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PORTRAIT gallery
BAFTANEWSAND
KAREN KATZ ANGUS DEAYTON JACKIE O'SULLIVAN SELLY SAINI RUTH DAVIS RICHARD TIERNEY KATHERINE ALLEN
BAFTANEWSAND
CALLING ALL
MEMBERS FROM AMY MINYARD BAFTA Events And Membership Officer
screenings and events, and I would like to reassure you that there are almost always tickets available. Unless other- wise stated, tickets for screen- ings are issued from 5.00pm.
Over the past year only two screenings out of 146 have been completely full. Events are bookable either by using the Events Booking Form or by emailing events@bafta.org. If you email please do not forget to include your address and membership number so that we can post tickets to you.
As with the screenings, only two events over the past year have been completely full but, despite that, events are often fully booked. However, there are almost always seats available on the night, so it is worth turning up to put your name on a waiting list if you are keen to attend an event. I would, though, beg all of you to only book for events you plan to attend, and to let us know if you are unable to for whatever reason. This would allow other members to be certain of their place in the audience.
Finally, the building will be re-opened to members on August 28. This date is slightly earlier than men- tioned previously and I look forward to seeing you all back in the building.
RECENT EVENTS
NICK ELLIOTT AT BAFTA: FORGET AMBITION, GIVE US THE RATINGS!
On June 13, Controller of Network Drama for ITV Nick Elliott took centre stage in the Academy’s Princess Anne Theatre. Talking to a large
audience of producers, direc- tors and writers, Elliott chose the rather contentious though tongue in cheek statement “Forget Ambition, Give Us the
police who went to jazz clubs and lived on narrow boats.”
“We are looking for something different like the upcoming series Footballer’s
AN EVENING WITH JACK CARDIFF OBE
“He was the one who taught the movie camera to be as supple as a paintbrush.” MARTIN SCORSESE
“You are the best in the world.” MARILYN MONROE Earlier this year, distinguished cinematographer and director Jack Cardiff was presented with an honorary Oscar at the annual Academy Awards in LA. BAFTA and the BFI cele- brated his exceptional career in the movies on July 31 with an evening of conversation with Jack and clips from some of his films.
He started his career as a child actor, alongside Dorothy Gish in Tip Toes and Fay Compton in The Life and Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots.
His big break behind the camera came in 1943 whilst working as a camera operator
As we approach the August closure, things do not slow down at the Academy one bit. We had some prestigious events and also some fun evenings in June and July. At the same time, Juliet McCulloch (Membership and Events Administrator) and I have been working our way through the busiest time of year for membership, as most members renew in July.
As you will have read in the last issue of ACADEMY, Judith Parkinson recently left BAFTA for new challenges, and with her went much wisdom and experience in dealing with the day to day membership administration at the Academy. Thank you all for your patience and good humour as Juliet and I have picked up the reins of a most demanding process.
I know many of you have been concerned about the booking procedures for
Ratings” as the title for his dis- cussion with Brian Park of Shed Productions.
Six years in the job and with a budget of £270 million for 670 hours of drama, Elliott told the audience that he wanted to do “drama pro- grammes that are a balance between safe and ambitious,” but added “anyone working in ITV is desperate for success in audience numbers.”
In an engaging discussion, he explored how he and Jenny Reeks approached the commissioning of new and returning series and what they were looking for. He explained he did not want “stories about
Wives and The Russian Bride, which is not a safe drama but one that I am incredibly proud of.”
Talking about the drama Bloody Sunday, Elliott said that “in doing the pro- gramme, which is Northern Ireland politics, we are not doing it for ratings but giving the channel a voice in a dra- matic way as we did with Hillsborough and The Story of Stephen Lawrence.”
Elliott said that they had built up a very good relation- ship with the big suppliers, Granada and Carlton, howev- er between 25 and 30% of drama was from indepen- dents and as long as they continued to be successful he could not see changes.
Produced by Chair of Events and Education Jill James, the evening was the first of a series of landmark events where leading figures talk to BAFTA about their role in the success of their industry.
on Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. Powell was so impressed by his talent that he invited Cardiff to be the cinematographer on A Matter of Life and Death.
He then went on to be cin- ematographer on more than 70 films, including Black Narcissus (for which he won
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