Cine Kodak News; Vol. 17, No. 6; Dec. 1941
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THE chi ldren are up instant they're bered. In your lucky household, movies are awake, and you're not far behind. For on this certain to be as much a part of the day as the day all are young in h eart . .. and now comes tree and the presents. the cJi max to the weeks of planning and The chronicle of Christmas in color-yottr plotting for one another's happiness. camera can make it in movies. This 1ssue of There are stockings to unload, gifts to un- "Cine-Kodak N ews" will tell you how to wrap, happiness to be savored-and remen1- catch the Christmas story. HOW M A NY MOVIE I DEAS CAN YOU FIND HERE AND O N T H E OPPOS I TE PAGE? HRISTMAS is a movie subject they could be shown here in color, It's a little movie in itself-and it's an that's only arms' length-almost too, for it really takes Kodachrome to utterly natural filming plan. everyC bit of it. There's no need to urge catch the spirit of Christmas-and you This one-subject-one-sequence you to make close-ups. Almost every can and probably will duplicate many method presents no special filming facet of the colorful occasion is in of these scenes in the colorful close- problems. There's no need to run close-ups. Right under your camera's ups you will make over the holidays. around with a lot of lights and rear- nose. So much so, in fact, that we're Some scenes-the gaily littered living range them for every shot. The story going to suggest that you make an room ... the eager group at the din- on pages 9 and lO tells you how easily, almost all-close-up holiday movie. ing-room table-these you'll probably how inexpensively, a few lamps can You can do it-regardless of your want in shots full width and full length. be used to flood a whole room so that camera's lens equipment. You can But for the first half of Christmas Day, you can move freely about gathering make real close-ups of Christmas and frequently thereafter, close-ups shots at various distances without even cards, and gifts, and tree ornaments, will tell the story beautifully. the need for changing aperture. and table decorations, that individu- For example-Dorothy digging in ally will fill your screen from side to her Christmas stocking. This deserves BUILDING SEQUENCES side-bigger and better and as beau- more than just one long uninter- Let's see how it works out with other tiful as in life. rupted scene made yards distant. phases of the Christmas story, and If your camera has a focusing lens Move in close for a glimpse or two of how important a part close-ups play. the chances are that you can focus her chubby hand clutching the small Will there be a toy train set? It's down to two feet-and the resultant toys the stocking contains ... of her great to have a movie of a child's 9-inch field will later cover your 30-, puzzled or joyful expressions. Several expression as he opens a gift like this. or 40-, or 52-inch screen. If you've brief close-ups like these make one It's fine to film him from across the an accessory lens for your focusing sequence. And many such sequences room as he, thoroughly engrossed, camera you can get even greater make one movie. swings his head to follow the train's magnification by still further reducing path around and around. But it's bet- the area filmed. THE IMPORTANCE ter by far to add to these shots a few But if your camera is fixed focus, OF CLOSE-UPS close-ups . of the switches and signal and therefore not given to seeing too A verbal description of the one- towers and the clattering train roaring clearly objects almost on top of it, you subject-one-shot formula showing Dad down upon your floor-level camera may have a slight investment to make. admiring a new Christmas pipe would ... which capture the intimate won- Very slight. While prices depend merely read, "Dad was delighted to der of the new toy. It's better-and it's upon the camera used, the chances receive a new pipe." That's a nice fun. It's fun to do. And it's a lot more are that about one dollar will get you shot to have, but it's rather tame. How fun to show. a portrait attachment. And a portrait much better it would be to film him, As a final example let us take the attachment will get you close-ups. first, receiving his package . .. then, dining-room table. Far too much So much for the equipment. The while he's unwrapping it, to step in thought and work have gone into its instructions accompanying it tell you close and show his hands folding back decorations, and the preparation of all about focusing and distances and the paper and opening the box ... the feast it is to bear, to dismiss it with the fields covered at those distances. then back to catch him from a few feet one sweep of the camera. Its center- Now for the movie. away as he delightedly examines it piece, its candlesticks, the steaming We could write about the conti- and clamps it in his mouth . .. then turkey, glistening jellies, vari-colored nuity. At great length. But why do Dorothy, as she runs for his tobacco vegetables-each of these tempting that when pictures will tell the same humidor . now back in close to film dishes warrants a brief glimpse. A few story? Far better, too. At the left you the filling and tamping of the pipe seconds each-a minute at the most see a few-just a few-of the shots and tobacco .. the lighting ... the for the entire sequence-and you've which you can make up close . .. first few puffs .. concluding with a got it in close-ups that will be a tan- make easily . and make beautifully last medium-distant shot of Dad hap- talizing reminder of the occasion. into a grand holiday movie. We wish pily exhaling clouds of blue smoke. Try it-for your Merry Christmas. 3 ordered with tropical packing in sunlight. With the latter, the reflection cartons so labeled. As this re- of reflected sunlight. quires an extra metal container And Mr. Alger's shot had a very there is an additional charge of different objective than the scene you 20 cents per 16-mm. magazine, see below which was made by Mr. 15 cents per 8-mm. magazine. Inci- John H. Mullins of Brooklyn, N. Y. dentally, all film sold in the tropics is Mr. Mullins also obtained an image already "tropic-packed." Keep unopened film reasonably cool. Do not attempt to reseal the film after exposure and before processing. Carry it unsealed and wrap the film in several thicknesses of newspaper as insulation against heat and moisture. Get it to a processing station as soon as possible after your return home. These simple precautions should prove fully adequate. EXPOSURE TEASER FAVORITISM Dear Sir: I am enclosing film clippings which I wish Dear Editor: to have considered for use in the News. The of the moon, but his target was a sil- Maybe I just imagine it, but it seems to me we subject is Luna, seen from my front yard.- houette of the couple against the faint "Eight" owners are being slighted by your pub- Martin Alger, Mackinaw City, Michigan. light in the sky furnished by the lication. Look at your " Good Shots" section, for already-set sun on the opposite hori- example (I always do)-the blame thing is Just below you see the movie shot almost all 16-mm.-B. E. D., St. Louis, Mo. zon. Mr. Mullins used f /2.5, and his of the moon made by Mr. Alger on tiny moon came out white. Mr. Alger, We looked-and it's true that the 8-mm. "Super-X." Mr. Alger obtained however, wanted more detail-in dif- "Good Shots" page sometimes gives an image of good size because he ferent tones of gray-in his magnified a slight edge to the "Sixteens." But used a special lens which gave him moon, so he exposed for the sunlight that's because there are more of 'em about a fourteen-times' magnification it reflected. in use, hence there are frequently over the standard lens image. Incidentally, if you are equipped more contributions. Mr. Alger, as we said, used 8-mm. to obtain similar magnification of the All news in the News, unless other- "Super-X," which is stops faster moon, and are using Kodachrome, wise designated, applies to both 8-mm. than Kodachrome. "Eight Super-X," put aside the temptation to load with and 16-mm. movies. There's no reason in other words, requires an exposure nighttime Type A Kodachrome. Use why it shouldn't. Today, both film and of between f/11 and f/16 for an aver- daylight Kodachrome, or your moon, equipment are comparable on every age-bright sunlit scene. The scene was while it won't look quite like the major count. filmed at the standard camera speed fabled green cheese, will have the of sixteen frames per second. very definite bluish tinge born of Here comes the exposure teaser! exposing "Type A" in daylight. For TRAVEL What aperture do you think was when you shoot the moon at night you Dear Editor: used for this shot? are really filming reflected sunlight.