MAKING MOVIES

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1921, Page 1

MAKING MOVIES

POSSIBILITIES IN MAQIULaND

an Interesting undertaking;

According to Air Beaumont Smith, the Australian iilm producer, there are distinct possibilities in the future for motion picture producing in New Zealand, with its variety of life and iris picturesque local colour (says the Auckland Star). But the future is by no means immediate, and there is sm ill ■C* chance of movie production being established as a continuous industry for a few years yet. All the same Air Smith has produced many moving picture scenes in New Zealand, and is likely to do svill more work hero, having several ideas for future pictures that he intends to work out in the Dominion after the winter is over. His recent evporieiiees with the Maoris at Rotorua comprised the first motion picture venture have in New Zealand, and he brought over a small company to take several sc .Mrs for “The Betrayer.” a New ZealandAustralian drama, in the Hot Lakes district.

On this occasion ATr Smith employed many Maoris for the various scenes and introduced some good studios on New Zealand life into the drama. “The Maoris themselves were easy to manage,” lie said, “except for the fact that we were always running up against some Superstition or otlvu. They liked having their pictures taken provided they were paid for it. "f course, and old Mita. Chief of the ■Awarns, proved himself a great actor. He made us laugh occasionally, though, but generally he was so natural, and had such a good idea of the poses inquired, that he was much Iv-fter Mian the professional actor. ATitn once derived ns for several days while lie ' ■

down to Taranaki to marry n girl of 23. He himself ;. s 72. Luckily he did i uof bring his wife back with him. o I V|. wore able to go abend w.th the j picture which we were able to finish within the timelimit though we had a few wet days.” Mr Smith remarked j that the conditions of light and climate climate were quite good for picture I work, though in dry weather, a r ood Ideal of dust came up but rain laid it : and made the atmosphere beautifully clear for camera work.

The thing that induced ATr Smith +o make the first New Zealand picture was the fact that so much had been done with the Australian hush and New Zealand life was more varied and pm* vesque than Australian. He deoiled that audiences needed new locations, and his success with this first film has been sucli that he now intends to return to New Zealand in a few months time, with several people and a complete technical staff, to take more pictures featuring Iwth the Maori .mil pakoha. He is looking for original • narios. too. and will utilise any jii“iil talent lie can find. But he regrets to sav that the scenarios so far submitted to him have boon invariably useless. He lias been studying New Zi-d literature also, and is sorry he can fed so little of it. Historical records are in ! abundance, especially those of the j Afnoris, which are unique, hut for picture purposes, thesp need blending with ! st-ories of modern life.

“Picture production is very much in its infancy in this country and in A«s-

tralia," continued Air Smith, “and v. ill need a great deal of encouragement if it i* to develop.” He said it would cost nothing less than .£5,000 to produce a satisfactory picture in New Zealand. Though the public was evidently very interested in local productions lie realised that they would have fo be of a high standard if they could hope to compete with the films with which America was Hooding the country. He discussed the terms olfereu by exhibitors to these local pictures, too, and considered that they were handicapped by the fact that they were competing against big American monopolies, ibis brought ii]) an interesting discussion vega rd mg the remarkably high standard of the American film productions, and also the manner in which they we-e saturating the public with American sentiments, manners and customs, none of which were altogether to the public taste. Probably in time the English producers would attain to the same standard, both of quantity and quality, that America had reached, but it would take much time, especially as there was not the American financial strength behind the film industry in Engl'"' 1. Possibly in the future there will be "n Empire circuit for British films, j* h would widen. This decided limit to ‘he market as compared with the wide a-ea covered hr American productions, is 1 he greatest of Australia’s disadvantages in the picture game.