The American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1963)

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H X w > X X o X X w < H X U1 > X X M X g BLACK § REVERSAL PRINTING PROCESSING COLOR PRINTING OTHER SERVICES • Work Prints • Color-to-Color Prints • Color-to B & W Prints • Raw Stock • Ultrasonic Film Cleaner • A & B Roll Prints • Fades-Dissolves • Timed Prints • Edge Numbering FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION WRITE 723 Seventh Ave., New York 19, N.Y. . JU 6-2293 ZOOM LENS TECHNIQUE Continued from Page 29 foreground and at the sides which help to give a feeling of depth in the long shot. Does this mean then that a zoom lens can only be used as a poor substitute for one kind of tracking shot? Not at all. It has in fact added a new item of technique to those already available to film-makers. There is, however, one artistic proviso that goes with it. There is a school of thought which maintains that all camera moves should be mo¬ tivated by some movement or action of the object, and that where this is not the case the audience becomes con¬ scious of the camera — which is un¬ desirable. While there is much to be said in favor of this view, like all other artistic theories it can be ignored with advantage under certain circumstances by a director. And there are, of course, many who would deny its validity in any case and who take the position that as the purpose of a film is to influence an audience either emotionally or in¬ tellectually in the way the director has determined, then any method of doing this is legitimate if it is a genuine part of the film medium. And that zooming is such a genuine part there can be no doubt; the new technique it brings is this ability to approach and withdraw, slowly or quickly, not only under cir¬ cumstances which would make tracking or using a crane impossible, but also in such a way as to create visual move¬ ments in space which no tracking or crane shot can give. Quite apart from the dramatic pos¬ sibilities it gives to makers of news films, it has very great value for docu¬ mentary directors, and even in features, where the actual shooting conditions are usually under complete control, and consequently more elaborate arrange¬ ments for a precise set-up can be made. It can also be a useful tool, especially on exteriors. It does in fact add a new form of movement to film making, and by so doing gives a further extension to the medium. The combination of panning, or tracking, and zooming, or all three together creates new visual possibilities for a director to exploit. A study of TV commercials of recent years will show how in this field, at least, these possibilities have been uti¬ lized very fully. At the moment, the optical qualities of a zoom lens are usually not quite so high as those of standard lenses, but if they can be brought to these standards it would seem probable that given time a zoom lens may replace the battery of lenses of different focal lengths now used by a cameraman, because it would give an infinite gradation of focal lengths within its focal limits, and so could be used not only as a “zoom” lens but also as an adjustable one. ■ PLANNING — KEY TO BETTER COMMERCIAL FILMS Continued from Page 35 that will be required for shooting each scene; also, any special equip¬ ment that may be required, which must be procured. A careful check should be made of all proposed interior locations to make sure that sufficient electric current is available for the lamps that will he re¬ quired for illumination. For black-andwhite productions, the usual house lighting circuits will often suffice; but for color, where more light is usually required, a portable power generator may be necessary. In large buildings and factories, sufficient added power for lights may often be obtained by running a cable directly to the main switchboard. The maintenance man on the premises or the engineer should be called in to make such a hookup. Any props or costumes required for a picture provide a problem all their own. When possible, these should be rented rather than purchased outright or made to order. In planning the order in which the different scenes or “takes” are to be filmed, consideration should be given to several factors. Scenes in a common locale or those which involve the same members of cast and crew all should be scheduled for shooting on the same day, even though such scenes may be widely scattered in the actual sequence of the script. Thus, if scenes 22, 83 and 147 all are scheduled for the same lo¬ cation, it is common sense to schedule them for shooting at the same time, in¬ stead of making three different trips to the location. While shooting all 46 AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, JANUARY, 1963