Australian Cinema

1
Australian Cinema

• Semester One
• 2005

2
Overview of Course

• Introduction
• Section One Myths of Australia
• Section Two The Industry
• Section Three Futures

3
What is National Cinema?

• Economically - the infrastructures of production,
  distribution, exhibition
• Popularity with audiences
• Self definition
• National Expression - familiar images, attitudes
  and self-understanding, aboutness
• Role of critics and scholars
• Cultural identity

4
Economic

• From 1977-2003 Australian films have earned 5.7
  of the box office (that is, 376 million out of
  total 6,644.4 million)
• In 2003, Australian share 3.5 (31.3 million)
• Peak years - 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1994 -
  at least 10 share

5
Popularity

• What are Australians watching (http//www.afc.gov.
  au/gtp/wcboshare.html )

6
Self Definition

• Self defining movements
• For Australian film
• The First Australian Boom (November 1910 - July
  1912
• The Australian New Wave
• The Australian Renaissance

7
National Expression

• Familiar images - mythologies of bush vs. city,
  the aussie bloke, the world-weary pioneer
  woman, etc.
• Attitudes and self-expression - what it means to
  be Australian, the Australian voice
• aboutness - films about Australia

8
Role of Critics and Scholars

• Phillip Adams, key activist for Australian film
  renaissance of 1970s, known for involvement in
  Ocker genre
• I regard the Oscars as the golden nails in the
  coffin of the Australian film industry, and while
  they are very nice for the golden children who
  win them, they have nothing to do with the
  Australian film industry. Its always a sign of
  it being murdered, butchered, and thats not an
  exaggeration.
• www.styluspoetryjournal.com/main/master.asp?id435
  

9
Culture

• What is Australian cultural identity?
• Iconography
• New cultural awarenesses

10
Background

• 30 November 1894 peep show considered the
  beginning of Australian film
• August 1896 American magician Carl Hertz showed
  five Edison films as part of a programme in
  Melbourne Opera House
• 1896 Melbourne Cup recorded by Walter Barnett
• By 1900 Salvation Army using moving pictures as
  part of a larger programme (Soldiers of the Cross)

11
Soldiers of the Cross

• Salvation Army under the leadership of Herbert
  Booth (son of William)
• Major Joseph Perry production head of Limelight
  saw potential of film
• Developed from actualities into mini-dramas
• Also produced other films including some on
  Australian themes (i.e., bushrangers)
• http//www.abc.net.au/limelight/docs/films/5_1_3_0
  1.htm

12
Social Developments

• Complex social changes in late 19th to early 20th
  century
• Increasing levels of urbanisation and affluence
• Reorganisation of leisure (move from haphazard
  individualistic pastimes to mass-based, highly
  commercialised entertainment/leisure industries

13
First Australian Boom(November 1910 to July 1912)

• Most films devoted to reflecting Australia (of
  the 79 titles released, 53 were proudly and
  blatantly Australian)
• Topics included bushranging, gold, convict
  life, horse racing
• Australia as the edge of the world, place of last
  chances
• Cities only appeared occasionally

14
World War I

• Production boom over by January 1913
• Australasian Films - most powerful production
  firms merged into a combine of distribution,
  exhibition and production
• WWI cut the Australian industry from Europe
• Opportunity to develop local industry lost due to
  economics
• Hollywood production companies set up their own
  distribution companies in Australia

15
Newsreels

• By 1920s there was a thriving newsreel industry
• Cinema programme of 1930s and 1940s consisted of
  two features, one or two newsreels, a cartoon and
  one or two trailers
• Cinesound The Voice of Australia
• By 1956 the coming of television heralded the end
  of newsreels
• Only a few remain

16
Kiss or Kill. 1997. 35mm. Bill Bennett.
17
Specifications

• Aspect Ratio 1851
• Production Companies
• Australian Film Finance Corporation
• Bill Bennett Productions
• Budget 2 million
• Screened in Australia, USA, Germany