SPRING 2012 | ISSUE 54 NZTECHOThe New Zealand Film and Video Technicians’ quarterly Capturing the extreme: New heights in filming Camera: From film to digital and beyond Public liability insurance in www.nztecho.com our industry Film experience that puts us in the picture... Elevated Work Platforms & Scaffold South Island Vehicle Rental North Island Vehicle Rental Portable Toilets & Showers a division of Marquee & Event Hire Generators & Pumps www.hirepool.co.nz For more information, contact: Film Specialists Tom Hotere 0272 614 195 or Craig McIntosh 0275 878 063 Rental Vehicles Marianne Dyer 0275 542 506 or Craig Booth 0274 919 027 Film experience that EDITORIAL CONTENTS As you will read in the following pages, there is certainly a lot going on at GUILD NEWS & VIEWS the Guild at the moment – exciting times ahead for sure. 2 President’s rave puts us in the picture... We focus in on the wonderful world of camera. We hear from Peter Pres Alun ‘Albol’ Bollinger’s thoughts and recent travel Parnham on some of the issues around the move from film to digital. 3 Behind the scenes Alun Bollinger also shares his thoughts on the journey so far. Executive Officer Karla Rodgers with good news There is certainly plenty to consider but, like all technologies, some will INDUSTRY Elevated Work Platforms & Scaffold embrace them while others won’t. One thing is for sure though – digital technologies will only develop faster and faster. 6 Waving goodbye to film Cameraman Murray Milne takes us on an off-road adventure with the recent Exploring the film versus digital debate New Zealand television series First Crossings. A reminder that you never 10 Face-to-face with the elements quite know where this industry will take you. A techo’s experience shooting in extreme conditions 14 Regional wrap Our lawyer Tim Riley talks through some contractual issues impacting South Island Vehicle Rental 20 News reel members. Remember, never be afraid to negotiate! In our safety section there is a slightly holistic approach to health and TECHOSPHERE wellbeing. What can you do to reduce stress, physical injury or discomfort? 4 Fine print: What’s in a contract? It is not just about heavy lifting and not taking breaks either. It is the every- 5 Back in the day: Peter Janes shares more snaps from the past day tasks and choices we make that have an impact too. 16 Point-of-view: Understanding film producers North Island Vehicle Rental We also hear from Crombie Lockwood about public liability insurance in 17 Safety notes: Looking after yourself our member benefits section – covering the unknown. It is important to 18 Extreme close-up: Murray Milne protect yourself! 20 Members with benefits: Covering the unkown Our new regional wrap section aims to keep members updated on 20 Gold stars and chocolate fish happenings around the country. So a fairly busy winter in Auckland with a sprinkling of jobs in Queenstown while many in Wellington are now taking Portable Toilets & Showers a well-deserved breather after The Hobbit wrap (but also looking forward to a division of working on the next one). Here’s hoping for a busy spring across the board as we head into summer. Carolyn Brooke, acting editor Marquee & Event Hire Cover shot: Camera operator Murray Milne abseiling off the top of Barrier Knob in the Darren Mountains, Fiordland with presenter Jamie Fitzgerald. Photo courtesy of Murray Milne. Generators & Pumps ISSUE 54 SPRING 2012 Editor Advertising Carolyn Brooke Advertising queries, please contact Karla Rodgers on 09 302 2202, Publisher/advertising [email protected] or 0800 TECHOS. For a copy of our ad specs Karla Rodgers and rate card, please visit our website. Design Justin Westgate / biote www.hirepool.co.nz Printing All contents are copyright New Zealand Film and Video TP Printing Services Ltd. Technicians’ Guild, 2012, unless indicated otherwise. May not be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form without permission. For more information, contact: Contributors Alun ‘Albol’ Bollinger The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the Helen ‘HelBol’ Bollinger views of the New Zealand Film and Video Technicians’ Guild. Film Specialists Tom Hotere 0272 614 195 or Craig McIntosh 0275 878 063 We appreciate Dave Brown Joshua Dunn Rental Vehicles Marianne Dyer 0275 542 506 or Craig Booth 0274 919 027 the support of: Sioux Macdonald Murray Milne Peter Parnham Tim Riley Tui Ruwhiu Graeme Tuckett www.nztecho.com 2 | NZTECHO Spring 2012 BEHIND THE SCENES With over 20 years in the film industry, Karla Rodgers is now executive officer for the Techos’ Guild. Spring behind the scenes Kia ora all, I’m feeling so happy to deliver good news in this issue. Guild Having had to bring the tone down a little with the immigration issues, I end funding, new member benefits, membership increases and immigration on a relative fifth positive note. Recently the Guild did in fact object to a applications turned back at the boarder! case being processed through Immigration and an immigration lawyer, and First positive news. As funding in any sector gets tougher and tighter I was we won – protecting positions for local crew as DOP, co-coordinator and thrilled to recently receive a call from the New Zealand Film Commission to editor. So I do hope those positions end up going to Guild members who let us know that the Guild has been successful in our application for funding have secured the right to those positions, which without the Guild, would under the Professional Training Partnership Programme for 2012. not have been possible. n With such a broad range of skills within the Guilds’ membership the challenge was to create an application to the Film Commission that would be geared towards all our members developing all our skills, and we nailed it! Although dates and venues are yet to be decided we have been funded for four workshops to be held in each Guild region: Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown. There will be a charge to non-Guild members but to Guild members the workshops will be entirely free. On a second positive note. Fuel – going up by the minute and as important to our daily working life as food. The Guild has secured a well-timed fuel deal with FnF Fuels. On application all Guild members will get 6.5 cents off petrol and 8.5 off diesel (off the Auckland zone price). So no more mucking around with supermarket vouchers. But there’s more – additional benefits to the fuelcard will include great discounts with Bunnings, Repco, Noel Leeming, Office Max, Ideal Electrical, Mastertrade, Protector, Safety and Carters. The cost of savings on the fuel alone will literally cover the cost of annual Guild membership – so why wouldn’t you be in the Guild? Onto the third positive note. We recently secured with Mediaweb, publish- ers of Onfilm and The Data Book, free yearly subscriptions to Onfilm magazine for all Guild members… and there’s steak knives… each Guild member will also receive their own free hard copy of The Data Book. Moving on, fourth positive note. Over the past six months our membership has been steadily rising. Often the phrase coined is ‘but what does the Guild do for me?’ The answers are satirically put in the ‘Non-Guild Member- ship Card’ published in this issue (see page 19). Ironically, it is often the non-Guild members who are first to complain when lunch isn’t on time. Time to flash the Non-Guild Membership Card! On that note: What we do do. In recent months, the Guild has worked very hard as changes in the immigration laws start to have an impact – and they are. We have heard of technicians booked and confirmed on jobs of less than 14 days dropped in favour of no better-qualified overseas techni- cians. Also, we watch closely the companies who have applied for Industry Accreditation, as rumblings appear to be surfacing of how that system is being used or possibly abused. With the April 28 change in policy due for review in September 2013, I am working with the other Guilds to document as many cases as possible in readiness. Unfortunately, Immigration New Zealand have removed the ability for the Guilds (in fact anyone) to monitor who is and who is not coming into Mick Sinclair the country to work in the screen industry, so we will be relying somewhat on you, as crew, to let us know (in confidence) of situations which you believe to be impacting on the jobs of local crew. Ph +64 9 360-9995 www.sinclairblack.co.nz NZTECHO Spring 2012 | 3 PRESIDENT’S RAVE Award-winning cinematographer and committed West Coaster, Alun Bollinger has been president of the Techos’ Guild for an age. Freebies in Ireland and other adventures Having watched the speed of the transition from analogue to digital in *Plus a few words from Helen Bollinger music, stills photography and now cinema, I’m seriously hoping there Movie-making is a great way to see the world. It remains the perfect will be a much swifter transition from fossil fuels to electricity for the vehicle for transporting film workers to exotic places and people, both propulsion of our road transport requirements. There are so many obvi- here and off shore. ‘Exotic New Zealand’ may seem like an oxymoron – ous advantages of electric motors over the internal-combustion engine: but New Zealand is a big and varied little country. How many of us have cleanliness, efficiency (the motor is only using power when it’s working seen all of it? so nothing’s happening when you’re stopped at the lights, except for As you would’ve read above, Albol and I recently had a marvellous powering the CD player), and..