FilmIndia (1939)

I ILMINDIA December 1939 In the field of photography, the outstanding achievement of the year has been directly due to the increased speed of our new films. Levels of illumination unheard of before are now being used on the sets, resulting in less tiresome work for the actors and increase in artistic and realistic effects. As a result the power of the individual units have been reduced and a larger number of smaller units have now come to be employed. The fresnel type of condenser spots recently put forward by Mole and Richardson have become very popular and it is not unusual to find a good number of such units in almost every studio. The Arc light is still a rare commodity, although a couple of studios have been using them for some time with indifferent results. As far as the equipment is concerned— the French Debrie Super Parve has tremendously increased in popularity and nearly every studio even most of the smaller ones now own at least one. In one major studio in Calcutta there are a battery of such six cameras in operation together with a couple of Mitchells. The next to come in point of popularity are the N. C. Mitchells, several studios having two or more in addition to their Debrie equipment. A few studios own the French Eclair and at least one studio has the latest type. The English Vinten too, has been in use, but the past year has marked a decrease >of its popularity. The moving camera technique has been very popular. While some very excellent dollies have been locally constructed, a few studios own and use the Hollywood Velecilator, and another has the equally if not more efficient Vinten equipment. Cranes are still comparatively rare there being only two in existence in Bombay, both locally constructed, while there are reports of the construction of a third at Calcutta and another at Madras. All considered, pictures of 1939 show a more sympathetic photographic treatment than what had been the practice hitherto. This may probably be due to a general realisation on the part of some of our Directors of the importance of coordinated efforts. It is a good augury for the future and if the practice spreads we may find 1940 giving us infinitely better pictures. Real process work is still rare in our studios and the credit goes to a comparatively small producer who Jayshree in Saraswati's "My Beloved" awaiting release. has been bold enough to establish the nucleus of what may some time be a real process department. The use of projection backgrounds is still not very popular although there are about two regular units working at Calcutta and a similar number in Bombay. Several other studios have improvised apparatus of their own with which some sort of work is carried on, but it is admitted that at present the industry in general requires quite a lot of development in process and specially projection background work. In the field of colour, there has been little or no interest. With the economic failure of Kisan Kanya, in Cine-colour, the first colour picture to be produced and processed in this country, the producers became suspicious, although with Mother India, the second such picture, a little interest revived but it was not enough to be taken seriously. In the south the writers own process, the Polychrome acquired ; some little popularity, but with the general decline in interest it also died a natural death. But the interest in hand tinted scenes with which some of our releases have been shown, is enough evidence that the demand for colour is present, and with the return of more normal times, a revival in the field of colour may be safely expected. But it will have to be good colour. We feel this short resume of our technical activities for the year will not be complete with a reference to the improvements in our exhibition theatres. While most of our theatres upcountry and in the suburbs of the greater towns, still are the worst offenders, nevertheless the high intensity arcs are gradually replacing the older types and more standard sound equipment is taking the place of the rough and ready amplifiers of last year. In the bigger cities the first fun theatres are nearly all invariably fitted with the latest types of projectors, the H.I. Arc lamps and the Western Electric I Microphonic sound. The declaration of War in Europe early in September this year gave the Industry a definite set back and alarmed every producer in this country. With the scarcity of raw materials both in film and chemicals, the future became certainly gloomy, but we are glad to say that this gloom is gradually disappearing and 1940 may be a bigger year in the advancement of the cinema in this country. 26