The Society of AUSTRALIAN CINEMA PIONEERS Please address all correspondence to SANDRA ALEXANDER National Honorary Secretary / Treasurer 27 Surfside Avenue Clovelly NSW 2031 (email – [email protected]) BULLETIN - OCTOBER 2017 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEETING MAY 2017 L-R - John Cronin, President SA, Bruce Leonard, retiring National Secretary- Treasurer, Robert Slaverio, National President 2016, Alan Stiles, President WA, Mike Selwyn, Sue Milliken, Murray Forrest, Alan Rydge, Mike Baard, Kerry Westwood, Secretary-Treasurer, Qld, Tom Jeffrey, Sharon Tapner, Treasurer, VIC, John Rochester, President NSW, Derek Screen, President VIC, Tim Read, National President 2017-2018, Sandra Alexander, Incoming National Secretary-Treasurer, Yurik Czyz, President Tas. embers of the National Executive Zareh Nalbandian of Animal Logic was elected Committee met at Sony Pictures National Cinema Pioneer of the Year. His Releasing, Market Street Sydney on distinguished career to date can be seen on the MMay 25 2017. Amongst the first items on the next page. Agenda was a formal resolution which was carried unanimously and with acclamation More details about the National Survey and the thanking our retiring National Secretary- resolutions passed at the NEC meeting can be Treasurer, Bruce Leonard for his 25 years of found on the Society’s new website. Please visit it devoted and highly successful service to the and consider writing an article or story for it. The Society. The very next resolution welcomed same applies to the Society’s Facebook page. It is and appointed Sandra Alexander as the new there to make communication between members National Secretary-Treasurer. quick and easy and I hope it encourages more get The NEC considered and approved nine togethers on an informal basis. For those members resolutions proposed by Tim Read, National who do not have personal access to the internet, President. Some of these arose out of the results please see if your local library, senior centre or of the National Survey which was carried out other resource has computers which can be used. in February-March 2017 and include: planning And perhaps family members or friends could for and offering a wider range of activities for the members, redesigning the Society website assist. and creating Facebook pages in each State to Finally, do you know anyone who would quality allow for easier social contact and information for Society membership? Please support the exchange, beginning regular donations to State membership drive and invite them to consider benevolent societies, creating a drive for new members, increasing the joining fee to $300 and joining. several changes simplifying the financial and Happy Pioneering. administrative arrangements between the National and State bodies. Tim Read The Society of AUSTRALIAN CINEMA PIONEERS BULLETIN - OCTOBER 2017 1 2017 NATIONAL “CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR” ZAREH NALBANDIAN areh Nalbandian began his career in the based development and production arm of the film industry as an intern at Australia’s company Animal Logic Entertainment. This sister then leading film post production group, company to Animal Logic has a robust slate of ZColorfilm. Already an avid photographer, he quickly projects in development in collaboration with major developed a passion for film optical effects and studios and creative partners and is currently in worked in Colorfilm’s optical effects department on post production on the hybrid live action/animated various iconic Australian films in the 1980’s. Zareh feature Peter Rabbit, starring Rose Byrne, Margot took on several diverse management challenges Robbie and James Corden, scheduled for release by over the course of his career at Colorfilm, eventually Columbia Pictures in 2018. taking on the role of Group General Manager. Earlier this year Animal Logic Entertainment After a long and rewarding career at Colorfilm announced a joint venture with leading Hollywood and excited by the opportunities offered by the production company Imagine Entertainment to emergence of digital technologies for the creation of exclusively develop, produce, and finance feature screen content, Zareh partnered with Chris Godfrey length animation and hybrid animation family films to start up a Sydney and Montreal based pioneering for global audiences. The joint venture will generate graphics software company Discreet Logic, and in a significant flow of production activity in Australia 1991 established digital design, animation and visual supporting hundreds of highly skilled jobs and so effects company Animal Logic in Sydney’s Crows continuing to play a critical role in developing and Nest. retaining Australian film making talent. An independent Australian company employing In 2010, Animal Logic was awarded the Byron more than 600 artists and technicians across 3 Kennedy Award for outstanding creative enterprise. locations – Sydney, Vancouver, and Los Angeles Over the years to follow, the studio would be – Animal Logic is regarded as one of the world’s awarded several state and federal exporter of the leading digital studios, creating award-winning year awards. In 2014, Animal Logic was named the animation, visual effects and design. The company’s inaugural NSW Creative Laureate and Zareh as continued advocacy of new technologies combined CEO was named Ambassador for the NSW Creative with innovative digital production processes Industries recognising his passion and advocacy underpins its global reputation for creative for the development and support of Australian innovation, technical excellence and memorable creativity on a global scale. storytelling. Zareh is the Deputy Chair of Ausfilm, a Director on Animal Logic is currently in production on Peter the Sydney Film Festival Board, a Director on the Rabbit (2018) and The LEGO® Movie Sequel (2019). UTS Vice-Chancellor’s Industry Advisory Board Other notable credits include: The LEGO® Batman™ and BES Sydney Ambassador. Zareh is committed Movie, Alien: Covenant, Guardians of the Galaxy 1 to building a successful, globally competitive & 2, The LEGO® Movie, 300, The Great Gatsby, The digital production industry in Australia and enjoys Matrix, Moulin Rouge! and Happy Feet. strong personal relationships with key US Studio Executives, leading Directors and Producers in In 2007, Zareh founded the Sydney and Los Angeles Australia and around the world.. The Society of AUSTRALIAN CINEMA PIONEERS BULLETIN - OCTOBER 2017 2 STATE PRESIDENTS N.S.W. JOHN ROCHESTER 39 Orange Blossom Circuit, Cobbitty, 2570 VIC. DEREK SCREEN 41 Stuart Avenue, Cheltenham, 3192 QLD. TONY BURKE 10 Bateman Street, Geebung, 4034 S.A. JOHN CRONIN 51 Kym St, Port Noarlunga South, 5167 W.A. ALLAN STILES PO Box 2137, Warwick, 6024 TAS. YURIK CZYZ 56 Forest Road, West Hobart, 7000 QUEENSLAND CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR NORM SALSBURY ongreach has its Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Norm was offered a partnership with Ken Robbins the Outback Heritage Centre and the running the Roxy Theatre, Longreach. Qantas Founders Museum among other The Lyric was sold and the family moved to Liconic Queensland landmarks, but as far as we’re Longreach. Ken left the partnership but Norm and concerned the most important icon in Longreach is Edna carried on running the Roxy until the end of our Cinema Pioneer of the year, Norm Salsbury. 1987. Norm’s first became interested in the cinema when In 1988 the local Accountant, Alan Wilson, built he was seven years old, where he used to stand on a the Star Cinema building. This was a modern pine box to see out of the porthole while his father complex in which Norm and Edna opened the Star was the projectionist at the Broadway Theatre, Cinema using the platter system transferred from Jericho, Queensland. the Roxy. Since then the Star has gone fully Digital Prior to moving to Aramac, Norm and his father ran with the downloading of product. Norm and Edna open air shows in Jericho. operate the Star Cinema to this day. The Jericho Shire Council recognised the benefits Over the many years in the business Norm fought the open air screenings had for the area and decided hard with the introduction of black and white to build a brand new 36 car drive-in Theatre. television, colour television and the popularity of Since Norm and his Dad had run the shows at home video. Jericho previously they travelled every Wednesday Norm’s introduction to 3D came long before 3D and Saturday night to operate the newly built Drive- films came about. He recalls screening Gone with in Theatre. the Wind one night and as the flames roared across Norm made himself known to the Alliott family and the screen in the later part of the movie Norm started to learn more about the behind the scenes realised the Theatre was actually on fire! stuff of the cinema business booking, publicity etc Apart from the Star Cinema, Norm and Edna Norm moved to Longreach in 1977 and married have also run a Travel Agency, and introduced the Edna. They decided to purchase the open air Lyric first Paddle Steamer, ‘The Thompson Belle’ on the Theatre at Aramac and spent the next 10 years Thompson River in Longreach. there. A major challenge at Aramac was that, being Norm has been a delegate at every Australian an open air cinema, Murphy’s Law dictated that International Movie Convention since its inception. any storms, wind or rain always came on Saturday nights. The Society of AUSTRALIAN CINEMA PIONEERS BULLETIN - OCTOBER 2017 3 VICTORIA’S CINEMA PIONEER OF THE YEAR KEITH STEVENS hen Hopalong Cassidy rode to the I left Hoyts 1n 1971 and Joined Village Theatres rescue at Hawthorn’s Glenferrie Theatre working in the Drive Ins, once again travelling all I used to stamp my feet with all the over Melbourne - Croydon, Sunshine, Clayton, Wother 10 year olds. When Tarzan plucked Jane Brooklyn. I became a manager in 1973 and was from the jaws of death, I cheered. Tom and Jerry sent to Seymour Drive in as Manager Operator was a laugh from first to last.