Page 6 - PM_1953-10
P. 6

To Seript or not to Seript (cont~d)


      FAMILY
             I. Holiday;  2. Garden;  3. Wedding;  4. Party;  5. Sports.


      TUTORIAL  or  FACTUAL
             I.  Citizenship  (road  drill,  etc.);  2.  Cultural  (Ballet,  Amateur  Dramatics
             mime  only);  3.  Recording  (or  material  for  analysis);  4.  Coaching  in
             Sport.
         From  the  above  headings,  the  garden  family  film  provides  a  simple  script
     that could form the basis for an inexhaustible variety.


      GARDEN  (Family)
        This  is  the  type  of film  that  hundreds  of  people  take  every  week-end  with
     varying  results.  The  theme-the  family  against  a  background  of  the  garden.


      MENTAL  NOTES
             I.   Introduction of family.
             2.   Family behaving naturally.
             3.   Final conclusive shot.


      NOTE.
        The  family  will  either  be  very  conscious  of  the  cine  camera  and  give  em-
     barrassed  peeps at the lens  or else,  having  seen  Dad  use  his  camera  many times,
     feel  that  they  are  really  natural  and  act  in  a  blase  mock  could-not-care-less
     attitude  which  does  not  convince  anyone  and  is  far  more  serious  to  overcome
     than  the shy  peepers.  Show  the family  the  scri.pt  beforehand  and  ask  them  to
     behave  naturally  not  act  naturally.  Occasionally  one  sees  films  (usually  com-
     petition  entries)  which  are  made  by  keen  camera  operator  types  who  yearn  to
     direct  masterpieces,  but  who  forget  to  show  the family  the  script  before  com-
      mencing  shooting.  As  soon  as  the  camera  starts  turning,  he  begins  yelling
     complicated instructions which  (a)  causes the camera to shudder and (b)  converts
     the  family  into  a  flock  of  nervous  sheep,  with  the  inevitable  result  that  Dad
     the camera operator director becomes annoyed and yells  even  more complicated
     instructions with devastating effect.

        DISCUSS  the  proposed  shots  with  all  the  family  and  arrive  at  the  script
     which  may be like this.
             I.   Shot  of  rockery-camera  pans  round  to  family  sitting  in  deck
                 chairs  conversing.
             2.   Various  shots  of  family  -  patting  dog  -  lighting  cigarettes  and
                 occasionally smiling naturally.
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