The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

Feb. -March, 1937 The Joitrnal of the Association of Cine-Technicians 127 had to work on the despised "quota" picture. If the new Act is to lead to a millenium in which quota pictures are good pictures, why not ensure that it is still the British technicians who make them ? I have referred already to the view of the K.R.S. that the renters' quota obligation should be reduced, with the implied result of a few expensive and worth-while British pictures each year. They feel that an increase in the number of British pictures made would, from any point of view, be calamitous, although they agree that "the poor quality of many of the pictures acquired for quota, in order to comply with the letter of the Act, has done a great deal of harm to the standing and prestige of British pictures." They view with consternation the prospect of fifty or si.xty good quality quota pictures being produced in this country, because "the result on the fortunes of the native British producers would be serious, owing to the greatly increased quantity of pictures they would find competing with them in the British market." The Report suggests that the Quota Committee were not impressed with these arguments. It was urged that some American firms tried hard to make good films but lost so much money without getting results that they gave up the struggle in the early Quota years. But they are now prepared, they say, to spend the same amount of money on a third as many pictures. Now to do this requires the creation of an efficient production organisation, which, according to their guarantee, they would be prepared to do. But if they are prepared to do so now, why did they not do so before ? And if, as they say, conditions made it impossible in the past to create such an organisation, how is it that conditions have improved so much over a period KANDEM BritishtAade STUDIO LIGHTS FOR BRITISH FILMS A complete range of Silent Arcs up \o 300 amperes and Incandescent-s up to 10 k.w. are available for Hire and Purchase 150 Ampere Arc Spot. USED IN ALL THE LEADING BRITISH AND EMPIRE STUDIOS KANDEM ELECTRICAL Ltd. 769 FULHAM ROAD LONDON, S.W.6 KANDEM Phone : FULHAM 2387/9 Works : PARSONS GREEN, S.W.6 in which quota obligations, on their own showing, were crippling them ? If conditions have improved, it is surely partly due to the increased skill of British technicians, gained despite having for the most part to work on cheap and bad Quota pictures. Technicians will consequently resent Mr. Maxwell's ungenerous remarks before the Committee on the salaries paid to them. Mr. Maxwell said that the development of the industry "is handicapped by extortionate wages throughout the whole of the industry. I used to pay a cameraman £12 per week, and now I cannot get one under £40 — £50 a week. Some of them get £100 a week." I wonder how many British cameramen at Elstree find £40 — £50 in their envelope each week ? Mr. Maxwell is probably the shrewdest of our film producers, as the following figures of his Associated British Picture Corporation testify : — Yeci)'. Dividend. 1934 6% 1935 10% 1936 12i% I think he is shrewd enough to realise that dissatisfied technicians don't make the best units. To regret also the implications of this passage from his evidence before the Committee : — Mr. Ma.xicell : "I do not mean sound recordists, cameramen and other mechanical workers." Mr. Cameron: " No, I mean the brains." Mr. Maxxi'ell: "Creative brains." because he surely cannot mean that sound, photography, editing, art-direction, and make-up create nothing in a film ? THE CROWN THEATRE PROVIDES STUDIO PROJECTION SERVICE AT ANY TIME TO SUIT YOUR CONVENIENCE. TWO DOUBLE-HEADS, n FULL RANGE SOUND, d d MIXING PANELS FOR TRACKS, n n n SEATING FOR 100 PERSONS, d odd 86 WARDOUR ST., LONDON, w.i Telephone Gerrard 5223