Home Movies (1954)

FILMING mini from HOME By JOE BUDY (Part I) In the previous article we dwelt on the whys and wherefores of our jaunt to the Middle East for the purpose of producing 16mm educational films for the Iranian government. Herein we'll relate the "hows" of our production problems; "how" they arose and how, after a fashion we solved them. If you've ever entertained the notion of setting out into the world on a photographic mission, or even considered exploring those wild areas not yet incorporated into the Los Anegeles County extended limits, this article may be of some help to you. The ideas, technique and short cuts are drawn from the stockpile of common knowledge and experience to which we all contributed in our daily bull sessions. Except in the case of carpenter's hammers, two more heads are usually better than one, and especially so in the motion picture profession. WHERE you will go, and for how long in what climate will naturally determine what you should take along. Start with a carefully compiled photographic check list, and add to it (as spares) every part inside or on the outside of the camera which could be bent, broken or lost. Be sure to include enough tissues, brushes and lens caps to keep your lenses in perfect condition. I prefer a small rubber ear syringe to blow dust off the lens surfaces rather than a brush which may have been borrowed by others to wipe dirt or oil off a camera. The set screws on tripod heads sometimes "freeze" and broken legs or handles are not uncommon. Add spares generally to those things which cannot be fixed in the field by yourself. The same applies to lighting equipment; light and reflector stands take some rough handling in the course of a production. Don't become too concerned over the care and handling of film away from home; the one thing to guard against is too drastic a change in either temperature or humidity. Consider what your film will go through before and after you expose it and act accordingly. There isn't much point in loading refrigerated film in a camera to be used in the blazing sun, then unloading and immediately cooling the film. Also, there is the possibility that your exposed film may lie around unprotected in local temperatures in some post office on its way back to the lab. In our case, we knew not what to expect, and set out with tropic packed film, silica gel to dry it out, and an ice chest to keep it cool. Tropical packing proved to be a nuisance, and the silica gel was useless at an altitude of 4,000 feet in an arid land, but we made good use of the ice chest. It kept our beer cold when we went out on picnics. Our filming activities took us from the level of the Caspian Sea on up to the mountain villages 8,000 feet high or more, and we experienced no difficulties using warm film, nor did we hear of any processing problems because our film had not been cooled or dried out. Regarding filters: Glass filters are best, of course, but in the event that you shoot 16mm Commercial Kodachrome, you will have to use the gelatin compensating filter recommended for each batch of that film as well as the No. 83 filter for using Commercial Kodachrome outdoors. Grit will be your worst enemy when using gelatin filters, so it is advisable to carry extra compensating filters for each batch of that film. Once when we were down to our last spare filter of a series, we were able to prolong its life by cutting it into strips which we placed on the front of the Cine Special magazines underneath the plate in place of the slide. By keeping the filter strip covered with a paper flap when not in use we were able to carry on until spares arrived. Whatever equipment you finally end up with should be carefully recorded with numbers, if possible, on a master sheet with enough copies of it to last you all the way there and back to your home base. The lists will come in handy for insurance and customs purposes, and while on location can be used as a running inventory sheet. Finally, when you wind up your assignment, you'll be better able to determine what has been expended or lost. But just before you close the last box, toss in a handful of assorted dime store games, puzzles and gimmicks. They will prove invaluable as a means of winning friends of all ages and both sexes wherever you may go. The magic of a simple puzzle will tend to unite as brothers you who carry it and the one who tries to solve it, and if a native somewhere is successful in working the gimmick in front of his friends, you'll see a really happy fellow! Kids and grownups alike in a world far removed from TV and 3-D are still fascinated by a wrist watch, a compass or even a simple magnifying glass. For the wet-pants set, a sure fire pacifier is a wad of adhesive tape • See FILMING on Page 83 71