The Still Point

A$12,615
of $11,000 targetyrs ago
Successful on 28th Jul 2015 at 11:36PM.
The Still Point is a documentary film about the work of prolific Australian documentary photographer and photojournalist Robert McFarlane.

McFarlane has photographed for over five decades, working independently and largely free of mainstream media or the restrictions of commercial photography. 
He makes images that take his audience into cinematic and intriguing visual spaces and has photographed on the street, in the theatre, within Indigenous Australia, and in public and private spaces, amassing a body of work that is, in scope and quality, a sincere reflection of the world.




His photographs document working life and a constantly changing Australian society. They are also a record of film and theatre during its cultural rebirth in the 1970's and 80's in Australia, and of politics and political figures during times of upheaval.   





The film will look at McFarlane's contribution to photojournalism and documentation, and on the other hand, will examine the intimacy of his observations, photography as a way of being in life, the value of the personal and the sensitivity it takes to work in the space shared by photographer and subject.

The Still Point also asks why McFarlane’s work, and photography in general, still speaks to us.
Well-known images of prominent Australian figures including Charlie Perkins, Cate Blanchett, Bob Hawke, Geoffrey Rush, Gough Whitlam, and Aboriginal activist Burnum Burnum, as well as many unseen and personal images, provide a window into distilled moments, documented without sentiment or nostalgia, in which the real is more potent and intriguing than the fabricated moment.



Interviews with actors, directors, peers, and those close to the photographer reveal McFarlane's ideas about photography, his approach to work, and the resulting images of a lifetime spent behind the lens.

"I THINK I’VE BEEN TAKING TWO PULSES…THE PULSE OF THE SOCIETY AROUND ME, AND         MY OWN PULSE”

The Still Point is an attempt to show us what we may not have at first noticed; the beliefs of the person looking out at us, the beauty of an encounter, a changing world, the strength of an individual, what we thought the world we inhabit might be or never expected it to be.





"WHEN YOU PHOTOGRAPH PEOPLE, PUT THE EGO ASIDE AND JUST THINK WHO THE HELL IS THAT PERSON AND HOW WILL WE REMEMBER THEM? …BECAUSE YOU KNOW A SNAPSHOT OF GREATNESS IS BETTER THAN THE MOST GRAND POMPOUS PORTRAIT”

Drive and Documentation


Robert McFarlane has been working as freelance documentary photographer for over five decades and has produced some of the most recognisable and striking images in Australian photography. It is the kind of work ethic that McFarlane adheres to that has produced an incredible amount of images and insight into the photographer and his subject matter.


The drive behind completing and screening the film is to share images by a photographer dedicated to "accurate witness" and documenting moments and events that form a visual history otherwise unseen or, if made through the filter of the mainstream,  aimed at telling a very different story.                                                                       






Film Crew


Mira Soulio 
Producer / Director

Mira has been working alongside Robert McFarlane to produce The Still Point over the past three years.
She has a background in photography and art and has worked in the film and television industry in camera department for the past three years. This is her first project as director.


Gemma Salomon
Co Producer

Gemma is an Associate Producer for an Adelaide based production company. This is her first endeavour as Producer, having worked as Third Assistant Director on various high profile projects including Rolf De Heer's Charlie's Country and Production Manager on Versus (Triptych Pictures).
Gemma is dedicated to creating and supporting films of cultural significance.


Hugh Freytag
Camera

Hugh has shot many shorts and documentaries and has worked consistently in the film industry. His experience in lighting and electrical includes work on films like The Babdook and Wastelander Panda. He  is also a photographer on the side and shoots/develops large format and 35mm film.


Maxx Corkindale
Camera

Maxx has a love for visual story telling and enjoys creating images, be it for narrative or documentary. He shares this year's AACTA award for Best Cinematography for a Documentary and won Best Cinematography at St Kilda Film Festival in 2014. 
The Still Point is an exciting opportunity to adapt techniques of traditional still photography with cinematography.


Nick Steele
Sound

Nick Steele is a sound recordist specialising in feature and documentary film sound in both an on-set and post-production capacity. In 2014 he won an ASSG award in Best Achievement in Sound for a Television Drama as part of the sound department team on Anzac Girls.


Sianna Lee and Lara Soulio
Music and Composition

Sianna Lee and Lara Soulio have been working together for several years.
Their respective experience as songwriter/musician and experimental noise artist is a combination that produces soundscapes that are strong in directness and technical execution and express an almost cinematic sense of storyline that unfolds and builds through sound and instrumentation. 










我们伟大的项目

听我说

好了我说完了

静止的点是一部关于澳大利亚摄影师和摄影记者罗伯特麦克法兰工作的纪录片。

麦克法兰摄影技术超过五十年,是一位独立与自由兼备的主流媒体,他很少从事商业摄影。
艺术家就是这么吊,不要羡慕我,我不差钱!!!!!!

他做的影像可以把他的观众带入一个电影场景或者令人感兴趣的视觉空间,并拍摄了大街小巷,剧场以及本土澳洲的自然风光,同时在一些公共和私人的场所中,用不同的视角和特性来表达这个项目,真实的反映了这个世界。




这部纪录片反映了他的工作经历以及澳洲社会的变化,它们纪录了20世纪70年代到80年代这段文艺复兴时期电影和戏剧的变化,以及政客和党派人物在这段动荡时期的斗争。




该片主要描述麦克法兰对新闻摄影和文档方面的贡献,另一方面,考察他的个人关系,摄影是他生活中很重要的一部分,这可以体现他的个人价值同时需要高度配合其他摄影师以及主题。

这部电影还告诉我们麦克法兰为什么工作,一些显为人知的澳洲人物,比如查理帕金斯,凯特布兰切特,霍克,杰弗里拉什,惠特拉姆,和原住民活动家Burnum Burnum,还有许多珍藏的照片,放在真空橱窗里面供人们观赏,这些文件没有消费欲望以及怀旧色彩,其中实际的事物比捏造的事物更吸引人,更有趣。



我们采访了一些演员,导演,同事以及一些和麦克法兰想法接近的摄影师,了解他的工作方式,以及镜头背后艰辛的付出

“我觉得我的内心有两个灵魂,一个是我自己,另一个是对社会的抱负。”

这部电影试图向我们展示了我们最开始忽视的东西,我们对这个世界的信仰,偶然发现的美好的事物,世界的改变,以及个人的力量,我们所在的这个世界以及从未幻想过的世界。




“当你拍摄人物时,先将你的自尊放在一边,只需要思考这个人浮夸的形象,以及如何记住他们bulabulabula "






我们的钱用在什么地方呢

资金明细:

保护和设备

差旅费                                                       $4764

员工工资和保险金                                 $2986

分布和节日提交                                      $1150

获奖者的运运费                                      $1100

偶然事物                                                   $1000


总帐                                                            $11000
我们对罗伯特麦克法兰进行了访谈,拍摄的主题是谁继续拍摄和贡献设备。下一部拍摄将在南澳洲拍摄,这部需要差旅费,我们会自己筹集资金。

接下来我们要去悉尼,纽卡斯尔和墨尔本对他的同时代人,同龄人,策展人以及他的作品进行最后的拍摄。

预算包括一些基本的事务工资和设备。

我们精心准备了一个节日计划当我们的电影达到目标值时,我们希望获得的资金可以完美的完成整部电影的制作。




挑战

制作这部电影最大的挑战是采访澳大利亚各地的人们,我们许多的采访者居住在不同的城市,这主要是因为麦克法兰的工作/生活环境以及工作的数量。

有一些采访者很难找到,所以我们的工作会在一些城市或者乡村进行调节,这样才能达到采访和核心。

我们这个项目最大的一个优势就是有罗伯特的支持和协作。许多采访者同意加入这个项目,支持它并且愿意花时间在这个项目上是由于对罗伯特做过一段时间的网络采访,所以我们在筹集足够的资金去帮助他们。

如果我们成功的启动这笔资金,就可以完成拍摄和后期制作,这是其他主要挑战。后期制作和发行的元素,需要大量的资金。我们有一个稳定的计划和预算,这样我们可以呈现出好的作品给我的上帝们。想想就觉得很棒!

公众资金会在本质上符合大众观看的电影并对麦克法兰的摄影和工作有着更为广阔的认知。

“我只想知道目击人的想法”






驱动器和文件

罗伯特麦克法兰作为自由纪录片摄影师已经长达五十年,在澳洲摄影界出了一些令人叹为观止的相片。正是由于麦克法兰的这种工作精神才产生了这么美轮美奂的图像和独特摄影师以及他的题材。

驱动器后期的制作以及电影的筛选将被摄影师分享图片到“目击者”里面,这些事件会被纪录下来做为可视化历史,否则就看不见了,或者通过主流的过滤器,也会告诉我们不同的故事。






我们伟大的制作团队

Mira Soulio

制片人/导演

在过去三年中,米拉一直参与了罗伯特麦克法兰的电影。她在摄影和艺术方面有很高的造诣,并在电影和电视台的摄像部门工作过三年。这是她的作为头头的第一个项目。

Gemma Salomon

制片方合作人

杰玛是阿德莱德制作公司的助理制作。这是她第一次竭尽全力做为制片人,在第三助理总监工作时负责各种不同的等级的项目,包括罗尔夫德斯海尔查理的国家以及在电影(三联画图片)中负责监管。

杰玛致力于发展和创造有文化意义的电影。

Hugh Freytag

摄影师



Hugh拍过很多短片和纪录片并且一直在电影行业工作。他在打光和电子方面经验丰富比如奇妙的书以及荒地熊猫。他既可以制作大幅度的胶卷又可以制作仅35mm的胶卷。我和我的小伙伴们都惊呆了。

Maxx Corkindale

Maxx对有声故事非常狂热并且享受创造图像,无论是记述文还是纪录片。他分享今年的AACTA最佳摄影奖的纪录片,并在2014年获得了最佳摄影圣科达电影节。这部电影是一个不可多得的机会,以电影的视角去适应传统的照相。

Nick Steele

声音指导

Nick是一个极具特色的录音师同时在纪录片的设置和后期配音方面有很深的功底。2014年,在安扎克女孩的音响指导团队影视剧中赢得了ASSG最佳成就声音奖。

Sianna Lee and Lara Soulio

音乐和创作

Sianna Lee and Lara Soulio在一起工作好多年。他们对作曲和音乐家有不同的经验同时试验噪音艺术是一个组合物可以生产出强有力和极具演奏力的音乐背景并通过构建声音和乐谱很好的表达出了电影的故事情节。












How The Funds Will Be Used


The funds raised will be used in the following ways:

PRODUCTION AND EQUIPMENT

INCL TRAVEL AND PER DIEMS                                                          $4764

CREW NOMINAL PAYMENT AND INSURANCE/SAFETY                          $2986

DISTRIBUTION AND FESTIVALS SUBMISSION                                            $1150

POSTAGE AND DELIVERY - PRIZES                                                                   $1100

CONTINGENCY                                                                                                      $1000 

 

TOTAL                                                                                                                      $11000

We have filmed main interviews with Robert McFarlane with the generosity of our crew, who have continued to donate time and equipment. The next round of filming, happening now, is in South Australia and requires no travel costs. It is self-funded.
The crew will then travel to Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne for the final rounds of filming to interview McFarlane's contemporaries, peers, curators and those he has photographed. 
The budget accounts for in-kind support, wages and equipment hire that we could not do without.
We have a carefully constructed festival plan with the aim of getting the film widely seen. The funding we will hopefully gain will cover completion and screening of the film. 

The Challenges

The main challenge in making this film involves interviewing a wide range of people across Australia. Many of our interviewees reside in different cities and this is mainly because of the scope of McFarlane’s work/working life and the amount of work he has done.

Several of our interviewees are also hard to lock in, so our main job is scheduling in each city or town so that we achieve as many core interviews as possible.

One of our biggest advantages in this project is the level of support and collaboration we have from Robert. Many interviewees have agreed to be involved in the project, support it and give their time and an interview based upon their relationship to Robert and the networks he has made over time, so we are looking to gather sufficient funds to get a crew to them. If we are successful in this funding drive, we can complete filming and post production, which is the other main challenge. Post production and distribution are elements that we could not do without funding. We have a solid festival plan and budgeted accordingly so that we can get the film out to a wide audience. Public funding will in essence go toward public viewing of the film and a wider recognition of McFarlane's photography and photojournalistic work.



“I WAS JUST DRAWN TO THE IDEA OF WITNESS”



THANK YOU

Online shout out and thank you.

0 chosen / 1000 available

Est. delivery is Aug 15

POSTCARD SET

Set of 5 black and white postcards with 5 different images by the photographer.

26 chosen / 9 available

Est. delivery is Nov 15

T SHIRT

T Shirt printed with an image by the photographer

32 chosen / 18 available

Est. delivery is Nov 15

DIAMONDS CAMERA WORKSHOP

A photography workshop session with Lindsay Poland valued at $129. Location - Adelaide

2 chosen / 3 available

Est. delivery is Dec 15

SMALL PACKAGE

A2 print + T Shirt + 3 x postcards

3 chosen / 7 available

Est. delivery is Nov 15

COLLECTION

4 x prints signed by the photographer

0 chosen / 5 available

Est. delivery is Nov 15

EDUCATION PACKAGE

Digital Download of film after release and festival run + 5 x postcards + thanks in credits. *Available after release of film.

30 chosen / 0 available

Est. delivery is Jul 16

PAPER PRIZE

Catalogue + 10 postcards + T Shirt

15 chosen / 0 available

Est. delivery is Nov 15

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

1 x general workshop at the Centre for Creative Photography, Adelaide Kindly supported by the Centre for Creative Photography www.theccp.com.au

1 chosen / 0 available

Est. delivery is Dec 15

FRAMED PRINT

1 x print signed and framed

1 chosen / 0 available

Est. delivery is Nov 15