Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

October nth, 1933 The AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER p 6 CINEMATOGRAPHER 0 mateur NEWS, NOTES AND MATTERS OF IN¬ TEREST FOR ALL CINEMATOGRAPHERS USING AMATEUR CINfi APPARATUS. Cinematography How to Film Action Subjects By S. E. L. M. ONE of the most popular features in the " Cin6 ” pages of " The A.P. & C.” is the diary of action subjects for the amateur cine¬ matographer, which appears monthly. It is popular not always because amateurs are interested in the sub¬ jects themselves, but because it pro¬ vides many opportunities for serious camera work. The subjects themselves are seldom hazardous or even difficult, and in many opinions they provide an abun¬ dance of material which is far more suitable for amateur handling than the less convincing stuff of the pseudo¬ professional photoplay. But there is one possible drawback associated with the work — it may be said that the subjects are by nature topical. Now, topical subjects, as a general rule, demand promptness in execu¬ tion — which makes it indeed un¬ fortunate that few of us have suffi¬ cient leisure to shoot sequences, ar¬ range titles and properly edit even a short film with anything approaching professional promptitude. And they often fall “ out-of-date ” in a very short time — a fact that, is equally unfortunate, in that films which have become back-dated do not in the least improve our shows. So we must be particularly careful how we approach these action sub¬ jects. We must film them not as “ topicals ” but rather as documen¬ tary records. In this way there will be no need for the fruitless rushing that usually connotes a spoilt film ; nor will the subjects themselves tend to age with the rapidity of mere topicals. When to Start. On most occasions, intimate shots pertaining to the subject of the film will be found helpful in dispelling the “ topical ” atmosphere. They will also help along the continuity ; and, in many cases, they afford the only opportunities the operator will find for securing effective'.’close-ups. These close-ups are of vital im¬ portance to almost any film. They must be “ collected ” from the earliest possible moment — even before the actual event has been timed to com¬ mence. Thus, in a carnival or gala parade, we must try to obtain several shots of the characters, etc., being prepared in readiness for the event. Especially should all costumes be displayed to their greatest advantage, and always should we try to avoid pictorial records of the “ stuffed dummy ” kind. By all means let us try to show the characters off ; but let us also intro¬ duce a little natural action — permit¬ ting one or two of the character’s friends to busy themselves on making final adjustments to her carnival dress. Shooting under Difficulties. We will find it very effective to / permit only one variety of shooting technique to dominate the film throughout. Thus, if we have made the earlier shots on super-sensitive pan., let us continue to use this film without change to the end of the production. And, if it can possibly be arranged, we should secure all sequences in a common kind of lighting. This pro¬ cedure will not only serve to simplify exposure and density problems, but will also serve to introduce unity into the film. In any event that attracts vast crowds of people, it may be found somewhat difficult to obtain an ade¬ quate variety of viewpoints, though we can to some extent compensate for this by enlisting the services of a brother amateur — who must, of course, be instructed to film particular parts of the action from an alternative view¬ point. By keeping on friendly terms with the police and other officials, it is often Among the many action subjects now available for the amateur cinematographer hockey matches afford excellent material. They are being held in all parts of the country, but should be photographed as early as possible in the afternoon while the light is still good. 342 19