The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

Feb. -March, 193; The Journal of the Association of Cine-Technicians Ul A.C.T. for a joint meeting to discuss the question of an agreement, standardising working conditions and determining minimum salaries. Almost every employee engaged in film production is now in his respective organisation, whether it be the A.C.T., the E.T.U., or the N.A.T.E. If the employers take Mr. Kearney's advice, might we suggest to our fellow trade unionists that the three employees' organisations co-operate jointly on labour matters ? The first step towards the stabilisation of labour matters in the film industry will then have been taken. The rest depends upon the two parties involved. On our part, as one of the employees' organisations, A.C.T. would strive its utmost to ensure that having attained stabilisation of working conditions, salaries and wages, which we trust would achieve that efficiency and contented employment which is so necessary in the production of a finished article which will be a credit to its producers, its members will play their full part in the development of an important industry which, as it grows, should tend towards more employment and still better quality of output. This latter, after all, is the very lifeblood of the British film industry, and cannot be attained without the full co-operation of the technicians who collectively are now represented in the Association of CineTechnicians. Vinten's Prices Raised Owing to a general increase in the prices of raw materials and labour, \V. \'inten, Ltd., armounce that to their great regret they ha\'e had to make an increase in catalogue prices of approximately 15 per cent, as from Januarv 1, 1937. Production Buyers Organise Nearly everv production buyer in the industry attended a meeting on January 14th, presided over by Mr. E. Moynham. Discussion showed that some form of organisation was essential both in the interests of the buyers themselves and the film industry. It was unanimously agreed both to form an organisation and to link it up with A.C.T., thus providing closer contact with the Art Department and co-operation with organised technicians generally. A further meeting has been called, at which it will be unanimously recommended by the committee appointed at the above meeting, that all production buyers join A.C.T. and function through a Production Buyers' Section of that organisation. The section will be autonomous as is the case with the laboratory and news-reel sections. We congratulate the buyers on this move and wish them everv success in their deliberations and activities. Library Additions Recent additions to the A.C.T. Library (a\'ailable to all members) include ; "B.J. Photographic Almanac, 1937" ; "Waterloo in Wardour Street," by Eric Siepmann ; "25 Years of Film," by G. R. Doyle ; "Portrait Photography," by Franz Feidler ; "Photography," by C. E. K. Mees, and Report of a Committee Appointed by the Board of Trade to consider the position of British Films, having in mind the approaching expiry of the Quota Act. UfSmrUWU fILM DESPATCH yORMAMS EDITING BAYS WE UNDERSTAND THAT IN 1936 .vA^ BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY LOST £f ,500,000 ON FILM PRODUCTIONS IT MIGHT EASILY HAVE BEEN £3,000,000 BUT THRIFTY COMPANIES CAME TO US . . . yORMAMS fILM DESPATCH aS^ZZZBBV EDITING BAYS