American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

16mm. BUSINESS MOVIES WATER General publicity film, Kodaehrome, narrative sound. Presented by: City of Yakima, Washington. Produced and Photographed by: Joseph Yolo. Direct 16mm. recording by Telefilm, Inc. "Water" is by no means an outstanding film in itself, but it is an outstanding example of what well-applied 16mm. business-film production can do. Produced by the Water Department of a small city for the purpose of acquainting its customers with the service they are getting, "Water" was made on a slim budget, with necessarily limited facilities. Yet the combination of Kodaehrome camerawork and ingenious technical and dramatic treatment have made it a really excellent job. On the screen, it looks like a good deal more picture than it really is. The picture tells its story graphically, and in the main, quite well. We personally feel that the inclusion of the short sequence pointing the fact that some of the city's water is utilized in the municipal sewage-disposal plant is unnecessary, and a bit confusing, especially at the point where it is used. However, it is likely that the municipal waterexperts felt that was an important part of their message, and insisted it be included. We would also suggest that a bit more stress be placed on the fact that the system shown is a gravity-distribution system, and saves the consumertaxpayer money by eliminating the need of an expensive pumping-plant. A short animation might help this. Cinematographer Yolo's ingenuity in putting over "production" effects by camera-trickery makes this film exceptionally interesting. He utilizes splitscreen and similar tricks to unusually good advantage, as, for instance, in the scenes showing a kitchen apparently flooded from a leaking faucet, and especially in the climaxing sequence pointing to the importance of water in the activities of the fire department. In this sequence he obtains real drama and "production value" with no resources other than his imagination and genuinely professional skill with his camera. The print previewed was a "first print," and subject to some obvious corrections, which undoubtedly will be made. The recording, direct 16mm., was excellent. THE CHAMPIONS WRITE Documentary, 550 feet Kodaehrome, sound. Presented by Gregg Publishing Co. Produced and photographed by: Donald Manashaw. Recording (35mm.) by: Reeves Sound Studio, New York. A film showing the technique used in writing shorthand by ten or a dozen na tional a n d international shorthand champions, court-reporters, etc., wouldn't seem to hold much interest to the general audience. But surprisingly enough, this film does. Producer-cinematographcr Manashaw handles his subject-matter in a way that avoids repetition to a remarkable extent, despite the similarity in the subject-matter of the various sequences, and he reinforces his material with ample close-ups of the technique used. His handling of the inevitably many extreme close-ups of the hands, and sometimes the pencil-points and fingers of the various speed specialists is in itself enough to command the respect of the photographically-minded. The way he coordinates these shots with narration which takes the place of the dictation or evidence which these experts are writing, makes the film of genuine educational worth. His balance of exposure in these shots is generally praiseworthy — no easy task, incidentally — and his lightings of them very effective. His compositions are good. In some of the longer shots, his lighting could stand improvement, though he was very obviously restricted by the limitations of working in dark-panelled courtrooms, business offices, and the like, rather than in a studio. Considering the fact that virtually all of the picture must have been made in the field, under difficult circumstances, he has turned out a praiseworthy production, and one which should certainly repay its sponsor many times over. MAGIC FIBERS Advertising documentary, black and white (35mm. reduction.) Presented by: Pacific Pulp and Paper Industry. Produced and Photographed by: Joseph Yolo. Recording: 35mm. by Cinema Screen Studio (Seattle.) This picture of the paper-pulp industry of the Pacific northwest is an excellent production, embellished by some spectacularly beautiful photography by producer-cinematographer Yolo. While the print viewed (a 16mm. reduction from 35mm.) was of distinctly indifferent quality, it could be seen that the original 35mm. negative was of majorstudio quality. Yolo has a strong pictorial-dramatic instinct, and shows it in almost every scene of this picture. Yolo's handling of the story of paperpulp from the forest to the completed plup carries the audience through the process entertainingly and at the same time very clearly. His treatment of the logging scenes is particularly pictorial, with excellent dramatic feeling, as well. His handling of the interior scenes within the pulp-mills — virtually every scene of which must have presented innumerable technical difficulties — is outstand ing. We've seldom seen factory interiors in an industrial film so well handled. On the critical side of the ledger, we've only a few comments to offer. The narration, for example, refers to several different methods of pulp manufacture: the picture should, we think, have made this differentiation a little clearer, and perhaps showed — and definitely indicated — several methods, pointing out more clearly where and how they differ. We'd rather have liked, too, to have seen an animation sequence showing what happens in the "digesting" process. The non-informed viewer would also welcome a little more specific information on how the pulp we've seen leaving the factory is transformed into the wide variety of paper, cardboard and cellulose articles we're shown as end-products of the pulp industry. And finally, of course, we'd certainly like to see this picture in color — even though cinematographer Yolo would certainly not thank us for a suggestion which would so increase his already great technical problems! MEN O" DEFENSE Advertising-documentary; 550 feet blackand-white, sound. Presented by: The Delehanty Institute. Produced and Photographed by: Donald Manashaw. Recording (35mm.) by Reeves Sound Studio (New York.) Producer-photographer Manashaw obviously faced a tough problem when he made this picture. He had three branches of a large industrial school to exploit, and under today's defense pressure, he undoubtedly had to catch his scenes on the run, at times and in ways which would not interfere with the school's primary object of instructing machinists, welders and aircraft-workers. In view of this, he has done a very creditable job. He would probably be the first to admit that if conditions has made it possible, the film would be much more effective if it could, in at least semi-dramatic form, trace the progress of some individual student through each department, from enrollment, through his training, to his ultimate job in industry, with at least some lip-synchronized dialog to aid in key parts of the story. But since this was probably impractical, due to the confusion it would introduce, and to the time-element presumably involved, he has done a very adequate job of factual, if not particularly dramatic presentation. His technical handling of the scene, many of them shot in dark-walled rooms among dark machinery, sometimes heightened by the incandescent glow of the furnaces, welding arcs, etc., is commendable. This is especially true since he was usually working in rather cramped spaces. The picture is by no means the film a picture of this nature could be if it were possible to expend the necessary time and effort on it, but it should certainly serve its sponsor's purpose well, and sell the school and its possibilities. 582 December, 1941 American Cinematographer