International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

October, 1934 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Eleven in than of the area and movements within the room or location in which the film is shot. We do not think of the actual time it would take to look at and walk to a person so that we could see him in close-up, if we suddenly see before us on the screen a close-up reaction of someone a little way across a room. Though seconds are clipped off the time for a crossing by moving a character out of one frame, pausing, and bringing him into another, we accept the compression because the movements fall next to one another smoothly and progressively. We accept Filmic time! Far too often it is the adherence to real time and space that makes the cine-drama lose its power. The cinema is an essence — a compression of time and space, in its whole as well as its part! Far too often in the development of pictures real time and real space are covered religiously, accounting for all the movements, and all the space and time covered within a scene. The action is shot from many angles and covered in longshot, medium-shot and close-up positions. This may be a protective method of shooting, but, at best, it becomes a cold recording of the scenes. Consequently, the mass of film dumped on a cutter to be compressed and set into a filmic unit becomes only a technically perfect rendition of a recorded sequence. The build-up of shots which are a result of the protective method of shooting shows a lack of systematic vision in the continuity man, and a lack of understanding of the powerful resources at hand. The design of shot juxtaposition which should interpret an interesting cinematic conception of the scenes is not present as the outcome of this type continuity development. Under these conditions of profligate over-shooting the cutter becomes more than a technician who blends a continuity of shots joining each at the right frame; he becomes, strangely enough, the continuity man and the cutter at the same time. This dual role exists because it is necessary for him to select out of the many set-ups and angles, and develop the succession of shots which will most efficiently put over the movement in, and the thought behind a scene. This "fixing it up after it's shot" method does not put the cutter in his proper relation to the film's development. If the cutter is deluged with film and there's no thoughtful filmic presentation of the scene, then someone on the planning side is falling down on his job. This situation is both expensive and non-filmic, and is, therefore, not an advantageous procedure for the amateur. In November issue will follow an article dealing specifically with "plotting out" a scene for shot by shot continuity. THE JUNIOR NEWSREEL Ray Fernstrom reports that his Junior Newsreel is off to a signal success. The first showing of the Newsreel was made at the Mirror Theatre early in September and the only criticism from any source was that the preview was too short. Six hundred members of the ParentTeacher Association were present and they unanimously agreed that the footage shown was of the sort of material desirable for such a newsreel. It was an Eyemo, anchored to a motorcycle, that took the moving race track shots in Warner Bros.' "Six Day Bike Rider," starring Joe E. Brown. BELL & HOWELL COMPANY The World is opening up for EYEMO Owners With the technical advance which has been made in applying sound to silent films, and with the world crying for short subjects, the Eyemo cameraman stands on the threshold of big things for himself. The stage is set, ready for "Camera!" and the market is waiting for the finished product. Portability, versatility, and technically perfect results are what you buy in Eyemo — the finest 35 mm. hand camera ever made. Small and compact, the Eyemo maybe operated by spring motor, hand crank, or electric motor. 100-foot daylight loading spools may be used. 200 or 400-foot magazines may be attached. Eyemo has seven film speeds, from 4 to 32 frames, or from 8 to 48 frames, including sound speed. Our Eyemo booklet will tell you what you want to know about portable 35 mm. equipment. Write for it. 1849 Larchmont Ave., Chicago; 11 West 42nd St., New York; 716 North La Brea Ave., Hollywood; 320 Regent St., London (B & H Co., Ltd.) Established 1907. Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.