American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1963)

Record Details:

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WHETHER IT IS an in-plant production or a film produced for a client by a commercial producer, the time required for processing of the film and making prints is an important factor to be con¬ sidered in the initial production planning. Planning— Key To Better, More Profitable Commercial Films Where thorough planning precedes actual start of production, the director and cinematographer will have a complete, thoroughly-detailed script enabl¬ ing shooting to proceed in an orderly and econom¬ ical manner. By FREDERICK FOSTER 'y'HE profit ON an industrial or commercial film production of¬ ten depends on the economies that can be effected before shooting starts. Of paramount importance to anyone producing commercial films is the ability to carefully plan each production before it goes before the cameras. Non-the¬ atrical films, if they are to return a profit and at the same time suc¬ cessfully fill the need for which they were produced, should be carefully planned, step by step. By thoroughly visualizing a production in advance, the pattern of the finished film is established. At the same time, economies are effected through planning the shooting of the scenes in the short¬ est possible time and without need for retracing steps. The planning of a commercial or industrial film should begin with the very first conference be¬ tween producer and client. At this time there should be a clear state¬ ment and understanding of the problem to be considered. Certain basic decisions must be made be¬ fore even the most rudimentary script can be written, namely: the amount of money the client will allot for the production, and how much time will be available to produce the film. Some clients are prone to underestimate both of these factors with the result that serious problems often arise be¬ fore the production is completed. But once these two matters are settled the producer will know just how much production value he can include in his script and can ad¬ vise his writer accordingly — or if he writes the script, be able to pro¬ ceed accordingly. In order to establish a relation¬ ship between budget and produc¬ tion value, it is necessary to review the elements involved. The first factor to be considered is whether the picture is to be black-and-white or color. A color production is more effective than black-andwhite but it is also more costly in terms of film stock and the in¬ creased amount of light necessary for interiors. The next factor that should be considered is the sound: whether the picture is to be lip-sync with dialogue, sound effects and music, or simply carry narration. Nar¬ rated sound with musical back¬ ground is usually easy to negoti¬ ate, since there are a number of film service laboratories that pro¬ vide complete music and recording service for the small film producer not having his own recording fa¬ cilities. Lip-sync sound, in which the speech of persons appearing in the picture is recorded simultane CAREFULLY PLANNED, the production gets un¬ der way on time and proceeds smoothly and on schedule. (Roy Zeper Photo). 34 AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, JANUARY, 1963