British Kinematography (1953)

10 BRITISH KINEMATOGRAPHY Vol. 23, No. 1 is therefore important that the DC. camera motor problem be tackled with the object of achieving a more accurate speed, automatically controlled, and yet without unduly adding to the weight of the equipment. Stereoscopic Wide Screen Presentation I do not propose to refer in detail to the many stereoscopic and panoramic systems now being presented to the public in America and starting to come over here. All I will say is that I am sure that British equipment manufacturers are fully aware of possible demands and will be able to cope with any special camera, projection or screen requirements, when the standards are agreed. This is a matter which is sub judice. Magnetic Recording Magnetic recording on 35mm. film and on i-inch tape is becoming more widely used in British and American Studios.3 The use of a magnetic recorder in the rerecording process can effect a saving in film stock and processing of upwards of £400 on a single production. Furthermore, the composite re-recorded magnetic track can be used as a master for transferring to any number of photographic negatives — for instance, a sound negative for America, in addition to separate negatives for Australia and the home market. The magnetic track can also be used for re-recording sound on to 16mm. sound negative for contact printing, giving a much improved 16mm. sound print quality unobtainable by optical reduction or by rerecording from a 35mm. photographic release print. For foreign versions, studios have to supply " M. & E." (music and effects) tracks, without dialogue, to be used by the dubbing studios abroad to mix with a dialogue track made in the foreign language. At present, the making of an " M. & E." track necessitates a separate re-recording operation, but the development of a multiple track recorder, with three tracks on one magnetic film, provides a separate dialogue, music and effects track from which any combination of the three can be derived with the comparative simplicity of a printing operation. While the equipment now available for three magnetic tracks, each of 200 mil width, a further development may increase this number to four tracks. Such recorders will also be a necessity for stereophonic recordings. Mobile Studio Unit The most expensive item in film production is time, and the fickle English weather being the greatest time waster, means have to be found to overcome the long waits for the sun on location. The mobile studio unit system enables shooting to continue on small interior sets in improvised studios when the weather is bad, thereby saving both the time and the morale of a location unit.4 The broader canvas of film production, partly resulting from competition with television, has focussed attention upon all techniques which remove the risk of lengthy location schedules. Booster light on location, now the rule rather than the exception, helps a great deal, but no single-point light source can at present compete with the bright but very flat light of a dull English Summer's day. A super lamp, two or three times as bright as the fine " Brute " lamp, would give a good sunlight effect under these cloudy summer conditions,5 but it would have to be used from a height to achieve a really good effect. One visualises such a lamp being mounted on a high telescoping tower, capable of being carried about on its own power truck yet easily dismountable for manoeuvering in awkward places. The cost of such a lighting unit would no doubt be very great — but what an insurance against dull weather it would be on a spectacular crowd location ! Such a mammoth lamp has not yet been produced — but some preliminary experimental work has already been carried out. Use of Reflectors The design of reflectors for exterior use has not changed since the silent days. When Where No Vultures Fly was being made by Ealing Studios in Africa, the standard plytype reflectors suffered from warping and caused many difficulties. It was therefore decided to evolve a warp-proof reflector