The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

December, 1953 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN 161 A.C.T. Technical Lectures FOLLOWING Tom Stobart's highly successful filmdiscussion on CONQUEST OF EVEREST, A.C.T. Technical Committee had another full house for the second of their lectures. The lecturer was M. Alexandrov, the Soviet film director. Extracts from GLINKA, MEETING ON THE ELBE and VOLGA VOLGA were shown, and a keen discussion followed. M. Alexandrov was questioned about film and film technicians in the Soviet film industry. Soviet colour-process used in GLINKA was described by M. Alexandrov as similar to Agfacolour, but more sensitive. There was no problem about having to use intense lighting, the lighting being almost the same as for black-and-white. The same type of camera was used for colour and for black-and-white. It would take five or six months to make a film like GLINKA, and crews, exclusive of construction and rigging workers, would number from fifteen to twenty. Answering another question, M. Alexandrov said a floor shooting sound crew would consist of chief sound operator (mixer), recordist and two microphone assistants. Budgets ranged from 2,000,000 to 6,000,000 roubles. When technicians are not working, said M. Alexandrov, in reply to another question, they get seventy-five per cent of their pay. " Generally speaking, the way directors are paid is this: I get 5,000 roubles a month as an Honoured Artist of the Republic. When I make a film, I sign a contract which usually works out at something like 75,000 roubles. When the film is shown in the cinemas, writer, cameraman and composer get royalties on the receipts. With a successful film this can amount to quite a large sum." New entrants into the film industry are trained at technical institutes. " At the institute where I am lecturer the course lasts five and a half years. So far, there have never been enough people to fill all requirements." In answer to other questions, M. Alexandrov said: About half the films shown in Russian cinemas are non-Russian. They want more British films, but until recently have been unable to get them. There is no rivalry between T.V. and films. More films are being planned about personal lives and problems. Russian films suffer from a shortage of good script writers. Russia has a well-developed amateur film movement, and an exchange of films with British amateur film makers might be a good idea. The third in the series was given by Raymond Spottiswoode on the subject of " Shooting a 3D Film." A fuller report of this will be given in our next number. Notes from the Labs FILM TECHNICIANS NOTEBOOK— continued. viewing the shot footage on the Moviola. The scenes were " squeezed " out of proportion to the degree that the cutter was unable to select and match scenes with any degree of accuracy. The machine shop developed lucite lens which when placed in front of the Moviola viewing area " unsqueezed " the picture. New lenses had also to be built for the projection-type Moviolas so that they could throw a CinemaScope picture on to a small screen. Changes in projection technique had to accompany the changes in camera and sound technique: anamorphic projection lenses which restore the " squeezed " scene to its original proportions, new magnetic sound heads to accommodate the tripletrack sound system, and installation of new sprockets for registration of the new smaller sprocket holes, and, of course, new curved screens with improved light reflecting capacity. Virtually unaffected by the conversion to CinemaScope was the art department. The interior tent scenes originally designed for conventional photography were not altered at all. In the case of larger sets, the shapes have been changed slightly to conform to the new picture shape. The change in the frame proportion is an advantage to the art department inasmuch as it eliminates the necessity for many of the matte shots that would have been required in the old system. At the Annual General Meeting of the British Standards Institution held on the 29th October, Sir Roger Duncalfe was elected President to succeed Viscount Waverley on the termination of his threeyear term of office. Sir Roger Duncalfe has been closely identified with standards work and the B.S.I, for more than twenty years. PATHE LAB (WARDOUR STREET) a wellattended October branch meeting. The new Laboratory Agreement was discussed fully, the branch promising full support to the negotiators. Ronnie Spillane is to run the campaign committee. We recently lost two staunch members of the branch, Mrs. Griffiths and Jimmy Frost. Replacement of staff, said the Pathe Management, caused by one of our members returning from the Forces, meant that one had to go. The unfortunate one turned out to be Mrs. Griffiths. The Branch did everything possible in the circumstances and finally asked the company to grant her two weeks' salary as compensation. The company could not see their way clear to be at all generous and refused. However, not to be entirely outdone, the Girls and Boys made a collection for a present to Mrs. Griffiths, who is to be congratulated for the fine way in which she took this very unpleasant incident. She is at present working outside the industry. We wish her good luck and a speedy return to the ranks of A.C.T. Jimmy Frost was the one to give notice this time, leaving us to take a job as R.A.F. projectionist. Jimmy will be missed here for his enthusiasm in running our football section. This season we have amalgamated with Humphries Labs and play as a mixed side. Our thanks are due to the Humphries lads for letting us share with them their ground and kit. Separate teams were entered for the Kine Cup, Pathe being drawn against Kodak at Harrow. Our boys, although turning out a scratch side in borrowed togs, gave a good account of themselves, unfortunately losing by the odd goal in three. (Turn to page 163, col. 2)