Amateur Cine World (February 1936)

Association invited me to help in the making of a film of their activities. This film, ‘“‘ Where Can They Go?’’ was intended to be shown to the wealthier class with a view to raising funds. Several Sundays were spent in the poorer districts, studying the people and the conditions under which they lived. It was only when these were fully understood that we started to prepare the scenario, on which a good deal of time and trouble was expended, because it decided the mode of presentation and led up to the whole purpose of the film—the appeal for money. Not a foot of film passed through the camera until we were satisfied that the script was exactly right. \ YEAR ago the Islington and Finsbury Housing Filming in Poorly-Lit Interiors When shooting actually began, however, many problems presented themselves. The first was that the rooms in the poor houses were small and underlit, which necessitated the use of a wide angle lens of as large an aperture as possible, but we did not supplement the natural lighting so that a contrast with sequences taken in middle-class houses, where we were able to use electric light, might be obtained. In all such cases f/1.5 and ordinary panchromatic film gave adequate results when it was sunny outside. The local Council meeting was similarly photographed, but in this case super-sensitive film was used. | Interior scenes in middle-class houses and a shop were taken with three photoflood lamps, panchromatic film and f/1.5 for long shots, but for close-ups one lamp with f/2 was found to be adequate. We photographed the poorer quarters on dull, drizzling days and the better class streets in brilliant sunlight and once again the contrast between a prosperous road bathed in sunlight and a miserable alley drenched with rain was most effective. Curiosity and camera-consciousness were the next difficulties we had to face and we overcame them both by using two cameras—one, in the foreground, to keep the crowd occupied and another, less obvious, to do the actual shooting. We found that moderately close shots, too, could be taken unobserved from the windows of a stationary car and this was especially useful in the case of children playing. The inevitable odd foot of film remaining at the end of each exposed reel was utilised in photographing rough hand-written titles, afterwards used during the preliminary editing. Altogether 1,100 feet of film were exposed, containing comparatively few retakes. We began editing by piecing together the various sequences, including If you are making a film of London and are taking some shots showing the pigeons at Trafalgar Square or St. Pauls, do not be content to show only the pigeons flying about. There will be plenty of opportunity of showing someone feeding them. No Filming Until Script Was ‘Exactly Right’ the rough titles, in correct order. The result was projected and re-projected, faulty shots being eliminated at each projection. The film now being 600 feet long, serious cutting began and each sequence was given exact length and position. The length of the final result was 400 feet. Titles were then made and inserted, and prints ordered, so that the master copy could be preserved. The time taken in making the film was nine months (week-ends only) divided as follows: 1. Covering area and investigating conditions—7 weeks; 2. Preparing scenario— 3 weeks; 3. Shooting—14 weeks; 4. Rough editing— 9 weeks; 5. Necessary re-takes of details—2z weeks; 6. Final editing and completion—4 weeks. It will be seen that the actual shooting is only a small part in the making of a film of this nature and that the conception, mode of presentation and editing are at least of equal importance. E, E. SOMAKE COMPETITION FOR SCENARIO OF A FILM ON THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS The Secretariat of the League has opened a competition, with prizes, for scenarios for documentary films on the League of Nations. (a) For a general film describing the fundamental purposes of the Covenant and the principal activities of the League ; (b) For a film dealing with some special branch or aspect of League work (e.g., the settlement of some political dispute; some aspect of the work of the Health Organisation—such as malaria, epidemics, standardisation of sera; or Communications and Transit—such as the unification of road signals, buoying and lighting of coasts, pollution of the sea by oil ; or the organisation of the control over the legitimate trade in opium and dangerous drugs, etc.). The films should be sound films, with English and French versions. Scenarios should be addressed to, and should reach the SecretaryGeneral of the League of Nations, Geneva, not later than August rst, 1938. Further information can be obtained from the Director, Information Section, Secretariat of the League of Nations, Geneva. _ Apropos the National Trust film competition recently mentioned in these columns, we learn that free copies of their films are to be given to the first three prize-winners.