Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Publishedin Hollywood,
by
June, 1937 American Society
of Cinematographers
DuPont Film Manufacturing Corporation
INCORPORATED
35 WEST 45th ST., NEW YORK CITY smith & ALLER, ltd.
PLANT . . . PARLIN. N. J 6656 SANTA MONICA BLVD.. HOLLYWOOD. CAL
STARS
are rising before the motion picture industry.
TECHNICOLOR
Motion Picture Corporati on
HERBERT T. KALMUS, President
226 American Cinematographeji • June, 1937
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CHICAGO: T848
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June, 1937 • American Cinematographer 227
AMERICAN
CINEMATOGRAPHER
A Technical and Educational publication
on motion picture photogrraphy.
Contents
FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVE
Georges Benoit, 100 Allee Franklin,
Pavillions-sous-Bois, Seine, France. Tele-
phone LeRaincy 13-19.
AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE
McGill’s 179 Elizabeth Street. Melbourne
Australian and New Zealand agents.
A GREAT CONVENTION
By George Blaisdell
T WAS A great convention, that He was one of the many who believed
I gathering of the Engineers. Old- then even though he may not now
timers there are who are prepared to that an actor as a business man not
assert that of the forty conventions only was not so hot but actually was
that have been held this one topped something exceedingly cold.
the lot. And while not inclined to And so this former songslide mer-
—
blow any horn for any town not even —
chant and in other days that re-
for New York, and we lived there a mark belittled nobody —later exchange
lot of years —
if the convention proved man, distributor and now producer
to be a success it was not in spite of was moved to remark when speaking
it being held in Hollywood. The ones of the organizers:
in the know will tell you it was be- “The inmates have taken over the
cause of it. asylum.”
T The line for those who wish to en-
ter some similar asylum, draw down
ROSTRUM PRESENCE fat dividends across a couple of dec-
or unusually effective ades and then sell out for better than
F livery of a technical paper the or-
de-
two million apiece, forms on the right.
And don’t crowd.
chids are undoubtedly due John For-
est of the home office of Agfa, who on T
Tuesday morning enlightened the del-
egates to the Engineers’ convention
BOUQUET FOR THE SERGEANT
on “The New Agfacolor Process.” To
be sure, this writer was present at
comparativ’ely few of the sessions, but
A t the may meeting of the Los
Angeles 8mm Club Member C. G.
Cornell in the course of a routine re-
he has been in attendance at quite a port praised Bill Stull’s interview in
number of others since the organiza- the April and May issues of this
tion of the society, and it is his con- magazine with Sergeant Robert Teo-
viction this young man has something rey. He declared the Sergeant’s
out of the ordinary in the way of cleverness in devising expedients for
rostrum presence. accomplishing most useful ends in
Poise would seem to be Forest’s the way of making home movies was
outstanding characteristic, and this is worthy of careful study. President
fortified by the earnestness, the mod- F. R. Loscher at the end of the com-
esty without a trace of shjmess, the teeman’s report agreed with the pre-
clarity of expression, and the uncon- vious speaker, saying he hoped every
scious authority of the scholar who S. K. WOLF member would be able to read the
knows his subject. President, Society Motion Picture Engineers articles.
With fifty years of usefulness easily
ahead of him it is pleasant to con- T
template what this one man will bring
figure in the industry —
going back
as far as the song slides, and who to-
A SHOM TO REMEMBER
to a great industry in the course of a
— OU ARE WARNED in advance so
lifetime. And it must not be forgot-
ten that all over the world working
day is an associate producer was
moved to make a remark that was Y you may discount any seeming
enthusiasm that this reporter ever
with him are thousands of others.
widely quoted at the time. He was
famous for that sort of wisecracks, since the days of Kinemacolor has been
T and not always were they susceptible a nut on color. But what he has on his
mind is how Technicolor came into its
FILE YOUR APPLICATION NOW of reprinting in a family newspaper.
own on the first evening of the En-
Officers of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers. Standing, left to right. Sylvan Harris, editor journal of the society; Gordon A. Cham-
bers, secretary-treasurer Pacific Coast section; John A. Aalberg, manager P. C. S. ; Gerald F. Rackett, executive vice president; Hollis W.
Moyse, P. C. S. manager; Kenneth F. Morgan, chairman P. C. S. ; Glenn E. Matthews, chairman papers committee. Seated, H. G. Tasker,
past president; J. Frank Jr., secretary; H. Griffin, governor; S. K. W olf, president; W. C. Kunzmann, convention vice president; M. C. Bastel,
governor.
T
in the Technicolor photographic tech-
ADVANCED TECHNIQUE OF nique and advances in laboratory proc-
essing.
A
in
studio illuminating equipment
used for Technicolor productions
1935.Since then developments in
1936, convention of the society) gives
the average light intensity used on
black and white sets as 250 to 400
were lamps which had been used for
many years on black and white. They
did not give an even field, nor were
arc lamps and changes in the Techni- foot-candles, and on Technicolor sets they satisfactorily quiet or suitable
color process have occurred which as 800 to 1,000 foot-candles. as to color (|uality. Therefore the
make possible a considerable advance During the past year Technicolor broadside and scoop were used where-
in Technicolor lighting, which have has been able to reduce its illumina- ever possible. As a result, many more
not only resulted in much better tion to approximately the same levels lamps were used on a set than would
lighting, but in the accomplishment of as now used for a great deal of black have been necessary if modern high
this result with a considerably small- and white work. These changes have intensity equipment had been avail-
er number of lamps. been made possible by the use of more able.
The last report of the studio light- efficient lighting equipment, changes The MR Type 90 “H.I. Arc” is now
June, 1937 • American Cinematographer 231
U
&
ce
v.'O
^ o
CC a;
« X
c E 9 g
O 0
0
1=
6 £
Type Qty. Qty.
1935 1937
36" Sun Arcs 19 4
*24" Sun Arcs 47 none
Completing arrangements for annual spring convention of Society of Motion Picture Engineers tlOO Amp. Rotaries 4 none
are William C. Kunzman, National Carbon sales manager, convention vice president, and |80 Amp. Rotaries 87 none
Glenn E. Matthews, Eastman Kodak, technical editor and chairman papers committee.
35 Amp. Spots 1 1
light of the 80 ampere rotary, and between the cinematographer’s desire t40 MR Type 90S
T
sequences are made by recording first
Engineers See Picture Made the accompaniment, then the voice
while the singer listens to the re-
corded accompaniment through an
Under Hand of Emcee Tasker ear-phone, and finally photographing
the picture to a synchronized play-
NE back of the music. To illustrate this
O of the highlights of the Con-
vention of the Society of Motion
Picture Engineers was the Tuesday
note of legitimacy characterized the
entire session.
Following Studio Manager Val
Deanna Durbin actually recorded a
song from “100 Men and a Girl,” sing-
evening session held at the Universal Paul’s official welcome. Associate Pro- ing to an accompaniment she alone
Studio for which Past President Ho- ducer Robert Presnell outlined the heard.
mer Tasker had enlisted the aid of vir- problems of translating a story into Following this, members of the
tually every studio department in an celluloid entertainment. He empha- studio’s art department gave a dem-
unusually complete demonstration of sized the difficulties of adapting onstration of the making of set
“How Motion Pictures Are Made.” stories to fit a program production sketches and plans.
The four hundred members and budget, choosing writers, director, di- Adjourning to a production stage,
guests of the Convention assembled rector of photography and a cast, and Joseph Pasternak, associate producer
on the studio’s scoring stage which yet remaining within the allotted ex- of “100 Men and a Girl,” substitut-
was actually in use at the time record- penditure. ing for Director Henry Koster, dis-
ing a pre-scored sound track for use Next Bernard Brown, chief music cussed the director’s duties, after
on the morrow’s production. This and dubbing mixer, described how song Continued on Pape 2-39
—
232 American Cinematographer • June, 1937
I
THE ANSWER
EASTMAN’S cooperation with the in-
EASTMAN Fine-Grain
DUPEICATING FILMS
234 American Cinematographer • June, 1937
TECHNICOLOR BRINGING
NEW CHARM TO SCREEN
What Company Has Achieved Through Capacity
for Taking Infinite Pains in Details Minor as
Well as Major Demonstrated in Preliminary
Showing of '"Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938'"
By WILLIAM STULL, A.S.C.
T WAS RECENTLY the writer’s It is. delivered almost as quickly as though
to view the first cut of Eleven reels of outstandingly fine
I privilege
uhe Technicolor production, “Wal- color proved it. Viewed either from
they had been black-and-white rather
than color. During the past year I
ter Wanger’s Vogues of 1938.” In- the technical or the artistic viewpoint, have seen preview prints and release
tel studio gossip had more than in- they were eleven reels of the finest prints (both black-and-white and col-
tin>ated that this picture would es- color I have ever seen produced by or) of poorer quality and consistency
tablish a new high for the perfection any subtractive process. The flesh than these “rushes.”
of color. But since few if any of the tones were, for almost the first time,
gossipers were cinematographers I natural. The reproduction of the What Process Involves
had taken these advance praises with tones and textures of fabrics, cos- My natural inquiry as to what pro-
the proverbial grain of salt. tumes, walls, and the like virtually portion of the footage I saw repre-
Too frequently in the past have non- were perfect. Definition and color sented reprints was answered by the
technical persons gushed about color balance were not only excellent but statement that, out of more than
“achievements,” which when viewed remarkably consistent. And the pic- 70,000 feet of color rushes delivered
with the scientific detachment of the ture passed with flying colors the ul- to the producer, less than 709 feet of
cinematographer turned out to be no timate technical test of any color reprint had been required. My in-
achievement at all. Despite active process: the whites were genuinely formant added that the relatively few
niembership in Hollywood’s clan of clean white and the blacks honest scenes I had commented on as seem-
color enthusiasts I had to be shown blacks. ing slightly below the standard set
conclusively that this latest Techni- The most outstanding surprise, by the body of the picture could be
color production was the achievement however, was the fact that what I and inevitably would be corrected in
claimed. saw was eleven reels of daily prints, the more careful balancing of release
print making.
To anyone w'ho has made even a
slight study of the technicalities of
motion picture color this achievement
seems wellnigh incredible, for Tech-
nicolor’s three-color process is inher-
ently a highly complicated aifair. At
the risk of boring those already fa-
miliar with the process, it may be well
to outline briefly what is involved.
Three-color Technicolor is photo-
graphed w’ith a special camera which
exposes three negatives simultaneous-
ly, through a single lens. Immediate-
ly behind this lens is a beam splitter
made by joining two prisms of opti-
cal glass, the joined faces being sil-
ver-sputtered to produce a partially
reflecting mirror. This beam splitter
reflects part of the light to an aper-
ture at the left of the lens, and al-
lows the remainder to pass through
to a normally located aperture.
Three specially hypersensitized
films pass through these two aper-
tures. In the rear aperture, a single
Suoer-X Panchromatic film is exposed
behind a green filter. In the left
anerture a standard bipack is exposed
behind a magenta filter. This filter
—
June, 1937 • American Cinematographer 235
transmits both red and blue light, but red will be represented by very light lem. It has also been a big problem
excludes green; the front film of the images. to keep the transferred dyes in their
bipack, being an orthochromatic emul- In our prints, the red object, print- proper places.
sion, records only the blue compon- ed from the red filter negative, will
Modern Speed and Quality
ents. It carries a red-orange dye be virtually a clear white; in the
which absorbs the blue rays, leaving prints from the other two negatives, By any reckoning, the problem is
only the red to affect the rear film of it will be an extremely dark gray, al- not inherently simple. It is hardly
the pair, which is of course panchro- most black. If we transferred from to be wondered that Technicolor
matic. such matrices with dyes of the same prints were traditionally expensive,
colors as the taking filters, our red ob- slow in delivery, and sometimes badly
Processing Problems ject would receive no red dye, since wanting in definition and consistency.
that area of its matrix would be a The wonder is that they were not
After the three negatives have been
developed, each to its appropriate
—
hollow but it would receive deposits more so.
of blue and green. Today, as judged by the evidence
gamma, each must be printed in its presented in Wanger’s projection
appropriate color, and the three col- Physical Problems room, these difficulties have been al-
or images must be assembled on a most completely overcome. The qual-
Therefore to get our color-print as
single strip of film, superimposed one ity and consistency of modern Tech-
it should be we print the red filter
over the other and in microscopically nicolor prints would be enviable even
matrix with a dye that is “minus-
exact register. for black-and-white. They are de-
red,” or blue-green; the blue filter
Technicolor’s method of printing is livered on a schedule scarcely behind
matrix with a “minus-blue” dye, or
known as “imbibition printing.” that of any black-and-white labora-
yellow; and the green filter matrix
Fundamentally it works like a rub- tory. And finally. Technicolor release
with a “minus-green” dye, or magen-
ber-stamp a relief image is moistened
:
prints show a uniformly high quality
with a colored dye and then brought
ta. We get no blue-green impression
of our red object in the first case, that should give pause to the techni-
into contact with the film which is to cians turning out the average black-
while the combination of the yellow
carry the final print, on to which the and-white release print.
and magenta dyes results in red, for
dye is transferred.
the yellow filters out the blue-light Many Factors Contribute
Precisely as in using a rubber stamp
component of magenta, and leaves
the ink is not transferred to the paper
only red light. Searching for the reasons for this
by the low portions of the rubber,
The result is the red image of the amazing improvement, I first ques-
but only by the raised parts, so in this
red object which we wanted. The tioned J. A. Ball, Technicolor’s tech-
case the dye is transferred only by
other colors are produced in the same nical director.“The improvements we
the raised parts of the relief image.
way, while white is an absence of any have made recently cannot be credited
These “matrices,” as they are called,
dye-image and black is an equal com- solely to any one department or to
are made by printing from the three
bination of all three. any one phase of the process,” he re-
negatives upon a special film coated
'
The physical problems of printing plied. “It has been more a matter of
with a special emulsion instead of the
these three dye-images in exact regis- cumulative, relatively small improve-
conventional emulsion.
ter with each other and with the ments all along the line, each adding
When this is “developed” in warm compound
black-and-white key image can be to the other like interest
water, the picture is reproduced in
imagined, especially when the inevi- until the sum total is large.
varying thicknesses the gelatin.
of
table shrinkage and expansion of the “Right at the start of the chain the
The portions affected by the printing
lighting equipment we have had on
light —
in other words, the shadows
several films are added to the prob-
Three-color Printing
I
our recent productions, specially en- visits a modern Technicolor set re- the best results With lightings slight-
gineered for the purpose by Mole- marks is that the large numbers of ly more brilliant than 1 would use in
Richardson, is unquestionably more Side Arcs and overhead ‘Scoops’ that black-and-white. With a faster and
modem than that generally available used to be so noticeable have almost more responsive process I now light
for black-and-white. The negative vanished. With more efficient spot- almost exactly as I would for mono-
films we use have been improved in lighting units and a process that is chrome. The highlights do not have
detail. Our cinematographers, always ‘faster’ overall, we don’t need them so to be watched as closely as they did
capable artists and technicians, not much. a little while back, and shadow^ detail
only have gained more experience is also more easily preserved.
with the process but have been able Lighting Near Usual “As to the speed with which a color
to work more freely both because of “We use the side arcs just about —
troupe can work that depends on the
these factors and because of a similar as extensively as a good black-and- troupe, not on the color. On the
chgtin of detail improvements made in white cinematographer uses incandes- Wanger picture we averaged seven-
the laboratory under the management —
cent broads for an occasional fill-in teen set-ups a day over the whole
of Gerald Rackett. light or for flat frontlight in close schedule. One day we did as many
“We have learned how to develop shots. We use the scoops about the as forty-two!” I
our negatives to what a black-and- way the same monochrome cinematog- Rackett Praises Staff
white technician would call more nor- rapher would use overhead inkie In the laboratory. Plant Manager
mal standards. This is due principal- strips —
to help out on extremely large Rackett paid tribute to his staff.
ly to the fact that improvements in sets where we are filming dance “They’re the ones who actually do
printing methods and printing control numbers and the like. it,” he said, “my task is simply to see
have made it possible to use a thin- “The actual lighting level now used that they do it as efficiently as pos-
ner, more normal negative and to in Technicolor is extremely close to sible. I came into the organization
get better prints thereby. average black-and-white standards. seven years ago with a background of
“Because of all these improvements Unit for unit our arcs probably give practical engineering, but no precon-
such related external factors as make- more light, but it is easier on the ceived notions of how colored pictures
up and art direction we have been eyes and cooler to work under, so it should be made.
enabled to improve. With all these is not nearly so noticeable. For ef- “I have simply tried to organize
factors improved we in turn get bet- fect lightings we are probably right things so that we could do the best
ter pictures.” down to black-and-white standards. possible work on a commercial sched-
“I have never subscribed to the ule, at a commercial price. As I see
Technicolor Camerawork it, that matter of doing the job com-
common belief that color demanded
Ray Rennahan, director of photog- flatter lighting than black-and-white. mercially is the difference between re-
raphy on “Wanger’s Vogues,” in his Even when the three-color process search and engineering. I’ve simply
turn gave the lion’s share of the credit was new I held that color did not lend tried to engineer our laboratory pro-
to the behind-the-scenes staff in lab- itself well to flat lightings, but gave cedure.
oratory and research work. “If we don’t turn out
“Technicolor camerawork,” prints that reflect the capa-
he said, “is still fundamen- bilitiesof our cameramen
tally the same. The differ- and their tools, it’s bad en-
ence is that thanks to the gineering on our part. If
improvements made in the we turn out unsatisfactory
film and its processing the daily or release prints
cinematographer has a which have to be replaced,
more free hand with which again it’s bad engineering.
to work. We can do things If we find ourselves wasting
today which we could not time through poor routining
have done a relatively few of operations, or effort
months ago. through overlapping duties
“To start in the be-
at or responsibilities, it is bad
ginning, between the im- plant engineering.
provements in film and proc- “The problem may, as in
essing the process is consid- this case, be inherently
erably ‘faster’ than it used complicated. But if we
to be. That means that we apply the correct engineer-
can use a great deal less ing methods to its solution
I
light thanwas formerly nec- we must sooner or later
essary. Moreover, we now come to a solution that eli-
have better lamps in the minates or at least mini-
H. I. Arcs and Ultra H. I. mizes those difficulties. In
Arcs which give us more this particular case, we
light than the old sun arcs, have an advantage over our
and give it in a more usable colleagues the research
in
beam. That means that we staff and on the set for we
can use fewer units and are, for the most part,
simpler lightings. working with known facts
“It also means that there rather than variables, and
is less ‘spilled light’ to rely we should be able to reduce
on for general lighting. Our them to a matter of order-
lightine must be done more ly, efficient commercial
accurately. practice. I think we are
“One thing that almost doing —but
it see for your-
l
every cinematographer who Transfer machines which imbibe dye-image from matrix to blank. self. The best way to de-
B
June, 1937 • American Cinematographer 237
cide is to go through the plant and tions of temperature and humidity. is projected under standard conditions,
see how it’s done. The transfer is repeated twice more, while the reference print is projected
while the magenta and yellow images directly beside it, in synchronism.
High Scale Efficiency are imbibed. Then the completed The inspector makes a written re-
The Technicolor laboratory is a re- three-color print is delivered to the port of each scene in the release print,
markable example of production ef- far from tender mercies of a relay of stating its condition as to definition,
ficiency. Nothing about it gives the inspectors who report on every pos- uniformity, density, color balance,
impression of haste, yet the opera- sible detail of the print, accurately re- contrast, and a dozen other items.
tions are scheduled from one step to cord their findings, and make sure If the print passes this inspection,
the next as accurately as trains on a the print adheres to the desired high which is the last of a series of four,
busy main line. If, for example, the standards of quality. it is shipped to the designated ex-
final positive or blank of Wanger’s The procedure for release prints is change. If not, that print does not
Scene No. 213 is scheduled to make fundamentally the same. Before re- go out, and immediate inquiry is
connections with the blue printer mat- lease prints are made, of course, the made as to the cause of the imperfec-
rix at 3:20 this afternoon, blank and three negatives have to be cut to tion.
matrix will reach the appropriate ma- match the positive as cut by the pro- It is interesting to note that in
chine at 3:20 without delay or con- ducer’s film editor, and the various making Technicolor release prints the
fusion. scene negatives imprinted with inden- original negatives are handled far less
To guard against any unforeseeable tifying edge marks. than is the case in black-and-white.
mischance at any stage of the process The negative is printed once to make
‘Answer’ Precedes Master Print the daily matrices; again to make the
a tolerance of 15 minutes is allowed
at each control point. This permits As is usual, an answer print is then answer print matrices, and once more
sufficient leeway to care for virtually made from the cut negative. This is to make the master print matrices.
any contingency without risk of de- carefully analyzed by representatives
Matrix Life Prolonged
laying the plant’s schedule for other of Technicolor’s laboratory, camera
film, or of getting that scene into the department, etc., and the producer’s Then a set of matrices is made for
producer’s hands later than the hour staff. When every detail of print release print making and a dupe
promised. quality has been determined the mas- negative of the green filter negative
Negative from Technicolor’s camera ter print is made and filed. made for printing the blanks. There-
department is received in the negative Prints identical with the master after the negative goes to the vaults
developing department and developed print are made for reference purposes. and release printing is done from the
to rigid standards. After substantially These include two-thirds of the foot- matrices and the dupe. The useful
normal negative processing routine age of each release reel. As each life of matrices has been enormously
the three negatives are routed to the release print is completed it is taken —
improved seventy-five or more print-
negative cutting section, where the to one of the laboratory’s four inspec- ings from a single set is now com-
scenes to be planted are segregated. tion rooms. Here the release print mon. But when the first sign of
The negatives are next deterioration is observed, a
submitted to familiar but completely new set of mat-
unusually exacting densi- rices is made, and printing
tometric tests, and the best goes on.
printing times determined. If recently published re-
This is done by accurate ports to the effect that 500
measurement rather than release prints are being
by visual inspection. made of Selznick-Interna-
tional’s “A Star is Born”
Printing Details are true, the original nega-
The three matrices and tives will be printed scarce-
the black-and-white blank ly more than ten times for
are then printed according the entire half million feet
to these specifications. Each plus the inevitable daily an-
print passes through its swer and master printing!
appropriate developing ma- Eight years ago Techni-
chine and emerges on sched- color encountered a sudden
ule, ready for the transfer. boom which severely over-
In this operation, the blank strained the capacity of the
is fed into a remarkable laboratory. Experience was
transfer machine in which a good teacher, it seems,
the matter of registering for all of the firm’s execu-
the dye-carrying matrix tives have resolved never
and the black-and-white to let this hannen again.
blank is taken care of by Currently, the plant is oper-
remarkably exact machin- ating with a volume eoual
ery which brine’s the two to about 55,000,000 feet a
together, in register, under year.
a large roller exerting a Recant raports indicate
known pressure. commitments likely to bring
The and blank
matrix the season’s total up to
are then carried through the more than 60,000,000 feet.
machine and held in regis- But accoi’ding to Rackett,
ter during the transfer of the plant’s maximum capac-
the dye image. This is done ity without increasing
at a predetermined ideal equipment or personnel, is
time and under fixed condi- Continued on Pafte 242
238 American Cinematographer • June, 1937
U. S. A.
nel type lenses contained in studio
spotlights.
If, on the other hand, we turn to
••CAMERAS- reflecting surfaces, we find that chro-
BLIMPS mium reflects 62 per cent and silver
DOLLIES ,e^ on glass, second surface, from 80 to
ACCESSORIES lucv eOwonlujbl anA
85 per cent of light incident upon
MOVIOLAS io DayIim«-Fo^) 5 c«tj»s-
them respectively. Hence the 24-inch
studio lamps using either glass or
and Diffuse^ Fw^us. an A many oHwr «Ff«Is
WilB any Camera " In any Climate metallic mirrors emit a higher per-
SOUND EQUIPMENT Gcorqe H. Schuibo
centage of the flux incident upon their
ORIGINATOR OF EFFECT FILTERS
1927 WEST 78T>> ST. LOS ANGELES. CAU
Exclusive Eastern light projecting member than do units
Representative for employing a lens only.
employing two independent movements unit of equal wattage. the first step in a complete revolu-
greater flexibility of adjustment can Tests have proven that a 2009-watt tionizing of the fundamentals of studio
be obtained than is the case with only globe used in this new equipment pro- lights in the interest of greater light-
one movement. duces the same light intensity on flood ing efficiency.
T
picture making was one of the most
How Pictures Are Made complete ever offered to any group
Continued from Page 231 by a Hollywood studio and reflects
which Electrical Supervisor Frank the greatest credit upon the spirit of
Graves told how the electricians rig the New Universal from executives
a set for the cinematographer’s light- down to the unseen electricians, sound
ing. men and others who participated be-
hind the scenes, and upon Past Presi-
Joe Valentine Obliges dent Tasker, who organized and di-
rected this most unusual demonstra-
Joseph Valentine, A.S.C., and his
tion.
camera crew illustrated the lighting
and photographing of a longshot and COOKE LENSES
a close-up. For these Deanna Durbin BACH ATTENDS CONVENTION Anticipating constant im-
and Mischa Auer went through a W. A. Bach, managing director of provement in the resolving
scene to a playback of the song pre- Western Electric Company, Ltd., Lon- power of films fully cor-
. . .
•
A.S.C.
Virgil Miller, A.S.C., for the first
ON PARADE
• J. Dev. Jennings, A.S.C., took the player to hit from right to left across
time in eight years is shooting on honors at Paramount’s golf tourney, the line of play causes the ball to
straight production. He is at Twen- winning over 246 competitors. He slice. In other words, by hitting to
tieth Century-Fox photographing turned in a par score of 71. the left you go to the right. From
—
“Danger Love at Work,” featuring left to right across the line of play
Simone Simon. For many years he • Oliver Marsh, A.S.C., and Jack causes a hook or pull. That is, by
was at the head of the Paramount Smith, A.S.C., left Hollywood May 20 hitting to the right you go to the left.
camera department. Recently he has for Lone Pine to photograph back- To hit down on your ball makes it
photographed special effects on “The grounds for M. G. M.’s “The Firefly.” go up. To hit up on your ball makes
Garden of Allah” and “Little Lord it go down or fly low.”
Fauntleroy.” • John Mescall, A.SX., has been
• Karl Freund,
—
seized with a golf thought in fact, • Ted Sparkuhl, A.S.C., and a Para-
A.S.C., while photo- two of them. And when John has mount technical crew slipped across
graphing Greta Garbo in “Madame anything like that percolating his sys- country to New York during May to
Walewska,” took advantage of a pro- tem the golfing multitude which never film scenes with Kirsten Flagstad,
duction lull to slip downtown and take has been able to approach the heights opera singer, for “The Big Broadcast
out his final citizenship papers. On which he takes so easily sits up in of 1938.” The scenes were shot at
his return to the set he found the the hope of getting a straight and the Astoria plant in Long Island City.
leading woman had arranged for the useful tip.
decoration of his camera with an “Driving is a science,” suggests • Ernest Haller, A.S.C., starts June
American flag and for an orchestra to John, “irons are an art, and putting
14 on “The Great Garrick” at War-
greet him with “The Stars and Stripes is an inspiration.
ners. James Whale directs.
Forever.” The player herself remains “Golf seems to be a game of oppo- • Elmer Dyer, A.S.C., had a busy
a Swedish subject. sites,” he goes on. “For a right hand month in May. On the 3rd he left
for Louisville to join an M.G.M. out-
fit shooting backgrounds in the Blue-
Recording
Lamp
A true, high fidelity,
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€Qui4>m-enT,
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BLUE SEAL
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9-^146-7 ADDRESS: CINEQUIP Incorporated
723 Seventh Ave.
New York, N. Y.
June, 1937 • American Cinematographer 241
• Joe Dubray, A.S.C., sailed for his organization, writes from Cairo, REFLEX FOCUSER FOR C-K
Europe May 24. He had been await- Egypt, that he will be in that city un- SPECIAL
ing’ sailing orders for quite some til the middle of June. He was called
time. The veteran cameraman and there by the Egyptian Abdel Wahab A focusing attachment for
reflex
technician will represent the Bell and for a picture. The studio is well the Cine-kodak Special is announced
Howell factory in England, France equipped. While the weather is warm by Hugo Mayer. The device is intended
and Europe generally. No definite Georges states work starts at 4 P.M. especially for use when 200-foot mag-
time has been set for his return. and stops at 1 A.M. And he sends azines are used, when the Special’s
his regards to all.
regular reflex focuser cannot easily
• Joe Valentine, A.S.C., shooting “A be viewed.
Hundred Men and a Girl,” found him- • Willard Vander Veer, A.S.C., win- The new attachment consists of a
self just one of a host of Joes. For ner of an Academy award for pho- double reflecting element which re-
instance, there was Joe Lappis, the tographic achievement in 1930, win- flects the image seen in the reflex fo-
sound man; Joe Pasternak, the as- ner of a Congressional Medal, both cuser upward, to the right and then
sociate producer, and even the gaffer on account of his work with Byrd in through a mag’nifying telescope to a
responded to no name but Joe. the Antarctic, has received word he convenient position at the rear of the
• Harry Perry, A.S.C., whose talk has been chosen a Fellow in the Roy- camera. It may be used also with
al Photographic Society. standard 100-foot magazines.
to the Associated Motion Picture
Pilots was printed in the May issue
of thismagazine, left Los Angeles
May on assignment from Para-
27
mount. His first stop will be London,
where he will prepare to photograph Everything Photographic
background shots at the Ascot races for Professional and Amateur
for Pai'amount’s “Angel.” New and Used, bought, sold, rented and
Following completion of this as- repaired. Designers and manufac-
signment he will visit Paris, Vienna, turers of H. C. E. Combination
Nice and Prague to photograph back- lens shade and filter-holder
grounds for Ernst Lubitsch’s “Blue- for any size lens.
to
• Victor Milner,
New
A.S.C., took a crew
Orleans for preliminary work
Precision in Lighting
on DeMille’s “The Buccaneer” for
Paramount.
• Charles Marshall, A.S.C., and Clyde
De Vinna, A.S.C., have returned from
m
Louisville, where they were working
on backgrounds for M.G.M.’s “One
Came Home.”
• Charles Clark. A.S assigned to I
M.G.M.’s “General Hospital.”
New Leica Projector made by the makers of the Leica cam- Technicolor Brings New
era, was designed with these consider-
With simple“one shot” methods ations in mind, and while it gives a Charm to Screen
of color photography coming more brilliant image for use with moderate- Continued from Page 2o7
and more into prominence for amateur ly large gatherings it is also adapt-
use greater emphasis has lately been able for home use. It employs a 250- in excess of 75,000,000 feet of first-
placed on projection, for that is one watt bulb. class color per year.
of the best manners in which color
The recently openedTechnicolor
transparencies such as Kodachrome
Laboratory in London will add a
can be enjoyed. In addition, the pro- Agfa Ansco Now Building further 25,000,00!) feet a year to this
jection of black and white studies re-
veals details and depths of tones un-
Hollywood Office Plant capacity, bringing the present maxi-
mum of good Technicolor to more
suspected in a paper print. Agfa Ansco Corporation has com- than 100,000,000 feet a year. Dr.
For the proper projection of color pleted plans for construction of its Herbert Kalmus, Technicolor presi-
transparencies a projector must meet own building to provide greater serv- dent, is now in England inspecting
certain requirements both in connec- ice to producing companies and cus- this plant which, in addition to serv-
tion with its optical system and ven- tomers in Hollywood. Rapid expan- ing European producers, will print
tilation. The screen image must be sion of Agfa business during the foreign releases of American-made
brilliant and sharp, and the ventila- past two years necessitated that Technicolor productions at a consider-
tion such that in normal use the del- larger quarters be obtained, and a able saving in shipping cost and
icate colors of the transparency are two story structure is now going up duties.
not destroyed by the heat. Projec- at the corner of Cole avenue and
tors meeting these requirements are Santa Monica boulevard. Hundred .Million Feet Capacity
usually designed for use by lecturers Plans provide for large research
and in large halls and consequently laboratories and spacious warehouse
The factorof safety is paramount
not very adaptable for home use. throughout. All of the machinery is
in the rear of the first floor, with
The new Leitz \TI1-S Projector. loading platform at the entrance on disassembled, inspected and over-
hauled every w'eek. E.xhaustive tests
Cole avenue.
are made daily to ensure consistency
Coast headquarters of Agfa Ansco
of the chemical operations. The tech-
Corporation will be housed in spa-
COMPLETE STUDIO cious offices on the gi'ound floor, nicians are thoroughly trained in the
EQUIPMENT while the entire second floor will be
routine and methods of the plant,
and W’ork under regulations which,
KRUSE CAMERA RENTALS used for offices of C. King Charney,
while perfectly logical, are aimed to
1033 N. Cahuenga Nite MO. 13470 Inc., exclusive distributors of Agfa
4464 eliminate duplication of effort and
HI. motion picture film in the United
snap judgments.
States.
There is no restriction against mak-
ing constructive criticisms of any
phase of operation. The cardinal sin
is saying “I think,” but if you can
Process Engineering
Continued from PaKe 232
A
Illustrated Literature on request.
in the design, building and painting of communication between the studio
miniatures and full scale sets and
MOVIOLA CO.
and location units. 1451 Cordon St. Hollywoo’d, Calif.
props; molders, riggers, art directors, After completing this survey, dur-
draftsmen and the like. ing which information also will be
There must be laboratory techni- assembled on the number of location
cians skilled in the most exacting trips to which companies have been
FRIED LITE TESTER
types of negative and positive film de- sent by each of the studios during
for determining proper printing
velopment, printing, multiple printing, the past year, the committee will
light intensity
optical printing, dye toning, dupemak- formulate plans for obtaining maxi-
ing and sensitometry. mum benefit from the use of radio OPTICAL PRINTERS
communication between the studios and special machinery
There must be cutters, projection-
istsand clerical workers, all of whom and units working on locations where
6154 Santa Monica Blvd.
there are no other means of commu-
know not only studo rou-
ordinary Hollywood, Calif.
T
ACADEMY SURVEYS RADIO
The Academy Research Council
committee on short wave radio com-
munication, under the chairmanship
of E. H. Hansen of Twentieth Cent-
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Exposure Guide, for quicker lens setting . . . The master craftsmen who engineer and cations. W’hy not cut out and mail the coupon
and a single-picture exposure device, opening construct Bell & Howell’s supremely fine now, before you turn the page?
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I
ONE WAY OF
FINDING OUT!
There may be more than one
way to find out how to bring
added warmth and brilliance to
Made by
AGFA ANSCO
CORPORATION
IN BINGHAMTON, N. Y.
250 American Cinematographeir • June, 1937
AMATEUR
MOVIE
SECTION
Contents....
Columbia University Sponsoring Littles’
International Salon 251
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
SPONSORING LITTLES'
INTERNATIONAL SALON
he international cinema salon for 1938, or the First In a long wire from Mr. Little un-
rown
of
CHARLES
Ladd Observatory
University
H. SMILEY
at Brown
SKY CAMERA TO
university’s plans to
B observe the solar eclipse of June
8, 1937, were started in 1932, immedi-
ately after the total eclipse of August
31 of that year. Clouds had prevented
last about three minutes and a half, Schmidt camera. These film discs, to the red end of the spectrum. This
but totality occurs only about half an one and one-half inches in diameter, film will use both the light emitted
hour before sunset and the sun will will be used to photograph the outer and that reflected by the corona in an
be only about eight degrees above atmosphere of the sun using only effort to record the outer corona.
the horizon. light emitted by the corona itself, Back in 1878 S. P. Langley observed
most of which is in the green. (Wave- a total solar eclipse and reported he
Charles (Cine) Coles Present length about 5303 Angstroms, if one was able to see coronal streamers of
chooses to be technical.) These green- a length twelve times the diameter
The plans of the group of American sensitive films arrived and one of the of the sun. No photograph has ever
astronomers which will go under the two dozen discs was used in a sensito- shoxvm as much of the corona as man
leadership of Dr. S. A. Mitchell of the metric test to determine their speed. has seen, partly because of the short-
University of Virginia to observe the
It was very pleasing to find that the ness of the duration of totality and
eclipse from Mary Island or Ender-
films not only are of very high speed partly because of the slowness of the
bux'y Island are already well known
but also possess a wide latitude, that cameras used. We hope we may be
through the newspapers and will be are not so likely to be overex-
is, able to record with our f:l Schmidt
presented again by numerous broad-
posed or underexposed. A number of camera, the fastest astronomical cam-
casts over nation-wide networks.
these green-sensitive films are to be era ever to go on an eclipse expedi-
To Peru will be going another group used in photographing the southern tion, more of the corona than man
of American astronomers under the
night skies. will see.
leadership of Dr. Clyde Fisher of the
To take at most four photographs
American Museum of Natural History. 8000 Miles for Four Shots
of the eclipse, I shall travel eight
This party will occupy two observing
The other photographs will be taken thousand miles and be away from the
sites in the Andes in northern Peru.
on an extremely fast supersensitive United States seven weeks. Fortu-
Dr. Clyde Fisher, Miss Dorothy A.
panchromatic film, probably a hyper- nately the prospects of clear skies are
Bennett and Charles Coles of the
sensitized to increase its sensitivity very good.
American Museum of Natural History
and Dana K. Bailey of the University
of Arizona will observe the eclipse
with photographic and photometric
equipment from a point near Cerro
de Pasca.
To a point between Chimbote and
Huaraz will go Dr. J. A. Miller of
Swarthmore College, Dr. S. A. Korff of
Carnegie Institution and this writer.
Dr. Miller and Dr. Korff will photo-
graph the solar corona with long-
focus cameras; the writer will use the
short-focus f:l Schmidt camera, the
fastest camera ever to be used on an
eclipse expedition, in an attmpt to
photograph the outer parts of the
solar corona.
Three weeks were spent in the
study of photographic materials. The
type of film, the color of the filter and
the sort of developer to be used were
important considerations. Besides re-
reading the standard authoritative
books, I consulted experts on each of
these subjects. There is probably no
place in the world with a greater con-
centration of professional photogra-
phers than Southern California.
Host of Photographers
CAMERA TOTING
MEDICO BRINGS
FILM A-PLENTY
Dr.Roy E. Gerstenkorn Home
from Ten Months' World Tour
Packing 10,000 Feet of 16mm
ROY GERSTENKORN, thing very much worth while not in hungry men and women and children.
D r. E.
Los Angeles physician, member
of the Los Angeles Cinema Club,
is home from a ten months’ tour of
spite of but because of the rain.
The doctor sailed west from the
Pacific Coast, touching Japan, China,
The doctor told of a vessel that was
wrecked, with its back breaking as
a consequence. Hungry peasants
the world. With him and most care- Ceylon, Equatorial and South Africa saved the lives of passengers and
fully guarded were more than ten and South America. In China he crew. They took the rescued ashore
thousand feet of exposed 16mm film. traveled 1600 miles up the Yang-tse, and robbed them. Then they returned
Recreation had been his primary mo- through the land of floods and drouth, to the craft and stripped it of every-
tive. Making a photographic record of devastation and starvation ascend-
;
thing of any conceivable value. The
of his trip had been secondary in im- ed the stream where great junks ac- British, French and American navies
—
portance by that meaning that re- tually are towed against the current maintain patrol boats, but it is a
gardless of the weather he continued by man power, by swimming men en- long river.
on his duly appointed way. If it tirely naked tugging at ropes that
Japanese Sequence Strong
rained he photographed what he saw serve as sole means of motivation.
Dr. Gerstenkorn up to the middle of
that seemed to be of interest. He It was through a country known
would not wait for the clouds to to the outside world as that of ban-
May had cut but 1600 feet of the
dits. Actually it was a country of
10,000 he had exposed. These were
break. And sometimes he got some-
800 feet of Japanese and an equal
amount of African equatorial country.
There had not been time to satisfy
his not unnatural curiosity to dis-
cover what the fates held for him in
what so far is a sealed book.
The Japanese section is of high
rank as an educational and a travelog.
It is a study of the Japanese as a
people, as a cross section of the life
of a nation by one who seems to be
an admirer of the race as he found
it on its native heath —
in the home
and at work, as a tiller of the soil
and as a craftsman and an artist.
The people plainly have welcomed
the photographer, have gone out of
their way to put themselves and their
work and occasionally their play on
the record. Not only do we see those
who live in the crowded cities. We
go
along with the doctor out into the
highways away from the crowd, to a
Japan that is new to many Ameri-
—
cans a Japan where the women seem
to feel entirely clothed when what-
ever garb adox’ns them is suspended
entirely from the waist, and with
naught above. Certainly it is a pa-
tient, an industrious and a cordial
Lioness leaves kill and strolls right up to car as it slowed to a stop. Lady one of the first race.
of her breed Dr. Gerstenkorn encountered on trip. She was not exactly cordial. Photo en-
larged from 16mm. Camera turned within less than ten feet of object. Added to the Japanese chapter are
June, 1937 • American Cinematographer 255
several sequences of life on the Chi- terror. Its upon the feelings
effect to medicinal use the venom of the bad
nese river boats. These are of unusual even mitigated the contempt which boys.
intimacy. The photographer has gone humans with all other animals unani- These were at Port Elizabeth,
into the thick of the uncounted fleet, mously share against the hyena. And Africa, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. At the
touched elbows with men and women incidentally the wild dog rates a close former a demonstration was given
who rarely or even may never have second to the hyena in the contempt by a native protected by gloves and
set foot on solid ground. world championship. puttees. At the other institution a
We see a native dip a big tin into There was another shot the doctor white man is shown without gloves
the Yang-tse, polluted beyond the muffed while in the Dark Continent. handling these naturally somewhat
conception of a Westerner, and pi*o- That was when a rhino charged a nervous children and demonstrating
ceed to brew a pot of tea. It is the railroad train —
and derailed the train the method of extracting the virus. A
boiling, explains the physician, that and incidentally also rather marred hooded cobra will be rested on the
makes life possible among the tens of the contour of his own somewhat un- broad brim of the operator’s hat. The
thousands who live on these craft. cordial physiognomy. reptile will strike repeatedly at his
In Africa the doctor entered at The doctor recalled an experience fellows tangled in the hands of the
Mombasa and traveled to Nairobi, to he encountered in an unforgotten demonstrator, but is unable to direct
Tanganyika and Lorenzo Marques, river in Uganda. The white hunter a blow at the face that is under the
south to Cape Town and back to Vic- and the crew knew there were rhinos —
hat which of course in a way
toria Falls. While he had been in under the surface, but yelling and helps to explain his presence on his
Northern Africa previously it was shouting failed to bring a single head particular perch.
his introduction to Equatorial and above water. The institutions are large and con-
South Africa. duct an extensive business.
The season was well ad-
rainy Come L^p ’n’ See Me Doctor
Gerstenkorn cai’ried with
vanced, and the country correspond- The boat was slid near the shore him on his tour Eastman super and
ingly was in excellent condition. So, and a native jumped to the bank. panchromatic film and Agfa and
too, were the lions physically, as the There in the moist soil he gently pat- some Plenachrome. He tropically
photographer learned when he reached ted a bare foot. As if in response to packed his own stock, medically tap-
their country. There was a ready ad- a straight telegram the heads of a ing each box in 100-foot packages.
mission on his part that although he dozen rhinos came inquiringly to the After taping he dipped each box in
photographed at least thirty of the so- surface. There they remained for melted paraffine. He encountered no
called king of beasts he experienced several moments and then submerged. film trouble. At no time following ex-
a continuing thrill when laying a That is, all did with one exception. posure w*as it necessary to delay de-
camera on them. One old bull remained slyly on watch. velopment more than six weeks.
One of the thrills the doctor One of the chief difficulties the doc-
Shooting in the Rain brought home with him was the film tor encountei*ed in a photographic
record he made at two snake farms, way was in the equatorial sector.
In some instances the creatures one in Africa and the other in South There his light meter refused to func-
were so near their bodies* were close America, institutions where poisonous tion as it did in all the other many
to the fenders or headlights in one— snakes are bred and raised for the thousands of miles he traveled in the
the great “dead pan” being ranged purpose of extracting and converting ten months.
alongside the machine’s headlight, as
he was “shot” through an open wind-
shield.
One of the more striking sequences
was that of a group of giraffes photo-
graphed in a driving rainstorm dur-
ing the equatorial afterglow that fol-
lows the setting of the sun. Behind
the lighter colored grassy plain across
which the animals were strolling was
a heavy and strikingly dark, massive
grove of trees. Behind that stretched
a gi’eat plain lighter in color direct
to the horizon. The sky carried a
weirdly yellowish or near amber as-
pect for a black and white film. But
it was a shot any photographer
secretly or othex'wise would experi-
ence a thrill in bringing home. And
the rain was falling and the sun was
down under.
It was on one of these early eve-
nings when Dr. Gerstenkorn wit-
nessed and also heard a fight be-
tween wild dogs and hyenas. The
glow had faded too far to make pos-
sible a picture, even with the fastest
film. But very vivid in the doctor’s
memory was the scream, terrified and
pitifully appealing, that marked the
fall of one hyena. In vocal quality it
had a creeping resemblance to the cry Three grown-up and two baby hippos clamber up the bank of a stream a couple of hundred
feet wide and emerge from genuine African jungle. The photographic light had so failed it
of the human feminine in deathly was a question whether any discoverable result would be obtained. Taken from 16mm film.
—
256 American Cinematographer • June, 1937
the kind of a picture you want, wfithin ing your vacation, you would natu- ment.
the footage you planned. rally stress with whom you vacationed Finally, if circumstancs (including
On the other hand, suppose you rather than where or how you did it. fate and the wife) force you to lens
make the same trip by air, on the If, for instance, you had the good “Who” shots during a “Where,”
China Clipper. In this case your pic- fortune to hobnob with the players in “What” or “How” vacation, try to
ture should have much more to say Hollywood, everyone would be inter- have the courage to cut them out of
about the “How” of your trip. Fully ested in those you were with. They your final picture before they have a
half of the footage can well be de- would be more interesting than any chance to bore outsiders who want to
voted to telling how you made the possible shots of Hollywood’s scenery see Hawaii rather than Aunt Lizzie or
trip. Go into detail about it. or your trip out on the latest stream- the shipboard cut-up. This hard-boiled
If you can, arrange to be at the liner. cutting may require diplomatic ex-
Alameda airport well ahead of time To touch a more familiar picture plaining, but it makes a better if
if possible, spend a day or so there possibility, suppose you take your shorter picture. Best of all, budget
before you start. Get a shot of the camera on a fishing trip and plan to your ideas as you would your film, and
inbound Clipper landing. Get shots make your films not to entertain your you’ll have nothing to explain or ex-
of the field organization the me- — friends and club members but simply cuse!
chanics tuning up the motors the —
radio operators at the station at their
—
work the pilots checking weather-
—
maps the baggage, the mail and ex-
press cargoes being weighed in and
loaded.
ture of the make-up of Close-Up. They “new” in the line of 8mm equipment, troduce a film story with a scrapbook
are planted with that regard for com- demonstrated a new Siemens 8mm idea, the pages turning to introduce
position which should guide the editor Camera he had just purchased. His the cast, so when we were ready to
as well as the photographer. And demonstration proved to be very in- shoot our quickie, ‘The Golf Widow,’
there are eleven of these. teresting as well as educational. I bought an ordinary scrapbook that
The M. M. P. C. has its 16mm We were most happy to welcome had a dark green burlap cover, hav-
group and its 8mm group. Among the former President Dr. Henry Linek ing in mind using white letters on it
subjects shown were those by Miss back to the club. He has been ill for for a contrast and black lettering on
Burt and Mr. Maitland, in both of several months. the white filler pages.
which titles and films have been de- C. G. Cornell was called upon to “Mr. Teorey did all of the necessary
veloped by themselves Of peculiar in- give us a report on “News Items” and hand printing in two days. The re-
terest perhaps to many who may be reminded us of a very interesting ar- sults he obtained were far beyond
unacquainted with members of the ticle in the American Cinematogra- my expectations, so of course I was
club is the announcement that Mr. pher Magazine on “Titles and how more enthusiastic than ever. He
Hollywood showed the club’s first they are made,” by Robert W. Teorey, fastened fine black threads to the up-
slow-motion 8mm picture. one of our club members. per corners of the pages, tying a
The second page was devoted to A1 Leitch of the social committee white button on the end of the
“Discussions and Screenings at April conducted a short discussion on the threads and laying them out in oi’der
Meeting.” We regret lack of space possibilities of the club having a pic- beyond camera range. We had ob-
forbids our going into these in detail, nic on a Sunday in the near future. tained a remnant of drape damask
for in the text there is much that It was suggested July would be ap- which I crushed around the book.
will attract the amateur solely for its propriate and it was decided to have “This gave the picture depth and
general interest. an open discussion regarding such a made for excellent highlighting. As I
picnic at the next meeting. turned the pages slowly, he read the
T Mr. Cadarette, chairman of the by- titles through one and a half times.
laws committee, reported progress of “Many things were learned during
LOS ANGELES 8MM CLUB the filming of this story; one is
the committee in the drawing of by-
The regular meeting of the Los laws, and we were promised by next keep the action of players smooth and
Angeles Eight Millimeter Club was meeting they would be ready. unhurried in all scenes!”
i
I
New Eastman Sound Projector
Merit to each film selected for screen-
ing and a leader to read “Selected for
Exhibition at the First International
Amateur Movie Show, Columbia Uni-
Demonstrated at Convention versity, April 1938.”
,
COMPOSITION NOT
little
in size or contrast, and it will stop
the eye just as effectively.
One often hears the term “balance”
C as it concerns
amateur filming, is beyond doubt
the most maligned aspect of
moviemaking. Not that even a major-
a movie camera. I’m still making com-
position every time I expose a frame
of film.
you have some large object on the
left of your picture, you ought to
have something fairly noticeable on
ity of the really serious cinefilmers the other side to keep the picture
Composition Inevitable
make bad compositions, but all of from being lopsided. It may be some-
them save those few who have Since composition is such an inevi- thing large, or it may be merely a
learned better from past experience in table part of photogi-aphy, we might conti’ast of light and shade. It may
still photography, painting or sketch- just as well make our compositions be a large mass on one side, offset by
ing seem consciously or sub-conscious- good. Fortunately it’s no hai’der to form or line on the other.
ly afraid of the term. do so; in fact, often it is easier. The same applies to the relation of
The blame for this rightfully I like to think of composition as a the upper and lower parts of the pic-
should be laid at the door of those matter of leading the eye to what- ture as well. That is one reason why,
overearnest artists, photographic ever I want it to see and then holding in filming landscapes, it is so much
and otherwise, who in their zeal to it there. Every scene has some point more effective if you can have some
analyze and tabulate the how, why of principal interest: that should be sort of a “frame” across the top in-
and wherefore of achieving good the most important part of the com- stead of plain blank sky. This “frame”
composition have managed to screen position. Everything else in the scene can be almost anything a sprig of—
the essential simplicity of the mat- should serve either to lead the view- branches, a tree limb, an arch, or
ter with a maze of words and mathe- er’s eye to that point or, once it is whatever is convenient. Several pro-
matics that would bewilder an Ein- there, to keep it from straying. fessional cinematographers of my
stein. A series of tests made several acquaintance always carry a short
years ago by Daniel B. Clark, A.S.C., tree branch with them whenever they
Just Pleases the Eye
proved that in the maiority of cases
—
go on location simply for framing
Composition is fundamentally the eye of a person looking at a mov-
purposes.
simple. Webster defines it as “The ing picture screen bee’ins to see the For this same reason, when you
practice of so combining the parts of picture at the lower left-hand corner
are making scenic longshots you will
a work of art as to produce a har- find it every bit as important to
of the screen, and travels diagonally
monious whole.” Personally, I think upward toward the upper right-hand “frame” your longshot with an ef-
that Edward Steichen’s definition is fective for^i'ound as to choose an
coi’ner. unless something in the pic-
even better for the camera-minded ture diyerts that trayel. interesting background. A well
artist. Said Steichen: chosen foreground frames your real
“Composition issimply making Guideposts in the Picture view and concentrates attention on
pictures that are easy to look at.” it, rather than letting the eye wander
It is not always practical, of
Really, that’s all there is to it. If course, to arrange things so your aimlessly off the edges of the screen
your pictures aren’t easy to look at, most important object is in such a or hunt for something definite to
all the attention in the world paid to look at.
position. But you can yery easily
high-sounding phrases and intricate place guideposts along the way that This Matter of Tone
geometry can’t make them good com- will direct the audience’s eyes to
positions. If they are easy to look at whatever other point you desire. In an extreme longshot like this
you can evolve all the fine theories None of these little guides was you will encounter a definite expo-
you like about the geometry of the either large or obvious. Looking at sure problem. If you expose correctly
—
composition but the composition will the picture, one was not conscious of for the foreground, the distance the—
still be good primarily because it is them, or of how they led the eye; but part of the scene you’re really inter-
pleasing to the eye. they did the work. Only a small —
ested in getting is likely to be over-
The surprising thing about compo- branch here, a splotch of sunlight exposed. If you expose correctly for
sition is that we simply can’t help thei'e, and a spot of shadow some- the distance your framing foreground
making compositions, good or bad. If
I take a blank sheet of paper and
—
where else far too small to be no- is likely to be a little underexposed or
even semi-silhouetted. This will give
ticed consciously, nevertheless they
make the tiniest dot on it with pen, carried your attention all around the you some idea of the importance of
pencil or anything else, the result picture in a fraction of a moment, the tone of an object or area in com-
will be composition. If I take a box and brought it to what the photog- position. In the first case, attention
brownie and snap it through the win- rapher wanted you to see. is almost invariably concentrated on
dow I’m making a composition. If I On the other hand, let any of these the foreground due to its light tone
!
and to the fact that the overexposed inated from your picture. If thei'e is,
I
ADVANCED CINEAMATEURS
HAIL DUPONT'S NEW 16 mm
he announcement by the modeling or excessive lightening of (b) Greater exposure latitude. The
T New
the
DuPont Film Manufacturing Cor-
poration that its sales plan for
Type 300 DuPont Superior
lips.
In the matter of latitude the con-
trast of the new film is set at a level
negative-positive system will handle
a much greater departure from cor-
rect exposure than the reversal sys-
16mm Panchromatic would provide which gives the greatest range. Sub- tem. With the latter, gross overexpo-
for inclusion of processing charge and ject material with deep shadows and sure leaves insufficient silver halide
,
positive print cost in the purchase bright highlights will be reproduced to produce a satisfactory positive.
price of the film aroused real inter- without the shadow detail blocked or In the negative and print method the
I
est among amateur cinematographers. the highlights chalked up through positive has its full quota of emul-
Especially concerned were the more loss of detail. sion, and all that is necessary is to
i advanced of the clan, who for them- The quality and cleanliness of the provide sufficient printing light to
selves count completely lost that day prints will reflect the high operating
get through the negative.
in which is registered no progression standards which are so vital in the
The negative serves as a permanent
toward the status of the qualified manufacturing of motion picture
record and is not subjected to the
V cameraman. products.
hazards of projection.
i :
DA'ILIT E Screens
extreme corrections are desired.
The color balance is so chosen as
to give optimum results with and
without make-up. Subjects shot under
incandescent light without make-up
will be found to have a pleasing, clear
AND MOVIE ACCESSORIES
flesh texture without sacrifice in
266 American Cinematographer • June, 1937
T
who lay it out in continuity form. Coerz evident.
Precision is In the FILMO TOPICS IS OUT
careful of the raw material,
selection
in the meticulous grinding and polish- Bell and Howell’s Filmo Topics,
ing, in the critical supervision of each for 1937, is off the
Artists and Writers Too Spring issue
detail, in the final, rigorous testing
film, and leaves only 1/40 of the produced is not exactly the same. In-
usable light to produce our picture. cidentally, when making wipes with
On that film, that filter has a factor of Fotofade, it is essential to use the
40, for w'e must increase the exposure special type of cellulose tape supplied
40 times. for this purpose by the manufacturer;
On the other hand, suppose we use ordinary “scotch tape” is not always
the same yellow filter on a true ortho- satisfactory.
I
268 American Cinematographer • June, 1937
Clifford Nelson Shows is one of the finest examples to date PATHEGRAMS BUSY
of what can be done in the line of Castle Films, Inc., editors and na-
Color Films to Chiefs reproduction with the Kodachrome tional distributors of the Pathegrams
of Eastman Kodak Co. color process when it is employed copyrighted 16mm and 8mm motion
with a photographic instrument of pictures of the Hindenburg explosion
Within five yeai’s all photography precision and advanced design. and England’s coronation, report sales
Made in South America by Ivan of these films exceeding ten million
may be done in colors, according to
Dmitri, these color photographs have feet.
Clifford A. Nelson, director of the Sound and silent versions of the
an unusual naturalness and a sense
Visual Recreation Commission of of life about them. For the reproduc- coronation pictures were on sale at
San Francisco, who was in Rochester, tion process the necessary color sep- the end of May. Production of profes-
aration plates were produced directly sional pictures of important events
N.Y., recently exhibiting color mov-
from the transparency without inter- of international interest in sub-stand-
ing pictures for Eastman Kodak
mediate photographic steps. ard sizes is a departure.
executives.
Vitality and beauty as found in
nature can only be photographed
well
lies
of
in natural colors, and therein
the secret of the future success
color photography, according to
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
Rates Seven cents a word. Minimum charge, ART MOVIES, 16mm .and 8mm. List Free.
Mr. Nelson. :
joy, president of the Eastman Kodak Blvd., Hollywood, California. Cable Ho- ses 4-1000 ft. magazines, matte box, 2
:
Leica Reproduces Color BELL AND HOWELL 170° high CAMERAS— WANTED
—
speed shuttles high speed gear boxes
The May issue of Leica Photog- 400 and 1000 foot Bell & Howell maga- WE WANT TO BUY
zines —
Bell & Howell tripods motors. — All types of Cameras
raphy gala dress, with a brilliant
is in AKELEY and DEBRIE CAMERAS. Akeley We pay the highest cash prices for Mitchell,
four-color front and back cover. This motors. High speed motors. Sunshades, B & H, Akeley, DeBrie, Eymo and other
lenses and finders. makes of cameras and camera accessories.
Write or Wire We also want trijwds, motors, magazines, cut-
CAMERA EQUIPMENT, INC. ting room and laboratory equipment. Tell us
1600 Broadway New York City what you have ! Get our price offer !
CRAIG JUNIOR COMBINATION $8.50 DEBRIE CAMERA, Parvo, 8 magazines, tri- WANTED. We pay cash for everything pho-
Junior Splicer with two geared rewinds pod and cases, $1200.00 cost will sell for tographic. Send full information and low-
all mounted on 21" board. $200.00 almost new, bargains in 16-35mm est cash prices. Hollywood Camera Ex-
CRAIG MOVIE SUPPLY CO. cameras. We Buy Anything. Block Cam- change, 1600 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood,
1053 So. Olive St. Los Angeles. Cal. —
era 154 E. 47th St. New York. Calif.
AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER
1937 AMATEUR COMPETITION
FOR 8mm AND 16mm SUBJECTS
$1000 IN PRIZES ^
$500 CASH $500 EQUIPMENT
Grand Prize $200
Photography . , oO
Color 50
Scenario 50
Home Movie 50
Educational 50
Scenic 50
Total $500
A M ERICAN ( INEM ATOGR APH ER .Special — While there has not been sufficient time
1782 No. Orange Drive in which to work out details it has been agreed
Hollywood, California in principle the winner of the American
that
Cinematographer contest unless he choose other-
Please send meone of your official entry blanks. wise shall be a contender in the competition lo
1 ( Ifimm
intend to enter a 8mm) picture in your represent the United States in the International
1937 contest. I understand my entry must be in Movie Show supervised by Duncan MacD. Little
and sponsored by Columbia University Extension
your office not later than November 30, 1937. and if successful shall in due course be a contes-
tant for an award in the great final.
Name One fundamental condition would be imposed
upon the winner: That the film be placed in the
custody of the International Committee and not
Street
be screened except by the committee until such
time as the subject is returned to the owner fol-
Address lowing determination of its final status.
The CAMERAMAN
The PRODUCER
The DIRECTOR
The STAR
Whe never They Say ''Camera”
They Think of
MITCHELL
Mitchell Camera Corporation
665 N. ROBERTSON BOULEVARD
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.
Cable Address “MITCAMCO” Phone OXford 1051
AGENCIES
BELL & HOWELL CO., LTD., London, England MOTION PICTURE CAMERA SUPPLY, INC., New York City
CLAUD C. CARTER, Sydney, Australia BOMBAY RADIO CO., LTD., Bombay, India
D. NAGASE & CO., LTD., Osaka, Japan H. NASSIBIAN, Cairo, Egypt