Film and TV Technician (1957)

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256 FILM & TV TECHNICIAN May 1958 Pattern for the Future By GEORGE ELVIN I DOUBTLESS because he is aware '-'of the thin dividing line between dotage and anecdotage, the Editor suggested I might in this article look forward rather than backward, leaving review of the past twenty-five years to other contributors. The only major change in the pattern of our Union over the past quarter of a century has been the development of television and the slight shrinkage in the influence of feature film production. Whereas in the early days our membership was primarily composed of technicians engaged in feature films, their numbers now are only about one-sixth of the total. Expansion of Documentary There has been expansion on the shorts and documentary side primarily due to development in the non-theatrical use of films, and there has, of course, been an expansion in our laboratory section which we started to recruit a year or so after we were formed and which has subsequently become a very substantial proportion of our membership. There has, on the other hand, been a shrinkage in newsrecl membership as a result of the virtual demise of two of the five Newsreels. This year's Annual General Meeting is the first year when all these varying changes have become really noticeable. I don't think it needs a very accurate crystal ball to prophesy that twenty-five years hence there will be many more shifts of balance within the Union by reason of changes in films and television than there have been in our first twenty-five years. For a start, unless they wake up their ideas and put out programmes which the public will clamour to see, it is virtually certain there will be no cinema newsreels twenty five years hence and this is almost sure to have some repercussions on the laboratory side particularly in those laboratories which do newsreel work. On the other hand, there may well be a development in television newsreels and therefore within the union as a whole the shake up may not be very substantial. Although here, too, recent developments such as tape recorded television indicate that television newsreels may function without the necessity of laboratory processing. We are certain, of course, to have developments and expansion in television and it is likely that before long the Government of the day will introduce legislation to establish competitive television channels. Whether they will be administered by the B.B.C. or by Independent Television or by some new third body is much more problematical. But in any case we can look forward to an expanding membership. Must Wake Up The cinema side is much more problematical but I am not one of those Jeremiahs who foresee the demise of the cinema in favour of television, as at least one Government spokesman who recently received a deputation from A.C.T.T. seemed to do. At the same time, unless the film industry wakes up its ideas it is sure to go through continuing difficulties despite the tax relief granted in this year's budget and, we hope, the complete abolition of th< tax next year if it cannot be forced through earlier. But while tax relief, or preferably abolition, for which we must continue to fight, will mean the removal of a great injustice for the film industry, that by itself will not necessarily lead to any benefits either to the public, to production as a whole or to the employees in the industry. If, as our President said in his Address to the Annual General Meeting, tax relief is used simply to bolster profits or buttress losses we are merely putting off the evil day when a large shake-up must take nlace in the British film industry. Cinemas, if they are to stay in business, must be modernised and those who control production must stop playing fast and loose with the livelihood of their employees and settle down to a broad expansionist policy. The present crisis is a challenge to British producers. While returns generally are down it is significant that British films continue to attract more money to the box office than foreign films. Expand Production One of the steps which should be taken in order to overcome the Industry's difficulties would be an expansion of production instead of the foolish contraction which recently took place in certain quarters. One thing is certain, though some people do not appear to appreciate it, namely, that unless films are made and made available for showing, nothing on earth will attract the public back to the cinemas. An analysis of the output of the leading directors of the British film industry would show that, through no fault of their own. then output is at a very much lower level than that of leading directors in other countries. There is an obvious case in point. At the very time when our own President's last film, Orders to Kill, was being acclaimed and indeed receiving rave notices in the British press, his employers were busy cancelling his next production, an experience which he and other leading directors have suffered all too frequently in recent years. We must stop for all time this sorry business of British production being used as a pawn in the game which cinema owners play with the Government and others on whom they wish to exert pressure. At times 1 almost despair of British exhibitors acting intelli