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THE CINEMATOGRAPHER'S PLACE IN THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY
Frank Capra*
EVERY now and then some motion picture executive starts a movement to keep the name of the cinematographer off the credit titles of our films. Why? — is a problem that this writer has never been able to solve; for, in my humble opinion, no one — not even star or director — is more worthy or deserving of public credit for his part in making a picture than the cinematographer.
After all is said and done; after all arguments have ended, there could be no motion picture without a cinematographer, for a motion picture is just what the name implies — something that has been photographed. And why shouldn't the cinematographer be given the credit that is his due? To my way of thinking, the cinematographer is one of the most important factors in the motion picture production industry; each year growing more and more important; each year contributing more and more to the real artistry of the screen. Nothing could give me more pleasure than this opportunity to pay him tribute in a publication of the cinematographers, which is a splendid credit not only to him but to the industry as a whole.
In the old days of the silent picture it was a comparatively simple matter to make a picture. You could take most any story and with a series of beautifully photographed scenes turn it over to the cutter and the title writer and, even though you might have wandered from your story, or if the story was very weak, it could be pretty well doctored into good entertainment by the adding of the right titles. In fact, many a story has been shot and completely changed by the titles after it was completed.
But now it is different. Today we must have a real story which is intelligently handled, directed, acted and photographed; for there is the little matter of sound and dialogue which makes it imperative that the job be done correctly — else it will be a bad job. However, the success of your picture depends upon the story. If you have no story you have no picture. The story is given the audience by the characters on the screen who enact the characters in the story. And — not a single thing must be done to take your audience's attention from those characters.
The suffering woman is the center of attraction, say, in one scene. The audience is interested in her and what she is going to do. If you suddenly take that audience attention away from her by a kaleidoscopic whirling of unusual background the audience attention naturally shifts to the background and the story suffers — the picture suffers. So, I have always submerged backgrounds and centered everything on the players. Reality is what is wanted in pictures, not symbolic touches and beautiful settings for mere beauty's sake.
All of which naturally brings me to the point in question — that of photography, naturally, one of the most important elements in the
•Columbia Director of "Dirigible." "Flight." "Submarine." "Miracle Woman".
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