Issue 28 - The Association of Motion Picture Sound.

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Picture
This Newslener is edited by Bob Allen and Keith Spencer-Allen_and is published by 'he Association of Motion
Knox
iouni io. OruiUution to ali members. AMPS can be contacted through'Brian Hickin, The Admin Secretary, Knox
Si[gi iil"d"r Wiff tf'S. Vemterstrip enquiries to Patrick H9i,glrp, AMPS Membenhio Secretrrv. c/o 28
AMPS
Sreet, l,ondon wlH lFS. A;;';iri;'trrriAGni *ttr m af"fpSNewslefter should be aditressed to fhe Editor'
iii;Ji"ttli, ot-o p*t oinie Coluage, old Post oflice Road, Chevinglon, Suffolk IP29 5RD or Fax 01732 '779r6E or
]!
Email : edi tor@amps. net
GRAFIAM HARTSTONE
HONOURED
AMPS
THIS YEAR'S CHARLES PARKHOUSE
AWARD WINNER
SUSTAINING MEMBERS
At the British Kinematograph, Sound & Television
Society's Fellows
and Members
luncheon held this
year at the Institute of
Phvsics' Rutherford
Conference Centre in
Portland Place,
London, Graham
AKAI PROFESSIONAL
AMS NEVE
AUDIO DEVELOPMENTS
was presented with
the Charles
Parkhouse Award by
AUDIO LTD
DE LANE LEA SOUNDCENTRE
MLBY
DTS
FITZROVIA POST PRODUCTION
HARzuSON
NAGRA
PINEWOOD STUDIOS
RICHMOND FILM SERVICES
RYCOTE
SENNHEISER
SOLID STATE LOGIC
SONY BROADCAST & PROFESSIONAL I.IK
SONY CINEMA PRODUCTS
TECHNICOLOR
TWICKENHAM FILM STUDIOS
AMPS
BKSTS President,
Paul Collard.
The Charles
Parkhouse Award is
presented annually to
persons who have made significant contribution in
either the laboratory or sound recording branches ofthe
motion picture industry.
The citation read as follows:
Graham Hartstone has worked in the Sound
Department at Pinewood Sndiosfor 37 years, starting
as a Sound Assistant and working his way up to
become Hea"d of Post Production in 1988. He has
overseen extensive investment in the soundfacilities at
Pinewood as one of the leaders infeature fi,lm post
productionfacilities
He has receivedthree Oscar Nominations andfour
BAFTA Nominations for Sound, including BAFTA
winner in 1982 for Pink Floyd - The Wall, andthree
Golden Reelsfrom the Motion Picture Sound Editors of
Atnerica.
Graham has been a long serving member of the
BKS7S, being a member of the Sound and Special
Effects Committees, e member of the Council, and a
Fellow of the Society. In his work as a Council
member for the Association of Motion Picture Sound he
has promoted liaison between our two societies, and
with other crafr guilds.
As coordinator for Pinewood Studios at events hosted
by the Society, Graham has played a key role over
many years to ensure the smooth running of their
t e c hnic al fac i liti e s, w htc h t he S o ci ety gr e at Iy
appreciates. For his achievements in the field of sound
post production, and for his work on behalf of the
Society, the Charles Parkhouse Award is presented to
GrahamHartstone.
Graham was the only person connected with sound
that received recognition at this years BKSTS Awards.
Well done and well deserved
Congratulations from all AMPS members.
2
SOME END-OF-THE-re,AR THOUGHTS
FROM THE CFIAIRIVIAN
I wisted the arms of our lnrdworking editors
to let me write afew wordsfor this edition. With
opportunity to speak up and mak your views
heard.I wouldwelcome your comments, good
any luck, and the Post Office permitting, you will
have receivedyour copy before Christrnas.I
suddenly realised afew days ago that I have been
in office almost ayecr now and I am only just
beginning to find my feet in this role!
Looking forward to 1999, we will be
celebraling the l0th Anniversary of the fornwtion
of AMPS. This represents an important milestone
for the Association and another opportuniry rc
raise our profile.
and bad, and urge you to come along and pl.av
your part inthe running of the Association. We
have plans to make the event more socialwith the
help of our Sustaining Mernbers, so it will be a
great opportunity for you to meet up with fiends
in the indusfi, both old and new. So I hope to
see you there.
Firnlly may I wish you, and your families, a
very happy Christmas and a successful and
prosperous New Year.
The AGM will soon be here and the Council are
very keen to make the event both informative and
enjoyable. For every member the AGM is an
PETER HODGES
AMPS Chairman
UPDATE REPORT ON
REORGAI\iFATION OF \rHF RADIO MICROPHONE FREgUENCIES
I
The 'Shared Frequencies' block would be
perfectly usable in a studio situation,
obviating the necessity of a second set of
frequencies for productions working in and
out of studios and locations.
microphone spectrum. Sandy MacRae,
I The current popular shared frequency of
Patrick Heigham and Ian Voigt represented
199.700 MHz has been reinstated, but may be
AMPS, and following the meeting, Sandy and subject to interference from I watt OB
Patrick made a highly detailed response,
programme links.
explaining the current usage of Radio Mics
JFMG would not commit to stating that
on Film and TV productions and asked for
adopting UHF frequencies might be a better
clarification of a number of points. A useful
bet overall, although they foresaw no change
and explicit reply was received from Joe
in the new arrangements until at least 2000.
Sonke of the RA and consequently, Sandy
Sandy and Patrick both felt that the VHF
and Patrick went to JFMG and the RA for a
spectrum is in peril, if we cannot show that it is
head-to-head consultation on November 6th
regularly used. In fact, this was very clearly
to discuss particular mafters in greater detail.
stated in Joe Sonke's reply.
A good natured and discerning meeting
The only way to protect this band, is for
took place and a complete resume of AMPS'
individuals to accept that they must pay for,
dealings on behalf of members will appear
and take out, licences. Some discussion took
shortly, probably as a separate mailing. In
place on likely penalties for illegal (ie
brief we may have obtained one or two
unlicensed) use. Fines, custodial sentences
concessions, namely:
and confiscation, not only of the radio
I The possible usage, on a secondary basis, equipment itself, but also of ancillary
of those ITV frequencies that have been
equipment to which it is connected, are
shifted into the block designated for News
distinct possibilities. The latter point should
use. These may well be included within the
interest camera and production personnel,
block group fee of f 160 for up to 8 selected
since expensive camera gear is at risk, as
frequencies.
would be the continuation of the production
n A fixed site would refer to the whole of a itself.
stuaio complex, rather than an individual
PATRICK HEIGHAM
sound stage, which had been implied in the
(As presented to AMPS Council nweting 10/11/98)
original wording.
Initially, at the July User Group meeting
called by the Joint Frequency Management
Group Ltti and the Radiocommunication
Agency, JFMG Ltd outlined their proposals
for the reorganisation of the VIIF radio
3
Lucasfibn THX and Dolbv unveil
Dolby Digitat - Surround EX
At the recent ShowEast Convention in Atlant+ Georgia,
Lucasfilm TFX and Dolby l:boratories introduced a codeveloped and jointly-owned 6. l-channel theatrical surround
sound format, Dolby Digital - Surround tr. The presentation
was made by Dolby l-abora[ories' President" Bill Jasper, and
General Manager of Lucasfilm TFD( Monica Dashwood, to a
packed house of ShowFast attendees.
The creation of the new format was born out of the
frustration that Academy Award-winning sound designer and
Director of Creative Operations for Skywalker Sound (Lucas
Digital Ltd, LLC) Gary Rydstrom had with the current
technology. "I wanted audiences to be completely encircled by
surround, as well as hear sounds played directly behind them,"
*
Rydstrom said. I wanted to develop a format that would open
up new possibilities and place sounds exactly where you
would hear them in the real world."
The new sound format, Dolby Digital - Surround EX,
provides filmmakers with greater flexibility. With
conventional surround technology, the sound field in the back
of the theatre can be perceived as blurred and coming from a
general area to the left or right of the auditorium. With Dolby
Digital - Surround EX, centre surround information is
reproduced by the speakers at the rear of the theatre, while left
and right surround information is reproduced by the speakers
on the sides. This addition of a new surround channel and use
of speakers allows a sound designer to create true 'Tly-over"
and 'fly-around" effects that are smoother and much more
accurately placed, either directly behind or beside the audience.
'This new surround technology provides filmmakers with a
powerful new creative tool for producing realistic
soundtracks," said director George Lrcas. "l'm proud that TFD(
and Dolbyjoined forces to develop this new technology and
bring it io the industry."
The Surround EX format makes its debut with the May 21,
1999 release of George Lucas's new feature film, Star Wars:
Episode | - The Phannm Menace. Other upcoming film
soundtracks will also be mixed with the new format DreamWorks' The Haunting of HiIl House, and Sony's
Memoirs of a Geisha.
Although not a requirement, TFD( certified theatres are
ideally suited to take advantage of Surround EX. These theatres
meet acoustic requirements specrfically developed for movie
soundtracks and have most of the necessary equipment already
in place for proper playback, including speakers on tlre rear
wall of the theatre. Together, TFD( theatres and Surround EX
can provide moviegoers a visceral experience that is of the
highest quality without the problem of distortton.
The Surround EX format is fully comPatible with all
existing 5.1 digital systems. It requires the addition of a Dolby
SA-10 surround adapter; winng the speakers into left, right and
centre grcups; and an additional channel of surround
amplification.
'TFD( took the oppornrnity to develop with Dolby a system
that raises the bar on qualify," said TFD('s Monica Dashwood.
"It is important to know that this t€chnology is not going to
make a moviegoer's theatrical audio experience inherently
louder. The TFD( mission has always been to deliver the
ultimate theatre experience. "
"Dolby Digital - Surround EX realises the long-held dream
for surround sound that is truly all-enveloping," staled Dolby's
Bill Jasper. "With the new format, we've taken the technology
to an additional level that makes an amazing difference in sound
possibilities."
CIaken from Dolby press release)
E/p (Pressure overcomes Resistance to produce Power)
A.M.P.S.
Pornographic accompaniment for principal artistes
BLUE BACKING
A serious Recordist's disease
CARDIOID
CATASTROSCOPE An anamorphic disaster.
. Reduction of salary to less than last job.
COMPRESSION
..... Non-motorised wide-screen.
CYCLORAMA
Predub made knowing its irrelevance to the la&est cut.
DEMENTIA PREMX
Wide open area where hearing may get lost.
DYNAMIC RANGE
Brent's step-sister.
FOLEY WALKER
Former employee of A.T.V.
GRADER
Hum Mechanism Intensifier.
H.M.L
IMPEDANCE .........................Resistance offered by PMs to increase in crewing.
..........Treacherous French microphone (called Pierre).
LAVALIER
Make-up for female digits.
QUANTISATION
A method of convincing backers of the impossible.
SCHEDULE ..............
STANDING WAVE
....
-........... Gesture at wrap-parfy.
STILL
SYNCH
TRINITRON
by PETER MUSGRAVE
2425
........
What the crew won't keep during a take.
Where an Editor washes his hands of the whole business.
..............
Religious television.
The year when frame-rate becomes standardised.
photographically,l got to know and understand quite
TIIANK YOU
a lot about the technicalities of the system and the
hazards of film processing. To me glow lamp, galvo
and light valve modulators are easy to understand but
John lles' explanation that it's the flow of a data
stream containing the multi channel mix information
applied to I.FDs that exposes the film is beyond my
comprehension. I must do further study!
Realising that Saving Private R-yan would run for
about three hours, I decided I'd better pay a visit to
Even if the invitation to Technicolorhad onlv
been to view their newly refurbished sound trinsfer
department, I would have accepted the offer but
with the added attraction of a chance to see
Spielberg's much acclaimed Saving Privae Ryan,
the offer was quite irresistible. About 4O other
people felt the same way.
On arrival, security at the gate said to go in the
main door and follow the signs to reception. And
there in a large room on a long table along one side
of the room was a delicious array of 'finger-licking
good' snacks. Down at the far end of the room
another table was covered with bottles of very
drinkable Jacob's Creek red and a very eood white
wine for those who prefer it. If wine wa-s not your
tipple then lager, orange juice and mineral water
were also provided.
Soon, in a very convivial atmosphere, people
were milling about introducing themselves to one
another and engaging in pleasant chat. A great start
to a great evening.
When arrivals seemed top slow down and those
early comers had had a chance of a bite to eat and a
couple of drinks, Barry Agar, Head of the Transfer
Dept, led groups of visitors down to the sound
transfer suites. The new department is quite
splendid. Entrance is via a medium sized foyer
furnished with comfortable seats. On one wall a
flow chart in 3D, made up of examples of the
various media used for mastering the mixes, shows
their progress to the final release print.
There are two transfer suites. side bv side. Suite
Nol is a large brightly illuminated room while No2
room is smaller but both are far removed from the
usual claustrophobic, equipment fi lled cubi cles that
transfer operators usually have to work in.
Representatives from the three film digital sound
systems were present to answer questions. John
Iles for SR-D, Caroline Underhill for SDDS and
The new
All Fotmats Photographic Sound Transfer Sutte
the 'bathroom' before the show started. I asked Barry
there was a gent's handy and he detailed one of his
crew to lead me through a labyrinth of corridors deep
into the lab, to the employees locker room. The door
to the toilets faced me, I pushed it open and lo I could
hardly believe my eyes. What lay before me was the
largest most splendid gent's I've ever been in, in any
part of the world. Tiles, stainless steel, masses of
facilities, brightly painted and all shining spotlessly
clean. A real show piece without a doubt. Seeing this
splendour provided for the staff, I recalled a
Chris Hollebone for DTS. Barry Agar talked about recording I once heard of Alf Cooper who had been
the new layout and explained the transfer process to an ACT shop steward
at Technicolor, talking about
make a sound negative carrying all four track
the primitive working conditions during the 20s and
formats ie analogue Dolby SR, SDDS, SR-D and
3Os in the UK film processing labs and how
DTS timecode. The analogue track is in the
impressed he had been when he went to work for
standard position, SDDS ls down the edges of the
Technicolor in the newly-built West Drayton Lab. I
film outside the sprocket holes, SR-D is between
can now understand why he was impressed.
the sprocket holes and the DTS timecode track is
Before going to the theatre we were invited back to
squeezed in between the analogue track and the side
reception for another drink if we so wished. As we
of the picture frame
proceeded from there to the theatre we were presented
Questions from the visitors in the group I was
with a mint Maglite from Sony SDDS and super
with were few, not that Barry and his team and the
black mug with Technicolor Sound Services printed
system reps were allowed an easy ride, people
in gold and lower down also in gold lettering
seemed to prefer to ask their questions directly of
Sustaining Member of AMPS.I got quite a kick
the staff and reps rather than from the group.
seeing it and realising that AMPS is now becoming a
Having started my movie sound recording career
recognised entity in the motion picture and TV film
in the days when everything was recorded
industries.
if
(continued aver)
5
(fhank You Technicolor continued)
Now about the movie. The sound was great.
Led by Oscar-winning rerecording mixer and
sound designer Gary Rydstrom, the sound team
have produced a war sound track to end all war
sound tracks. I found the sound during the
Normandy beach landing much more alarming
and horrifying than the shots of blood and guts.
The incessant machine gun fire and shell bursts
from all directions made you wonder how
anyone could survive such a concentrated attack.
I'm afraid I wasn't upset by the blood and
gutz. For me the whole idea of war is completely
abhorrent; there have been too many in my
lifetime.I am well aware that soldiers and
civilians suffer horrific injuries. What I saw on
the screen looked artificial and rather contrived.
That's not to say that the other visual special
effects in the movie were unreal. thev were most
impressive
For me the movie was too long and I hated the
over sentimental opening and closing of the
story. However, it looks as if I will be in the
minority as already claims of 'the greatest movie
ever made', are getting about.
The reaction of those present at our screening
was interesting. At the end fade out, the audience
sat silently as the excessively long credit titles
(even a credit for the script typist!) ran on and
on, and when they eventually ended nobody
applauded. It seemed that they had all been
completely stunned, whether by the movie or by
the length of the credit titles, I'm not sure.
The sound we heard was from the SDDS track
and I think that it's fair to say that Gary's guys
efforts would have been as well conveyed had
we heard them in DTS or SR-D.
BOB ALLEN
RED.
GREEN
AND BLUE
Slort history oJ AMPS' Sustaining Me mbe r - Technicolor
Two students from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Herbert Kalmus and Daniel Comstock,
wanted to promote colour cinematography and since they
were both 'Tech' graduates, named their company
Technicolor. They started with a two-colour system
balanced for daylight using red and green filters, with
two images being formed by a prism behind the camera
lens. But after difficulties with colour fringing in the
special projection
optics this
system was soon
abandoned.
Process number
two used a single
negative in a
camera with a
two frame pull
down so that re.,
and green images
could be
photographed on
adjacent frames.
Prints from each
image were
cemented
together and
floated over
baths of their
respective dyes.
The three strip Technicolor carnera
But with the
coming of sound this idea was discarded in favour of
process number three.
Scene
from
'Saving
Privute
Ryan'
6
This used separate negatives for the red and
green images, from which positive matrices in
relief were made which acted like a rubber stamp.
These were dyed red and green, and then rolled
into contact with a strip of clear film coated with a
dye absorbing emulsion. This method had a
normal silver sound track and enabled many prints
to be made without wearing out the original
negative.
Messrs Kalmus and Comstock realised that to
create a more natural colourthey had to combine
red, green and blue, in correct proportions. So in
I932they announced a new three colour process
using a specially designed camera. Behind the
single lens was a beam splitter consisting of two
Bipuk Film:
s
urfues in
sensitire to
Filmt rcceivno
GREEN imagi;
(cmulsion
con tact ). front
BLUE;
rat tusitiw
For 8O years Technicolor has been at the cutting
edge of colour film techniques and film handling, and
their logo in the end credits has always been
associated with a quality product. Today Technicolor
provides picture processing 24hours a day in any
format (including the large 'Space Theatre' formats)
from its plants in Hollywood, New York, London
and Rome. There used to be a plant in Paris but it
closed down in 196O as London Airport developed
and provided easy access worldwide to and from the
UK plant.
Each laboratory is fully equipped to make 35mm
prints with modern digital sound tracks including
Dolby SR.D, Sony SDDS, and DTS. The advent of
Dolby Stereo photographic sound in the 1970s put an
end to 35mm prints with magnetic stripe, and in
doing so got rid of prints with the non-standard
eru.lston lacrng
to
i. Ma6elta
Filter: lraa.r
mitting red
ndbtuliglt
LIGHT:
tr
'tr":,:;^
.lenj\
Ap€rtuc
I
)2->-
Filtcr.
trusmltdt
E
green tight-
only
Gold-fleckedMirror:/
(betvcen prism) rhich
A.pettuEe
P18r
pas ttrdight
through AgertureI; thc restbang
defteZted Lt right u/u thrcugi Aperturell
allovs some,ltght
lo
Diagram of light splitting system
prisms and a partially reflective mirror at their
joined faces, and two apertures. The rear aperture
received an image through a green filter, and the
side aperture an image through a magenta filter
which passed both red and blue light. These three
colours were photographed onto three separate
films with matrices made from each negative used
to make dye transfer prints.
For the next twenty years 'Glorious Technicolor'
reigned supreme but in 1950 Kodak introduced
their multi-layer Eastmancolor negative negative
and positive emulsions, balanced for artificial
light, which could be used in any camera. This
made the Technicolor three strip process virtually
obsolete ovemight, although it was many years
before dye transfer prints were finally abandoned 1975in Hollywood and 1978 in London. But the
laboratory equipment did not become obsolete and
in the 1980s most of it was exported to China
where there was need of an economic system for
the mass production of 35mm colourprints.
Today, three strip cameras can only be found in
museums and private collections.
Three stnp cantera in sound blimp
CinemaScopetype perforations which were always a
problem. However 70mm prints are still provided
with sound on magnetic stripes, either with or
without Dolby noise reduction systems, or
altematively the special photographic time code track
for the DTS system which is printed from a 35mm
sound negative.
But Technicolor are nowhere near the end of the
road, as research continues into new and improved
methods of colourfilm printing and negative
processing. Who knows what the next century will
bring? We shall not have long to wait and see.
The history of Technicolor would not be complete
without mentioning the name of Natalie Kalmus, the
wife of founder Herbert Kalmus, who was for many
years the Colour Consultant on numerous
productions. She came to England in 1936 to work
onWings Of The Morning, and supervised all the
English Technicolor productions made from that time
until well after the outbreak of war
Compiled byJOHNALDRED
Another gaod Christmrrs readJrom John Aldred, wha on the SOth Anntuersary oJ the
death oJ theJamous AmerTcan Dtrector DautdWark Grfrtth tells '
THE STORY OF TWO GREAT (SILENT) MOVIES
February 1915 whilst British and French
Jn warships
attacked Turkish forts in the
II Dardanelles, film producer DW Griffith was
were prolific at a time when other producers were
afraid to cut off the actor's feet. When horsemen
charged across the screen the top and the bottom of
the screen were masked off to stress the dramatic
effect - pre dating wide screen. For long shots the
camera was mounted on top of a huge tower where
Griffith directed the action with his megaphone.
Since he had only 50O soldiers, he told many of
them to run round the back of the camera tower and
re-enter the baftle from
the other side. There
were also fi eld telephones
connected to his
assistants, some of
whom were situated one
mile away. For other
scenes the camera was
mounted on a racing car
riding on the crest of a wave. In his short career he
had already made 4OO films, most of them shorts
for the Biograph Company, and he was now about
to unveil his latest and longest masterpieceThe
Birth Of A Nalion, a story about the Civil War
roughly based on a book by Thomas Dixon called
The Clansman.
[t had
taken nine months to
shoot, Griffith working
without a script and
carrying the storyline in
his head! A twelve reel
film, it ran for 2 hours
and 45 minutes (at 16
frames per second) and
was shown in separate
parts with an interval.
Part 1 depicted the
it could move
directly in front of
galloping horses whilst
filming close-ups of the
riders. Margaret Mitchell
went to see the film
twelve times, and no
doubt gained inspiration
for her bookGone With
The Wind.
The Birth had cost
Griffith $61,000 to
make, most of which he
had to raise himself, and
another $60.000 for the
so that
AmericanCivil Warand
the assassination
of
Abraham Lincoln, and
PartZ, the more
vindictive aspects of the
period of Reconstruction.
Binh Of A Nation was
revolutionary in the use
of music, and was the
first film to exploit fully
the dramatic use of a
specially composed
orchestral score.
The film's premiere
was at Clune's
Auditorium in Los
Angeles, accompanied by
a 4O piece orchestra and a large choir. The first
night audience was profoundly moved by the
experience as they laughed and wept, before
finally standing up and cheering at the end of the
film. Soon after a smaller orchestra was engaged
to give President Woodrow and his cabinet a
private screening, the first time a film had been
presented formally at The White House. Wilson' s
comment was that it was like painting with
lightning! When the film opened atThe Liberty
cinema in New York, the audience was quite
unprepared for the emotional impact of this Civil
War drama. They had willingly paid $2 for a seat
at a time when the top price for a film was no more
then 25 cents.
Audiences everywhere were stunned by
Griffith's forceful style of directing, and also the
creative camera work of Billy Bitzer. Close-ups
exploitationandfilm
printing costs. He not
only attended most of the
Premieres himself but
spoke to the audiences as
well. Unfortunately many of these grand occasions
were marred by Negro demonstrations, since the
film rekindled racial uruest. Butthis did not deter
the success of The Birth Of A Nalion, and it
recouped its initial costs in the first 8 weeks. It ran
continuously at Clune's Auditoriumfor 44 weeks which was an all time record. By the end of 1915
the receipts in New York alone amounted to
$3,750,000, and the film ran for a year in both
Boston and Chicago. I-ouis B Meyer was running a
group of cinemas in Massachusetts at the time and
mortgaged everything he owned to get the
distribution rights for the New England states.
ln the first two years the film was seen by over
265 million people, and became the biggest money
spinner of all time. But as the film's popularity
became world wide it became the victim of its own
success as the huge demand for prints soon wore b
8
Following the success of The Birth Of A Ncttion,
Griffith had no problem in raising finance for his
next production, but he was finding it difficult to
choose a suitable subject. He finally decided to
make an anti-warfilm showing man's inhumanity
to man, with no less than four separate story lines
running simultaneously like a fugue. First was to
be the story of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, and
the destruction of his kingdom by the high priests
who betrayed the city to Cyrus, the Persian
Emperor. Second was the biblical story of Jesus of
Nazareth, ending with his crucifixion. Third was
the story of the betrayal of the French Huguenots
Grffith and Pathe camera with Billy Bitzer behind
out the one and only negative. Since Griffith
seldom made more than one take on any scene,
there was no spare negative to make repairs.
Consequently prints had to be made from other
prints, a practice which not only reduced picture
quality but led to widespread piracy. The total
box office takings forThe Birth Of A Nation
were probably in excess of $100 million but
there were many black market prints in
circulation.
In 1931 new prints were made with music and
synchronise sound effects, which is the version
usually shown today. But it is only a tinny echo
ofthe fabulous orchestral sound heard on that
first night at Clune's Auditorium.
in
1572. when 50.000 Protestants were murdered
in Paris, and the fourth story depicted the struggle
between employees and workers in the modern
United States. This was based on a report of the
shooting of 19 workers by the militia of a chemical
manufacturer, and a murder case which was
capturing the headlines. Because the four stories
were so widely separated in time and geography,
Griffith decided to tie them together with close up
of a mother rocking a cradle with a subtitle 'Out of
the cradle, endlessly rocking' . The film was to be
called Intolerarce.
Griffith now had unlimited funds at his disposal
and set about planning everything on a lavish scale.
He possessed incredible energy and concentration,
and as usual he designed and built sets without any
drawings or plans. A small tented village sprang up
next to the studio on Sunset Boulevard to provide
accommodation for the 700 construction workers,
and the Pacific Electric Railroad built a spur right
up to the site of the Babylon set for delivering
construction materials. and later on. horses and
elephants. The set for the feast of Belshazzar
stretched for a quarter of a mile, with walls 140
feet high and strong enough to support extras,
horses and chariots. Passers by stared up in
disbelief at the huge network of scaffolding
dominating the skyline, dwarfing the few
homesteads. Belshazzar's court was approached by
numerous steps, flanked by two colonnades
supporting columns 50 feet high, on top of which
were statues of elephants standing on their hind
legs.
(continued over)
Cameraman Billy Bitzer and Pathe camera
9
(DW Grtffith story continued)
Wli"erea s in The Birth Of
A Nalion, the civil war
Griffith now
with
oniy
So0-soldiers,
was staged
Bapyl^o^n
the
mammoth
fill
extraito
requirei5o0o
was
paid $2
Each
of
Belshazzar.
set'for the Feast
safety net. When the camera rolled almost the entire
army_jumped from the. parapets which prgmPPg
f
griffith to shout "Cut! Stop those crazy
haven't enough money to pay everybody". There
were always nurses and a doctor on the set but no
per day and given a 60 cent lunch box free
causalities occurred.
days.
Hundreds
those
generous conditions in
Nexlin magnit]rde were the French court scenes
opened
bands
by
three
danc"rs accompanied
in
the Palace of Catherine de Medici, and it was
his
used
scene, and once again Griffith
that Griffith used ceiling shots for the first
here
many_of
his
assistants
megaphone to dir6ct
He wanted to show the maguificent ceiling of
time.
as
extras.
posing
were
in
costume
wh5m
room, and had Billy Bitzer shoot up^
the
throne
that
dynamic
more
somethiig
was looking for
a technique used later with-great effect
towards
it
experiment
as
in
positidn,
so
usual staticlamera
The palace set was filled with
Kane.
in
Citizen
to
gain
he installed Billy Bitzer in a balloon
tapestri-es,
brocade curtains and huge
magnificent
wind
slight
height. Unfortunately, any
with
supporting a canopy of the
a
dias
candelabra,
cairera
hav:oc in trying to maintain
of
mosaics. This set
design
most
intricate
construction
the
of
idea
Griffith then-had
cobbled back
with_themoonlit
s$tPty
contrasted
his
move
that
he
could
camera dolly so
the
16th
Paris
in
Century.
streets
of
be
no
ordinary
was
to
precision.
This
with more
In the biblical epis-Se: Lq9 construction manager,
dolly as ir was l4O feet high and 60 feet wide
a
carpenter called Huck Wortman who had built all
elevator
driven
wa-s
a
rope
In
the
middle
the base.
**!
-
of
the
large
_Griffith
the
extra
iaused
angles.
a
camera
at
which raised
orlowered
"
6ri
rr*Hz".
-J % ..
:--+
jrl i: E
-'
-$
;h,fkmm[,"*-_t
square
camera f-"ffitr
, -'s|: ..
|
plarrbrm ffi4ffit'E
\ .Lf .;G1r7h,,ffi
q,T*#tr
Griffith
cemera cre*,-The ffiiiLtsijf,
*i-5+".*=*#l
;St=,,ffi
aff*'.
wnoleturalr ffiv*.asmounred f'Ui
+-
on srx
wheet railroad
rrucks.
,Iuc''\s'a'rLr
ffi:Utf
and I',iiiff
IF+Fltt lil+=L';b*
'"'11il5ry*ailtffiiffi+qff,*il
;
intoposition
men. ..1
bv
25
sturdy
onunlllL'l:-*ij:
agreedthatthesets
rw^vulvrrl
autnentlc-anolt
war.EiE i,.o.,co-o
wasllimedonthe
i ,ltf,,rijlili# j r .f"!t .ffisirrrf, fr',,rr|l$
lriilllltttillt
&6';tr E, . ilt I =4cGltil||L,'*Wtlltllfi
l'ill*:
road to Calvary and
,ilE
manoeuvred I'llJ
T"he
the stone ternples
- ;ani*ii* ^-:E and narrow-streets
of CanaandGalilee
lupporting
and
rne
the sets fot Th1
Birth' had recreated
ll
lruLlillll
,'llflllf
--^""'J"t*r
."**f##*t"*
-ri'ff$
soared. the tlim's
ran =ll$
r'#- :f? i'if:,:=-ja-rfu i. I
i tl
:e'E{lffiIo;H ".'x:",*ilJii
::,"tJil'Jfi flH#&ryrffi Fi:1:EiEliH
ltfigjdl*f M,,"fr"il,fi':51:
rracks
:T,?T.:'"T'
ffi
ffit;,
Bab'vlon set
set
Inlolerance - the massive Babtlon
had already spent
with so many
alarmed and
dollars,
became
a
million
nearly
half
ever
extras arorrnd. This contraption, the first
any
more
money.
So Griffith in
to
advance
refused
the
most
camera crane, resulted in one of
going jry9
bought
them_out,
his
flamboySnt
photographed.
shots
ever
spectacular moving
ryay
of The
a
chunk
(ua-rter
then
mortgaged
debt
himself,
and
mile
of
the
with-a
shot
long
iommencing
cash.
It
is
to
raise
more
A
Nation
down
Birth
Of
ihot,
in
one
glided
slowly,
the
camelra
set,
over the heads oi the extras, coming to rest at one estimated that lrtokrance cost between one and two
end of the King's table with a close up of a gold million dollars before it was completed, and was
chariot drawn 6y three white doves and holding a the costliest production made up to that time, and
for many years afterwards.
rose, the petals of which were pin sharp! A
Working entirely without notes, Griffith
Pathe
Studio
cranked
the
hand
feat
for
remarkable
time.
camera used at the
Next came the siege of Babylon, one of
largest scenes ever staged. Griffith filled
scr6en with mass shoti of Cyrus's army,
everybody at the studio including actors
othei pictirres blended into the mob. During
sequence Griffith of,fered to pay an additional
to iny extra who would jump of tne wall into
the
the
and
from
this
$5
a
commenced the mammoth task of editing. Starting
with the modern story he then switched to_the gates
of Babylon, and from. the parapets to the French.
court, then to the biblical episode. Once the stories
were introduced, the time spent on each.segment
was shorted with parallel action and swift cross
cutting.The intricate interweaving of the four
.
stories demanded concentration, and when he had
10
Intolerance - Babylon orgy scene
finished Griffith showed the film to the entire
crew. He had used tinted film for parts of each
story to intensify their impact; night scenes were
blue, the battle for Babylon was red, and the
French Court was amber. The film ran 8 hours!
Griffith had planned to show lrxolerance in two
4-hour sections on successive niehts but when the
exhibitors heard of this they refuled to handle the
picture. He was advised to cut it down to just one
evening's entertainment which he did, much
against his own instinct, so the public was never
shown Intolerance in its entirety.lts final length
was two and a half hours, much too tight to do
justice to four stories of such magnitude,
It opened in New York in September 1916 at
The Liberty theatre, accompanied by the orchestra
from the Metropolitan Opera. Once again Griffith
received a standing ovation from the first night
audience, and critics were lavish in their praise.
The FilmDaily said the film was 'tremendous,
stupendous, thrilling and intense'. In its first four
months it outperformed The B irth Of A Nation at
the box office, but then attendances begin to fall
off and it ran for only one more month. It was the
same elsewhere with large attendance initially
falling away to almost zero. Eventually the film
was taken off release altogether. Something was
seriously wrong.
Griffith was not slow to realise that he had
produced a very expensive failure, apparently
without reason. Many excuses were offered for its
failure, including the revolutionary style of story
telling with four separate themes. But even to this
day nobody has seen Intolerance as Griffith
intended. Critics demanded to know the names of
the players but Griffith was not interested in
promoting the 'Star' system. Iruol.erarce carried no
screen credits for the actors, and had they been
given some publicity the film might have stood a
better chance. Another factor was the timing. In
1917 America was preparing for war, and in June
the first US soldien had arrived in France. The
Grffith
studies the bills
film with its message of peace and tolerance
seemed
out of place, and was banned altogether in some cities.
The film had a better reception in London, where it
played for eight weeks at the Drury [.ane Theatre
which had never shown films before. King George V
and Queen Mary were given a private screening at
Buckingham Palace.
In the years since the box office 'failure' of
Irtolerance it has never ceased to draw admirers, even
in it's shortened version, and its influence has been felt
in many countries. Theodore Huff, a professor of
American Film History at the New York University,
halled huol.erance as the greatest motion picture ever
made - provided it was shown in its original form and
properly presented - ranking with such works of art as
Shakespeare' s Hamkt, Beethoven' s N int h Symp hony,
Da Vinci' s Mona Li sa and Tolstoy' s W ar And P eac e.
But it left Griffith a wiser and poorer man, and he had
to use all his assets to repay his massive debt of $ I
million, debt which was to remain with him for the rest
of his life. He was just 41 years old.
roHN
.ALDRED
Epilogue: Ironically enough the film ran continuously in Russia
for ten years, made millions of roubles, vet not a single dollar
ever lound its way to David Griffithl The Russian director Sergei
Eisenstein stated that Intolcraru:e had become the basic text b<pk
on film craft for the entire Soviet film industry. Judging from
one of the themes of Innlerance depicting the treatment labour
received at the hands of the capitalists, knin decided that Griffith
must be a Communist. So in 192, a Soviet delegation arrived
on Gnffith's doorstep extending an invitation from lrnin
himself to come to Russia and talie charge of the country's film
production. Griffith declined the offer.
11
original stages A, D and E. There will be full
supporting accommodation together with new
heavy construction workshops nearby.
"These two new stages will allow us to
accommodate an additional large production at any
one time throughout the year. We are quietly
confident of high occupancy" said Robin Busby,
Pinewood General manager / Drector.
C
Auctioneers Christie's first sale of James Bond
memorabilia realised almost f500,000, two and a
half times more than predicted. Among nearly 300
lots sold, the magnetic Rolex watch used by Bond
in Live And l-et Die sold for f21.850. a Lotus
Esprit shell used inThe Spv Who Loved Me went
forf29,00O and the steel rimmed bowler hat, used
by the villain Oddjob in Goldfinger, sold for
D 'Bond 19', now in pre-production, due for
release in November L999. is scheduled to shoot
early in the new year with Michael Apted directing.
Once again Pinewood's huge exterior tank and
the Albert R Broccoli 007 Stage will figure in the
shooting as Eon producers Michael Wilson and
Barbara Broccoli retum to their old haunts,
f,6r,750.
t
The British Film Institute (BFI) announced the
creation of a f 1 million fund intended to co-finance
a large format IMAX film about [.ondon. The fund
comes from an Arts Council of England lottery
award. The intention is to have a locally produced
IMAX film which will play at the BFI's new
IMAX cinema currently under construction on
London's South Bank and to develop large format
production facilities in the UK.
The global box office will grow by 34Vo over the
next ten years, to $10 billion, but this growth will
be fuelled mainly by rising ticket prices and the
growth of multiplexes, according to a recent report
from Baskerville Communications, the US media
consultancy. Average ticket prices will increase
from $1.29 at present to $1.67 in 20O7, but
admissions will only increase by3.4Vo in the next
ten years. The domination of US films will be
eroded slightly, with global market share slipping
from3T%o at present to 34Vo.
D
Abbey Road Studios announced the opening of
their new fully integrated film recording, surround
sound and DVD facilities in September. The studio
is the first in the UK to combine all of these
facilities under one roof
f| Neil Jordan will write and direct an English
language remake of Jean-Pierre Melville's 1955
classic Bob Iz Flarnbeur in a co-production
between Canal Plus and Warner Bros, which
bought the remake rights from the pay television
giant. Steve Woolley will produce and John Wells
will executive produce.
D
ff
DreamWorks SKG took a step closer to
breaking ground on their proposed studio site at
Playa Vista, Los Angeles. DreamWorks - owned by
Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David
Geffen - is expected to pay the owners of the Playa
Vista site, Goldman Sachs & Co, and Morgan
Stanley Dean Witter & Co, $20 million for the 47
acre plot. The DreamWorks development is
expected to cost $200 million and will include the
company's headquarters and more than 12
soundstages, as well as residential facilities.
D
Australian cinema group Hoyts plans to open
150 screens in 15 multiplexes in the UK over the
next four years. lts first multiplex at the Bluewater
complex in Darrford, Kent is still under
construction and is scheduled to open next
summer. Hoyts has secured sites in north London,
Liverpool and Wolverhampton and plans to invest
approximately f75 million in cinema construction.
D
Warner Bros intends to release 22fims rn 1999,
down from its average of 25 to 28 films per annum.
Of these, only 65Vo will be fully financed by
Warner Bros. Universal (15 frlms in 199t3) and
Paramount both plan to release between 15 and 20
films each tn 1999. Sony Pictures and Twentieth
Century Fox are increasing their output. Sony will
release between 20 And 24films in 1999, while
Fox will increase their releases from 13 in 199t3 to
between 18 and 22in I99.
t
The Motion Picture Association of America
estimates that the average cost of producing and
marketing a Hollywood studio film is now $75
million. Rising p & a costs are considered the main
reason for several studios cutting back in both the
number of films produced per annum and in the
number of production deals.
fl
Matsushita Electronics has developed a DVD
recorder which is capable of recording for six hours
continuously on a one sided disc. Exiiting
recordable DVD discs have only 2.6 Gb capacity
per side, whereas the new Matsushita discs will
offer 8.5 Gb of erasable capacity per side.
Matsushita will propose the new technology to the
DVD Forum as an addition to the existingDVD
standards. Such as recorder will erase the VCR's
one key advantage over DVD.
D Work has now started on two new sound stages
at Pinewood Studios. Scheduled to open in the
summer of 'D, these two large purpose built
sound stages will bring the studio's stage count up
to2O. At almost 20,000 sq ft each, both the new
stages (R and S) will, sizewise, edge ahead of
L2
WATCH OUT FOR
POSSIBLE 1999 PRODUCTIONS
BEFORE TECHNOLOGY
PROVIDED FOR US
1934 - Skreba Films. hoducers Simon Relph and
Fernando Ghia with Mike Figgis directing.Italian UK
co-production hopes to shoot Italy and London Sept
lf
1999.
I
THE BOGGART - Greenpoint Films Ul(Shaftesbury
lms Canada, Co- production UK-Canada. Expected
shooting date Spring 1999.I-ncations in Scotland and
Fi
Canada.
VERA (working title) - Greenpoint Films. Producer
Sally Hibbin. Now scripting. No start Date.
OLn OF IT - Parallax Productions. Producer Emma
Burg. Scheduled to shoot in Manchester, Aufumn 1999.
WO{.INDED KNEE - Parallax hoductions. Projected
start June or July 19}P.l-ocation New Forest.
THE NAVIGATORS - Parallax Productions. Producer
Rebecca O'Brien. Drector Ken Loach. Shoot date not
yet available. l,ocations in Scotland.
ENGLISH GOODBYE - Between Films. Producer
Martin Hemmingway. DrectorAndy Heathcote. Set to
shoot in Sussex, March 1999
THE DIAMOND PHOEMX - Palm Pictures: Producer
Rob Mercer. Scheduled to shoot April 1999
ltr
ln
n
I
tf
tl
l
fl
n
CAN YOU HELP?
. MENTORING FOR SOUND STUDENTS
The London College of Printing has set up a new
course to train sound specialists, an FtrND in Sound
Design & Music Technology, based at the College's site
in Clerkenwell. There are 15 students on this course and
a number are keen to pursue a career in sound for film
and television. Robert Ferguson from the College's
Careers Service is fying to match individual students
with a mentor working in the industry.
Mentors could help students in a whole range of ways
such as setting the student a project, hearing their
'pitch' and giving some advice about how the project
went; giving them help and advice about networking and
self-marketing in a largely freelance industry, or
allowing to them to work shadow.
Mentors and their students would work out an
agreement describing what they hope to achieve and
how much time the mentoris prepared to comrnit. Any
meetings between mentor and student would take place
at the mentor's place of work supplemented by
telephone contact. The College suggests that such an
agreementmight coverthe Spring and Summerterms of
1999.
If you are interested please contact Robert Ferguson at
the address below. A small payment may be available
for those prepared to be involved in this project.
Robert Ferguson, Careers Office, The London Institute,
65 Davies Strcet, Iondon WIY 2DA. Tel: 0171 514 6155
Fax: 0171 5L4 6155 Email: [email protected]
13
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I WISH I'D RECORDED TI{AT !
- MEMORABLE MOVIE LINES
"Take him - for a ride!" (Gangster actor, City
Lights,1928)
"Excuse me while I slip into something more
comfortable." (Jean Harlow, Hells futgels )
"Here's anotherfine mess you've gotten me into."
(Oliver Hardy, The l"atrel And Hardy Murder
MONEY &MOVIES
Case\
"Me Tatzan, You Jane!" (Johnnie Weissmuller,
TarzanThe Ape Man)
THE MOST EXPENSIVE
Waterworld - estimated to have cost $175
million. Add to that the marketing campaign and
the total cost is a few cents short of $250 million.
"W.e have ways of making you talk." (Douglas
Dumbrille, Lives Of A Bengal l-anc er)
"Frankly, me dear,I don't give
Gable, Gone WithThe Wind)
"Here's looking at you
kid."
a
damn." (Clark
MOST SPECTACULAR LOSS
Heavens Gate cost United Artists $57 million and
they lost $1.5 million.
(Humphrey Bogart,
CHEAPEST BRITISH
Casablmca)
Bill Forsythe's That Sinking Feeling cost $6,000
"You know how to whistle don't you Steve? You
just put your lips together and blow." (Lauren
Bacall. To Have AndTo Have Not\
"Never apologise and never explain. It's a sign of
weakness." (John Wayne. She Wore A Yellow
Ribbon)
"Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy
night." (Bette Davis, All About Eve)
"I'm big. It's pictures that got small." (Gloria
Swanson, Sunset Boulevard)
"Nature, Mr Allnot, is what we were put into this
world to rise above." (Katherine Hepbarn,The
AfricanQueen)
"I Always say a kiss on the hand mightfeel very
good but a diamond tiara lasts forever." (Marilyn
Monroe, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)
"A boys best friend is his mother." (Anthony
Perkins, Psycho)
"Vodka Martini - very dry, shaken not stirred."
(Sean Connery, Dr No)
"Mrs Robinson, you're trying to seduce me.
Aren't you?" (Dustin Hoffman, TheGraduae)
"He was a model for all of us, a gorilla to
remember." (Charlton Heston, Plarrct OfThe
Apes)
"There's a lot of dignity in that, going out like a
raspberry ripple." (Bob Hoskins, The Inng
GoodFriday)
- the lowest budgeted British Film to be released
internationally. It cost more to re-voice the
Glaswegian accents so thatAmerican audiences
could understand the dialogue, than it did to make
thefilm.
BIGGEST RETURN
Mad Max, the Australian Sci-Fi movie starring
Mel Gibson cost $350,000 and grossed more
than $1,000,000 making Gibson an international
star.
MOST PROFITABLE SILENT
The Big Parade, directed by King Vidor took $22
million in 1925.
BIGGEST PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN
Jurassic Park - Universal spent $68 million in
promotion, $8 million more than the picture cost
to make. The movie took $50 million in it's first
weekend and went on to gross $1 billion
worldwide.
CHEAPEST EXTRAS
Ghandi - 94,560 extras were paid 40p for a
morning's work during the funeral sequence.
300,000 others appeared voluntarily.
guOTES
Anyone can make a movie who has a little
knowledge of cameras and tape recorders. It' s
gotten down to the paper an"d percil level. We're
really on the threshold of arevolutionary new era
in films.
Stanlev Kubric. The Guardian. l8l 5l7
"E.T., phone home." (ET -The btra-Tenestrial)
t4
l
"and to
xffirgb
w@@lkb
4
SOTIND
*The Art Of Sound Reproductionby John
Watkinson is designed to make your life a little
easierby providing all the theoretical background
necessary to understand sound reproduction, backed
up with practical examples. Specialist terms, both
musical and physical, are defined as they occur and
plain English is used throughout. Analogue and
digital audio are considered and the advantages of
both are stressed. This is the most comprehensive up
to date text currently available on all aspects of
sound reproduction. (Focal Press f,49.50)
VINTAGE CHRISTMAS PREMIUM ALE 1998
This limited edition of Shepherd Neame's Christmas
AIe has been brewed to a unique recipe using the finest
hops and malted barley and flavoured with Grant's
Cherry Brandy. The result is a delicious 6.7Vo vol ale to
celebrate Christmas and 300 years of brewing by the
Shepherd Neame brewery.
The 50oml bottles are packed
in suitably Xmas
decorated cardboard boxes (f,1.99 each)) looking good
enough to give as gifts - that's if you could ever bear to
part with them once in your possession.
*The Audio Workstation Handbook by Francis
Rumsey has been written for all those needing to
understand digital audio and the associated
technologies used in workstations.It covels an
introduction to computer systems and terminology,
digital audio, audio data reduction systems, data
storage media, file formats and data interchange.
(Focal Press f,19.99)
CIDER
Cider is deliciously refreshing and is one of this
countries most popular drinks - it is probably Britain's
oldest alcoholic drink. It was almost certainly
introduced by the Celts over a thousand years ago - to
them the apple was sacred. However, it was the Normans
who, in 1066, brought with them advanced cider
making methods and new apple varieties, that changed
the face of cider in Britain.
Britain in now the biggest cider producer in the world
followed by France. The ciders produced here are
generally paler and stronger than those brewed in
France. Most cider is produced in Somerset and
Herefordshire where market leader Bulmer boasts the
largest apple pressing mill in the world.
MOVIES
*The Guinness Book Of Film-the ultimate guide
to the best films. From first talkies to present - the
top 1000 movies reviewed in depth - star profiles
with filmographies and trivia - at a glance icons
identifying film categories and video availability for
every film. (Guinness Publications f25.00)
* Censored - Tom Dewe Mathews tells what they
didn't allow you to see and why. From 'What The
Butler Saw' to Henry, Portrait Of ASerial Killer, an
entertaining and thought provoking exploration of
the mysterious world of film censorship in Britain.
(Chatto & Windus t14.99)
*The Penguin Book Of Hollywood - Christopher
Silvester's book is aTOO page collection of extracts
from letters, diaries, articles, memoirs and
autobiographies of famous and not so famous who
visited orworked in theAmericanfilm capital from
it's early days. There are quotes from Churchill,
Stravinsky, Bertrand Russell and PG Woodhouse (Penguin f25.00)
RUM B__ AND BACCY,
THAT'S WHAT KILLED MY PAPPY
Rum got it's name from the English word
Rumbullion meaning tumult or boisterous behaviour,
common traits exhibited by imbibers of large quantities
of the liquor.
The drink is said to have medicinal properties and
perhaps even be an aphrodisiac. Because of its high
alcohol content, another use for the liquor in Caribbean
colonial days was the shipping of the bodies of wealthy
Englishmen, wishing to be buried at home, in barrels of
rum to preserve the cadaver.
Sugar cane, the base ingredient of rum, was
introduced into the Caribbean from Brazil around
1630. Now, as then, the juice from the cane is boiled
down to produce sugar crystals that form thick dark
molasses. The molasses are mixed with pure water in
huge oak casks where it ferments. Fermentation
complete, the liquid is distilled and stored in Kentucky
white oak casks, charrci on the inside, previously used
to mature American bourbon.
Rum improves with age. The longer it stays in the
barrels, the darker and more flavourful it gets. The
highest quality rum is stored for between 8 to 15 years.
The chary oak and bourbon residue give it a smoky
vanilla flavour.
HUMOUR
* Can Reindeer Fly? - The Science Of Christmas
by RogerHighfield is an absolutely fascinating and
often hilarious look at the science behind the rituals
and icons of the festive season - Why might
Rudolph's nose have been red? - The
thermodynamics of turkey roasting and the dreaded
sprout. A really entertaining guide to everyone's
favourite festival.
15
i1,
-ly
.{
r-l
A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
DearReaders
This is the 25th issue of AMPS' Newsletter that
Keith and I have produced. We've both enjoyed
the task. The kind comments we receive from
time to time, indicating that ourefforts are
appreciated, has been a gratifying reward.
We were also pleased with the manY
constructive suggestions made by members who
returned the recEnt questionnaire survey. All
ideas have been taken on board for consideration.
However to fulfil them we do need your help - as
contributors with regular columns or one-off
articles, your production or equipment
experiences, or in many other capacities
The Newsletter should become more member
orientated than it is, with increased material of
direct relevance to the problems and interests of
members. This means that we need far more
current information contributed, principally by
thoseactive in the industry. Keith and I worry
that, in some issues, we sometimes print more
historical material than we might wish tooAlthough we endeavour to achieve a balance of
the oldlnd new, we can only use the material we
have time to generate, or that is available to us.
The following are the main suggestions from
the questionnaire
- - lists of forthcoming productions
- who's doing what with what gear
- more equipment reports from users
- more articles from production mixers
- how was it done?
- interviews with award nominees
- in depth facilities and studios survey
All commendable suggestions but to realise any
of them we need more people to be regularly
involved with the Newsletter production. For
example, the 'Who's Doing What?l and 'News
of Fufure Productions' items should be in the
hands of members able and prepared to do the
necessary chasing up to find out what is going on
in the industry workwise.
If you feel you would be willing to help in
making any of these ideas a reality, or if you
would like to have a hand in producing the
Newsletter in any other way, please let us know
as soon as possible.It's your Newsletter.
In closing, may we wish You a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Bob & Keith
A FIAPPY
AI\TD
*it
PROSPEROUS
1999
TO ALL
?r*
- AND DON'T FORGET
THE AGM
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7'rtt
MORE DETAILS TO COME