American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1952)

stage, camera action is rehearsed. This enables Freund to make any necessary changes in the lighting or operation of the camera dollies. Cues for the dimmer operator are worked out at this time. Chalk marks are placed on the floor indicating the positions the cameras are to take for the various shots or the range of the dolly action for a given scene. At 4:30 P.M. Thursday, there is another rehearsal — this time with the camera crews, gaffers, sound men, etc., on hand. Then at 7:30 the same evening a dress rehearsal is held. Freund, cam¬ era operators, gaffers and grips are on hand — but the cameras are not brought on the floor. At this time the general plan of the show is discussed by the di¬ rector. Notes are made for future guid¬ ance by all present. An open discussion then follows at which time lines of dia¬ logue are cut, action shortened or de¬ leted, camera movements analyzed — in short, everything is done at this time that will tighten up the show and im¬ prove its pace. This is the period in the pre-production planning when problems are aired and suggestions made and considered. On Friday, when the show is schedul¬ ed to be shot, there is a 1 P.M. call for everyone in the company — players, tech¬ nicians, the producer and the director and his staff. If any major changes in the action, dialogue or camera treatment were decided in the previous evening’s discussions, these are now worked into the show during another general rehear¬ sal. A final dress rehearsal takes place at 4:30 P.M., with the cameras now on the floor. Freund gives his lighting a final check, makes any necessary last minute changes before the company breaks for dinner. After dinner, company and cast re¬ turn to the stage, and there follows a general “talk through” of the show. At this time, further suggestions are con¬ sidered and decisions made on any re¬ maining problems, so that by 8 o’clock the company is ready to film the show. In the meantime, the audience seating on the stage has rapidly filled and Desi Arnaz or some other member of the company is briefing the audience on the show, explaining the filming procedure, and emphasizing the importance its natural, spontaneous reaction plays in the show’s success. Then for approximately sixty minutes the show is filmed. As soon as action is completed for one setup, the cameras, crews and players move rapidly to the next setup, and the action is resumed. All scenes are shot in chronological order. As is to be expected, where a pro¬ duction receives such meticulous plan¬ ning and thorough rehearsals, retakes are seldom necessary. In this respect, each camera operator has a major re¬ sponsibility. He must get each take right the first time — every time. Of course, he can hardly miss, considering the careful preparation that went into the filming phase of the production before¬ hand. Focus was carefully measured and noted for each camera position; chalk marks were placed conspicuously on the stage floor; there were the numerous re¬ hearsals, and of course there is the vigi¬ lant script girl overlooking the proceed¬ ings, relaying instructions over the intercom system. In the beginning there was a very definite reason for the decision of Desilu Productions to put the I Love Lucy show on film instead of doing it live and having kinescope recordings carry it to affiliate outlets of the network. The com¬ pany was not satisfied with the quality of kinescopes. It saw that film, produced especially for television, was the only means of insuring top quality pictures on the home receiver as well as insuring a flawless show. “Putting a show on film, you can plan and cut, which you can’t do with a live show,” Freund ex¬ plained. “Also, you avoid the fluffs which are bound to happen in live shows. But most important, if the film doesn’t look right after it’s edited, you can re-shoot scenes, and add others to improve the picture, if necessary.” A question frequently-asked is why — as long as the show is filmed, the same as a theatrical film — does the company employ three cameras instead of only one, as do the major studios. The an¬ swer is that the I Love Lucy show must retain the illusion and the effect of im¬ mediacy of a live TV show. For this reason it must be filmed before an audience, and this makes it necessary that the production unfold as continuous as possible, much the same as a stage play, with only two or three interrup¬ tions — as on the stage when there is a pause between acts. This makes it neces¬ sary to shoot the various long shots, medium shots and closeups all at the same time in order to provide the film cutter with the desired takes for editing. The th ree cameras shoot an average of 7,500 feet of 35mm film per show. The filming procedure, as presently fol¬ lowed, Freund pointed out, is far less costly than major studio film production. One of the first significant moves by Desilu Productions was to surround its stars with the best technical and creative talent — ideally illustrated by its decision to sign Karl Freund, dean of cinema¬ tographers, to direct the photography of / Love Lucy shows. Freund is one of the few cinematographers active today who saw the start of silent pictures, of sound films, of color photography, and now television films — and who had a hand in • the development of each. To accept the Desilu assignment was to accept the challenge of obtaining the quality of film image demanded of television films, despite the technical handicaps under¬ standable in a new industry. “What we are striving to do,” says Freund, “is establish a standard that will please the television industry. At present, it is useless to try and improve further the photographic quality of TV films until the industry is ready for it — that is, until there is further technical improvement in the various electronic components of the television system. Already, in recent months, the industry has made great strides in this direction, with considerably improved picture quality from TV films now evident.” 'AMERICAN IN PARIS' (Continued from Page 19) pact of the cafe interior in the begin¬ ning of the picture is due to the fact that the photography was planned to en¬ compass the action, comparable to sev¬ eral scenes or takes, into one continuous take. Cuts were avoided wherever pos¬ sible; also, the very natural action in the street in the background, such as people passing by, traffic moving in the streets, etc., added to the authenticity we were aiming for. This all had to be planned from the camera point of view in order that the full scope of both scene and action could be captured with a naturalness that frequent cuts cannot make possible. The camera was mobile-mounted per¬ haps 80 percent of the time. Thus it moved from ground level in the opening of the picture to the second-story win¬ dow of Kelly’s room, and moved in and out the window. In still another scene, where players climb a narrow stair to a third floor room, the moving camera follows them as they ascend, and finally as they walk around the stair-well rail. This narrow, three-wall set over 35 feet high, with the Technicolor camera and boom almost filling the open side, al¬ ways posed a bit of a lighting problem. No small measure of credit is due my camera crew, my gaffer and my grip; for moving camera shots, such as de¬ scribed above, require the precise co¬ ordination of all hands. Needless to say, a motion picture is created by many teams of highly-skilled specialists. It is a pleasure to acknowledge here the out¬ standing contributions of A1 Lane, cam¬ era operator; Henry Imus, Technicolor technician; Wes Shanks, gaffer, and grip Dick Borland. One of the largest sets for the picture and one where a great deal of important action takes place is the Quai, erected 36 American Cinematographer January, 1952