Film and TV Technician (1957)

90 FILM & TV TECHNICIAN June/July 1957 temporary spirit. And this is what makes exciting, living cinema. In such an atmosphere you realise, as perhaps it is difficult to realise at home, that the panic into " Caberia's Nights " Italy which many of us have been thrown by the encroachments of television is an unreal thing. The cinema can only be "killed" by TV if we have enfeebled it first by starving it of ideas and intelligence and passion; by continuing to rely on " safe " formulae. The British specialised distributor at Cannes who remarked that he saw nothing of commercial interest at the festival except Funny Face is only demonstrating his own lack of showmanship and imagination. The same lesson must be learned by all of us — writers, directors, producers and technicians together. We can unship as many boatloads of starlets as we like on the beaches of Cannes and Venice. But our cinema will be no nearer regaining its lost prestige until we take it seriously ourselves, and bring it up to date. COVER PICTURE COVER STILL is from the Polish film They Loved Life, the story of the 1944 Warsaw Rising. Director : Andrej Wajda. Camera Column VOUR outgoing Committee did a I very good job — all their meetings were very well attended and I think we owe them a vote of thanks. Your new Committee elected at our last Camera A.G.M. are: Chairman, Ted Worringham; ViceChairman, Gerry Moss; Secretary, Harold Payne; Assistant Secretary, Manny Yospa; Feature Representatives: Ron Boakes, Wally Byatt, Phil Chips, Bert Easy, Freddie Ford, Arthur Graham, Bob Huke, Walter Lasselly, Bernie Lewis, Morton Lewis, Jock Mills, Ron Robson. Shorts and Documentaries: Ken Gordon, Lewis McL.od, Alf Hicks (this Committee will co-opt a further five members). Newsreel: Jimmy Gemmell, Bill Hooker, Terry O'Brien, Eddie Smales. You can support your Committee by turning up at all general Camera Section meetings. Crewing The General Council have endorsed our recommendation relating to camera crews not covered by existing agreements as follows : 1. SOUND. — Shooting with their own sound unit; a crew of four — Cameraman, Operator, 1st and 2nd Assistants. 2. sound. — Shooting as extra alongside unit; a crew of three — Cameraman, 1st and 2nd Assistants. 3. silent. — Exterior shooting which does not involve lights, reflectors or artistes, a crew of two — Cameraman and 1st Assistant. 4. All other silent shooting, a crew of three — Cameraman, 1st and 2nd Assistants. Now it's up to you to see that these recommendations are carried out. The Hal Britton Fund A cheque has been presented to Mrs. Hal Britton for £90 8s. 6d. She wishes to thank everybody concerned for the kind thought. Good Work I thought Cameraman Jack Hilyard did a beautiful job on Anastasia. The majority of the public did not know the film was made here, or that it was photographed by an | Englishman. Something should be done about this. I have a suggestion : Why not start a Cameraman's Annual Award for the best colour and black and white photography in the country. We could call it the " Cinette "... or if you have any suggestions, let's hear about them. Commercial TV A formula has been found — give them good quality and use the best technicians. I have just been associated with a series of thirteen 15-minute commercials for the News of the World, which was well received by the clients. Here are the names of the camera crew that worked on the productions : Cameramen: Henry Alekan, Lionel Baines, Desmond Dickinson, Otto Heller, Morton Lewis, Cedric Williams. Operators: John Breen, Cec. Cooney, Denys Coop, Gus Drisse, Harry Gillam, Harold Haysom, Gerry Moss. 1st Assistants: Peter Allwork, Jimmy Devis, Stan Evans, Mark Hyams, Gerry Lewis, Keith Nielsen, Les Paul, Reg Selley, Monty Tomlinson, Brian West, Paul Wilson, Manny Wynn. 2nd Assistants: Ronnie Fox, Revel King, Bob Parker, David Rea, Jim Shimerock. I must apologise for not mentioning the rest of the technicians, but this is a Camera column ! Plane Facts Desmond Dickinson told me that after shooting was finished he was going to Paris for a few days. I suggested that the accountant could buy his flight ticket from his salary and thus save tax. He answered : " Thanks very much, but I have my own plane." Of course, the story has another ending. We wanted him for a fortnight's shooting at a later date but he was somewhere in France. After calling four airports he was located, agreed to come back (because his plane had broken down, and the money was good) — if we paid his air fare. And we did! Foreign Assignments Cameraman Cedric Williams is in Western Nigeria for their In