New Britain herald., 1927-03-12
W. F. Jeffs Explains That ENcerps From 80 or 90 Pieces Have to Be Syn chr0nized for Average Feature Picture - Stop Watch Used in Timing Tunes to Scenes.

When a person goes to q high class motion picture show the gen. oral attitude is one Of absortion in the picture apparently. The music, Oh yes, very interesting and pleas ing-but incidental?
 That's the first reaction one might have to a question of movies and music but reflection would change this statement and there are none who will not admit that good music not only lends atmosphere to the house and 10 the picture but is ab- -olEtely essential in conveying the story which the projection machine is throwing on the screen. But it takes q truely experienced and cap able director to arrange and direct 2 musical score for feature pie ture in such q manner that all will run tremendously, that the music will not ohtrude and detract from the picture. The music must be so arranged that it corresponds with the action being shown, yet oes not take attention from such action.
 'Cucing" of Movie
 But how is q movie, be it news reel, comedy. scenic reel or feature, "cued," and by the word "cued" Is meant arranging music to suit the offering? Doubtless the average person thinks that the orchc7tra leader goes into the pit with his musicians and plays about anything that comes to his mind. simply changing the tempo to suit differ ent scenes as they occur on he screen, and getting his cue for such changes from sub-titles as they ap- rear. If person is casually inform cd that in inst an ordinary news reel. excerpts from ten to sixteen lif farent musical numbers have to be played after careful arrangement they would think it an exaggeration. And if told that selections from SD to go different numbers are used for an average feature they would hardly | believe It. Yet that is just what ! happens.
 Are Perfectly Timed
 And what is even more astonish- l ing. all these changes In pieces and 1 in time, the various rests etc, are i accomplished without the individual orchestra musicians as much as glancing at the screen. So perfect ly is this score timed in advance i that a picture which takes an hour 1 and forty minutes to show, for in stance, finds the orchestra with ex- actly one hour and forty minutes | of playing and this is so coordinat- cd with the picture that the final strains of the orchestra number will die away exactly as the final fade out fliCkers on the screen.
 How W. S. Jcfss Works It But to get down to a concrete example. the Capitol theater or chestra under the direction of W s. Joffs can be cited and 9 survey of the work of "cueing' pictures as explained 10 writer by the leader hiraself as illuminating.
 In the first place. the work in public by the movie house orchestra
 leader is the least part of it. His hardest work is done alone and the { public appearance in the pit is but the demonstration, one might say of his dress rehearsals"
 Every Picture Prc-Rcvicwcd Tn the first place. not a singlc picture, be it news reel, comedy ol
 feature is shown to the public be. fore the orchestra leader has re.
 viewed it alone and made notes fol his musical accompaniment. Thes' pre-reviews are made either afte,