The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

August, itJ35 The Journal of the Association of Cine-Technicians 29 Cinema Log The Colour Era. "Becky Sharp" has done it ! Yes, the Cinema industry has entered the colour era, and as in the case of the "Talkies," both the Exhibitors and Producers are floundering in deep waters in their attempt to adopt the right method of reproduction. Each approaches the subject from a different angle. Exhibitors require perfect colour, no machine attachments and no additional costs in their already heavy expenses. The producers are looking for a process requiring the minimum of e.xtra cost in manufacture, both from the floor and print charges, and one which is also free from heavy negative and positive manipulations, and that can be photographed with a reasonable quantity of lighting. The splendid results obtained by inhibition methods must in the long run be considered from the standpoint of rapid processing. None of these, it must be realised, could be used for news-reel production, as the time lag in the laboratory would kill the e.ssential feature of speed of exhibition. I think it is time that we considered a modernisation of the old Kinemacolour, or Biocolour methods, which use black and white prints, with an attachment on the projecting machine to render the colour. It is, I am sure, essential while experimenting with these systems, to use two negatives ; one of the usual panchromatic type and the other orthochromatic, giving a good rendering into the green band of spectrum. There are many methods now in the experimental stage, which would be quite practical if this principle were adopted. It is essential for the Colour Technician to realise the sensitivity band of modern panchromatic emulsion. He has only to gaze at a wedge to reahse the impossibility of using these to cover the whole visual range of the spectrum, owing to their high red sensitivity. The processes can be adapted by a simple lens attachment with a shuttle or rotating filter .system. Also one could use dyed frames, which could be mechanically processed at a very rapid rate. I have experimented with one of these ])rocesses, but as only one frame, dyed orange-red, was used, the rest of the spectrum was obtained by "pure imagination." I believe that the Cinecrome people are about to launch their process in a far higher technical form. W'e await the viewing and further details of their process. The Biocolour system, which was Kinemacolour, with the frames dved to act as their own filters, was killed, not by its technical imperfections, but by the litigation that killed its competitor — Kinemacolour. I worked on this process in Brighton, the then technical home of the cinema, with that creator of the modern moving picture, Friese-Greene, who first imbued me, so many years ago, with a colour complex. Another black-and white colour process is being manufactured in France, using a three-lens combination which can be easily adapted to the ordinary machine. This gives very good colour rendering, but the highly skilled optical manipulation is at the moment, I believe, holding up its commercialisation. Glorious Quality. Talking of the late Friese-Greene, I hear, since his son Claude's recovery from his serious illness and return to the B.I. P. Elstree floor, his camera work in their latest production is something that cameramen dream about. Claude and I worked together in our early youth, under the technical guidance of his father, and I am sure that when the Associated British Corporation adopt colour for their features, the work of this camera ace will be the talk of the world. He did, a few years ago, bring out a process himself, but it was in the days when the Cinema industry was suffering from the financial set-back, from which it has now so ably recovered, that I am sure it did not get the chances that it deserved. Perhaps Claude will resurrect his idea. Promotion. Congratulations to my brother Vice-President, Thorold Dickinson, of A.T.P., on his promotion to the rank of .\ssociate Producer. Thorold is a very deep thinker, and has a personality that has a soothing influence on everybody with whom he comes in touch. At the same time, his active brain is obtaining a clear and concise, and what is more, unbiased, idea of the subject that he is discussing. What an asset for his new position. The Association owes a great deal to the judgment of this Cinematographic enthusiast. Return from Foreign Parts. Ill the last is.sue we mentioned tliat Roy Fogwell had left with the Ward Wing unit for Singapore. Well, now they're back again, with fifteen thousancl feet of negative in the "can." They tell me that there was plenty of excitement. Twenty-eight feet pythons striking at the camera for close-ups ; shots of crocodiles, a fight between two water buffaloes and a baby orang-outang that was a pet of the party, but would keep stealing the camera accessories and had a perfect passion for the pan handle. All this in an average temperature of one hundred and five in the shade. And as an afterthought Roy mentioned the beautiful nati\-e girls who were the principals in the films ! I saw Ward Wing crawling down Wardour Street the other day suffering from some mysterious Eastern compl :int. He was a very sick man, and yet only three months ago Ward, full of enthusiasm and fight, as fit as a fiddle, was off to make this picture for the Columbia Company. To-day, with a picture completed, bar for the cutting, he is in the hands of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases. This is just one of the .sacrifices that lia\'e to be made at the altar of the"Cinema Cxod." Death of Eugene Lauste. I am sorry to hear of the passing of Eugene Lauste, the father of the "talkies," who obtained the first British patent for a sound film thirty years ago. Born in Paris, Lauste held 53 French patents at the age of 23, and after coming to England he lead the band of Anglo-French cinematograph experimenters. His son, Emile, is known to English technicians as the technical liason officer of the Kodak Company in connection with their cinematograph ^ department. To Stand for Parliament. A.C.T. has been fortunate in its contacts with members of the House of Commons, and members will be pleased to hear that the Association's Secretary, George H. Elvin, has accepted an invitation to stand at the next election. The General Council readily promised the necessary leave of absence for this purpose, and I am sure that we all wish him success at Weston-super-Mare, the constituency for which he has been adopted. Kenneth VxOrdon.