Home Movies (1954)

the camera which for more than 25 years has dominated motion picture photography. Every major studio in Hollywood and throughout the world, uses the Mitchell. The Mitchell camera is also the most expensive 16mm camera on the market today. But if you are a cameraman, you will realize the technical benefits to be derived from a camera such as this. There is no guess work — nothing is left to chance. There was a time when quality in 16mm motion pitcures was not too important. But the standard has risen — and will rise even higher — therefore only with a truly professional camera can you obtain truly professional quality. As all cameramen undoubtedly will agree. Mitchell has made it possible to photograph on 16mm film with the same brilliance, clarity and fidelity that has been realized with 35mm cameras, and the 16mm film industry now has but one photographic standard — the standard of perfection. FILMING • Continued from Page 71 filched from the first aid kit, and rolled into a ball with the sticky side out. It'll keep the wee ones gurgling happily trying to unstick it from their chubby fingers and it won't harm them if you remember to make it one size larger than their mouths. You may be using a mother or a daughter in your film who is "baby-sitting" and who might not otherwise be able to leave her charge unattended. Winning friends on your location is important from the outset as it will determine the cooperation you'll get in the future. With grownups in a strange land, a middle-of-the-road attitude of friendliness is best. Even though they may not understand your words, there is no mistaking a harsh or commanding tone of voice in any language. Equally bad. however, could be a "palsy-walsy" attitude toward an actor which might cause him to "lose face" among his people for fraternizing too freely with a foreigner. You may as well have come from Mars; you'll be regarded as a strange creature anyway, if not for yourself then for the strange apparatus you'll be lugging around. The intensity of the level gaze will vary with the proximity of the nearest civilized city. At any rate, you'll be considered a highly educated person maybe even a "doctor", so you can't afford to "lose face" either, by getting into arguments, losing your temper or other unseemly actions. Whether you desire it or not you will always be regarded as a representative of the United States, and this country and its people will he judged by you and your actions. And you will also be regarded as being rich, an opinion held by every nation across the pond. A quick method of lining up the local citizenry on your side is to let them take a peek through the ground glass of your motion picture or still camera. They'll be excited when they see their familiar environment reduced in color to the limits of the ground glass, but be careful where you point your camera, especially in a Moselm world where women are not to be seen, let alone talked to. The excited comments of the viewers may be mistaken for ridicule by the person in front of the camera, so let them all take turns looking at each other through the lens. Just how you'd go about winning friends and influencing people among the African headhunters or the Arabian horsemen I'm not sure, but if you select a peaceful village of the Near or Middle East to work in, the procedure might be the same as the one we followed. Practically all the villages throughout Iran are owned by absentee landlords, ranging from the Shah with his thousands of holdings on down to the minor league gentry with only a village or two supporting them. These owners appoint a representative for each village, known locally as a mayor or "Khadkhoda", who collects rentals, settles disputes among the tenants and is loosely credited with being law and order. After familiarizing ourselves with a script, a group of us consisting of the director, writer, cameraman and interpreter would pay a social call on the mayor, armed with only a still camera or two, and wearing our best socks without holes in them for the occasion. Bemoving our shoes upon being invited to enter his home, we would sit cross-legged on his Persian rug. and over sips of the ever-present tea of hospitality would discuss everything under the sun except politics. About the time for refills of tea. we would get around to stating the purpose of our visit, and what we proposed to do with his gracious permission. If we "sold" him and he had full power to act, we would soon get it, but if not, we would have to wait until he considered, or got approval from his boss. At any rate, we would request permission to stroll through his village. Wanting to impress us with his importance, and with true Persian hospitality he would personally escort us through the streets and lanes of his domain, commanding all doors of houses or yards to be opened to us for our inspection. While the interpreter kept our host • See FILMING on Page 84 See your dealer, or write for additional information ZOOMAR Glen Cove, Long Island, N. Y. 83