The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

Kid THE C I X E T E C H X I C I A X September— October, 194:j, look pretty. Another corking good wheeze — especially when shooting a close up — is to get the number board pin sharp, but have the subject either wooly or right out of focus. And when you're shooting a series of inserts linked by dissolves — turn the objects upside down (if you're shooting without a sound mask) so that you can see them the right way up. This'll give you the last scene first, and, conversely, the first scene last, and virtually makes you the editor. Another marvellous trick is to get part of your lens hood in the shot ; you then say you thought this was to be a telescope-mask scene. The effect is even more startling if you shoot with the lens cap on — when your alibi is that yon thought this was a shot of a nigger in the black out, and laugh it off that way. The great thing is that, whatever happens, it's not your fault; no cameraman must ever admit he's wrong. Remember, too, that a certain amount of temperament is necessary to bolster up your self-esteem. lint one of the very best tricks of all is to run out in the middle of a scene; after all it does rather spoil the fun to announce before a take that there's only 15 feet left in the mag. However, a dodge that runs this pretty close is to choose to reload just when everything's at last running smoothly ; never reload during a hold up. It's also rather amusing not to announce when you've finished lighting, so that when the director says, "Going to be much longer?" you can reply with superb nonchalance, " Oh, I was readj half-an-hour ago ! " A useful wrinkle, when you suddenly notice a very bad lighting patch during a take, is to cough and splutter quite uncontrollably, and get another take for sound : you then quickly modify your lighting before they're ready for the next take. Apart from occasionally producing a night effect when it's not wanted, your general rule will be to overexpose. Damn it, with the varying English light , you can scarcely lie expected to get the right exposure, even if you have got an exposure meter. it's an extremely good plan not to agitate for up-to-date equipment — then, when by some oversight, you turn out really superb stuff, you can say, " Pretty good to be able to do that with this equipment." On the other hand, when the rushes are more than usually duff, you can then blame the equipment . This even enables you to announce your alibi in advance. Try to become gadget-minded. The fact that you forget to bake your box of tricks on location dnesn't lessen the fun you have in playing around with it at the studio when you've nothing else to do. The element of surprise is of the greatest import a nee : trotting out your older tricks too ot ten will prove useless, as the experienced director will be ready for them. If you're going up a church tower, a mountain, or any place where it's reasonable to travel light, then leave the mag case behind, and make sure there's only 20 feet in the mag that's in the camera ; this is guaranteed to get that surplus hair off the director, and make him behave like a drunken sprocket. It's good for a chuckle for several ds»ys after, at the very least. Shooting off the set is of course an old game, but not to be despised, and to get the mike in now and again enables you to have your own back on the sound dept. Always be on good terms with the chief charge hand — after all he practically lights the set for yi'ii. And use a sign language with your hands for signalling to the sparks, as it's far more amusing — apart from taking agi longer — than tell ngthem simply to spread it, spot it, or kill it ; it also makes you look more like a pukka foreigner. Stand about artily while lighting, then if the producer comes on the floor he's not so likely to wonder what the hell he pays you for. Oh and supposing you ever have to undercrank (say at JG frames per sec) on a static shot becaus the light's foul, or because great depth of focus is wanted and you daren't stop down any more without some concession to exposure — then at all costs refrain from the urge to set the indicator back to 24 afterwards; speeded-up action always looks SO funny. When you have to do a spot oi reverse shooting there are two courses "pen to you: either omit to wind the raw footage forward beforehand, or. if you've already wound it forward and done the reverse shot, then omit to wind it forward the second time — most people are only too pleased to have some double-exposed stuff handy for a montage that gets written in at the last moment: with a bit of care you can even get triple-exposure. I admit there was once a case of a cameraman who hadn't got an alibi, but he hastih made the sign of the maltese cross — and promptly thought of a beaut \ . .Mind you, it takes an ace cameraman to land the entire production in the soup — but what a goal to aim for. In England you're an ace as soon as you've lit a comedy, but you'll be a cameraman (within the meaning of the Act | long before you reach ace status. In fact when you've mastered these few simple miles — you're a cameraman, my son. Hot dog !