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24/02/2005: "Sharks on Film ........Roadshow Memoirs"
Following an example established by surf films, I released these shark films at similar venues along the east coast. Shark Fighters did amazing business on 16mm but in that era we were all too busy having fun making new films and underwater photographs to bother with the effort involved with distribution.
In retrospect we passed up millions of dollars of potential income. It's all different today. Sharks saturated the pay TV screens. Cinema entertainment has changed.
The advertising copy (here on a handbill) was a joint effort between shark victim turned shark fighter and much later a 'shark protection activist' (Rodney Fox), the Taylor's and I. It's interesting to see how our attitudes have changed since those early days when we knew less and the public knew nothing of shark species and their respective behaviour. A grey nurse to them was just as deadly as a WP. The Saumarez Reef 30 minute film showed a tiger shark and grey reef whalers for the first time, yet these advertising pictured focused on grey nurse pictures - which were more graphic.
The three, thirty-minute-each films were shot and edited by Ron Taylor on non-fading Kodachrome film stock. Considered amateur film at the time it is beautiful as archival stock today. Beginners luck.
At each screening there would be about upwards of 300 to 500 people attending - mainly because I only screened on average for one night in any town. Theatre availability was limited.
The surf film addition guaranteed extra attendances from that entertainment-starved group. It was a fun project to make then and still is to look at today. Maybe Ron T. will release them on DVD?
The Rodney Fox film showed the graphic still pictures taken by doctors after his shark bite incident, that have been widely published since. Without fail, at almost every show, a young man would 'almost faint' at the sight of the real blood on film and leave the auditorium for fresh air.
Memoirs of the road shows? The Australian Prime Minister attended our Feb 16 Canberra Theatre Centre screening - arriving by limo with a police escort. Ron and Valerie were at this travelling show. (He was booked to attend a ball, but being a keen spearfisherman squeezed-in the last hour of the movies).
The PM invited us for biscuits and tea the following morning at Parliment House. 21 months later he vanished in the sea while body surfing one morning near Portsea.
The programme ran for weeks in South Africa. Later all three films were seen on TV but only in black and white. The Surf Scene film was noteable as Ron Taylor took his 16mm Bolex camera aboard a speedboat and rode waves alongside the surfers - something very novel at the time.
