Artists Prepare: Sam Hunt and Gary McCormick

Artists Prepare was a 1980 TV series from the National Film Unit, which featured prominent performance-based artists. This edition follows poets Sam Hunt and Gary McCormick (the "John Travolta of New Zealand poetry") on a tour of  the Nelson region. They give poetry readings, talk to high school girls, drink whiskey, and muse about poetry and life — while Minstrel, Hunt's dog, lies patiently under bar tables. Ultratight stovepipe jeans, rock star scarves, and scenes in a milk bar and out on the open road in a Valiant evoke a time when 'poetry' and 'heartthrob' could comfortably sit in the same sentence.

I've been performing since I was born! About thirty three years...

– 00.20 Sam Hunt talks about his life as a poet

Key Cast & Crew

Hugh Macdonald

Producer

Steve Gibb

Camera

Sam Hunt

Subject

David Keene

Sound Recordist

Gary McCormick

Subject

Chris Dillon

Director