American Cinematographer - January 15, 1922 - 16

THE AMERICAN

CINEMATOGRAPHER

January 15, 1922

Play the Game
By

ALVIN WYCKOFF

is your attitude toward your employer?
Is it
one of loyalty, or are you trying to make him think
you are loyal and at the same time trying to make the
star you are working with hold you in your position?
Are you putting every effort into your work that you
WHAT

are able to call forth

regardless

of the salary

you re-

ceive, or are you just getting by through following the
easiest

possible

route?

Is it your employer's favor you are seeking or are
you trying to bask in the esteem of some favored star or
director?

works to his credit,

it is bright

and clear,

not morbid

and dark.
Perhaps very few know the dangerous condition of
the industry today. It is the purpose of those responsible
for the producing end of the industry to be as bright
and optimistic of conditions as possible for the sake of
creating a better morale.
Los Angeles and San Francisco are the two brightest spots on the moving picture
map, and because you see your local theatre doing a
good business you must not imagine the· same condition
prevails all over the country.
It is not so. In all the
large and small cities of the east most of the theatres
are either closed or closing or else operating at a loss.
In one of the largest cities of the country where three
large first run houses were doing a paying business only
one house is now open, and it is not doing a paying
business; in fact many of the exhibitors who signed 'iron
clad contracts for a program cannot make good and
offer their houses to the producer to take over and run
for what he can get.
What is the result?
Naturally
the producer must'
cut the cost of production and he naturally must commence with the most expensive item, the salary list, and
if you will take the trouble to go into the matter deep
enough you will find the salary list represented most of
the waste that took place in the industry.
Stars, actors,
technicians have not been the only overpaid employees,
but some camera men have been much overpaid and are
just as responsible for the condition of affairs today so
far as the employee is concerned as anyone
else that
worked for a salary.

JAMES C. VAN TREES, A. S. C.
With His New Mitchell Camera

Are you putting your energy into your efforts because
you want to be proud of the ultimate result and endeavor to achieve your own personal ideals, or are you
standing still with your hands in your pockets bemoanidg the fate that causes you to work for an existence?
Many of us today are finding fault with the conditions that cause us to accept a cut in salary, and because
we have allowed ourselves to become thus we are looking
at conditions through a slotted vision so extremely narrow that we cannot see the danger signals strewn along
the path on al I sides and at every turn; while here and
there we see a man who is using his entire vision in a
broader way and is putting into his efforts the best there
is in him. He is getting results and he is slowly forging
ahead, and avoiding most of the pitfalls, his imagination

The only difference now is that those who are responsible for the continuance of the. industry are getting
it on to a business basis where it is going to be solid
where heretofore it has been considered very much as a
grab-bag and he who had the longest reach got the most
money.
Now it is results that are going to count and
now the cameraman as well as others has got to stand
for being whipped into line if he wishes to be saved
with the rest. If you get down and work ~and do your
best to help improve your end of the job, forget the
clock and the eight-hour law and cast self pity and false
pride out into the discard and try to see how valuable
you can be, you will find yourself climbing to the top
and able to stay there when you do reach it. You can't
succeed by telling your people how valuable you are,
you cap only prove it by results and -if you are the right
man for the job to be done you will get the opportunity.
It is then up to you to take care of it. You have got
to be in harmony with yourself if you expect to succeed.

Have You Bought
Your Ball Ticket Yet?

American Cinematographer - January 15, 1922

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