Home Movies (1953)

IDEAS DIGGING INTO EXTRA PROFITS There's gold in them thar hills. Especially if there's a bull dozer or a tractor on top of it. Today the construction business is really big business and the nation's construction firms are busy looking for ways to publicize their projects. Besides the contractors, there are hundreds of equipment manufacturers and suppliers who are trying to impress the many contractors with the superiority of their individual products. Slowly, but surely, these men are realizing that the motion picture is the surest and cheapest way of tout ing their wares. That's where you come into the picture. It's easy enough to drive out to many of the construction projects. Bring along your camera. Make many long and medium shots of the equipment in action. If it pushes dirt, try to show how big a pile of dirt it can handle at one time. If it's used to load dirt, show how fast it can handle a given area. If it carries dirt, show how big a pay load it can take. Always keep in mind the virtues, and try to minimize the faults. Shoot plenty of black and white and color. Some companies use both, others use just one type. When the film is done, edit it into units: one on tractors, one on the company, etc. Then, make appointments to show the film to the proper people in the firm. Bet you they'll buy the film. — Roal Zeeman, Dayton, Ohio WAXING-WISE "Henry," I've said to my husband on numerous occasions, "you make such a project out of a simple thing like washing and waxing the car. I can't understand why you don't have it done at the service station." "Because I save money doing it myself, that's why,'' he replied, "but you don't appreciate the effort I go to." Now, I've washed and waxed the car myself a few times, and it's not a difficult job with all the products Sere are for the purpose on the market today. I'd been watching his contortions and mishaps for quite a while before I decided to put him on film secretly and prove my point. He was using detergent and water to remove the road grime from the car the day I filmed, and the first thing he did was to spill half a box of detergent. He got through the washing stage without too much trouble, but then came the rinsing. Aiming the hose at the wrong angle, it promptly threw the spray directly back onto him. Then came the waxing! It had to be done in the shade. He started at the back of the car. but was so slow about applying the wax that by the time he reached the front, the sun had caught up with him. I suppose I should have suggested that he put the car into the garage to do the job, but I figured I'd let him work it out for himself. After much fuming and fussing, knocking over the can of wax a couple of times, he completed the job. By the time he saw my film he was in a much better mood. However, needless to say, we now have the car washed at the service station on the corner! Bless that camera! — Louise OBrien. MEMORIAL DAY IS PARADE DAY — and a good opportunity to make a colorful film. Civic groups, lodge groups. Army, Navy, and Marines join together for the march down "Main Street." To get a good parade film, find out ahead of time the exact route the parade will take, and the day before the parade, go over the route to determine the best locations for filming. You will want to shoot from various points along the way, and you will want to make sure there will be places available where you can film the parade from above — say, from the window of an upper floor of a building. On the day of the parade, go to the starting point while it is forming. Look over the various groups and decide which ones you definitely want to include in your film. You can also decide from which of your pre-planned vantage points you would like to film them. Undoubtedly there will be many colorful bands, and the drum majors and majorettes will lend excitement to your film with their strutting and baton-twirling. Shoot from unusual angles to add drama and interest to your film. For expample, shoot a precision drill team from a very low angle so that the interest is centered on their precise footwork. Try to get a head-on shot of a high-stepping drum major, showing him walking right into the camera. If you can't get this shot during the parade, perhaps you can make arrangements to stage it and shoot it afterwards. Be on the lookout for the unexpected! There will be a faithful dog tagging along after his master who is trying hard not to notice him, but subtly waving him away. There are usually many little occurences that may add a note of humor to your movie. Get some footage of the spectators for interesting cut-in shots. A parade practically demands the use of color film. Each and every band, drill team, horse club, and other groups will be attired in a brilliant array of uniforms. Color film will definitely add a lot of sparkle and interest to your movie. — Bud Collier, Denver, Colo. TIME TO GET OUT THE TENT AGAIN! Spring is sprung, summer is just around the corner, and it's camping season again. A couple of weeks ago I loaded the family and camping equipment into the car, hung my camera around my neck and off we went into the primitive forest (national park, that is, where many conveniences for the camper are to be found, such as cleared camping grounds, and running water.) I had promised my two children, who are at the age where they are just beginning to get really interested in botany and animal life, that we'd get some good films of the animals and foliage, and that I would let them help me shoot them. The first couple of days after our arrival we explored the surrounding country for the most likely places to set up our equipment and wait for the various animals to come into range. By being very patient and alert, we were able to get some very good footage of deer, bears, squirrels, and other small animals go • See IDEAS on Page 199 178