The Cine Technician (1939)

Dec. -Jan., 1937-8 T H E C I N E-T ECHN1 C 1 A \ [84 was '"The Catch of the Season," being the birth, life and death of a trout, and containing very fine microscopic and scenic photography. A monochrome amateur film, "Bhil Wedding," was a 9.5 mm. documentary taken by S. Jepson in India. Most interesting and made the audience realise what fine photography and projection can be obtained with this small gauge film. M. Natan's 16 mm. "North Kensington Nursery School" contained some remarkable studies of small children and told the story very well; his "Sunday in Chartres," filmed in one day with Kodacolor was a very hue piece of work. The interior of the old Cathedral was shown by means of a series of shots showing the stained glass windows that were really beautiful; the tempo was very goal, starting slowly with the people gossiping and going to church in the morning, and quickening in the afternoon as the people go to a typical French Fair. If only we could get this type of film in 3~> mm. that they could print. Another fine amateur colour epic was '"Birds of the Reeds," taken by J. Chear, a Civil Servant, on a little stream at Welwyn. J. Chear is a quiet fellow who declares he is too nervous to film people, but in the nooks and crannies he waits for hours to shoot these delightful colour studies of bird life. Going back to black and white, we had a 16 mm. plaque-winning film by D. J. Carnegie — "Kenya Farm"a documentary with speed, showing all phases of life on the farm. Photography was very good, camera angles and effects quite up to professional standards. Of course, one misses sound, but these efforts should be viewed by professionals as they show to what high standards the amateurs have risen. By the way, what a change Dr. Spencer has brought about in the R.P.S. His spirit is reflected in the whole of the Kinematograph Section, who were bubbling over in their very successful endeavours to make this exhibition so attractive. Fine stills by the studios; modern lighting equipment by Mole-ltiehardson and Beards; cameras by Newman and Vinten ; and a galaxy of sub-standard equipment, were there to delight the heart of the photographer. Jolly good show. "Medicine To-day and To-morrow" In the above-named journal. Dr. D. S. Greig. Ml)., tells the story of the production of the Bcrmondse\ Borough Council's health films. Dr. D. M. Connan, Medical Officer of Health in 1923, with only still photographic experience and aided by assistants from his department, prepared a series of silent films. The work and preparation of scenario, shooting and cutting was in the hands of these amateurs, processing only being in the hands of a professional firm. 1924 saw his first masterpiece — "Where There's Life There's Soap," received with great popularity. Simple in form, direct, and sometimes brutal in statement, it was designed for use in schools for children of all ages. Dr. Connan composed snappy doggeral verses on soap such as "The skin contains a million drains, And you must keep them clean For dirt will choke a drain As from this picture can be seen." A couplet or verse is thrown on the screen. The children gaily sing the verse, and it is then illustrated by a section of film, and the whole soap and dirt epicgoes through, finishing with shots of Bermondsey's special bathing facilities. To-day, Dr. Connan tuns a film unit with studio at the Town Hall and uses musical backgrounds and synchronised eommentries prepared on discs. Fourteen films are in his library and two films are added each year, and colour films of great beauty illustrate the Borough's growing amenities. Their latest production. "Some Activities of the Bermondsey Borough Council" is a superb document ot civic education. This just shows what can be done. These films are available in 35 mm. and 16 mm. nonflani stock, and four afternoons a week Health Officers give school shows. From April to October Bermondsey's projector van rolls into position in the streets and the show is on. Humour, slapstick, and belly-laughs are used in the films. "The Tale of Two Titties"— the storj of a clean and a dirty teat — might disgust the West End premiere, but it brings mirth to the market stalls and consolidates its point in health culture. Congratulations to the Air Pilots' Association It is with great pleasure that I hear that a Parliamentary Committee will he set mi to investigate the grievances, etc. in connection with the staff matters and organisation of Imperial Airways. These tough-hearted lads have had a very poor break and as 1 personally helped in a small waj m the formation of this Association, during the air-strike at Croydon while filming there, I am pleased to hear that their grievances are likely to he remedied. It is time that industrial dictators learned that in a democratic country they must meet to consider representations of employees' conditions placed before them by their duly appointed representatives. SUB-STANDARD THE ACT. GENERAL COUNCIL has recently reviewed the question of sub-standard work and in particular the way in which amateur einematographers appear to have encroached on what has hitherto been regarded as the legitimate field of the technician. There is at the moment a considerable mooting of panels of amateurs who will be prepared for the cost of film alone to cover in sub-standard local news events, advertising shorts, and documentaries. A.C.T. has also a "panel." an unemployment figure of over two hundred technicians, many of whom are equipped and willing to undertake such work, not for the cost of film but for proper payment in return for service of professional merit, since with all due respect to the amateur it cannot be expected that he can turn out the finished article in anything approaching the quality that is the normal standard of the professional technician. It has never been the practice of studio workers io do else than admire the keenness of the amateur clubs whilst they confined themselves to fictional subjects and indeed many clubs include A.C.T. members in their ranks. But when the amateur oversteps the boundary and attempts to embrace work of professional scope, then a protest must he made. This trespassing on cinematographic preserves is not a conscious one hut rather is due to a superabundance ot somewhat misplaced zeal, result (Coiiti)iucd on page 192)