICE = internal combustion engine).

While I’m on the subject of electrickery, our Government’s planned asset sales are going ahead. The competitive market model for energy distribution, electricity or coal, must surely encourage more energy use when I thought energy conservation would be a priority in this day and age of global warming.

I’m currently working on a television series. I have to say I’m a bit sur- prised at how tight the budget is. Are television budgets getting tighter as the years roll by? Commercials take up about a quarter of commer- cial television air-time and the shows fill the other three quarters of each hour. Ads and shows – one can’t survive without the other in the com- mercial television model, but work on TVC shoots pays so much better than work on the shows. Sure, I know why, but it still strikes me as an anomaly. Maybe the ads aren’t paying so well these days either?

It’s been suggested that I write about mentoring in the Kiwi screen production biz. Once upon a time the New Zealand Film Commission had a trainee scheme, but that was quite some time back and was at a time when our industry was growing quite quickly. (There also used to be apprenticeship schemes for the trades, something our society could well benefit from in this day and age.) I believe mentoring occurs quite naturally in our business because of the generosity of the people who work in it … although I’m not sure mentoring is the right word. There’s simply a natural inclination among most crew to help others learn their craft and get ahead. At times I’ve called people overseas, people I’ve never met, to get advice and it’s been given it freely. I’ve had the same happen to me on many occasions, people ring asking for advice and I generally try to help, if I can. From my experience, people who create the impression that it’s all too mysterious or too complicated to explain, or are simply unwilling to share their knowledge, usually don’t have anything to share because they don’t know much. Most who work in our game are very generous with both their time and their knowledge. After all, that’s partly how we progress as a thoroughly innovative industry.

But where have all the crew reps gone? I’ve touched on this subject before, but it’s an important one. I hope that it’s not the fear of being outlawed or blacklisted that makes us wary of representing our co- workers. The crew rep is a vital conduit between crew and producers. To quote from the model contract for cinematographers in the IMAGO international directory of cinematographers:

“Spokesman scheme – Election of Spokesperson at initial crew meeting. The appointed Spokesperson represents the crew and liaises with the Producer and identifies areas of potential problems such as the basic working conditions i.e. overtime (especially when required at short notice), safety, transport etc. This is important for the running of an efficient production. Disputes and misunderstanding can be avoided by monitoring potential problems ‘up front’. This voluntary role of Spokes- person is advantageous for the Producer and crew alike.”

It seems to me that there are less and less jobs that have a crew rep appointed by the crew, this decline somehow parallels the changes which made us all contractors under law. To take a cynical view point, it would seem to be part of an ongoing process of divide and rule among the workforce in general. Of course the less work there is around the more likely we are to sacrifice our working conditions and rates of remuneration for the sake of work, any work under any conditions.

Interesting to hear a little more about what was going on behind the scenes during what I call ‘_The Hobbit _hoo haa’. As you are all no doubt aware the Techos’ Guild deliberately stayed out of the debates which were raging at the time. We stayed out because our members were divided on what our stand should be, if any, and there was too little accurate information to go on. Perhaps we will slowly find out more and be able to eventually get an accurate picture of what actually went

down. Not that it makes much difference now, except that some may be able to say, “I told you so”.

So here we go, off into another year. Two months have gone ‘bye’ already. I hope the year is productive, constructive and fulfilling for all.

Albol

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