Rough notes of Interview 412, Vincent Porter, 15th July, 1997.
Born Rugby, 1939, went to Rugby School. Queens College, Oxford. Interested in film making, joined Film Society, made small films.. Timothy Gee. Richard Bryan, Labour Club, 16 mm Bolex. Documentary Action Painting. Shot silent, music track later. Made contact with Edgar Anstey at Oxford. Got Job at Film Centre International. Shell Film Unit. 45 years. Writing 62/67. "Long Look at Short Filne" Production assistant etc. Arthur Elton. Michael Clark, Douglas Gordon. Alan Gourlay, Alan Fabian, Norman Wallis, Ronnie Whitehouse. Film Centre, 133 Oxford Street. Shell Mex House, Shell Centre. Upstream Buillding, Downstream Building. ACTT, Shorts and Documentary Committee. Derrick Knight find out about Shorts Industry, 18 months researching, European Films, Paul Eglise, Overseas Market, Very little data in English market, A closed market for major exhibitors and distributors. Cheaply made films. Harold Baim, Financial incentive for producers, award Edie money to short film producers. Try major circuits to rent them. Major producers benefitted. On publication more activities took place. Coal Board, TV competition, Cyril Arapoff, Shell. "Oil Pollution at Sea" Dumping, Alan Pendry, Phylis Barclay, Bird Lobby,"Load on Top", Seven sisters oil companies. Malta, Impact of TV. internal work BBC, 64/65 left Shell, Freelance, married. Regent Street Polytechnic, Crosland, polytechnics. Degree courses. Photography Department, Film and photographic arts. Early 70s, Ridinghouse Street, purpose built building, degree level course, post graduate diploma, masters course to l985. BFl, Research broadcasting policy. University of Westminster, campus at Harrow, Harrow Tech. Doctoral research, National School affected work. Technology changing, different skills required. Advertising industry, looking for artisitc flair. Policy issues - research, team work experienced people teaching? BBC2 and Channel 4 valuable.
