Freelance filmmaker, Ruth Ketau works and lives in ‘kol ples’ Goroka and is the proud owner of the Community Eye Films.
She has been freelancing for the last five years after having worked with the government for 20 years. She called it quits in the public service to do something for herself.
I have a small office setting located inside the Chamber of Goroka LLG and do everything by myself. I shoot the videos then do editing and produce copies to give to the clients.
I give them quotes and they pay me for the production. I charge them for production because I do a complete the job from shooting to post production and then dress it up in a DVD to give to them.
I base my productions and documentaries on all aspects of life and I am considering going in to doing feature films. I already wrote two of my stories and gave them to the Prime Minister when he visited Goroka. I am m waiting to see if there’s any chance of him funding my project.
I have my own studio but I am mobile also, I do everything from my laptop. I don’t have the proper production machines yet but I have one desktop, a big camera and other small cameras.
When I require assistance on location I engage anyone who can assist me and pay them for a day’s job, otherwise I do it alone. I also trained my children so they usually help me with editing. People are becoming aware of my work and engage me for filming at times.
I got my skills and experience from my past job at the National Film Institute in Goroka for almost 20 years before I resigned. Many of my filming is for politicians and government agencies in the province and also the churches.
When Julie Soso was the EHP governor, I was her media officer. I did my training in filming at the ‘Skul blong Wokim Piksa’ now NFI.
When I completed my training, I worked with the University of Technology then later I was hired as the senior editor/film maker at NFI.