AV News Magazine | Page 11

AV News 175 - February 2009 However I did not want to use a genuine Maori legend but only borrow the names of some of their Gods, in order to tell my own story about the destruction of the forest, not only in New Zealand! and the following revenge of the Gods. I had brought home a sufficient number of photos to fill the story with good and suggestive images but it was still a long way until it merged to the wanted dramatic sequence.… This was not intended to be a documentary so I kept the text short in order to leave room for suggestive music to 'tell' most of the dramatic development. It was a long process to select the music and to merge it with noises to make it sound like one sound track composed specifically for that sequence, like a professional film. Visual effects were applied only where I felt them as significant enhancement of the story, but then they had to be really dramatic! The entire compilation of the sequence took about fourteen months and I was grateful when several of our British AV friends gave me most valuable advice. In February 2008 I submitted the sequence, together with 'Facets of Time', to the RPS for a Fellowship application and was so pleased when the Panel approved it. Finally the sequence was sent to the 18th RPS International AV Festival in Cirencester. Heidy and I had firmly planned to attend it, the atmosphere is so friendly and we would meet lots of good friends, but then Heidy had to be operated in August and so we had to cancel our trip. Sunday night Ian Bateman mailed me the results, and you can imagine my excitement when it showed "Grand Prix & Gold Medal" for Tane Mahuta!! I had invested so much effort in it, and this was the greatest reward I could ever dream of. I am still thrilled… Green Forest greetings from Switzerland ! Erhard was presented with the award at The Great Northern Festival by Brian Jeffs. Page 9