Amateur Movie Makers (Dec 1926-Dec 1927)

GRIFFITH WAS RIGHT The Closeup is Presented as Piece de Resistance of the Cinema By Howard E. Richardson THE secret of success in a professional movie often lies in its clever use of close-ups. The same success may crown the efforts of the amateur who has learned those simple rules which seem to govern the interest and attractiveness of the home movie. Let us consider briefly what those rules are. First, it is necessary to make sure that the camera is held firmly. If it is not, the slightest motion, either sideways or up and down, will be amplified when the picture is projected, producing a most unpleasant effect. Thus, in order to insure steadiness and best results, the camera should be supported by a tripod or some other rigid support whenever possible. If it is held in the hand great care must be exercised in keeping it firm. If it is necessary to panoram, that also must be done with care. The importance of moving the camera SLOWLY, DELIBERATELY and EVENLY, cannot be stressed too much. Correct lighting is another essential factor to be considered but it cannot be more than mentioned here. While making a movie, thought must be given to what the picture is going to look like after it is ready to project. It is essential that some continuity be followed because a miscellaneous collection of individual scenes with no apparent connection makes a most uninteresting reel. The more thought given to continuity, the better the whole picture is likely to turn out. In order to sustain interest in your picture and convey a clear impression of the continuity it is necessary to frequently intersperse your photoplay or news-reel with intimate closeups, those choice scenes which add so much to the attractiveness of your movies. The close-up is to the motion picture what the portrait is to still photography. If a photographer were taking your picture, would you care to have him place you so far away from the camera that you seemed a Twenty THE Closeup, Diffused Lighting And The Fade Out, All Devised By David Wark Griffith, May Once Have Been Hailed As Novelties, But They Are Now Working A Twenty Four Hour Shift In Every Studio. The Closeup, Particularly, Is Receiving Increasing Homage Until Today The Character Of A Film Is Frequently In Direct Ratio To The Number And Quality Of Its Closeups. This Article Explains Why The Closeup Is Invaluable For The Professional And Imperative For The Amateur. THIS MEDIUM SHOT IS SPLENDID mere speck, lost in the background? You would not! And you should be on your guard against making such a mistake with your cine camera. It is well enough to show a short scene of something happening in the distance, but it should be followed immediately by a close-up showing some part of that action at close range. By this expedient your movie explains vividly and realistically just what is occurring. Never annoy those who are watching your movie by making them won der what is going on in the picture. Make it clear by the use of the right close-ups. Should a distant view show some one playing cards, follow it up with a close-up of the player's hand with the cards he holds. Let the audience mentally lean over the shoulder of the player. It will enjoy seeing just what move he is going to make. You will be surprised to see how much it adds to the success of your attempts for perfection in cinema art. If the camera is placed at a considerable distance from the scene to be photographed, unless it has a telephoto lens, it will show the point of interest buried in a maze of meaningless surroundings which serve only to distract attention from the action or the object which you wish to portray. On the contrary, if the camera be placed nearer, it will eliminate all this marginal mass and make your subject much larger, correspondingly more interesting, and therefore, surprisingly more attractive. It is impossible to do justice to your subject without the frequent use of the movie close-up which lends the spice of character to the scene. And portraits relieve the mind and the eyes of the strain of watching closely for the theme of the picture. Unfortunately, action which might seem to the eye to be best pictured from a distance, in order to show some surrounding action or situation, would perhaps not even be distinguishable when filmed and projected. It must be borne in mind that the eye reveals just what is before it, whereas the film can only represent what the lens sees. Moreover, the film is color-blind. It sees everything in black and white only and this fact alone is enough to falsify the results obtained and show a black speck in the distance where the eye saw a vivid color contrast with a background of a different hue. Years ago the professional movie director discovered that the close-up served to suggest to the minds of the audience just what was going on. It kept everyone interested in the plot