Canadian Film Digest (Dec 1971)

ae oO Ah b The Canadian Production Scene By Harriet Bernstein A very exciting novel approach to Shakespeare is being attempted by Crawley Films Limited, with their production of HAMLET. The play was being performed in an abandoned church here in Toronto, by a community theatre group named THOG (Theatre of God), composed entirely of people under twenty-five years of age. News in a city such as Toronto sometimes drifts through what one could call supernatural channels, where a buzz of activity generates to a handfull of people who, like telephone wires, transmit the communication. In_ this instance, the buzz was picked up by film director Rene Bonnier, who was so taken with the stage production that he contacted Crawley’s about making a motion picture version, and thus it came to be. f= PRODUCTION NOTES Seven performances were run, with audiences, set in the theatre-in-theround plan. The entire spectacle was filmed with one cameraman, Richard Leiterman, who used a_ hand-held camera throughout, shooting from the midst of the action. Accepting film as an intimate medium, and realizing the difficulty of capturing a dramatic stage performance on film without a static, stilted effect, this approach of the “invisible camera’ would conceivably permit the motion picture viewer to feel personally and directly involved. The costumes were modern dress, simply the style of clothing that today’s under-25 age bracket wears. George Taros composed a musical score, experimenting with various effects on the instruments, such as plucking the strings of the piano, and playing the strings with a bow. He also composed songs which the cast sings, making this HAMLET a musical more in the style of HAIR or JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, than any traditional Shakespear ean approach. Soundman was David McMillan, production and direction was by Steven Bush, and F. R. Crawley served as executive producer. Mr. Bonnier is presently editing at Crawley’s studios in Toronto, where he has been since September, working through the 50,000 feet of film that were shot (an 8 to 1 shooting ratio). Although the play ran four hours in length, a fine cut of approximately 3 hours is being attempted, with no deletions of the script whatsoever. This uncut HAMLET would be ideally suitable for educational entertainment, which Crawley’s may sell to television, perhaps the C.B.C. or an educational network. The sound mixing will be handled at Crawley’s mixing studios, unless it is decided to distribute the film theatrically, in which case stereo sound would be recorded at one of the labs so equipped. It is estimated that a release print will be available by March. 2) Question: How do you thank the film industry for its tremendous support? Answer: 16mm. Services: Ektachrome, High Speed, Slow Speed & Dupes, Eastman Pos, Internegs, B&W Neg & Pos, Edge Numbering, Neg Cutting, Flashing, Ultrasonic Cleaning, Hazeltine Timing, All Additive Printing. (How about like this) Thank you Buffalo, Burnaby, Burlington, Calgary, Chicago, Cleveland, Dartmouth, Detroit, Edmonton, Galt, Halifax, Houston, Kitchener, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New Haven, New York, North Bay, Ottawa, Quebec City, Regina, Rochester, St. Andrews, St. John, St. John’s, San Francisco, Saskatoon, Seattle, Stamford, Terrebonne, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Washington D.C., West Templeton, Windsor and Winnipeg. Thank you very much. QUINN LABS 380 Adelaide Street West Toronto 2B 362-1508 35 mm. Services: Neg & Pos Processing, Color Intermediates Neg & Pos & Reversal, Filmstrip Dupes, Neg Cutting, Edge Numbering Hazeltine Timing, All Additive Printing. CANADIAN FILM DIGEST 23