Moving Picture World (Jan-Jun 1909)

666 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD The Modern Way in Moving Picture Mailing. By Thomas Redding, F. R. P. S. CHAPTER XI. Photographing Outdoor Subjects. At the conclusion of last week's article I promised that hand coloring and other branches of mv subject would form the theme of another article. This I will remit to a future date, now that outdoor work is becoming prominent. It must always be remembered that besides the regular him manufacturers there are a large number of moving picture photographers who use their cameras for a variety of purposes. It is chiefly the needs of these that 1 have in mind this week. Hitherto this series of article ha treated on the making of the picture in the studio. Nothing has been said about outdoor work. This i< a field wherein the moving picture camera finds very great use. The time of year is quite appropriate for inserting in this scries some information upon the uses of moving picture cameras for taking outdoor subjects. Recently a movement on the part of the film manufacturers to facilitate the exhibition of topical subjects been made. This should induce a larger production of topical incidents and occurrences than has hitherto characterized the industry in this country. They should he very popular as special features for moving picture theaters. Let me illustrate what I mean: In March last the Inauguration of President Taft. at Washington, was exceedingly well received wherever it was shown. Here you have a typical topic of the day. In like manner consider the popularity of Wilbur Wright's Aeroplane. True, this picture was made in France. For the purposes df my argument, let us suppose it was made in this country. The conclusion to be drawn from the fact would. I think, strike the reader as being just as strong. So let us have topical subjects as much as possible and then a step will have been taken to prevent the Summer slump in the business; for we never tire of news. In England the moving pictute supplements the daily newspaper. It is true that America is a country of magnificent distances, but this should not interfere with the supply of the demand which I think exists for films illustrating the chief events of the day as they occur. For the information of American readers who are unfamiliar with the state of things in England, let me explain how it is that in that country the topical picture uch a valuable item in the moving picture situation. < .real Britain, that is England and Scotland, though it contains about 40.000,000 people, about one-half the population of the United States, is a very small place. From end to end it is about 800 miles: at its widest part about 300. My American friends are constantly telling me that it could be comfortably tucked away in a corner of the -real State of Texas. Xo doubt, but judged by densit) of population, it leaves Texas well behind. In moving picture work, as in many other things on this earth, it is the number of people appealed to that counts. London, the greatest city in the world, is situated in the southeast corner of England. It is only a few hours from Paris and continental Europe. On the southern coast of England, Portsmouth, the greatest naval arsenal in the world, is situated. Within a few hours of London are the Royal Palaces, great military centers, race tracks, yachting grounds, athletic grounds, crowded rivers, scenes of pageantry in public life, and the great cities of Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester. Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow in which there is always "something doing.'' Indeed, scarcely an hour of the day passes in which there is not something of national importance taking place within a few hours of London. Now, all this renders it comparatively easy for the enterprising moving picture maker to make his exposures, develop the negatives and positives on the train and show his pictures in the London music halls the same evening. I can assure the readers of the World that these pictures are enormously popular and form permanent features of the programmes. Now is it not feasible, taking New York as a typical city, for the moving picture man to photograph base ball games, yachting in the bay, racing at Brighton, incidents at Coney, the ocean liners and other subjects within a radius, let us say, of 200 miles from Xew York and show his pictures at the vaudeville and moving picture theaters the same evening? There are possibly reasons why this class of work is not cultivated, but at any rate the suggestion occurs to me as worthy of consideration. To attempt to tell the user of a moving picture camera how it is to be handled for outdoor work in all circumstances that arise, would be foolish of me. The uses of the camera outdoors are so manifold that in the present series of articles I can only deal with the subject i'n a general way. At some future date I will deal with particular classes of work. By outdoor subjects I mean those which are not specially rehearsed as in the dramatic pictures that are so popular just now. Take for example a procession, a street scene, or an athletic contest. Point of view is everything. The man behind the camera should have some eye for effect. He should not plant the instrument down at any haphazardous point. It is necessary for him to know something about the elements which go to make up a picture. The people should not be too near the camera, or they will look unnaturally large on the screen. Again the right time of day should, if possible, be chosen. Midday, with the sun at the zenith, that is, when the sun is exactly overhead, is not the best time of day, for the reason that the picture is not illuminated to give the best effect of relief and contrast. Afternoon is the most suitable time, for then the shadows lengthen and the lighting is more harmonious. On the other hand, morning is a very good time : then the atmosphere is clear. The dust has not been stirred up. Then again, unless the operator has a mastery of pictorial effect, he should adopt a conventional method of lighting. That is to say, the sun should be behind the camera, either to the left or to the right and not in front of the camera. Again, the camera should always be level and a finder should be used. Moreover, if the operator is wise he can be looking one way and photographing the other. This will prevent people looking into the camera ; in other words, he will get a natural scene. The charm of moving pictures of outdoor subjects, such as a crowd, is the unconscious naturalness of the people. Of course, this applies to street scenes and crowds generally. I will resume this theme next week. All I have attempted to do this week is to give the reader, first of all a few rough ideas on the uses to which the moving picture camera can be put in outdoor work, and secondly a number of hints to keep in mind when actually turning the handle. In all this, as in the foregoing. I assume a certain amount of knowledge and intelligence. ERRATA. The announcement on page 630 of last week's issue that the Progressive Motion Picture Company, of Ogden, Utah, had been licensed as producers was incorrect. Their application is on file for an exchange license only.