FILM-TAKING.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1922, Page 4

FILM-TAKING.

NEW DOMINION" VENTURE,

ANNETTE KELLER.MAN AT NELSON

Prepaiations of a truly imposing nature arc ljci 11*4; carried out in Nelson bv James R. Sullivan, production manager for t(ie New Zealand Dominion Productions Ltd., for making Llie latest Annette Kellehnan feature film. In an interview" -Mr llarry Waters, promoter and one of the directors of tln> company! and manager of Everybody’s Theatre, gave an interesting survey of the preparations. The Nelson district, stated Mr Waters, will have the distinction of forming the background tor M.iss Kellerman’s picture, principally because its record for sunshine is unequalled by any other town in New Zealand, and because -Mr Sullivan has received such wholehearted support from the town of Nelson itself. Nelson’s climatic records bear comparison ' with some of tile most favoured regions of the world, for instance Italy is said to hold the place of honour so far as sunshine and photographic atmosphere are concerned. Italy’s average of sunshine is from *2OOO to 2100 hours per year, whilst Nelson’s record is solely placed at 2500 hours or more of .sunshine. Thus, based on a yearly average the remarkable clarity of Nelson’s atmosphere is considered to lie easily on a par with Italy or California. Secondly, Nelson district abounds with heautilul rocky coastlines, whilst in betwr/cn are. found well-sheltered beaches lined with line golden sand. Then inland are beautiful fern gullies, half-bidden waterfalls. and numerous enchanting glimpses of natural entity. “So it can be readily seen that here lies a veritable feast for the camera—a virgin field for the motion picture,” said Mr 'Waters. “All this lies ready to be photographed for the motion picture, photofgrnphed for the Kellerman picture .which bv the way is to be essentially a marine photoplay of extraordinary interest and novelty.

“The Story itself and some of its most important scenes have not been divulged. This protective measure has been taken owing to the tremendous competition existing in tbo film world today. However an idea of the vnstnoss of the company’s operations ran he gained from a survey of the list of requirements now on file at the company’s studio at Nelson. This list is long and varied and includes 150.000 feet of timber for building sels. etc.: five sailing schooners, three of which are required for submarine work, and the other two for scenes in the picture; three motor la'audios; the rental of a coastal steamer; a warship (cruiser-type) : fifteen small sailing boats; twenty-two rowing boats; two life boats; a steam yacht ;six life buoys; and two thousand feet of rope of various sizes. Then there is the building of a complete water-tight dan! fifteen leet high and seventy-two feet long. For “( lose up" submarine scenes to hr* taken in this specially constructed basis are required three nine-foot -harks, a hundred and fifty fish not F.-s than two feet in length one octopus anil several deep sea monsters now being sought by trawlers. For these scenes also are required many tons of coral rock, four thousand sea plants, including kelp, anil. numoroMs sea. shells. Electrical effects and the lighting plant include two airplane motors, ail imported sunlight arc of lot),000 candle power requiring an electrical generating plant capable of lighting up a city with a population of LI.OOO inhabitants. Then there is a huge submarine apparatus, including a diving-bell for the underwater scenes.

The* ward robe department is cn important one calling for three thousand yards of silk and veilings, twelve thousand yards of -silk ribbons, seven hundred and fifty yards of linen. three* hundreds yards of flannel, two thousand yards of heavy cloth for costumes and two thousand yards of canvas. There* is an enormous list of ironmongery and three hundred and fifty gallons of paints, nils and varnishes. AOlhs of bronze and two cases of gold size. Sundries needed include thirtylive miles of electrical w being, several hundred telegraph poles and .equipment. three steam tractor engines, a valuable collection of hooks dealing with tile technical details of the story, a complete hospital unit, eight racehorses, with jockeys and equipment, and fourteen motor cars with chauffeurs. The working staff will necessarily he large. It includes thirty five carpenters and some scenic artists, twenty-nine principal characters and two thousand six hundred extra persons for “atmosphere.” The building operations, will he in charge of a first-class contractor. The work to be clone includes the erection of several structures up to one hundred and fifty feet in size. The technical staff of eighteen experts will tie in charge of that number of departments. A further perusal of the list shows that it includes a thousand heaver Fiords, nine reels of six feet wide* wire matting. Other articles on tfie property man’s list of requirements are too many to enumerate.

From tin’s, one can gain a slight idea as to what tho making of a film really means. The staff, specially brought from Los Angeles is eager to outdo “Neptune's Daughter,” and “A Daughter of the (Joels,” —Annette Kcllcrmnn's big successes to date. Miss Kellernian. Mr Waters states, is striving to present many new and thrilling submarine “stunts” and to surpass her former work.

The picture will lie months in Hie making owing to its peculiarity of style and story. Now effects, both above and below, tho surface of flic ocean are to he carried out. and it is Miss Kellermaii’s wish to present to the world something new in the motion picture line. Briefly the producers are .attempting something novel in style and action, but above all Mr Waiters savs that, the type of story is clean and aesthetic. “As a,n advertisement for New Zealand, the Kellerman picture when com pleted will ho of priceless value, as the Dominion will he presented in a light hitherto not .shown,” continued Air Wafers. The new picture, will fie of inestimable value as n medium through which the beauties of tho Island, the mode of life and the general atmosphere will he shown to dwellers in every nation. Tt will convey to tho binds over the sens n much clearer picture of the Dominion itself and of its people than they otherwise could have secured.’”