The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

72 The Joitrnal of the Association of CineTechnicians November, 19 jri Recent Publications Popular Television, by Barton Chappie, B.Sc. (Hons.), A.M.I.E.E., etc." Pitmans, 2/6. Captain West, in his article on Tele\'ision in the last issue, said : "much can be picked up from reading, if it is the right sort." Here is the first book of that description written by a recognised authority. The author writes from experience as one who has been in Television since its infancy. The book lucidly explains the elementary principles of Television, the older methods of transmission, the methods that will be used in London's first Television station, and forecasts the type of programmes we may expect. From this one can judge if the film technician will meet with any serious opposition in this new form of entertainment. Why are short waves necessary for High Definition Television ? How far can one receive pictures from the source of transmission ? What will the receiver be like ? 'All these questions are answered in full. There is a very interesting section on big screen Television for the Cinema, in which the author describes how, for example, the "Dei'by" could be televised and shown on the Cinema screen two or three minutes after it has happened. It is interesting to note also that according to the author there are two reactions to Television in the film world ; on the one hand it is regarded as a "wholesale menace" and on the other hand "good in a co-operative manner." His only comment on the current situation is "only time will tell what will happen." Perhaps a very guarded comment, but one feels safe in the opinion that a long time will elapse before Television will become a serious rival to the Cinema screen. The last part of the book deals with the uses of Television other than for entertainment, such as for fog penetration, televising messages and education. The book is filled with useful and interesting information both for the layman and technician. By his vivid style and avoidance of technical jargon, the author makes Television appear much less complex than the knowing ones claim it to be. Observer. How to Enter the Film World, by E. G. Cousins. Introduction by Alexander Korda. Allen and Unwin, 106 pp., 21 nett. Mr. Cousins' is a valuable and much-needed book. Its information is concise and trustworthy, though it is regrettable that there is no mention of A.C.T.'s Employment Bureau among the list of agencies at the back. However, we can welcome it, as Mr. Korda does in his introduction, as the handiest answer to that question we have all periodically shrunk from — "How can I get into films ? " Mr. Cousins deals with each section of the industry in turn, and is as discouraging as he should be to the merely romantic-minded aspirant. For A.C.T. the book has a special interest. Mr. Cousins declares his book to be written "partly in the hope that it will help in a measure to provide the studios witii one of their greatest needs — some regulation and direction of the supply of talent." For truly there is no satisfactory way of entering the industry. Nepotism, of course, is rife, despite the resentment with which, as he points out, it is regarded in the studios. And like him, we are "appalled by the number of people having no connection whatever with film production, who regard it as a convenient dumping ground for the incompetent, the dull-witted, the lazy and the social misfit." Such apprenticeship schemes as have been tried have rarely been courses of training in any real sense, but in most cases merely a means of obtaining for the "apprentice" a temporary sojourn in a film studio. I do not deprecate sincere efforts on the part of \arious companies to train new people, but urge that the problem is one to be tackled on an industry-wide scale. The efforts to date have been local and unrelated. The Regent Street Polytechnic has a course in cinematography, for example, but there is no guarantee for the student of eventual entry into the studios. The Apprenticeship Committee of the A.C.T. have got as far as laying down" certain principles as the necessary basis of any apprenticeship scheme (published in our last issue). And, as I have said, several studios have made individual experiments. What is needed is a co-ordination of all these efforts, for technicians and the companies to come together, through their appropriate organisations, in order to decide the structure of apprenticeship and then to co-operate with reputable educational bodies such as the Regent Polytechnic to ensure that courses in cinematography shall keep pace with studio practice. The number of students enrolled for such courses could be controlled in terms of the need of the industry for recruits and the successful students assured of a trial, at least, in the industry. "There are," says Mr. Cousins, "two doors to the studios — front and back." I hope we shall before long firmly bolt the back door and install a sensitive turnstile at the front. Sidney Cole. The Journal of the Association of Cine-Technicians SUGGESTIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS welcomed from all Cine-Technicians. NUMBER FOUR will be published 1st February, 1936. Subscription Rate. 9d per copy ; lid post free. 3/6 per annum, post free. Special A.C.T. Members' Rates. 6d per copy ; 8d post free. 2^6 per annum, post free. Order through any A.C.T. Studio Secretary, anj branch of W. H. Smith &: Son, Ltd., or direct from The Association of Cine-Technicians, 30 Piccadilly Mansions, 17 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W. L