Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1944)

MOVIE MAKERS 239 saw a copy the week after The Farmer in the Zoo was finished. I learned that titles and credits eat up a disproportionate amount of footage. When cutting time comes, it hurts to" have to throw out scenes that are useful in the story because the overall length simply has to be reduced, and titles and credits must be given a certain number of seconds on the screen, if they are to be read. Hereafter, our titles and credits are going to be mighty, mighty short. Suppose that I outline the story, as it was written, and then go into what happened in the course of the filming and sound recording. The film opens in complete blackness. An alarm clock rings, a light flips on and a hand picks up the clock. Yes. it's five fifteen in the morning and time for the Farmer to start his daily chores. He walks through the blackness of the barnyard, swinging a lantern, turns on the lights in the barn, and we see him doing routine chores — milking, shaking down hay, cleaning stalls. Outside, the sun has begun to come up. and a rooster crows. Eventually the breakfast bell rings, and the Farmer goes back across the barnyard and sits down to a heavy breakfast. The Hired Man comes down the lane. More chores follow, and the Farmer's wife and son feed the chickens and gather an overnight egg or two — their part of the farm duties. The Farmer begins his plowing. Presently the farm bell rings again, at 10 a.m., the hour when the Farm opens to visitors. A haywagon load of youngsters drives up and they call to the Farmer. His duties include taking parties of children around the Farm; so, he ties up his plow team and starts off with the visitors. They go to various exhibits ■ — see eggs coming out of the incubator at hatching time, look through the dairy barn, watch the Farmer lead out a frisky calf and "slop the pigs," and they stop to look at the heifers. Then it is time to go back to the playground, and they bid goodbye to the Farmer. We fade out as he resumes his plowing. It looked like a wonderful story when I wrote it. There is a leader in charge of the children, and there is a lot of dialog in which he assumes to know all about a farm, but mispronounces the word, "heifer," and is corrected by the Farmer; he mistakes the breed and sex of a cow, too. But it is not good enough. Not enough actually happens. If I were doing it again, I should cut out all the breakfast scene and some of the morning chores, and concentrate on daylight shots of the children and the animals — the animals doing things. I should suggest, rather than show in detail, the early morning routine of the Farmer. That is the one important point that I have learned about script writing, from this Brilliant Black and White Full Rich Colors RADIANT You will be astonished at how much difference the Radiant Hy-flect Glass Beaded Surface makes in motion pictures, slides and opaque projections. Black and white stand out in clear vivid contrast. Colors are rich, deep and natural. In addition, Radiant Screens offer many exclusive advantages: they can be instantly raised or lowered to any desired position without adjusting set screws or plungers; square-sized screens are convertible to oblong; all metal parts fully protected against corrosion. WRITE FOR CIRCULAR Your dealer can supply you with latest Radiant Screens NOW! Send for latest FREE screen bulletin giving full details, prices and sizes. ; Radiant Mfg. Co. ■ 1188 W. Superior St., Chicago 22 I Please send me FREE Copy of * latest Radiant Screen Catalog. Name_ BETTER SCREENS FOR BETTER PROJECTION. Address_ City State. WORTH WAITING FOR . . . after all war needs have been met, Westons will again be available at your photo dealers. opportunities in brilliant colors . . . blue skies' and green trees . . . multitudes of gorgeous flowers. Cities and shores teem with colorful crowds. Vacation and sports invite endless use of color film. Logically, Kodachrome is the photographer's favorite weapon during this season. For with the ideal light conditions and a Weston MASTER to guide in accurately measuring colors, exposures are sure to be "on the button" every time. Weston Electrical Instrument Corporation, 606 Frelinghuysen Ave., Newark 5, N. }. WESTOM exposure meters