The Cine Technician (1939)

June-July, 1937 T HE ('IN E T E CHNICIAN IM Hollywood Letter Leigh Aman, A.C.T. member, is on a visit to Hollywood and will contribute regularly to the "Cine-Technician" during his stay. There follow his first impressions. IT is difficult to form any conclusions about a vast industry, having only studied it for so short a time. So here I shall only give a few isolated impressions. First, a few words about the city itself. It is claimed that Los Angeles has the largest area of any city in the world. I can almost believe this. The distances are amazing and the studios are much further apart than are the London ones. However, no one seems to notice the distances, for of course everybody has a car. As far as position goes, Los Angeles is an ideal centre for picture making. Within two or three hours' motor run there is every type of climate and every type of countryside one could wish for, as well as the ocean on the other side. My first visit was to the Warner Brothers studios at Burbank. These vast studios have 22 stages and usually keep six or seven pictures running concurrently. This means that there is always plenty of floor space and thus there are no delays moving from set to set. There are many other reasons why an excess of floor space is an economy in the long run. Some of the big sets, costing many thousands of dollars and known to be wanted in future productions, are left standing and the initial cost is divided between each production using the set. An example of this is the pirate ship set from "Captain Blood," which is still standing and is to be used for two future productions. While I am on the subject of sets, I should like to mention the "lots." These are really amazing. There is absolutely every set which could ever be wanted. Of course these have been built up gradually over many years, but when they were built, they were all built to last and not fall to pieces in a week. The perfect climate helps this, as there is very little heavy weather, and when the rain does come, they know when to expect it. Economy is not always in order. Quite recently a major studio changed from Western Electric to R.C.A. sound. Rather than let any of the Western equipment go out second-hand, every bit was smashed with a sledge hammer ! If you want to know what that cost ask Mr. Watkins. Of the technicians I have met so far, the impression one cannot miss is that of enthusiasm. Everyone on the unit, right down to the call-boy, is equally enthusiastic about the picture in production. The heads of departments take a pride in showing what their department is capable of producing. At Warners, for instance, the "prop box" on the set is a whole truck, which contains not only what is called for in the script, but everything that could ever be wanted on any picture. And all neatly packed away in a special place which is card indexed to facilitate its finding. Every minute counts might be a slogan. It is a very rare thing to have to send for anything to the property room. The effects and miniatures are departments in which Hollywood excels. Nothing is impossible for them and the more difficult or intricate a problem is the better pleased they are. It would be quite impossible to describe a miniature I saw at the United Artists studios. Nearly a whole stage was taken up by a vast panorama of New York roofs for the opening shot {Continued at foot of preceding page) CAMERAMAN AVAILABLE THE FLEET CONSISTS OF 1 EIGHT NEW & COMPLETELY UP-TO-DATE Newman Sinclair CAMERAS SHAW JONES' DAY AND NIGHT CAMERA HIRE SERVICE EACH Equipment has at least 4 Magazines ; *— Tripod ; Viewfinder Corrected for Parallax ; a selection of Lenses ranging from I I in. to 17 in.; usual Filters; Filter and Gauze Holders; Leather Carrying Cases ; etc. COME also include Reflex Finders; Loading Bags; ^ Polar Screens ; Court Treat Release ; and Wet Weather Canvas Covers. 49 Greek St., London, W.I 'Phone: GER. 6716. Day and Night.