International photographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

sTudios' stUI phoToqRAphy show As announced in last month's issue of International Photographer, the First Annual Exhibition of the Hollywood Studios' Still Photography Show is being held •April 14 through April 27. Sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the committee in charge of the exhibit are: Perry Lieber, Chairman: John Joseph, Howard Strickling, George Brown, Louis Smith, Harry Brand. Robert Taplinger, Frank Selzer, Jock Lawrence, John LeRoy Johnson, Donald Cledhill. Following is an analysis by studios of total entries submitted: COLUMBIA Milton Gold 3 Irving Lippman 11 M. B. Paul 2 A. L. (Whitey) Schafer 6 22 METRO-GOLDWYN MAYER Virgil Apger 19 Frank Bjerring 4 Milton Brown 6 Clarence Bull 6 Eric Carpenter 12 Ed Cronenweth 9 William Grimes 12 Bert Lynch 4 James Manatt 7 xMerritt Sibbald 4 Frank Tanner 11 Lazlo Willinger 16 110 PARAMOUNT C. Kenneth Lobben 8 Hal McAlpin 7 G. E. Richardson 4 Eugene Robert Richee 14 33 RKO RADIO Ernest A. Bachrach 15 Fred Hendrickson 7 Alexander P. Kahle .. 24 Gaston Longet 12 John Miehle 22 Oliver Sigurdson 6 — 86 20TH CENTURY-FOX Gene Kornman 17 Clifton Maupin 13 J. C. Milligan 11 Ray Nolan 4 Frank Powolny 12 Emmett Schoenbaum 19 Anthony Ugrin 11 lurk Woods 10 — 97 I NIVERSAL Sherman Clark 7 Ed Estabrook 14 Roman Freulirh 19 Eddie Jones 7 Hay Jones 14 William Walling 4 65 WARNERS Schuyler Crail 15 Mack Elliott 6 Elmer Fryer 13 Mac Julian 19 Madison Stoner Lacy H) Berl Longworth 23 Micke) Marigold 13 Fred R. Morgan II Berl Six 14 12 Charles Scott Scotty Welbourne 12 136 HAL ROACH Thomas Evans 7 Stax Graves 14 Jerry Hester 7 28 OTHERS Robert Coburn Goldwyn 4 Korda 9 Lesser 5 RKO Radio 2 20 Warner Crosby Monogram 13 Cathedral 2 — 15 Ira Hoke Hughes 8 William Wallace Chaplin 11 Ned Scott 4 John Ellis 1 Wanger 5 Total Entries Submited 636 Number of Photographers Submitting Entries 59 The committee has announced that amateur camera fans are invited and may bring along their cameras if they wish. Mood CreatecI by Jack Greenhalgh, who has photographed a large number of pictures during the time he has been a first cameraman, has had varied experience in exterior photographic work. Greenhalgh wishes to record for the benefit of his colleagues what he believes to be the rewards of experience which is the only school through which men can become cameramen. He maintains that there is no prepared formula to be laid down by which others might copy past performances. He recommends that one study the work done by another and then apply himself through a series of experiments by which he finally can attain the same effect. He will be more than glad to have others comment upon this article. We feel that perhaps others may elucidate or bring other points to bear and so create an open forum through which all may benefit. — (Editorial Note.) Filters can play as great a part in a screenplay as sets, scenery, or even actors. Bearing in mind that the primary purpose of a motion picture is to tell a story and the audience to concentrate mainly on the story, the cameraman should use everything at his command to help further this concentration. Any artifice that he might use to distract the audience from the plot for the sake of obtaining a beautiful picture so he will receive compliments from others is in my estimation wrong. He should keep strictly within the mood of that particular part of the picture he is shooting. On interiors naturally he does this with his lighting, but when shooting exteriors where to a certain extent the lighting is beyond his control he should do it with filters. Of course, every cameraman knows the degree of correction to be obtained with certain filters all the way down the line from an Aero 1 to a No. 72, etc. He knows the amount of exposure he should add for each filter. He knows what each filler will do to the scene he is photographing; how it will affect the sky, the clouds, the haze, the distant hills and mountains. He knows what each filter will do to the foreground of his scene and any highlight or shadow By JACK GREENHALGH he might be using for composition. He knows how each filter will affect the snow capped mountains or the vast ocean. He knows what it will do to the trees and rocks and he knows what it will do to the faces and skin texture of the actors in the scene he is shooting. This is all well and proper and as it should be, because any cameraman worthy of his position should know these things. But that is not enough. This knowledge should be applied to furthering the construction of the story by playing up the particular mood in the sequence that is being photographed. For instance, a sequence that has comedy for its basic theme must be light and brilliant; consequently a lighter filter such as Aero 1 or 2 should be used so the sky will not appear too dark nor the shadows too deep. Add to this brilliant lighting such as a crisp back light and a little warmer light in the face and I think the general tone will lend itself more to the feeling of lightness and snappiness which comedy requires. On outdoor pictures, such as Westerns, or where the scenery is supposed to lend a feeling of vastness to the picture, then a slight degree of over-correction should be used, particularly when there are a few clouds in the skv. Where the theme is heavy and dramatic the sky should be very deep and the shadows dense, filters of a deep red are advisable, such as No. 25 or 29. If possible use heavy masses in composing the picture and avoid sparkling highlights. Thus the effect of the dramatic situation will be achieved. Of course, each particular scene has its own problems and solutions, but I feel that the mood of the story should be uppermost in the cameraman's mind when he records his scene.