Brett Porter (1913- 1970)

Top television producer.

1933 enters English film industry

May 1948 moved to Australia, worked Commonwealth Film Unit

1950-57 made films for the UN

1959 Two Men of Fiji

1959 Shell Presents - Johnny Belinda, Other People's Houses, They Were Big They Were Blue They Were Beautiful

Thudner of Silence

Pardon Miss Wescott 

Reflections in Dark Glasses

1962 - directed The Runner for ATN-7

1964 joined ABC

1964 did Strong Since the War - directed the doco with Gil Brearly produced see here

1965 producer of Four Corners

1966 - directed doco Three Faces of New Guinea see here

1966 produced Impact 

1966-67 - first producer of Bellbird

1968-69 - produced Pastures of the Blue Crane 

1970 died in Sydney home aged 57

Age 23 July 1970

Vincent Committee

Brereton Teulon Porter, Producer, Visatone Television Pty. Ltd., sworn and examined.
Mr. Osborne.—Will you tell the Committee your qualifications and experience in the film making industry? —I entered the film industry in the United Kingdom in January, 1933 as a cutting room assistant or assistant film editor at 25s. a week at the studios of Gaumont British in London. Subsequently, I graduated to the position of film editor, editing what are now called B pictures. We simply called them feature:,. During the war, after a period in the ordinary army, 1 joined the Army Cinematograph Service whose purpose was to make military training films. There 1 was, first, supervising editor and subsequently, one of the film directors. 

After the war, 1 became personal assistant to a film director who was  making a film in Brazil. In that capacity, Imanaged She location work in Brazil which included a survey to start oil and then the actual filming period. I also edited that film when we returned to England. That was an A picture. I edited another film, a first feature, in England before coming to Australia in May, 1948. In Australia. I joined the Commomvealth Film Unit where I directed some documentary films. I joined Ealing who were working at Pagcwood at that time as film editor.

Then, at the end of 1950, I went to New York where I was on the Staff of the United Nations Headquarters as film writer, director and editor. This position I occupied for about 7 years. During that time we also made films for television and were involved in production of television programmes.

I returned to Australia and. for the Shell Company of Australia. I wrote, directed and edited a one hour feature documentary film called “Two Men of Fiji Then I was transferred to the stalf oi ATN Channel 7 at Epping where I produced a number of live dramas which were sponsored by the Shell Company under the series title of “ Shell Presents.” I also produced and directed other things including a number of episodes of a quarter-hour dramatic scries and a one-hour documentary sponsored by the Shell Company: there was another one hour play which had no sponsor. Those were television productions with television cameras. Subsequently I have worked for Visatone, whereI have made television commercials and have been involved in the production of documentaries, and also for Crawford Productions, a Melbourne firm, where Iwas involved in the production of a series for the Department of Trade called “ Fxport Action Now. with Visatone my primary concern is the production of entertainment material, particularly dramatic scries, by this telecam method.