Home Movies (1944)

PACt 520 HOME MOVIES FOR DECEMBER Give OFFICIAL FILMS 8mm Cartoons 16mm for a "reel-ly" Merry Xmas! CHRISTMAS NIGHT— the Little King at the peak of merry madness after a visit from Santa! TOYLAND ADVENTURE— a royal good time in the toyshop ... as all the toys come to life. 8mm 8mm 14mm 16mm 14mm short feat. short feat. Sound $1.75 $5.50 $2.75 $8.75 $17.50 New York 22, N.Y. 1 1 1 1 Ml DUPLICATES NOW EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE U. S. NAVY U. S. ARMY DEFENSE INDUSTRY * * * After the War for YOU — conscientious work in editing to gain the best results. So accustomed are most of us to watching movies on theatre screens, we scarcely realize the tremendous amount of work put into a picture by the studio's film editors. But the next time you are watching a fast action picture on the screen, detach yourself from the story long enough, if you can, to study the editing technique that went into its making. Time each cut in seconds and observe how, as suspense is heightened in a sequence, each consecutive cut is shorter until the climax is reached. This cutting for fast tempo not only applies to pretentious photoplay films, but can be applied to some of our personal backyard and vacation movies, too. Action scenes of a baseball or football game, or of hunting or fishing trips can be made more interesting to audiences outside the family, by building interest with suspenseful cutting. Take that baseball scene pictured at top of page on which this article begins. Dad socks the ball. Imagine the next shot as a brief closeup of the catcher as his eyes follow the ball in flight. Next we show the fielder gazing skyward and gauging the ball's flight for an accurate catch. No need to show him missing the ball. A brightens up the background that otherwise would contain pronounced shadows. Where action is to take place among a small group of players, it should be rehearsed several times and the lights carefully arranged so that no matter how the persons move, there always will be the same degree of lighting upon their faces — unless, of course, the story calls for the obscurred lighting effect. But for ordinary indoor scenes in the home, the studied light placement should prevail. Where there is to be movement of people within the scene, care must be taken that no subject approaches a lighting unit too close, otherwise features will be washed out completely through over-exposure. Groups are naturally more difficult to light than a single person or subject because the average amateur's lighting equipment cannot always be arranged to favor more than one person in the group. Here, one master light source placed well above the lens level and slightly to one side of the camera will lend the overall lighting necessary to cover all subjects adequately. This will result in heavy lighting on one side of subjects' faces, leaving shadows on the opposite side. But this can be corrected by placing another light, of lesser intensity, on the opposite side to provide cut back to the catcher, showing him throwing down his glove in disgust, plus another shot showing Dad safe on first base will tell the story more professionally than if the whole action was pictured in one continuous long shot. Long shots of a member of the family fishing are common scenes in hundreds of home movies. Such scenes tell only one thing: Dad or Uncle Jim fished in the river. Often the fish they catch are never shown, much less the dramatic action that accompanied getting the catch safely to shore. How much more dramatic if quick tempo cutting were employed to show a closeup of the line indicating a nibble; the fisherman fighting to bring in his fish; a closeup to show his studied facial expression (a type of shot too often neglected) ; and the medium close shot showing the fish being raised from the water. It takes a little planning, of course, to get the sort of shots that make interesting editing possible. Actually, little more footage is required than would ordinarily be consumed in filming the action from one position in a lengthy long shot. But what a difference in screen presentation and heightened audience interest! the desirable balanced lighting effect. As brought out last month, a bright reflector can be employed in place of an extra light unit, to supply subdued lighting to one side of the face in closeups. However, reflectors are of little value on groups in medium shots because their effectiveness is decreased considerably as they are moved away from the subject. The amateur will often find need for ic EVERY filmer of amateur movies, whether a subscriber or not, is invited to submit his films to the editors for review and helpful criticism. This free service applies to any type of picture whether it be your first movie or a pretentious photoplay effort. Aim of this service is to help you make better pictures. Reviewed films will be rated I, 2 and 3 stars. Those rating 2 or 3 stars will receive Free an animated leader indicative of its merit. Best film reviewed each month will receive a special certificate award as the Movie of the Month. All films are returned promptly by insured express together with merit leaders and special analysis report. Jfyghting, Small Qroup* . . . Continued from Page 50S HOLLYWOOD FILM ENTERPRISES, Inc. 6060 SUNSET BLVD. Los Angeles 28 California