One of the most celebrated figures in world cinema, Oscar-winning Lord David Puttnam, kept a sell out audience enlivened with the leading film-maker delivering a public lecture at Griffith Film School.
Lord Puttnam, whose career as an independent producer includes classic films such as Midnight Express, The Killing Fields and Chariots of Fire will look at creative criticism in filmmaking and other business models.
Creative Collisions – It’s never easy but it’s worth itreflects on his recent time at Pixar animation studios to consult on their creative culture and processes.
“Change is tough, but you have to set the bar high and ensure that you keep pushing to create the best project possible,” he said.
“That means being open to criticism, recognising your strengths and weaknesses and fostering your creative relationships.”
Lord Puttnam has a long-standing relationship with Griffith Film School, delivering a series of live interactive seminars from his home in Ireland over the past five years that cover everything from movies and money, the use of sound and music and the evolving role of the author and producer.
He nominates classics including Breaker Morant and The Castle as his favourite Australian films and argues that the big end of town should be giving back to film education in this country – creating scholarships and grants for emerging filmmakers.
“There is a lack of faith and investment on behalf of the big corporations and studios – they should be putting money into film education to ensure that new talent comes through the pipeline.”
Lord Puttnam welcomed advances in technology that has allowed young filmmakers to create their own work and distribute it online.
“The amount of content being produced has increased sixfold in the past 30 years,” he said.
“When I was a young filmmaker, you were limited by the cost of film stock and the expense of hiring cameras and equipment.
“Now Griffith Film School is better equipped than most major studios were a few decade ago.
“The barrier to entry into the industry has dropped and there are great opportunities to show your work.”
Lord Putnam’s films have won 10 Academy Awards, 25 BAFTAs and the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
