Home Movies (1954)

^ BOOKS <» IIOIIES The RIVAL By BOB JARMAN 1. L.S. Picturesque country scene. 2. M.S. An artist sits at his canvas. 3. C.U. Artist's canvas, showing exact reproduction of the scene. His brush adds a few more strokes. 4. C.U. Artist's face as he chews tip of brush thoughtfully. 5. L.S. Smal boy approaches, with easel, canvas and stool under his arm. He stops to gaze at the artist's work. 6. C.U. Boy's face shows contempt for artist's efforts. 7. L.S. Boy sets up stool and easel some distance from the artist. 8. C.U. Boy starts splashing paint liberally on canvas. 9. C.U. Artist turns to watch him, smiling. 10. C.U. Boy's canvas, as he adds sweeping strokes in all directions. 11. C.U. Boy's face, completely absorbed in his task. 12. M.S. Artist produces water bottle, places it to lips, and finds it empty. He looks around anxiously. 13. L.S. House in distance. 14. M.S. Artist gets up and sets off with bottle towards the house. 15. C.U. Boy watches him go, then turns back to his own canvas. 16. C.U. The boy's canvas is now a hideous mess. 17. C.U. Boy looks disconcerted. 18. L.S. Boy seizes his canvas, takes it over to artist's picture, and compares the two. Then he exchanges the two, leaving his own upside down on the artist's easel. 19. L.S. Man and woman approach. 20. C.U. Woman stops short and stares off-screen. 21. M.S. Boy sitting before artist's picture, brush in hand. 22. M.S. Woman approaches boy, praises the picture, and produces cash. Boy looks delighted and takes the money. 23. L.S. Artist returns with water bottle. Stands by his easel drinking, not yet noticing the changed canvas. Man, a slightly Bohemian-looking type, approaches. By BOB Making Home Movies of children's books for your own children can be fun, amuse the children and give a professional quality to your movies. Select a book that has large illustrations, preferably on one page, and lots of them in proportion to the story. Try for a book that has the illustrations in the same form as your movie frame, i. e., a horizontal format. If the illustrations are in this form it will be easier to copy them. If they are one one page, it will eliminate the unsightly seam in the middle of the two open pages. The larger the illustrations, the easier it will be to photograph them with the standard 1" lens on a 16mm camera and lens on the 8mm camera. A short story with lots ' of illustrations means that the scene will be on the screen only long enough to illustrate the narration and not bore the viewer. I suggest the Golden Book Stories as published by Simon & Schuster and there are at least 169 of them, all acceptable and adaptable to this idea. The Viking Press of New York City has numerous books that make very interesting Children's Home Movies and many other juvenile publishers are available. Now to proceed with the production: Read the narration out loud and time each section of the story as it applies to the illustration. Write this time down on three by five file cards and number each picture so that the two match. Go through the entire book this way until you have the story finished. Remember to start with the titles. Use the front cover or flyleaf of the book for your titles. An interesting note here might be to make up a title with letters over the inside of the cover, saying: "Produced by Susan and John Doe, by James Doe". This would lend the personal touch to the film and greatly increase the children's interest. The name of the story and the artist is always listed on the flyleaf and would serve to make a far more attractive and professional looking title than you would ever make. But, be sure to number and list each title and scene with your narration. Next, with your ordinary scene length will match the spoken titler or copy stand, photograph each illustration in the book, being careful not to include any of the printed story in with the illustration. (In selecting your book, try not to pick one with the printed story in the illustration as this poses problems in copy photogra PERRY phy requiring through the lens viewing or prism focusing which you might not be able to do.) Make your scenes long enough to cover the spoken arration plus about two seconds at the beginning and the same at the end of the scene for editing purposes. Shoot each scene until the book is completed. Be sure to shoot in color for the best effect. Some of these children's books have the most beautiful color illustrations that are a cameraman's dream. Gorgeous pastel shades that simply take your breath away with their beauty. Black and white cannot do justice to this type of film. When you receive your film back from processing, begin the fun of editing. Be sure to match the narration with the pictures. Here, if I may digress for a moment. I would like to mention a few possibilities to further enhance the film. If you have a tape recorder, tape the story with appropriate musical background and even sound effects if you wish to elaborate. If you do not have this piece of equipment, have a record made of you narrating or telling the story — (for a small additional expense, the recordist will mix a suitable record in under your voice). Your production will be interesting in silent form, but you may have to make titles throughout the film if you do not intend to have a tape or record made. The cost is really relatively inexpensive. I believe $5.00 should cover it. If you are one of the fortunate few with a Magnetic projector, then it would be a simple matter to add the narration to the film on your projector, and to mix the musical background. For the advanced amateur with a single system sound camera such as the Auricon, this type of film presents a different set of small but not insurmountable problems. The mixing would be done as you photograph. How I do it is still different. • See "MOVIE BOOK" on Page 421 | 24. M.S. Man studies child's canvas on artist's easel. He turns his head sideways, makes appreciative gestures with his hands ,and finally nods slowly, producing his wallet. He speaks to artist. 25. M.S. Artist smiles — and then catches sight of the canvas. For an instant he looks horror-stricken, but recovers sufficiently to take the cash, and hand the canvas to the man. 26. L.S. Man and woman leaving, each apparently very satisfied with their purchase. As they go, the artist and boy turn and stare at one another. 419