MOVING PICTURES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10157, 31 December 1910, Page 7

MOVING PICTURES.

HOW THEY ARE TAKEN. All the world goes to picture shows now-a-davs, but all the world docsn c realise the immense effort and organisation required to cater for them and some of the world covers a good deal of this with the word "fake The first number of Pathe's Weekly (the first paper devoted to cinematography to be published in Australia) cives a particularly interesting detailed narrative of how a particular picture, depicting the Dieppe motor race, was taken by a man who had charge of the taking. He gives the story at length, but the gist ox it is that he was sent a fortnight before the race to Dieppe by the Pathe firm to arrange his campaign, and judge where accidents were likely to happen. After two trips round the circuit he picked the likely tpots-and that his iud"ment proved correct was-shown by the remarkable crop of accidents that we saw on the film. The fortnight was occupied in organisation, and the actual force and plant at work to take the film on the racing days were four motor cycles to carry him and instructions between the different sections four motor" cars placing the operators, seventeen operators and their assistants, eleven cinematographic cameras, one captive balloon (from which to direct operators and lurvcv the route), and 25,000 leet of negative film. The actual clay s work began at 3 a.m., and at 5 30 a.mal the stations were ready. I'rom that on reports were constantly coming to the controller of operations having got accident films, including the killing of the Famous Frenchman, Fournier. At 2 p.m. the circuit was openeu to the public, and the motor cycles and cars came rushing in with the negatives, which were taken to Pans by a 60h.p. car at the rate of a mile a minute. En route the director collapsed with the agony of his eyes illcd with road fragments in the high wind and high speed during the day, and eocane had to be injected to enable him to go on. Yet at 10.30 p.m. the films were being exhibited in Paris, and somewhat later, m Masterton. The day after the race the chief operator was sent out to Australia, and immediately arrival saw his film being exhibited, out there. We give this tale of a film in brief to indicate the work involved m catering for our amusement.