Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.” Bertolt Brecht
Dear friends and fellow camera-philes, change is inevitable, resistance is futile. As it is with the world, so it is here at Local 600 and ICG magazine: we are undergoing changes.
When I was elected National President of Local 600 I said that it was my hope and intention to make ICG Magazine the pre-eminent publication on cinematography. I was blessed to have in place a team of publishing professionals who shared that vision, and worked closely with me to realize that goal.
In concert with them, I believe we brought this magazine further than it has ever been before. We expanded our coverage of feature film, television production, and shorter form genres like commercials and music videos. We kept readers current on the rapid changes in new industry technology, and reached out to provide stories about members of the crew other than the cinematographer. We updated a wonderful old series of articles to highlight the importance of the camera operator on set.
I was truly proud of the work we did to advance the art of cinematography, raise the profile of the entire camera team in the public eye, and reinforce the importance, the value, and the beauty of what we, as proud union craftsmen and women (and skilled artisans) do.
And now it is time for a change.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin
Our Art Director, Stefan Viterstedt, was the first to spread his wings. Stefan has shared his unique vision with us for the past three years, and his bold use of light and dark graphic elements helped set us apart from the herd. But Stefan decided that it was time to raise a family, and he wanted to do so in his native Sweden. We tried to convince him otherwise, but eventually he found a way to slip the chains we had attached to his desk.
In Stefan’s stead we hired a young man named Wes Driver, an accomplished photographer as well as a graphic designer. Wes has co-founded two successful magazines prior to coming to work with us, and the early responses to his creative input have been extremely positive. Take a look for yourself in this edition. See if you don’t recognize a difference.
Executive Editor Neil Matsumoto was the next on our staff to make a move. Neil has steered the magazine’s content for the past six years. A filmmaker himself, Neil brought an intimate depth of working knowledge that was essential to the core of our magazine’s mission. But Neil has moved on to what are, for him, greener pastures. We wish him well.
In Neil’s place we brought on one of our most prolific and talented contributing writers, David Geffner. David comes from a union family that has been entrenched in the entertainment industry for nearly 40 years. You’ve probably seen his by-line on the many feature pieces in the quarterly IATSE Bulletin. David brings knowledge of the business of the entertainment world, as well as a love for the creativity that is so vital to practicing our craft and art.
So we have adapted, changed and renewed ourselves. Please join me in welcoming these new members of our family. Now let us see how we can grow.
And with a tribute to one of the greatest comedians who ever lived, we leave you with:
“I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed.” George Carlin
