The Cine Technician (1939)

1<)3 T 1 1 J': C I X K T E C H N J C I A X March-April, 1 '.•:..« projected, is beyond doubt, but colour for colour's sake is useless and worse than useless. Applied as it often lias been it mars a good Him, liecause instead oi being used to give a sense oi greater realit\ to the subject oi the film it has been applied in Such a w av as to call attention In itself. dust as artists should lose their personality in the personalities oi their characters the\ represent, and as music should be used to create a background or atmosphere lor the film, so colour should be used to emphasise and give additional realitv and additional beauty — it must not distract attention. Audiences should be almost unaware of its presence. So long as colour means < 1 1 1 1 \ vivid \c<\, blue, green and orange, and so long as it dominates the whole scene, and 30 long as subjects are chosen because they are suitable for adaption to the colour medium, so long will it be valueless, or almost so. in the eyes of the audiences, and therefore also in the eyes of exhibitors. Once studios learn to apply it artistically, and realise the proper place for and the proper use of colour, and subdue some of its violent contrasts and vivid hues — apply it more as tinting and toning, well applied in the past to form a pleasant background, it will be recognised as a valuable subsidiary .and applauded as a further advance and refinement oi t he cinematic art . ARTHUR DENT, Managing Director of Wardour Films, opposes 100 per cent colour programmes 'The bland geniality oi Arthur Dent is difficult to resist. lie has the power of taking you into his confidence and then surprising you by saying: "You can quote me as saying so." Accordingly I will quote him — and I'll surprise you. "What can 1 sa\ about colour films that hasn't been said already'.1 The novelty, the embellishment, the added attraction".' Maybe, j don't quarrel with that. But I will go on record as saying that from the public's point of view 1 don't honestly believe there is aii iota of difference between the colour film of to-dav and the colour film of twenty years ago. Technical advanci — yes. Bui do you remember the old Pathe colour pictures, where thej used to stencil the negatives b\ a laborious hand process'.1 Well, I challenge anybody to prove that by th, test of populai appeal the colour film to-day is anywhere ahead of that standard." lie talked of the possible eye-strain, but didn't make a greal point of it. "1 feel it myself," he said, "more when I come ouf of the cinema than during the run of tin1 film. Mv eyes are tired. The black and white film concentrates your attention on the action. The cameraman lights it to show you what the director wants you to see. and you watch the pla\ of emotions, whatever thev max be. because there is nothing to distract your attention. Not so with colour. With the movement of the action there is the changing of the dispositions of the colours, and don't tell me you aren't supposed to be watching the colours ! II the producer didn't want you to see the colour he'd make it in black and white it would cost him less anyway. "Thev say the time is coming when all films will be in colour. They've said that for a long time. I'm afraid no. I hope that they'll sav it for a long time yet. The public pays to hear a story, to see the progress of the drama in the changing expressions on the laces of the can wel inui vita w it] the he I feat cart artist'-. I have still to see a colour picture which bring out that sense ol the dramatic in thi as it can be done in monochrome. Colour at the neiit takes something away. The lace is lacking in lity. Although occasional pictures — particularly tl i spectacle — will have considerable appeal, I am opinion that, il the time cine, when all pictures will n colour, it will he to the detriment of the industry. These remarks, of course, refer to the full length no films and not to the short. It is possible that "'/ oon film might si ion be in colour. " ADRIAN BRUNEL, director, scenarist and author, holds colour is England's greatest opportunity An\ opinion 1 ma\ have on colour cinematography can only he academic, for I see little prospect of our being able to afford tin luxun in the British film producing of the future. B\ the time colour is the rule and not the exception, most of us who are now invited to discuss the question, will be out of the business After this prelude of pessimism, J will tr\ and assume a courageous and patriotic pose and declare that colour is England's great opportunity. It might well be it we were to call in the aid of our best painters and scenic artists, lor at least we have a finer selection to draw upon t han t he\ have in America. The crudeness and lack of understanding of the dramatic applicati f colour in most colour films to date is no argument against colour in cinematography. So far tie superior dramatic treatment of light and shade in black and white photography has only shown us the faults of colour. There have been notable exceptions in colour films, such as — "La Cucaracha." some advertis shorts, often an exterior travel film or a Walt Disney, and occasional sequences (usually exterior) in films such as Ramona. " In brief, m\ recommendations are to work in cooperation with painters and to divide colour films into two idasses — quiet and colourful. The quiet colour films should be based on our present technique of black and whitt — monochrome in tendency with an occasional dramatic break-away to a spot of high colour — and the colourful films could he in the manner ol a stage revue by Messel < [■ a painting by a modern Spanish artist. OSCAR DEUTSCH, Odeon circuit chief, talks on colour films of the future The question of colour cinematography, which has occupied the attention ol scientists and technicians the whole world over tor so long, is one in which 1 am deeply interested. From the entertainment point of view, results which have been obtained in the past have, in the main, heen reasonably attractive, ami in some instances outstandingly so. hut the extensive research which has been going on. particularly during the last twelve months, has effected an improvement which gives heart to those like myseh who have great confidence in this new medium for the enhancement ol cinematograph entertainment. Studio technique and camera-craft have combined to from an art, which, in these modern days, gives us dramatic, musical and pictorial entertainment of such excellence,