Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1934)

A toy cine title is in the spirit of holiday movies 524 William M. Rittase 0 THE many cinematographers who live in apartments, Christmas is just as much of an event as to those who occupy spacious suburban homes. It is the spirit of the season that they expect to capture on the film, and their spirit knows no bounds. Their Christmas fare may be spread before only five or six, their tree may require fewer colored bulbs, but the pleasure and the surprise are the same. What kind of story will make a good Christmas reel of the smaller family? If there are young children, the footage will consist predominantly of their reactions. If the family is growing up, the emphasis may be social rather than individual, visitors and friends playing a larger part than toys and decorations. In all scenario making, it is a good practice to begin by listing all potentialities, so as to overlook no relevant material. The list, begun today, is carried about constantly, so that any new idea that comes into one's head, as one is riding in the subway or driving in the country, may be added instantly. Footage will be proportionate to the relative importance of each sequence. Roughly speaking, the material to be considered for inclusion will revolve around pre Christmas shopping, the arrival of the postman with packages and cards, decorating the Christmas tree, opening the presents, receiving the guests, entertainment at dinner and after, trying out the new toys and going to church. The reel might open with a newspaper caption, "Only ten shopping days before Christmas," followed by scenes of advertisements. Cut to a young mother reading the page. She puts down the paper, reaches for her bag, which is lying on the occasional table nearby, opens it, takes out a letter in a childish scribble (shown in closeup), "Dear Santa Claus, I have been a good boy and I have done what my Mamma told me. Please bring me a pair of roller skates . . ." and so on. The letter should be entirely genuine. (The children are simply asked, a month before, to write to Santa and to mail the letter by placing it on the mantelpiece.) The young mother smiles and makes a mental note; the scene fades out. Fade in on a street scene, showing busy shops decorated for the season; cut in, if desired, a good and well lighted animated display in a store window and a few closeups of children with eyes glowing, looking at the toys. The young mother enters the scene, looks at the windows and enters the store, the sequence fading out at the end. Then could come a de may How Christmas offer film chances in apartment homes Santa down the steam pipes PAUL D. HUSON livery or postman sequence or perhaps opening the Christmas cards, arranging them on the mantelpiece and placing the outside presents on a separate table. Lighting the Christmas tree for movie purposes is quite a problem. A clear cut mass is to be preferred to many details. The tree will be dark and the light ornaments are bright enough to pick up sharply by contrast. It is better, therefore, not to use any back light for the tree itself, and also to have the background free from distracting objects, doors, windows, mantelpieces, furniture. The cinematographer will need elbow room, and distracting shadows are to be avoided. For all these reasons, the best place for the tree is about three feet from the center of a completely blank wall. Two distinct sources of illumination should be provided, one for the tree itself and one for the children who will come to the tree to pick up their presents. The main source of light should be slightly to the right of the camera, six feet high and consisting of possibly three Photoflood bulbs. The other light will be about four feet high, at right angles to the camera on the left, just out of range but so placed as to strike neither the lens nor the tree. Of course, its rays must not run straight into those of the other group, for contradictory lightings destroy one another. This secondary light may consist of one Photoflood bulb only, since it will be nearer the subject than the main group. Its purpose is to illuminate those who come between the tree and the camera, when they enter naturally from the right. The Christmas tree story could be told in two main sequences— first, decorating the tree, in long shots with a few huge closeups of amusing units, and, second, discovering the presents on Christmas morning, with a long shot of the scene and a number of closeups of opening the gifts. One difficulty, for which prior rehearsal would be a help, is the children turning their backs to the camera while standing by the tree. A long shot back view is sometimes quite charming, but the biggest psychological value of Christmas tree filming is in the elusive, unrehearsable surprise to be seen on the faces of the children as they open up their presents, and this must be caught almost full face. The original response to a surprise can never be repeated. If one package is known to contain a gift that will be more surprising and pleasing than any other, this package should be carefully placed so that it can be picked up and opened only when the recipient is standing three or four feet from and facing the camera. People who are not born with histrionic ability are not much good at pretending; a really "hot" action scene at this stage will prove priceless [Continued on page 539]