Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1952)

176 CONTINUITY IN CAPSULE "Movie Makers" examines — and approves — an ingenious dial computer which tabulates the techniques of film planning NOW they've done it! After twenty five years and several million written and spoken words — all expended by the ACL in a continuing effort to explain film planning — the basic principles of motion picture continuity have now been incorporated in a capsule. SIAAPLE SHOT PLOTTER That capsule is. actually, a simple cardboard computer of the familiar dial type. It appears on page 19 of Kodak's new booklet. The Cine Photoguide, and it is called by the publishers the Kodak Movie Organizer. For short, we like to call it a shot plotter. And if we had our way, its purchase would be compulsory with every movie camera sold from now on. Using this scene computer will not guarantee, of course, that you can create an ACL Ten Best winner the first film out of your camera. But it should go far in creating sense where there generally has been non-sense, coherence where there has been chaos, and interest where before there has been only indifference. . . . That's quite an order, you say? Well this shot plotter is quite a gadget ! Let's see how it works. . . . THE PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING Essentially, what this computer does is to put into visible format the basic principles of picture planning. But first let us examine what faced the worker in words alone, as he attempted in the past to explain these same principles: ( 1 ) A motion picture ( he would begin ) is comprised of a series of individual scenes, with a scene itself being defined as .any unbroken take of film from a single camera position. (2) The basic scenes in a motion picture I he would go on) are known as the long shot, the medium sliol and the closeup. Two other standard scenes used in film continuity are the insert and the reaction shot, (3 1 When a series of these scenes (he would conclude) are arranged in coherent order, you create a sequence — the true structural unit of picture planning. For, when a suitable number of related sequences are joined together — either by subtitles or by commentary — you have created a coherent motion picture. He would then go on to define the storyLelling function of the long shot, medium shot and closeup; to discuss the purpose of the insert and the reaction shot, and to state (as exactly as possible) how long each shot should be and bow far away to place I be camera Id create it . . . Clearly, quite an order! PURPOSE MAKES THE PICTURE But the discharge of tins order is exactly the accomplishment which culminates visibly in the Kodak shot plotter. Words, of course, cannot be wholly done away with, even here. Thus, on a page preceding the plotter itself, we find the following statement on film planning: "Every shot should have a purpose!" The booklet proceeds then to key, with succinct single words, the purpose of the three basic and two auxiliary movie scenes. For effect, we shall tabulate these tie-ups: THE WORD Where? What? Who? Why? While? THE SCENE Long Shot Medium Shot Closeup Insert Reaction But before these words and their accompanying scenes can be translated into computer form, they must be clearly defined. In the discussions which follow, we have paraphrased ( where we thought best) the brief Kodak definitions. FIG. 1: WHERE is established as our screen story opens with this long shot of the dining room. It runs, says the shot plotter, 6 to 10 seconds, is shot from 20 feet. FIG. 2: WHAT goes on in the setting shown is made clear by this medium shot of the birthday party. 4 to 6 seconds, advises the plotter, at 10 to 15 feet back.