[ Home - Latest News - Films - Join - Suggestions - Links - ]

History of the ANU Film Group

The ANU Film Group began life in late 1965 with sporadic film screenings (one of the founders was Andrew Pike, who now owns Electric Shadows and Center Cinema, and Ronin Film Distributions, all successful Canberra businesses). Regular screenings began at the start of 1966, and programmes published at the time still exist. All screenings were of 16mm film in the Physics Lecture Theatre, near Bruce Hall. Screenings moved to the H.C. Coombs Lecture Theatre (the current venue) in third term of 1968. In 1973, the Group managed to acquire 35mm film projectors and had them installed into the theatre, although it is not known who funded this equipment. These projectors were some years old and used carbon arc technology for the lamps.

In 1975, the Group managed to convince the University to jointly fund a completely new set of projection equipment, consisting of two 35mm projectors, and one 16mm projector. This equipment is still in use today. The Group's half of the funding for this equipment was lent to it by the University and slowly paid back over a number of years, although the group agreed to donate its ownership of the equipment to the University. Consequently, the university owns the equipment in full.

The Mid 1980s was a difficult time for the Group due to falling membership levels. This was not unique to to Group - cinema attendances were down all over U.S. and in Australia due, primarily, to the introduction of home video equipment and the sudden surge in video hire shops. The Group's finances were stretched badly and the Committee was forced to give serious consideration to winding up the group on a number of occasions. Thankfully, it managed to survive and by the late 1980s, the situation had completely turned around and membership levels began setting new records every year.

From the beginning in 1965 until the end of 1979, the Group operated on a term or semester programme. From 1980 to 1986 an annual program was used, where films were booked at the start of the year for February to November. In 1987, the decision was made to switch back to semester based programmes. Members could join for a semester only (annual memberships were introduced later).

In 1990, the Group was again successful with a funding proposal with the University, this time for the purchase and installations of Dolby Stereo sound. This work included a replacement screen because the old screen did not allow sound transmission through it (a requirement of Dolby Stereo's centre speaker). Again the University agreed to jointly fund this equipment, the total cost of which came to some $22000. This time, however, the Group needed no loan and paid for its half in one payment. Again, ownership of the equipment was donated to the University.

After the Committee found that due to the poor state of its financial records, it could not be audited, a brain-storming session dramatically altered the way the records were kept, and introduced film hire journals, projectionist and freight journals, and other accounting practices. It was also at this session that annual memberships were re-introduced (but this time they covered 2 separate semester programmes rather than an annual programme). These new procedures were passed by resolution in 1991.

The beginning of the 1996 year saw the purchase and installation of Dolby Digital Sound ("SRD"), together with the replacement of all amplifiers and speakers. The processor had just been released by Dolby, and the ANU Film Group, by sheer coincidence, managed to place the first order and receive the first one in the country! It is a major achievement for a voluntary University film society to have the most technically advanced equipment in the country, surpassing all commercial cinemas ! The purchase and installation of all of this equipment cost over $52000, but the University only offered $10000 this time. However, a decision was made to make use of the University's funds to commission electronic security for the projection room and speakers, and to purchase sound absorption panelling on the rear walls of the theatre. The Group's operations had been so successful over the preceding few years that it had built up enough capital to completely purchase the sound equipment itself for over $52000 !

1996 also set record membership levels with 1856 members joining the Group in semester I (1103 annual, 753 semester).

O-week in 1997 saw a bigger screen installed, together with upgraded brighter lamps and new lenses in the projectors. The cost of this, some $18000, was borne entirely by the Group. That capital works project brought the Group up to fully professional cinema quality. The Group now boasts a venue with the best sound in Canberra (although some cinema owners in Canberra may challenge this !), and a large screen with a sharp and bright picture. Our members comment that movie going at the Coombs Theatre is now a very entertaining experience, and that it is difficult to find another venue that equals the experience.

Continuing the Film Group's project to improve all our equipment the committee worked through 1998 to purchase new film projectors for the 35mm. This was completed in late 1998, and the projectors were installed for the start of the 1999 university year. These new projectors give us one of the best viewing experiences in Canberra. These projectors were purchased with the assistance of the ANU.

1999 saw even higher membership levels, with Film Group membership exceeding 2000 for the first time in Semester One.

In 2000 the Group turned it's attention to improving the administrative side of the Group. This involved updating the membership tracking system from a bunch of little pieces of paper to a fully computerised system. The system was rolled out with few problems in Semester One. Semester One also saw the largest single program the Group has ever run, over 120 feature films shown.

- extracted from the ANU Film Group Management Manual, by Craig McGill 1997. Updated for 1998-2001 by Robert Ewing.

[ Home - Latest News - Films - Join - Suggestions - Links - ]