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There was a curious technical incident in connection with Tansy which is perhaps worth recording. It was necessary for the purposes of the story to show the sheep-herding skill of the heroine and of her dog. This called, I felt, for one long scene rather than a number of short ones, for that would not be so convincing since the effect could be so easily faked. So what might have been a long sequence was taken in one scene of 398 feet, the equivalent in modern practice of 600 feet; just on seven minutes.
It was on the Sussex Downs and a place was chosen on the top of one hill overlooking a broad valley and another hill opposite. The scene began with Tansy standing at the entrance to a pen and the sheep were dotted like mushrooms all over the valley and on the far hill side. The dog was told to collect them and off he went at full speed. The camera was, of course, on a stationary tripod stand — tracking cameras had not been invented then — but it could be swung around on its revolving head in any direction. It kept the dog in focus right away into the far distance, until the sheep were all rounded up and collected and driven into the pen.
At this point at the trade show where, of course, there was no music or sound of any sort from the film, there was a round of applause from the audience, hard-boiled as most of them were. Geoff. Faithfull was the camera-man and for that long scene he did a real job of work, for to turn the camera steadily by hand for seven minutes and follow all the movements of dog and sheep at the same time was no mean effort of muscle and will.
There is no doubt whatever that that long scene absolutely held the interest throughout and it is interesting to see that the same technique has recently been re-discovered and hailed as a complete novelty.
I begin to be appalled at the number of these films: for though to recall them is interesting to me because I worked hard in them, I must call a halt; for they cannot be of more than slight interest to other people.
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