American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

110 American Cinematographer • July 1934 Economies With Process Production Photography by Walter Blanchard THE "PROJECTED BACKGROUND" process of composite photography, known also in some studios as the "Transparency" and "Photo-Image" process, is generally recognized as an invaluable aid to modern production. It is admittedly a great convenience, permitting the photographing and recording of many scenes which would otherwise be difficult, dangerous, or actually impossible if filmed by conventional methods. The economic value of the process, however, is not recognized so generally save in the more sensational instances where the use of the process eliminates long and expensive location-trjps. This is natural, as studio departmental cost-accounts are seldom published or discussed; and, moreover, the economies of such a department rarely appear in such reports, which simply detail actual costs rather than savings (actual or estimated) over other methods. The writer was recently privileged to study the fiscal report of the Process Department at one of the major studios — a report which proved a revelation of the volume and importance of "projected background" work. For the year 1933, the schedule of this studio called for the production of 58 feature pictures. Of these, some six were "Westerns," made almost exclusively on location, with very few studio-made scenes, and little or no need for any type of composite photography. Of the remaining 52 productions, 51 required the services of the process staff to a greater or less extent, utilizing a total of 658 process shots — an average of 12.9 shots per production. Two of these films were definitely out of the ordinary run of productions: one was decidedly a "trick" film, and required 1 12 process shots (entirely aside from many miniature, "glass" and optical-printer shots); while the other was an aviation story, with many aerial sequences which could hardly have been filmed in any other manner, and used 72 process shots. Eliminating these two out-of-the-ordinary productions and their 184 process shots from our calculations, we find that among the normal productions made by the studio, there were 49 productions using 474 process shots — an average of 9.7 process shots per production. At this point, it may be well to define what is meant by "Process Shots," as the term is in itself rather misleadingly broad. Essentially, the process consists of the use of a translucent screen of large dimensions as a background for action photographed in the studio. Any type of foreground set may be erected in front of this screen, and any type of action staged. Upon the screen is projected (from behind) a strip of motion picture film, supplying any desired background — moving or stationary. The projector and the photographing camera are electrically synchronized, so that their shutters open and close In unison, with the result that the image cast by the projector is photographed as a background to the actual action taking place in the foreground: hence the names, used in some studios, "Transparency" and "PhotoImage." Earlier developments of the process, based on the color-sensitivity of panchromatic film, and utilizing a colored background-film which was run through the camera and printed upon the final negative by colored light reflected from a colored backing illuminated by colored light (usually blue), with the foreground set and action illuminated by light of a complementary color (usually orangered I , are known as "Color-Separation," "Blue Transparency," and "Dunning Process" shots. This method is still used to some extent, though largely supplanted by the more flexible, quicker-operated projection-type shot. A brief mention of the average costs of process work over a period of years is illuminating, as it shows, with the increase in the volume of work and the enhanced experience and resources of the process staff, the making of such shots becomes steadily cheaper, while their use becomes more effective. In 1930 — the last year in which this studio used the color-separation process — 146 process shots were completed for 40 productions, at on overage cost of $314.95 per shot. The next year — 1931 — the department standardized on the present type of projected-background shot, and mode 340 shots for 33 productions, lowering the average cost to $1 84.61 per shot. In 1932, 503 shots were made for 45 productions, the cost averaging $140.59 per shot. Last year — 1933 — the same department mode 658 shots for 51 productions, at on overage cost of $116 per shot. These figures are stated to include all departmental expenses except the items of lighting, set-construction, film-costs and laboratory-charges, which ore figured separately for the entire studio over the period of a year, and pro-rated to each production rather than to departmental budgets. During the 296 working-days of the year, the special-process department completed on on average of three shots per working day. In this four-year period, the average cost per shot had been lowered by two-thirds — on actual reduction of nearly $200 per shot. How was this done? In the first place, of course, the volume, which increased somewhat more than 350 per cent, would in itself materially reduce the overage cost. However, the most vital factor is the fact that during these years a large library of background film has been built up. Each background that is photographed is immediately classified and filed away for future use. A cross-indexed cord system permits the Department Head to locate immediately any desired background: and a separate file of clippings from these scenes enables them to judge at once the exact nature, angle, composition and quality of any background In the library, as well as enabling the staff to give the director or producer an idea of the backgrounds available for any given scene or action without having to waste valuable time screening reel after reel of backgrounds. In the majority of instances, thanks to this library and its indexes, it has been possible to use background already mode rather than going to the expense of photographing new ones. Of the 658 process shots mode lost year, 308 of the backgrounds were found, already mode, in the library. Eliminating the "trick" film already referred to, which required that every one of its 112 process shots be from a specially