COMMENTS.
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COMMENT |
The Editor and readers |
TRADITIONALLY, we British take a pride in being 'good losers' which too often is a way of making a virtue out of necessity.
Personally, I think it's a lot more fun to be a good winner and so it's with unabashed patriotic pride that I draw your attention to the first item in News of the Month on page 770. British film makers have done us all proud at the Cannes Amateur Film Festival where they carried off a clutch of major awards - including the Grand Prix and the special trophy for the best group contribution by any of the 25 nations taking part. We at Movie Maker are especially pleased, of course, that two of the British films honoured at Cannes Dog and Trophy - were among the prizewinners in our own Ten Best competition and are in the programme now on general release. (For details of where to see them, see Show Dates on page 793.)
It's interesting to note, by the way, that the Grand Prix, won by Michael McCloy for Dog, is presented by the President of the French Republic - an indication of the fact that in France amateur film makers are accorded a good deal of respect for the contribution they make to the cultural life of the community. Over here they still tend to be regarded in official circles as self-indulgent hobbyists or harmless eccentrics, not far removed from the chaps who construct scale models of the Post Office Tower out of matchsticks.
The Scottish region of BBC Television is showing a more enlightened attitude with its 'Scope' competition, run in collaboration with the Scottish Film Council. Now we would like to see this trend spreading south of the border.
We have had instructional programmes for beginners but the time is surely ripe for a series that reaches out to the public at large - a series that simply shows good amateur films on their own merits and possibly interviews some of the people who make them. I can't pretend to be completely impartial in this matter, of course, but it seems to me that programmes of this kind would have much to commend them in terms of variety, audience participation, human interest and sheer entertainment value.
One of the odd and rather likeable characteristics of movie makers is that they love to tell you about the effects in their films that were achieved by sheer luck, while keeping relatively quiet about the scenes that were wrought with difficulty out of careful planning.
The other night I went out to Pinewood Studios to watch a preview of Lady Caroline Lamb, the first film directed by Robert Bolt, well known hitherto as the writer of many successful stage and screen plays (A Man for All Seasons, Doctor Zhivago, Ryan's Daughter etc.). Expectedly, it turned out to be a writer's picture with the penetrating and often witty dialogue providing the main source of pleasure. On the other hand, it was not short of visual felicities and I was particularly taken with a sequence in which a coach carries the melancholy William Lamb through mist-shrouded park land towards his stately home.
It was not only effective pictorially but perfectly suited to the mood of the character at that point in the story and I imagined that it must have cost a pretty penny to keep a full unit on location, waiting for just the right density of mist.
On the contrary, it seems. When I mentioned the point to Robert Bolt after the show, he seized on it with relish. The shooting schedule had only allowed him one day in that location and he had been hoping for fine weather. The sight of the mist had disgusted him at first and everyone sat down glumly, hoping against hope that it would clear before noon.
Then as he gazed abstractedly into the murk, a camera truck happened to trundle up the drive towards him - a blurred shape that gradually revealed its outline more sharply. All at once he realised the gift that nature was offering and was on his feet calling to the lighting cameraman, Ossie Morris, for a setup. For the next hour or so the unit worked like crazy to get the whole sequence in the can before the mist did, in fact, clear and spoiled the continuity.
The making of a film - any film is beset by so many unforeseen mishaps, that I suppose we all deserve a happy accident like that at least once in a lifetime.
Tony Rose.
For many years my family and I have looked forward to the annual Ten Best Shows which have been most enjoyable. Last week again we had the pleasure of seeing this year's Ten Best which ware most entertaining except that the pleasure was marred by the inclusion of Eclipse and Eurynome.
These two films although excellently executed technically were ruined by the subject content relating to sex,
particularly Eurynome. This exploited subject should be excluded by the competition rules, as it leads to
embarrassment to a majority. After all the Ten Best films, apart from being amateur, should be for entertainment and
enjoyment.
Birmingham
R. M. Bayley
We published a warning in the July issue and also in the Ten Best programme, pointing out that some people might find Eclipse and Eurynome embarrassing, particularly if they were accompanied by children. We also suggested that clubs, presenting the show, should pass this warning on to potential patrons. Everyone will agree with Mr. Bayley that the Ten Best should be entertaining and enjoyable but so far as adult audiences are concerned- it's news to us that these qualities are incompatible with sex.
Each month I look out eagerly for the new cover of Movie Maker on my local bookstall. The cover picture, apart from being the first thing I see, is often a real source of pleasure and inspiration. The marvellous action study of 'Dog' on the front of the September issue was a case in point. It seemed to capture the whole spirit and excitement of movie making.
After this your October cover came as a sorry disappointment. It was very static and seemed more appropriate to a
handicrafts magazine than to one about moving pictures. Please remember your title and keep the accent on
action.
Liverpool
John Humphries
I am a relative newcomer to movie-making and would be interested to learn whether there would have been any technical reason why super 8 could not have been made even more super by placing the sprocket hole in the centre of the film between frames.
To my mind this could give a choice of two methods of improvement. (a) If the height of the frame was raised to match the increased width it would result in a bigger and better picture. I would imagine this would cut the running time per 50ft but would be worth it. (b) if the height of the frame was reduced slightly this would have made super 8 into wide-screen system without the need for any special lenses on camera or projector.
As a layman this seems to me to be so simple there must be a flaw in it somewhere. Is there?
Manchester
Wallace Davis
The main reason why super 8 film was not introduced with a single sprocket hole in the centre of the frame-line was because of the major damage that would occur if the film became jammed in the projector. As you know, this has always been a very real problem with 9.5mm material. So far as raising the height of the picture area is concerned, this is not practicable, bearing in mind that the frameline is extremely narrow to allow a perforation. Other problems would result if the height of the picture area was reduced. It would be extremely difficult to achieve adequate picture brightness using a 'widescreen' system as envisaged by Mr. Davis.
Over the last five or ten years you have sold thousands of marvellous Standard 8 stripe sound projectors running at 16 f.p.s.
Hundreds of thousands of sound films must have been made at 16 f.p.s. I have 20 reels.
It is now impossible to buy a new projector to show these films - how daft can you get? And what confidence can
anyone making films today have about showing them in ten years time?
Leicester
A. Williams
We assume that Mr. Williams has one of the earlier Eumig Mark S Standard 8 projectors, and first of all we would hasten to assure him that as spare parts and service arrangements will be available for many years to come he need have no apprehension with regard to the life of his projector within reason. Should Mr. Williams be considering the purchase of one of the later sound projectors, such as the Mark S 710 D, although the film running speeds are marked as 18 - 24 f.p.s., this can be adjusted to give 16 fp.s. It is done by altering the frequency selector from 50 cycles per second to 60 c.p.s. The effect of this is to give a range of speeds in the region of 14.5 fp.s. to 21 fp.s. it is then a relatively easy matter to find the appropriate position of the control switch to give 16 fp.s. When altering the frequency selector the lead to the transformer should not be altered but remain in the 50 c.p.s socket.
In your June issue (News of the Month) you reported the increase in postal charges for super 8 film.
You and your readers may be interested to know that I recently discovered that Kodak collect (and deliver if not process paid) films from dealers in and around London.
I get a very good service from three dealers in Guildford - Kodak collect daily and I have already saved quite a lot of
postage. Agfa I am told also collect from certain areas.
Leatherhead
W. Roger Smith
Your September issue was full of letters from irate people who have not bought the Eumig 710D projector. After
reading your review of it, I bought one immediately and
am surprised you should be running a campaign against the best amateur projector I have ever used. Please
publish useful criticisms founded on evidence as factual as are your equipment reviews.
Derby
Rupert L. Tams
We publish critical letters, aimed at all kinds of subjects, including Movie Maker itself. Needless to say, this does not mean that we necessarily agree with them or that we are I running a campaign'.
With reference to W. Evans' letter concerning 9.5mm film supplies (September 1972 issue) I should like to say that although I have only been using 9.5mmforafewyears in comparison with Mr. Evans' 40 (1 am only 22), 1 have never had any difficulty in obtaining all the 9.5mm film I require. True, I normally only use colour film, this being the excellent Ferraniacolor which retails at about El per ready loaded charger, but according to the July 1972 stock sheet issued by Roy Salmons of 45 Cumberland Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, 9.5mm black and white film is available at 65p per charger, process paid in 50 or 200 ASA. The sheet also boasts of some black and white negative stock.
The difficulty some distributors are having with black and white film seems to stem from the manufacturers quoting a
minimum quantity of supply which is too large for them to handle in the normal course of their business. Most
people today seem to want colour.
Wallasey, Cheshire
A. Readioff
Good for Mr. J. A. George (October issue). He's perfectly right of course. The standard of presentation in the road showing of 16mm (and 8mm) films is appalling, by professionals as well as by amateurs.
One could be forgiven for thinking that the ability to show a well lit picture on a properly masked screen in a suitably darkened hall would not be too much of a problem for anyone interested enough to attempt the exercise. Why is it then that it is so often badly done. Having been associated with film presentation for over 40 years, I have seen all the 'effects' listed by Mr. George, and many others as well.
It is surprising that even people who have expended energy, time and money in producing a film, will watch with apparent indifference while it is thrown on the screen in conditions that would disgrace a magic lantern show. So please, Mr. Projectionist, let's have a little more showmanship and use the same kind of effort to put the film on the screen as was needed to put the scene on the film.
Finally, may I refer anyone likely to be concerned with the presentation of film to read the first page of the chapter
dealing with film projection in the latest edition of that mighty tome, Wheeler's Principles of Cinematography. It
should be compulsive reading for anyone calling himself a
projectionist.
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
C. J. Rogers
I have recently been watching the trade test
colour films that are put out on BBC2
during the day for television shops to
adjust their sets.
The films I found were very interesting
and come in a wide range from the B.P.
films, Oil at Sea, Sea Quest etc. to the G.P.O.
films.
I was wondering whether films like this
were also made in 8mm sound as well as
16mm. I think that it would be a good idea
if 8mm versions were available.
London E1
Brian Holt
Sponsored films of the kind mentioned by Mr. Holt are listed in our Sponsored Film Guide which is published each year in the September issue. As a rule, they are only available in 16mm - the reason being that the number of people who attend an 8mm film show is not usually large enough to justify the additional print costs. One has to remember that the sponsor's aim is to get his company's products or 'image' before the eyes of the largest possible audience.
I have written to P.M.
Films, Stoke Poges,
Bucks, regarding the purchase of a standard 8 colour Pathe News film about the
Investiture of the Prince of Wales, which
runs for about ten minutes and has sound
on film. Unfortunately, they do not have
any available and it appears that the
negatives have been destroyed. These folk
have suggested that I write to you to see if
you know of any place that might still have
a copy for sale.
Eastwood, N.S.W, Australia
Shirley Watton
Sorry, we haven't discovered a source of the actual film you mention, but a black and white film of the Investiture can be supplied by Walton Films, 87 Richford Street, London W6 for £5.50 plus postage.
Those of us who were fortunate enough to
see Leni Riefenstahl's film of the 1936 Olympic Games must have thought what a greater
impact as a spectacle it would have been
shown on the big screen, instead of on the
'postage stamp' TV screen with all today's
gimmicks. After 36 years have passed this
lady's film has been unsurpassed. As Peter
Wilson of the Mirror said, it showed "a touch
of genius".
St Thomas, Exeter.
C. Chudleigh
I appeal through your magazine for
help in tracing a missing roll of standard 8
Kodachrome 11. This failed to return after
processing and extensive enquiries both
with Kodak -and the Post Office have failed
to reveal any information.
The film opens with shots of a small boat
crossing the Bosporous, continues with shots of a castle and views of passing
shipping, including the gaily painted local
coasting vessels. The fact that the film is not
available has left a nasty gap in my holiday
film of Turkey particularly as this was one of
the most memorable days.
By the way, if anyone is looking for a
film of a trip down the Bosporous and some
shots of a chicken and a duckling, Kodak
have that one at Hemel Hempstead, but not,
I fear mine.
If you can find a space for my heart cry in
your magazine, I would be most obliged.
33 Hampden Road,
Langley,
Bucks
SL3 8SF
F. Saunders
I should like to tell you of a recent experience, regarding a spare part which I
required for my Heurtier P6-24 projector.
This machine has been in the hands of a
repairer for almost a year, awaiting a new
gate and edge guides, which it seems, were
unobtainable in this country.
I wrote direct to the firm of Heurtier et
Cie., St Etienne, France, on June 11 this
year and received the necessary parts free
of charge on June 26. What about that for
service! Needless to say, I have written to
them to thank them most sincerely -and
gratefully - for this kindness, but feel that
you should also know of this.
Edwalton, Nottingham
C. B. Pilkington
In your March issue, Enquiry Desk, a Mr D. Bateman enquired about a solid state record playback pre-amp. In your reply you mention the Eagle Tape Head Preamplifiers.
I sincerely hope Mr Bateman has not wasted his money on the strength of your reply. One glance at the Eagle catalogue will tell you that these permaplifiers are for PLAYBACK only. In fact I do not think there is a RECORD/PLAYBACK pre-amp on the market of any make.
Mr Bateman may be lucky enough to find a Gramdeck pre-amp in some second hand shop; I have three and they all work pretty well if you don't want Hi-Fi. The only other alternative is to purchase a second-hand tape recorder and use the 'works' of this. He may even be able to find a tape recorder service centre somewhere which will tap into the head circuit of the tape recorder he already has, (if he has one). I think it bad that you should give such a misleading reply when the validity of the advice could be so easily checked.
Having got that off my chest (no hard
feelings) may I through your columns
announce that I have now formed a
Southern Widescreen Group within the
Widescreen Association and I will be very
pleased to hear from anyone interested.
Gosport,
Hants
Peter Mitchell,
Hon. Sec. Widescreen
Association
Reply from our Enquiry Desk: Unfortunately in reading through Mr Bateman's letter we missed the word 'record' and we're sorry if our reply was misleading. Mr. Mitchell might like to know that there are Record/Playback preamps on the market - at a price! Brenell make a stereo one at about f8O. A better alternative to the Grandeck unit would be the one off the Syncroflex/Bolex sync sound system. This has the advantage of a level meter built into it.
I was most interested in Mr Edwyn Gilmour's article in the August issue referring to the Elf projector. While I am sure that Mr Imai, the Vice-President of Eiki Industrial, would be delighted to reply, may we as the UK Distributors of the Elf projector give an early comment.
The question Mr Gilmour raises is a very valid one and worthy of a straight reply, rather than some smooth sales talk. The short answer is that the factory has already undertaken to guarantee the provision of spares for at least ten years from the date any model of the Elf is purchased. The basic facts are these.
The Eiki Company was formed over twenty years ago to manufacture 16mm projectors. The product is now widely sold in 40 countries and is the only foreign machine to hold the American Insurance Laboratories Certificate for safety. For this, guarantees had to be given to the US Government that supplies of spares will continue on any model for ten years.
The equipment has been standard issue in Dutch schools for many years and the Government department there confirmed to us that they had had no problems on the provision of spares for any of the models they purchased. When the equipment was adopted by the Inner London Authority some three years ago and last year by the Ministry of Defence for issue to HM Forces, similar guarantees were given in writing by the factory.
Here it should be emphasised that the Japanese Government exercise a very strict control on these arrangements and would quickly intervene if a manufacturer failed to meet his commitment. Finally it was agreed 18 months ago with the factory in con- junction with the Canadian Suppliers for the United States that every new model of 16mm projector produced by Eiki would be so designed that the parts and bearings fitted the existing machines as well. The object of this was to avoid the necessity of carrying a wide range of spares covering a lot of different machines.
It is a fact that we can supply parts from a current model which fit the mechanism of the machines made in 1960 and 1961. Quite recently we have overhauled machines of that date and have been able to supply the necessary spare parts. We should emphasise that these spare parts were supplied at current list price for the standard machine.
We, as the UK Distributors, have been very
much aware of the necessity to provide a
good spares service. Some forty dealers in
the country hold complete exchange
assemblies for the Elf Projector and have a
trained Elf engineer on the premises. If any
user of the Elf Projector is in difficulty with
the supply of spare parts he should contact us immediately and we will take steps to
rectify the situation for him without delay.
Slough, Bucks Dudley
J. Frost,
Clewer Audio Visual Services Ltd
I wish Ron Joyes wouldn't put words into my mouth or prose into my pen. (Comment, October.) I've never lumped documentaries and travel films together with holiday films. Neither has Uncle Ivan.
All holiday films are unsuitable for presentation to an unsuspecting public. This is not to imply that we should be ashamed of them but we should regard them as being an animated extension of our diary - perhaps to share with our nearest and dearest.
They cease to be holiday films when they are taken on holiday in a documentary and businesslike manner. Prime examples from Mr Joyes' local Westcliff Cine and 35mm Club are the Taybarn award-winning From a Raindrop to the Sea and And God Created - and the fine contributions from Or Hamblin.
On an international scale, who could forget Archie Reid's Journey to Russia which really made the audience feel like consulting their travel agent?
Somehow I think the revolution in travelling has by-passed Mr Joyes' cogni- sance. These days the proletariat are actually seeing for themselves the boundless sights of the world thanks to charter travel, while those preferring to stay at home enjoy the sophisticated armchair travel offered by the many excellent TV documentaries.
So - to offer this kind of audience a run-of-the-mill holiday film must inevitably court the snores!
I refuse to emulate Mr Joyes by offering
my opinion of his work outside of a judging
panel, but as to his comments on my Come
Cruising show, it should be pointed out that
every audience is warned that these are
slides to make yours look good and one
hopes the technique of presentation makes
them a little bearable. (See my own
comments on Come Cruising, Club Commentary, October). They are always presented
in the best of humour, a commodity which
apparently doesn't always go with Joyes.
John Wright
I have just seen the 1972 Ten Best Show and very much enjoyed the programme, which I thought was well suited to the average audience, whom we hope will come again next year. In this respect, I was glad there were no 'extracts' or advanced technique (i.e. incomprehensible) films. My only criticism was the poor sound quality of the striped blow-ups from 8mm originals.
Cherchez la Femme was the worst sufferer - with its unfamiliar dialect it was difficult to follow the conversation and I think this film would have been better served by sprocketed tape. It is obvious that stripe sound has its limitations and that in some cases there is no margin for loss of quality. This must occur with the two transfers of sound which are necessary for distributed films in the Ten Best.
I think that one, and one only, system of
tape sound should be accepted for this
competition.
Plymouth
0. Naylor
Mr Naylor is quite right, of course, when he says that stripe has its limitations. When we have to transfer from the stripe track on an 8mm original, the quality of the sound on the blow-up is bound to be disappointing. Whenever possible, however, we work from the producer's original tape tracks - using the stripe sound simply as a guide. This happened, for example, in the case of Giuseppe and we think audiences willagree that the result is entirely satisfactory. The moral is that entrants who send us 8mm striped films should preserve their original tape tracks - just in case they should happen to finish up among the Ten Best award winners.
Reproduced from the November 1972 issue of Movie Maker
This page was last updated 02 Dec 2002