British Kinematography (1953)

16 BRITISH KINEMATOGRAPHY Vol. 23, No. 1 ters in close-up whenever possible or to show them in close-up very soon after their first appearance. Dramatically this would seem to be wrong, but where that first close-up is saved until the correct dramatic moment, the viewers reaction is more likely to be, " so that's what he (or she) looks like," than the appropriate response to an important moment in the story. Introduce a new character, then, with a brief close-up. The picture quality of such a sequence must obviously match the rest of the show, but, unless it takes place in a set which is also to be shown in a live sequence a fair amount of latitude is permissible. The Bridging Sequence The most difficult problem with this type of sequence lies in the initial decision as to whether to use it or not. A bridge is by nature likely to be short in comparison with the sequences which precede and follow it. For this reason it can easily cut up the continuity of the story in an unsatisfactory way. If at the scripting stage a bridge does not appear essential it is probably better to do without it. Where it is unavoidable, ideally the shape of the script should prepare the way by providing one or two shortish scenes just before the bridge sequence and if possible immediately after. It is not always possible to write a story in this way, but, where it is possible, the result is smoother and more integrated and the bridge will lose its artificiality and merge into the narrative construction. Where this method of scripting is inapplicable it is often better to lengthen the bridging sequence so that it becomes a story sequence in its own right. Technically the problem is similar to the sum of the problems presented by the opening and closing film sequences. Style and cutting tempo and so on must not present a marked contrast to the studio scenes. The film sequence should, as it were, " wind up " and " wind down " again where, as is frequently the case, the main effect is to be made by means of a " montage," using the word in the colloquial sense defined by Ernest Lindgren as, " an impressionistic assembly of short shots designed to bridge a lapse of film narrative by briefly indicating the passage of events within it." The Composite Film and Studio Sequence This is the most acute problem of matching. To achieve success, style, action, continuity, camera angles and, above all, picture quality must exactly correspond. The action must be worked out to provide good cutting points for the changes from film to studio and vice versa and, since weare depending on a chain of human reactions to cue each change over, it is desirable to select these cutting points very carefully so that the greatest possible overlap is obtained and hence the greatest flexibility in the actual cut. Allowance must also be made for the running up to speed of the film machine (Telecine Apparatus) or, where the film must run continuously, though unseen, during a cut to the studio, the studio action must be drilled to an invariable length so that the cut back to film is always correctly timed. This all sounds very formidable and it is true to say that the haphazard shooting of film can make this type of sequence a nightmare for all concerned. If carefully visualized and planned in advance, however, it can be completely successful and easy to handle in transmission. Since film and live shots must be indistinguishable on the television screen, studio lighting must match film lighting and film must be shot with this in view. Frequently perfect film lighting which cannot be matched in the studio, must be abandoned in favour of a less good arrangement which can be exactly reproduced. Each television system has its own characteristics corresponding with the speed, contrast range, colour response, gamma and so on of a film emulsion. In the studio, lighting and tonal values of set, costumes and make-up will be arranged to produce a picture of the quality desired. It is clear that if our matching film is to be shown on such a system, the print must be of the same character as the studio scene. Where, for example, the television system can only handle a relatively restricted contrast range, a flatter-than-normal print must be provided. Special processing will be needed and the