American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1926)

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November, 1926 AMERICAN CINEMA T OGRAPHER Nineteen Lighting and Posing Exhibition Held by Institute of Photography Inaugurating a series of free lectures and demonstrations for the public, a highly interesting and successful exhibition of artistic lighting and posing was recently given in the large portrait studios of the New York Institute of Photography at 10 West 33rd Street, New York, N. Y, The demonstration was given personally by J. C. Neely, who is on the staff of the Eastman Kodak Company. The seating capacity of the big double studio was taxed to the limit and despite the fact that a large number of late comers were compelled to stand, every member of the audience was held to the very end. Neely not only showed how modern lightings are done, but also revealed many secrets in the use of draperies, panels, shadow and spot lightings and artificial flowers to obtain unusual and striking background effects. A number of specimen negatives weremadewith attractive living models and will be used for a later demonstration on developing and printing methods to be held at the New York Institute of Photography. Motion and the Art of Cinematography (Continued from Page 11' The screen seems to have become, optically, alive. Evidently, a new element of life has been introduced. What is the name of this new element? Motion. Still, optically speaking, this mere change of pattern in front of your eyes possesses now something that even a painting by Rembrandt does not possess: Actual motion, a moving play of light and darkness upon the screen. Well, this is cinematography. Here we have found the key to the understanding of our new medium. Motion is what makes it different from photography or painting. A photographer thinks in terms of static, immobile, composition, but a cinematogvayhtv must think in terms of motion. Bromide? You will say: this is nothing new. Everybody knows that the moving pictures move. But let us again return to our imaginary screen. The patterns of light and shade upon it are moving now. If they were moving in a confused and meaningless fashion, would that make them artistic? Synchronizing No. It would be like sitting by the piano and pounding at the keys in any old way. Consequently, motions, like the sounds, have to be selected and then harmonized or synchronized, in order to produce a pleasing effect. I hope I am making my meaning clear, when I say that photographing any action at random is not cinematography, as long as its motions are not optically satisfying, when shown on the screen. No matter how good-looking the actor or the actress is, and no matter how wonderful his or her acting, it will still be only a photograph of the actor and his acting, if at the same time there is no motion that has cinematographic value. I wish I were a master of words to make you realize the immense difference between photography and cinematography. But let me give you a concrete example: You all have, I hope, seen ''The Last Laugh." Take the very first scene of the picture. The camera, evidently, represented one of the hotel guests. It was placed in the descending elevator and looked down into the lobby. The descending motion of the elevator, the people coming in and going out of the hotel, the revolving doors in the middle distance, the people walking on the wet pavement outside, the cars and busses passing in the background. Cinematography It was a real symphony of motions. It was not confusion. There were five or six distinct motions, very well synchronized. Optically speaking, rhythmically moving and changing patterns on the screen were pleasing and intriguing to the eye; mentally speaking, the picture gave a living, pulsating impression of a hotel. The atmosphere was expressed in terms of motion. It was eloquent and artistically true. (Continued on Page 22)