American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1952)

photographer as he operates the camera. A ring with pointer was attached to the lens with a small set screw, and the pointer set so that the scale read infinity when the camera lens was so set. The pointer was provided with a handle ex¬ tension. Thus, as the cine photographer dollied forward, he could progressively in any position and to see an upright image without having to lie on his belly or otherwise contort himself. The camera can be run backwards or forwards without having to change posi¬ tions of the belt on the 1000-foot film magazines. These are similar to our standard magazines used on Americanmade cameras except they are divided in half. Thus each half-magazine can be either feeder or takeup, so that a set of six half-magazines affords the same capacity and use as five standard (double-chamber) magazines. One of the first things I did was to teach the assistant gaffer, the operative cameraman and his assistant how to take accurate incident light readings. The head gaffer and I would stay at the camera and direct the lighting; the assistant gaffer would measure the in¬ tensity of the light at far distant points, and the operative or his assistant would then douhle-check him by also taking readings. I was thus able to solve most of the lighting problems with directness and simplicity, whether the illumination was planned or spontaneous. The crew was invited to attend the screening of dailies and to discuss tech¬ nical and artistic matters. Every man, whether on the catwalk or on the floor, at the mike boom or loading magazines in the dark room, thus felt that he had an important part in the production of the picture. You’d be surprised how, as a result of their enthusiasm, they came up with amazing suggestions; they were eager to learn how and why things were done. I spent many hours after work each day explaining and instructing — and finally learning much myself. I remember having explained to my eager listeners the use of diffusion filters and their progression in relation to the focal length of the lenses used. I also attempted a demonstration of the filters through the camera, using an electrician as a standin. Suddenly I realized the fallacy of my efforts — how conventional the diffusion filter progression can be! But therein lay a practical idea for me. The following day, the sequence scheduled to be shot was of a theological discussion between Martin Luther and his opponent, Doctor Eck, which was to change focus of his lens, according to a predetermined plan. Thus we see that the ingenuity of cameramen over the years has met an important problem, solved it readily, and as a result improved the technical quality of motion pictures in all fields of production. end in a violent argument. I saw where unusual pictorial emphasis could be ap¬ plied to the sequence by using the dif¬ fusion filters in an unorthodox manner. The long and medium shots, introducing the discussion in its mild stage, were fully diffused; then, as we were getting closer to the opponents in progressive cuts, I decreased the diffusion and took the “chokers” without any filter at all, thus adding photographic brutality to a violent argument. Many of my uncompromising deci¬ sions had to be revised and adapted to the functional reality of film making, but in general we observed the strict rule of realism. The story involved hun¬ dreds of priests. Every extra as well as actor was carefully tonsured in keeping with the custom of the times depicted, which involved shaving of the head. This soon became such a task for the barbers, that the company finally sent out scouts to round up as many baldheaded men as possible to replace the others! Matching the realism of authentic lo¬ cations and studio sets remained our constant worry. Illumination alone can¬ not do it all; set designing and set dressing are equally important factors. Careful attention was thus paid to authenticity; paintings, furniture and all properties were secured from German museums or antique shops; authentic copies were skillfully made when origin¬ al pieces could not be brought to the studio. The scars of centuries were marked on the walls of most buildings, so it was necessary to renovate them so they’d appear as they did at the time of Martin Luther. All these efforts to attain realism were not just background stuff; they were an inherent part of the photographic texture itself; they remain ever-present in the closeups, and in the moving and long shots. We know, however, that no picture can be truly realistic unless it has a realistic and powerful story to tell. Thus the screened result must remain the final judge; it alone will show the extent of the contribution we made in illustrating the story of Martin Luther. END £viciar&ect. , , by the WORLD'S LEADING CAMERAMEN Used At All Hollywood Movie Studios 7th Edition NOW AVAILABLE IMPROVED! ENLARGED! REVISED! with TELEVISION PHOTOGRAPHY DATA plus NEW CHARTS and TABLES The Book of a Thousand Answers to Photographic Questions ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! price $e.oo POSTPAID Book Department, American Cinematographer, 1782 No. Orange Dr., Hollywood 28, Calif. Gentlemen: Enclosed please find $5.00* for which please send me a copy of THE AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER HANDBOOK AND REFERENCE GUIDE. Name . Address . City . Zone . State . *lf you live in California, please in¬ clude 18c sales tax — total $5.18. ASSIGNMENT IN GERMANY (Continued from Page 553) December, 1952 American Cinematographer 553