International photographer (Feb-Dec 1929)

Twenty-four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER September, 1929 4 A 1 ■ kr % I Pj *:: m -? " I ^?r Emu n hi « j * b^ * '; ; ^^IjBb ^ * ^* D CZ3 I r^j I P^4 Our beloved readers in Tek-Nik Towne will have to wait another thirty (311) days before they can have the pleasure of reading the offerings of our new contributor, the Russian modernist, Kameravitch Tripodoffsky. But he is on the way. Be patient. ^ Earle F. Walker, well known for his photography on the "Toots and Casper" series for F. B. O., is the latest cameraman to join the Technicolor staff. Earle is at present going through the school course required of all cameramen who undertake the operation of the Technicolor precision machines. O "' . Jack Smith, A.S.C. and Mrs. Smith, have returned from a two-year sojourn in Siam and Burmah, where Jack has been shooting elephant stuff and, incidentally, the coronation of the new king of Cambodia. He brought back 50,000 feet of film on Eastman stock and, like Len Roos, is in a hurry to get back to the Orient where, he says, there is more freedom. WHAT HO! THE STILL MAN Elmer Fryer, portrait photographer and head of the still department at First National-Vitaphone studios, is responsible for a novel idea that is bringing results. Every day Fryer selects the best work of each still man on the lot and places it on exhibition in the producer's and director's dining room at First National. In this manner the best efforts of the set still men are brought to the attention of both directors and producers. As a result of this method the still cameramen are getting more attention from the directors in the matter of shooting stills, either on location or at the studio. D. A. Whitson has a wonderful machine at his home called a Telegraphone, The pioneers in sound recording and reproducing will remember this great piece of apparatus of fifteen years ago. It is altogether different from the recording and reproducing machines of today and in many ways more efficient. It operates upon the principle of "spotted" magnetism along a traveling steel wire. The sound can be instantly played back and played many thousands of times without any deterioration or it may be instantly "erased." It can be amplified in the same manner as either sound track or disc. LYNCH TO TECHNICOLOR Warren Lynch, cameraman of many years standing in the Pacific Coast studios, has added his name to the Technicolor family. Warren is at present taking the "school course" preparatory to future work in the production field with the color cameras. m L^l. •'6 S. M. P. E. to TORONTO Mr. L. C. Porter, president of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, announces that the Board of Governors has decided to hold the next meeting of the Society in Toronto, Canada, October 7 to 10, inclusive. Canadian and other members of the S. M. P. E. have been making an insistent demand for a convention to be held in Canada as none have been held there since the one in Ottawa, October, 1923. As the spring meeting held in New York last May was highly successful from every standpoint, greatly increased the membership and made the industry much better acquainted with the activities of the Society, it is believed that the attendance will be very large at the coming Toronto meeting. WHY HOLLYWOOD? There may be some surprise at the fact that no other part of the American continent has challenged the supremacy of California. A few producers have tried to work elsewhere, but more of them have drifted back to Los Angeles. One of the reasons seems to be that many subsidiary industries have grown up around the film industry in Los Angeles. There are employment agencies where any number of players required to make up film crowds may be obtained at few hours' notice. There are firms which have collected all kinds of furniture which may be required in film production. There are costumers who can clothe a Roman army or a mob of the French Revolution. All these adjuncts are to be found on Hollywood's doorstep, and the producer who strays from California soon finds himself in difficulties. And, however perlect the technique of interior work may become, there will always be a certain number of scenes on which work must be cariied out in the open air, and on about 350 days each year the sun shines on Hollywood. Within a day or two of Los Angeles there is to be found almost every conceivable sort of scenery, from icy mountain to coral strand. Some day, perhaps, some other part of the American continent may throw down a serious challenge; but for the next generation at any rate the position of Los Angeles as the centre of the American film producing industry seems to be unassailable. — London Times. VERITAS FILMS Frank R. Church, executive manager of Veritas Films, 829 Harrison street, Oakland, Calif., writes The International Photographer the following interesting letter setting forth the plans and purposes of the new organization. Cameramen who have film to sell might find it profitable to get in touch with Veritas: With a lull appreciation of the great and growing importance of visual education in all institutions ot learnng, Veritas Films are seeking, in a modest way, to supply a much needed vehicle to act as the clearing house through which an economic outlet shall he open to Education films from all parts of the world, in the end that students n! our public schools may have the historic, scenic, beautiful and truthful brought to their class room free from selfish propaganda or distortion. The Motion Picture Industry of America has reached its present greatness as a national industry mainly as an entertainment organization. We believe there is a field for educational films as a major product and that such films can be imade entertaining as well. We are geared to serve this field and we invite you to write us if you have any exceptional negative in your vaults that in your opinion is suitable to reduce to 1 fi m.m. for class room screening and which will serve to make our school children better acquainted with a true "close-up" of things abroad in an impressive way, not attainable by a study of text books. We ale prepared to supply you with assurances of our integrity in our business relations, to insure a wide distribution, and to pay a reasonable royalty for the right to handle your film. We realize there is a wealth of film reposing in vaults throughout the world that has never been screened: not for lark of merit, but for want of proper channels to put it across. This we wish to supply. We do not promise you great returns, but we do assure of an honest and capable guardianship and accounting. We are pioneering. In time, we feel that you will be satisfied with an ever-increasing return based upon the merit of the product you entrust to us. n, ■*.-< .T.-y The Eastman Kodak Co. announces a stock issue of $15,000,000 to take care of an expansion program including a cellulose plant in Tennessee; new wholesale and retail stores here and abroad; manufacturing plants in France and Germany and to finance two new subsidiaries, Eastman Teaching Film, Inc., and the Recordak Corporation. ^ Len H. Roos, I. A. T. S. E., 659 and president of 665, Toronto, Canada, was recently notified by the General Council of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain that he had been voted a Fellowship and may now write F.R.P.S. after his name. This is a great honor and naturally Len is a bit puffed up about it. His signature now looks something like this — I. A. T. S. E. ; M. P. M. O. ; S. M. P. E. ; A. S. C. ; F. R. P. S.