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24
BRITISH KINEMATOGRAPHY
Vol. 18, No. 1
a: saving of 2,126 minutes in 12,361 minutes (17.25%). Working across sequences m addition, the number of slates could be further reduced to 65. There is now some doubt about the appropriate curve to use for the reason explained above. The optimistic use of the curves produces a preparation time of 8,765 minutes, a saving of 3,596 minutes in 12,361 minutes (29.2%). The most pessimistic view predicts a preparation time of 10.045 minutes, a saving of 2,316 minutes in 12,361 minutes (18.6%). The true figure probably lies
M = 3-3TAKE5/SLATE NLT-EER OF TAKES PER SLATE Fig. 2. Shooting Time plotted against number of Takes.
somewhere nearer the pessimistic than the optimistic end of the scale, and we might guess that the maximum saving would be about 20%.
To summarise, therefore, there seems to be a chance of saving 17% of the floor time by alterations within sequences alone, and a further addition of a few per cent, by more complicated alterations which cut across sequences and sometimes alter for shooting purposes the relative order in which the events will appear in the finished picture.
These figures are very rough and ready. They hold out hope of a sufficiently important saving of time in production without an alteration to the finished product to justify adoption of the longer slate technique in a pilot production.
2. NUMBER OF TAKES
The next quite separate subject is the possibility of saving time on the floor through a reduction in the number of takes per slate.
Will a Reduction in the Number of Takes per Slate Save Money ?
About 400 stage slates having an average of 3.8 takes per slate are shot for a normal first feature production. At present shooting time is about 13% of the total time spent on all operations on the floor.
Fig. 2 has been prepared by averaging for a number of films the shooting time and plotting against the number of takes. The result presented here is for all slates : the analysis itself distinguished between classes of slate both according to their screen time and the complexity of camera movement.
Each take requires 2.75 minutes on average to shoot, so that a normal film of 400 stage slates would need 4,180 minutes shooting time. Such a film would be on the floor for about 11 weeks. The potential
TABLE I Potential Saving by Reduction of Takes
Shooting time in
Equivalent in
Average No. of
minutes for a 400
davs spent on
\ saving on total
Takes per slate
slate production
the floor
film tin:e
3.S
4,180
7.3
nil
3.0
3,300
5.8
2
2.0
2,200
3.9
6 2
1.0
1,100
2.0