The Cine Technician (1939)

28 T HE (IN i; -TEI II X I ( I A N April-May, nt.;," the position concisely : "An analysis of earnings, in so far as these are published, shows that where there are any profits in the production and distribution sphere, these ,11 c not, on the whole, benefiting the ordinary shareholders, but the fixed interest bearing security holders. . . . There thus arises the curious situation that at least in one of the spheres most affected by expansion (production) the ordinary shareholders are not making any money even in the boom period." British and American Film Finance Inter-locking and subsidiary companies makes it extremely difficult to unravel the finances of big corporations, but the Film Council appears to have achieved the almost impossible. Details are given of the finances and financial control of the American and British Film industries together with directorate and shareholding details which do succeed in conveying a clear impression of the vast ramifications of film finance. Film workers should study this book. "World Film News" articles upon which it is based have, as we all now know, caused a big stir. Let us hope it has made such an omelette that it will be impossible for the eggs to get back into their shells. John Grierson's introduction summarises the situation succinctly : — "If, through the Film Commission proposed by the Moyne Committee, order can be brought to the finances of our work, mismanagement eliminated and this rush of promoters abated, it is the creative worker who will most have reason to bless a measure of government co-ordination. We shall have lost an Arabian Night's entertainment and many of us, who have too much of the cinema in our blood to dislike even its insanities, mayshed a sentimental tear for the old mad days. But we shall, no question, get on with the work we want to do. Under the conditions attested in this story, that is impossible." Correspondence Give Us Credit Dear Sir, Collingburn's article in your last issue confined itsell to queries in film production. May I draw your attention to still another matter before we can say "O.K. for Stills." If you have goods to sell they must be advertised and everyone knows that a set of really good stills is of far greater value in selling a picture than pages of letterpr* ss Indeed they will, in nine cases out of ten, sell a bad one. If it were not for the long-suffering stillman weekly film papers, etc., would be non-existent. It is, therefore, high time they realised that the majority of the film-going public don't buy the papers for their letterpress but for the pictures. They like to see what is going on. So why not give us the credit we deserve by acknowledging our work, which, goodness knows, is hard enough. If the press had to ] my fabulous fees for publicity stills it would be a different matter — but they don't. Giving credit to the stillman would not make any appreciable difference to the cost of the layout, nor labour involved. In other words, we enable the press to sell their papers and get little or no thanks. It is not my intention to run down the press. Far from it. With photogravure it does our work full justice. But what I do want to see is a little more appreciation towards the still cameraman, and if this can be achieved it would do us all a tremendous amount of good. I am confident that other stillmen agree with me. Yours etc., Eric Coop. 78 Studios, Production Companies and Laboratories contacted 671 Technicians through the A.C.T. Employment Bureau during 1936 We can supply all Technical Staff Requirements for CAMERA SOUND ART STILLS EDITING AND CUTTING FLOOR AND PRODUCTION SCENARIO NEWSREEL LABORATORY A. C. T. EMPLOYMENT BUREAU (Licensed Annually by the L.C.C.) A SERVICE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CINE-TECHNICIANS, 30 Piccadilly Mansions, London, W.I 'Phone: GERRARD 2M66