International photographer (Feb-Dec 1929)

Six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1929 A 100 PER CENT ARC LIGHT PICTURE WITH SOUND In their reviews of "The Black Watch," Fox Movietone feature, which had its premiere at Carthay Circle recently, the critics of the Los Angeles metropolitan newspapers referred to the photography in these terms: Times — Photography is nothing less than superb. Herald — No picture in the brief history of the Talkies has approached the "Black Watch" for the vivid union of the art of photography with that of sound recording. Express — As a technical specimen of the progress of dialogue pictures "The Black Watch" is unsurpassed. Examiner — Reveals _ brilliantly clever effects in synchronization and photography. But the names of the artists who put the beauty into the picture were not worthy of mention, apparently, for in every case was their identity ignored. Some day this will be changed. It is worthy of note by all people interested in motion picture production, however, that this picture, whose photography is so enthusiastically lauded by all who have seen it, was shot exclusively with carbon lights — a 100 per cent arc light picture. On the Fox lot the so called "hard" lights seem always to have had the call, but "The Black Watch" is an outstanding example of what can be achieved in the way of carbon lamp illumination when this method is intelligently handled. The observer of "The Black Watch" photography will note first of all that the sets and people were not "burned up" as has been so often done in cases of injudicuous application of arc units. On the other hand it will be observed that the light sources were skillfully disposed to make the most of the comparatively few units used and that somebody at Fox has a head full of lighting brains where carbon lights are employed. At no time during production did the arc lights interfere with the sound and at no time was it found necessary to shoot from a booth. And now the gentle reader is to be let into a profound secret. S-h-h. The members of the camera crew responsible for the beautiful photography in this picture were Joe August, Irving Rosenberg; Assistants H. Webb and John Van Wormer, with Clarence Hewitt on the stills, and the direction of lighting was in the hands exclusively of Brother Joe August. All L. A. papers and screen magazines take notice. Billy Marshall has been selected to photograph Mai St. Clair's first picture for R. K. 0. "Forty Ninth Street." Cast includes The Three Moore Brothers. THE ARC. RETURNS Among the difficulties to be overcome with the advent of sound were the various noises broadcast by the arc lamp. Considerable investigation was done by the arc lamp manufacturers, but it was found that no set formula could be given for quieting the lamps as each studio presented a different problem. There are two types of sound to be taken into consideration, namely: The mechanical sounds from the motors and gears of the lamps, and an audio-frequency wave broadcast through the arc stream and originating at the commutator of the generator. The frequency of this rpiple, as it is called, is dependent upon the number of commutator bars and the RPM of the armature. The William Fox Studios are using arcs largely in their sound productions. They have been vei'y particular in adjusting their lamps so as to get a minimum of mechanical noise and they see that the commutators of their generators are very smooth and that the brushes do not chatter or spark. By co-operation of their sound department they apparently do their recording at a level that not only gives them considerable freedom with their lighting equipment, but also allows them to use cameraequipment without the camerabooth Paramount Famous Lasky are using all of their arc equipment with as much freedom as when making silent pictures and here considerable credit is due to Mr. Earl Miller, electrical chief, for his efforts in making the arc lamp absolutely silent. It seems that the sensitivity of the microphones used in their recording on sound stages demands the extreme in silence, and Mr. Miller has placed cutout switches on lamps used near the microphones so that the motors can be turned off during actual shooting. He has also built coils to choke out the commutator ripple and is furnishing the photographic department with all types of arc light equipment that they can use without fear of trouble from noise. Other studios are conducting experiments equally as satisfactory and it will probably be only a short time before the cinematographer will have as much freedom in choosing lighting equipment as before sound arrived. The arc light has a very definite place in motion picture photography and its continued success has only been a matter of adapting it to the work at hand. Photographer called to photograph housewife. Photographer: I came to take a still. Housewife: How did you know we have one? — Mrs. J. P. Willits, 1308 Bates Ave., Hollywood. * * "Is this the pleasant expression you want me to take?" Photgrapher: "Yes." "Well, hurry up, it hurts my face." O : % • i i • "... a color so pure and so J beautifully blended that every 0 sensation of life comes as if by q magic to the screen . . ." — From International £ Photographer for February. * : ! Vitacolor mv Mi B. 207-9 N. Occidental Blvd. Trueball Tripod Heads : : : Du Pont Vitacolor • Corporation % Los Angeles, California 2 MODEL B Their use for follow shots assures smooth operation, having an equal tension on all movements. Also, their action is unaffected by temperature. FRED HOEFNER Cinema Machine Shop 5319 Santa Monica Blvd. GLadstone 0243 Los Angeles