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Shadowcatchers Progress Report

Dear Friends,

After an interruption of several months under the pressure of paid work, the ACS Book Committee is reconvening in February to begin the process of selecting photographs for The Shadowcatchers book.

Thanks so much to all who sent their pictures in, the majority of which are superb. We now have 3000 photographs to consider, even before our forthcoming trip to the National Film & Sound Archive.

In addition, we have the most extraordinary collection of over one thousand photographs from cinematographer John Platt, each of which is worthy of inclusion. This means that the selection process for the book will be extremely rigorous, all the more so as we are covering one hundred years of cinematography.

However, since there are so very many good photographs representing a wide range of cinematographers and work through different eras, we want to make a second larger selection for a searchable (watermarked) web archive.

If there is any ACS member or friend of ACS with the skills and the time to help set up this archive, please get in touch with Martha Ansara at shadowcatchers@austcine.org.au.

Thanks to all who sent in their photos it's going to be a very exciting book.... when it appears. This project is -- of course -- a bigger undertaking than we anticipated. We will not get the book finished for the ACS 50th Anniversary Celebrations, but we will try for the end of 2008 anniversary year. And will keep you posted.

On a related note, the National Film & Sound Archive has developed what is perhaps the world's best Archive online search engine. It includes increasing numbers of digitised production and publicity stills. However, because of the state of the documentation sent to the Archive, not every entry is accurate or complete. So, if you want to do a bit of national service, go to the website http://www.nfsa.afc.gov.au/the_collection and search for your name and your films, and see what comes up. There is a facility to send a correction in to the staff and, despite their large work loads, they want you to do so.

I'm heading to the Archive in March to try to fill in the gaps, largely for film work prior to 1980. I'm keen to get on with it. The photographs reveal so much about who we are and who we have been, what it is that we have done and how much has changed in film and in society... as well as all those things that have persisted over the years: the concentration, the hard yakka, the team, the fun, the skills, the landscapes, the light -- the LIGHT! (some very nice photos indeed) Meanwhile, we appreciate your patience and support...

Martha Ansara

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