Film-Making Schools To Be Held

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31802, 5 October 1968, Page 17

Film-Making Schools To Be Held

Week-end schools on filmmaking will be held in Christchurch and Wellington from November 22 to 24 by the extension studies department of Victoria University of Wellington, but Mr Maurice Askew, senior lecturer in design at the University of Canterbury, who will conduct the Christchurch school, said “they are not for home moviemakers." By this Mr Askew said he meant that the aim was to study film-making as a serious art form like painting and sculpture. Although some experience was desirable, there might be still-camera enthusiasts who wanted to take up such film-making. For this reason his course would have “an introduction to the camera, a look at some films, and- perhaps shooting some footage.” But the objective was the serious study of films.

Mr Askew said week-end schools in Christchurch and Wellington were considered a convenient way of handling courses in each island. They would be pre-requisites for a summer arts school in Wellington from January 7 to 17. The summer school, called “The Probing Eye II,” would also include painting, environmental art, advanced pottery, and fabric printing. The film group there, in two teams of 10 or 12, will make a film, they will be instructed in “scripting, directing, producing, filming, editing, sound, projection, and criticism.” The product will be shown to the whole arts school. Mr Askew will be joined in this by Mr Arthur Everard, a National Film unit director, who will conduct the Wellington week-end school. The National Film unit is giving considerable assistance.