Show Me the Magic The Adventures of Don McAlpine © ATOM 2013 A STUDY GUIDE BY ANNE CHESHER AND RUSSELL BURTON http://www.metromagazine.com.au ISBN: 978-1-74295-300-7 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au and the Arts for secondary school students in Years 9–12. The combined Show Me the Magic film and ATOM study guide has two educational applications: All cinema is deception – 1. As a vehicle to learn about the life and work of one of Australia’s a beautiful deception. most awarded and accomplished – Don McAlpine cinematographers, and 2. As an opportunity for analysis and INTRODUCTION appraisal of an Australian feature film documentary. Show Me the Magic (Cathy Henkel, first film … the only other director I’ll 2012) takes us on an enthralling jour- mention is Paul Mazursky. His mantra, The resource includes various ele- ney into the life and work of legend- “Show me the magic!”, has been my ments for inspiring classroom and ary Australian cinematographer Don guiding force all my career.’ self-guided learning. For example: McAlpine. A tender portrait of a life in film, Show Me the Magic weaves Director Baz Lurhmann on Don • Notes on the Show Me the Magic together footage from Don’s personal McAlpine: production and direction provide archive, his filmography, and on-set insight into the vision and execu- observation of his work. Including He’s been the absolute heartbeat tion of the film as well as the extent interviews with filmmakers Baz of cinematography in this country. and body of Don McAlpine’s work. Luhrmann, Bruce Beresford, Gavin From those that have been hugely • An essay provides a discourse Hood, PJ Hogan, Gillian Armstrong recognised, from those that have won on the art of cinematography and and Paul Mazursky, and actor/produc- Oscars – ask them – from first-time Don’s philosophy on life and work. er Hugh Jackman, Show Me the Magic directors – ask them – he has not only • Learning tasks for students in the will engage and entrance anyone who been their mentor, their supporter, Arts and Media address the craft has ever been touched by the magic but he’s really been the godfather and and technique of cinematography. of movies. grandfather of cinema in this country. • Evaluation and enquiry questions for English students develop skills 2013 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION Upon accepting the 2009 American This study guide is designed to com- in visual literacy and interpretation. Society of Cinematographers award plement the viewing and enhance the for Cinematographer of the Year, Don learning experience of the feature film First and foremost, a true appreciation McAlpine summed up his working life: documentary Show Me the Magic, of Show Me the Magic and cinema- ‘I’ve completed fifty feature films. I’ve directed by Cathy Henkel. The film and tographer Don McAlpine can only be worked with thirty-two different direc- its appraisal has Australian Curriculum achieved by a recognition of the man tors. Bruce Beresford offered me my relevance to the subjects of English and his work. 2 films with Baz Luhrmann, Don re- working with directors to realise their CINEMATOGRAPHER ceived a BAFTA nomination (Romeo + visions has resulted in an incredibly Don McAlpine Juliet, 1996), and Oscar® and BAFTA diverse filmography. From Oscar- nominations for Best Cinematography winners to first-timers, they all applaud Don McAlpine was born in 1934 in the (Moulin Rouge!, 2001). In 2009 Don Don’s sensitivity and simpatico, as isolated outback village of Quandialla, was honoured as the ASC (American well as his humility and fortitude. NSW, and grew up in nearby Temora. Society of Cinematographers) He was working as a physical educa- Cinematographer of the Year, and in As he approaches his eightieth year, tion teacher in Parkes when he boldly 2011 he was granted the first award to Don shows little interest in slowing talked the Australian Broadcasting be bestowed by the newly-established down. He and his wife Jeanette still Corporation into giving him a shot as Australian Academy of Cinema and travel the world, shooting on location a newsreel stringer. His achievements Television Arts (AACTA): the Raymond from Dolphin Heads to Durham. Don in the 1960s filming regional stories Longford Award, which recognises a is adapting to new digital cameras and led to a full-time job at the national person who has made a truly out- continues to embrace cutting-edge broadcaster. From there he moved to standing contribution to the enrich- technology, shooting his first digital the Commonwealth Film Unit, where ment of Australia’s screen environment film, Mental (2012), with PJ Hogan. he was assigned the job of travelling and culture. to exotic places to shoot ethnographic Don’s personal history in film is a his- pieces on colour 35mm film. In 1972, Throughout his career, Don has earned tory of the medium itself; he devel- Don took leave from this position a reputation as a brilliant craftsman, oped as an artist in parallel to the to shoot his first feature film, Bruce fast and flexible, with a knack for growth of the Australian film industry, Beresford’s The Adventures of Barry innovative solutions to tricky on-set winning the respect of his peers and McKenzie (1972). problems. His mercurial adaptability in great international acclaim. Show And so began a career spanning six decades and over fifty-three films, from the iconic Australian clas- sics Don’s Party (Beresford, 1976), ‘Breaker’ Morant (1980) and My Brilliant Career (Gillian Armstrong, 1979) to international box-office hits 2013 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION like Parenthood (Ron Howard, 1989), Mrs. Doubtfire (Chris Columbus, 1993), Patriot Games (Phillip Noyce, 1992), Predator (John McTiernan, 1987) and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (Andrew Adamson, 2005). For his 3 Me the Magic is a tender portrait of a life in film, weaving together foot- age from Don’s personal archive, his filmography and on-set observation. The film includes fellow filmmak- ers Baz Luhrmann, Bruce Beresford, Gavin Hood, PJ Hogan and Gillian Armstrong, and actor/producer Hugh Jackman. DIRECTOR Jeanette that I wanted to know Cathy Henkel more. That is how we began the seven-year process of making this film. During filming, I was able to speak I first met Don in 2005 when I was film- to director Gavin Hood, actor and ing a documentary about the legend- My goal was to take the audience on a producer Hugh Jackman and gaffer ary British comedian Spike Milligan. journey into Don’s life and work using Steve Mathis, who all shed light on Don had met Spike during the filming on-set observational footage, Don’s Don’s unique qualities and what it’s of his first feature, The Adventures recollections, and his extensive archive like working on a big-budget movie. of Barry McKenzie. At this meeting, collection. We agreed from the start This footage provides the core to the Don showed me his behind-the- that Don’s professional life would be ‘A’ story of the film: Don’s working life scenes scenes footage from Romeo best revealed by observing him on the and his role as cinematographer. What + Juliet, which was fascinating, and set of a movie and watching what he emerged, apart from the fascination of I became curious about this unrec- does, rather than having him talk about watching a movie of this scale being ognised Australian who had such a it. This was to be show me the magic, made, was Don’s charm, humour, rich and extensive working life. His not tell me the magic. I also set out to authority, vast knowledge, and the career includes such seminal films as relate the story with no narration, and respect he commands from his peers. Patriot Games, Predator, Peter Pan am proud of the fact that I achieved (PJ Hogan, 2003), Moulin Rouge! and this. It was also clear to me from the In 2008, producer Trish Lake joined The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, start that Don’s wife, Jeanette, was me on Show Me the Magic, and we the Witch and the Wardrobe. At that integral to his story and an interesting set about the long and arduous task meeting, I asked Don why no-one had character in her own right. of raising the money to make the film. ever made a film about him, and he This was not an easy film to finance, answered ‘no-one has ever asked’. When we met, Don’s next project mainly because no-one had heard of 2013 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION So began our collaboration to tell was his fiftieth film: X-Men Origins: Don (although they knew his work), or Don’s story – not only of his impres- Wolverine (Gavin Hood, 2009) with if they had, they were not convinced sive and stellar career, but his per- Hugh Jackman. I managed to secure his story was worth telling. The more sonal story, from a small ‘one-horse’ rarely-granted access to the usually I came to know Don, the more we town in outback NSW to the heights closed, behind-the-scenes world that discovered about his personal style of Hollywood. There was something Don inhabits, and filmed him at work and backstory and the values and so unassuming – yet charming and in New Zealand, on Cockatoo Island qualities that have guided him through intriguing – about Don and his wife in Sydney Harbour, and in Vancouver. life, the more convinced we became 4 find out more of his personal life, what drives him and how he came to be one of the leading cinematographers of his time.