American cinematographer (Aug 1936)

334 American Cinem.atographer • August, 1936 Fully Guaranteed USED 35mm EQUIPMENT • Mitchell, Bell & Howell, Akeley, DeBrie, Universal, Pathe Cameras. Portable Sound Recording Outfits. B Cr H Eyemo, 400 ft. Magazine, Motor driven. Holmes Projectors, Sound and Si- lent. DeVry Suit Cose Model Projectors. We buy, sell and rent anything Phatographic. • Camera Supply Co., Ltd. 1515 No. Cahuenga Blvd. Hollywood, Calif. Cable Address: CAMERAS • MOVIOLA • FILM EDITING EQUIPMENT Used in Every Major Studio. Illustrated Literature on request. MOVIOLA CO. 1451 Cordon St. Hollywood, Calif. rUARIABLE AREA RECORDERS^ fATENT na IMMM. OTHCftS PCNOMC ALSO 3 Srnm to 16 mm REDUCTION SOUND PRINTER AND SOUND EQUIPMENT CaMe address CRSCO C.R. SKINNER MFC. Co. 2M TURK STREET. PHONE OROWAV 6909 ^ San Francisco. California U. S. A. OXE M.\X l,AB««ATOHY Senior size, 2000 ft. per hr. Junior size, 1000 ft. per hr. 35mm - 16mm Perfected Machine Developing PREMIER MOTION PICTURE EQUIPMENT CORP. 1611 Cosmo Street, Hollywood, Calif. Makeup for the New Technicolor Process Continued from page 331 areas with make-up, thereby simpli- fying the cinematographer's task of modelling the face. In color, such shad- ings generaly appear merey spotty. A certain amount of such correction may at times be achieved, but this tech- nique, in general, is of little use in color. Speaking broadly, natural-color pho- tography brings an entirely new concep- tion of make-up technique. In black- and-white, we are working with con- trasts of monochrome light and shade. Accordingly, when making up a blonde, we seek to heighten that tonal contrast by applying a rather dark make-up which will give a positive contrast to the lighter hair. In color, this is not the case; a blonde or a brunette would use a make-up of a color in keeping with her own complexion. This is be- cause we ore no longer striving tor o purely artificial contrast, but seeking to imitate and enhance the subject's natural coloring. Since our make-up is intended merely to duplicate, in tones the color-camera con interpret, the coloring of the un- derlying complexion, adding only to smooth photogenic texture which con- ceals blemishes, we prefer to moke little, it any, change in the fundamen- tal coloration. If we hove, for in- stance, o prettily pink-ond-white blonde, we strive to reproduce that natural col- oring in the make-up, rather than to alter it. If we hove o suntanned bru- nette, we likewise try to give the camera o make-up which it will interpret os o perfect reproduction of that natural tone. Within limited degrees, however. Technicolor make-up con compensate tor day-to-day variations in complex- ion. If our pink-ond-white star should return from o weekend at Palm Springs with o noticeable sunburn, for instance, make-up con be depended up- on to keep her coloring consistent throughout the picture. A severe ton, on the other hand, would probably coll tor o definite skin-bleach rather than o different colored make-up. The so-called "character" make-up is equally possible in color. But it will require o new delicacy. Other than the application of wigs and beards, which hove reached incredible perfec- tion of late, the time-honored tricks of character make-up do not fool the col- or camera. The Lon Chaneys and the Boris Karloffs of color chillers con no longer draw their characters with brood, splashing strokes, but must point them by delicate touches os precise os the stroke of o miniature-painter's brush. The make-up materials tor the new Technicolor make-up ore officially known os the "T-D" series, and like oil modern make-up materials ore fur- nished in o wide range of shades from extremely light to extremely dork, but oil based on equally-spaced gradations of the some chromatic combination. The numbering of these shades is from 1 to 12. Special make-ups for racial groups ore also being mode. "Danc- ing Pirate" brought forth o make-up for swarthy Mexicans; "The Garden of Allah" has resulted in make-up for Arab types; "Ramona" called for make- up that would moke Indians (real and synthetic) look convincing. In each cose, the knowledge already gained in developing the regular color make-up enabled us, after quick spectroscopic analysis of genuine complexions of these types, to produce o make-up that gave the right effect. In addition, make-ups hove already been devised for South Sea Islanders, Eskimos, Negroes, Orientals, and other types. Ultimately, one will be able to coll upon his Make- Up Artist for anything from o Negro to on Albino, with confidence that the make-up will not only be correct, but that it will suit the intricacies of the Technicolor process so perfectly that the resulting character willl look per- fectly convincing in the screened color picture. Why All this Hubbub Regarding Color? Continued from page 327 itself, will not impart dramatic punch. Mood is limited in range. There ore no rich, full-bodied blacks to give depth of emotion. Individuals hove definite color pre- judices. One may hove emphatic antip- athy tor greens in wearing apparel. If the star appears in o gown of green, his sympathy is immediately alienated. One feature in color, or o dozen, may moke money justifying the production tribulations and outlays. By box office measurement, on occasional musical or spectacle or fantasy may pay dividends from injection of color. But for doy- in and doy-out life-blood of the indus- try, black-and-white appears to be firm- ly entrenched. Would "The Informer" hove been a better, or so good, o picture in color? Would "The Thin Mon" hove packed