American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1963)

in a hurry was a project in itself. An urgent call was sent out to all APCS units which used the ma¬ terial as well as to Eastman Kodak Company. A barely sufficient amount of the stock was scraped together just in time to start the filming operation. It was planned to pick up the sound from the microphone on the speaker’s stand and to use the single-system sound track recorded on the camera film merely as a cue track. A separate “clean” track would be recorded simultaneously on mag¬ netic tape and used in the actual dubbing. The cameras were to operate in banks of two, record¬ ing from two different angles. Two cameras would shoot at a time, while the other two were reloaded for uninterrupted operation. As soon as a pair of cameras were rolling, the sound mixer would re¬ cord a “pip” to synchronize the picture films with the magnetic track. Near the end of a roll, when the other two cameras started up to provide over¬ lap, he would record another sync signal to key all five sound tracks together. In the actual filming operation, whenever occa¬ sional camera trouble developed, the plan had to be modified somewhat, but two cameras were kept rolling at all times. A wide bank of light units was set up along with adequate controls so that if one set of lights burned out another set could be switched on immediately. A two-way communication system was installed which enabled the director at a central location to maintain voice contact with the camera¬ men in the two camera booths and thus cue operaation of the cameras and the selection of subject matter. A detailed cue sheet was made for later reference by the editor so that he would know which cameras were shooting at what times. An additional problem arose out of the fact that the Seminar speakers used visual aids projected on a screen which did not show up clearly on the motion picture film. Still camermen were then assigned to stand by with cue sheets having notations indicating when a speaker would use a certain visual aid, what it was (slide, stereopticon, etc.), plus a brief de¬ scription of the subject matter, and indicating the length of time it would remain on the screen dur¬ ing the speech. Then, as soon as a particular lec¬ ture was over, the still men were given the visual aids. They rushed them to the base photographic laboratory and copied them in color slightly larger than 1-to-l. Later, at the Orlando laboratory, these color stills were mounted on an Oxberry optical printer and rephotographed on 16mm color film. This footage was then turned over to the editor who spliced it into the lecture footage as cutaways. Although the speakers were photographed in blackand-white and the visual aids in color (for greater intelligibility), the two films blended together well in the final release prints, which were made on color stock. One of APCS’s most functional developments of equipment for filming air-to-ground and air-to-air combat action resulted from modifying a T-l bomb rack to hold an Eyemo camera equipped with 400foot magazine. Because of space limitations the magazine could not be directly affixed to the cam¬ era in the conventional manner but had to be mounted horizontally some distance behind it, with the film travel mechanism re-designed to feed the raw stock through an L-shaped track to the gate. The camera movement was driven by a 24-volt motor activated by the plane’s electrical system. Another 24-volt motor operated the take-up of the magazine. When the original prototype of this wing-mount proved successful, several similar units were con¬ structed of ’/^-inch aluminum rolled to fit 10^/o-inch diameter dividing plates. A tail cone was affixed to the rear of the cylinder and two interchangeable nose cones were designed — one to accommodate a 2-inch lens, the other a 6-inch lens. The resultant T-l A Camera Wing mount has a small access door on one side for changing magazines and another on the opposite side to permit inspection of the take-up motor. This compact camera housing is designed to fit any jet fighter which normally includes a bomb rack, and it mounts directly to the pylon of the aircraft. Continued on Page 48 LOWERING CAMERA into the "Monster" — heavy metal protective hous¬ ing — in preparation for filming series of nuclear tests on Eniwetok Island. Housing enabled camera to record tests without danger to equipment. Unique built-in electronic device triggered camera into action following initial flash of bomb. AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, JANUARY, 1963 33