Home Movies (Jan-Dec 1948)

536 HOME MOVIES FOR OCTOBER Editing 1$ Important Part III Good Film Production A simple discussion of the whys and wherefores for the beginner in the field of home movie making By RONNY ADES SPLICER to cut and join films and a pair of rewinds to facilitate handling are essentials for every amateur cinematist. A viewer to aid in examining the film also is desirable, as 8 and 16mm. frames are difficult to see with the naked eye. EGINNERS in the held of home home making soon learn that there’s more to producing a good picture than just exposing the film; there’s still the matter ef editing to be tackled. And although it’s a simple process, many of the novice filmsters approach it with considerable misgiving. There’s no reason for them to do so, other than the natural question that raises itself whenever we first try to accomplish a previously unfamiliar procedure. Actually, the editing of a film is usually as interesting as the taking of the picture. And if a roll of film is to tell a story — and tell it well — it is generally about as important. It’s to help acquaint the beginner that this article is written. Theoretically, it is possible to make a complete film — even one that tells a story — without editing it. But, like most theories, it just doesn’t work out in practice. There are always some frames in a roll that do the picture more harm than good. Maybe they’re underexposed, or overexposed; perhaps failure to allow for parallax caused someone’s head to be cut off in part of a scene; maybe you jiggled the camera, and the resultant scene shimmies on the screen. Sometimes a scene is too long, or-there may be a scene that you shot on impulse that has no relationship to the rest of the material on the roll. Whatever the fault, there almost always are scenes or frames that should be cut out of the film. Frequently, particularly if the amateur is shooting a story on 8 or 16mm., more than one roll of film is needed to cover the complete tale. These rolls must be spliced together. One of the major advantages of editing is that it simplifies the actual shootting of the story. Assume, for instance, that you’re filming a story in which Joe is shingling the roof. From a distance of 2 5 feet, you shoot him climbing the ladder. Then you move the camera in closer for a middle shot of Joe reaching the roof. Then you lug the camera to the roof for close-ups as Joe pounds the shingles. Then back to the place from which you filmed the middle shot for another one in which he starts down. Next you carry the camera back to the original 2 5 -foot distance for a shot of Joe descending. With this method, you have moved your camera five times. Knowing that you are going to edit the film, however, you can shoot the first and last bits of action before moving the camera to the middle position for the second and fourth shots. Then to the roof for the close-ups. You’ve had to move the camera only twice to get exactly the same sequences you filmed by the other method in five moves. In editing, you simply cut apart the five different scenes and splice them together in proper sequence. Another reason for editing, as most experienced film makers know, is that the safest way of insuring complete coverage of a wanted scene is to start shooting just before action starts and continue for a moment or two after completion of the action. This, of course, insures that you get the complete sequence on film, without losing the start or finish of the action; it also gives a few surplus frames at each end of the scene that should be cut out. Titling, too, calls for editing. All titles for a picture can be filmed at once, and then spliced into the reel. Actual editing is simple, and the required equipment is inexpensive and easy to use. A rewind to facilitate winding the film from one reel to another and a splicer are all that are needed, although an enlarging viewer is helpful. Splicers vary a bit in use, but directions always come with them, so there is no difficulty in knowing how to use them. In all cases, splicing consists of overlapping the ends of the two pieces of film to be fastened together. The emulsion is scraped off the end of the bottom film, exposing the transparent base. Film cement is applied to this small scraped area and the top film clamped down on it in the splicer and allowed to set. To make an accurate splice without a splicer is almost impossible. Alignment must be perfect if the film is to feed properly through the projector, and the splicer keeps the film in exact alignment. The film cement used is not an adhesive in the sense that glue or paste is; it is a solvent that actually welds the two pieces of film together by dissolving the film base. This is why it is essential to scrape the emulsion, which does not dissolve, from the film before it can be spliced. Inasmuch as the back of the upper film — the side without emulsion — is used, it is not necessary to scrape this piece. Doing so would leave a strip of clear film that would show as a flash on the screen when projected. Care is necessary in scraping the emulsion off the bottom film to insure against tearing the sprocket holes. Caution also must be used in applying the cement, as it is a solvent and too much of it will weaken the splice. Despite the need for care in making splices, it isn’t at all difficult. It’s an interesting phase of movie making and one that will add tremendously to the interest of your films.