Bathurst filmmaker Bruce Ryan reflects on his many decades behind the lens

Mr Ryan, who operates as AVAMS [Affordable Video and Multimedia Services] Productions, started the Bathurst Remembers project more than 20 years ago, and was on hand at Monday's Anzac Day commemorations capturing another chapter of local history.

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With over 30 folders of worksheets and countless DVDs, video tapes and hard drives documenting local events over the years, Mr Ryan's vault likely comprises enough material to detail Bathurst's history from the mid-90s to now.

"I would've started filming local events in around 1995, but I spent the 20 years before that filming events for the NSW Department of Education across the region, from Broken Hill to Lithgow, and everywhere in between," Mr Ryan said.

"I've filmed and restored film for at least 300 events over the years, but if you were to include the things I filmed while working for the Department of Education, that number would be over 700."

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"But it hasn't been just me, I've had plenty of help over the years."

Mr Ryan said it's often an interesting experience to look back on older videos and see how different things were and how people interacted in the past.

"Looking back on the school events in particular, which were often anniversary events, its quite fascinating to see the many colleagues of mine and regional teachers who'd now be 30+ years older," he said.

"The most pertinent change over that time was the transition from reel-to-reel to digital editing: you went from computers being a rarity to becoming an essential tool of the trade: and you certainly needed more hands on deck prior to computers, as filming equipment was less compact."

These days, Mr Ryan largely sticks to Final Cut software on an Apple iMac, but his technical know-how regarding the filming process hasn't fallen by the wayside.

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"I'm very fortunate to have been invited to film such a wide variety of footage for various events and organisations over the years, as the film only increases in value with each year," he said.

"Despite my age, I still get plenty of satisfaction heading out to film events around Bathurst, and you never quite know how valuable the footage will indeed be in the future."

Mr Ryan has been in talks with Bathurst Regional Council to preserve footage at the Central Tablelands Collections Facility, slated to open this year.

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