Film editor, producer, director and actor.
The eldest of five children born and raised in Croydon (Victoria), David Bilcock's decision to enter the film industry was very likely influenced by his father, David Bilcock Snr, who had been involved in filmmaking during the 1940s and 1950s. Bilcock helped out in various jobs at Cambridge Film Productions where his father worked and later took on a paid position there before moving to Consolidated Films as an editor.
In 1960 Bilcock moved to London where he worked with Guild television for two years. It was while in London that he met Robin Copping, who would later become his business partner (Copping was at that time intending to move to Canada but instead accepted a job in Australia with Bilcock's father at Eltham Senior Productions).
Between 1963 and 1968 David Bilcock was supervising editor at Senior Films, then Melbourne's leading producer of documentaries and commercials. When he and Copping joined director Tim Burstall in making Two Thousand Weeks in 1969, Senior Films came on board as the production company. Bilcock and Copping subsequently formed their own production company in 1968 and went on to produce not only feature films but also hundreds of commercials for both Australian and overseas companies.
Bilcock and Copping Film Productions' first major film project, Stork was again in collaboration with Tim Burstall. An adaptation of the David Williamson play The Coming of Stork. It is now recognised as one of the seminal films of the early Australian cinema renaissance. After renaming their company as Hexagon Productions Bilcock and Copping's next production was the enormously popular Alvin Purple (1973). Later films include Libido (1973), Petersen (1974), Alvin Rides Again (1974), End Play (1976), Eliza Fraser (1976), High Rolling (1977) and The Last of the Knucklemen.
In addition to his feature film and commercial productions Bilcock also co-produced, directed and/or editing a number of documentaries, notably Death Railway (about the construction of Thai-Burma railway during World War II by allied prisoners of war) and Australia's Hidden Wealth. Other projects included the bio-pics Forest of Love (on artist William Ricketts), and An Afternoon with Albert Tucker (the renowned artist and also his brother-in-law). According to Justin O'Brien 'both films bore Bilcock's inimitable sensitivity and charm, and allowed him to fully pursue his passion for artistic elegance. One of his final film undertakings before his death in 2009 was as editor for the 2005 feature Jackpot, directed by Robin Copping's son, Martin.
During his lifetime Bilcock maintained a passion for the environment and was an early advocate for action on climate change as well as being vehemently opposed to Australia becoming a nuclear waste repository.
Source: 'In the Van of Film Resurgence' [Obituary]. The Age 12 August 2009
