American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1952)

MORE CONVENIENCE with LESS EFFORT Consider the convenience of having 400 feet of film available for instant use, as well as the savings of time and effort formerly devoted to changing 100-foot film cham¬ bers, and you can readily see why the PAR 400-foot magazine is a "must" for your Cine Special. The PAR 400-foot magazine is operated by the camera spring motor with a PAR spring take-up, or by an electric motor drive. It is reversible for backwinding, features a footage counter, and permits normal use of the 100-foot film chamber. Both daylight loading spools and film on cores of any size up to 400 feet can be used. The entire magazine is quickly and easily removed, and can be used with the PAR Reflex Finder Magnifier. Write for prices and complete information on equipping your Cine Special with a PAR 400-foot magazine. PAR PRODUCTS CORP. 926 N. Citrus Ave. Hollywood 38, Calif. j 16mm & 8 mm i 'PictccieSenoLice I 16 mm Reduced to 8 mm 8 mm Enlarged to 16 mm 16 mm Duplicates 8 mm Duplicates Color and Black and White 35 mm slide duplicates and film strip service , GOLBURa/ GEO. W. COLBURN LABORATORY, INC. 164 North Wacker Drive, Chicago 6, Illinois EYENOS SINGLE -LENS CAMERAS With 2" Lens and Case; late style governor. Guaranteed. CAMERA EQUIPMENT CO. 1600 Broadway New York 19, N.Y. STEREO MOTION PICTURES ( Continued from Page 131) graphed alternately, there is a very ob¬ jectionable fringing in pictures of mov¬ ing objects. This is a cause of eyestrain, especially in a picture where the action seen by one eye is in quite a different stage of progress than the ac¬ tion seen by the other. Difficulty in fusion invariably results. This combina¬ tion of disturbing effects caused by flickers out of phase between the eyes and by fusion trouble, limits the appre¬ ciation of the eclipse method. Complete visual comfort can be at¬ tained in stereo movies only if the two images are projected simultaneously, if they are rock steady, if they are of equal brightness, if they are of equal contrast, if they are properly aligned vertically and horizontally, if far dis¬ tant points are not separated too far in one image from that of the other, and if they are of exactly the same size. 1951-52 AWARDS (Continued from Page 104) Arthur Freed, the producer, and for all the artists and technicians who con¬ tributed in its making. For his part in directing the photography, Charles Rosher, A.S.C., received a Photoplay Gold Medal, duly engraved to commemorate the award. Rosher also is in the Acad¬ emy Awards running this year for the photography of the same picture. During the year, still other organiza¬ tions cite the motion picture industry for its most outstanding productions — usually with an award to the producer of the “best motion picture” and to the stars of that picture. It goes without saying that in each instance, a goodly measure of credit also is due the men who direct the photography of such pic¬ tures, for without their contribution in artistry and skill, the productions very likely would not have the screen appeal so necessary for award-winning pictures. NO MAGIC FORMULAS (Continued from Page 109) In selecting a story, a producer must pioneer, not play a game of follow the leader. He must make the picture with showmanship ingredients, and recog¬ nize and understand quality, which is something every success must have. A good piece of screen material is one that contains pioneering in either story or background and can be done with showmanship. To make a formula show¬ manship picture is as bad a mistake as trying to make a straight artistic triumph. There are no magic formulas for making a hit; but the formula for making a flop is a simple one: do the same story, with the same cast, and sell in the same way with the same trite ads. Before I buy a story, I ask myself nine questions. As a producer, I’ve bought many stories and this works for me. It may not work for other pro¬ ducers. Here are the questions: 1. Does the story have audience ap¬ peal ? 2. Can I build audience anticipation for my film? 3. Will there' be any audience re¬ sistance to the story? 4. To what type audience would the picture appeal? 5. What basic emotions does it dis¬ play? 6. How can I sell the picture to the public? 7. What personalities should go in¬ to it? 8. Do I have to overcome any basic production problems? 9. What does the story have that no other story has had before? Many movies today have forgotten the value of entertainment. They’ve gone into madness, class conflict, etc. They want to be significant but in the process have lost the art of delighting audiences. I’m not trying to say that every picture made should be a light and airy comedy — far from it — but I do mean that movie-goers should be enchanted and entertained. That I try to achieve in every one of my pictures. PROJECTION BOOTH (Continued from Page 116) After “graduating” from silent to sound film making, I saw that I really had to have a more orderly and professional way of presenting my films. Thus it was that I made a quiet survey of my home to determine if there wasn’t a closet that could be spared or a corner of a bed¬ room which could be utilized for a pro¬ jection nook, and which would make it possible to cut ports in one wall for projecting pictures on a screen in the living room. It took some tactful “selling” on my part to convince Mrs. Caloia that pierc¬ ing the living room wall for the neces¬ sary portholes would not materially de¬ tract from appearance of the room. Fortunately, there was a closet next to one bedroom having a wall between it and the living room — and in the right 132 American Cinematographer March, 1952