British Kinematography (1950)

186 BRITISH K1N11MATOGRAPHY Vol. 17, No. 6 recorder and picture camera are driven independently, but the synchronising impulse is provided by a simple attachment which can easily be fitted to the mute camera. This equipment will be used in Africa on our picture " No Vultures Fly," both for reasons of economy when recording sound effects, wild animal noises, etc., and by reason of its extreme portability on other shots where the use of a recording truck is not possible. Selected portions of these tape recordings will be transferred to photographic film on location and sent to England as rushes in the normal way. Production Economies. There are other ways in which considerable economies can be effected in film production by using magnetic recording. Post-synchronising. — If the recording machine be interlocked with a picture projector the facility of immediate playbacks would enable the result to be checked while the artiste was on call. This would frequently economise on artistes' salaries, in addition to the very great saving in film stock and laboratory costs. Probably 75 per cent, of the cost of post-synchronising could be saved if magnetic recording were used. Re-recording (Dubbing). — It is the practice in most studios to-day to run at least two film recording channels in parallel on dubbing sessions, in order to produce at least two original sound negatives. We at Ealing use these negatives, one for home release and one for U.S.A. release. This practice ensures the best sound quality for American release, but is very wasteful in film stock. If other negatives are required these are usually, though not always, made by recording a straight transfer from a (positive) print from the original negative. Although this gives a better result than the photographic dupe method, a certain loss of quality results. It is possible that all these sound negatives could be produced by transfer from a magnetic recording. This would mean that instead of two film channels being used, one would use a film recorder and a magnetic recorder in parallel for a dubbing session. Scope of Magnetic Recording. It may be wondered why it is necessary to record anything except release negatives on film. The time may come when magnetic recording will be used for all the production processes ; it has been stated that on some pictures in America it is being so used. We at Ealing have only been able to give a limited trial to this newest recording medium, but with more experience of it its possibilities will be more and more apparent. At the moment, it would appear that magnetic recording is a useful tool in the modern film studio, but in offering additional facilities rather than replacing photographic recording. III. USES IN DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCTION P. Birch* HAVING spent many years working on both feature and documentary recording, I have decided that basically there is little difference between their purely technical requirements. The resources of the sound engineer to a documentary production unit are, however, generally on a smaller scale, as there is less money to spend and fewer staff available. It can be appreciated that anything calculated to reduce these handicaps is enthusiastically welcomed. A year last October my company was offered a British Acoustic magnetic recorder, and it has been in constant use ever since, without any regrets. * British Instructional Films, Ltd.