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AMERICAN
CINEMATOGRAPHER
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
1
A Technical and Educational publication
of motion picture photography.
Published monthly by the
AMERICAN SOCIETY
OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS, INC.,
Suite 1222 Cuaranty Building,
Hollywood, California.
Telephone Granite 4274.
JOHN ARNOLD, President, A. S. C.
GEORGE SCHNEIDERMAN, Treasurer, A. S. C.
Volume XIII MARCH, 1933 Number 11
What to Read
COVER Photo
by Jackson Rose, A.S.C.
REPORT of Testing Committee 5
RE-RECORDING, Dubbing or Duping
by Nathan Levinson 6
HOLLYWOOD Still Leads
says Errst Lubitsch 8
DIETERICH Composite Process
by William Stull, A.S.C 9
HOLLYWOOD Inspects New B.&H. Camera
by William Stull, A.S.C 10
RIDDLE Me This 12
CANDID Camera on Production
by Walter Blanchard 14
PHOTOGRAPHY of the Month.. 16
EXPLAINING Film Latitude
by Emery Huse, A.S.C 1 8
WHEELS of Industry 20
AMATEUR SECTION
USING A 16 MM. Camera In the Air
by Lieut. C. R. Wriston 22
WHEN You Title
by August Wolfram 24
WHEN a Professional Turns Amateur
by David Abel, A.S.C 25
PROTECTING the 16 MM. Investment
by William Stull, A.S.C 26
YOU’RE Surrounded With Conti nuity
by T. B. Hoffman 27
BOOKS You Should Read
by Karl Hale 28
HERE’S How
by A.S.C. Members 30
ESTABLISHED 1918. Advertising Rates on appli-
cation. Subscription: U. S. $3.00 a year; Canada
$3.50 a year; Foreign, $4.00 a year; single copies 25c.
COPYRIGHT, 1933, by American Society of Cine-
matographers Inc.
The Staff
EDITOR
Charles J. VerHalen
TECHNICAL EDITOR
Emery Huse, A. S. C.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
William Stull, A. S. C.
ASSOCIATES
Walter Blanchard
Karl Hale
ADVISORY
EDITORIAL BOARD
George Schneiderman, A. S. C.
Hatto Tappenbeck, A. S. C.
H. T. Cowling, A. S. C.
Dr. L. M. Dieterich, A. S. C.
Dr. C. E. K. Mees, A. S. C.
Dr. L. A. Jones, A. S. C.
Dr. W. B. Rayton, A. S. C.
Dr. Herbert Meyer, A. S. C.
Dr. V. B. Sease, A. S. C.
FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES
Georges Benoit, % Louis Verande. 12 Rue
d’Aguessau, Paris 8e. John Dored, Riga,
Latvia. Herford Tynes Cowling, 311 Alex-
ander Street, Rochester, N. Y.
Neither the American Cinematographer nor
the American Society of Cinematograph-
ers is responsible for statements made by
authors. This magazine will not be re-
sponsible for unsolicited manuscripts.
2
American Cinematographer • March 1933
B ell & Howell
AUTOMATIC
Inspected and examined by leading motion picture laboratory
technicians, the new Bell & Howell Automatic Sound Printer
itself has anticipated every question asked concerning it. Every
requirement in modern sound-film production has been taken
care of. With a vastly finer control of print density and quality
than has hitherto been possible, the new printer was designed
for high quantity production, and guess work is completely
eliminated. Sound and picture are printed in one operation under
fully automatic interlocking control. Write today for full details.
B & H Cooke V aro Lens
The new B & H Cooke Varo Lens naturally is a
spectacular mechanism because it so strikingly “does
the impossible.’’ Yet every single function is the
result of scientifically accurate calculation and design.
This lens varies the focal length and magnification of
the lens while retaining critical focus and while
changing iris setting with focal length to retain correct
exposure, permitting the zooming up to and receding
from a subject without moving either camera or
subject. Write for complete data and prices. Available
on rental to responsible studios in Hollywood.
You Can Make Professional
16 mm. Pilms with Pilmo
Of all personal motion picture cameras and pro-
jectors, Filmo is most at home in Hollywood and
other leading film producing centers of the world. For
the same engineers who created Bell & Howell’s
standard camera and the Eyemo 35 mm. hand camera,
created Filmo. And into its design and manufacture
went the same fervor and loyalty to a precision ideal
that has had so much influence in standardizing and
perfecting today’s professional motion picture mech-
anisms.
But with all their professional background, the Filmo
Camera and Projector are still the most economical to
buy. They give you the utmost in motion picture
photography and projection. They give an easy
The New Filmo JL
Projector
i°o% gear-driven ,
powerful lighting sys-
tem, and a score of
other refinements . $298.
Other Filmo Projectors
St U P- Filmo Cam-
eras, $92 and up, tax
paid.
operation that is a delight to the novice. They give
a life-long dependability and service which bespeaks
their professional origin. Combine Filmo’s modest
price with these sterling qualifications and you have
a value that supplies the final thrill to personal movie
making. See your dealer or write for full particulars.
BELL & HOWELL
1848 Larchmont Ave., Chicago; 11 West 4ind St., New York;
716 North La Brea Ave., Hollywood; 310 Regent St., London
(B & H Co., Ltd.) Est. 1907.
FILMO
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
3
T HE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMA-
TOGRAPHERS was founded in 1918 for
the purpose of bringing into closer confed-
eration and cooperation all those leaders in the
cinematographic art and science whose aim
is and ever will be to strive for pre-eminence
in artistic perfection and technical mastery of
this art and science. Its purpose is to further
the artistic and scientific advancement of the
cinema and its allied crafts through unceasing
research and experimentation as well as
through bringing the artists and the scientists
of cinematography into more intimate fellow-
ship. To this end, its membership is composed
of the outstanding cinematographers of the
world, with Associate and Honorary member-
ships bestowed upon those who, though not
active cinematographers, are engaged none the
less in kindred pursuits, and who have, by
their achievements, contributed outstandingly
to the progress of cinematography as an Art
or as a Science. To further these lofty aims,
and to fittingly chronicle the progress of cine-
matography, the Society’s publication, The
American Cinematographer, is dedicated.
RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Chairman, John F. Seitz
Dr. L. M. Dieterich
Hal Rosson
AMERICAN
SOCIETY OF
CINEMATOGRAPHERS
OFFICERS
JOHN ARNOLD
ARTHUR MILLER
FRANK GOOD
ELMER DYER
GEORGE SCHNEIDERMAN
U/ll I I AM ST l III
President
First Vice-President
Second Vice-President
Third Vice-President
Treasurer
^rrpfarv/
BOARD OF COVERNORS
John Arnold
John W. Boyle
Arthur Miller
Daniel B. Clark
Elmer Dyer
Arthur Edeson
Frank Good
Alfred
Fred Jackman
Victor Milner
Hal Mohr
George Schneiderman
John F. Seitz
William Stull
Ned Van Buren
Gilks
PAST PRESIDENTS
Philip E. Rosen
Gaetano Gaudio
James Van Trees
John W. Boyle
Fred W. Jackman
HONORARY MEMBER
Mr. Albert S. Howell, Chicago
Hal Mohr
Homer Scott
John F. Seitz
Daniel B. Clark
Arthur Webb,
General Counsel
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Mr. Emery Huse
Mr. Fred Gage
Dr. W. B. Rayton
Dr. C. E. K. Mees
Dr. Herbert
Dr. Loyd A. Jones
Dr. V. B. Sease
Dr. L. M. Dieterich
Dr. J. S. Watson, Jr.
Meyer
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE
John Arnold
Joseph Dubray
Georges Benoit
Harold Sintzenich
H. T. Cowling
Edwin L. Dyer
Ariel Varges
Charles Bell
Frank C. Zucker
John Dored
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
Daniel B. Clark, Chairman.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Hal Rosson, Chairman
ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE
Frank B. Good, Chairman
WELFARE AND RELIEF COMMITTEE
Arthur Miller, Chairman
EXHIBITION COMMITTEE
Arthur Miller, Chairman, Karl Struss,
Daniel B. Clark.
4
American Cinematographer • March 1933
Good News
THAT HAS SCOOPED THE NATION!
NOW. . .you can BUY OUTRIGHT the
ivorld’s best sound equipment!
No more leasing — no more prolonged contract service!
It’s the sensation of the industry — the
RCA Victor Company’s revolutionary
new policy which provides for outright
sale, on liberal terms, of the new Photo-
phone High Fidelity sound-reproducing
apparatus. At one stroke we have elimi-
nated for motion picture exhibitors the
outmoded leasing system and prolonged
contract service. We have provided for
minimum contract service on deferred
payments, and a liberal trade-in allow-
ance on old equipment . . . No wonder
exhibitors from all parts of the country
have been vastly interested . . . have sent
eagerly to the company’s home office and
to its sales representatives for further de-
tails. We’ll be glad to send you full facts
on this new plan — study the deferred
payment listings given below — then get
in touch with us or our representatives!
High fidelity all AC operated equipment available fior theatres of all sizes on three year
deferred payment plan, with small down payment and weekly payments , as follows:
Standard Super Size . . . $46.67 per week
(2500 to 4000 seats)
Standard Large Size . . . $35.72 per week
(1400 to 2500 seats)
Standard Small Size . . . $24.10 per week
(600 to 1400 seats)
Special Size $15.02 per w eek
(Up to 600 seats)
Trade-in allowance on old equipment will further reduce above weekly payments!
Above payments include cost of periodical scheduled service.
PHOTOPHONE DIVISION
RCA Victor Co., Inc.
CAMDEN, N. J.
Branches in Principal Cities of the World
i
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i
i
5
Ji
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
A. S. C. Testing
Committee Approves
Filmo 70-D 16 mm.
Camera
T HE first piece of apparatus submitted to the Testing
Committee of the American Society of Cinematog-
raphers is the model 70-D “Filmo” camera for 16
mm. cinematography, manufactured by the Bell & Howell
Company, of Chicago, Illinois. A stock camera of this model
was submitted for the tests, which were conducted in ac-
cordance with the claims advanced for the product by the
manufacturer, as well as by means of practical photographic
tests made by the members of the committee.
Various types of equipment are being worked on by the
committee on testing. As this work proceeds and the tests
are completed the results will be published in the AMERI-
CAN CINEMATOGRAPHER.
In view of the fact that claims on some of the articles
run to such great length and the report of the committee
in its detailed findings also require a number of pages of
type-written matter, it was the decision of the committee
to make available to all those who desired, copies of the
claims and copy of the findings of the committee, instead
of publishing all of these details in the AMERICAN CINE-
MATOGRAPHER.
In the last paragraph of its report, the committee made
the following authorization which is quoted in part:
“ . . . . and does authorize the publication of this report.
The Committee also authorizes the Editor of the AMERI-
CAN CINEMATOGRAPHER magazine to supply complete
copies of the claims under which this product was tested
together with the findings of the committee upon which
this report was based, to any who desire the same.”
The benefit of these tests to the entire industry is
obvious, especially to those not initiated in the mechanics
and requirements of the cinematographic profession. It
places on these pieces of equipment the endorsement of
the greatest authority of things cinematographic in the
world.
As the work progresses into various pieces of equipment
in the different avenues of picture pursuit, there will be
an accrued benefit that will have untold value. It will
permit the purchase of a piece of equipment with complete
confidence. Although some apparatus may not have all
of the refinements that is possessed by another, still within
its price field, it is fully representative of a good piece of
merchandise worthy of the purchaser’s attention and use.
With the rapid development in the cinematographic
field, especially in the substandard activities, these tests will
represent a definite value.
Feb. 20, 1933
Report of Testing
Committee On Bell &
Howell Company’s Filmo
70-D 16 MM. Camera
WHEREAS the Bell & Howell Company has sub-
mitted to the American Society of Cinematographers
its 16 mm. camera for amateur cinematography,
known as the “Model 70-D Filmo,” duly ac-
companied by the aforesaid manufacturer’s claims and
specifications for that article, and
WHEREAS the Testing Committee of the Ameri-
can Society of Cinematographers has duly tested the
said product in accordance with these specifications,
and with practical photographic tests, and
WHEREAS the said Testing Committee has found
the said “Filmo 70-D” camera to be satisfactory
according to the aforementioned claims and to have
satisfactorily undergone the Committee’s photographic
tests,
THEREFORE does the Testing Committee of the
American Society of Cinematographers certify that
the said “Filmo camera, model 70-D” is worthy of
the Approval of the American Society of Cinematog-
raphers, and does authorize the Secretary of the said
society to bestow upon the said “model 70-D Filmo
camera” the mark of the Society’s approval, which
Stamp of Approval the Committee does authorize the
said Bell & Howell Company to imprint upon their
product, the said “model 70-D Filmo camera,” and
to use in their advertising of that product so long as
the design and manufacture of the said product does
remain unchanged.
6
American Cinematographer • March 1933
New Sound Concentrator as developed by
Warner Brothers Vitaphone engineers, marking a
very definite advance in sound recording. This
concentrator is not only capable of picking up
sounds at a great distance, it is also capable of
rejecting to a large degree undesirable sounds
originating behind or to the sides of the parabola.
In the photo above are Director Mervyn LeRoy
at right and Major Nathan Levinson, Director of
Recording at Warner Brothers at left.
S indicated at the sound demonstration before the
/ A meeting of the Technicians Branch of the Academy
/ \of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, held at War-
ner-First National studios February 16, we are all accus-
tomed to eliminating extraneous, unnecessary and undesira-
ble sounds as we go about our daily existence. We do
this naturally and normally and without ever giving it
a thought.
The microphone, however, does not have a brain and is
therefore not capable of distinguishing between desirable
and undesirable sounds. We have to do that for it.
The sound mixer has a great responsibility in this respect
during the filming of a picture, and the re-recording mixer
has an even greater responsibility in preparing the final
sound track. They are charged with the proper recording
and mixing of all desirable sounds for the picture, but they
are also charged — and this is very important — with the
elimination of all undesirable, even though natural, sounds
from the film. A picture overdone from the sound stand-
point would mar the excellence of all the other work con-
tributed to it, and could in no manner be considered good
entertainment.
The sound mixers must always keep in mind that the
ultimate object of their work is to provide pleasing enter-
tainment for the audience when the picture is projected
before it.
In our demonstration, with a concentrator on the roof
of the sound building in which it was given, we indicated
to the audience the many sounds going on about us all the
time, of which we are at least partially unaware, which
when picked up by the microphone and amplified are ex-
tremely annoying. They suddenly take a relation to us alto-
gether out of proportion to their value. In this way we
demonstrate that the sounds of automobiles passing at
several blocks distance, the sounds of people speaking and
shuffling their feet on the streets, as well as many other
Re-Recording/
unimportant sounds, are always present, but are eliminated
by our brain and nervous system, which picks and chooses
among the sounds surrounding us to select the ones im-
portant to the moment.
The sound mixer is the brain of the microphone, which
is in turn the ear of the picture.
In the same manner, by the simple device of running a
strip of film first without sound of any sort, then with
dialogue, then with dialogue and sound effects together,
we are able to indicate to a somewhat astonished group
of film laymen that the addition of sound to a picture is as
definitely an art function as is photography or acting or
directing, heightening or lowering the dramatic effect of
the sequence at the will of the sound re-recording mixer.
Some of the reasons for re-recording sound may be
briefly enumerated. They are (1) to add music, (2) to
add sound effects, (3) correcting variations in sound
quality and sound intensity, (4> correcting sound perspec-
tive to fit picture action, (5) to make additional nega-
tives, (6) to transfer sound from film to disc records and
vice versa, and (7) to provide sound for sequences which
may have been photographed without sound.
The primary function of re-recording, dubbing or dup-
ing is to make a smooth, finished negative so that finished
prints for release may be run off at will. In the production
of talking motion pictures, sequences are necessarily photo-
graphed in many short scenes and from many angles.
These sequences, when assembled by the film editor, neces-
sitate, in many instances, overlapping of dialogue, addi-
tional dialogue, and the dubbing in of music and sound
effects to provide realism, making sound equal in im-
portance with good acting, good photography, good story
and good directorial technic in the success of the picture.
When sound was first introduced into the motion pic-
ture by Warner Brothers, it was regarded very much as
an ornament on the Christmas tree — that is, it was a
novelty with which to dress up the picture and make it
more pleasing as entertainment or visual education. The
first sound motion pictures produced by Warner Brothers
in the Manhattan Opera House, New York, in the year
1926, were short subjects varying from six to twelve min-
utes running time in length, or were “one-reel shorts.”
We were faced with the necessity of making these “one-
reel shorts” because we had no knowledge of, or facilities
for, re-recording or dubbing sound. As we were producing
all these early shorts by recording on discs, the re-record-
ing problem seemed insurmountable.
Early in 1927, when the production of talking pictures
was transferred to the Hollywood studios, our engineers
devised a method for “cutting” disc records, or re-record-
ing short sequences from a series of disc records to one
full-length master record. This re-recording was done on
a development laboratory basis and was, quite naturally,
very crude and very expensive. But even with this crude
equipment, it was possible to produce the first talking
pictures of feature length, “The Jazz Singer,” “Lights
of New York,” “Glorious Betsy” and a few others.
During the production of these pictures, the Warner
Brothers engineers developed an equipment, consisting of a
I
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
Dubbing,
or Duping
by
Nathan Levinson
Director of Recording
Warner Brothers-First National Studios
series of disc turntables controlled by relays operating in
pre-determined sequences, whereby a series of one or more
disc records could be started and stopped automatically as
desired; and with this equipment available, we proceeded
to the production of large musical pictures, which are now
history — “The Singing Fool,” “The Show of Shows,” etc.
The development of automatic equipment continued un-
til Warner Brothers decided to adopt completely the record-
ing of sound on film. By that time the development of
automatic equipment had been developed to such a high
state that it was possible to scramble a ten-syllable word
to the point of unintelligibility and bring it back to its
original form at will.
The problem of re-recording from film is quite simple as
compared with re-recording from discs, as the film can be
cut at any point desired and patched to other pieces of film,
forming fairly smooth sequences. The smoothing out of
these sequences where they are joined together, however,
can only be efficiently negotiated by men who have de-
veloped a technic or “touch” from long experience in
dubbing. In fact, as I have intimated, the re-recording
mixer is very definitely a specialist.
But not only is this man a specialist in the art of dubbing,
he is also a specialist in the technic of the individual studio
where he is employed, as the final result, or the finished
sound track, is secured in a different manner at different
studios. I can, therefore, only indicate how this result is
obtained at Warner Brothers and First National studios.
Here, after a director completes the direction of his pic-
ture, the editorial department assembles the sequences in-
to reels, and the production executive views these reels in
what we term editorial runs. After the production execu-
tive has the picture reduced or lengthened to his satisfac-
tion, with lap-dissolves, fades and cuts made to form a
smooth and pleasing production, the editorial department
transfers the working print, together with the sound track,
to the re-recording department. Here the picture is care-
fully analyzed by the re-recording mixer, the sound effects
editor, and the Recording Director. During this analysis,
we determine the sound effects to be added, and the places
at which dialogue sound tracks are to be overlapped for
smoothness. After very careful checking of the working
picture and sound track prints, they are forwarded to the
film laboratory for the cutting and the assembly of the final
negatives. A complete sound track of constant transmis-
sion printed from this negative is furnished the re-recording
crew. Music which has been prepared by the Music De-
partment, and sound effects which have been prepared by
the sound effects editor, are combined with the dialogue
which we receive on this constant transmission print to
make a master sound track. After the print of constant
transmission is received, the re-recording mixer determines
which portions, if any, will require re-recording for quality,
volume intensity or sound perspective.
The detail of re-recording these tracks to a composite, or
master sound track, is, as stated before, a matter of indi-
vidual technic, and as we believe we can only secure the
best composite by the absolute control of each individual
track, we are equipped with a large number of special re-
producing machines, in order that we may have the fullest
possible latitude in combining effects, music and dialogue.
The importance of having the dialogue always clearly under-
standable goes without saying. Great care must be exer-
cised at all times to have the sound effects recorded with
the proper intensity and the music recorded at the proper
level to make the finished sound picture as realistic as possi-
ble. In this effort to create realism, we have used as many
as sixteen separate sound tracks, each one carefully con-
trolled as to level, perspective and quality, to make a
pleasing composite sound track.
In our own experience we have found it most desirable
to re-record only such portions of the sound track as re-
quire the addition of sound effects or music, or correction
for quality, intensity or perspective, as in all cases where
sound track is “duped” we have, even though it might be
quite small, a certain inescapable deterioration in quality —
even as there is deterioration in picture quality when a pic-
ture is duped.
But as to the recording of sound itself, it is my feeling
that, while sound has great possibilities for future develop-
ment, and will, indeed must, play a more important part
than heretofore in talking motion pictures, it is today
capable of performing every function demanded of it.
In fact, it is safe to say that wherever a camera is capable
of photographing objects or persons, the natural accompany-
ing sounds in the vicinity of the objects or persons can be
simultaneously, and satisfactorily reproduced.
8
American Cinematographer • March 1933
Ernst
Lubitsch
Hollywood
Still Leads . . says
Ernst Lubitsch
by
Barney Hutchison
D ESPITE the tremendous strides which European film
production has made in the past few years, American
technicians and American technique are still far in the
lead, according to Ernst Lubitsch, who has just returned
from a vacation spent among the major production centres
of Europe.
“While I visited the European studios principally for
the pleasure of again greeting my old friends there,” says
he, “I could not help making some observations of the
conditions existing in the European industry. First of
all, of course, I was amazed at the tremendous improvement
made in the physical equipment of the larger studios since
the days when I worked there. Such plants as the great
UFA studio at Berlin, and the Paramount studio near
Paris, are in every way comparable to American studios; V.
while even the smaller plants are very well-fitted.
“There is, however, one tremendous difference between
the European and American studios: Europe does not have
the advantage of Hollywood’s superb technicians, and the
inestimable benefits brought by their perfect mastery of
the technical aspects of production. Of course, America
has no monopoly of expert technicians, but the American
cameramen are on the whole far, far ahead of their con-
tinental confreres. When I first came to this country, more
than ten years ago, I repeatedly said that the American
Cinematographers were the best in the world, and the pass-
ing of time has merely made that statement more true
than ever. The American technician has little or nothing
to learn from the European, while on the other hand the
European technicians (particularly the cameramen) could
learn a great deal from America.
“The art of the screen progresses only as fast as the
technicians attain mastery of their difficult tasks; and
where the technicians encounter difficulties, they in turn
impose restrictions upon director, writer, cutter, and every
other person connected with the making of the film. For
example, in Europe the optical printer is practically un-
known, and dissolves are made in the camera. Moreover,
the cameramen there still have a great deal of trouble in
doing this. In consequence, the directors, writers and cut-
ters are forced to make most of their transitions by direct
cuts. Let us say, for example, that we have a sequence
showing two men talking about a woman; we want to
show her on the screen while they talk about her. Here
in Hollywood we would naturally dissolve from the first
scene (of the men, talking) to the scenes showing the
woman. In Europe, they could not do that: they would
have to make a direct cut from the closeup of the men
talking to the woman they were talking about. To my
mind, that is not good technique, for it is too abrupt —
too confusing to the audience. The scenes showing the
woman might be laid miles away, and at an entirely dif-
ferent time; such a transition is as unpleasantly jarring as
a false note in music.
“The artistic phases of European cinematography are
often very good, but they are based on a basically different
concept from those of American cinematographers. Here,
we almost always pay greater attention to lighting the faces
of the players than is done in Europe; our cinematographers
endeavor to express the mood of a scene visually without
sacrificing a good commercial rendition of the faces of the
actors. In Europe, on the other hand, the cinematographer
concentrates on the general mood of a scene — and if a
player’s face has to be slighted, or to be left in the shadows,
it does not matter so much. At times, this is good, but
practiced as a general thing, I do not think it is as satis-
factory as our American style of lighting.
“The moving-camera technique is used — and abused —
by Europeans exactly as it is here. It is nothing new;
it wasn’t even new when Dupont and Karl Freund used
it years ago in The Last Laugh.’ It can be tremendously
effective — or tremendously injurious. Like every other
technical trick, either of direction, stagecraft or photog-
raphy, the moving camera is good only as long as it is
unnoticeable; as long as it is natural to a scene. Both
in Europe and in Hollywood, the moving camera is used
all too often as a refuge for directors who can think of
no other way to keep their stories moving dramatically
than recourse to physical movement of the camera. Used
that way, it disturbs the audience, often confuses them,
and imposes on the cinematographer unnecessary restric-
tions and difficulties.
“As I have said, optical printing is practically unknown
in the European studios. So, too, is process cinematography.
Paramount’s Paris and London studios have, I believe, done
a little of this sort of work, following detailed instructions
from Farciot Edouart here in Hollywood; but elsewhere
process work of any sort is unknown.
“The weakest point in the European film industry
however, is the laboratories. With the exception of the
UFA laboratory in Berlin and the Paramount laboratory
Continued on Page 38
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
9
The Dieterich Process
for Composite
Photography
by
William Stull, A.S.C.
A NOTEWORTHY contribution to the progress of
composite cinematography has recently been
made by Dr. L. M. Dieterich, A.S.C., member of the
Society’s Research Committee, who has developed the
Dieterich Process of Composite Cinematography. According
to Dr. Dieterich, this new process combines the major ad-
vantages of existing processes, while eliminating their
principal disadvantages. It is simple, effective, and practical
with existing equipment and materials throughout.
As is well known, the existing methods of composite
cinematography (disregarding the multiple printing proc-
esses making use of the travelling-matte principle) fall
into two general classifications: those making use of pan-
chromatic color-separation and complementary-color light-
ing, and those involving the projection of the background-
film on a screen behind the foreground action. The former
presents a number of difficulties in the matter of lighting,
and often gives rise to “ghosts” and “fringing”, while it
also precludes any opportunity of seeing the background
in motion as is possible during the making of projection
shots. The latter, on the other hand, raises some difficulty
in the matter of graininess and even illumination of the
field of the background plate. There is also some difficulty
in getting a correct balance of focus between the actual
foreground action and the projected background, a fault
which can seriously jeopardize the desired illusion of reality
in the composite picture.
In the Dieterich Process, these difficulties are held to
be overcome, while the respective advantages of the meth-
ods are combined., Essentially, the process is based upon
the principle of color-separation, yet it also permits the
projection of an auxilliary image behind the foreground ac-
tion, if this is desired.
Briefly, the process involves the use of three films in the
camera: in front, an orthochromatic film with red backing
— commercially available under the name “red-ortho” film
— as used in normal bipack color-cinematography; with
the emulsion to the rear; behind this, a positive print of the
desired background scene, preferably printed on Eastman
News Stock, and placed with the emulsion to the rear;
third, a normal SuperSensitive Panchromatic negative film.
These three films are threaded through the camera in con-
tact with each other. A standard Mitchell shuttle will
accommodate these three films without adjustment; in the
Bell and Howell camera the required adjustment to the
shuttle is easily made, as is common for commercial bi-
pack color cinematography. In either instance, the ground-
glass focusing screen must be compensated by the insertion
of a .006 in. shim in front of the glass.
The background used is a plain white drop, illuminated
with red light containing absolutely no blue or green. The
foreground action, on the other hand, is illuminated with
blue light containing no red. In the tests thus far con-
ducted, these colorings have been produced by placing col-
ored gelatin screens over ordinary studio incandescent light-
ing units. Any trace of blue passing the red filter, backing
of the red-ortho or red passing the blue gelatine filter, will
result in “ghosts” or other aberrations in the composite
film. The same is true of reflected light from either source.
In practice, the method of lighting works as follows: the
foreground, being illuminated solely by blue light, is photo-
Continued on Page 32
Diagram roughly indicating prin-
ciple of the Dieterich Process.
10
American Cinematographer • March 1933
Showing Synchronized Finder on
New Bell & Howell Camera.
E VER since sound became stabilized as a basic factor
in studio production, cinematographers and techni-
cians have been repeatedly asking themselves and their
fellows, “When is the new Bell and Howell camera coming
out — and what is it going to be like?” These questions
have at last been answered with the recent appearance in
Hollywood of the new Bell and Howell Noiseless camera,
which represents over three years of research and develop-
ment, and an investment of more than $300,000. The first
of the new models is now in Hollywood, where it is under-
going practical tests at the hands of the Research Com-
mittee of the American Society of Cinematographers and
the Silent Camera subcommittee of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences.
Even upon a cursory inspection, the new camera reveals
that it is designed for modern conditions, and it incorporates
many features so advanced as to be well-nigh revolutionary.
In outward appearance, the new model departs con-
siderably from established Bell and Howell design: It is
rectangular box-form, roughly 10x12x18 inches in size,
with the standard Bell and Howell 1000 foot sound-proofed
magazines placed at the top. The turret has been elimi-
nated in favor of an ingenious universal lens-mounting, and
the 48-cycle motor is built into the camera-box, driving
the shutter-shaft direct. Focusing is accomplished by
means of a new optical system, and is done without shift-
ing any part of the camera or moving the lens. The finder,
which is equipped with built-in, adjustable field area indi-
cators compensating for any lens from 24 mm. to 6-inch
focus, is automatically focused and compensated for parallax
in the normal act of focusing the camera. Lastly, but by no
means least, the famous Bell & Howell stationary pilot-
pin registering movement, somewhat refined, has been
retained.
Silencing has been secured by the elimination, wherever
possible, of all unnecessary gearing, and by the use of
special materials for the gears remaining. A tremendous
amount of research and experimentation was necessary on
this point alone, involving the experimental use of many
unusual materials and provision for unusual methods of
fitting the gears, some of which were cut most unconven-
tionally. The pilot-pin mechanism has also been silenced
Hollywood
to a considerable extent, and the size of the film-loops
reduced to the absolute minimum. The camera-case like-
wise contributes greatly to the noiseless operation, as it is
built double, with the inner case containing the camera-
mechanism, literally floating within the outer case. There
is no metallic contact between the two at any point, and
none of the moving parts of the mechanism are in contact
with the outer casing. Sound-absorptive insulation is, of
course, used in the construction of both casings and at
certain points between the two.
No definite data as to the sound-absorption of this casing
has as yet been released.
Access to the movement is had through two doors on
the left-hand side of the camera, opening successively in
the conventional manner, and through which the movement
is threaded as usual. The movement is a modification of
the familiar Bell & Howell registering pilot-pin movement,
greatly improved and simplified. Two main sprockets are
used in place of the one formerly used, and the intermittent
has been altered to permit easier threading and servicing,
though its basic principles and components remain un-
changed.
The optical system of the new Bell & Howell is unusual,
to say the least. The lenses are mounted in rapidly-inter-
changeable universal mountings controlled by a releasing
lever placed beside the lens-socket. On each lens-mount
is a special bayonet-pin, fitting into an opening in the
camera’s lens-socket: this pin compensates for the focal
length of the lens, and once in place, the lens is never
moved for focusing. Instead of moving or rotating the lens,
focusing is done by moving the entire movement of the
camera; this is done by means of a knurled knob at the
rear of the camera, operating also the large engraved focus-
ing-dial conveniently placed at the center of the rear side
of the box. This dial is engraved with a single set of
calibrations which are absolutely universal for all lenses;
compensation is made by the pin heretofore mentioned, in
the lens-mount.
Visual focusing is done on a ground-glass screen which
is moved into place in the aperture by operating a lever
on the right-hand side of the camera which slides the move-
ment backward, and automatically inserts the ground glass
and the necessary reflecting prisms. The image is re-
flected across the camera, then straight back through a con-
ventional focusing-tube on the right-hand side of the case,
and is viewed, enlarged and right-side up, through an adjust-
able ocular at the right-hand rear side of the camera. The
control-lever for this focusing system is placed handily just
below the magnifying tube and may be operated while the
camera is running. The focusing-knob is very conveniently
placed just below and to the rear of this lever.
The finder, as has been mentioned, is focused and
compensated for parallax automatically, by the same
mechanism that focuses the lens. Compensation for the
varying angular fields of lenses of different foci is made
in the finder by adjustable full vision filled area indicators
controlled by a single micrometer-adjustment. These area
indicators are in the form of thin bars across the field,
large enough so that they sharply demark the field in ques-
tion, yet not so large that they will hide small objects —
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
1 1
nspects New
Bell & Howell
Camera
by
William Stull, A.S.C.
such as microphones, etc. — which may be perilously close
to the edge of the picture. They also permit the operator
to see what is going on outside of the field included by the
camera’s lens.
The new camera is powered by a 48-cycle motor which
is engineered as an integral part of the camera and built
into the instrument. Coolness of operation under load char-
acterizes the efficiency of design of this motor. Care has
been taken to assure that there may be no need of repairs
or replacement under ordinary circumstances. Its rotor is an
extension of the propellor-shaft of the camera-shutter, and
the only gearing used is that incidental to the driving of
the sprockets. The starting and stopping controls for the
motor are placed at the top of the camera, at the right-
hand side of the case. An automatic throw-out is provided
to guard against film-buckling.
The shutter is adjustable, though not equipped with a
dissolving mechanism. The maximum aperture is 180
degrees, and adjustments are provided by which this may
be lessened in inverse geometric progression, with each set-
ting giving an aperture half the size of the previous one.
The magazines used are the standard though improved
Bell Or Howell soundproofed type, holding 1000 feet of
film. Take-up is through a fabric belt, and an ingenious
automatic tension-equalizer which is placed inside of the
camera. There is no direct contact between the magazines
and the inner camera-case which carries the mechanism.
Magazines for bi-pack cinematography in natural colors
may be fitted, and the shuttle is easily adapted for bi-
pack work.
A special sunshade-matte-box is a semi-permanent part
of the camera, and is used to aid in the noise-reduction,
as the glass filters, diffusion-discs, etc., serve to baffle a
large part of the noise which would otherwise escape
through the front of the camera. When neither filters nor
discs are being used, a sheet of optical glass is inserted in
the filter-carrier to serve this purpose.
As may be gathered from the foregoing, the new Bell &
Howell camera is intended primarily for studio use. In this
it very interestingly reflects the changes that have taken
place in the industry since the appearance of its famous
predecessor, Bell & Howell Standard Camera No. 1, in
1910. At that time, it will be remembered, studio work
represented only a small proportion of the footage of the
average motion picture production. It was the day of
the exterior-made film, and accordingly the cameras of
the day were designed with an eye toward their fitness
for field work. Today, location work is held to the abso-
lute minimum, and when a company does leave the studio,
there is always more than adequate transportation, a large
crew of grips, etc., so that greater weight is permissible.
Increased bulk, on the other hand, is definitely undesirable,
due to the modern cinematic technique.
The Bell & Howell engineers have taken full advantage
of these changed conditions. For while the bulk of the
new camera represents only a negligible increase, the weight
is considerably greater than was usual in the days before
sound. This increase is necessitated by the double con-
struction of the two floating camera-boxes, and by the
other soundproofing measures. The weight of the new
camera is stated to be in the neighborhood of 1 50 lbs.,
completely equipped and loaded; yet this figure represents
a reduction of approximately 50 percent from the average
weight of the blimps now being used in most studios.
While the new Bell & Howell may be used on certain of
the heavier tripods designed since the introduction of
sound, it is primarily intended for use with the rolling
tripods, perambulators, etc., which are now almost uni-
versally used; it is naturally engineered especially to form
a semi-permanent unit with the recently-introduced Bell
& Howell “Rotambulator.”
The optical system, with the new method of focusing and
the provision for complete interchangeability of lenses is
certainly the outstanding development of the last decade in
camera-design. In both design and workmanship, the new
model lives fully up to the Bell & Howell reputation, which
it should enhance. Following the tests which are now being
conducted by the Research Committee of the A.S.C. and
by the Academy Silent Camera subcommittee, it is under-
stood that the new camera will be put into regular produc-
tion and be made commercially available.
Focusing and
Finder details
are indicated
by A — Finder.
B — Focusing
Aperture.
C — Focusing
Thow-over
Control.
D — Focusing
Knob.
E — Universal
Focusing
Scale.
12
American Cinematographer • March 1933
RIDDLE
The Riddle: Is it in your
opinion advantageous to
maintain a separate special-
effects department, or would better results be had
if the production cameramen handled all of the
special-process work on their pictures?
DANIEL B. CLARK, A.S.C. To my mind, the maintenance
of a separate special-effects department is unjustifiable,
especially so in certain instances I have recently experienced,
in which the special-effects personnel have gone to absurd
lengths to avoid cooperating with the production camera-
man. After all, special-effects scenes are not individual
scenes, but must be closely intercut with regular produc-
tion work. As such, they should carry out the same technical
and artistic treatment as does the rest of the production:
therefore, they should be made under the immediate super-
vision of the production cinematographer, upon whose
shoulders rests already the responsibility for the photography
of the picture as a whole. Moreover, with the increasing
amount of process work (especially projected-backgrounds)
now being used in most productions, the production camera-
man should certainly be able to handle any routine process
work.
If the process work of a picture fails to match success-
fully with the regularly-produced sequences, whether or not
the production cameraman had any say in making the
process shots, he receives the blame: therefore it is only
fair that he should at least be consulted during the making
of these scenes, and preferably that he should be as much
in charge of them as he is of the regular run of work.
This may be the case in some studios, but I have recently
had a number of experiences with process departments
which seemingly went out of their way to avoid cooperating
with the production cinematographers. In the making of
the process scenes for several of my recent productions, for
instance, not only was I never consulted, but I was not
even allowed on the process stage, and I understand (the
results bear this out) that the process man did not even
trouble to view the scenes which I had made, and which
were to be used with the process shots. When my com-
pany went on location, a man from the special-effects de-
partment was sent along simply to make some background-
plates which I — or any other production cinematographer —
could have made equally well and at less expense.
Therefore I feel that the maintenance of a separate
special-effects department is entirely superfluous, involving
unnecessary expense, duplication of effort, impairment of
the technical and artistic quality of the pictures, as well
as unnecessarily shifting the authority for such work from
the first cinematographer, to whom it rightfully belongs,
without any commensurate shifting of the responsibility for
the ultimate results.
ME THIS
gained from the maintenance of a properly operated special-
effects department. The entire trend of the industry is
toward specialization. Pictures must be made faster and
more efficiently than ever before — and on greatly reduced
shooting schedules. If therefore a production can be sched-
uled so that the process work is held until the last, a much-
reduced crew can be used for this, and only those members
of the cast retained who are actually to be used in the
process scenes; the rest can be closed out. It is a well
known fact that process work requires much careful plan-
ning, some of which is often extremely intricate: if this
can be handled by a special-effects staff which need con-
centrate on nothing but this work, it is obvious that the
process sequences can be done far more efficiently than
if the production cinematographer had to figure everything
out himself, and then stop production for experimentation,
tests, etc., which the process staff can do (if necessary)
while the regular crew continues with production.
There are many other features, less obvious to most of
us, such as the importance of accurately-planned back-
ground-plates, perfect laboratory work, and so on, which,
although not usually considered as part of the actual process
of making process scenes, contribute vitally to the ultimate
success or failure of every process shot. Such things are
by all means best handled by a completely organized special-
effects department.
On the other hand, no special-effects cinematographer or
department can hope to succeed single-handed, for every
process scene must fit perfectly into the picture it is made
for, or fail in its purpose. Therefore, the special-effects
technician must inevitably work in the completest harmony
and cooperation with the production cinematographer in
charge of the regular camerawork on a production. It is
not enough that a process scene be acceptably photographed:
it must carry out the same style and mood of lighting, the
same type of compositions, the same artistic and technical
treatment as the individual sequence into which it is to be
cut. To that end, the special-process technician will find
it indisputably to his advantage to make every effort to
have the production cinematographer in charge of a picture
work with him on the set while he is making the process
scenes for that cinematographer’s picture. If each will do this,
each making plain to the other just what his aims and
problems are, both will succeed; the result of their joint
efforts will be a production that one can be proud of, and
process scenes that the other may rejoice in. If they do
not cooperate, neither one will have anything in which to
take pride — and the picture will suffer proportionately.
There is no need for misunderstanding between the pro-
duction cinematographer and the special-effects personnel:
both are working toward the same end, and each must rely
upon the other for the cooperation that will bring complete
success. If either of them cannot or will not cooperate
with the other, he is hurting himself just as much as he
injures the other man.
FARCIOT EDOUART. Speaking as a former production
cinematographer, as well as a special-process worker and
department head, I feel that there is a real benefit to be
KARL FREUND, A.S.C. I feel that the policy of maintain-
ing a separate special-effects department is ridiculous. It
leads to undesirable confusion, duplication of effort and
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
13
No Filter
responsibility, and in all too many instances, to inferior
work. In Germany — and all through Europe, for that mat-
ter — the production cinematographer is invariably in charge
of any special effects work, no matter of what sort, for his
productions. This, to my mind, is the only logical method,
for only the production cinematographer can know exactly
what is wanted, and only he can perfectly match the treat-
ment of the special-effects scenes to the treatment he has
given the rest of the picture.
As a director, I naturally prefer to have the photographic
responsibility for my productions centered upon one man,
with whom I can work in complete cooperation and under-
standing from start to finish. As a cinematographer, I like-
wise prefer this unified responsibility, for I will naturally
be responsible for all of the photography in any picture
bearing my name, and if this responsibility is divided, it goes
without saying that neither of us will do our best work.
I firmly believe that the best results are to be had when
the production cinematographer is given full charge of the
process work in his productions; the work will be better
and more efficient, while the result will be a more coherent
artistic unity.
ERNEST HALLER, A.S.C. I feel that the best interests of
both the production as a whole and the production cine-
matographer as an individual are served by delegating the
special-effects scenes in a picture to a competent special-
effects staff — provided the supervising special-process cine-
matographer and the production cinematographer can and
will cooperate understandingly. If I can go on a picture
with the assurance not merely that the special-effects work
for that production will be executed by a competent indi-
vidual, but by one who understands my aims and problems,
and who will make a real effort to match his work with
mine, I can start my work in a far better frame of mind
than if I had to plan out all of the process work myself, or
if I felt that the process-man and I were going to be at
swords points wherever our paths crossed. Since I have
been at the Paramount Studio, I have felt myself particularly
fortunate in having the superb cooperation of Farciot
Edouart and his special-effects department, who go out of
their way to cooperate with the production cinematograph-
ers. Mr. Edouart invariably has the production cinema-
tograph er working with him when he makes the process
sequences, and gives the production-man virtually a free
hand in the lighting, except as his normal lighting interferes
with the requirements of the process being used. In such
instances, since both men can see the problems from the
same viewpoint, both can work together toward a solution
of the problem.
JOSEPH WALKER, A.S.C. The system we use at the
Columbia Studio might not work out so well in a larger
and necessarily more intricate organization, but it has proven
eminently satisfactory to us: in fact I have come to regard
it as by far the best system possible. At Columbia, the
production cinematographer has complete charge of all
photographic work on his productions, and is aided when
desired by special-effects men called in for definite se-
quences, such as miniatures, etc. In this case, the special-
effects men are definitely under the production cinematog-
rapher, and the two work together in complete harmony.
There is no regularly maintained special-process staff, as
such men are called in purely as consulting specialists. They
may — and usually do — do the requisite preparatory work
themselves while the production man is engaged in making
the regular sequences of a picture, but in the actual photo-
graphing of the process shots they work under the direction
of the regular first cinematographer. In consequence of the
large amount of projected-background work done now-days,
we do not consider this kind of thing as special-effects, but
leave it entirely up to the production cinematographer
throughout. It has worked out very successfully in practice.
JOHN FULTON. To my mind, the only answer is to see
what the majority of the major producers are doing: in
every instance except one, there is a separate special-effects
department maintained. Obviously, this is the most ef-
ficient method. In my own department, all of the work,
from the making of the background-plates up to the actual
photographing of the composite negative is handled by the
special-effects department with perfect success. The only
exceptions are when a very small amount of background-
negative is necessary, and this must be made on some
distant location, to which a company has been sent. In
this case, the production cinematographer makes the back-
ground-plates under strict instructions from the process-
department, and the remainder of the shot is handled
exclusively by the process personnel. This procedure relieves
Continued on Page 36
K.3 Filter
14
American Cinematographer • March 1933
Production
still from
“King Kong.”
Made on a
miniature set
with a
“Leica”,
reproduction
from 8x10
enlargement.
T HE paramount needs of the motion picture industry
today are recognized to be efficiency, economy and
salesmanship. Pictures must be made not merely
better, but more efficiently, faster and for less money than
at any time since the nickelodeon disappeared. Once made,
they must be sold to a public which no longer has a pros-
perity bankroll to spend for entertainment — a public which
must be shown beforehand that the money spent at the
theatre will not be wasted.
These are not problems for the executive and sales forces
alone: they concern every individual in the studio intimately
and personally. Therefore, it is up to the photographic
departments to survey the field to see if there exist any
new developments in either methods or equipment which
would be of advantage to the cinema industry — which
would add to either the efficiency or economy of produc-
tion or in the exploitation of the completed production.
Such tools have been offered in some profusion to the
cinematographer, but the still photographer has not been
nearly so fortunate; aside from the advantages incidental
to the use of incandescent lighting and SuperSensitive
emulsions, he has had to be content with the same equip-
ment and methods familiar long before Griffith made “The
Birth of a Nation”.
During the past few years, however, there has occurred
one revolutionary development in the field of still photog-
raphy, which is — or could be — a tool fashioned expressly
for the hand of the studio “still man”. This is the minia-
ture camera: a compact, precision machine which makes
upon standard motion picture film negatives of a quality
which permits almost indefinite enlargement, yet which by
its compact size permits faster, more efficient work under
all conditions, and by its fine optics and precision con-
struction permits work under conditions where the use
of larger, older equipment would be utterly impossible. The
sensitive material used by the miniature camera — short
lengths of standard motion picture film — represent not
merely a definite saving in cost, but the utilization of a
hitherto wasted by-product of every studio.
Under present conditions, the bulk and archaic con-
Using the
struction of the still cameras today in use in the studios
is a serious drawback to production efficiency: despite the
personal efficiency of modern studio still men, there is a
distinct loss of time inevitable to the use of a large 8x1 Oin.
view camera which must be set up (often necessitating
the moving of the cinema camera), focused, loaded, and
then given an exposure which is — thanks to slow lenses —
unduly long. Production is momentarily arrested, and the
whole company held inactive for the several minutes
necessary to the making of stills.
With the miniature camera, fitted with focal-plane shut-
ters and lenses at least as fast as those used on the cinema
camera, this is reduced to the absolute minimum: the still
man need merely step forward, raise his camera, focus it
with a single adjustment of a built-in range-finder-focuser,
and snap his picture — all in a small fraction of the time
required for the larger apparatus. Production may pro-
ceed within less than a minute if need be, or the still man
may make a half dozen or more stills in the time ordinarily
required for a single exposure. The use of SuperSensitive
motion picture film and perfectly-corrected, high-speed
lenses permits, moreover, very short exposures which will
stop any normal motion, and result in far more natural-
appearing pictures. These same features also ensure a
still which will perfectly match the scene as photographed
by the cinematographer. Using optically identical lenses,
the perspective and field of view will be identical; using the
identical film (and, if necessary, the identical filters) en-
sures that the photographic quality — color-corection, light-
ing, etc. — will be identical on the screen and in the still.
The miniature camera is, if possible, even more useful to
the maker of western and action pictures. It permits the
making of progressive series of stills of the actual action
of chases, fights, stunts and the like, which are invaluable
alike for lobby displays, publicity, posters and reference-
work.
In connection with the use of stills for reference pur-
poses, it will be remembered that Jackson Rose, A.S.C.,
writing in Volume 2 of “The Cinematographic Annual”,
discussed the use of the “Leica” miniature camera for the
making of both filter tests on location and of reference
stills to aid in the selection of locations.
A new and tremendously useful application of the minia-
ture camera is in the making of publicity and other stills
in sequences involving the use of miniatures and various
types of special-process cinematography. For this use,
such miniature cameras as the “Leica” stand unrivalled.
In the first place, such scenes are almost invariably made
under circumstances which would absolutely preclude the
use of a larger camera; the available space is generally too
restricted to permit the use of an ordinary still camera,
and often one must work in such cramped quarters that
even a small graflex is out of the question. The miniature
camera, on the other hand, may be worked in any space
large enough for a man — or even, in a pinch, in a space
large enough for a man’s hand and head.
But this is by no means the “Leica’s” most important
asset as an adjunct to miniature and process cinematog-
raphy: these small cameras are fitted with lenses of the
same foci and characteristics as those used on the motion
picture cameras used in making the process shots; therefore,
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
15
Candid Camera
on
Production
by
Walter Blanchard
they will faithfully reproduce the perspective of the scene
identically as photographed by the production film-camera.
This is an invaluable consideration in view of the fact that
miniature work especially depends upon the maintenance of
a very precise relation between the scale, form and color
of the miniature and the lens, angle and perspective of the
camera photographing it. This relation would be entirely
lost — and with it the illusion of reality — if the still pic-
tures are made with a large camera with a lens of many
times the focal length of that for which the miniature was
laid out. The same applies in a considerable measure, too,
to such special processes as the transparency-projection
process, and the like. In this connection, it would be en-
tirely feasible to use a synchronizing gear combining elec-
trical synchronization with mechanical methods such as
the Fokker and Constantinesco synchronizers used during
the war to synchronize airplane propellers and machine-
guns; this would simplify the making of stills of projected-
background scenes, by allowing an exposure only when the
projector-shutter was open.
The small size of the negatives produced by these minia-
ture cameras cannot be held to be any disadvantage, for it
is possible, as has been proven repeatedly, to enlarge
“Leica” and “Contax” negatives to 14x28in. size or better
with little if any loss in quality. At present the standard
size of print in all studio, newspaper and magazine work
is 8x10 in. — and miniature camera negatives can be en-
larged to this size with such success that they are literally
undistinguishable from 8x10 contact prints. In fact, 8x10
enlargements from “Leica” negatives are vastly preferable
to the 8x10 enlargements from 5x7 negatives now used
to some extent in all studios. Were all stills to be made
with these cameras, laboratory equipment and methods
could easily be routined so that such enlargements could
easily and commercially be produced on a production basis
entirely comparable to contact printing. Neither the
difficulty nor the expense of modern projection printing
from small negatives is in any way greater than contact
printing. In fact, such a practice would very likely sim-
plify matters to a considerable extent, since the negatives
made on one production could be assembled into a small
roll, with the identifying numbers of the individual pic-
tures lettered in the margin of the film. It would be
simplicity itself, then, to thread this roll into a prefocused
projection-printer and turn out the needed 8x10 enlarge-
ments (in any quantity) in less time than would be taken
for contact printing from 8x10 negatives. It is entirely
possible, too, that a semi-automatic marginal numbering
device could be built into the cameras.
Top — “Leica”
portrait still
from Chad-
wick produc-
tion “Oliver
Twist.”
Center — Us-
ing the
“Leica” for
making pro-
duction stills
on “Oliver
Twist.”
Bottom — pro-
duction still
made with
“Leica” as
shown above.
The question naturally arises, why have not miniature
cameras been used in studio production work? Surpris-
ingly. the answer is that they already have — that they
are already in regular use in several studios. On the
recent Chadwick production “Oliver Twist,” the “Leica”
camera was used with excellent results for making action
stills while the motion picture cameras were making the
actual scene. It is understood that the results were so
eminently successful that this firm is planning to use minia-
ture cameras extensively on all further productions.
Continued on Page 37
16
American Cinematographer • March 1933
PHOTOGRAPHY
of the MONTH
“KINC KONC”
photographed by Edward Linden, Verne Walker, A.S.C.,
and J. 0. Taylor.
‘‘King Kong” is undoubtedly the most spectacular
triumph of the special-process technician since ‘‘The Lost
World”. Every trick process known to American tech-
nicians is utilized in it — Transparency projection; Dunning,
Williams, Pomeroy and other transparency processes; Min-
iatures; glass mattes; optical printing; stop-motion; slow-
motion, and every other method imaginable have been used,
sometimes singly and sometimes in combination, to breathe
life into the incredible story imagined by Merian Cooper
and the late Edgar Wallace. At times, as many as six or
seven different trick processes and methods are said to have
been used together to achieve the realization of a single
scene!
In the main, this staggering assignment has been very
successfully carried out. Certainly most of the work is
far ahead of anything of its kind yet seen. If any criti-
cism is possible, it would be that the first half-dozen
scenes in which the Brobdignagian “Kong” appears should
have been animated a trifle more smoothly, for they give
a suggestion of the mechanical which is apparent even to
the lay mind, and which is dispelled only with difficulty
by the more perfect trick scenes which follow. It might
also be mentioned that the animation of some of the long-
shots of the dinosaurs suffer from this same failing; how-
ever, the various battles between “Kong” and the various
saurians, as well as those in which human beings take part,
are well-nigh perfect, and most convincing, as are all of
the closer trick-shots. The use of projection shots for
putting human actors into the scenes played with the
gigantic prehistoric monsters and with “Kong,” the gigantic
fifty-foot ape, is excellent, and should furnish much food
for thought to the advanced amateurs who enjoy attempting
the macabre and outre in their own films.
“SECRETS”
photographed by Ray June, A.S.C.
There can be no secret about the fact that in this pic-
ture Ray June has come forth with some of the best work of
his noteworthy career. “Secrets” is, in fact, very close on
a par with his memorably perfect “Arrowsmith,” which was
undeniably one of the greatest examples of what one might
term ‘‘cinematographer’s cinematography” ever photographed.
From start to finish, “Secrets” exhibits the same high level
of both artistry and technique. It should be among the
top-flight contenders for the year’s cinematographic honors.
It exhibits perfect taste and masterful technique throughout.
Frank Borzage and scenarist Frances Marion, too, deserve
applause for truly camera-minded direction and script. If
this production is carefully analyzed, it will be seen to be
more nearly the ideal talking picture than anything yet
conceived, for there is very little dialogue, and by far the
major portion of the story is told pictorially, with the finest
of silent-picture technique which makes dialogue practically
unnecessary — yet is never unnatural. Whether or not the
general public may realize it, the scenes in which Mary
Pickford’s baby dies is a superb bit of scenarizing, direction,
and acting.
Since “Secrets” is so perfectly based on silent-picture
technique, it is a picture which can be of the greatest
benefit to the amateur cinematographer, director and writer.
It is hardly possible to mention all of the scintillant
examples which the studious amateur will find: but two will
probably suggest the nature of the others. First there is
the manner in which the westward migration of the
pioneers is suggested by the use of montage — cleverly inter-
cut close-shots of the feet of men, the hooves of horses,
the wheels of covered wagons, with Mary Pickford and
Leslie Howard shown occasionally in closeup on the seat
of a wagon. These are all treated rhythmically (and with
the aid of an excellent musical score), while the westward
progression and the lapse of time are excellently portrayed
by changing conditions of weather and road. All of this
was done for practically no expense, yet told the story of
the westward migratory movement to perfection. It is
completely adaptable to the use of amateurs. So, too,
is the manner in which the aging of the principle characters
is suggested by lighting and costumes rather than by make-
up. In all of these concluding scenes the faces are kept in
the shadow, and only their costumes and their postures
and movements suggest age. Again an expedient adaptable
to amateur purposes.
“THE SIGN OF THE CROSS”
photographed by Karl Struss, A.S.C.
“The Sign of the Cross” is an interesting blend of the
old and the new in screen fare — a typical deMillian spec-
tacle produced with sound, and under the economic re-
strictions of today. There has probably never been such a
film produced on a comparable schedule and budget. As
such, it is deserving of more than ordinary interest, as it
foreshadows the day when intensive preparation and in-
telligent production will bring greater efficiency to the
making of screen entertainment.
Both dramatically and technically, “The Sign of the
Cross” is a curious melange of the outstanding and the
ordinary. Some of the scenes manifest the superb beauty
and virility of the paintings of the old masters, while others
are distinctly routine in their conception and treatment. In
many of the scenes — especially in the latter part of the
film — Karl Struss is at his brilliant best, yet he does not
seem able to sustain this exalted mood uniformly through-
out the production. Frequently, too, long-shots and close-
ups of the same action fail to maintain the same mood:
this is especially noticeable in the concluding shots of the
orgy sequence, when “Mercia” has been taken from
“Marcus” palace to the arena. There are two superb long-
shots of Fredric March standing by the great grilled doors;
these are two of the most effective individual scenes
viewed in a long time: but intercut with them is a close-
up of March which, though an excellent, routine closeup,
entirely lacks the superb touch of the two scenes with which
it is used, and does not sustain their artistic mood.
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
17
K3 and No. 1 Diffusion Filter
The climatic sequences played in the dungeons of the
arena are exquisite examples of Struss’ powerful cinema-
tography, almost equal in conception to come of the works
of a Michelangelo. The orgy sequence, too, gains a deal of
richness from Struss’ camerawork.
The limitations of the budget are scarcely noticeable in
the matter of production value. One would estimate that
an unusually large percentage of every dollar of production
cost has actually reached the screen. It is a crying shame,
however, that financial considerations precluded the use of
natural-color cinematography for at least the latter part
of the film, if not indeed for its entirety. Never have I
seen a production more ideally suited to Technicolor or
Multicolor: lavish spectacle, with glowing, colorful
costumes and the most sumptuous of settings — the
whole simply begging for the climaxing touch of today’s
perfected natural-color processes. Color would, of course,
have been especially a boon in the sequences at Nero’s
court and at Marcus Superbus’ orgiastic revel; but there is
not a single scene which would not have benefited greatly
from the understanding use of color. And one cannot forget
the beauty of the colored sequences in deMille’s earlier “The
King of Kings”. At the very least, a more adequate use
might have been made of tinted-base positive film. As
released, the entire footage of the production was printed
on “Candleflame” stock, which detracted, rather than added
to the beauty of the best scenes, and immeasurably injured
the poor ones.
A great deal too much use was made of the moving
camera, especially in the earlier sequences, though in the
latter part of the picture this device was used effectively
and with proper restraint. The climatic sequences of the
production — those in the Arena and in the dungeons below
it where the little band of Christians awaited their turn
to go out and be slaughtered — both photography and direc-
tion lent a degree of power to the action: but a far greater
effectiveness could have been achieved had suggestion been
substituted for realism in many instances, and had the
Eisenstein montage-technique been substituted. Involv-
ing, as it did, so much of mass-effects, “The Sign of the
Cross” could have been made infinitely more powerful had
the director made more understanding use of rhythm —
rhythmic motion, rhythmic cutting, and rhythmic interplay
of dialog, sound-effects and scoring. It is unfortunate that
in this instance greater use could not have been made of
this basic principle of the cinema — especially when it would
undoubtedly have resulted in considerable economies in
production.
“ROME EXPRESS”
photographed by Gunther Krampf.
“Rome Express” is a picture that should be seen by
everyone connected with the motion picture industry: it is
the first British picture thus released in this country which
is entirely the equal of American production in every way,
photographically, technically, and dramatically. The
camerawork of Gunther Krampf, one of Europe’s foremost
masters of the camera, is superb throughout — the more so
since 90% of the action takes place in the crowded con-
fines of a railroad train. His compositions and lightings
are excellent, and he does not adhere to the usual European
custom of lighting his sets first for mood, and secondarily
for the characters; he achieves a fine combination of visual
mood and excellent personal lightings. This production,
too, is the first European film td make any extensive use
of the transparency-projection process: and since it is the
custom there for the production cinematographer to handle
all of the process work as well, Herr Krampf deserves
another of Walter Winchell’s orchids for this achievement.
“THE MASQUERADER”
photographed by Gregg Toland.
This production is beautifully mounted and tastefully
photographed. Gregg Toland’s handling of the dual-role
sequences with Ronald Colman is particularly notable even
in this day of fine photography. His effect-lightings and
fog-effects are also extremely fine.
“THE WOMAN ACCUSED”
photographed by Karl Struss, A.S.C.
Whatever may be said about the other phases of this
production little criticism may be levelled at Struss’ camera-
work. It is excellent throughout, displaying fine feeling and
his usual fine technique. There are several scenes in which
his use of lighting, etc., commend themselves to the
amateur. For example, in scenes (night-effects) made on
the deck of a liner, he employs the ripply reflections from
water to suggest that the ship is at sea; not logical perhaps,
nor technically correct, but very telling dramatically.
No. 1 '/2 Diffusion Filter
18
American Cinematographer • March 1933
Explaining
Film ^Latitude 77
by
Emery Huse, A.S.C.
Part 22 ... of /7 Pri nci pies
of Sensitometry and their
Practical Application 77
T HE word “latitude” is frequently used by both the
cinematographer and the laboratory man but to each
of them latitude has a different meaning. The
cameraman thinks of latitude in terms of the ability of a
negative emulsion to photograph light intensities covering
a wide range. That film which can cover the widest range
of intensities is said to have the greatest latitude. The
laboratory man, on the other hand, thinks of latitude most
frequently as a development characteristic. If an emulsion
builds up contrast in development so rapidly that it is quite
difficult to control during development, the laboratory
man feels that that film has less development latitude, than
one which can be handled with less precision and where
a question of seconds of time in development makes no
appreciable difference in the resultant quality. From the
standpoint of sensitometry, however, the numerical speci-
fication of latitude is derived from the H and D curve and
this latitude must be considered as applying to the camera-
man’s interpretation of the word. As a result, latitude is
expressed numerically in terms of exposure units. From
Figure 19, which was contained in articles 19 and 21 of
this series, it is quite easy to point out just what latitude
means from the exposure standpoint.
The complete sensitometric curve depicts the ability of
an emulsion under certain conditions of development to
render densities of a relatively wide range of light inten-
sities. The shape of the H and D curve shows whether or
not those densities are building up at an ascending rate,
at a constant rate, or at a descending rate with reference to
the logarithm of exposure. The limits of intensity that
a film can show under some specific development con-
dition are naturally indicated by the minimum densities as
shown by the H and D curve. However, as was pointed out
in one of the previous articles, the difference between
minimum and maximum density really constitutes con-
trast. What we are interested in from the standpoint of
pure sensitometry is that portion of the H and D curve
which shows density increasing in direct proportion to in-
creases in log exposure — namely the straight line portion.
In Figure 19 this range is contained between A and B. If
from these two points perpendiculars are dropped to the
log exposure axis it is then possible to readily determine
the exposure difference between these two values. This
difference expressed in exposure units and not in log ex-
posure units gives the numerical specification of exposure
latitude. It must be borne in mind that the determination
of latitude sensitometrically makes use only of the straight
line portion of the curve and it should not be construed that
negatives giving densities which are not on the straight line
portion are incorrectly exposed. Latitude for a given emul-
sion in a given developer will vary with development time.
Latitude also is different for different kinds of emulsions
even in the same solution. Negative emulsions which are
of high speed and of low contrast have an extensive ex-
posure latitude. On the other hand, positive emulsions
which are slow and contrasty have a low value of latitude.
For example, high speed negatives may show an exposure
latitude of 1 to 1000, while positive emulsions have values
not greatly exceeding 1 to 20.
It is often erroneously believed by photographers that
the range of light intensities occurring in natural objects
is very great and that in an ordinary landscape the sky
is much brighter than the shadows. A bright landscape
with heavy shadows often shows the sky only about thirty
times as bright as the deepest shadows. Often open land-
scapes with no particularly dark shadows will show a
sky brightness of only five or six times brighter than what-
ever shadows are in it. The range of light intensities,
therefore, with which it is necessary to deal in ordinary
photography will range from, let us say, 1 to 5 up to 1
to 50. Measurements have shown, under conditions similar
to those described above, that the sky will have a measured
brightness of from 1000 to 3000 foot-candles. This is
the photometric brightness of the sky itself. However,
when a photograph is taken of that sky it is not the bright-
nesses outside of the camera with which we are concerned
but rather with those inside the camera, ie., with the
brightness of the image which falls upon the film. This
brightness depends upon the aperture of the lens and it
can be calculated from the fact that at an aperture of f.8
the photometric brightness of the image is about 1 /100th
of the brightness of the object being photographed so
that the light from the sky falling upon the film will have
a brightness of at most 30 foot-candles and the shadows
will be represented by a brightness of about 1 foot-candle
in a photograph of a landscape having a brightness range
of 30 to 1. It is quite evident, therefore, that the latitude
of negative film is many times greater than the light in-
tensity range which it has to accommodate. This means
that it is quite possible to give a wide range of exposures
Continued on Page 34
HEIR
TO 40 YEARS OF
FILM EXPERIENCE
EASTMAN Super-sensitive “Pan”
Negative offers you all of the notable
high quality and uniformity of other
famous Eastman films. In addition it
possesses a group of qualities that have
practically revolutionized motion pic-
ture procedure. Today in its gray -backed
form it is the industry’s most ver-
satile negative medium ... a worthy
heir to forty years of film experience.
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
J. E. BRULATOUR, INC., DISTRIBUTORS
NEW YORK CHICAGO HOLLYWOOD
20
American Cinematographer • March 1933
WHEELS
OF INDUSTRY
• WALTER W. Bell and Cordon S. Ben-
nett have formed the Pellex Film Co.
of Hollywood. Under this firm name
these two gentlemen will distribute the
new 16 mm. reversal film under the
brand name of Pellex.
According to an announcement sent
out by this newly organized company
Pellex is a finer grain film than now
available in this sub-standard size; it is
claimed to have ample speed for all
ordinary light conditions and is sharply
contrasty, giving definite whites and
blacks. The announcement states that
the light yellow filter can be used with
this film to advantage. While the film
is not recommended for interior work, it
has given very fine pictures, providing
sufficient light is used.
Among the things this new company
claims is a one day service on the de-
veloping of prints sent to their laboratory.
Both Bennett and Bell have long been
associated with the 16 mm. field. They
are well known throughout the western
states, where it is their intention to mar-
ket this new film.
• A NEW type of Spreader lens which
has been adopted by Victor Animato-
graph Corp. for use in the Model 10
Series of Projectors is said to give an in-
crease in illumination when the projector
is stopped for the still projection of single
frames.
The spreader lens is mounted in a
safety shutter which automatically drops
into place between lamp and film when
the operating lever is moved into “still
projection’’ position. By dissipating heat
with the spreader lens and automatically
increasing the flow of air through the
lamp house, it is possible to show an
unusually bright still picture without
danger of blistering the film.
• THE Eastman Kodak Company plans in
March to begin supplying Eastman
Super-sensitive Panchromatic Film in the
form of “still” rolls and film packs of
the most popular sizes. The emulsion
offered will be of the same type as those
which have found wide use on motion
picture film, 16 millimeter motion pic-
ture film, cut film, and plates, since
their introduction two years ago.
# THE Eastman Kodak Company has an-
nounced the completion of two new
16-millimeter projectors, with illumina-
tion, respectively of 500 watts and 750
watts. The Kodascopes K, Models 50
and 75, as the new machines are des-
ignated, are said to set new standards
for projection brilliancy.
• LEICA announces a new self-timer.
With this automatic self-timer it is
claimed it is now possible for the Lecia
camera user to include himself in any
photographs desired. Exposures can be
made from 15 to 60 seconds after set-
ting the release.
Also, according to the latest Lecia
bulletin, that company is now equipped
to convert the Model A and C Lecia
Cameras to the very latest model with
built-in range finder and automatic
focusing.
•A NEW Continuous Projection Attach-
ment just announced by Victor is said
to be the first device of this kind in
which film breakage has been entirely
eliminated and surface abrasion reduced
to an absolute minimum. The Victor
Continuous will be supplied in a standard
model which will accommodate 400 feet
of film, and special models can be sup-
plied to accommodate even greater foot-
age.
It is the claim of the Victor Animat-
ograph Company that the method of
film motivation employed makes the un-
usual performance of this machine possi-
ble. It is described as having a series of
lateral rollers placed in radial position in
the bottom of the attachment which
keep every inch of film constantly in
motion. The compensating action of
these rollers relieves the film from ten-
sion, prevents binding and reduces sur-
face to a minimum according to the
report. An auxiliary feeding sprocket
is said to obviate any possibility of strain
being applied to the film when it is
taken from the attachment onto the
projector sproket.
This continuous attachment is also
equipped with a safety drop-switch
which instantly and automatically
switches off the electric current in any
film emergency.
• IN the newly announced 1600 foot
Victor projector, the problem of equal-
ized tension is said to have been suc-
cessfully overcome by an intermediate
take-up unit which employs the slip-
friction principle to automatically con-
trol the tension on any size reel.
The regular Victor Model 1 0FH Pro-
jector body and base are employed in this
model. The 1600 foot reel arms, with
pulleys attached, intermediate take-up
unit, cut-out base-board, and special
carrying case, may be attached and
adapted to any Victor 10FH or 10RH
now in use without interfering with its
use as a regular 400 foot equipment.
Changing the reel arms and attaching
the intermediate take-up unit is said to
be quickly accomplished by simply re-
moving four screws.
The arrangement of the friction clutch
and the reel-arm slip pulleys is clearly
shown in the illustration on this page.
The industrial, educational, and reli-
gious fields will undoubtedly welcome
this innovation.
The New Victor continuous projector
. . . . and projector accommodating
1600 ft. of 16 mm. film.
Next Month . . .
0 SLOW PANNING IS EASY .... A lucid explanation of what happens
in your camera when you “Pan,” by H. Harrison, optical engineer.
• EXPERIMENTS WITH THE “INFRA-RED” in photographing. The
marvels of this latest film negative is clearly explained with inter-
esting experiments.
• THERE’S CONTINUITY EVEN IN A CAT. It’s sometime the quality
of our continuity that makes pictures good or bad. Here’s a bit
of continuity that a cat brought home.
• REFLECTORS .... “Home Made.” In which Charles Clarke, A.S.C.,
tells you something about reflectors that you’ll enjoy reading.
0 HERE’S HOW .... A page you’ll not want to overlook. Amateur
questions are answered by members of the American Society of
Cinematographers.
March 1933 • American Cinematographer 21
AMATEUR
SECTION
Contents . . .
USING a 16 MM. Camera in the Air
by Lieut. R. C. Wriston 22
WHEN You Title
by August Wolfram 24
WHEN A Professional Turns Amateur
by David Abel, A.S.C 25
PROTECTING Your 16 MM. Investment
by William Stull, A.S.C 26
YOU’RE Surrounded With Continuity
by T. B. Hoffman 27
BOOKS You Should Read
by Karl Hale 28
HERE’S How
by A.S.C. Members 30
22
American Cinematographer • March 1933
AMATEUR SECTION
Lieut. Wriston
adapts 16 mm.
camera to
normal still
aerial work.
T HERE are, of course, a few precautions which must
be taken in aerial cinematography. There is, for in-
stance, the question of vibration being transmitted to
the camera. With the heavy equipment used by profes-
sional cinematographers, this problem is not quite the same
as that which confronts the amateur cinematographer. The
professional depends, I believe, largely on the weight and
bulk of his equipment to absorb vibration. I personally be-
lieve he is wrong in this, but that is only my opinion as I
have had no practical experience with the large cameras.
However, I have had experience with heavy still aerial cam-
eras and found that the best means of obtaining good sharp
pictures with them is to either hold the camera against the
body and away from all metal parts of the ship or rest it in
some manner on sponge rubber which is excellent for ab-
sorbing ship vibration. In the case of the amateur camera,
the very best method possible, in my opinion, is to hold
it firmly against the head in the same way as pictures
would be taken on the ground where a tripod is un-
available. Not only is the body the best absorber possible
against the vibration of the motor, but the flexibility of
the body makes it very much easier to follow an objec-
tive in the comparatively small field of the finder, than
if an attempt is made to use a tripod in a plane. Care
should be taken not to rest the elbows on any part of
the ship, as this will transmit vibration straight through
to the jaws or head, against which the camera is placed.
Let your contact with the plane be through as much of
your body as possible. Kneeling or squatting on the floor
of the plane will give the greatest amount of absorption.
However, if seated in the plane, the additional comfort
and flexibility obtained will probably overbalance any loss
through absorption of vibration.
The question of angle is as important in the air as on
the ground. Pictures taken at right angles to the line of
flight are more difficult to obtain without movement than
are those taken to the front, to the rear or obliquely
to the rear. The type of picture which can be taken
depends largely on the type of aircraft which is available
for flight. The most handy and easiest pictures to take
are those directly to the front, where the aircraft has a
cockpit forward of the motors, as is the case with some
transports, amphibians or seaplanes. The angle preferred
on the tractor single motor type is an angular view to
the rear so taken as not to include the wing or tail
surfaces.
As to the subjects for aerial photography, I must take
sharp issue with the usual conception of motion pictures
which I have seen so often repeated; that motion pictures
must include motion. Although this axiom is doubtless
true to a large extent on the ground, I do not believe
that it holds particularly in the air. In the air, motion is
supplied by the aircraft. The camera is travelling. The
scenery that unfolds below, if one is taking pictures of
the ground, gives ample motion. As scene after scene
unfolds, it will be found that the portrayal of scenic
beauty by motion pictures from the air gives a new thrill
never to be attained by the use of simple slides. One
has a gorgeous and little explored world for cinematography
here. With the facility with which aircraft can leave
the beaten path and search out the hidden wonders of
the wilderness, there lies before those who have the op-
portunity many pleasant hours of taking scenic shots and
many more of exhibiting them.
In the taking of pictures of the ground, several con-
siderations should be borne in mind. The angle from
the ship I have touched upon. The angle toward the
ground from the plane is equally important. Do not
get your angle too steep. In general, the oblique view
from the plane should be as flat as possible. From twenty
to thirty degrees from the horizontal is best. This gives
an angle to which people are more or less accustomed.
A steeper angle will look unnatural to all those who have
not had extensive experience in the air.
As to speed, it will be found that 16 frames a second
is rather slow to adequately take ground scenery. This
is not so much caused by the relative speed between the
plane and the ground as it is by the erratic up-and-down
movement of the plane in relation to its flight path. These
“bumps” are brought about by the rough air and various
currents of different temperatures to be found near the
surface of the ground. The only way to cure this is to
shoot your pictures at better than normal speed. I have
obtained some very good pictures of the ground at 24
frames a second; 32 frames is even better. If one is
taking short shots of different scenes, such as particularly
interesting sections of a city or waterfront, it is just as
easy to take them at 64 frames a second if your equip-
ment permits. The effect when shown gives the im-
pression that the pictures were taken from a very slow
aircraft. All “bumps” are ironed out and the picture is
crystal clear. If there is movement present on the ground,
such as people walking, automobiles and the like, their
slowness is not particularly noticeable. One must accustom
oneself to the difference in speed so as not to waste the
film. Pictures should be taken as close to the ground as
possible, the same principle applying in the air as on the
ground; that is, the closeup is more interesting than the
long shot.
AMATEUR SECTION
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
23
16 mm. Camera
In the Air
by
Lieut. R. C. Wriston,
Air Corps.
A pursuit
plane at Self-
ridge Field,
photographed
by Lieut.
Wriston
With reference to the photography of objects in the air
from aircraft. Here your problem is even simpler than the
photography of ground objects from the air. With the co-
operation of the pilot you can place your camera wherever
you like in relation to the object photographed. If it is a
formation, you should be ahead and either below or above
and to one side of the formation. In as much as your speeds
are relatively the same, such pictures can be easily shot at
16 frames a second if care is taken not to permit vibration
in the camera. An effective shot of a formation flight can
be obtained by flying up one side of the formation, getting
a bit ahead of it and then swinging across the direction of
flight and perhaps one hundred feet above it. This will
bring all the ships under you and preserve their relative
position. Pictures of this kind naturally require the utmost
cooperation from the pilot. In reality he is the photogra-
pher. All you do is hold the camera and push the button.
The pilot can, where considerable speed is necessary to get
into the proper position for photographing an aerial forma-
tion, reduce the chances of movement in the picture due to
vibration to almost zero by idling his motor and gliding
while the picture is actually being shot. This reduces vibra-
tion to the minimum and leaves the only problem the
question of speed.
The photography of other objects in the air is a very
interesting pastime. To take a picture of a transport plane,
of an autogiro, of free balloons or dirigibles, is a simple
matter, if one travels in the same direction and takes pic-
tures from the angle previously mentioned. Some added
effects can be had by using the higher speeds when availa-
ble. I recently had the use for a while of a 1 6 mm. camera
shooting at 128 frames per second. With this some highly
interesting shots of an autogiro were obtained. The huge
vanes practically stopped rotating. The propellor turned
over very slowly and it was difficult to see what was sus-
taining the autogiro in flight. The field of aerial cinema-
tography has scarcely been scratched. For instance, the
photography of clouds is an absorbing subject and where
can one better arrange cloud subjects than from the air?
With the use of some good cloud material, exceedingly
interesting trick shots can be made by the rephotography
of aircraft on the same film. If careful track is kept of the
footage and composition of each shot, this type of work will
not be found too difficult. If one is using the negative-
positive method, and has the facilities of a printer, it is even
easier to arrange.
I suppose I should touch briefly on the use of filters for
aerial cinematography, although I hardly feel competent
to touch this subject. In general, it might be stated that
where you would use a filter on the ground, you would also
use one in the air. If anything, the filter should be deeper
in the air than on the ground as here its primary function
is to cut thru haze. In the photography of ground scenery
from above, I have used a K-2, K-3 and the Aero Minus
Blue filters with excellent results. I have also obtained
excellent results with no filter at all, using the East-
man super-sensitive panchromatic film. I am conscious
of the fact, however, that I am not “up” on my
filters. I was very interested in the article by Hal Mohr,
A.S.C., on super-sensitive 16 for exteriors, in the August
number of the ‘‘American Cinematographer”. I have
ordered all the filters recommended by him and am going
to give them a thorough test with 16 mm. equipment in
the air. I am sure that even better results can be obtained
after one gets accustomed to these new filters.
When working from open-cockpit ships, things are rather
more difficult than when you are in a closed or transport
ship. There is, for instance, far less choice of position:
but if possible, take the rear cockpit (if you can persuade
the pilot to fly from in front). Your angle of unobstructed
view is much better from this position; you are far less
likely to find unwanted bits of the wings and tail of the
machine bobbing into and out of your picture. In working
from an open ship, one special caution is necessary: keep
the camera as well shielded from the slip-stream (the blast
from the propellor) as you possibly can. Otherwise, this
powerful blast of wind is very likely to make it impossible
to hold the camera steady.
It should not be thought that the aerial cinematographer
is only available to those in the flying services. With the
many aircraft in use commercially nowadays, it is possible
to get the aerial pictures you want at a very small cost if
they are in your vicinity. If you are travelling, try the air
route. Arrange with the pilot in advance for a seat suita-
ble for photography, where you can use a window. Ask him
to approach other aircraft in flight and objects of photo-
graphic interest as closely as his instructions will permit.
Although it is not so essential as on the ground, due to the
angular view, it is still best to be on sunward side of the ob-
ject being photographed. Bear this in mind when reserving
your seat in an air transport. In photography from air
transports you can make effective use of long focus lenses.
The use of long focus lenses at least up to and including
the 4 inch lens, is entirely feasible. I have used all these
lenses from the air and have had very little difficulty in
subduing movement.
24
American Cinematographer • March 1933
AMATEUR SECTION
The market offers many devices for
making your own titles.
When You
Title Yo ur Own
by
August Wolfram
Amateur
F YOU have not as yet attempted to make your own
titles you have been depriving yourself of one of the
joys of the cine enthusiast. After you have delved into
this aspect of cinematography for some time you will find
this work as interesting as filming scenes. just roll up
your sleeves and get to work. You will discover that it is
really play and not work.
There are a great variety of things which the amateur
may choose upon which to make his titles. The market
offers many devices. There are black boards backed with
cloth which have slots into which white celluloid letters are
placed. Metal letters with prongs can be obtained which
are stuck onto a board. In a similar manner the market
offers large wooden block letters which are manufactured
colored beside white enabling colored titles to be produced.
Another device utilizes magnetism in holding the letters
to the board. To greatly simplify the problem of securing
titles we can employ title stands. These contraptions make
possible the use of small cards. A supplementary lens
enables close focusing to the small card. With such a
device, typewritten titles will produce good results.
Some of us will prefer to letter our own cards. No,
it is not so difficult as you may think. If you cannot
develop a “knack” of making good titles with a brush the
speed-ball pen will come to your rescue. It can be obtained
at any large stationery store. By the way, if you intend
utilizing a brush do not get that tool at the ten cent store.
Invest a few more cents and obtain a sable haired show-
card brush. The difference in results produced will be
quite obvious. The latter type is manufactured for the
use of professional letterers and show card writers. It pro-
duces a smooth, clean cut letter if properly handled, and
that can be easily learned with a little practice.
As you have no doubt noticed in the professional theatre,
the best plan for titles is to have a white or light colored
letter against a dark colored background, instead of a dark
colored letter against a light background. Due to one of
the characteristics of human vision, the white letter against
the black background stands out better and is more easily
read. It is not necessary to have pure white letters painted
upon black cards. Any number of differently designed and
toned cards can be chosen as long as the principle of light
letter against a dark background is carried out.
There is one exception to this rule and that is in photo-
graphing direct positive titles. In this form of title we
develop our film as a negative and employ this negative as
the finished title. Therefore we must deviate from the
above principle and employ dark letters against a white
background. In the direct positive title (which is really
a negative) we will have reproduced white letters against
a dark background.
If you are desirous of obtaining better results and wish
to introduce some designs in your titles remember that the
same motif of design should be carried in all of the titles
for that specific film. A different design for each title
would only produce inharmonious results. The main title
may be elaborate if you desire it so. The sub-titles should
all carry a similar simple decoration. The decoration can
be drawn upon a piece of celluloid and placed upon each
lettered card, or it can be made as a cut-out and placed
upon the card when it is being photographed.
The next problem is photographing the title. Either
daylight or artificial light will serve the purpose. If you
are utilizing artificial light you must take precaution to
obtain even illumination over the entire card. This is dif-
ficult with a single lamp. Should your equipment be so
limited the best position for the light is above and slightly
to the rear of the camera so that it just passes over the
latter and falls upon the card. Take care to prevent any
direct light from being cast into your lens.
Two lamps would yield better results. The tubular type
of bulb will give a better diffusion of the light. Provide
them with reflectors and place one on each side of the title.
This will insure that each portion of the card will receive
an equal amount of illumination. One exception to such a
precaution should be mentioned and that is when using
block letters. In this case side lighting would produce
better results for it will bring the letter out in relief. Do
not attempt to guess at the exposure; employ an exposure
meter.
The amount of illumination will be dependent upon the
equipment you possess. If your camera will allow eight
frames to be exposed per second instead of the regulation
sixteen your illumination can be cut in half, etc.
Here is another precaution which you must bear in
mind. The center of the card should be directly opposite
the center of the lens, and the four corners of the former
should be at an equal distance from the objective. This is
necessary to insure freedom from distortion in the finished
product. If you intend indulging frequently in home title
making it would make your work much easier if you were
to build some device which will hold the cards properly in
relation to the position of the camera.
Accurate focusing is essential. It is best to employ some
device as a focusing prism. This little device slips into the
film channel occupying the same position which the film
normally does. It enables you visually to focus the lens.
Stop down your lens even if it does necessitate an increase
in the amount of illumination employed. It will produce
better definition and contrast.
The next consideration is the type of film to use. Posi-
tive stock will by far produce the best results. This type
of emulsion is used to produce prints from negatives when
Continued on Page 34
AMATEUR SECTION
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
25
When a
Professional
Tu rns Amateur
by
David Abel, A.S.C.
DON’T know where the idea that the professional cine-
matographer is more fortunate than the amateur origi-
nated — but I can say from experience that it’s all
wrong. The professional must, first of all, work on a
commercial scale, with time, money and such things always
more or less restricted to the end of turning out a profit-
able picture. The amateur has all the time in the world
even if he may not have the bankroll of a big studio. He
need not worry about commercial requirements: he is free
to bend his efforts toward turning out exactly the type of
picture that appeals to him. But the most important dif-
ference is that the amateur doesn’t know what he can’t
or mustn’t do — so he frequently goes ahead and does the
impossible. The professional, on the other hand, is hedged
about with a tremendous wall of precedents, traditions,
and “don’ts.” He may want to experiment, but between
tradition and the commercial requirements already men-
tioned, he is pretty well held back from attempting any-
thing he isn’t positive will work.
That, I think, is why so many of us who spend our
working hours as professional cinematographers are becom-
ing 16mm. amateurs during our leisure moments. Many
of us in the A.S.C. use 16mm. apparatus for experimental
work as well as for personal enjoyment. I know of several
instances where professional cinematographers have evolved
effects and special processes in their 16mm. experiments
which they have later incorporated bodily in their studio
work. And there is at least one feature production now in
work at one of the major studios which is using 35mm.
enlargements from amateur-made 16mm. scenes for im-
portant atmospheric scenes.
And, after all, why shouldn’t this be the case? The
better 16mm. equipment used by the amateur of today is
far superior to the professional equipment of only a few
years ago. Take, for instance, my Victor camera: it is
light, compact, and precision-made throughout. It has a
205 degree shutter, and can be fitted with a battery of
lenses of any focal length from 15mm. to six inches or
more, working at apertures ranging from f:2.5 to f:0.95,
which may be focused by scale or on a ground-glass screen.
It takes highly-corrected Super-Sensitive Panchromatic film,
or Kodacolor for perfect natural-color pictures. It has a
range of speeds from half-speed (8 frames per second) to
ultra-slow-motion at 72 frames per second, and may be
driven at these speeds either by a powerful spring-motor or
by hand. Its capacity of 100 feet of 16mm. film is equiv-
alent to over 250 feet of 35mm. film. Yet it weighs
only three or four pounds.
David Abel,
A.S.C.
Now, let’s consider the professional cameras which were
the acme of perfection twenty years ago when I entered
the professional field. The motion picture industry had
begun to gain recognition as a true industry: it was be-
coming fairly well stabilized; the experimental and pion-
eering days were over (or so we thought then!) The
Motion Picture Patents Company had just been dissolved
by order of the Supreme Court, and with it an attempted
monopoly on cinema equipment. Griffith had put over
$100,000 into making “The Birth of a Nation.” And a
friend had persuaded Griffith’s cameraman, Billy Bitzer,
to try to make a cameraman out of a young amateur named
David Abel, who, while in college, had built his own camera
and taught himself how to make, develop and print motion
pictures.
When I started work under Bitzer at the Fine Arts
Studios that day in 1913, both equipment and methods
were far more crude than the amateur standard of today.
We had, perhaps, passed beyond the huge, non-focusing
cameras of the earliest days (some of those cameras weighed
hundreds of pounds) , and were working with such “ad-
vanced” cameras as the now obsolete Williamson, Erneman,
Pittman, Moy and others. These were large, wooden boxes
holding 200 feet of film in separate magazines or retorts
built inside of the camera-box. They were, of course,
cranked by hand, and had shafts for eight pictures per
turn (which at the standard cranking-speed of two turns
per second gave sixteen frames per second) and one frame
per turn for trick work. Few of these cameras could not
be cranked backwards; and fewer still had any sort of dis-
solving shutters or fade-out mechanisms. As a rule, but
one lens — usually a one-inch (50mm.) — was used. Al-
though I have heard that in the very early days some
cameras had the lenses permanently set at 25 foot focus,
the cameras I worked with all focused on the film, though
the film could in some instances be removed and a small
ground-glass screen put in the aperture. The fastest lenses
known worked at only f:4.5 — and most of us used lenses of
f:5.6 or less. The film, of course, was slow and was not
corrected for colors as present day panchromatic and super-
Continued on Page 35
26
AMATEUR SECTION
American Cinematographer • March 1933
Protecting the
16 mm. Investment
by
William Stull, A.S.C.
S OMEBODY ought to write an arithmetic book for some
home-movie makers — one of those things we used
to have in the third grade with problems about the
six pigs John Jones bought from Herman Smithers for 4c
a pound and sold for 6c per lb., making a profit of $700
on the deal. I know a lot of amateurs who could learn a
lot of good, common-sense photography if they’d study
their movie-making from the third-grade arithmetic angle.
For instance there is the fellow whose films I saw yester-
day. He’s a big engineer and business-man — a college
graduate, who knows all about differential calculus,
logarithms, and the stresses in the Empire State building
during a gale. But he doesn’t seem to understand the
simplest kind of home-movie third grade arithmetic. His
films proved it. There were three nice rolls of Panchromatic
film, so fresh from the processing plant that you could
almost smell the developer. Three hundred feet of what
should have been good pictures. Unfortunately, though,
at least two thirds of that footage was badly underexposed
— with an occasional overexposure to break the monotony.
He was being economical: these were hard times, so he
was struggling along with only a $300 camera, fitted with
an f:3.5 lens, no speed lens, and no exposure meter. He
was using about two rolls of film per month — Panchromatic
film — making a total of twenty-four rolls a year.
Now, let’s look at this from the viewpoint of the third-
grade arithmetic student: if John Jones uses twenty-four
Cood pictures
are insured
with the use
of the
exposure
guide on
your camera
or instruction
book ....
and with
exposure
meters.
rolls of film each year, at seven dollars a roll, and wastes
two thirds of each roll because of faulty exposure, how
much is he saving by not getting a $15 exposure-meter?
As nearly as I can remember my third-grade arithmetic,
the answer to this problem would be that since John Jones
uses $168 worth of film every year, and wastes two thirds
of this from poor exposure, he is wasting $112 worth of
film every year. If the exposure-meter costs $1 5 (and even
the best ones don’t cost above $30), he is wasting enough
money each year to pay for seven and a half exposure-
meters!
That, however, won’t help him out much if he insists
on making pictures under conditions where the light is too
poor for his f:3.5 lens. An f : 1 . 8 lens is five times as fast
as an f:3.5 one — and an f : 1 . 3 is ten times as fast. Either
of these would permit him to make satisfactory pictures
(especially with SuperSensitive film) under almost any con-
dition other than absolute darkness or indoors. Such a lens
would cost in the neighborhood of $60. What would our
third-grade arithmetic say to this?
Well, we know that John Jones uses $168 worth of film
each year, and wastes $112 worth because he hasn’t the
means of exposing properly. Therefore, granted all this,
he is annually wasting enough film to pay for either of these
lenses, with enough left over to give him a good exposure-
meter, a Kodacolor equipment, some lights, and several rolls
of film!
And yet my friend who knows all about differential
calculus and the stressing of Brooklyn Bridge couldn’t see
this because of the first cost of the lens and exposure-
calculator. In other words, he would willingly gamble a
lot of money on film he couldn’t be sure of, but he was
afraid to spend 9 percent of the money he was wasting
through bad exposure even though that additional expendi-
ture would give him perfect security! He was unwilling to
spend perhaps 1 0 percent of the total cost of his outfit on a
speed lens that would increase its flexibility 100 percent!
People often ask me the questions, “Are exposure-meters
sufficiently accurate to be worth-while?” and “Is a speed
lens necessary?" If they’d only consider things in this
third-grade arithmetic manner, they’d find their questions
half answered; especially if they extended their figures to
cover the five or six years that the average amateur uses a
single outfit. Even if an exposure-meter was only 50 per-
cent accurate, that and the extreme latitude of modern 16
mm. film and the reversal process should cut the wastage
from incorrect exposure down to a negligible figure. And
the better modern exposure-meters — especially the photo-
electric ones — are better than 99 percent accurate. Last
year I made a test of such meters under professional condi-
tions, checking with the exposure actually being used on
ten different studio-sets. The average of the meter read-
ings was f :2.48 while the average of the actual exposures
was f:2.56 — the difference being caused principally by two
companies which were making night-effect scenes, for
which the meter could not make allowance.
It must be admitted that professional cinematographers
seldom use an exposure-meter: but this is due partly to the
nature of their work, which allows them to control the
light almost completely; and partly to the long years of
experience by which they have trained their eyes and
judgment so that they can estimate the actinic value of the
light — either natural or artificial — to within a small frac-
tion of a stop. This is not impossible for the amateur —
but until he has worked for many years, and exposed
hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of feet of film, he
cannot hope to attain the accuracy of the professional. The
only thing, therefore, is to get an exposure-meter, of which
this experience is an integral part — and trust it, even
though his own experience and instincts urge him to do
otherwise.
A speed lens is in most instances a positive necessity. It
opens up a vast realm of work denied to the ordinarily-
Continued on Page 33
AMATEUR SECTION
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
27
Cecil B. De-
M ills studying
the continuity
of “Sign of
the Cross.”
You' re Surrounded
With Continuity
by
T. B. Hoffman
Winner of prize for
“Ideal Home Movie.”
P ICTURES without continuity lack common interest
. . . they have no motive ... no movement of
purpose . . . they tell no story. They bore your
friends.
Some day you’ll make the discovery as I did that the
individual or individuals of your interest whom you may
wish to film are continually giving you story material
by their natural acts, and these, of course, serve as the
best record of those close to you. All that is necessary
is to observe them and make a few notes of their antics
and you have a story. Soon after this realization dawned
on me an opportunity presented itself.
Our little boy James received a fireman’s suit with a
hat, badge and all the other trimmings for his fourth birth-
day. The outfit, of course, suggested he play fireman.
Carefully observing his antics, and suggesting a few to
him, a short story presented itself, a synopsis of which
follows:
A pedestrian having lit his pipe carelessly, throws away
the burning match which falls into a trash pile and starts
it burning. A young lady, whose playhouse is being threat-
ened by the growing fire, discovers the same and calls the
fire department. The one man department dispatches him-
self to the scene of the fire with all the speed any fire-
man could be capable of, and with all a fireman’s technique
promptly puts the fire out. The lady expresses her ex-
treme gratitude by embracing and kissing her hero, and
that’s that.
In order that this little story be properly photographed
in continuity, it must be broken down into a series of
shots, or scenes. When completed and cut together,
they will project smoothly and give a pictorial account
of the story. It was broken down into the following
scenes : —
Scene 1. (Close shot) A man lighting his pipe, and
starts walking out of scene, carelessly throwing the still
burning match away.
Scene 2. (Close shot) Trash pile into which falls a
burning match and conflagration begins.
Scene 3. (Long shot) A lady discovers the fire back of
her play house and excitedly runs into the house.
Scene 4. (Long shot) Fire House (the family garage)
with the fireman sitting at a small table in the foreground,
which table is equipped with a telephone, some papers,
etc. In the background stands his auto. He is looking
over the papers on his desk when the phone rings, he
answers, converses, hangs up the receiver, and hurriedly
puts on the characteristic fireman’s hat, jumps into his
little red auto and drives it out of the scene (Exit left)
Scene 5. (Long shot) (Camera set at half speed so that
action will be twice as fast when projected). Driving
the car at break neck speed the car enters the picture
(Enter right) runs a considerable length on the sidewalk
in front of our house and turns into a driveway exiting
from the picture (Exit left)
Scene 6. (Medium shot) (Enter right) Car enters pic-
ture, drives up to water faucet with hose attached. The
fireman jumps out of his car, takes business end of hose in
one hand and starts to open the faucet with the other.
Scene 7. (Medium long shot) Large fire in the fore-
ground with the fireman turning on the water in the
background. Water emerges from the hose and he starts
forward, pours water on the fire, which is soon extin-
guished. A lot of smoke and steam add a lot to this scene.
Scene 8. (Medium long shot) Smoldering remains of
fire and fireman in the foreground, the lady standing admir-
ingly by her house in the background. She advances to
and embraces her hero, and we are forced to assume that
they live happily ever after.
Note: References have been made in several scenes to the
entrance and exit of the character or object of our interest.
This assures smoothness of action and prevents a character
from bumping into himself coming in to a succeeding scene.
After the various scenes had been shot it was compara-
tively easy to match action and to cut and cement them
together. We had a picture that ran smoothly without
jumps, told a story and needed the insertion of no subtitles.
Primarily, it gave us a record of our little boy at the age
of five years. The title was made by pasting black letters
spelling out the title on a pane of glass and placing this on
the hearth in front of a brilliant paper fire in the fireplace.
The camera was placed so as to silhouette the title against
the background of the bright moving leaping flames which
gives the picture an animated title, a moving title in good
character with what follows.
We have enjoyed seeing this little picture time and
time again, and guests in our home have actually asked to
have it run. Story and continuity had done the trick.
You must have a story to make a motion picture of general
interest.
I have practiced this general method of exposing film ever
since and get much more real enjoyment from my hobby
than I thought possible. It has opened an immense field
for more complicated attempts.
28
American Cinematographer • March 1933
AMATEUR SECTION
Books the
Amateur Should Read
by
Karl Hale
S OME want to know what this thing “photography” is
all about. The many inquiries coming into the offices
of the AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER would in-
dicate this is a moot question with many amateurs.
We made a survey among some of the members of the
American Society of Cinematographers for their advice as
to what books the amateur should own or read to give
him the fundamentals of photography and cinematography
that would permit him to make pictures with an under-
standing of what he was doing. Of what happened in
the camera. What took place in the laboratory with a
liberal quota of information sprinkled in on lights, color,
lenses, exposure and the conditions that surround picture
making whether still or motion.
We wanted to bring these books down to a minimum,
but at the same time have them contain all of the ele-
mentary essentials.
They are seven in number and can be bought at prac-
tically every store handling photographic equipment.
Here is the list of books and their prices:
“The Fundamentals of Photography,” by C. E. K Mees
D.Sc., $1.00.
“How to Make Good Pictures,” 50c.
“Elementary Photographic Chemistry,” 50c.
“The Photography of Colored Objects,” 50c.
All of the above books are publications of the East-
man Kodak Company.
“Wellcome Photographic Exposure Calculator,” 75c.
Published by Burroughs Wellcome & Co.
“Cinematographic Annual” Volume 1, $2.50 and “Cine-
matographic Annual Volume 2, $5.00. These two books
are published by the American Cinematographer.
While “Fundamentals of Photography” predates present
fast films, it still contains vital information on the basic
principles of photography. It is written in such clear and
concise style that it is worthy of a prominent place in your
shelf of photographic books. Although some of the phases
it touches are covered in the book “How to Make Good
Pictures,” still the treatment in both books is sufficiently
different to give you a broader conception of the subjects
covered.
Some may wonder why the book “Elementary Photo-
graphic Chemistry ’ was included in view of the fact that
these developing their own film are very much in the
minority. A clear understanding of what takes place in
the laboratory is not only essential but helpful. You learn
through a study of this subject just what might be done
with chemicals, how a scene can be intensified or other-
wise treated to bring about the best reproduction.
While you may never develop and print yourself, still
if you are after a particular effect in your film, have kept
a clear record of the scer^? you wish to bring out in a
certain way, and take this information to the man in the
laboratory you are giving him assistance that will help him
to give you the results you are trying to attain. The deeper
you get into photography or cinematography the more
vital you will find this information and the more valuable
it will prove to you, especially if you are using the nega-
tive-positive type of picture making.
“Photography of Colored Objects” is going to give you
some very valuable data on what happens to color on your
negative, how to change the tones and secure a pleasant
and desirable contrast by the use of filters. Color is all
around you, you must know something of what happens to
it after it is exposed to your film in order to get pictures
that will give you the fine satisfaction that achievement
of a good results will always give one. It tells about the
nature of color and the sensitiveness of the eye and photo-
graphic materials to colored light and many other phases
of color in photography what will prove highly enlight-
ening.
“The Wellcome Exposure Calculator” will be worth
many times its price to the man who uses neither exposure
meter nor the guide furnished him with his camera which
contains the exposure chart.
This little book has in addition to the exposure calculator
in its inside back cover a table giving light conditions for
each month in the various latitudes. It also has the
factor of many different types of film. These two items
form the basis for the correct calculation of the exposure.
In addition to this it has many other tables including a
focusing table and developing information that may prove
of interest to many photographers.
While the above books pertain mainly to still photog-
raphy, still the principle that prevails in the still camera
also holds good in the motion picture camera. However,
the motion picture camera with its many possibilities widens
the scope of photography that through the many years of
experience of the members of the American Society of
Cinematographers vital scientific history was built. In-
formation gathered and experiments made that have now
become a part of cinematography.
It is for this reason that in the books recommended to
the man using a motion picture camera the two annuals
Continued on Page 34
AMATEUR SECTION
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
29
mpoMAm
■y
as the Brakes
on your Car !l
Only VICTOR, however, has been ingenious
enough to provide this unfailing protection at the
four vital points in a projector .... including
the patented device which automatically stops
mechanism and cuts off light in all film emer-
gencies.
T WOULD BE SILLY to buy a car without
brakes. To invest in a motion picture projector
that has no provision for protecting film from
damage is almost as ridiculous.
Victors flute mutie Trip,
the Phantom Watchman that
is never offguard , makes
it impossible Jor any
ViCTQPi to damage film
Mr. N. E. Brock, Brooklyn, N. Y., is one of
many thousands who have learned the true value
of such protection. He says:
“I made a 300 foot film which turned out so well that
we decided to have it duplicated at once .... but
neglected to do so until after the film had been through
our VICTOR over ISO times .... Thought it a bit
foolish to order a duplicate after using the film so
much, and it was with grave misgivings that we awaited
projection of the duplicate. We were speechless with
amazement and delight when perfectly clear, sharp
pictures flashed on the screen. There is not a scratch
or sign of wear of any \ind visible, and values are
quite as good as in the original.”
No VICTOR projector has ever broken, mangled,
or otherwise mutilated a film; but Film Protection
is only one of several exclusive features that VIC-
TOR provides in addition to superior projection
and distinctive beauty of design.
SOLD BY BETTER DEALERS EVERYWHERE
c Ask Tour Dealer to Demonstrate
' Write for Illustrated Literature
Victor Animatograph Corp’N
DAVENPORT, IOWA
242 W. 55th St., New York City 650 So. Grand, Los Angeles
Equipments / 0
30
American Cinematographer • March 1933
AMATEUR SECTION
KODACOLOR LIGHTING. “Is
back-lighting impossible with Koda-
color? Also, what is the best gen-
eral lighting for making Kodacolor
scenes”? — J.V.L., Oakland, Calif.
With the original Kodacolor film,
back-lighting was absolutely impossible,
largely because the emulsion lacked suf-
ficient speed to give any detail in the
shadows with such lighting; there was —
and is — also the danger of flare if the
direct sunlight strikes the lens or the
Kodacolor filters. This is easily overcome
by the use of a very deep lens shade
such as the Goertz effect device or the
H.M.S. sunshade. With SuperSensitive
Kodacolor, backlightings in Kodacolor are
not only possible, but very effective when
used in closeups. One must, however,
shield the lens from the direct rays of
the sun, and remember to expose for the
shadows rather than for the highlights;
reflectors are a great advantage in this,
as they enable one to balance the light-
ing better.
Generally speaking, the best results in
any type of color cinematography follow
the use of a flat front lighting; that is,
with the light coming from very nearly
straight back of the camera. Cross-light-
ings, with the light coming from the side,
though effective in black-and-white cine-
matography, are not so good for Koda-
color long-shots, although they are ex-
cellent for closeups of people. Backlight-
ings are the least effective in colored
long-shots, although they are sometimes
effective in closeups. Reduced to a simple
statement, one can say that the best
Kodacolor — the most brilliant coloring,
etc. — is always secured by using a flat
front light for all scenes, but that in
closeups both cross-lightings and back-
lights are permissible, and — if properly
handled — often quite effective.
A. L. Gilks, A.S.C.
THE X FILTERS. “What are the
“X” filters; what are they used
for”? — R.K., Los Angeles, Calif.
The Eastman Kodak Company makes
several types of Panchromatic emulsions
for still and motion-picture photography;
these emulsions are intended for different
HERE’S HOW
by A. S. C. Members
uses, have different characteristics, and
require different filters. They include one
class of regular panchromatic emulsions;
another of panchromatic emulsions
(principally for commercial still photog-
raphy) with a high green sensitivity; and
a third class which is characterized by a
high red sensitivity. The “X” filters are
intended primarily for use with the sec-
ond type, with the high green sensitivity.
The “X-l” filter is intended for use
with the highly green-sensitive “Red
Label Portrait Panchromatic Cut Film”
with tungsten light, and for Panchromatic
Process film. It is strictly for use in
portraiture and for making commercial
photos for advertising and catalog use;
not for motion pictures.
The “X-2” filter is intended for com-
mercial photography on SuperSensitive cut
film in tungsten light. It can be used
for cinematography, but it is not recom-
mended. Its action is to soften the
color-contrasts in a scene; it does not
darken the sky, as do the yellow, orange
and red “contrast filters,” and it makes
the green vegetation photograph un-
usually light.
If one wants to use a green filter for
use with either regular or SuperSensitive
Panchromatic motion picture films, the
best filter to use is the Wratten “56-B”
filter, which has a factor of 12 for regu-
lar panchromatic film, and 8 for Super-
Sensitive. I do not, however, advise the
amateur to use any green filter in normal
work. For more detailed information on
these filters, see Eastman’s booklet, “The
Wratten Light Filters.”
— Ned Van Buren, A.S.C.
EMBOSSING KODACOLOR FILM.
“How are the embossed lenses in
Kodacolor film, which show up on
the screen as lines, made?” R. H.
E., Jr., Overbrook, Pa.
The minute cylindrical lenses embossed
on the celluloid film-base of Kodacolor
film, and which, in combination with the
tri-color filters and special one-inch lens
used in taking and projection, are formed
by running the film between steel rollers,
upon one of which is engraved the de-
sired lens-pattern. This is done after the
film has been coated and slit, but before
it is perforated. So far as is known, no
solvents are used to soften the celluloid,
the pressure alone being sufficient to
emboss the lenses satisfactorily. The
roller-die used for embossing must be
made with the utmost precision, and
microscopic care used in both this en-
graving and in the embossing. Fuller
details can be found in the patents cov-
ering the process, known as the Keller-
Dorian patents, issued to the “Societe
des Filmes en couleurs Keller-Dorian,”
and assigned in this country to the East-
man Kodak Company. Copies of these
patents may be obtained from the U. S.
Patent Office, Washington, D. C.
— Frank B. Good, A.S.C.
CONNECTING A PROJECTOR
FOR SOUND-ON-DISC. “I should
like to know the simplest and most
effective method of connecting
projector to turntable for the show-
ing of 16 mm. sound-on-disc pic-
tures. We are making our own
sound system and will use a model
K Eastman projector.”
— E. G., San Diego, Cal.
This depends in a large measure up-
on the type and design of the turntable
you expect to use — its gear-ratio, bear-
ings, balance, etc. Generally speaking,
however, the best results are had by the
use of a flexible-shaft coupling. This is
best attached to the shaft of the lower
sprocket, and may be done quite easily
by removing the knob on this shaft, by
which the mechanism is turned when
threading, and which is held in place by
a small pin passing through the shaft.
It is important to be sure that your
motor is sufficiently powerful to run the
projector at the standard talking-picture
speed of 24 frames per second and also
handle the extra starting and other loads
of the turntable, which must turn at
33 1 /3 r.p.m. We are advised, how-
ever, that if the turntable is properly
made, with ball bearings, etc., the motor
of the model K will stand this load.
— Hatto Tappenbeck, A.S.C.
FILTERS FOR 16 MM. CAM-
ERA MATTE-BOXES. “What is the
size of the filter used in 16 mm.
filter-holder-matte-boxes?”
— W. V., San Diego, Cal.
Standard professional two inch square
glass filters are used in practically all of
these devices, as is also the case with
most professional matte-boxes.
— Charles G. Clarke, A.S.C.
March 1933
• American Cinematographer
31
1933
Amateur
Competition
This contest is open ONLY to
AMATEURS. No professional
cinematographer will be eligible
to compete. It is a contest solely
for the amateur, either the
individual or the club.
The contest ends October 31,
1933. All pictures must be re-
ceived by the AMERICAN CINE-
MATOGRAPHER by the closing
date or they will not be con-
sidered.
Entries may be made on 16
mm., 91/2 mm. or 8 mm. film.
No pictures will be accepted
which were photographed on 35
mm. film and then reduced to a
sub-standard size.
It is not necessary to be a sub-
scriber to the AMERICAN CINE-
MATOGRAPHER to enter this
contest.
*
Medallions and Certificates of
Award will be given to those
found most worthy under the
various classifications under
which the film is entered by the
American Society of Cinematog-
raphers, “The Camera Masters of
the World.”
THE AMERICAN
CINEMATOGRAPHER
6331 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Calif.
LEICA “On Location”
Felix Schoedsack, R.K.O.’s
chief photographer, uses
the “LEICA” exclusively
for “still” records of his
travels, for the use of the
Hollywood studio.
An Aerial View by LEICA
“Steaming Up the Hudson” by
John P. Gaty. Many other
unusual views are possible
th the LEICA’S 7 inter-
changeable lenses.
LEICA for “Copying”
Section of a manuscript
photographed with the LEICA
camera and copying equip-
ment by the Huntington
Library. A good method for
copying details of costume,
etc., for reference.
^>CO£2J ivtwit T* wa C-r»p=r-
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Every Photographic
Need Served by
Small enough to fit the pocket, light and sturdy enough to be taken
anywhere, easy to operate under almost any conditions. And because
the LEICA can be fitted with 7 interchangeable lenses, and with
nearly 300 accessories, it does the work of many other still
cameras, at a much lower cost.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE LEICA CAMERA:
Built-In Short Base Range-Finder gives you perfect focus instantly,
without guesswork. Focal Plane Shutter with speeds of 1 /20th
to 1 /500th second,
HOW SCIENTISTS USE THE LEICA
At left, a “micro-
graph” by A. J.
Johannsen made by
attaching the LEICA
to a microscope.
Below, a close-up
of the “Wolf-
Spider” by J. M.
Leonard.
and time exposures.
36 pictures from a
single roll of standard
cinema film. Enlarge-
ments up to 12x18
inches or more. All
controls on top of
camera, right at your
fingertips, for speed,
accuracy, and con-
venience.
Price with 50 mm.
ELMAR f:3.5 lens,
$92.50. 2 year guar-
antee certificate.
Write for Free Illus-
trated Booklet “Why
LEICA?" Monthly
bulletin “LEICA Pho-
tography” sent to all
registered LEICA own-
ers.
E. LEITZ, INC.
60 EAST 1 0TH ST., NEW YORK
32
American Cinematographer • March 1933
Dieterich Composite Photography Process
Continued from Page 9
graphed by the blue-sensitive ortho-
chromatic emulsion of the front (“red-
ortho”) film. The blue rays are there-
after absorbed by the filtering red back-
ing of this film. The red rays reflected
from the white backing pass through
this front film, which is not sensitive to
red, and through its filter backing; they
then fall upon the background-film,
which is as has been stated, a positive
print made upon the extra-thin East-
man News Stock, passing through it
exactly as the light of an ordinary con-
tact-printer passes through a negative,
and printing from this print a negative
image upon the red-sensitive Panchro-
matic film at the rear. Obviously, the
red rays from those portions of the back-
ing behind the foreground set and actors
are prevented from reaching the lens by
these objects. Therefore the result is
an image of the foreground set and ac-
tion with a clear background on the
“red-ortho” foreground negative, and a
contact-printed negative of the back-
ground-print, with the foreground action
in clear silhouette, on the rear negative.
These two negatives are processed in the
usual manner, and may thereafter be
double-printed in register after common
practice. This method, however, did
not allow for the uneven shrinkage of
the two films in drying, Dr. Dieterich
found, and would naturally tend to throw
the two parts of the final composite print
more or less out of register. Since, he
reasoned, this shrinkage invariably starts
during the drying operation, the logical
thing to do was to combine the two
films before this shrinkage could occur.
Therefore, the two films are cemented
together in absolute register while wet,
and allowed to dry as a single film.
Machines for performing this operation
are in common use in several color-
cinematography processes; in actual tests
it has proven quite feasible, even, to
merely place the films in contact in the
proper register, with emulsions in con-
tact and under pressure, for the adhesion
of the two wet surfaces is sufficient to
weld the two into one. However, Dr.
Dieterich prefers, as a measure of safety,
to cement the two films together regard-
less of this natural adhesion. This
resultant composite master negative may
be used exactly as any ordinary negative
would be for contact or optical printing,
duping, and the like.
Inspecting Background
In event that the scene is such that the
director, cinematographer or actors would
benefit from being able to actually see
the background-plate action in motion,
as is posible with conventional projec-
tion-process cinematography, Dr. Dieter-
ich states that it is entirely possible to
project a second print of the background-
plate upon the white backing, using of
course, red light. This would serve the
same purpose as the reflected red light
from ordinary front-lighting the backing,
and print the background action upon the
rear film from the background-print in
the camera. According to Dr. Dieterich,
the focus, etc., of the projected image
would be relatively unimportant, as this
is automatically taken care of by the
background-print used with the camera.
It is Dr. Dieterich’s further plan to
perfect his process by adding to it his
already well known “Detrar” lens system
which automatically ensures perfect
depth of focus from six feet to infinity.
Aside from the care that must be
taken in lighting the foreground and
background with colors of proper separa-
tion values and ensuring that neither
IT'S NEW . . . IT'S NEW . . . IT'S NEW
BUT IT’S
PROVED!!!
AND YOU’RE HANDICAPPED
WITHOUT IT
Put a Raytar on the nose of your camera and get a jump on the whole
profession. Here’s a new lens worthy of the best efforts of every cine-
matographer ... a lens as superior to the ordinary run of lenses as sound
films are to the old silents.
Raytar will give you results you could only hope for before. Its full, sharp covering
power gets full value from every shot. No fuzzy film edges to distract the eye or distress
producers. But clean, vivid images full of all the life and action the director planned.
Tests prove that the Raytar produces more even definition over the entire picture area
than any other lens now on the market. Raytar is fully corrected and works with equal
excellence under any light . . . and with any film. A special B & L glass insures the
Raytar against tarnish or discoloration.
GET ALL THE DOPE. THEN GET A RAYTAR. SEND THE COUPON.
BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL COMPANY
686 St. Paul St., Rochester, N. Y.
| Name .
| Address
| City
State
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
33
set of lights permit either direct or re-
flected rays to fall upon the objects to
be lit in the other color, no special
precautions need be taken. The
apparatus and materials are all commer-
cially available or parts of existing com-
mercial practice; the makeup for the
actors is the standard orthochromatic
makeup; the requirements for the back-
ground negative from which the back-
ground-plates are made are held to be
as simple as those for the background-
plates for existing processes, if not
simpler; and the balancing of the
lighting is stated to be simpler and less
exacting than in any previous process.
Superior Economy
Dr. Dieterich’s claims for his new proc-
ess (for which patents have been ap-
plied for) are superior economy, natural-
ness, and practicability, together with
perfect focus, absolute elimination of
“ghosts”, fringing, excessive graininess,
projector “hot spots” and unsteadiness,
and with greater all-around simplicity
than has yet been attained. Dr.
Dieterich is now preparing a series of
more exhaustive tests of the process,
both in its present form and with the
Detrar lens-system incorporated, which
will be exhibited before a forthcoming
meeting of the American Society of
Cinematographers.
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Our modern processing plant in Hollywood gives the west one day service.
If Your Dealer Cannot supply — order direct giving his name.
PELLEX FILM COMPANY
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
Protecting the 16mm
Investment
Continued from Page 26
equipped worker: interiors, late and
early-hour exteriors, cloudy weather,
rain and night scenes, work in deep
shadows, and last, but most fascinating,
Kodacolor. Of course, such a lens can
be used for general work quite as well
as for these special purposes. Although
it is true that in obtaining superior speed,
the optical engineers are forced to
compromise to some extent on such
points as depth of focus, extreme sharp-
ness, and the like, the fast lens is, stop
for stop, in most respects equal to, if not
superior to the slower objective. In my
own case, although I own a battery of
half-a-dozen 16 mm. lenses of different
speeds and foci, including a one inch,
f:3.5 and a one-inch f : 1 .8, I do over
80 percent of my work with the fast
one-inch lens; I doubt if I have used the
f:3.5 more than half-a-dozen times since
I got the camera.
Italy Demands Film Be
Developed There
• THOSE who contemplate visiting Italy
with their 16 mm. cameras will find
the rulings of the country demand that
their film be developed and submitted
to the Prefettura for censorship and per-
mission to send abroad by mail. A small
charge is asked for this service. It is
claimed no difficulty will be experienced
if the film is taken out of the country
as personal luggage if properly declared
at the Customs.
Kew Prices
TRUEBALL
Model B Professional $300.00
For Bell & Howell and Mitchell
Cameras and their respective
tripod. With the ORIGINAL
instant release telescopic handle.
FRED HOEFNER
TRIPOD HEADS
OF SPECIAL ALLOY
LIGHTER WEIGHT
The Same Efficient Head
For follow shots, known for
their smoothness of opera
tion and equal tension on
all movements.
Unaffected by temper
ature.
Model A for Ama-
teur motion picture
cameras. Attaches
to any standard
STILL tripod. $12.00.
True ball tripod
heads are unexcelled
for simplicity, ac-
curacy and speed of
operation.
GLadstone 0243
5319 Santa Monica Boulevard
LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
The Hoefner four-
inch Iris and Sun-
shade combination
is also a superior
product.
34
American Cinematographer • March 1933
Astro es
LENSES
Mitchell Camera Corporation
665 North Robertson Blvd.
West Hollywood, California
30% to 60% Cash Savings
on 16 mm. and 35 mm. cameras, projectors
and accessories. Write for Bass Bargaingram.
Specify size of apparatus interested in. For
over 22 years Value Leaders of the nation.
Your copy is ready. Write for it.
BASS CAMERA COMPANY
179 W. Madison St., Chicago, III.
HUGO MEYER
WIDE ANGLE LENSES
1 5 mm. FOCUS
IN MICROMETER
FOCUSING MOUNTS
Hugo Meyer Wide Angle Lenses provide
the opportunity for definitely superior
work in indoor photography, poor light,
and under conditions where the photog-
rapher is practically on top of his sub-
ject. These lenses cover a 60% greater
field than a 1 " lens and are furnished
in focusing mounts calibrated from 1 1/2
ft. to infinity.
It is not necessary to remove lenses
from turret when revolving the latter.
Kino-Plasmat f/1.5, 15mm $60.00
Trioplan f /2.8, 15mm 36.00
Ditto, but fixed focus 30.00
Literature on request
HUGO MEYER & CO.
245 West 55th St., New York
Works: Coerlitz, Cermany
Explaining Film Latitude
Continued from Page 18
and still produce upon normal develop-
ment negatives which render in density
differences a faithful picture of the light
intensities which existed in the original
scene.
Laboratory processing has quite a little
to do with the latitude of an emul-
sion, as is shown by its sensitometric
characteristic. It is well understood in
photographic work that a standard basic
formula can be varied in its development
rate and its other characteristics by an
adjustment of the amounts and propor-
tions of the various chemical constituents
in it. Because of this fact it is possible
for different laboratories processing mo-
tion picture film to use the same general
type of formula and get the same kind
of quality, although the formulas might
not be exact duplicates of one another.
There are a variety of methods by which
films are developed and if the methods
differ appreciably the formula must be
so balanced to take care of each method.
Particularly outstanding as different
modes of development are the rack and
tank system as compared with the high
speed developing machine system. In
the latter case the concentration of the
development solution is much less due
to the fact that agitation obtained in
high speed development greatly enhances
the rate of development.
Regardless of the mode of develop-
ment, however, each individual case is
thoroughly analyzed to allow for the best
photographic results, which includes
such things as contrast and latitude.
When You Title Your Own
Continued from Page 24
negative film is used to take pictures
instead of the usual reversal type. It
produces snappier, more contrasty
results. If you prefer to employ
reversal film use the ordinary pan-
chromatic emulsion; it will produce
better results than supersensitive stock.
With the employment of positive
stock direct positive titles can easily be
made at home. An ordinary orange or
red photographic safelight may be used
with ordinary photographic trays, or if
you haven’t the latter, borrow clean en-
ameled pans from the kitchen. Before
you commence photographing your titles
expose a short strip of film using three
or four varying exposures, of which you
keep a record of course. Take your
camera to the dark room, remove and
develop the strip, and from the results
obtained determine the correct exposure.
To facilitate subsequent cutting of the
film for development, take the camera
to the darkroom after each title has been
photographed, and cut a notch in the
edge of the film.
Titles made on reversal film should
of course be sent to the laboratory of the
maker for processing. Those made on
positive film as a negative from which a
positive print is to be made will have to
be sent to a professional laboratory un-
less the amateur is equipped with 16
mm. printing apparatus.
After your title has been finished it
will be necessary to splice it into the roll
of film. If reversal stock has been
utilized it is added to the film in the
usual fashion — so that the emulsion
faces the lens. Direct positive titles are
inserted in a similar fashion. Titles
which have been made by first produc-
ing a negative and subsequently making
a print are spliced into the roll of film
with the emulsion facing the lamp house.
This may produce slightly out of focus
titles upon the screen if reversal film has
been used for filming the action, for
the emulsions of the reversal film and of
the title are occupying opposite sides of
the film.
Books You Should Read
Continued from Page 28
of the American Society of Cinematog-
raphers were included. In these books
you are given information that takes
you many steps ahead in the making of
motion pictures. It brings things into
a clearer light for you, and gives you
methods and materials used by the pro-
fessionals whose work is inspiring you
every time you see it on the theatre
screen.
These two books are by far the larg-
est of the series recommended to you,
but they contained information in ad-
vanced cinematography much of which
you will find you can apply to your
work.
While we know we learn more and
retain our knowledge more readily if we
can apply what we learn, the amateur
will find that if he looks upon his fin-
ished film in the light of the knowledge
he gathers from these books, he will
not only have a finer understanding of
what he is doing; of why certain things
happen, but he will be taking his pic-
tures with a more understanding eye and
with the proper application of his knowl-
edge secure results that will be an
achievement of which he will be justly
proud.
Ernest Haller, A.S.C., to
New York
• Upon completion of the locally-made
portion of “International House” for
Paramount, Ernest Haller, A.S.C., will go
to New York to photograph the scenes
which must be made there, utilizing ra-
dio and stage stars unable to come to
the Pacific Coast. The production fea-
tures Peggy Hopkins Joyce, W. C. Fields,
Stuart Erwin, Bela Lugosi and Sari
Maritza in addition to the radio names,
and is being directed by Edward Suther-
land.
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
35
When A Professional Turns
Amateur
Continued from Page 25
sensitive films. Filters were practically
unknown in moving picture work: they
had very little effect on the color-blind
emulsions of those days — and very few
professional cinematographers knew even
as much about filters as does the average
amateur of today.
Finally came a few covered stages,
where we used very crude arc and mer-
cury-vapor lights. These were hung
permanently from the roof of the stage,
and the sets were built in under the
fixed lights. Small chance for artistic
lighting effects there! Again, I nearly
got fired, for on one scene that required
a night-effect, I put a big spotlight out-
side of a window to throw a pool of light
and shadow into the set, just as the
moonlight would do in reality. Bitzer
and the other cameramen and executives
clustered round, and were highly shocked
at such a thing. Finally, however, I was
forgiven because I was just an amateur.
And that pretty well sums up the
difference between the amateur and the
professional. The amateur doesn’t know
that this “mustn’t be done,” or that
that is “impossible” — so he goes ahead
and tries it anyway. Nine times out
of ten, he will be making a real mistake
— but the tenth time he’ll hit something
new and effective. Yet he would never
have gotten that effect if he had “known
better;” he wouldn’t have tried it. So,
while he may waste a lot of film in those
nine unsuccessful tries, he will be more
than repaid by the success of his tenth
experiment.
16 MM. For Experiments
But don’t take this to mean that the
professional cinematographer is a hide-
bound conservative. He isn’t. Nine out
of ten of us are ex-amateurs, and the
tenth is probably just starting in as a
16mm. professional amateur. We still
want to experiment, and try out all sorts
of ideas that occur to us: but in the
present condition of the industry, we
can’t do that on actual production. We
can’t afford to gamble the company’s
huge investment in money, equipment
and personnel (a matter which may
amount to many thousands of dollars a
minute while actual production is on)
against any personal experiments which
may or may not be successful. There-
fore, most of us are turning to 16mm.
for our experiments. With the 16mm.
cameras now available to the amateur
cinematographer, we find that we can do
far more than we could with the profes-
sional cameras of a few years ago. More-
over, our lenses and films are so closely
identical with those we use professionally
that we can rest assured of duplicating
in the studio any effect we may get in
1 6 mm.
Ccd-Al
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36
American Cinematographer • March 1933
CAMERA
CRAFT
CAN ERA
CRAFT
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE
OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Camera Craft gath-
ers beauty, facts,
fundamentals and
all sorts of interest-
ing information
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CAMERA CRAFT
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San Francisco, California
Riddle Me This
Continued from Page 13
the production cinematographer of un-
desirable responsibility and trouble, while
resulting, I feel, in better and more ef-
ficient production.
VIRGIL MILLER. From my personal ex-
perience, I feel that the best policy for
all concerned is the maintenance of a
separate special-effects department —
provided that that department and its
personnel can and will cooperate with
the production cinematographer as
whole-heartedly as does the special-ef-
fects department of the Paramount Stu-
dio, under Farciot Edouart. Here, pro-
duction is routined so that the process
sequences come at the end of the
schedule, after all of the scenes requir-
ing a large crew or cast have been
finished. During this time, the process
staff have carefully prepared for the
process sequences. Then the company,
with a minimum of personnel expense,
can go into the process work, while the
production cinematographer and Mr.
Edouart can concentrate undisturbedly
on the problems of making the process
scenes individually effective, and match-
ing them perfectly with the rest of the
picture.
When such cooperation is available, I
can see no reason why any doubt should
exist as to the best policy. It is cer-
tainly the most efficient: no cinematog-
rapher would willingly hold up an ex-
pensive company, whose overhead cost
might amount to two or three thousand
dollars an hour, while he made inserts
which he could make as well later, with
a skeleton crew. Neither should he feel
justified in doing the same thing in at-
tempting to make process scenes him-
self, holding up production while he
figured everything out, made tests, etc.,
when a separate staff can do that with-
out in any way jeopardizing his artistic
and technical control of the resulting
picture as a whole.
THEODORE SPARKUHL. It is entirely a
matter of cooperation: if the proper
understanding exists between the produc-
tion cinematographer and the special-
effects man, it is far better to have a
special department for this work; if such
cooperation does not or cannot obtain,
the best results will follow giving the
responsibility to the production man.
However, from my own experience in
Germany, I can say that it is impossible
for a production cinematographer to do
his best work on a picture if he is
burdened with the worry of planning,
scheduling and executing intricate
special-process shots. On the other hand,
if the special-process shots do not carry
out the same idea that the regular scenes
do, both will be more or less a failure.
We must bear in mind that motion
picture production is essentially a co-
operative undertaking: in no phase can it
be simply a one-man job. Taking pho-
tography alone, the cinematographer
must cooperate with the director in order
to realize the picture in the visual mood
best keyed to the action and direction.
Similarly, the special-process technician
must, if his work is to be fully success-
ful, cooperate completely with the pro-
duction cinematographer in order to
bring to the process shots the same mood
and visual quality of the remainder of
the picture. It is of course possible
for either man to do an excellent job
single-handed, but it is far too easy
for either one, if left alone, to let his
individual perspective bias his judgment
of the needs of the composite scene. It
is too easy, for instance, for the produc-
tion man to become dazed by the special
technical requirements of the process
shot, or for the process-man to overlook
the artistic requirements of the scene.
Therefore the best results must follow
intelligent, whole-hearted cooperation
between the two, each understanding
the other’s aims and problems, and both
working together to make the resulting
scene perfect in every detail. After all,
production cannot be a one-man job:
it must be complete mutual cooperation
for the good of the picture.
HAL MOHR, A.S.C. At the Fox Studio,
the production cinematographer is defi-
nitely in charge of all special-effects
work on his productions. We have the
advice and cooperation of excellent
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
37
special -process technicians, but the net
result is invariably up to the produc-
tion’s first cinematographer. In this way,
we get better results, I feel, than could
be possible under any system of divided
or partially divided responsibility. In my
own most recent release, for instance,
“State Fair,’’ at least 65 per cent of the
footage released invslved the use of back-
ground-projection. I had complete charge
of the making of the final composite
shot: I arranged my lighting, after study-
ing the background-plate and the fore-
ground set and action; if the lighting I
used interfered with the process, the
process-men told me so; if the density
of the background-plate made it impos-
sible for me to carry out the effects or
moods I needed, I told them so. In a
word, we worked together in perfect
harmony, and achieved a result that all
of us can take pride in. I firmly believe,
however, that the best results are to be
had only this way, with the production
cinematographer definitely responsible
for the result of all process work.
Using the Candid Camera
Continued from Page 1 5
Trem Carr’s western pictures, re-
leased through Monogram, have for some
time made excellent use of the “Lecia”
in making action pictures of chases,
fights, stunts and such things for use
in publicity, lobby displays and as ma-
terial for the poster artists who make
the action posters.
RKO used the “Lecia” on the minia-
ture sets of their recent production
“King Kong,” and obtained publicity
pictures which could not have been ob-
tained in any other manner, not alone
because of the small size of the “Lecia,”
but also because its lenses were per-
fectly matched in perspective and field
of view with the objectives used in mak-
ing the motion picture.
Publicity Photos
A further and as yet only slightly
developed field in which the motion
picture industry could utilize the minia-
ture camera is in the making of “candid
camera” publicity photographs. The
“Lecia,” as is well known, is the original
“candid camera,” and the unique studies
made of famous people in informal
moments has whetted the appetites of
public and editors alike. Modern news
reporters, both American and Foreign,
has already embraced the “Leica” for
this type of work. The studios would do
well to do likewise, for they have al-
ready proven that there is a demand for
such informal pictures of their players,
even though the majority of them have
been makeshifts, made with bulky and
conspicuous reflex cameras. The Chad-
wick production of “Oliver Twist,” al-
ready referred to, has led the way in
this.
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HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, U SA
CINEMATOGRAPHIC ANNUAL
Volume 2
544 Pages of Valuable Information
American Cinematographer
6331 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Calif.
AGFA RAW FILM CORPORATION
6368 Santa Monica Boulevard
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
Factories: Binghamton, New York, U. S. A.
ITTTYTT
38
American Cinematographer •
March 1933
CINEMA SOUND EQUIP-
MENT COMPANY
7160 Santa Monica Blvd.,
Hollywood, Calif.
Hollywood Still Leads
Continued from Page 8
Sound Recording Equipment For
All Applications.
Watch For Our April
Announcement.
Continental Film Craft
Incorporated
1611 Cosmo St.
Hollywood, California
can furnish all lengths of negative
RAW FILM
from Eymo roll length to 1000
foot Mag. This stock is carefully
tested and spliced and is priced at
2'/zc per foot.
CAMERA and <t a i—
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Hollywood, Calif. ^
<
in Paris, the European laboratories are
impossibly bad. This has an important
bearing on the European pictures, but an
even more important one on our own
foreign releases, since the release prints
are usually made in the country where
the film is to be exhibited — and, more-
over, those of our foreign versions which
are not dubbed with foreign-language
dialogue are duped with superimposed
titles. And if their regular processing is
bad, their duping is, if possible, even
worse. I do not believe that European
audiences are seeing more than a very
slight trace of the beautiful photographic
quality our American cameramen are
achieving. Some idea of this may, per-
haps, be gained from the badly-duped
prints of foreign films which we see here
in this country: if anything, the foreign-
made dupes of our own films are worse
than these. It is a very serious question,
for it is one of the factors which is kill-
ing off our foreign market.
“Production costs in Europe are
naturally lower than they are in America;
almost everything is less expensive than
here. Overhead is lower; materials are
less costly; and salaries are as a rule de-
cidedly lower — except in the case of
cameramen. In Europe, a good camera-
man usually receives a salary that would
be considered high, even when judged by
American standards.
“Of course, in Europe’s production
scheme, things are much as they are here;
they have their “specials,” their program
pictures, and their quickies, just as we
2 for the
. . . PRICE OF ONE
Volume 1 of the Cinematographic Annual which sells for $5.00
One year’s subscription to the AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER .$3.00
BOTH FOR $5.00
This is for new subscriptions as well as renewals.
The CINEMATOGRAPHIC ANNUAL
covers 39 vital subjects in motion pic-
ture making . . .
Composition in Motion Pictures
Light Filters and Their Use
The Art of Motion Picture Make-Up
Color Rendition
Motion Pictures in Natural Color
Cinematography Simplified
Cinemachinery for the Personal Movie
The Dusenbery System of Estimating
Exposure
Micro-Cinematographic Apparatus
What They Use in Hollywood
Useful Facts and Formulae
Sign the attached coupon. Pin a
$5.00 bill, check or money order to it
. . . and this combination is yours.
American Cinematographer,
6331 Hollywood Blvd.,
Hollywood, Calif.
Attached is $5.00 for Volume No. 1 of
the CINEMATOGRAPHIC ANNUAL and
one year’s subscription to THE AMERICAN
CINEMATOGRAPHER. Begin with the
issue of
193
Name
Street
Town
State
do here. But we in Hollywood are prone
to get a false impression of European
production, since we see only their
specials — perhaps fifty out of five or six
hundred films produced every year.
“There are, none the less, some things
where America can learn from Europe.
In art direction, for example, Europe has
much to show us, for while we have
more money to spend on sets, and
usually build our sets more substantially
and out of more realistic materials, the
Europeans often expend greater care and
skill on the design and decoration of their
sets. The European art-director is a
much more important person than is his
American confrere: he works through the
picture with the director and cinema-
tographer, his opinions receive greater
consideration, and there is a great deal
more cooperation with him than is
usually the case here.
“Another technical development in
which Europe is far in the lead is in
cutting-machines. Compared to those
in use in Europe, the best of ours are
crude and inconvenient. There is, for
instance, one such machine in general
use there which will project the picture
either on a small screen or through a
large, magnifying viewing-system directly
in front of the operator, and which
automatically marks the film and sound-
track whenever a convenient button is
pressed, and marks it instantly, making
cutting a great deal easier and more
accurate.
“On the whole, however, America —
thanks largely to American Cinematog-
raphers and technicians — is far ahead
of Europe and the rest of the world in
the technique of production. As long as
the American cinematographer retains
this lead, we have little to fear.”
Soviets Develop New Color
Process
# It is reported that the Soviet Film
Trust has started its first all-color pro-
duction, using a new process recently
developed in Russia. No information as
to the picture or the color-process has as
yet been released.
New Coldwyn Contract for
Gregg Toland
# With a year to go on the previous
contract, Samuel Coldwyn has just
given a new contract to Cinematographer
Gregg Toland. The new ticket is on a
straight four-year basis. Toland has
been loaned to MCM for the next four
months, after which he will return to
Coldwyn to photograph the next Eddie
Cantor picture.
March 1933 • American Cinematographer
39
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FOR RENT— MISCELLANEOUS
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• You want The Cinematographic Annual
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follow focus Pan lenses, free head, corrected new aperture. Akeley,
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WANTED — Print of 16 mm. production “Hollywood Stars on Parade.”
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FOR RENT — Mitchell high speed camera with latest 40, 50 and 75
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Pliny Horne, 1318 N. Stanley. HO-7682 or HO-9431.
FOR SALE— CAMERAS
FOR SALE — 35 MM. Pathe Studio Camera, 1" f:3.5 Krauss Tessar;
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You want The Cinematographic Annual •
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FOR SALE — lea “Monopol” semi-portable 35 MM. projector, complete
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camera as single system recording, or as separate recorder for
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Also recording amplifier. Don Malkames, Hazleton, Pa.
FOR SALE — Four four hundred foot Bell & Howell Magazines, only
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40
American Cinematographer • March 1935
DIRECTORY of DEALERS
Handling the American Cinematographer
ARIZONA
Phoenix: Studio of Sound. P. O. Box 1671.
Tucson: William M. Dennis, 22 United Bank
Bldg.
ARKANSAS
Judsonia: Lee’s Novelty House.
CALIFORNIA
Fresno: Potter Drug Co., 1112 Fulton Ave.
Glendale: Kug Art Photo Service, 205 So.
Brand Blvd.
Hollywood: Bell Cr Howell Co., 716 North La-
Brea Ave.
Hollywood Camera Exchange, Ltd., 1600 N.
Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood Citizen, 6366 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood Movie Supply Co., 6038 Sunset
Blvd.
J. V. Merchant, 6331 Hollywood Blvd.
Universal News Agency, 1655 Las Palmas.
Los Angeles: California Camera Hospital, 321
O. T. Johnson Bldg.
Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 643 So. Hill
Street.
Educational Projecto Film Co., 317 N. Fair-
fax.
T. Iwata Art Store, 256 East First St.
Lehnkering Pharmacy, 1501 N. Western
Ave.
B. B. Nichols, 731 South Hope St.
Victor Animatograph Corp., 650 So. Grand
Ave.
Tappenbeck & Culver, 10958 Weyburn Ave.,
Westwood Village.
North Hollywood: Studio City Pharmacy, 12051
Ventura Blvd.
Pasadena: The Flag Studio, 59 East Colorado St.
Richard Fromme, 965 S. Fair Oaks.
A. C. Vroman, 329 East Colorado St.
San Diego: Harold E. Lutes, 958 Fifth St.
San Francisco: Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc.,
216 Post St.
Hirsch & Kaye, 239 Grant Ave.
San Francisco Camera Exchange, 88 Third
St.
Schwabacher-Frey Stationary Co., 735 Mar-
ket St.
Sherman, Clay & Co., Kearny & Sutter Sts.
Santa Barbara: J. Walter Collinge, 1127 State
St.
Stockton: The Holden Drug Co., Weber Ave.
& Sutter St.
Logan Studios, 20 N. San Joaquin St.
COLORADO
Denver: Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 626 Six-
teenth St.
CONNECTICUT
Bridgeport: Harvey & Lewis Co., 1148 Main
St.
Hartford: Watkins Bros., 241 Asylum St.
ILLINOIS
Chicago: Aimer, Coe & Co., 105 N. Wabash
Ave.
Associated Film Libraries, Inc., Suite 224,
190 N. State St.
Bass Camera Co., 179 West Madison St.
Central Camera Co., 230 S. Wabash Ave.
Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 133 N. Wabash
Ave.
Fair, The, Camera Dept., 7th Floor, State-
Adams-Dearborn Sts.
Springfield: Camera Shop, The, 320 S. Fifth St.
IOWA
Sioux City: Lynn’s Photo Finishing, Inc., 419
Pierce St.
KANSAS
Wichita: Jack Lewis Film Service, 329 Sedg-
wick Building.
LOUISIANA
Monroe: Griffin Studios, P. O. Box 681.
MARYLAND
Baltimore: Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 309 N.
Charles St.
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston: Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 38 Brom-
field St.
Iver Johnson Sporting Goods Co., 155 Wash-
ington St.
Pathescope Co. of the N. E. Inc., 438 Stuart
St.
Pinkham & Smith Co., 15 Bromfield St.
Braintree: Alves Photo Shop, 349 Washington
St.
Cambridge: E. M. F. Electrical Supply Co., 430
Massachusetts Ave.
Springfield: Harvey & Lewis Co., 1503 Main
St.
Worcester: Harvey & Lewis Co., 513 Main St.
MICHIGAN
Detroit: Crowley, Milner & Co.
Detroit Camera Shop, 424 Grand River W.
Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1235 Wash-
ington Blvd.
Grand Rapids: Camera Shop Stores, Inc., 56
Monroe Ave.
Photo Service Shop, 44 Monroe Ave.
MINNESOTA
LeRoy: Ivan E. Meyers, Home Movie Service,
215 W. Main St.
Minneapolis: Eastman Kodak Stores, 112-116
So. Fifth St.
National Camera Exchange, 5 South Fifth St.
MISSOURI
St. Louis: Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 1009
Olive St.
MONTANA
Bozeman: Alexander Art Co.
NEBRASKA
Omaha: J. G. Kretschmer & Co., 1617 Har-
ney St.
NEW JERSEY
East Orange: Edmund J. Farlie Jr., 45 N. 19th
St.
Union City: Heraco Exchange, Inc., 61 1 Ber-
genline Ave.
West New York: Rembrandt Studios, Inc.,
526A Bergenline Ave.
NEW YORK
Binghamton: A. S. Bump Co., Inc., 180
Washington St.
Brooklyn: Geo. J. McFadden Inc., 202 Flat-
bush Ave.
Buffalo: Buffalo Photo Material Co., 37 Ni-
agara St.
New York City: Wm. C. Cullen, 12 Maiden
Lane
Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 356 Madison
Ave. at 45th St.
Gillette Camera Stores, Inc., 117 Park
Ave.
Herbert & Huesgen Co., 18 E. 42nd St.
Mogull Bros. Electric Csrp’n., 1944 Boston
Road, Bronx.
Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Co.
New York Camera Exchange, 109 Fulton St.
Times Building News Stand, Inc., Times
Building.
Willoughby’s, 110-112-114 West 32nd St.
Rochester: Marks & Fuller, Inc., 36 East Ave.
Smith, Surrey, Inc., 129 Clinton Ave., South.
Schenectady: j. T. & D. B. Lyon, 236 State
St.
Syracuse: Francis Hendricks Co., Inc., 339 So.
Warren St.
Utica: Edwin A. Hahn, 223-225 Columbia St.
OHIO
Canton: Ralph Young News Agency.
Cincinnati: Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 27
West Fourth St.
Huber Art Co., 124 Seventh St., W.
Salem: Butcher’s Studio, 166 South Broadway.
Toledo: Gross Photo Supply Co., 325 Superior
St.
ORECON
Pendleton: J. T. Snelson, 608 Gardner St.
Portland: Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 345
Washington St.
PENNSYLVANIA
Erie: Kelly Studios, 1026-28 Peach St.
Langhorne: National Entertainment Service,
360 Bellevue Ave.
Philadelphia: Klein & Goodman, 18 South
Tenth St.
MacCallum Stores, 1600 Sansom St.
Pittsburgh: Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 606
Wood St.
Wilkes Barre: Ralph DeWitt, 2 South River
St.
TENNESSEE
Nashville: Geo. C. Dury Co.
VERMONT
Burlington: G. W. La Pierre's, 71 Church St.
WASHINGTON
Seattle: Anderson Supply Co., 1 1 1 Cherry St.
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee: Eastman Kodak Stores, Inc., 737
N. Milwaukee St.
Photoart House, The, 226 West Wells St
Phillips: Jakoubeks’, 132 N. Lake Ave.
AUSTRALIA
Melbourne: McGills Agency, 179-218 Eliza-
beth St.
CHINA
Canton: International Book Co., 269 North
Wing Hon Road.
HAWAII
Honolulu: Eastman Kodak Stores, 1059 Fort
St.
INDIA
Bombay: Continental Photo Stores, 255 Hornby
Road.
P. C. Eranee Sons, Albert Bldgs., Hornby
Road.
Calcutta: Photographic Stores & Agency Co.,
154 Dhuramtolla St.
M. L. Shaw, 5 /I Dhuramtolla St.
Lucknow: Lucknow Commercial Co., 25 Amina-
bad Park.
MEXICO
American Photo Supply Co. S.A., Av. F.l,
Madero, 43, Mexico, D.F.
. . . When nothing hut
the best will do
Eastman Super-sensitive Pan-
chromatic Negative has been
used with outstanding suc-
cess so many times, under such
widely varying conditions,
that no further demonstration
of its quality is necessary. To-
day the most important point
to remember in connection
with it is this: its proved
excellence makes it preemi-
nently the best film to use at
a time like this, when noth-
ing but the best will do.
J. E. BRULATOUR,lNC.
New York Chicago Hollywood
7 HE Mitchell Silent
Camera which has been
received very favorably will
soon be available with new
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Our improved silent camera
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