American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1959)

INDUSTRIAL FILMS NEED PRODUCTION VALUE Continued from Page 690 his films he must not merely make each dollar show on the screen — he must make every dollar look like ten. This is not easy, yet it is no Utopian dream. It can be and is being done by the more successful industrial film produc¬ ers, those who consistently make a profit from their pictures. Let us take the elements that go to make up production value and analyze them one by one. Importance of Sets Settings are important to the mount¬ ing and overall quality of any film. Ideally, the producer will have an art director to design and supervise con¬ struction of whatever sets are desired. Usually such sets are built right in the studio — and this is expensive. The pro¬ ducer who books studio space by the picture — and there are many who do this — can often rent space at studios which have standing sets or large scene docks full of set units that can he as¬ sembled and dressed at very little ex¬ pense. Such studios will often make “package” deals that include stage space and available sets at a flat fee. In this way the industrial film producer can achieve production value setwise without spending a large chunk of his budget. ^ hen such arrangements are not possible it is often advisable to shoot on location in authentic or impressive actual backgrounds that can be used gratis or for a nominal fee. Whatever additional technical difficulties may arise are more than offset by the pro¬ duction value that may be gained from shooting in such locales. Perhaps the greatest single factor de¬ termining production value in the in¬ dustrial film is the photography. Just as the lens is more important than the camera itself, the photographic treat¬ ment is more important from the stand¬ point of ultimate quality than that which is being photographed. The cam¬ era cannot, of course, compensate for a poor script or faulty direction; but it can be made to do a great deal to impart visual quality to a picture that might otherwise be merely adequate. Conversely, unimaginative camera work can detract from even the most expensive and lavishly mounted pro¬ duction. Considering production value strictly from the photographic standpoint, we find that the director of photography has three basic elements with which to work, in addition to the actual phys¬ ical equipment which he uses to expose the film. These are lighting, composi¬ tion and camera movement. If the cam¬ eraman is given his copy of the script well in advance of shooting, he can vis¬ ualize the cinematic situations, discuss them with the director, examine the sets and plan in detail how he can most effectively bring the three basic elements into play for the greatest en¬ hancement of the film. Lighting is perhaps the most import¬ ant single element in cinematography because it is the medium with which the cameraman virtually “paints” each pictorial composition. Where flat, un¬ imaginative lighting is used in a pic¬ ture, it is generally because production value is unimportant, and it is the quickest and least expensive way to light a set. The result, however, looks cheap on the screen regardless of what other visual elements appear on the film. On the other hand, even the sim¬ plest set, lighted with imagination, can take on depth, modelling and richness — a combination that adds up to qual¬ ity on the screen. The experienced cinematographer, if he really is conscientious, knows just where to throw highlights and shad¬ ows, how to build up interesting details of a set and play down the others, how to “break up” flat areas with shadow patterns, how to give actors and set elements added dimension through the use of modelled lighting, and how to impart a range of character to various sequences by varying the key of the lighting. Composition Key Element Similarly, composition is an impor¬ tant element often neglected in the in¬ dustrial film. Good pictorial composi¬ tion is simply putting the dramatic emphasis of a scene visually in its prop¬ er place. The skilled cameraman achieves this result by making sure that the lines within his frame, the perspec¬ tive of the camera angle, and the pat¬ tern of movement on the screen — all lead toward the focal point of the ac¬ tion. The dullest monolithic form can be made interesting by a fresh and im¬ aginative camera angle — but, again, the cinematographer must be given time to pre-plan his angles so that he is not forced to follow the unimaginative procedure of simply setting up his cam¬ era and shooting each scene from a straightforward, undramatic angle. The third element, camera move¬ ment, is usually thought of as an “ex¬ pensive” item, since moving camera shots take time to set up, rehearse and shoot. This seeming extravagance is, however, outweighed by the fact that it is often possible to link together, by means of the moving camera, five or six scenes which would otherwise re¬ quire separate camera set-ups. More¬ over, there is achieved a certain smoothness of continuity of the sort usually associated with the best profes¬ sional cinematography. Moving The Camera In Hollywood, moving camera shots are accomplished with expensive dol¬ lies and camera cranes, some of them motor-driven. A few of the larger in¬ dustrial film producers own such equip¬ ment or have budgets that will stand the rental of same. Many producers, however, avoid the use of the “fluid” camera because they are under the im¬ pression that such elaborate devices as cranes and dollies are necessary to achieve them. In actuality, almost any vehicle that has four wheels and is capable of supporting the weight of the camera and operator can be used. Even a child’s toy wagon has been used more than once by imaginative cameramen to make an effective moving camera shot. Other vehicles, such as warehouse dollies having flat platforms, baggage trucks and carriers of the type used to move bedridden patients around in hospitals can be employed for the pur¬ pose with good success. Where action is to take place over a large area, an automobile, preferably a convertible, lends itself nicely to trucking or dolly shots. The automobile can either be moved under its own power (in which case there is some risk of jerkiness or vibration) or it can be pushed by two or three men. Travel over uneven sur¬ faces can be smoothed by decreasing the air pressure in the tires. The producer will do well to include a dolly as a permanent part of his equipment. If the cost of a professional model is prohibitive he can build one very inexpensively out of scrap lumber and second-hand wheels. In essence, a practical dolly is nothing more than a platform on wheels, with a T bar on the back to push or pull it. The rear axle should be movable to permit dollying around corners, but there should be a 692 AMERICAN CINEAAATOGRAPHER