Amber worked extensively within the Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians in the development of the Workshop Movement. In the interview with Bessie Bond, Murray Martin talks about the project being an education for Amber and the workshops as well as contributing to the history of the union. The interviews engage extensively with the British Documentary Movement. The ACTT’s Workshop Agreement enabled the independent filmmaking groups to unionise, pay an egalitarian wage and to work across the different craft skill ‘grades’. Without this, the workshops would not have been able to access the broadcast media and notably Channel 4. ACTT became BECTU, which in 2017 merges with Prospect.
Joe Telford
0.00 Joe Telford. Workshops. Independent sector not accept in union. Leeds. ACTT. Film industry. Publicity. Hand written posters. Jubillee. John Torode. Barkers. Theatre Publicity. Cinema Advertisements. Finchley Road. Swiss Cottage.
6.20 Bessie Bond. Burt Crake. Theatre Publicity. ACT Agreement.
7.30 Animation. Shorts and Documentary Division. Chairman. Rank. Introduction of Lettraset. Titles. Commercial Television.
14.00 Car. Twickenham Studios. Isleworth Studios. Acorn Studios, Barnes. Halford Studios, Shepperton. Shepperton Studios. Greenwich. Reputation. Dropped in. Producer. ACTT Official. Called for call sheet. Employment office. Unemployed member to fill vacancy. Elstree Studios. Count the heads.
18.10 Cinema advertising. TV industry. Cinema decline. Video equipment. Hire a camera. Dixon. Soho Square. Observed ACTT requirements. COI. Centre of Information. Instant playback. Sanderson.
21.15 Changes in Union. Equality officer. Agreements before continuity of ACTT. Job of person not of their sex. Animation – greater number of women. Black people, no member in union. Art school connection. Apprenticeships. Art school, animation.
26.10 Advertising agencies. Angel Delight. 3 members South Africa. Ban on members working in South Africa. Director. Yvonne Richards, Andrew Neil, Alf Cooper. Milan. Johannesburg. Authority of ACTT.
33.20 WW2. Conscientious objector. Korean War. American influence. Z call-up. Two weeks training. TUC. Scotland Yard. Compensation for two week leave.
41.20 Political. Council house. Telegram boy. Posters. Drawing. Messages boy for company doing posters. first talkie. Mickey Mouse. Growth industry. 2 million unemployed. Camden Town. Granada Television. Lord Bernstein. Lord Goodman. North East Glass union. Newcastle.
47.25 Communist Party. Peace. Rationing. 1947. Sheffield Peace Conference. Garibaldi. Becton Gas Strike. Whitechaple. Sully Kay. Posters for the strike.
50.20 Left communist party.
53.00 Leeds Animation Workshop.
