Hands of Hollywood (1929)

Sets The cost of building artificial lawns and trees upon the stage, in such a case, would be out of all proportion to the value of the scene, so a photographic enlargement is used. A cameraman takes a Graflex still of a suitable driveway in a garden, and the still is enlarged to life size. This enlargement is placed outside the French windows; the auto drives across the stage and stops in front of the enlarged still. When this scene is flashed upon the screen, the audience receives the illusion of an auto arrrv ing in the driveway of a real garden. Qualifications of Scenic Artists: The ability of ordinary artists, plus a special knowledge of miniature painting, according to motion picture requirements. Salaries of scenic artists range from $75.00 to $400.00 per week. PAINTING OF SETS Each studio has a paint shop which has charge of the painting and the papering of sets. There are only two tones in ordinary motion picture photography, e. g., black and while; all others are merely shadings of these two. This does not mean that all sets are painted only in black and white. In fact, most sets are painted in the colors of the settings which they are supposed to represent. Nevertheless, the color emphasis is placed not on actual imitation, but on photographic requirements. When a set is ready for painting, the art director and the superintendent of the paint shop hold a conference to determine the exact effects desired. The set then is painted, great attention being given to the proper blending of colors. After the head of the paint shop has marked the color charts, these paints are mixed from dry colors by a man who does no other work. He is called "the paint-mixer." Each studio also keeps a large stock of wall paper on hand for papering sets. Ordinary paper-hangers do this work. The studio painters sometimes are called upon to do some very [53]