Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1938)

283 CAMERAS LIKE CIRCUSES They will do their best if invited to the "big top" KENNETH F. SPACE, ACL PREVIOUS to the advent of amateur movie making, the only alibi Dad could offer for his urge to leave the office and spend a day at the circus, pink lemonade and all, was, "Well, I have to take the kids." Now the excuse may be, "I want to get some action shots to add to that reel." But, excuse or not, Dad can turn back the years on that day and become a youngster who lives again the time when he fed the elephants for a free admission ticket. And, since the fun of circus days is one of our few universal pleasures, what subject could we better select for a 400 foot reel than A Day at the Circus? If we do make a circus film, let us consider a little advance planning so that we can make a real gem of the picture. As far as the film plan is concerned, it can be extremely simple. You may be guided by your own interests, and there is just one "must"; if you have youngsters, they should be included in the film plan without fail, for then your picture will be doubly precious. Here are a few suggested treatments. 1. Show Dad reading the evening paper containing the circus advertisement. He nods over the paper and falls asleep, and then, in a dream sequence, we see Dad as a youngster spending the day on a circus lot. (This part is played by Junior.) Finally, Dad wakes up and telephones to reserve seats. 2. Little Tommy has money for the circus, but he loses it while watching the circus being unloaded. He is heartbroken but doesn't dare ask for more, as his parents have cautioned him against losing it. So he begs a job helping on the grounds, and we see him doing chores, until he finally earns his ticket and sees the show. 3. Dad gives Johnny money to go to the circus, but says that he himself can't take the time to go. Later, accidentally. Johnny discovers his father on the grounds and realizes that Dad was only pretending when he insisted that circuses were only for children. He follows Dad about over the grounds and finally comes face to face with him at the ticket box; they grin at each other and go in together. These treatments, of course, are not necessary to a good reel, which can be handled excellently with a simple continuity that does not require acting. However, the children will love and treasure a story treatment. If there are no youngsters in the family, about the easiest treatment, aside from a documentary one, could be made by picking a friend who would play the role of a man becoming a kid again, as he pokes around the circus grounds and watches the day's activities. If you make a record picture, you may want to produce a complete one by filming the whole day of a circus in your town, from the arrival of the trains at dawn through setting up tents on the lot, the home life of the performers, side shows. main show and, finally, to the departure at night by searchlight and flares. To do this efficiently, it is best to get permission from the circus publicity man. If this is done, not only will privileges be given to you, but also cooperation and valuable suggestions will be forthcoming. Official permission will make it possible for you to move around in the tent for various shots, instead of being limited to one seat in the audience. As far as the performers themselves are concerned, they are the most generous people imaginable, and they will cooperate to an amazing extent if you work with them instead of trying to get candid shots which they sometimes resent. They are show people, and they know what scenes will be effective on the screen. Some of them have to be careful if they have movie contracts that limit their appearance in films, and they must be assured that you are making an amateur film and not a theatrical movie short. The facts and stories that they will tell you when they get friendly will give you splendid material for titles. If you do not get up early in the morning to film the arrival of the circus, you can find your picture's introductory sequences in shots of the parade. The movie maker limited to a one inch lens will get best results from the front of the sidewalk crowd, and the most advantageous spot for him is on a corner where the parade will turn. In any case, it is advisable to avoid a full right angle view of the action, which would produce a "jittery" picture. A forty five degree angle is about right. By watching for opportunities, human interest and reaction shots of expressions on the faces of the watchers, especially the thrilled and intent children, can be secured. Later, these scenes can be edited into the parade sequences, here and there, to give variety. If telephoto lenses are available, it might be better to shoot from a second story window along the line of march. But here, too, a position at the corner, where the parade turns, is the best. A point to bear in mind is that the telephoto lens magnifies motion, just as it does the picture, which means that one should choose positions that permit a steady support for the camera. Follow shots with a telephoto will be satisfactory only if made by an experienced filmer with an unusually smooth working tripod head. When you are filming on the circus grounds, any 8mm. or 16mm. movie equipment will serve your purpose, but, when you shoot in the main tent during the show, you will require supersensitive film and a fast lens used wide open. The light may seem bright, but, even if the sun is shining on the canvas, the illumination under the "big top" is soft and diffused, and the dark grass will absorb a lot of it. The need for a fast lens excludes most telephoto use, except for shots of aerialists at the top where the light is brightest. Sometimes, a telephoto may be used on a scene of performers who are working on a light colored platform, which reflects sufficient illumination upward, or for a shot of the star performers whose feature act is illuminated with flood lamps and spotlights. Even with this additional light, it will be necessary to use a stop of //2.8: it is very seldom that a stop of [Continued on page 301]