The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 394 The Educational Screen AUDIOFILM STUDIO PRIZE MOVIE-IDEA CONTEST you may win $50*^^ JUblklty For the Film Outline se/ecfed by our Production Staff A K|Y mefnber of the teaching profession may enter their outline for a movie to be pro- duced by Audiofilm Studio for school showing CMD I C^T curricular or non-curricular in sub- I stance. It will be judged on wide appeal, long term value, originality and production feasibility. Rules: ■ Give a DETAILED OUTLINE of a mov!e you would like most to see made for the school screen. It may become a reality. B Only one will be selected from this contest. You may send more than one idea. Address; 1614 Washinqton Street Vancouver, Washington NEW 1944 CATALOG Now Ready! Thousands of 16mm Sound Films. Send postcard for your copy. SWANK MOTION PICTURES 614 No. Skinker St. Louis 5. Mo. using by the dejiartment, some professionally made titles were ordered and inserted. "The filming was planned by the class during study of the topic and filmed mostly in class time when, at the end of each week, we decided we were up to schedule and could spare the time. Cutting and splic- ing came much later and in fact, were finished during the last days of the term. At the end, the class mem- bers were called together to view with pride their breaking into the movies." QUESTION BOX ON SCHOOL FILM PRODUCTION Question: What is the cost of adding sound to 16mm film? What is the recommended proced- ure? Can a sound track be added to film originally photographed with titles for use as a silent motion picture? Is this a feasible undertaking under to- day's circumstances? Answer: Two questions concerning the production of sound films have appeared here before, relative to the cost and the transfer of music and commentary from discs to films. These were answered by Godfrey Elliott in the December, 1941 and February, 1942, issues, respectively. Mr. Elliott pointed out that the cost might range from $65 to $700 per reel, but that "recording of a fairly good quality can be obtained for $75—$150 per reel, including the final combined print." Since that time, the present writer has had some experience in producing a one reel 16mm. sound film. The itemized summary of expenses involved may be helpful here for although the work referred to was completed early in 1942, costs today are about the same: (1) For Making Silent Picture Negative : Film $89.07 Laboratory fees—special effects 15.67 Printing of titles 10.00 Miscellaneous 5.80 Total $120.54 (2) For Adding Sound and Making Print: Use of studio facilities for recording sound track $50.00 1 roll 3Smm sound recording stock 11.00 1 16" acetate playback record (test recording) 2.00 Developing 35mm. sound track, 992 feet at .015c 14.88 Synchronization test, 140 feet at .045c 6.30 1 16mm. fine grain dupe negative, 337 feet at .06c .20.22 1 16mm. combined reduction fine grain print from 16mm. picture negative and 35mm. sound track, 390 feet at .045c 17.55 Total $121.95 (3) Complete cost $242.49 The technical quality of this film is very good. It will be noted that there is no item for "narrator" since a non-profes- sional (the writer) took care of this. It is freely admitted that the voice quality would have been better if a professional had been engaged, but for the purpose of most school films, there is some question as to whether the results would justify the in- creased cost, assuming that a reasonably good voice and diction are otherwise available—a question each producer must decide for himself. Inquiries as to narrator's fees should be made directly to the studio with whom business is to be done. (Names of studios will be furnished on request.) For suggestions on procedure, we repeat reference to an article by Godfrey Elliott in Home Movies for September, 1941. The problem is also discussed, though briefly, in Producing School Movies, by Child and Finch. The Bureau of Edu- cational Research of the Ohio State University has sponsored some conferences on the production of school films, for which the Proceedings are available. .\ brief account of the pro- duction of The Children, the film whose costs are analyzed above, appear in the June, 1942, issue of The Nezv Haven (Connecticut) Teachers Journal, containing an explanation of the use of a special recording of introductory and closing music by the local high school orchestra, which was transferred to the film sound track when the commentary was recorded. The commentary itself was directly recorded at the studio. In fact, in any film where the narration must be cued to the pic- ture, direct recording is essential; at least, we know of no case where an attempt to transfer the narration to the film through the intermediary device of a disc recording has been successful; we have seen some in which the attempt to do so failed. Where precise timing is not important, however, the use of discs might be satisfactory, although there is certain to be some loss in tonal quality. If you are within reasonable range of a good studio, by all means go to the laboratory. A sound track can be added to any film, but since in pro- jection sound film runs at 24 frames-per-second, action photo- graphed at the silent rate of 16 frames-per-second will be accel- erated to a degree which would destroy the value of most types of action scenes. In some special instances this might not be significant. An obvious way to check this would be to run off the silent film under consideration in a sound projector at 24 frames-per-second. You mention titles, and this suggests some possible re-editing, at least to the point of deleting most, pre- ferably all, of the expository titles, for the commentary should supplant the written word. Many laboratories have been swamped with work connected with various wartime programs, but at present the pressure on some of them appears to be lessening, as is demand on raw film stock. The question of feasibility depends upon these two factors. If your studio can take care of you, there is no reason for not going ahead with your plans, but check with the lab- oratory first, and make an appointment for the recording as far in advance as possible. Allow plenty of time for rehearsing the narration and musical background before appearing to make the recording, for "cueing in" a sound track is a most exacting undertaking.