American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1946)

SIXTEEN GOES HOLLYWOOD By RAY FERNSTROM, A. S. C. BEFORE the war, both Technicolor and Cinecolor were blowing up sixteen to thirty-five with results that reached general theatrical distribu¬ tion. None were features until Army, Navy and Marine Corps films arrived. Then sixteen grew up. Now it is quite possible that the future will see entire features shot in sixteen for blowup. Several professional cameras are nearly ready for such productions. Due to the enlargement factor necessary, many new features will be added or included in these machines. Amateur color can be enlarged but this is only another ex¬ ample of where only the professional cinematographer and the tools of his art can deliver the quality results demanded by major producers. Just the other day I viewed the Mitchell Sixteen, a professional’s camera which is a midget Mitchell NC. All the detail of the bigger model is incorporated in this lighter sixteen. A new tripod, equally as rigid as its older brother looks and acts professional. For the last ten years Fve used every conceivable model sixteen camera, both in and out of the Army; those made here and abroad. Now at long last we are beginning to get the type of equipment we, the professionals, need before we can consistently deliver the same color quality photography we are able to do in thirty-five. Both the Mitchell Sixteen and the Jnew Maurer, (which I haven’t seen) promise the necessary accessories we re¬ quire. I for one, need a matte box and sunshade with several filter and pola screen holders. Otherwise it is impos¬ sible to control overall exposure on a monopack type film. I use graduated neutral density filters to hold back hot skies. Often a pola screen at the same time to darken the sky and accentuate cloud effects. At the same time Harri¬ son color correcting filters need a holder. The place to correct for color of light is in the camera at time of shooting. This is simplified with the Harrison Color and Kelvin Meter in addition to a good ex¬ posure meter. I use a GE because I can read through graduates and pola screens (“2”) and thus balance exposures over¬ all for the scene. Furthermore, I like a glass (coated preferably) out in front on which I can dab transparent color to heighten effects where there is no actual color in the scheme. To use so many pieces of optical glass before a lens I have all lens and filter elements coated here in Hollywood by ACCRA Instruments. They do a good job of balancing their coating for color, Ray Fernstrom, A.S.C. with the new "Mitchell 14" camera. using a brown tone on one side which is neutralized by blue on the other. After fcoating surfaces of lenses and filters I suggest that tests be made to compen¬ sate your meter to the new speed of your lenses and filter transmission. The Mitchell Sixteen will have a pro¬ fessional matte box with standard thirtyfive lenses and mounts. Follow focus and blimping will be the same simple routine as with thirty-five Mitchells, except for the adaptors. With improved equipment, film, and processes, sixteen will take over a great deal of thirty-five’s heavy load of color production both in sixteen distribution and in thirty-five blowups, especially on foreign and domestic type pictures that will carry crews and equipment to the far corners of the globe. Quite a number of sixteen film features have been made and released through sixteen distributing channels and many more are on the way. Several were shot by A.S.C. members which more than anything else proves that sixteen is really “going Hollywood.” As more and more A.S.C. men add their profes¬ sional touches to sixteen the results will dignify the sixteen productions now planned. After all, what difference does the size of film make to a professional photographer of either stills or motion pictures? Sixteen needs A.S.C. men more than workers in any other category. This is even more apparent when such originals are used in enlargement to thirty-five Technicolor or other proces¬ ses. The original must be considered as our negative and never viewed as a print. A good original never should look good if screened. Only the dupes or blowup negatives or copies should have the “look” of original Kodachrome or Ansco. To get the necessary result is a matter of tests and more tests, carrying the job through to the print and then screening that. On a recent feature at Monogram, a 5-reel fashion film, I shot all scenes with three different exposures. One for color cutting, one for sixteen dupes and one for Technicolor enlargement to nega¬ tives and prints by IB. From this ex¬ perience I used the resultant blowup technique in shooting Howard Hill shorts at Warners for Technicolor prints in thirty-five. On these shorts I use the Professional 0.1 Camera that was built by Bell & Howell before the war. It is a profes¬ sional instrument in all details, but they only built this one camera. It is owned and was developed to it’s present stage by Harry McMahan of United States Motion Pictures. He and I shoot “Hol¬ lywood Mini-Tours” for blowup to Cinecolor with it. These films are released nationally. Last week I finished three featurelength sixteen pictures in Kodachrome (Continued on Page 26) 12 January, 1946 • American Cinematographer