World Film News and Television Progress (Apr 1936-Mar 1937)

Amateur Film in a Rut says Paul Burnford Paul Burnford, prize amateur film-maker, now a professional worker, gives advice to amateurs and makes some trenchant criticism. The Amateur Film Maker has fallen into a rut. With the exception of a few rare cases there has hardly been a single example of original or creative work since the advent of sub-standard apparatus 12 years ago. While admitting that the standard of photography has steadily improved, it has only developed in exact ratio to the better stock and processing and is therefore of little credit to the film-maker himself. Amateurs can be divided into four distinct classes: (a) the quasi-inteUectuals with their inexhaustible supply of high-hatted words and phrases, who are always just going to accomplish something ; (6) the makers of film plays, desirous of thrusting their physiognomies before a waiting world; (c) the fond parent with his records of little Oswald and the family, and W) the realist. The latter term is used in a general sense, meaning the worker with a more serious approach to film making, using the movie for a purpose. The amateur's supreme fault is his misunderstanding of the basic principles of construction. It matters little what type of subject is undertaken, but it must be simple and have scope for acquiring a knowledge of film construction. To fulfil the latter requirement it must have some thematic link throughout. It is best for the reaUst to start on some very simple subject. Take any straightforward job of work, such as a man digging, and build a short film around it. Show how the human effort, assisted by the spade, enables the work to be accomplished. It all seems very simple, but requires considerable ingenuity. Digging is a scientific job — try and analyse it. Show the man's face with the sweat dripping from his brow, his concentration, the entry of the spade into the earth, and its turning action, the muscular effect of his arms, and stress the fact that after he has been labouring for a given time work has been accomplished. Try and preserve throughout a perfect sense of time and rhythm. The aim should be to show the process in the minimum amount of footage. This entails not necessarily the elimination of the long shot, mid shot practice, but demands the keeping of these down to a minimum length. The tendency at first is usually to drag out the subject to an un necessary length, a fault which with practice will be automatically reduced. Cease envying the professional with his more elaborate equipment and holding this as an excuse for inferior film making. Give the amateur professional equipment with its intricacies and complications, and the results would be considerably worse than they are at present. Do not be afraid to experiment and risk new ideas. Even if they do not at first materialise, they will help to give life to a branch of film making which has too long been dormant. Try various camera angles and set ups, and experiment in the WE HOPE THAT We shall soon see the ToeplitzChevalier Beloved Vagabond. Romeo and Juliet will do better than Midsummer Night's Dream. The craze for film musical-comedies will reach saturation point at an early date. The Trade will soon set about the formation of a central statistical bureau. Everyone will be quite satisfied with their Television sets. cutting, but remember that in anything attempted there must be some subject and idea behind it. Always preconceive what material will be required, and how it will take its place in the finished whole. If you should decide to shoot an object from a certain angle to add emphasis, stick to your original idea and do not deviate. Uncertainty always leads to broken continuity in the completed film. As a final plea, get inside your subject, and do not hesitate to show up details. The personification of effort by showing the sweat on a person's brow throws the sequence into relief, and has a far more telling and dramatic significance than all the haphazard shooting in the world. Book Reviews FILM MUSIC by Kurt London (Faber & Faber. 12r. 6rf.) It was about time for someone to write a book on this subject, and if Dr. London does not go very deep into the subject, he does at least give a very complete resume of the relations between Music and Films during the past forty years. There is a particularly good chapter on the system of filin music compiled by Becce for Dr. Kurt London is 37 years old. He was well known in Germany for his fihn work before the Hitler regime. He edited "Der Film," and subsequently established a microphone institute for sound film, radio and gramophone recording. He is also a composer. The August issue of "World Film News" will include an article on the Home Libraries and their fund of first-rate films. cinema orchestras in the old silent days. This was the Kinothak, which divided music under such heads as "Uncanny agitato," "Impending doom," "Disturbed Masses; Tumult," "Passionate excitement" and so on. In regard to the modem sound film, Dr. London very rightly takes composers to task for sticking to the large symphony orchestra instead of developing a technique suitable not only for the microphone but also for the demands of film expression. The chapters on modem composers of film music are illustrated with excerpts from typical scores. It is very interesting to compare the rigid economy of Walter Leigh's Song of Ceylon music with the elaboration of Bliss's score for Things to Come. If you are interested in the sound film, you had better get this book. S. A. B. HOME PORTRAITURE— WITH THE MINIATURE CAMERA by Minicam (Newnes.is. 6d.) A comprehensive guide to all aspects of photography. Designed for amateurs it covers everything the beginner wants to know in clear everyday English. There is a welcome absence of scientific jargon with which the older school embarrass their work. It is a pity that in so excellent a book the photographs could not have been better reproduced. FILMS for PEACE and FREEDOM PHOTOS ' PROGRESS! " REALITY— NOT ROMANCE " sums up our as well as hundreds of photos. Two new Interested, join us NOW ! Write, call or viewpoint ; llms are in phone : we have preparation to date a dozen lectures — debates short films to -shows arranged. our credit, If you are FILM & PHOTO LEAGUE now 5 Great Ormond Street, W.CI. (HOL 1855) 35