Amateur Cine World (November 1934)

EDITOR to hisREADERS cinematography that is still not properly appreci ated by the average amateur. In this and previous numbers of Amateur Cine World we have stressed the importance of presentation and showmanship, but here we should like to emphasise that showmanship implies an appeal to the ear as well as to the eye. Admittedly it is difficult for the lone movie-maker, working on his own, to provide a satisfactory musical accompaniment. Take your eyes off the projector for a moment to change a record and it is sure to lose a loop, or a splice that has gone through triumphant twenty times is certain to take that opportunity of coming unstuck. That these accidents should not occur does not alter the fact that.they can and do, for the very parfait gentil amateur cinematographer has not yet arisen among us and fortunately never will. The only real solution as far as the lone worker is concerned is for him to enlist the aid of a friend in the presentation of his programmes and thus eventually gain another recruit to the movement. The amateur film societies are a different case. They should have the means of providing a suitable musical accompaniment, both mechanical and human, but too often the latter fails. But their failure is not always entirely their fault; the film may be such that it defeats all attempts at in Mzzsoets accompaniment is an aspect of amateur tensifying the drama or the Londoner comedy of it by suitable 7 A music. There may be Jj precious. little drama or comedy to intensify, or tragedy and farce may be inextricably interwoven. This leads us to consider some of the faults of the average amateur film play. The acting is often not more than merely adequate and sometimes not even that. But in many cases this may be because the film gives the players no opportunities of showing what they can do. Character is rarely fully enough established, not because the actor or actress is incompetent but because the script is weak. Scrappiness and lack of rhythm are the undoing of many—but not all—amateur film plays. Lack of rhythm. Mark that word for it provides us with asolution tothe problems of musical accompaniment ‘stimulate the players ; Familiarity breeds contempt. down on London. striking shot that reminds us to select a few high view points when filming city streets. while at the same time making for better acting. Instead of selecting a musical programme for your film after it has been finished, why not draw it up while the picture is in the making? Let your players act to music. It will be a considerable help to them, may be the means of putting the much needed rhythm into your production and simplify the choice of a musical accompaniment for the completed picture. Suppose, for instance, that you are filming a farce and are about to shoot a quarrel between Mr. Henpeck and his wife. Farce is one of the most difficult forms of film play to put over properly ; the only excuse for its idiotic situations is its abundant vitality. Slacken the pace and it becomes dreary nonsense. Put a pert, rousing tune on the gramophone. It will they will automatically time their movements to the rhythm. The wife deals Mr. Henpeck a hefty blow and leaves him. Now here is the danger point. There may be a tendency to allow the pace to slacken and the whole character of the piece to be switched over to drama or tragedy, both not only alien to the spirit of farce but definitely destroying whatever effect has been built up. Put on a record of heavy, sombre music to illustrate Mr. Henpeck’s woe and you will immediately be struck with its incompatibility after the liveliness of the preceding record. The In other words your ear looks will tell you that the tempo and the spirit of the scene is wrong. Without this audible warning you might not suspect it. You will choose something lighter, some piece of music that is not such a complete breakaway from the other. The foregoing suggests that the technical staff of the amateur cine society should be increased by one more member—the musical director, whose job it should be to be responsible for the music during production as well as for projection nights. His work will supplement that of the scenarist, art director and _ producer. Before production starts he will confer with all three and during production he will be constantly on the floor. Through his services the Club should come to a better realisation of the value of music to a film. 341