The American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1963)

Record Details:

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HERE MAY BE SEEN five of the six Mitchell cameras used by Ed Colman to cover all angles of big climactic scene for “Savage Sam,” photo¬ graphed in Eastman Color. The camera equipment and the barges on which some of the cameras will be mounted are being made ready under the supervision of Colman and director Norman Tokar (out of picture). The actual filming of this spec¬ tacular sequence took only one minute and fifteen seconds, but the planning and preparation required much time and effort of a large crew of technical experts. The de¬ cision to use six cameras simul¬ taneously to film it — a procedure virtually non-existent in presentday, budget-minded Hollywood — was prompted by the fact that con¬ siderable production time could be saved because a single take could produce six different camera an¬ gles of the intricate sequence, with the action perfectly matched — greatly minimizing the need to repeat the complicated maneuvers with the horses and avoiding delays necessary for separate camera set¬ ups. Four cameras were located at various vantage points on the lake shore, while two others were posi¬ tioned on a raft anchored in the middle of the lake to record closer shots of the horses swimming to¬ ward them. As the animals leaped off the cliff, low camera angles helped to exaggerate the height of the jump; also use of lenses of different focal lengths provided variety for the editor in cutting the sequence. “Savage Sam,” a sequel to the highly successful Disney film, ‘"'Old Yeller,” made four years ago, is an outdoor action epic having to do with dogs, horses, Indians and kidnapped children. It may have set some sort of record in that 95% of its scenes are actual ex¬ teriors shot in various picturesque locations not far from Hollywood. The horse-jump sequence was filmed on the sprawling Albertson Ranch, 13,000 acres of scenic mo¬ tion picture locations near Thou¬ sand Oaks in the San Fernando \ alley. Featuring a variety of ter¬ rain — including lakes, mountains, unusual vegetation, sculptured rocks and giant trees — the ranch is used regularly by film com¬ panies. Much of the “Gunsmoke” television series is photographed here. Additional scenes were shot at Escondido Canyon, a starkly eroded area studded with over¬ hanging rocks. Still other scenes were filmed at the scenic Walt Disney Ranch near Saugus, a land¬ locked Shangri-La with clear air and blue skies free of the smog Continued on Page 40 23 AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, JANUARY, 1963