''An essential and long overdue companion for anyone interested in Australian cinema. In years to come Second Take will be valuable documentation of one of the most exciting periods in world cinema. I wish someone had done a book like this when I was first starting out as a film-maker.' Bill Bennett 'Film-making is like building a mosaic. The thoughts behind how those myriad of pieces are put together---the choices, accidents and inspirations-can often be as absorbing as the finished film.' Gillian Armstrong Australian cinema has been in resurgence over the past two decades, hitting the front pages and winning awards worldwide. Not surprisingly, there has been a substantial amount of writing about this increase in the popularity of Australian film, and about the development of an Australian aesthetic. However, there have been no forums for informed alternative voices, especially those which sustain the film industry's existence---the 'voice' of the film-maker. ' (Publication summary)
Dedication:
For Sharon Bell and the Carlito's Way fan club, for whom it is better to live impossible dreams than to sleep with waking nightmares. - Geoff
For Rebecca Maywald, whose faith is ambrosia and brought the warmth of the sun into my heart. - Lino
'In the introductory chapter of Second Take, Raffaele Caputo and Geoff Burton affirm the phrase “reculer pour mieux sauter” as the impulse of their collection. This eclectic and self-reflective collection of essays, interviews and diary entries reviews fifty years of Australian film-making in order to establish its health, current standing and future. The contributors, who are both practitioners and critics rather than film academics, discuss the post-colonial legacy which has shaped Australian cinema and, crucially, the logistics of getting films made in a Hollywood-dominated yet global financial economy. Their themes call into question rigid academic notions of national cinema and reveal the pragmatic relationship between film-making, artistic vision, location and the material conditions of production.' (Introduction)
'In the introductory chapter of Second Take, Raffaele Caputo and Geoff Burton affirm the phrase “reculer pour mieux sauter” as the impulse of their collection. This eclectic and self-reflective collection of essays, interviews and diary entries reviews fifty years of Australian film-making in order to establish its health, current standing and future. The contributors, who are both practitioners and critics rather than film academics, discuss the post-colonial legacy which has shaped Australian cinema and, crucially, the logistics of getting films made in a Hollywood-dominated yet global financial economy. Their themes call into question rigid academic notions of national cinema and reveal the pragmatic relationship between film-making, artistic vision, location and the material conditions of production.' (Introduction)
