Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12

chance on keeping perhaps several hundred
people idle for several hours while defect in
the recording apparatus is being repaired.
Another important man is the laboratory en-
gneer. He takes the sound track which has
been recorded and subjects it to various tests
before it is developed, in order to secure the
highest point of perfection in the developing
process The tiny black lines which form the
sound track are scrutinized by an electric eye
a million times more sensitive than the hu-
man eye. This is the photo-electric cell which
transforms the light waves into sound waves in
the theater.
This cell is so sensitive that it absolutely is
imperative to have the sound track developed
in exact accordance with predetermined pc
riod of time. Otherwise the voices and music
would sound distorted on the screen. That is
where the principal benefit of the sound track
on a separate film comes. If the sound track Is
on the same film the picture. some consid-
Grafton must be given to the picture in the de-
veloping process
THE sound departments also employ num-
Der of others whose jobs, while not as ex-
acting as those named above still are i'm
portant. These are bell boys-no, not the
type you see in hotels. These boys have va
rious duties, such ringing bells for quiet
when a scene is about to be shot and again
when the scene is finished, seeing that warn
ing lights are switched on and OF at the
proper times and that stage doors are all
closed.
Helping the bell boy on his job is the flag
waver who stands guard outside Of stage doors
to see that nobody tries to enter while scene
is being shot. In the old days before the
sound-proof stages were built these men kept
all foot and motor traffic away from stages on
which sound pictures were being made. And
they still are used en- exterior locations to keep
anything which might cause a noise away from
the microphone's range.
Just before each scene is filmed a buzzer boy
steps in front of the cameras and microphones
with a small apparatus which gives flash and
buzz simultaneously. This is done so that
the cutters may match the sound track with
the film more perfectly.
Each company also has its noise doctor, who
has full kit of noise-deadening apparatus
ranging from rubber heels and tape for actors
shoes to huge felts for covering sets.
AS you probably have concluded by now, the
one big factor in making sound and talking
films is to have absolute quiet except for the
sounds which are desired in the pictures.
In the days of silent pictures one or two
cameras usually were used in photographing
each scene One camera was operated by the
first cameraman and the other by the second.
With the talkies came greatly increased cam
era stats and the creation of the chief cinema
tographer who takes no part in the actual pho
tographing.
TN THE old days scenes were done once for a
long shot, again for a medium shot and a
third time for closeup. The cumbersome
sound-proof camera booths which came with
the talkies made such moving about practi-
cally impossible. Hence, many more cameras
are now used. The entire operation is now
done in one take" with various cameras US
ing special lenses for long Shots medium shots
and cloSe-ups.
The chief cnematographer sits outside the
booths and directs all the cameramen. He de-
cides just how the set shall be lighted, the po-
sition of each camera booth and just what an
gle or part of scene shall be photographed by
each of his assistants.
This method of shooting may be changed in
the near future, that soundproof hoods
are being perfected for the cameras. These
hoods-which keep the cameras noises from
the microphones just as effectively as the
large and heavy booths-pernit the cameras to
be moved about as freely they were in the
silent days. And it is well known fact that