Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1949)

m PARADES ARE A PATCHWORK JAMES M. FROST EVERYBODY loves a parade! The blare and beat of the brazen music, the rhythmic patterns of marching people, the flags, the floats and the feeling of good fellowship — these things appeal to us all. But can you bring them back on film? The band music and the crowd noises, to be sure, you can secure on records; and their use as background accompaniment to your picture will contribute much to its effectiveness. But weaving the bright visual pattern of a parade is solely up to you and your camera. Perhaps of premier importance is achieving a sense of variety — variety of subject matter, camera distance and viewpoint. Almost equally on order is the need for dramatic compression, a cinematic operation in which, by selective sampling, you suggest rather than show the physical and temporal length of the parade. On these and other parade problems, with the famed Portland (Oregon) Rose Festival as my principle subject, I have picked up some proved-in-the-field pointers. They may help you too when next the bands start blaring. Here, then, is how I last handled Portland's finest show. First, after checking the parade route in the newspapers. I listed camera positions that would assure a good front lighting on all parade subjects until late in the afternoon. My final choice was the south side of a fairly wide street, looking east. With the parade coming from the south, it turned the corner about a half block east, presenting broadside views for my long shots. Then moving west toward me, the floats could be taken head-on for medium shots, followed by closeups of detail. Tall dark trees, with their green leaves complementing the vivid coloring of subjects and floats, were a perfect background on the north. Dark non-glary buildings would do in a pinch. Light colored buildings make poor backgrounds because of lack of contrast. If, however, you can place them at your side or behind you, they serve Variety of viewpoint and subject matter, stitched together with agile editing, make up this movie crazy-quilt CtOSEUP STUDIES of parade celebrities are best made with medium telephoto when the subject is at rest. Hand holding is out. well as reflectors to effect more even overall lighting. So much for basic camera position. With you, there, it is well to have a friend to help in changing lenses, sunshade and filter combinations and film.' My helper also rechecked the lighting and alerted me for particularly interesting subjects coming around the corner. For it is hard enough to concentrate on shooting one subject properly without straining to see and prepare for what comes next. Now for technique. Your chief problem may seem to be the changing position of your subject matter, requiring thereby a readjustment of focus. But continual change in subject to camera distance need not mean continual change of focal setting — if the lens is set for its hyperfocal distance. Of course, this figure also varies with the lens focal length and the aperture being used. But a good average figure — say, with an aperture of f/5.6 — would be 3Yo feet for the standard % inch lens on 8mm. cameras and 14% feet for the 1 inch 16mm. camera lens. Either lens, set at its appropriate hyperfocal distance, will then be in focus on all [Continued on page 192] Photographs by Christian's Pholu Service A DOWN ANGLE, valuable as variety, creates a flat perspective and may tire audience if used too much. Side lighting casts good shadows. DARK BACKGROUND, provided by trees or shadowed buildings, makes for good contrast. The camera angle to line of march is excellent.