Home Movies (1953)

TRAVEL • Continued from Page 52 Don't spoil the mood and atmosphere of the foreign land by cutting in close-ups of your fellow travelers clowning or mugging. As such, they will add nothing to your footage and may actually detract from it. Keep the tourists out of your travel stuff as much as possible. Want final inspiration? Examine the striking illustrations on page 52. They were taken in Mexico by Jack Van Coevering. Your movie outfit — 8mm or 16mm — can come away with scenes just as striking, perhaps, if you try. The scenery is still there. The lighting is usually always good. It's up to you! YOURSELF • Continued from Page 49 pear alone in a sequence, he should have an assistant go through the proposed paces prior to filming. This will enable the producer to see whether his ideas when translated into action, are to his liking. It will also help him to pose more effectively for his own camera. One way of "shooting yourself" is to have the movie maker depress the camera starting button and lock it into place. Then he hastily runs into the scenes to appear in them as planned. L pon completion of the action, he hurries back to the camera to release the starting button. This procedure involves the loss of footage shot while the filmer rushes into and out of the scenes. This footage can be easily deleted on the editing board. Another method is to have some one else start and stop the camera for the producer. No previous photographic experience is necessary. Simple instructions for depressing and locking the camera button, and later releasing it, will suffice. It is important that the assistant should clearly understand when he is NEED SPECIAL EQUIPMENT? YOUR PHOTO DEALER HAS IT to start and stop the camera. One way is to have him depress the camera motor button as soon as the participants come within the view finder's range. He will stop the motor when they get beyond that range. A prearranged signal such as raising a hand for starting, and lowering it when the scene is to end, works effectively. No directions should be given to the THE EUMIG 88 MAGIC BRAIN / The Eumig 88 (made in Austria) makes color and black-and-white cinematography simple. Even if you are a beginner, you can operate this camera without a course of instruction because it works with push-button ease. Designed by Europe's finest craftsmen, the Eumig offers you many advanced features, including the Electric Eye and Brain, and an f/1.9 (fast), 12.5-mm., color-corrected lens in universal focus. Moderately priced for the value at $139.50. Write for free illustrated folder 3 CAMERA SPECIALTY COMPANY 50 West 29th St., New York \± N. Y. The elegant Eumig offers you the marvelous assurance of correct exposure of every scene. The Electric Eye, a built-in exposure meter, automatically measures the available light and activates the Electric Brain, a pointer mechanism in the viewfinder.The pointer is coupled to the lens aperture control and is visible and operating at all times. Correct exposure is indicated when the pointer is centered. Changing the lens aperture automatically brings the pointer back to center when necessary. assistant by the movie maker as he is being filmed. What is being said might be very apparent ot the audience. Especially would this be true in close-ups or semi close-ups. Delayed action devices for permitting a filmer to get into his own movie are available for a verv limited number of movie cameras. The proceedure here outlined relative to "shooting yourself" applies equally well to users of this device. The movie maker appearing in his own film, should of course be completely unmindful of the camera's presence. He is not to look into the lens, wave to it, or in any other manner make it apparent that he is posing. Neither should he be seen too frequently in the picture; exceptions to this there will be. The movie maker on his wedding trip will be expected to be seen in the company of his bride. The vacationist on a trip with his family should rightfully make his appearance at time. Reasonable limitations however, must be imposed to avoid monotony. Follow the simple instructions just presented. Get into your own movie. But remember you must use the tripod. With just a little care and foresight, you can be your own star! SOUND-OFF • Continued from Page 49 Most tape recorders and projectors will fill the bill but check with your manufacturer or dealer if in doubt.) The advantage of this system over others is that it is inexpensive. The big drawback is the fact that sound should not be recorded near the projector and this means the use of an assistant to start the various elements in motion. No matter what sound system you use remember that the minimum footage for 16mm scenes is 3 feet at 16 frames per second and 41A feet for 16mm at 24 fps. (This should be doubled for 8mm) This lasts only 71/o seconds on the screen and you can get only about 5 to 8 words per foot at 16 fps and 3 to 5 at 24 fps. You'll have to plan accordingly when preparing for sound. You can see from this that sound cues will have to be brief and planned. It will be important to prepare a script before recording. After a film has been shot and edited, project it. Make notes as it is shown. Give such information as the length of each scene and what each scene shows. Then, from these rough notes pre• See Next Page 55