The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

Aug-. -Oct., 1936 The Joitrnal of the Association of CineTechnicians 49 Passing of a Pioneer WILL DAY, F.R.P.S., F.R.S.A. Born London 1873, died London July 16th, 1936. Taught Lantern Projection by his father at nine years of age. Founded Tyler Apparatus Co., Ltd. Director and General Manager Juky's Kine Supplies Ltd. Founded in 1913 Will Day Ltd. Film Historian and responsible for the Day Collection noie in Science Museum, South Kensington. Photogi'aph by courtasij of " The Cinctna." And so our only Trade historian has passed over, and we are left without a recorder. \'on Schelegel told us that the historian is a prophet witli liis face turned backwards. Those who knew Will Day best can \ouch for the prophetic fire and zeal he devoted to Film history and its lessons. No one was more conscious of the infinite potentialities of the moving picture. Your historian is pictured as a dry-as-dust fellow, coldly scientific in his collation of tacts, but our beloved Will had never lost that prophetic virtue of always seeing sights and wonders. He was the eternal boy with his sense of wonder undimmed. One memory still remains with me — Will Day showing an enraptured audience at the Polytechnic the first Lumiere machine that gave birth to moving pictures on this side. To that audience the simple boyish enthusiasm which he injected into its story was so infectious that it became a new wonder and an authentic thrill. In the true sense Day was a superb showman, because he had never lost his enthusiasm noj his endless sense of curiosity. So dynamic was his platform personality that he once held a Photographic Society's audience spellbound for three hours. A pioneer himself, it was in 1899 he began to show moving pictures. His father was a magic lantern expert, so cinematography was in the line of succession. For Friese-Greene he always stood sponsor, and it was in his darkest days that the British inventor of cinematography looked to Will Day for the help that was unfailing and loyally given. How far his passion for historical research led him away from the more lucrative side of his business will never be known. But judging by a casual acquaintance with the immense sum he expended on the Will Day Collection, it must have been a long way. Three years ago he had announced a forthcoming work, "25,000 Years to Trap a Shadow," whicli was to epitomise the invention of pictured movements from pre-historic cave drawings to the latest development of to-daw Years of colossal industry had gone into the work ; thousands of original documents and photographs of historic invention had been collated at enormous expense. It was meant to provide a lasting monument to the Fourth industry. To my mind it will be nothing short of a historic tragecly if that volume is lost to the Industry. But perhaps it is as the technicians' friend he will be best known to members of the A.C.T., having written a wonderful story in our last issue. None gave more lovingly of his stories or knowledge on technical evolution, nor lavished more attention than he did in imparting even the elementary facts to the humblest of our fellows. The brethren salute you, Will Day, as you pass on from the Shadows to the Sun. RoBB Lawson. Script Girl [continued from page 48) a very good opportunity for studying it herself. She also makes out, or assists in making out, the "dope sheets," etc., and generally helps with all preparations for shooting. This is very much pleasanter than having a script presented to her only a couple of days before production starts, and going on the floor with no preliminary work to help her at all. One of the best and most practical ways of doing continuity is to have two girls on the job. The first one to be responsible for the matching, for which she can make her own notes, and to assist the director as much as possible ; the second one to do all the typing of the reports and more routine work. It is a pity this method is not adopted more often in British studios, as it has been tried and proved most successful, and definitely makes it easier for the script girl herself, who is, I think everyone must admit, one of-the most overburdened figures in the film business. The post of script girl is the only one open to women on the actual floor, or production staff of a film unit, and is therefore an extremely popular one. It can also be a extraordinarily pleasant one to hold, provided one remembers to keep one's temper, head, sense of humour, and — most important of all, and a point with which I think most .script girl's will agree — one remembers that a little bluffy discreetly applied, goes a very long way. Letters to M.P.'s. With reference to the recent circular sent out on the subject of foreign technicians, if you wish to write to your particular Member of Parliament about the matter, you may apply to the Secretary for guidance as to the form your letter should take. If you don't know who your M.P. is, the Secretary can tell vou that too.