The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

August, 1935 The Journal of the Association of Cine-Technicians 31 Music for Sound Tracts By Leo T. Croke I AM ill the happy, or unhappy, position of being a freelance composer and recorder of music for sound films. Unhappy, in having to be my own business and sales manager, accountant and, occasionally — though not too often — my own debt collector. Happy, in not being tied to any particular studio, thereby gaining useful experience in recording and being able to see some of our leading sound engineers and technicians at work, many of whom have done so much to put sound film recording "on the map" in this country. Further, I frequently visit the cinema for entertainment, and it certainly is instructive to compare the various sound tracks under working conditions. Comparing our tracks with those of Hollywood leads me to the conclusion that a great deal of our music is underrecorded. There are notable exceptions coming from our bigger studios, but the above fact must be patent to anyone with a sense of orchestral balance. This fault is particularly evident in vocal music, for which the orchestra is .so often practically faded out. .\n audience attending an orchestral performance in a concert hall can appreciate all the variations of light and shade, and yet if the same work is recorded on a sound track the peak of each climax will l)e faded off to such an extent as to rob the composer of his original intentions. I am forced to conclude that an orchestral climax is considered almost indecorous on the films. Nothing will convince me that our systems in this country are incapable of giving us the breadth of dynamic power which we get from the other side. I have heard a few British tracks that have achieved equal results on both density and variable area. My grumble is that we don't get enough. We certainly have orchestral players equal to any in America or on the Continent, and happily they are losing much of their very understandable hostility to sound films. Sound engineers have very little time in which to place and balance the orchestra and every band has its own particular ensemble. Moreover, a very slight change in the personnel of a regular studio orchestra may necessitate rebalancing. Considering the .speed at which the work has to be produced, our technicians show great skill in getting through their job with such speed. How many studios allow their technical staff a decentsized band for occasional experimental purposes only ? A week, or even a couple of days, from time to time, would be well worth while. .\t the other extreme, I have seen the personnel of a liand completely changed during the recording of a film. The second group of players, never having played together before, had neither balance or ensemble. Yet the recording went merrily on ! To start recording under these circumstances is grossly unjust, both to the engineers and musicians. Needless to say, the film was a failure. Experience in various studios working in variable area, density, and latterly making tracks for colour films, as well as cartoons, has taught me that there is much to be gained by recording in short lengths wherever possible. It saves time in re-takes and is not such a strain on the musicians. The following are a few time-saving hints, some of which are known, but not always put into practice : — (1) \ complete score of the music to be recorded should be prepared for the technician on "controls" and should be sent to the studio a day or two in advance of the session. (2) As he has a number of things to attend to besides following the score, the dynamics should be marked in coloured pencil, taking care to start the crescendos and diminuendos at the exact place, and not approximately, as one occasionally sees. (3) When the session includes vocal items, particularly harmonised work, the vocalists should receive copies well in advance and have a rehearsal beforehand, at which it is essential they be word and note perfect. A singer coming into a recording session and relying upon reading the part from score, particularly if a bad sight-reader, may run recording into an extra day's session that has not been budgeted for. (4) All band parts should be checked for copyists' errors before the session. Much valuable time is wasted by doing this in the studio. Sound Engineers will agree that no amount of careful recording, even with a first-class band, can produce good results if the band parts are badly arranged. If the Musical Director cannot score all the music himself — and no man should presume to direct an orchestra until he has mastered the intricacies of orchestration — he should make sure that the scoring is done by an arranger who knows something about film recording. There is a definite technique in scoring for a sound track, particularly in the lay-out of the inner parts and the distribution of intervals of chords of the 9th, 11th and 13th, as well as modern chromatic harmonies. Just as the Common Scale of 'C can be made to sound majestic if harmonised and scored by a skilful arranger, equally so can the finest melody be made commonplace and robbed of its beauty by an inferior or slovenly orchestrator. The system of farming-out band parts is also thoroughly bad. A score that is given to a five-guinea man may be passed on to a three-guinea man, who again passes it on to another, till it finally reaches some poor hack who does the actual work for a guinea or even less. This system has become possible through the lack of encouragement generally shewn to the best arrangers. Our orchestrators are as clever as any in America and are worthy of encouragement, for they are not the least important link in the chain that produces a good sound track. British Kinematograph Society Forthcoming Lectures We should like to remind members that they are invited to attend the lectures of the British Kinematograph Society and invitation cards may be obtained a week or so prior to each lecture from the Secretary of A.C.T. or Studio Secretaries. The 1935-36 programme is still in the course of arrangement, but it is hoped to commence the session with a paper deahng with "Spicer-Dufay System of Colour Cinematography," probably followed by a paper by Mr. Louis Levy, with demonstrations on the subject of "Fitting Music to Films." Another interesting and entirely new type of lecture to be given will be one by Mr. Gillespie Williams, of the Holophane Company, on "Colour Lighting for Cinematography.