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Dec, 1 936J an., iq:
The Journal of the Association of Cine-Technicians
109
A.C.T, Reply
David Cunynghame has raised certain important issues on the question of foreigners in British studios.
In the A.C.T. memorandum to the Ministry of Labour definite statements were made with reference to the actual employment of foreigners in British studios, their "ace" qualifications, and so on. Mr. Cunynghame attempts to prove that none of these statements refer to Denham. Frankly, some of them do and, of course, some of them don't. Where Denham was concerned nothing has been written to alter our viewpoint. One point does, however, need clearing up.
A.C.T. Membership
The Association of Cine-Technicians caters only for film technicians and where, for example, we refer to "departments" at a studio, we only mean those which are represented in A.C.T., that is camera, sound, stills, art, editing and cutting, scenario, floor and production (assistant direction and continuity) and laboratory.
We do not claim to represent the "hourly," clerical or administrative staff (other organisations such as the N.A.T.E. and E.T.U. do this), and, as far as we are concerned, they do not enter into our discussion.
Mr. Cunynghame has made the following points : —
1. He states that his company "places British labour under contract and sends it to Hollywood so as to ensure the use of the latest technical developments."
I do not know to which class of labour Mr. Cunynghame refers, but nothing would please the A.C.T. more if only his company could extend similar facilities to its technicians. One of our main complaints is that while foreigners can come to England, British technicians are unable to work abroad.
Is it too much to suggest, in view of Mr. Cunynghame's statement, that Denham make some sort of reciprocal arrangement with its Hollywood and Continental contracts whereby for every technician brought to Denham, a British technician should be granted the opportunity to work in the foreign technician's country. Such a policy would be mutually beneficial and would remedy one of our big grievances.
2. He claims, quite rightly, that foreign assistance has been valuable in the recent great advance of the British Film Industry ; but we must not blind ourselves through this fact. Because certain foreign "aces" have undoubtedly helped us, it does not follow that they should remain in this country once their usefulness has been served. Further, there is a tendency to worship every foreign technician as an "ace." There is too big a tendency to regard "foreign" and "ace" as synonymous terms. A.C.T. 's claim is that far from all the foreign technicians working in the British Film Industry are "aces."
Mr. Cunynghame, I know, will agree that the main viewpoint in which to regard the value of film production in this country to British industry, is the amount of benefit it brings to British people.
As technicians we were, for example, greatly perturbed last May when there were 150 members of this association unemployed and over 100 foreign technicians working in the Industry. After making allowance for the experts wanted in their own countries, I feel sure that Mr. Cunyng
\Continued on page 111).
JUST PUBLISHED.
COLOUR CINEMATOGRAPHY
By
MADOR ADRIAN BERNARD KLEIN,
M.B.E., A.R.P.S.,
Technical Director of Gasporcolour Ltd.
This is probably the first book dealing exclusively with colour cinematography, and it should till a long-felt gap in the literature of photogiaphy in the past the enquirer having been much hampered by the necessity of consulting numberless technical journals, obscure periodicals, or chapters in rare books. Moreover, in view o! the misconceptions which are all too common among those in the industiy, it has become quite an urgent matter that a book containing the required information should be made available without further delay.
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