Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1945)

410 The clinic [Continued from page 386] to return to level ground or to wave the friends out of the scene, depending upon what is of primary importance in the scene — the locale or the people in it. Utility cabinet If y°ur projection equipment is stored inconveniently in small closets, competing with winter blankets or summer slip covers for shelf and floor space, you may find the suggestion of C. Fox, of Hewlett, N. Y., of value, especially if the rooms in your dwelling are large. Mr. Fox bought a cabinet, 63^2 inches high. 17% inches wide and 17 inches deep. It was provided with shelves, all of which he removed, with the exception of one at the top. On this one, he placed his projector, cutting a port in the cabinet's door and installing a sliding panel to be used with it. The cabinet can thus become a projection booth. A film storage box rests on the cabinet's floor, a splicer and rewind combination is hung on one wall by screw hooks and a 30 inch by 40 inch screen, with its tripod, leans in a corner of the storage device. The entire cost, Mr. Fox reports, was $11. Long enough There is no rule of thumb to govern scene lengths in an intelligently filmed motion picture, because a scene should be long enough to serve its purpose, and no longer. The "average scene" of ten seconds may serve as a rough guide to beginners who are beginning to assemble footage of the family and the neighborhood, but it soon loses any force for more advanced movie makers. A scene may be just a flash on the screen in a montage (an assembly of very short shots designed to create an emotional impact on the audience). If it were longer, the very purpose of the montage would be defeated. It may be no longer than five seconds, if it serves to return the audience to some bit of concurrent action with the beginning of which it is familiar. If an intricate action, either human or mechanical, is being explained, a single scene may continue through the whole performance of this action, as in the case of a surgical film. While a change of camera position is always desirable, if it can be secured without impairing the clarity of the film exposition, the clarity comes first in films of training, for example. In scenic footages, a fine composition with action should remain on the screen long enough for the action to be com prehended. In films of sports, particularly of individual performances, a scene should comprise the whole jump, dive, drive or putt, if it is possible to secure it with steady panoramic or tilting camera movement. If you are in doubt about the length of scenes that seem to you to be important, it is well to overshoot and then eliminate in editing, after getting the frank comments of friends who may be less interested in the subject than you are. The place to avoid overshooting is in making those scenes that you merely hope may turn out in editing to be interesting. If you are yourself sure, then shoot long, if need be, but only long enough. Type A outdoors As is univer sally known, when Type A Kodachrome is used out of doors it must be exposed through the compensating filter for daylight (Wratten No. 85) to achieve correct color balance. What is not so widely known is that no haze filter is needed in addition, when this film and filter combination is used on the extreme distance scenes usually calling for such an accessory. The objectionable ultra violet rays have already been screened out by the Type A daylight filter. Story to fit If vou nave some picturesque locations in your neighborhood or if your own home contains interesting stairs, cubbyholes, windows and what not, you can work out an original movie by planning a story that will fit the unusual settings. A street lined with stone walls, a cliff path, a tunnel or cave entrance may be OCTOBER 1945 everyday locale to you, but it will take on a romantic or sinister quality in your film. Just as good pictures have been made by tying random footage together by clever titles, so can they result from an imaginative use of familiar surroundings. A shot down a well, made at midday, will serve as the entrance to a world of hobgoblins. A box stall in an old stable, with worn bars and heavy door, combined with an old wagon wheel, can provide a medieval torture chamber. Stone steps in a park, filmed against a sky filled with angry clouds, may lead the heroine to the tower from whence she summons the hero to save her. The camera can be selective and suggestive, because of that selection. Commentaries for newsreels | Continued from page 393] FOR MUSIC OR EFFECTS.) 5. Columbia gets the ball on the opening play, and Johnson, Number 12, runs it for five yards. 7. Still the first quarter, third down for Columbia. Radkowski has it ... he laterals to Kelly. And Kelly's near the fifty . . . forty five . . . and he's downed by Cornell's Paul Robeson, jr. (CHEERS.) Naturally, you will not have the whole game in your brief newsreel, but you will do better. Your film will preserve the highlights and save your audience from the dull spots. One reel (400 feet of 16mm. or 200 feet of 8mm.) is a good length to aim for in the finished product. CAME STOR\ PLACS REMA CRED !«u»h Herbert Brilliant tnnunuiN roUr»pn Cornell vs. Columbia , „, 1GTH EXPO fE OF EVE • of rvr»r Baker Field, N.Y. „T Nov.. 16 ,K< Columbia In light blue shirts; Cornell in maroon (dark helmets) t«; <!to«-k i.«pn Sastmm Super-EC *•«,,„«,„,„ „ IMPORTANT: SPELL OUT CORRECT PRONUNCIATION OF NAMES OF PLACES AND PEOPLE. EXAMPLE: WALTHAM — PRONOUNCE -WALL— THAM." NOT "WALI TH'M"; HENRY L. EMES — PRONOUNCE "EEMS." NOT "EMZ" NUMBERS SCENE LISTS AND INFORMATION FOR OFFSTAGE. N B ElE 6URE TO NUMBER YOUR CANS: LIST SCENES ACCORDING TO CAN NUMBERS. CAMERA USED (aivl Raima) LENS. USED LICHTv COND. 1. 2. Cornell kicks off to Columbia. Ball received by Col. 12, who runs it to Columbia's 45yd. line. Col. 14 with tall to Cornell's 40. CineKodak 8nnn, 13ma. /air 3. 4. 5. 6. Col. £4 " " ; out of bounds for no gain. Col. kicks out to Cornell's 36. Line play — no gain. Cornell § 51 passes; incomplete. 4th down; 6 to go. 76mm. 7. 8. 9. Cornell 64 kicks; ball received by Col. 14 on own 25. Columbia's ball on own 30. Line play — no gain. Col. 42 around end for no gain. 3rd down; 9 to go. 10. 11. IE. Col. 15' s pass intercepted by Cornell 60. Cornell 14 over for touchdown! Cornell 50 makes conversion. 13mm. 13. 14. 16. Cornell kicks. Ball rec'd by Col.13, runs back to 23. Fine Statue of Liberty play by Col. 36. Fenalty for Col. 10 yds. Cornell kicks into end zone on 4th down. Score: Col. 14-Corn. 7 El© OF HALF 16. Crowd shots made during half. Closeup of Columbia coach Little. Parade. Various players warming up on bench.