FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL BILL 1973
SECOND READING SPEECH , s 7
BY
THE HONOURABLE EG, WHITLAM, M, P,,
PRIME MINISTER,
THE PURPOSE OF THIS BILL IS TO ESTABLISH THE FILM
AND TELEVISION SCHOOL AS A STATUTORY BODY WITH THE STATUS
OF A COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION, IT MARKS THE CULMINATION
OF THREE YEARS' EXTENSIVE PLANNING FOR A SCHOOL WHICH HAS
FOUND GENERAL SUPPORT IN THE PARLIAMENT AND FROM ALL SECTORS
OF FILM AND TELEVISION IN AUSTRALIA,
HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL RECALL THAT AN INTERIM
COUNCIL FOR A NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL WAS
APPOINTED AT THE END OF 1969 TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON THE
STEPS NECESSARY TO BRING THE SCHOOL INTO OPERATION, IT
CARRIED OUT WIDE-RANGING INVESTIGATIONS AND PRODUCED THREE
REPORTS WHICH DOCUMENTED FIRM SUPPORT FOR THE SCHdOL FROM
COMMERCIAL FILM PRODUCERS, THE FEDERATION OF COMMERCIAL
TELEVISION STATIONS, THE AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMMISSION,
THE COMMONWEALTH FILM UNIT, GUILDS AND UNIONS, AND EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS, THE SCHOOL WAS OFFICIALLY INITIATED IN APRIL 1972.
NEGOTIATIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITH THE COUNCIL OF
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY FOR THE SCHOOL TO HAVE A SITE OF FIVE
ACRES ON THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, BUT THERE WILL BE NO FORMAL
LINKS WITH THAT INSTITUTION, PROFESSOR JERZY TOE PLITZ,
CURRENTLY VISITING PROFESSOR OF FILM AT LA TROBE UNIVERSITY
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AND FORMER RECTOR OF THE RENOWNED POLISH FILM SCHOOL, HAS
BEEN APPOINTED FOUNDATION DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL, HE WILL
TAKE UP FULL-TIME DUTY AT THE SCHOOL IN AUGUST THIS YEAR.
THE INTENTION IS THAT THE SCHOOL WILL PROVIDE, AT
THE HIGHEST LEVELS, A WIDE RANGE OF TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
FOR PROSPECTIVE CREATIVE WORKERS IN FILM AND TELEVISION, IT
WILL CONDUCT FULL-TIME COURSES IN FILM AND TELEVISION
PRODUCTION, AND IT IS HOPED THAT IT WILL BECOME A CENTRE FOR
OPEN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, WHICH WILL INCLUDE REFRESHER COURSES,
SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE FILM AND
TELEVISION INDUSTRY, IN EDUCATION, AND FOR ALL FILM-MAKERS
AND VIDEO SPECIALISTS IN THE DEVELOPING AREAS OF AUDIO-VISUAL
COMMUNICATIONS, THE SCHOOL WILL AIM TO MEET THE GROWING AND CHANGING
NEEDS OF FILM AND TELEVISION IN AUSTRALIA AND ALSO TO HELP
OUR NEIGHBOURS, FOR AS THE SCHOOL BECOMES ESTABLISHED WE MAY
EXPECT IT TO OFFER TRAINING FOR OVERSEAS STUDENTS PARTICULARLY
FROM NEW ZEALAND AND THE PACIFIC AREA.
GRADUATES OF THE SCHOOL MAY EXPECT TO FIND EMPLOYMENT
IN PRIVATE FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION, IN GOVERNMENT
PRODUCTION AGENCIES AND IN OTHER AREAS CONNECTED WITH THE
COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA, I MENTION ONLY UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES
OF ADVANCED EDUCATION, TEACHERS AND TECHNICAL COLLEGES AS
INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE INCREASINGLY SEEKING PEOPLE QUALIFIED
IN AREAS OF FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION AND EDUCATION,
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To ENSURE THAT THE SCHOOL GETS THE BEST INSTRUCTORS
THE PROFESSIONALS WHOSE LIVELIHOOD IS IN FILM OR TELEVISION
MANY OF THE SENIOR INSTRUCTING STAFF WILL BE EMPLOYED UNDER
SHORT-TERM CONTRACTS SO THAT THEIR SERVICES MAY BE GAINED BETWEEN
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENTS.
INITIALLY, THE SCHOOL WILL OFFER COURSES IN THE KEY
AREAS OF FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION FOR DIRECTORS, PRODUCERS,
WRITERS, EDITORS, AND CAMERAMEN. AS IT DEVELOPS, COURS S
MAY BE OFFERED FOR UNIT MANAGERS, DESIGNERS, MEDIA
ECONOMISTS, WRITERS ON GENERAL FILM SUBJECTS, AND COMMUNICATION
THEORISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS. THE SCHOOL SHOULD EVENTUALLY
DEVELOP FACILITIES FOR POST-GRADUATE STUDY AND OTHER ADVANCED
RESEARCH. TRAINING WILL EMPHASIZE DIRECT PRODUCTION
EXPERIENCE WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS AND DEMANDS THAT ACCOMPANY
PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTIONS.
CENTRAL TO THE SCHOOL WILL BE MODEL FILM AND TELEVISION
STUDIOS, AND THERE WILL BE FULL OPPORTUNITY FOR ON-THE-JOB
TRAINING IN PROFESSIONAL SITUATIONS. MANY SECTORS OF THE
FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY, BOTH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE, HAVE
INDICATED ALREADY THAT THEY WILL MAKE AVAILABLE FACILITIES FOR
SUCH TRAINING, SUBJECT TO EQUITABLE ARRANGEMENTS BEING WORKED
OUT WITH MANAGEMENTS AND UNIONS.
CLOSE COLLABORATION WILL BE SOUGHT WITH THE INDUSTRY,
AND THE LOCATION OF THE SCHOOL ON SYDNEY'S NORTH SIDE RELATES
TO THE PRESENCE THERE OF A VERY LARGE CONCENTRATION OF PRODUCTION
HOUSES, TELEVISION STATIONS AND LABORATORIES WITH WHICH
THE SCHOOL EXPECTS TO BE IN CONSTANT TOUCH.
THE SCHOOL WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH EDUCATIONAL
AUTHORITIES, THE FILM AND TELEVISION BOARD OF THE AUSTRALIAN
COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS, THE DEPARTMENT OF THE MEDIA AND
RELATED AGENCIES, AND WITH THE MANY BODIES REPRESENTING
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INTERESTS IN FILM AND TELEVISION,
IT WILL ALSO SEEK CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH THE OTHER
ARTS, AND BODIES SUCH AS THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DRAMATIC ART,
AND SCHOOLS OF MUSIC, ART AND DESIGN, I BELIEVE THAT,
IN THIS WAY, THE SCHOOL WILL NOT ONLY TURN OUT COMPETENT
GRADUATES IN THE TECHNIQUES OF FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION,
BUT ARTISTIC AND IMAGINATIVE PEOPLE WITH A VIGOROUS
APPRECIATION OF THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES,
THE SCHOOL WILL CO-ORDINATE THE GRANTING OF FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE TO ORGANISATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS CONCERNED WITH
FILM AND TELEVISION TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA,
PARTICULAR ENCOURAGEMENT MAY BE GIVEN TO ORGANISATIONS AND
INSTITUTIONS WISHING TO TRY OUT PILOT TRAINING SCHEMES,
WORKSHOPS, AND ACTIVITIES LIKELY TO LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF OTHER SPECIALIST FACILITIES AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR
COMMUNITY GROUPS TO GAIN EXPERIENCE IN USING THE MEDIA,
AS WELL, THE SCHOOL WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE GRANTS-IN-AID TO
PEOPLE WHO MAY BENEFIT THROUGH OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE, STUDY,
OR TRAINING WHICH IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THIS COUNTRY,
IT WILL PROVIDE A RESOURCE CENTRE FOR DEVELOPING NEW
IDEAS, TECHNIQUES AND METHODS AND WILL BE READY TO MAKE ITS
STUDIOS AVAILABLE TO PRODUCERS FOR TRAINING, RESEARCH AND
I SPECIAL PRODUCTIONS. IT WILL ALSO COLLABORATE IN COLLATING,
DISSEMINATING AND PUBLISHING DATA LIKELY TO ASSIST THE
DEVELOPMENT OF FILM AND TELEVISION IN AUSTRALIA.
I HOPE TO ANNOUNCE SHORTLY THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO
WILL FORM THE FIRST PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE FILM AND
TELEVISION SCHOOL. THE-MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WILL BE
DRAWN FROM ACROSS THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF FILM AND TELEVISION.
THE BILL PROVIDES THAT WHEN THE SCHOOL IS FULLY OPERATIONAL THE
COUNCIL WILL CONSIST OF FIVE MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE
GOVERNOR-GENERAL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL, TWO MEMBERS
ELECTED BY THE STAFF FROM AMONG THEIR NUMBER, TWO STUDENTS
ELECTED BY THE STUDENT BODY, AND FIVE MEMBERS ELECTED BY
CONVOCATION OF THE SCHOOL, THE CONVOCATION WILL CONSIST OF
GRADUATES OF THE SCHOOL, ALL MEMBERS AND PAST MEMBERS OF THE
STAFF OF THE SCHOOL, ALL PERSONS WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE
INTERIM COUNCIL, ALL MEMBERS AND PAST MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL,
AND REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL SECTORS OF AUSTRALIAN FILM AND
TELEVISION. I BELIEVE THAT THE SCHOOL WILL PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT
STIMULUS TO FILM AND TELEVISION IN AUSTRALIA AND I COMMEND
THE BILL TO THE HOUSE.