American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1926)

October, 1926 AMERICAN CINEM ATOGRAPHER Fifteen AMATEUR CINEMATOGRAPHY (Continued from Page 11) by doing his own finishing. If he will develop the film in short sections, he will find that it is really quite easy. Small racks holding 25 feet or even 5 feet of film are easily made, or can bs purchased reasonably. Such racks or frames require a comparatively small amount of developing solution. Any standard reference book on the subject will give detailed instructions. By developing your own film in short lengths you have the added advantage of being able to give each scene the exact time of development that it requires. This will give you better results than sending your films to a professional laboratory, where they cannot afford to give your little order the individual treatment it needs. Therefore, economy number three is to develop your own negative. Editing Negative Once the negative is made and finished, it should be carefully edited before a positive print is made. Project the negative, if you wish, but you will find that after a little experience that this is hardly necessary. Don't be afraid to cut. Take your time and you will be amply repaid in the long run. Learn to make neat splices. Special care must be taken when making splices on the negative so that the frames are in absolute register. Splices must be neat and carefully made so that they will pass through the ''printer" without any difficulty. Go over your film slowly and follow the movement carefully, then cut, CUT Cut and then cut some more! Remember that every foot of negative stock that you cut means a corresponding saving of positive stock. When you have reduced your negative down to its essential footage, then and only then, are you ready to make a print. It is recommended that a "step-printer,1 be used in place of a "continuous1' printer, especially if your negative contains many splices. If you can not conveniently obtain or secure the use of a good printer, this portion of your work may be given to the finishing laboratory. However, there are many used printers on the market, discarded by professional laboratories as obsolete that are well suited for amateur use. Shop around a bit and you will doubtless be able to pick up a printer at a reasonable price that will answer your purpose. We may, therefore, note economy number four is to reduce the expense of positive stock by editing your negative carefully. If these economies are put into use, the finished film as projected on the screen will be full of snap and action. All slow-moving surplus film will have been discarded. Members of the California Camera Club who have been practicing all of these economies and doing all of their own finishing with the equipment provided by the club, find that they can turn out standard film for very little more per screen minute of showing time than the average "press-the-button" amateur using a substandard outfit. In addition to this there is the added advantage of being able to file away the negative so that more prints can be made if the future should require it. Thanks to the energetic camera manufacturers, there are on the market today a number of inexpensive cameras using standard film and the writer earnestly recommends that they be given serious consideration before a new outfit is purchased. Notes of Junior Cameramen's Club News during Past Month Gregg Toland was the guest of honor at a dinner given by the Junior Cameramen's Club last month. Toland is an ex-president of the club and just returned after an extensive stay in New York City. While there he assisted Arthur Edeson, A. S. C, in the filming of two feature productions for First National. * * * * The Junior Cameramen's Club almost lost a member when the speedboat from which Eddie Cohen, second cameraman for First National, was photographing scenes, capsized off Laguna Beach. Fortunately for the club Eddie caught the keel of the overturned boat instead of the anchor. "Speed" Mitchell and Al Irving are both busy assisting on "Twinkletoes." The club hopes the director will quit working nights, so as to give Speed and Al a chance to attend club meetings. * * * * Ira Hoke is using John Boyle's Akeley — Bell & Howell combination camera on Colleen Moore's picture, "Twinkletoes." Jimmie Van Trees, A. S. C, is chief cinemato^rapher. Ira and his Akeley camera are ~ busy as two bugs in a rug, and he has had I turn down several jobs.