Technique of the photoplay (1916)

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CHAPTER XLII 211 one there. He goes back to his chair and the scene ends. When the film is developed there will be a small piece, perhaps a foot or so, that shows Tom merely standing still and Mary walking off. In the join- ing room this piece will be taken out and the rest so cleverly matched that you will never realize that Tom stopped moving for a time. 10. But suppose the scene does not call for this effort to grasp her. Perhaps Mary merely fades out again, or dissolves out. In this case the process is reversed. The diaphragm is gradually closed with Mary on the stage and then while she walks out is turned back again. Once more it is run down while the diaphragm is opened. In each case Tom remains in the scene without movement and is exposed one hun- dred per cent on each frame. So is the scene itself. At each end of the dissolve the scene receives illumination in the proportion of nine- ty-eight and two per cent and in the middle it gets half the illumina- tion at one exposure and the remainder on the next. Only Mary is given a graduated exposure that first brings her to full flesh and then reduces her to nothingness. 11. Advance in the manufacture of cameras has resulted in the ma- terial reduction of the labor involved, but there is still required both time and care. Much more simple is the straight stop-camera appari- tion. This is done merely by stopping the camera. Its use is indi- cated when the appearance of the person is to be something of a shock. Suppose that in a fit of jealousy Ben has killed Bess, his wife, be- cause of his unjust suspicions. We wish to show the agony of his remorse. We write: 44. Cell —Ben sitting on bench—head in hands—Bess appears on bench beside him—he sees—shrieks—rushes to window—Bess appears in front of window—Ben turns to the door—she is there—he rushes to the corner—she is waiting for him—he picks up the bench and strikes at her—the bench shatters against the wall—Bess has disappeared—with a leering smile Ben turns from the corner—Bess confronts him—Ben staggers back—gath- ers himself for a spring—jumps at Bess—she vanishes—Ben falls forward—half rises—looks about—does not see her—looks to right—she is standing there—quickly he averts his glance— looking to the left—she appears there—Ben springs up—rushes to door—beats on it madly with his fists—sinks down—Bess appears in centre—Ben rises—drags himself up to her—about to strike—she smiles—Ben clasps hands to head—falls down— dead. Bess fades from the picture. This will be a troublesome scene to handle, but it looks as though it would give a return in effect, and it is more simple than it seems. As Ben sits on the bench, Bess walks in and sits beside him while the. camera is stopped. The camera turns and Ben sees her. He rushes to the window. As he starts up, the camera stops and Bess walks out of the scene. Ben goes to the window. Just before he gets there the camera stops again. Bess walks over to the window and faces Ben. The camera starts and turns until Ben turns and starts for the door. Now it stops and again Bess gets out of the scene. Ben starts