American Cinematographer - December 1950 - 29

PHOTOGRAPHING
THE SPORTS FILM
(Continued from Page 421)

made with the athletes or the officials.
Usually such cooperation is readily avail¬
able, provided that approach is made
through proper channels.
No matter for what purpose a game
or sport is being filmed, there are cer¬
tain techniques which are universally
applicable; for example, it is essential
to create a "mounting" for the action
by showing something of the locale, the
spectators, and any interesting byplay
that takes place on the sidelines. Such
shots will serve a two-fold purpose: they
will not only provide a valuable means
of catching the spirit of the event, but
also serve to provide cutaway shots to
bridge gaps in time or action. Purely
from the audience standpoint, these add
variety and interest to the film.
Wherever you have an unusual or
especially pictorial locale, play it up by
dramatizing it with nice full establish¬
ing shots or interesting angle shots of
closer detail. If you are shooting deep
sea fishing near Catalina Island, skiing
at Lake Placid, or diving at Acapulco,
you will most certainly want interesting
shots of these locales to introduce the
sports sequences.
For most sports events a turret cam¬
era set up in a central location that
commands the full field of play will net
important footage. The lenses in the
turret should consist of a wide angle, a
standard focal length, and a telephoto
at least twice the focal length of the
standard lens. A good optical view¬
finder duplicating the fields of all these
lenses is also a necessity. Sports action,
such as football where players' move¬
ments are very close and rapid, is dif¬
ficult to follow at best, and if the
cameraman does not have a view-finder
which will enable him to see and follow
the ball, scenes will be erratic, to say
the least.
The ideal method for making record
shots of a game is to have one or more
cameras set up at a high central van¬
tage point, and to have one more cam¬
era, preferably hand-held, assigned to a
cameraman on the ground level of the
playing field or floor. This latter oper¬
ator can roam around freely and rapidly
to record close details of the action, and
his vantage point will bring the specta¬
tor more closely into the game itself.
The value of closeups in the sports
film cannot be overemphasized. It is the
closeups that not only focus attention
on specific plays or maneuvers, but
which also bring the audience face-toface with the force and pattern of the
action itself. Good closeups in sports
films, when shot uncontrolled, are rela-

C. ROSS
FOR

LIGHTING EQUIPMENT
Inkie and Arc Lamps including Required Accessories
Generators-Cables-Boards-Boxes

*
Raby Camera Crane-Dollies-Blimps-Geared Heads

GRIP EQUIPMENT
FOR LOCATION AND STUDIO

Parallels-Steps-Platform Ladders
Century Stands-Reflectors-Flags-Scrims

*
SOLE EASTERN MOLE-RICHARDSON CO. DISTRIBUTOR

RENTALS

SALES

SERVICE

CHARLES ROSS, Inc.
333 WEST 52nd STREET
NEW YORK 19, N.Y. Circle 6-5470-1

USED BY MOST OF THE MAJOR STUDIOS
* Enough illuminaHon for normal set lighting using ordinary house current!
That's what you get with the newest portable, light-weight COLOR-TRAN lighting
equipment. One light gives as much illumination as a regular 5000-watt Hollywood studio
spot, yet draws only 13'/a amps, of current. Real economy lighting for small film units. A
"must" for television remotes.
Write for details-or let us demonstrate

Color Iraxi ioiKveticT Cbmpan-y
7045 Romaine, Hollywood 38, Calif.

Phone: HEmpstead 2326

SALES * SERVICE . RENTALS
35 mm. * 16 mm.

CAMERAS'MOVIOLAS*DOLLYS
Complete Line of Equipment for Production Available for Rental

Mitchell: Standard - Hi-Speed - NC - BNC - 16 mm.
Bell & Howell: Standard - Shiftover - Eyemos
Maurer: 16 mm. Cameras
Moviola: Editing Machines - Synchronizers
SPECIALISTS IN ALL TYPES OF CAMERA REPAIR WORK. LENSES MOUNTED

DECEMBER, 1950

AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER

433

American Cinematographer - December 1950

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - December 1950