Home Movies (1953)

Avalon Daggett is the only female motion picture producer in Hollywood, and it all happened in one short year. Right now she is making educational films, lecture films, and other sundry titles. Here is her story. WHEN her father presented her with a box camera, at the tender age of five, Avalon Daggett began her photography career — in a manner of speaking. But it wasn't until 1936 (when she got her first motion picture camera) that things really began to happen. She took a few superficial shots, then more disjointed footage and then one day in 1952, she was in the movie business — and for keeps. It all began with the Pasadena Rose Parade which she shot with the purpose of selling the footage to motion picture enthusiasts who could not be present at the event. Within a week she was deluged with requests from all over the world — Cuba, Italy, Turkey and Singapore. They all wanted the films for use in their own home projectors. Schools too are interested in Avalon HU(U DAGGETT. ..independent By LORRAINE SISLER Daggett because she has made some wonderful films of the Hopi Indians when she went on a seven-day trip to lower Colorado last year. "This business involves the literary effort to make a script, the photographic knowledge to shoot the film, and finally the business know-how, in order to distribute the films", she said. But she doesn't seem to mind the detail work and is very enthusiastic about her job. She has an MA degree in speech and drama, and this, she claims has helped her a great deal in her film presentations. "Seems as if anything I have ever done has lead me right down the path to movie production", she exclaimed. "Many of the practices I found essential in play production can be directly applied to the timing of motion picture films — and this is also true of editing and cutting." She has made a score of lecture films, and these are slower in tempo than a sound film. "Reason for this", she said, "is that the lecturer must have time to insert his own remarks while the film is being seen". She has lectured locally but this fall embarks upon tour including New ^ ork and Chicago. Next year she has more lecture work in Arizona, plus more educational films to make and the preparation of her films for television, and negotiations with one major studio which is angling for some of her films. Her films have been entered in the Cleveland Film Festival and accepted for competition at the International Competition in Edinburgh. "I am particularly interested in the history legends and religion of the Hopi Indians," she said "and I am planning production of a film which will show the last stand of the Navajos, in the canyon country of Northeast Arizona." We asked her about her technical knowledge of photography, and it seemed to us that she wouldn't say very much about that phase of her photo activities. Like everyone else, she has problems when shooting away from home, and for that reason carries two cameras and plenty of spare parts. "In the desert I shoot until 10:00 a. m. and then wait until things cool off a bit — that's after 3:00 in the afternoon", she said. "But how about color temperature and the false rendition of tones at that time of day ", we asked. "I'd rather have a cool effect, with plenty of blues instead of the warmer colors — and besides it's more convenient to make the shots at that time of day", she said. She exposes mostly at F9 at 24 frames, with slight variations where the light changes. And she doesn't seem to mind the heat which ranges from 95 to 120 degrees. A camp refrigerator which she carries in her car seems to help her keep her films in good shape. "You asked me a few technical things, and I avoided an answer because I don't think too much technical knowledge is important", she exclaimed. "The important thing, to my mind is, to know your story, shoot to a script, and most important of all, have an idea to begin with". And she has some very lucid ideas about that elusive subject, composition. "I find that it's a good idea to remove the view-finder from the camera and walk around your subject, viewing it through the finder until you have something which hits home. When you feel that it's good — then go shoot it", she said. "Next thing to remember is balance — and this is something which does not always occur in nature. If you haven't got a balanced composition, • See DAGGETT on Page 331 327