The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

32 The Journal of the Association of Cine-Technicicun Aui^ust, 1935 Sound Man on Location Alex. Fisher The recent increase of foreign location films is due to the desire to give the Motion Picture public something unusual, something which could not be faithfully reproduced within the four walls of a studio or on location in Britain. The touch of reality in "Sanders of the River" and "Lives of a Bengal Lancer," for example, in which this method was used, helped considerably to establish their box-office success. Outsiders often look on these trips abroad as pleasure Vedahs outside the "Studio.' 2,000 Copies Already Sold— Get Yours NOW! 1,700 Photographs appear in Photography Year Book Actual Page Size 9.^ X 12 ins. THE first C()mpri-lK-nsi\c "Pliotograpin " Year Book. More than 450 pages. ^ Over 1,700 Pictures, including 81 full-page size (9|" x 12"). Gives fine screen reproductions of the World's Camera Masterpieces. 108 F.\ami)lcs of Portraiture. 70 nf Hahics and Cliildrcn. 65 "t Fasliion and Men's Wear-, 65 "t Animals, etc. 45 of Nudes. 70 (it Commeroe and Industry. 55 iif^ Sport and Entertainmeiit. 35 lit Food and Confectionery. And other groups ot studies illustrating Agriculture, .\ir, Architecture, Drinks, Health and Beauty, Hoiticulturc Household, Landscape and Seascape, Medicinal, Models Music, Night, Shipjiing, Tobacco and Cigarettes, Travel and Hiilidavs, etc. ONE GUINEA POST FREE SEND FOR FREE BOOKLET "PHOTOGRAPHY," 4S Petter Lane, London, H.C.4 Phone : Central 9064 cruises and some companies have even tried to impress this on their crews. This is generally far from the case, and my experiences in the Far and Near East, and Africa, have convinced me that very few persons understand, or wish to understand, the many problems that confront a Sound Man on Location. Conditions are rarely ideal and for months one may have to shoot without hearing any "rushes," being dependent entirely on one's gear or vague reports from the Laboratory, which generally arrive months after recording. If one is fortunate enough to get a local theatre, the local installations are generally unreliable, the level usually varying anything from 10 to 20 D.B.'s, and the machines suffer from hereditary flatter and much noise. Home critics have vague ideas of native music or chanting, and their suggestions are often not even helpful. Let alone are they capable of being carried out. Over a thousand excited native warriors engaged in a war dance may, or may not, appear a difficult proposition to record. In practice, however, anything may happen. They may strike at the "mike" in their excitement, let forth explosive sounds or descend to inaudible mutterings. In "Sanders of the River" the "mike" tripod was knocked over frequently, and on occasions the mixer table, myself included, was sent flying. Under these conditions, the Sound Man's reactions must be "A.L" in order to record anything like satisfactory results and he must be able to decide in a flash whether he is likely to get anything worth while, even in the midst of the surging mass of excited humanity. Anyone with a knowledge of the East or Africa has sufficient knowledge of fever, reptiles, vile climate and other discomforts to be cognisant of these additional handicaps to good work. When recording some Vedahs, the most ])rinuti\e natives of Ceylon, they refused to part with their weapons, and sang in front of the m.icrophone waving their battle axes. They could not speak English or Singalese, and there was no interpreter available to ask them to sing up or tone down. Handling native artists is often more troublesome than ^r r*V .iSi K'^JS. IP .*!l A production shot of B.I.P.'s "THE DUBARRY," with Gitta Alpar, the famoi Hungarian gipsY soprano, in the title role. (Photograph by courtesv of British International Pictures).