British Kinematography (1948)

58 THE TASK OF THE FILM DIRECTOR Maurice Elvey Summary of a Paper read to a joint meeting of the British Kinematograph Society and the Association of Cine-Technicians, on February 19th, 1947. THK work of the film director can be likened to that of the conductor of a symphony orchestra. Some other person has composed the music, and other people are going to play it. The conductor's task is to see that all the component parts of the orchestra are welded into a whole — the film star might almost be likened to the soloist with the symphony orchestra. When a man starts to conduct a recognised piece of music, such as a Beethoven symphony, he will conform to the notes set down. There is an immense difference between the work of a good conductor and a hack conductor. Without the guiding hand of a good conductor, the music becomes merely a routine affair. Equally, there are two types of film directors ; some such as Caiol Reed, and Rene Clair, are entirely original in their work, and will mould the film to their conception of what it should be. The analogy of the hack conductor is the film director who merely works under instructions, and has not the initiative, the drive, the will-powrer of the first type of director ; but even so, he may turn out a competent work. The Director's Responsibility A director must know the technicalities of production ; a man who aims to be a director must start in a routine job. In my early days, the director was not only the man who directed the actors, but he cared for the business side, he wrote the script, and cut the film. The cameraman wrould often have to develop his own negative, and the negative itself was cut, joined up and projected, to save the expense of a print. The directoi must know, by practical experience, every side of the business, just as the conductor knows the range and possibilities of every instrument in his oichestra. The producer and the director both have a great responsibility to the public. Films must never descend to obscenity, or give offence to decency. I have never pandered to the lower side of human nature — for instance, I have always attempted to avoid scenes that involve brutal fights. As to propaganda — I recall a remark that Ernest Bevin made : * " I don't ask you to put any propaganda in pictures," he said — " there is no place for propaganda in entertainment ; I ask you, if you can, to show that the judiciary is, and always must be, superior to the legislature." During production, the role of the director is more than a guiding spirit to the actors in their performance. He has to maintain the spirit of the story — to help the artistes to maintain continuity of mood. He has to secure the co-operation of the technicians ; he must make everybody, stars and technicians, feel that they want to make that particular film — that their particular job is of the utmost importance. The director must decide numerous technical matters ; whether the film shall be photographed in high or low key, whether the sound shall be loud or quiet. Production Requirements Production could be speeded up if instead of a large number of lamps, fewer and larger sources could be used. The cost of exterior scenes must be cut ; the present trend of working in the studio, because it is cheaper, must be sacrificed in favour of the greater realism of true exteriors.