N.Z. film-makers bitter

Press, 9 June 1978, Page 1

N.Z. film-makers bitter

By KEN COATES Zealand reveal widespread the atmosphere of a hospic w™. dissatisfaction with it. tai surgery. Some New Zea andl • The p rocess j ng service “The Film Unit laborrna ,t ers fh are fiimnrXwino offered was appalling, said atory is in an old building with the film-process g Mr Derek Morton, a Wei- no-one bothers to clean, that lington film-maker. and frequently film is National Film Unit that while there were com- scratched and dirty,” Mr they are sending film to wniie mere were com Australia petent young people at the iviorion saia. ~.. v, this mete laboratory keen to do a Mr W. McGill, who has , C °pv good job, the end result had more than 30 years’ was seriously affected by experience in film processchange, film industry a lack of co . orc jj nat i on ing, came from Britain to sources say they get a d administrative ex- join the Film Unit, vastly more professional 1 „ ~ , . . service bv sending film to p ‘ ,^ e sa ‘?J he knew of a Svdnev firm He said he had been three others who had The National Film Unit forced to send one film come from Britain and laboratory has some of back 17 times because of who had now left the the finest equipment in mistakes m the laboratory. Film Unit. the world, and is capable He said that most over- “It was a terrible uphill of handling all New Zea- seas laboratories were struggle trying to get the land’s film processing but spotlessly clean, had con- administration to do inquiries throughout New trolled air pressure, and things,, or try different

ways of doing things,” Mr McGill said.

“Youngsters were recruited and dominated, and the money they received was very bad.” He stayed three years and a half. Mr McGill is critical about how he was asked to work “as a public servant.” Necessary shift work could not be done without clearing it with head office, he said. Mr Alan Stewart, head of TV2’s film services, said the unit could not offer a seven-day service, but things were likely to improve when it moved into a new complex near Avalon. “The unit did a tremendous job on ‘Hunter’s Gold,’ and to be too critical at this time is unfair because of the changeover,” he said. He confirmed that TV2 was sending about 40,000 ft of film to Australia for processing every six months, but said this was only a fraction of its output of 40,000 ft a month. Film was also processed by a private company in Auckland, he said. Mr Stewart said that TV2 had “a very good working relationship” with the laboratory. The unit’s manager (Mr D. Fowler) was not available for comment yesterday, but the senior executive officer (Mr G. Harold) said that the post of laboratory director had been widely advertised, but no appointment had yet been made. It was hoped to move in to the new Avalon complex in August, he said.