Home Movies (1954)

CARRY-ALL • Continued from Page 79 lights or perhaps four of the new 375 watt lamps instead of the two RFL-2's, yau can add two more sockets to it. Yet it will fold down to only 12 inches and weight and cost only a fraction of commercial ones. I constructed the whole outfit in one evening . . . and it was fun to make! CAMERA TRICKS • Continued from Page 59 of the film — this way a dark room is not needed and this can be done, at first, so that the filmer can familiarize himself with the process. All that is necessary is that we mark a definit spot on the leader, shoot the first exposure, and run the balance of the film through the camera with the lens capped and covered. Run it through again to reverse it end for end, then thread with the same start mark in the same position in the camera, and shoot the second exposure. But this is only a means to begin and not a recommended practice. Therefore the reader might as well resign himself to the changing bag or darkroom. In this case we are going to wind the film back to a definite point in the dark, so we must have a start mark which we can feel. Best bet is a notch or a punch mark along one edge of the film, which can be felt, yet will not interfere with the free running of the film as it travels through the camera. This mark can be made directly above the gate, or any other spot in the camera which is convenient. After this the camera is closed and the first exposure made. Then we make use of the camera changing bag, or go into the darkroom, open the camera, wind the film back to the notch, thread the camera with the notch in the same position as before, and shoot the second exposure. The footage counter is the best guide to the other end of the scene; note the exact point before the film is run, and also at the end of the scene. For the second exposure, the counter is returned to the same point, or it is reset to zero for both takes. Work out your own system for controlling this important part of the system. Some may think that it is superfluous, but we cannot stress too much the importance of a good steady tripod for this kind of work. While a slight amount of weave is not objectionable with routine shots, movement of any kind is fatal when making multiple exposures. Reason: any movement is bound to be different in both takes, with the result that the one image will slide over the other, ruining the illusion. And by the same token, a good camera movement or mechanism is a great help, because it is important that the film comes into position very accurately for each frame. Any good camera on the market today should be up to the job. Another aid in this kind of work is some sort of timing device. A stopwatch is probably most convenient, since it can be set in motion at the exact moment when the film begins. If a stop-watch is not available then a clock or wrist watch with a sweep-second hand is fairly helpful. You might event try a musical metronome with an audible tick, since we don't have to watch it while counting. This is all the equipment you shall need for Superimposed shots. Split screen, however calls for a matte box and we should discuss this here before going on to a general discussion of this phase of trick shooting. I Full instructions for an excellent matte box can be found on page 132, April 1953 Home Movies.) Professional cameras as well as some amateur equipment have a matte slot directly in front of the film where thin metal plates can be inserted — but it is difficult to build into some cameras which do not allow for this sort of thing. The best solution is to build one of your own to suit your own peculiar needs. The matte box is simply an attachment shaped like a sunshade, rather longer, and usually rectangular. You can improvise one of your own if you already own a square lens shade. Get two thin sheets of thin brass stock, or even a rather stiff black paper. Mask off half of the lens shade and attach the paper or brass with stick tape. Shoot your scene and then mask off the other half of the lens. The shade must be absolutely rigid of course, other wise a thin demarcation line will show in your sequence. And of course, the camera and tripod must be absolutely rigid and must not change position. Mattes should be about 1 inch by 2 for a 16mm camera, and located about 3 inches in front of the lens, with the box itself about 5 inches long. Some sort of arm or bracket should be provided to hold the matte box firmly in position. For precise directions see the issue mentioned above. Now lets get back to superimposition. ^ hen the film is exposed twice, over the entire frame, then it is obvious that the effect will be something like that of an accidental exposure which the amateur obtains when he forgets to wind the film ahead between snapshots — in other words certain things will appear ghostly or transparent. So shots like this are never realistic and their use is limited where one wants to show a ghost, used for the purpose of fantasy or comedy, or even serious drama. They may be used to depict visions, or dreams or hallucinations, and finally they may indicate the thoughts passing through the mind of a character. Superimposed shots are made this way. The entire scene is photographed tw ice, with the '"vision" present in one take, but not in the other. First the total scene or setting is photographed, together with any actors who are to be shown solidly, then the vision is photographed separately against a black background. Since the first method is done from a single camera setting and in the same spot, it is often the simpler of the two. Anything which is to appear "solid" must remain motionless throughout both takes, and not move between them. This limits us to an actor lying down, sitting motionless or asleep in a chair. As an example, say we have a man who is sitting in a comfortable chair and he "sees" a ghost. We get him into a comfortable position which he can hold without too much effort, and film the scene once, as it. Then we rewind the film to the same starting point, and run the film through again with the ghost in position. And that's all there is to it. But the most important item to consider is exposure. Without the correct exposure we cannot get the right effect. So let us remember this: The total exposure must equal one normal exposure! The simplest way to do this is to stop down one stop below7 normal, e.g. (if the correct exposure is F 8, cut it down to F 11) on both takes, giving each take one-half normal exposure. Results will be a little more brilliant, howver if we give about % normal, with the ghost, and V3 without. Roughly this means a half stop below normal with the ghost and a stop and a half without. The scene should be composed and lighted so that the ghost appears against a reasonably dark background, and for best visibility the ghost should not wear dark clothes. Further effectiveness can be given in a number of ways, if we want a real spirit effect. The ghost portion may be diffused, or it may be shot in slow motion so that the ghost floats about. The split screen method differs sharply from the superimposed technique in that it is usually realistic. Split screen has two uses, namely to show the same actor twice on the screen at the same time: or to bring 80