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. ;; ART AND SCIENCE IN SOUND FILM 173
vealed the fact that sound pictures may be produced successfully under a wide range of conditions which had previously been considered impossible.
Art is at its best when not limited by rigidity in its medium of expression; and it is strongly believed that every step toward removal of the present restricting factors in sound film production will result in marked improvement of the product. It is in the nature of things that technicians not wholly mature in their work should try to establish taboos and conditions for the guidance of co-workers not yet initiated into the deep mysteries of technical "expertness;" for it is by supposed knowledge of these taboos and conditions that "expertness" is established.
Just now, production is beginning to settle down to routine, and all experts are breathing easier, feeling safe in the many tricks and expedients that they have used in producing the relatively satisfactory results now being secured. But not all these tricks are necessary or even desirable. It is well to keep the art still in a plastic state and not let some of these mistakes harden into the traditions of production. The silent film industry suffered much from traditional wrong approaches to some of its problems, although the industry as a whole was never aware of it. The worship of false gods is difficult to abandon in periods of prosperity; and the industry, if not careful, is likely to expend millions on incorrect production methods, although it will doubtless continue to prosper.
The evidence seems to indicate that much originally accepted as authentic practice in the field of microphone placing, monitoring, mixing, recorder operation, and laboratory procedure is actually diametrically opposed to the most efficient practice. Fortunately, the indicated changes are nearly all in the direction of greater simplification and greater flexibility.
There is probably more "hokum" practiced by the man at the mixing panel than by any other talking picture artisan. The old-line film man has felt himself helpless before the onslaught of the electrical and recording technicians and has permitted a great deal of guess work to pass as "art."
In some ways it is unfortunate that the radio industry supplied most of the sound experts to the film industry. In radio broadcasting it usually is desirable to present all sounds as coming from approximately the same plane — that of the microphone. And so levels are raised and lowered to bring all sounds out at approximately the