Home Movies (1943)

HOME MOVIES FOR JANUARY • This picture suggests the type of closeup and camera set up that should be employed in filming most of the scenes for "The Music Lesson," the delightful home movie scenario offered here. SCEMR10 FOR INDOOR FILMERS f HOT a piano in your home? Or perhaps a violin? Is there also a child in the family who is taking lessons on the instrument? Then here's a home movie scenario just made to order for you. Notable for its fine continuity and fact it requires no subtitles, this fine scenario is from the pen of a successful European movie amateur. The author prefaced his original script with the remark: "A title is good, but a good scene is better," and the manner in which his scenes are written ably proves his point. The action, very frequently in closeups, tells the story adequately. While story is built around a music lesson given a child on a piano, other instruments may be substituted for the piano such as violin, accordion, trumpet, etc., without detracting from or altering the story idea. Producing this scenario will also prove the filmer's ability in staging effective reaction shots which play such an important part in the story. By picturing reaction of the maid, the canary, the pet dog and a drayhorse, what is going on at the piano can be conveyed to an audience more eloquently than with the most carefully staged scenes of child and tutor. The story presents little, if any, casting difficulties. The child, who is to be pictured taking the lesson, should be capable of acting the part in a most natural manner. Most any child, boy or girl, given kind and patient direction can handle the part. Others required are the music teacher, preferably an elderly man; the housemaid, a canary, dog, and a horse. Where any of the three animals are unavailable, substitutes or equally good situations will suggest themselves as alternatives. THE MUSIC LESSON Scene r. Closeup — doorbell button. A man's hand comes into the scene and rings twice. Scene 2. Medium closeup — front door of home. Door opens and music teacher enters. Cut as door starts to close behind him. Scene 3. Interior of home. Front door, through which teacher just entered) in immediate background. Child greets teacher, offers hand, and leads him out of hall ostensibly toward piano. Scene 4. Medium shot. Interior, living room. Piano in immediate background. Child and teacher come into scene. Child none too eager to com B y S Y D N E mence lesson. Slides soberly upon piano bench. Teacher sits beside child, opens up music case, places music on rack, all the while joshing the child to put him in right frame of mind. He urges child to begin playing. (In staging this scene and all subsequent takes of the same scene, place child on bench so he will be nearest the camera.) Scene 5. Closeup of child's hands on piano keys as playing begins. Scene 6. Medium shot with camera placed immediately back of child and teacher. Child is playing, teacher waving hand, keeping time with music. Scene 7. Closeup of teacher's foot beating time as piano being played. Scene 8. Closeup of teacher's hand beating time, with movement getting slower and slower. Y L A N D I N Scene 9. Medium shot — same as scene 4. Teacher's hand beating time as ill previous shot. Teacher inclines head towards child's hands as though examining them closely. He picks hands from the keys. Looks at them for a moment then with startled expression looks at child. Scene 10. Closeup of child's hands in professor's, showing child's hands dirty. Scene h. Back to scene 9. Teacher scolding child about dirty hands. Sends him away to wash them. Scene 12. Medium shot. Child leaves piano shamefully, exits from room with camera following in panning action. Scene 13. Closeup of child's hands in washbowl scrubbing. Scene 14. Back to scene 11. Teacher • Continued on Page 2<< 13