MAKING MOVING PICTURES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 225, 28 January 1911, Page 9

MAKING MOVING PICTURES.

STUDIOS STARTED IX SYDNEY. Those who have marvelled at the in-| genuity displayed in devising moving pictures will be interested to know (says the 'Sydney Sunday Sun) that a company (has been formed in Sydney to prepare films on similar lines to those of the A,B, Company, Pathe Frcres, and other wellknown American and European firms. This company is composed of several well-known Sydney business men, and will be known as the Australian Life Biograph Company. It is their intention 'to produce dramas of Australian life with Australian actors; to portray dramatic episodes in Australian history, and to present pictures of leading Australian industries. With 'that object the company has secured the services of Mr. Gaston Mervale, who is known to the Australian public not only its a cultured and artistic actor, but as a stage director of some note. Mr. Mervale will produce the dramas, which will be specially written and devised by Mr. P. W. Marony, a well-known writer. Mr. W. P. Clarke, who has had considerable experience in this direction, has been engaged as chief operator. "The object of the company," ■ states Mr. Gaston Mervalte, "is to represent in moving pictures Australian life and Australian 'history. The keynote of the enterprise will be thoroughly Australian. Not only is it desired that by these means Australians should have an opportunity of knowing more of their country, but it is also intended that the (films should be exhibited abroad, and thus prove a valuable advertisement for the country. It is our intention to employ a number of well-known Australian actors, and already negotiations have been opened up with Miss Ilarrie Ireland, Mr. Arthur Styan, Mr, H. R. Roberts, Mr. Godfrey Cass, Mr. J. Patrick, and others. Three big productions are already in the course of preparation. The first will represent tone career of Australia's romantic bush-ranger, Ben Hall; the second will be an Australian military drama on a gigantic scale entitled, 'The Making of a Nation,' in which it will be thrillingly shown how a supposedly degenerate type of Australian can be converted into a fine soldier. The third of the series will portray the adventures of the famous explorers, Burke and Wills. We also propose to show the workings of great Australian industries, and to produce on a line scale the most interesting scenes of places throughout,the Commonwealth. The theatre in which the dramas and other acted episodes will be rehearsed is •now being erected on the Queonscliff Heights, between Manly and Curl Curl. Xo better place could have been selected, for the surrounding scenery is splendidly suited for the purpose. The-thick scrub, the wooded heights, tho long country roads, the seashore, the rocky coast, and the adjoining lagoons will all provide ample outdoor scenery, while the theatre! or studio will be built or fitted so as to' furnish the necessary interiors. A Sun reporter visited tho scene of operations, and found -Mr. W. F. Clarke and his assistants already installed in a large photographic gallery. This portion of the theatre is splendidly equipped. There are dark rooms fitted all round with tanks,! and a printing room provided with mo-1 tors, dynamos, and all other up-to-date printing machinery. Tho whole place will be lighted with electricity, an engine and dynamo being installed for the purpose. Nothing is evidently being spared to make the mechanical outfit as complete as possible. Mr. Clarke uses two cameras for the work —one an Urban, the other an Ernimann—.which is one of the very latest types, tutted with a rellex and all the latest modern appliances. This machine has a revolving device which permits the operator to take a picture, now on the ground, for example, and instantly after in the sky. When asked to explain the process of taking moving pictures, Mr. Clanke proved highly interesting. •"If I were to take a moving picture of you raising your arm to its full heigihi and dropping it down again, no less than thirty-two small photographs would record the action," lie stated. "A drama of 1000 ft in length would take about twonty-five minutes to show, and would consist of about 24/100 photographs, each measuring about half an inch by one inch." "How are fakes worked?" '*Well, many of them are very palpable. When, for instance, you see'a mass of thread weaving itself into a beautiful piece of embroidery, it does not take much consideration to realise the fact that it is done by reversing a picture of the embroidery being pulled to pieces. Many extraordinary effects are gained by reversing the film or by cutting portion of the picture out. I am just working on a fake that should have a very curious effect. 1 mean to make the Manly boat leave the wharf at Circular-quay, travel all the way along George-street, and disgorge its passengers at the rail-; way station. That is done by double-1 printing." "How?" i "But Mv. Clarke only winked. "Fakes," be continued, "are very interesting work, and some of the most popu-| lar pictures result from them. You have seen the mysterious pictures of inanimate things'being suddenly imbued with life. A teapot will pour out the tea, and a sugar-tongs seemingly of its own accord sweeten it, while a piece of cake jumps off its dish and takes its place on the plate intended for it, and so on. These things are. very weird, and apparently verv wonderful, but it is all very simple, for it is onlv necessary to blacken I out of the print* the hand that guides; the articles and the effect is produced. Manv such fakes are also worked by strings. The peculiar effect of seeing a man walk up a sheer wall is obtained by laying painted scenery Hat upon the floor, and the man then crawling over it while the photograph is taken from above. Manv fakes are, of course, worked with dummies, For instance, it would never bo believed that a man could possibly fall • off the roof of a house and calmly pick| himself up again, or suffer some of the, dreadful calamities he goes through in tho comic pictures without turning a hair. Bv joining the pictures of the actions of a real man and a dummy some very grotesque results ensue." One of the most interesting process is the development of the films. This is nil done bv electricity. The film passes direct from the .spool through a long, narrow trough, and is developed from these, through a long fixing trough; then into washing tank, and on to the drum to dry. The drum wrils round at the to dry. The drum whirls round at the rate of 120,0 revolutions to the minute. iVithin half an hour the film is dry and ready for printing. It is then connected up according to the action of the story, and put through a printing machine, which is worked by electricity. After that it goes through the same process of development as before, and within two hours from the commencement of operations it is dry and ready for the show.