American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

When the picture is finished, tickets for the film's showings are issued to each stockholder in an amount equal to his holdings of stock. These tickets he sells, thereby automatically liquidating his investment. When the productions are big successes — as they usually have been so far — dividends are declared, and, following good business practices, surpluses are placed in the firm's bank-account. All told, with executives, a board of directors, a stellar contract list, an extremely versatile technical staff, and regular office quarters, Pixilated Productions (not incorporated) seems to have almost everything, on its smaller scale, that a major Hollywood studio has. Everything except one — it hasn't got a deficit! END Transitions (Continued from Page 174) By using the smooth lap-dissolve, the audience is less conscious of the dissolve and concentrates solely on the subjectmatter. As a consequence, if the sequences or changes you are affecting are closely related, the lap-dissolve is very advantageous for uniform pictorial flow. Lap-dissolving a series of events indicative of early morning can be done by combining an alarm clock, morning paper, a bottle of milk on the back porch, frying eggs and bacon, and other occurrences which our thoughts connect with morning activities. This could also be done with direct cuts, but the effect would not be nearly as smooth. If, then, you wish to effectively carry the audience forward in thought, the mildest way is with the use of lap-dissolves or fades. Another and speedier transition can be accomplished by using wipe-offs, but inasmuch as most amateurs are not usually equipped to make wipe-offs, we won't dwell long on that point. Wipeoffs, like direct cuts, are usually very abrupt, and are not usually devoid to a certain amount of harshness. Instead of making the audience less conscious to the transition, it tends to call their attention to it and to concentrate on the trick camerawork of the wipe. You will notice that as a general rule the only place where wipe-offs are used in professional pictures is in the opening sequence of titles. After that, fades and laps predominate. In other words, the editors seem to do all they can to awaken the audience at the first part of the picture and then keep them awake by a rhythmic flow of scenes afterwards. Usually, when wipes are used in the story sequence, it is overdone and should have been substituted by a simpler transitory link. The average amateur often becomes so enthused over his choice of a transitional effect that he loses sight of an important part of the continuity. This is evident mostly in films which are made in Kodachrome. Inasmuch as a lap-dissolve or fade is the smoothest transition, Mr. Amateur will forget his continuity of color and lap-dissolve a scene predominant in one color — say yellow, with a scene which is predominant in some other, such as blue or red. The contrast of color creates a harshness in the lap and the audience gets a color shock. There are so many phases to watch in transition effects that they become rather involved, unless careful study is made beforehand. But, then, no one ever said movie-making was easy — and if it were easy, we would not have so much interest in it! In black-and-white scenes, the lapdissolves or fades should be in approxi HOLLYWOOD'S Finest Film Processing PICTURE and Sound-Track NEGATIVE— DAILIES • -RELEASE-PRINTS Super-quality processing Capacity: 100,000 ft. A sound-track; 250,000 on a volume basis. egative; 100,000 ft. It. print per day. Williams Film Laboratory 1040 N. McCadden PI., Hollywood mately the same lighting key. If it is necessary to raise the lighting key, do it gradually as you approach the end of the sequence, so that the eyes become accustomed to the change. It is not a good policy to change quickly from a low-key scene to a high-key scene, instead soften the blow with an added transitional scene or two. This, however, will depend greatly on you and the picture. Forward strides can be made in scenario films by using "montage" effects to replace titles or lengthyr scenes. Although these effects are not necessarily transitions, they often serve as a transitional medium. Montage is the proper editing of disconnected short scenes which when viewed separately are meaningless, but when properly arranged convey a thought or lapse of time which is beneficial to the story. All montage effects must be assembled for fast tempo, flashing suggestions to the audience to create aii pression or change of thought. Slavko Vorkapich is a recognized master of this art in Hollywood, and when you see his name on the screen, keep a sharp eye on his montage creations. Many of his individual scenes are only two or three frames in length to merely suggest an idea to you; but when all are properly assembled together, they get over important ideas in a minimum of time and footage. For an example, the scenario calls for the fast spreading of news. Here is an assemblage of scenes for it in which each scene is utterly meaningless but when properly cut and edited will give the desired impression. A lady rushes to a phone — cut to telephone wires and poles rushing across the screen — cut to another lady answering the telephone — cut to more wires — cut to another person on the telephone — cut to another person on the telephone — cut to Western Union telegram form — cut to wires — cut to a hand on a telegraph key — cut to a telephone switchboard — double expose a headline — cut to wires, people on telephones, etc. — progressively shortening each succeeding scene until you have speeded up the whole effect to a terrific tempo. Build up suspense or action until your audience is mentally apace with the spreading news. Other effects of lapse of time can be accomplished by similar arrangements of scenes to give impressions ranging from short periods of a couple of hours, to a series of years. Transitions and special effects are an integral part of any good picture and require the use of well-chosen ideas, excellent photography and an undetermined amount of care and patience. In transitions, work for smooth effect on the minds of the audience, avoiding any color shocks or idea-shocks. In montage, use direct cuts to awaken the senses and speed up the alertness of the viewers. Each have definite parts to play and each much be handled in a different manner. END l'.»l April, 1941 • American CinematographeK