Movie Makers (Jun-Dec 1928)

Making Your Own Home By H. Syril Dusenbery THE day of the talking movie has arrived! All over the country theater-goers flock to see pictures that sing and talk, and they marvel at the completeness of the illusion. In almost every city theaters are installing the necessary equipment, at no small expense, to entertain the ear in addition to the eye. Y ou have become so accustomed to the march of progress that you take much for granted. The unusual has become the usual. What is novel today becomes commonplace tomorrow. When you go to a theater and see flashed on the screen a picture that talks and sings you are no longer particularly startled. But suppose you invite your friends to your home and in the midst of one of your own pictures shown in your parlor one of the characters suddenly begins to sing and his voice fills the room — what then? Impossible? No! If you possess an ordinary phonograph and have a little patience, it can easily be done. With the limited equipment within the reach of the amateur movie maker you cannot hope to make the kind of talking picture that you see in the theater; but, with nothing more than your own movie outfit plus a phonograph, you can produce some very startling results. In comparison with the elaborate equipment of the professional talking movie backed by years of experiment and research, this method is crude; yet by its application some one known in your circle as not being able to sing a single note now bursts forth on the screen apparently singing a grand opera selection. The amateur jazz band can be made to sound like Paul Whiteman. Such phonograph characters as "Cohen and the Telephone" and "Two Black Crows" now appear on the screen in the guise of some of the family. These are mere suggestions of the marvelous effects you can secure with your phonograph along with your movie outfit. Perhaps as you read this light is dawning on you as to the modus operandi of the home-made talking movie. The idea came to me while watching a Vitaphone production. Its simplicity should appeal to every amateur movie maker who yearns to try something off the beaten path and at the same time surprise his friends. So far as I know the idea is original and therefore has never before appeared in print. 378 There is nothing particularly remarkable about the theory of this home-made talking movie, but considerable ingenuity is required to put it into actual operation. It is simply this: A phonograph record is played while you take your movie. The subject sings or talks along with the phonograph the entire time the camera is in operation. Later, when the movie is finished and projected on the screen, the same phonograph selection is played and, if properly done, the illusion will be complete. That is all there is to it. Now let us go into the practical details. The basic idea is certainly simple enough, but the application — well, it requires just a little patience and experimenting. The first step is the selection of a suitable phonograph record. Select a familiar song for your first attempt; one with clearcut words and little orchestra accompaniment, if possible. Clarity is important. Avoid jazz effects in your first attempt. Let them come later. The length of the selection is limited by the particular camera you own, as will be explained presently. Once you have decided on a record and have found a subject to sing it, have the subject practice singing with the phonograph. This becomes easy if he is perfectly familiar with the record. Play it over several times and have him listen carefully. Then get him to try to say the words along with the phonograph. It is not necessary that the subject actually sing or carry the tune; speaking the words along with the record is all that is required. He should move his lips freely as if actually singing, but care must be taken not to overdo the lip movement or the naturalness of the illusion will be spoilt. With about a half hour's practice he ought to be able to speak the words in perfect time so that anyone looking at him and hearing the phonograph without seeing it would think that he was actually doing the singing. He should be letter-perfect before the camera is brought to the scene. It is not necessary to have him standing still while singing. He should be careful to avoid stiffness and move about naturally and gracefully. After all, you are taking moving pictures and the singer should constantly remember this. The next step is to determine just Movies Talk how much of this record your camera can photograph with a single winding. Remember, during the actual taking of the talking picture the camera must run continuously. You cannot hope to keep the picture and phonograph in step if the camera stops during the filming, or if you make any cuts and splices in the finished film. If you happen to own a camera that can be hand-cranked, like the Cine Kodak Model A or the Victor, you do not have to worry about this. You can make a scene run just as long as your film holds out, provided your arm doesn't give out before then. It is of special importance that the speed of cranking be uniform throughout the entire scene. Spring-driven cameras, like the Cine Kodak Model B and the Bell and Howell Filmo,run for certain, definite, but different, lengths of time with a single winding. You must therefore determine just how much of the record your particular camera can take with a single winding. None of the spring-driven cameras will run long enough to enable you to photograph a full record. You should, however, endeavor to take a definite portion of a record, such as a single verse or a single chorus. You can find out just how much you can take by running your camera (without a film) while the record is playing. You may have to try out several records before you locate one that will enable you to do this. Once you have discovered the most suitable portion to use you are ready to proceed. Mark off the section of the record you are going to use by placing the tiniest possible daub of white paint at the exact start and finish. A small dot will do — just something to indicate to yourself the exact point to start and stop the phonograph needle. You are now ready to load your camera and proceed with the actual taking of the scene. You will want to work out of doors and you must take the phonograph with you. Here is where a little portable phonograph comes in mighty handy. If you haven't one it would be wise to borrow one, as you must have a phonograph alongside the camera. Any phonograph that is not too bulky to move outside will do. The camera should be mounted on a firm support, a tripod preferred, but any solid object will do. Talking pictures must be rock-steady to be successful. {Continued on page 417)