Home Movies (1953)

THE CINE WORKSHOP TITLES ON GLASS Here's a method for making interesting titles with a moving back ground. The title is lettered on a piece of glass held on a stand, (see sketch) and photographed. The result is a full screen title with moving action at the same time. Another way to produce a unique effect is to letter the title with the same show-card colors (water soluble) but this time use light paint on a black surface and expose about 2 feet. Wind back the film to original position and then expose the ordinary way. Result: action plus a good title. Remember to cut exposure lettering by l/£ stop. IT'S IN THE BAG The increasing tendency for the average amateur to do more and more editing on his films continually brings up the problem of editorial equipment that is within reach of the budget of the fellow who exposes footage for pleasure. One method of converting the family grocery basket I or laundry basket) into an editorial film basket is here illustrated. Basically it consists of a strip of wood into which has been driven a row of many small nails whose heads have been nipped off with a pair of pliers. Another shorter piece of wood with the aid of a bolt and wing nut will clamp the nail filled strip to the back or handle of the grocery basket. During breakdown stage of editing, the head end of each scene can be (by means of the perforations) slipped over the small nails on the strip and lined up in the order that it is desired to splice them into the finished reel. An old sheet or some other lint free material should be laid into the basket to prevent possible scratches. Furthermore as the wing nut clamp arangement makes for easily removing the strips of wood, it does not tie up the family shopping basket for more than a fewr hours at a time. It is amazing how much time this method of arranging ones editorial work saves over that of trying to keep each scene individually rolled up until it is ready to be spliced in. MOVIE MAGIC PART FOREWORD Technically speaking, the best films are made in Hollywood by Hollywood technicians who have used their ingenuity to supplement and improve the excellent tools they use every day. Without the extra gadgets and the inspired camera tricks, the motion picture industry would be a staid and dull form of entertainment. But the ingenious spirit of gadgetry thrives today, both in the studios and amongst the millions of home movie makers; thus, motion pictures as an art and as a business continues to grow in scope because new techniques and new ways of doing a routine job are constantly being evolved by amateur and professional cinematographers. Movie gadgeteering is not confined to one particular class or group. It seems to be as interesting and profitable to the man with the most expensive deluxe outfit, as to the tyro with the cheapest movie camera. And there's a good reason for that too. No matter how complete a camera or projector may seem at first, its owner will always find it lacking in some way or another. He may want to use the viewfinder in some specific way; or he may want to hold it just so, or use the diaphragm in some new fashion — but he can't unless he adds a little something here and there to make it work as he wishes it to work. So he builds a gadget to improve the equipment to his own tastes. Although camera equipment as used in the studios, would seem to be the ultimate in cinema perfection, it is not perfect in itself. Visit any set and see positive evidence that the professional practices gadgeteering as extensively as his humble brother with the 8mm and 16mm camera. Sometimes professional gadgets are exquisite examples of precicision machine-shop work. Sometimes these gadgets are hasty improvisations of scrap wood, metal and cardboard — held together with sticky tape. But they always work, and they adapt the camera more perfectly to the individual requirements of the cameraman and his shot. Like the amateur, the professional is proud of his gadgetmaking and the work he can do with the various gimmicks he has discovered. Tricks and gadgets described in this book were developed bv scores of HOME MOVIES readers, who made them in order to solve specific problems in their own moviemaking. They were sent along to the editors so that they might help others who encounter similar problems. Some ideas were elaborate and spectacular — others almost absurdly simple. But they all have one thing in common: they work. And they make movie-making a more fascinating hobby, because they produce better pictures, and less heartaches — with less effort. SINGLE EIGHT ADAPTER Owners of double-8 cameras who wish to use single 8mm film may 264