Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

August 16th, 1933 Tm AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER v 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER a mateur NEWS, NOTES AND MATTERS OF IN¬ TEREST FOR ALL CINEMATOGRAPHERS USING AMATEUR CINE APPARATUS. Cinematography Strengthening the Cine Societies By SIGURD MOIR. In the following article, difficulties which are known to have arisen in some of the older societies are frankly discussed and wholesome — though stringent — remedies are suggested. Other notes on the further strengthening of existing bodies are included, and these will be found of great interest to all who have the welfare of organised cinematography at heart. THE fact that cine societies gener¬ ally do exist to produce films, and yet have allowed individual workers to be responsible for the majority of outstanding productions to date must not be taken to mean that the unattached amateur is better advised to remain outside the move¬ ment. Societies can do very good work without actually setting their signatures to these very great achieve¬ ments ; and, in any case, it is prac¬ tically impossible for a film of genius to result when so many fingers are in the directorial pie — which is precisely why the individual worker, under no •obligation to blend his own ideas with quite heterogeneous “ improvements,” has come to hold the proud position that he occupies to-day. Now, although the film may suffer through having to incorporate oppos¬ ing ideas and varying treatment, the club member does not. He pays his subscription and he insists on having his say in all matters affecting pro¬ duction ; but all the while he is profiting by collective errors, and no one must be surprised when his lone effort shows skilful handling and artistic treatment. Films or Socials ? Now 1 have assumed in the preced¬ ing paragraphs that the main con¬ sideration of every club is film-making. With a few exceptions, this is indeed the case, most societies being under the aegis of responsible leaders ; but it has to be said that one or two other bodies have been spending far too much time on social activities. We are all for a little bit of fun ; but let us have it at the right time and on proper occasion. If we don’t, well, the club will lose members, and members of a kind that no serious society can easily afford to lose. Only a short while ago a reader of this paper wrote asking my advice on the purchase of a film printer, informing me at the same time that both he and his wife were going out of their club on account of the many social activities that took precedence over serious cinematography ; and I have had other letters lamenting the same sort of thing. Obviously, cine societies cannot be strengthened by losing members who are not only serious but who are pre¬ pared to spend money on expensive equipment, and I would advise offend¬ ing clubs either to discontinue their dances, etc., or to arrange them apart from the ordinary meetings of the active members. It might be said that since appreciable sums sometimes come from these social activities, certain clubs would be unable to carry on without them. Against this, it is known that responsible societies are maintaining a high standard of work without any such assistance ; and — whilst all these bodies have held fast — quite a few socially-run clubs have either dropped out of the move¬ ment or become practically ineffective. Enthusiasm. Another not altogether satisfactory state of affairs exists with regard to the amount of enthusiasm shown by small proportions of club memberships. Nor is this circumstance confined to any single district or locality. I have urgent notes in black-and-white before me in which a well-known society north of the Dee complains of apathy, and another, south of the Thames, says “ Some of us . . . are not keen enough.” Now this condition of affairs does not seem to exist when societies are but newly formed. At this stage there Harvesting scenes are now available up and down the country, and provide many good cini subjects. 24 l6o