The Channel 9 / Fairfax Thing. It Got Me Thinking … Thanks Paul Keating! Local IS important. Perhaps we forgot that.

The Channel 9 / Fairfax media hoo-hah today brought up some interesting questions. Not the least by no less than ex-Prime Minister Paul Keating on the 7:30 Report tonight on the ABC.

And it got me thinking.

Mr. Keating quite rightly said that Google, Facebook etc had “ripped the guts” out of advertising dollars in the mainstream media.

And he is right. Don’t we know it! We have been feeling that little situation here for the last 4 years.

BUT.

As he also said, is the so called “news” available on these social media platforms going to tell you about …? and the examples he cited were very locally based. In other words, does Google or Facebook etc give a flying fart about the local news we (and others) put out. Stuff that happens in Bankstown or Bunbury? Albany or Albury? York or Yackandandah?

And here I am including Australia AND New Zealand in the mix as we have many NZ readers and subscribers. So, let’s throw in Timaru to Tauranga, Hamilton to Hastings or Pukekohe to Purua.

For example, we today did a story on Jenny Kent’s successor to the “Babadook”, arguably one of the best and most important and successful films from Australasia.

Oh, and that Aussie company Blackmagic Design, that has taken on the world and won in so many areas with its innovative cameras and accessory gear for the broadcast and movie industries. Do a search of www.filmvideoandvirtualreality.com and see what we mean. (Or www.australian-videocamera.com before that – our predecessor).

Then we have stories of a very local flavour; modestly my own, documenting my and Jacqui’s recent road trip to Exmouth and Ningaloo Reef and how we organised footage and photos, including 360 degree and drone clips, to document the trip comes to mind.

Australia is a major hub in the movie making biz when it comes to a global view. And our investigative journos, producers and directors can hold it with the best anywhere in the world.

There are some amazing stories that come out of Australasia when it comes to film making, shooting, editing, special effects, colour grading and of course writing, acting and scriptwriting.

Our most viewed story EVER was a SONY case study on a climb of Mt Everest with a Sony PMW F55 camera (reprinted here) by New Zealand cinematographer David Paul NZCS.

Bet you won’t find that anywhere else!

So here at FV^VR we will continue to strive to bring you the LOCAL stories you won’t find elsewhere. But of course, we need your help to know what they are!

Simply email me at david@auscamonline.com or call on 0499089034 and drop me the hint, link, lead or anything else.

User or vendor. Crew or caterer. Effects or electrician. Make-up or movie set designer.

And of course, your short film, long form docco, deep investigative piece, TVC or even home movie or feature film are all of interest with an angle that someone wants to know about.

So, tell us and we’ll tell Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific rim and anyone else who will listen.

And by doing this, a few other things happen you may not know or have thought about.

It means we can get advertiser support and this allows us to pay to have journos – experienced scribes in this industry – properly tell your stories, review your product and as a consequence, promote your goods and services.

And that is good for everyone isn’t it?

So thank you Mr Keating. Your thoughts today got ME thinking. We are here to promote OUR locals, OUR industries and OUR people.

And we shall.