Enterprise Colorvideo, the tape house with enterprise - a colorful and proud history. From Enterprise Colorvideo's humble beginnings in 1973 with Royce Smeal and Stephen Priest. Through receiverships and name changes to the award winning post production facility of Digital Pictures. By 2002 when AAV and ISIS did their thing the sense of change and even the very thought of the place dying started to eventuate.

Going back to the beginning - I was only at RVN2 for a very short part of the stations life but getting that job there back in March 1970 (short stint in 1982) gave me my biggest break in life and launched a career that 39 years later, am still in and enjoying. Quite often a client or staff member would ask me "how did you get started" and I would proudly tell them of my time at RVN2 and what we did back then. I often think affectionately of David Font, Marino Baggio, Kevin Olsen, Jeff Meyer, Mr Marsden and Mr McDonald as they were all very important to me back then and I learn't so much from them all.

Working in a small country station like RVN2, I would hear older staff members talking about the "big" stations in the city - TCN9, TEN10, ATN7. Being absolutely fascinated in videotape it was only a matter of time that I was accepted for a position in VTRs at TCN9 Sydney. I met Stephen Priest at TCN9, he also was a "country bumpkin" like myself. We got on very well and not knowing it at the time - this planted the seed for what was going to be a long and incredible career at a tape house in Willoughby Road, Crows Nest named ECV.
I spent 21 months at TCN9 and 3 months at TEN10 (another story). Stephen Priest kept ringing me up and asking me to join him at ECV - eventually I relented and the rest is history.
I always felt that it was my duty as ECVs unofficial historian to document the history and times of the "tape house with Enterprise". It was the breeding ground for many talented people who moved on and excelled themselves in various facets of the Australian Post Production Industry.

All good things come to an end and after an incredible 28 years 1 month and 2 days I was retrenched.
It didn't come as a surprise, I had seen many a talented person leave (retrenched) DP over the years and I knew my turn would come and it did on 10/10/2003.
About 11.50am I got a call from Lesley asking if I was available for a meeting at 4. "No worries". Then I started thinking to myself as to what it could be about. Maybe Jeff has heard of bitching through the grapevine, or they want me to learn Cinewave or become Prue's Longform Assistant as Belinda is going back (by force) to facilities. Then I started to feel a bit uneasy and got a bit sweaty on it - it could be my retrenchment. I went through various scenario's over the next few hours and they all pointed to a retrenchment!! By now I had lost my appetite for working ( I was working from home updating the DP website) and was walking around at home and doing nothing except panicking. Got the train to St Leonards and when I got to work I said to Robbo that my job may be going. Sat in Edit 2 for a while and then Lesley came in and saw me and had a huge smile on her face. I felt more comfortable until I went into Jeff's office , "Roy, I have some bad news for you" - My panicking stopped I think. "Because of the down turn in the industry" etc etc ( see my retrenchment note). When I heard the settlement figure I felt better. It's funny - I wasn't shocked or sad, it was a relief in one way???? DP don't want to severe ties with me and would love me to do any freelance work that came along. Cool!! I went to Robbo's office and shut the door. Cracked the champagne and Erko, Sharif, Tim Hitchen, Nick, Richo and others came in. 5 were retrenched today!! Sharif, Erko, Chad, me and one other.
I got home and told Jo and she said to me after reading the letter - "I feel sad for you, the end of a career. " I was fine.

SHIT!! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSE TO DO NOW???? - after having a regular pay packet for 35 years ( since leaving school) I had to face reality and had to get out there and re-invent myself and become re-employable again - in the same industry but in non-linear. Luckily there was still the Sony linear digital suite at DP and it was still attracting long form clients for conforming and doing super runs and deliverables for both local and overseas markets.

I HAD DABBLE WITH AVID IN 1997

- we had AVID upstairs in the DP building and a series had been booked in called “Cons TV”. Nigel Godfrey was the director and he had bought with him his own Kiwi editor. I had to take over at a later stage as the Kiwi guy was booked on work in the UK. It was good for me and lasted a month from Sept - Oct 1997, but I didnt pursue AVID any further as I kept getting called back into the online suites.

TO BE CONTINUED - when I find time.