Movie Makers (Jan-May 1928)

HOW to TRAVEL--CINEMATICALLY By W. Sterling Sutnn TO travel cinematographically is something of an art, but, happily, one of the simplest of all arts to master. As to equipment, if you intend to make pictures solely for your own pleasure and for the pleasure of your friends a camera using smaller than standard film will be admirable. Not only is the cost less but the weight and bulk of equipment and films is appreciably cut down. However, if you are going to a spot in the world little frequented where you will be in a position to get films of commercial value, then you will probably want a camera using standard-width film. If the pictures you obtain are of startling interest it is quite possible to sell a certain amount of footage for a good price — a price which will easily offset the increased cost of standard film. The faster your lens the better. In these days of really remarkable development of amateur cinematographic equipment high-speed lenses have been so surrounded with fool-proof devices that they may easily be used by amateurs. An /. 1.9. lens will do all that a slower lens will do and at the same time will make picture-making possible under nearly every condition of light you will encounter. The frequency of rain, in Europe particularly, and the fact that the average traveller visits a place but once makes it imperative that you either get your pictures the day you are there, regardless of the weather, or go without them. A telephoto lens is a useful addition to your kit but be sure to experiment with it before leaving home since you are likely to expose many THE experienced amateur is, after all, the most helpful guide to fellow amateurs, and Mr. Sutfin, whose latest cinematic wanderings have been in Northern Africa, in this article shares much of the knowledge gained by long familiarity with amateur filming. SHRINE OF THE GONDOLIERS An effective Cine Composition DOMES OF MARSEILLES CATHEDRAL Made More Interesting by the Frame of Rigging CAUGHT UNAWARE Natives in the Pottery Market of Kairouan, (Tunisia) reels of film before you see the first one projected. Also, take along a color filter. If there are fine banks of clouds you will often get beautiful pictures by using a filter — pictures which would be merely flat, hazy streaks with uninteresting patches of sky, without one. Also use your filter when there are great extremes between sunlight and shadow, a condition you will find to be the usual state of affairs in the tropics. But do not abuse your filter — when con ditions are normal remove it for it is no doubt true that while a filter makes certain pictures possible, at the same time it has a tendency to cut down definition appreciably. 16 mm. film can be obtained more cheaply in the United States than abroad so it is a good plan to buy your stock of film here. Your films may conveniently be placed flat along one side of a suitcase — thirty 100 foot rolls take up only an inch of thickness. Processing may be done at home or abroad. There is a duty of 2c a foot on exposed but undeveloped film and of lc a foot on positives brought into the United States, but I have never had any difficulty bringing film in and Customs Officers are inclined to be lenient if they are fully convinced that you are an amateur and intend to make no commercial use of your films. Standard-width film undoubtedly should be developed abroad, and should be sent home in bond. You will find that color is everywhere— far more so than in the United States. But your pictures will be in black and while only so however vivid the color you must visualize it all in shades of grey. A monotone filter is helpful in this connection. Often you will at once realize that the charm of a spot is solely due to color — and color does not photograph. A flower market showing flowers alone makes a very dull picture, but photograph a single old flower girl proudly arranging a bouquet while she bargains with a customer and you have made up for your loss of color through action. Needless to say the key to an interesting picture is action. Too many travellers merely photograph famous buildings and cathedrals and as a result bring home far less effective pictures than those they could buy on {Continued on page 59) Thirty-seven