The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

82 The Journal of the Association of CineTechnicians Dec, 1936-Jan., 193; By the way, has it ever struck you that there is only one standard by which a British Colour Cartoon is judged ? — the American Cartoon ! — which spells practically unlimited production costs which are probably covered before their cartoons even enter this country ! Secondly, an already established home on the British screen, advance bookings months ahead, and low rental charges for "Super" productions which forces the British animator to try and make a competitive Cartoon for as many hundreds as our cousins are spending thousands ! ! It's a tough proposition, isn't it ? Anson Oyer. IMPROVED SOUND EQUIPMENT It seems a generally accepted fact that recording must improve as time goes on ! And hence the industry is apt to overlook the actual advances that have been made in the past few years, more especially in 1936, for technical progress has enabled sound to be a major component of the industry. The unfortunate bugbear of microphone manipulation has been very considerably reduced in the Western Electric System by the introduction of their non-directional microphone, and the remarkable pick-up obtained from what were previously considered "impossible mic. positions" facilitates freedom in direction and lighting. Further researches, using ultra violet light exposure, have enabled R.C.A. to market a new recording system which has gained the highest praise from technical and musical expert alike. This year, too, has seen tremendous improvement in portable recording equipment so that "sound" can now join camera on all its missions and contribute its share to the authenticity of the modern film. To these improvements the laboratories have responded by installing the latest equipment available, and the new sound track printer, recently developed, completes a chain of apparatus which, together with many minor improvements in studio, laboratory and cinema, is indicative of the trend of "sound" achievements. In the studio, the latest "technique" seems a tendency towards less dialogue and fewer longshots with dialogue, which, together make for swifter and smoother editing, thus aiding the illusion of the screen. The advancement of sound is a fact — is it not also a measure of the progress of the whole film industry ? Eric Williams. DEAR CINE-TECHNICIANS I don't envy you chaps. You are continually the butt for some wise guy of a so-called producer who is trying to put something over. Take for instance all this yap-yap about colour. It is the film industry's worst stunt to-day because the fans definitely show no signs of wanting blue skies looking like an advert for Reckitt's Blue or trees of the colour that nature never designed. I recently had a heart-to-heart talk with Jock Whitney, who, or rather whose money, was responsible for "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine." My chat with Jock happened before the film arrived over here. He tried very hard to make me go colour-conscious. I told him frankly that I was quite pleased with my celluloid fare being black and white. And I also told him that I thought most of my two million readers (The Empire News) were. But Jock said, or rather persisted, that I wait and see. I did. And was there any sensation about "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" ? At the time of writing this the general release of the film is on. I have not seen one mention in the advertising of this film to the effect it is coloured. No, boys, I do not think you need to worry your heads over the future of colour so far as the fans are concerned. Writing week in, week out, for a big circulation, I know their reaction to these colour attempts. There is no demand whatever. The black and white still goes. And that goes for Reg. Mortimer, too. Good luck, lads. Reg. Mortimer. A MEMORABLE YEAR. From the laboratory standpoint, 1936 has been a memorable year. We have become for the first time a part, and an increasingly active one, of A.C.T. This Association has always made provision in its rules for the admission of lab. workers, but not until this year have they taken advantage of the fact that the machinery for the organisation of its workers was there waiting to be used. The lab. section has risen from numerical insignificance until to-day it represents more than 25 "^ of the complete membership of A.C.T. Several important labs, are already 100% solid for the Association. Technically the year has been interesting. The great new Denham Film Laboratories are now completely equipped, and, by the time this appears in print, should be in full production. Completely new types of developing and printing machines have been installed. The former, designed in Paris by M. Debrie, are novel, in that all operations are carried out in daylight, so that dark-room work for developing macliine operators is abolished. The STILLi From "HEAD OVER HEELS," a Gaumont-British {CURTIS Picture with Jessie Matthews, directed bySonnie Hale. -*t#«*K*--