International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

Twenty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER The Life of a Stillman By Don Mackenzie February, 1934 HE still cameraman is the only studio employee I know who is hired and instructed by his employer to procure a certain quota of work. He goes out on a job and finds that he is a lone wolf. This is not through any personal dislike for him, but largely from a lack of appreciation of the real value of his work. I have even had cameramen ask me why we had to have more than twenty or thirty pictures to a production, inasmuch as theatre lobbies rarely display more than six or eight stills. Not all people, even in the profession, realize the part that still pictures play in a production. Beside their display in theatre lobbies stills are used for posters and billboard advertising, for advertising and publicity in newspapers and periodicals. But most important of all for the financial success of a picture the salesman who sells the film carries a complete set of stills, which not only tell the story to the exhibitor, but also show him the cast, sets and costumes. In fact, the exhibitor is rarely interested in the film unless he is first impressed by the stills. Right here I believe it would not be out of place to correct an impression which seems to be general — that a stillman's job is a cinch. True, there is plenty of sittingaround time on a set, but that, after all, is one of the drawbacks of the job. Let us follow a stillman through a production and see what his job consists of. First he is told by his production department to get a large number of production stills and also plenty of publicity and off-stage shots and, as a parting shot, is generally told : "Don't let them bulldoze you out of them." These instructions are given despite the fact that the stillman has been given no real authority to procure the pictures. He must rely on tact and the hope that his director is a "good scout," and oh, yes, sometimes that the supervisor is a "good scout," also that the assistant director, the cameraman, the gaffer and the property man are all "good scouts." If all these fellows are "good scouts" he begins to feel that he is sitting pretty — provided the star also is a "good scout." But if they are just "one of the mind scouts" his job sometimes shapes up differently. He goes along smoothly grabbing off a scene here and there until the production comes to some high light, maybe one of the real kicks of the story. It may be a highly emotional or dramatic scene. He, the stillman, thinks to himself: "Ah, this is what I have been waiting for!" and then waits in anticipation for an O. K. on the scene that he may shoot his still. The director and the actors have had a hard time shooting the scene. However, after eight or ten minutes the director is satisfied. It is now twelve-thirty and everyone is hungry. The stillman hollers : "Hold it for a still!" The director goes to lunch, the actors give the stillman disgusted looks. The gaffer, and in fact all the electricians, give him a dirty look and the assistant director glances uncertainly from stillman to actors and finally "compromises" by promising the stillman that he can have the desired shot right after lunch. After lunch the stillman discovers that the lighting line-up has been changed from an individual close-up and that it is impossible to shoot the original scene. He grumbles to the assistant director, who shrugs — and thus another opportunity is lost. The stillman then notices that a couple of "leads" are at liberty and he has an idea for an off-stage publicity shot. He contacts them and if they happen to feel kindly about the idea he next contacts the gaffer — only to learn that he and his assistants are busily engaged in lighting the next scene, but as soon as they finish "he will fix you up." Then when the gaffer is at liberty to "fix you up" the stillman finds that his leads have been called on to the set to rehearse the next scene — and another opportunity is lost. And so it goes throughout the production, except on those rare occasions when all the crew are "good scouts." The impression also prevails that all a stillman must know is how to focus his camera and time the negative. This is only a minor detail. A good stillman must know how to group his subjects so as to avoid blank spaces and feature the leading players without making it too obvious. This grouping sometimes necessitates changing a light or two, all of which takes time. He must also direct the actors in what he wishes them to do. Inasmuch as it cannot talk a good still should show some exaggeration in action. But try to get the average actor to exaggerate. He is deathly afraid of mugging or over-acting. Remember, the still man is supposed to do all these things in practically the time he takes to place the camera in position, focus and snap the exposure. If he takes a longer time the director is apt to become impatient. But after the picture is completed the publicity department looks at the stills and wonders why there isn't more "punch" to this scene or that scene, forgetting the obstacles that are placed in the way of obtaining the desired result. They forget or ignore the lack of co-operation that the stillman receives in his work. Now in spite of all these obstacles he encounters, he does manage to get good production stills with a "kick" and also many off-stage shots. The wonder is, however, that he accomplishes what he does in the limited time at his disposal. The quality of a set of stills, be they good or bad, are remembered long after the conditions under which they are taken are forgotten. Who envies the life of a stillman? THE ASSISTANTS TALK IT OVER ^UNNp/cffSHNE "Did joe get a job?" "No. He can't even get a rumor. Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.