Without overtly realising it, I'd discovered the overarching theme that would guide mefrom then on, film crews within their working enviroment.
The lines above, from my introduction to Observations On Set sum up the lst 40-odd years. Over that time I've come full circle, fromstarting out as a stills assistant in a commercial studio in North Sydney to discovering the film industry and climbing the rungs of the camera department to finally returning to still as a Unit Still Photographer.
Irrespective of what position I have been engaged in, the one constant has been a stills camera to record my workmates on set.
In the early nineties I began gifting prints as a way of showing my appreciation to those who had assisted me on set.
Forty years on the resultant archive has expanded to become a slice of our collective history. Over 100,000 images shot on close to 100 drama projects including Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Strictly Ballroom, Fly Away Home and the 13 Warrior, plus countless commercials.
So much has changed over the two decades that are covered in the first book, let alone the move to digital and all that encompassed. One thing that has remained rock solid is the crews devotion to one another and the project at hand.
From remote locations and time away from loved ones to extremes in weather and terrain they push on to complete the show.
I am in awe of these people. Few industries come close to matching the challenges faces daily by those who work in the film industry.
John Platt’s photographs capture the work and spirit of Australian filmmaking from his unique perspective as a member of the camera crew.
For anyone interested in an intimate view of what happens behind the scenes, Platt’s book will be a revelation.
The compelling reason why I used so many of his images in the Australian Cinematographers Society photographic history, The Shadowcatchers, is above all their artistic power.
They are, quite simply, great
photographs.
Martha Ansara, Author, The Shadowcatchers,
A history of cinematography in Australia
John has created an incredible long-form documentary project on the Australian film industry and how it has grown and changed over the decades. Yet further to this, he has managed to capture the essence of the people he’s photographed, the atmosphere that is created on set and the warmth and generosity of the industry.
Harriet Tarbuck, Co-Founder, Australian Photography Awards
The defining character of the book is one of friendship and mutual respect, which is plainly evident in the structure of the book and the lasting images of the people within the confines of the pages.
This book is a tour de force, a volume from a true collaborator that will live through the ages and represents in actual fact a time capsule that we can refer to well into the future.
Ron Johanson OAM ACS Former National President, Australian Cinematographers Society