Articles/Letters
Local filmmaker seeks ‘record amount’ from crowdsourcing Trevor Keightley, local producer and director at Under The Sun Media with several documentaries to his credit, is looking ‘to make Australian film industry history’ by seeking $150,000 through the crowdsourcing platform towards his next documentary-drama. This is the largest amount sought through crowdsourcing for a docudrama project in Australia, according to Keightley. Rather than giving investors simple posters, hats and DVDs of the film for their support, Trevor is inviting these ‘crowd-producers’ to be part of the filming and scripting process via a dedicated web-based TV channel network. The network will broadcast behind-the-scenes action, production and script
Groundswell’s producer Trevor Keightley shoots on location with director of photography Peter Beeh.
meetings and ongoing interviews of the producers and actors themselves. There is even a chance for crowdsourcing producers to play an extra in the movie as well as flights to the film launches and festivals. ‘We haven’t invented anything new here,’ says Keight-
ley, ‘the difference is how we have assembled our design elements and approach. This is not your usual movie. And it makes sense to raise the funds needed from the groundswell of people.’ The film, Occupy Groundswell, is ‘a docu-drama based on the journey of a number of
characters that create a compelling and positive image for the future of humanity as they travel the globe seeking their truth,’ says Keightley. ‘Underpinning the story is the fact that over 100 million people globally seek to live a more sustainable and ethical life that will preserve our planet for future generations. The facts for the documentary part of the film are based on the research of American sociologist and Groundswell consulting producer Dr Paul Ray, co-author of The Cultural Creatives with Sherry Ruth Anderson, who has identified over 35 per cent of the US population as being part of a subculture who base their purchasing decisions on values that are ecologically and spiritually founded
Pros and cons of Parklands Q At this year’s Splendour In The Grass held at Parklands, the Department of Planning and Environment (DP&E) attended the event to assess compliance with the trial approval. While the compliance report released last week shows that there were a lot of improvements in key areas, it also showed non-compliance with the current noise criteria. As a result, DP&E have fined Parklands $3,000 for this breach. Parklands accepts this fine and has been working with DP&E for some months now to better manage this issue. The results of our extensive noise monitoring program at this event (there were over 100 attended noise samples in over eight suburbs) clearly show that the ‘bass’ component was the sound that some residents were hearing during the event, particularly on the Friday night when windy conditions prevailed. Parklands currently has no set bass criteria in its conditions and as such we are voluntarily applying for such limits to be set through a change to the existing approval. By setting bass criteria, the venue can better manage and enforce noise levels, which will lead to a better outcome for our local community. We also acknowledge that we need to improve in our management of the noise complaints hotline during peak festival times and steps have been taken to this effect.The other key change to the approval Parklands is
seeking is the ability to host non-music-focused community events at Parklands. The venue has been overwhelmed by local educational institutions, sporting organisations and community groups seeking to hold their activities during those 320-plus days when the venue sits idle. We would welcome them. We’re nearly halfway through our trial period and have learned a huge amount in that time. We still have more to do and we thank the wider community for its patience and ongoing support as we strive to make Parklands a venue our community can be proud of. Mat Morris General Manager North Byron Parklands Q At
last the DP&E has decided to act against the noise pollution being pumped out of North Byron Parklands by the Splendour in the Grass and the Falls music festivals. The $3,000 fine imposed for noise breaches may appear paltry; however, it indicates two things. Firstly, the music is far too loud and is not being controlled at source, and secondly, self-compliance by the developers doesn’t work. After losing in the Land and Environment Court (Conos V Byron Shire Council), the proponents hurriedly pushed the development to Part 3a determination and gained subsequent PAC approval and consent that now doesn’t suit their purposes for the trial period of five years up to 2017. It is hoped that
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the DP&E will not be forced to alter the consent conditions to facilitate more noisemaking that intrudes on our communities’ rights to preexisting peace and quiet. All indications are that this wellconnected ‘festival lobby’ will try to force the department to roll over and let them intrude further on our lives. The community has worked tirelessly with the North Byron Parklands Regulatory Working Group to identify areas where there are problems caused by excessive noise, traffic and telecommunications breakdown caused during festival operations. Excessive noise output is Parklands’ achilles heel and will be so until their festival operators do the right thing by the surrounding communities and turn down the music. It makes no difference that the punters need more noise to enjoy their festivals, or that the largesse offered to local interest groups or the so-called fabulous jobs and economic ‘drivers’ on offer to locals and businesses is given as a good reason to allow this development to affect the amenity of so many residents. If the human residents can’t stand the noise, imagine how our precious wildlife is coping with the excessive noise and lighting that hurtles out into the sensitive wildlife corridor and Billinudgel Nature Reserve during festival operating periods. To suggest that lawn mowers and other domestic activity make more noise than festivals is just another ludi-
crous furphy thrown up to cloud the undeniable issue of state-sanctioned noise pollution by a private commercial operation. Paul Arrowsmith President Middle Pocket and Yelgun Progress Association Inc
and are under-represented by mainstream media and entertainment. ‘This figure is comparable in Australia, Canada, Japan and across the UK and Europe, estimating that over 100 million people in the developed world actively seek to live in a more healthy and sustainable way. This is the provable Groundswell audience.’ The core Occupy Groundswell team is located between Sydney, Melbourne and San Francisco and will base operations in the Byron area. In
addition to the feature film the team intends to continue providing news, current affairs and entertainment via the web-based digital TV channels on the Groundswell network. Producer packages can be fully tax deductible as it is a project conducted through the Documentary Australia Foundation. For more information about getting behind Occupy Groundswell’s crowdsourcing effort, visit www.Behance.Net/OccupyGroundswell.
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Stuart Garrett and his dedicated staff have moved their Byron Bay offices to
Suite 3, 130 Jonson Street, Byron Bay (next to the Services Club). We are located on the ground floor with plenty of parking. We look forward to seeing all our long term clientele and welcoming new faces to the area. So if you want a team of lawyers who are straight shooters and won’t leave you stranded with legal Latin; who will answer your calls and emails, then Stuart Garrett Lawyers are the ones you want to represent your interests. Clients will respect a good lawyer. But a great lawyer is one who truly respects their clients. + Phone 6639 1000 + www.splawyerssg.com.au + After hours 0402181804 The Byron Shire Echo November 11, 2014 13