The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Jan-Feb 1923)

January 6, 1924. KINEMATOGRAPH “AS AN AID TO THE PORTRAITPAINTER. A Successful Experiment, “JROR the first * time the kinematograph has been. employed as an aid to the portrait painter. Ernest Moore, the artist, who had the collaboration of J. film producer, in this venture, pronounces the experiment .a complete “success. ’ The subject “was Wilfrid Rhodes, the noted all-England batsman and bowler, and one of the most famous cricketers of the time. Artists for years have found it dificult to attain the sense of realism in portraying the action of sportsmen ; in a painting. Mr. -Moore found that the cricketer in action moved so rapidly that his eye could not take in the detail of his movements. He then conceived the idea of obtaining realistic effects from a film record of tho cricketer in action. He sought the help of Mr. Blackton, and Mr. Rhodes did some quick action work before Mr. Blackton’s camera in the garden ‘of the” Blackton’ honie™ in ‘Chelsea. The bits of film were then minutely studied by the -artist, and.a-number of them enlarged. These the painter kept at the side of his easel. as he worked on the portrait which is destined to hang -in the pavilipn at Lord’swhere Rhodeg ‘as Enlargement of a piece of the film used by ‘Ernest Moore in’ making a portrait -of : Wilfrid ‘Rhodes... . oD so often delighted crioket-lovers. “‘I am completely pleased with the result of his experiment in bringing the kinematograph.to-the -aid of-portrait painting,” said Mr. Moore. ‘‘ Mr. Blackton, being both a painter and a film _ producer, with a knowledga of sport, was of much help to me. . The kinematograph record of Rhodes in action visualised the methods and personality of the player; it conveyed to me a series ‘of impressions that were valuable, and that I could not otherwise . havo obtained. Realism was there, the tensity, the muscular ‘play, the sense of speed and concentration,-the beautiful balance -—all that I wanted: and could -not get until I sought the aid of the kinematograph. JI predict that in the near future portrait painteré will be using films as an accessory to their work, and find much value therein.” The portrait of Rhodes was ordered by a wealthy country cricketer for the-Lord’s pavilion. [SA MOTHER TO BLAME? Stuart Blackton, the © .THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. 55 TO HELP: THE: EXHIBITOR. Maurice Elvey’s Interesting Offer. JT is. pot often that the producer of ao film play takes ally | active interest in the screening of his picture, thoughthere can be no question as to the advantage which would acerue to exhibitors if producers were willing to assist in ** putting their productions over.” Maurice Elvey has comé to this conclusion, and although his time is very fully occupied in the making of super film plays for Stoll’s, he realises the immense importance of such details as musical effects, ‘speed of projection, and so forth, and is anxious to do his utmost to help exhibitors with Stoll picture productions which bear his name. At the trade show of ‘ Dick Turpin’s Ride to York" he personally supervised all the musical and other effects, inclhiding the speed of. projection of various incidents in tha film, and it is pretty genenally conceded that much of the ‘success of the trade show was due to the perfect manner in which the whole thing was conducted. ; “ Dick Turpin’s Ride to York ” is very shortly to be released, and Mr. Elvey, for the benefit of exhibitors, wishes it to be made as widely known as possible that he is prepared, entirely free of charge, to supervise the presentation of this picture at certain first-class kinemas within convenient access of London. Naturally, his work as a producer renders it quite impossible for him to travel very far afield, but he is ready to sacrifice his own spare time in tho interests of the industry, “THE SWITCHBOARD OF IDEAS.” New Studio Devices for ‘Robin Hood.” "ANY improvements in film production wero made during M the screening of Douglas Fairbanks in ‘ Robin Hood,’’ which continues to draw record houses at the London Pavilion, In a production of such magnitude the ordinary methods were found insufficient: thug various: schemes were tried, and’ those adopted will undoubtedly wield considerable influence in reshaping old methods in all branches of studio work. One yery interesting device is for the purpose of adapting story construction to tho screen. It is on the. principle of the telephone switchboard and is named by its inventor, Allan Dwan, ‘* The Switchboard of Ideas.” It resembles a bulletin board, in which are placed several rows of large, glass thumbtacks, to which are appended small ‘tags. Hach of these tags represents a scene in the picture and each thumbtack stands for an cpisode. The thumbtacks are arranged according to their place in the story, while the tags are numbered ‘to correspond with the order of scenes. On each tag is written a brief description of the action and ‘* business ” of the scene.* The advantage of this arrangement was that should it be desired to eliminate a certain scene, the tag corresponding to that scene merely had to be removed. A scene ‘to be added meant another tag put where desired, and a wholo new episode could be inserted by the addition of another thumbtack, Much valuable time was saved in this way, and when it is ‘understood that the expenscs of the Fairbanks’ production often ran.as high as £2,500 per day, one can appreciate the value of “The Switchboard of Ideas ” as a time-saving device alone, atk =: