The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

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i:;.s CINE TECHN 1CI AN September 1956 News from the French Labs (^OPIES, recently received, of the ■* bulletin issued by the Joinvillele-Pont Laboratory Branch (comprising G.T.C. and Technicolor) of the French Union (S. G.T.I. F.) contain several items of interest to our own members. The May/June issue, reporting the speech of their delegate to the Conference of The National Entertainment Workers' Federation, quotes his tribute to the part played in the winning of a recent strike by " the solidarity of the British lab workers who, alerted by our Union, had refused to carry out any work that might have been sent from G.T.C. during the strike". The same issue records that, since the Management had apparently taken no steps to organise a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Pathe Labs at Joinville, the Shop Committee of G.T.C. (a joint Gaumont-Pathe enterprise) had done so themselves, together with the Paris Film Sports Association. Proceeds go to help the lab's workers and pensioners. Salary Campaign In the August issue is an article on a current campaign for salary increases in the labs. A demand for a flat increase of 50 francs (about a shilling) an hour was rejected outright by the employers, with a request for an alternative proposition. The Union thereupon demanded an all-round increase of 15%, equal to the rise in the cost of living since October, 1955. The Employers had undertaken to study this in the light of their financial situation, but so far had given only an evasive reply. The bulletin calls on all labs and studios to discuss what action can be taken, if this attitude persists, in the pursuit of their first claims. A further article chats on the trade union situation in the Technicolor plant, where a so-called " independent " union had been set up. The S.G.T.I.F. branch decided a year ago to put a stop to all wrangling and to rely on time proving to the members of this " independent " body the need for trade union unity. This policy is proving successful and a great measure of unity in action has been achieved. The Technicolor workers BOOK REVIEWS " Hi-Fi Loudspeakers and Enclosures," by Abraham B. Cohen. Published by Chapman & Hall. 360 pages. Price: 37/6. The dust-cover of this book reads, " The aim of this book is to answer all the questions of the hi-fi enthusiast and audio technician that pertain to high fidelity loudspeakers and enclosures." The text, which is very well illustrated by many photographs and diagrams, is marred by the over-use of slang terms; also many of the component parts of the high-fidelity systems described are unavailable to enthusiasts in this country. The complete lack of mathematics and formulae will commend this work to the layman but, by the same token, this lack will relegate the contents to the level of an over-simplified commentary to the technician and advanced audio-hobbyist. This book is recommended as a stepping-stone into gave splendid support to their brothers at G.T.C. during a two weeks' strike against redundancy last January. However, it is still proving difficult to organise a strong S.G.T.I.F. branch in the plant mainly because of the tremendous turnover of labour. It has even been estimated that the number of people taken on during the last year who have stayed only a few days or weeks is about 5 or 6 times the present total labour force of nearly 300. While accepting this figure with reserve, the bulletin agrees with the broad picture and adds that their own difficulties are nothing to those of the management trying to run a lab with a constantly changing and unqualified staff. It points out further that the staff themselves cannot possibly be held responsible for tinsituation, which was bound to arise from the policy of excluding qualified workers on the pretext that literally " they were too demanding " a policy denounced at the time by the Union. The Union's job, the bulletin concludes, is to look after the workers' interests and to convince them of the strength which trade union organisation will give them. the mystic rites of the Hi-Fi fetish; but not as a text-book in the accepted sense of the term. M.B. Kemp's Commercial Guides Ltd. have now published the first edition of their new " Kemp's Short and Specialized Film and Independent TV Directory ". We are grateful to them, quite apart from the fact that they, like " The Times ", seem to be one of the very few publishers who know how to spell words ending in " ize " correctly. The new directory contains more than seventy-five classifications, including advertising agents, producers, equipment agents and services, hire facilities, music and film libraries, etc. The work is remarkably comprehensive, though there are, of course, omissions. In particular one notices that, under the heading " Trade and Professional Associations ", no mention is made of The Guild of Television Producers and Directors. One also feels that a list of freelance television directors would be useful; but these lacunae are inevitable in the first edition of a new publication of this sort and, as it stands, it is a most valuable addition to the library of anyone engaged in the short film and TV field. D.D. The 9th Edition of the American Cinematographer Handbook and Reference Guide contains the latest information and charts on colour and wide screen methods of shooting motion pictures. Articles on television image recording, latensification, photographing motion pictures for television release, and the make-up charts for black-andwhite and colour, make the " Jackson Rose " as necessary to the modern cameraman as his panglass and exposure meter. O.H. OIK COVER COVER STILL is "i Burmese actress Win Mm Than In England to work in her first film Th< Purplt Plain.