Movies for TV - Early Television Foundation

292
THE PROGRAM ANGLE
in darkness, but this is strictly an emergency expedient and is not
recommended as a routine way of processing. Sometimes for a late
rush shot this will save the day or enable a scoop to be made. But
100 feet seems an awful lot when tangled up in a bottle or on the
floor around one's feet!
Printing
machines have not been mentioned because there is
no need for them in the small station layout even if processing is
done at the station. The faculty of the film-TV camera to take
negative or positive film makes it only necessary to edit the negative
and project that, or, of course, direct-reversal film can be
used and becomes a positive. The system chosen depends on the
later use, if any, that is going to be made of the film. If extra
prints are to be made the negative should not be run through a
projector; that also applies to direct-reversal film if subsequent
prints are to be made, since any scratches on the original will be
reproduced on the copies.
A point to consider also is the shooting ratio. That is the
amount of film exposed compared to the amount of film actually
used in the finished production. Hollywood may go as high as
ten, or even more, to one; an average for a film is
production
about four or five to one. For newsreel work this may be lower or
higher depending to a great
extent on how much has to be de-
leted when the events crowd out previous news. But it is obvious
that double sound recording with its double, or even triple amount
of film, as well as extra editing problems and time requirements
place it well outside the normal scope of a small station.
The film library is something which will grow with the job
and the station. This is the place where all the film that has been
shot or bought is kept. It is imperative that all persons who appear
in any news shots be positively identified for use at the time, and
later for indexing purposes. The best system for positive 100 per
cent film identification is to write or scratch in indelible ink on the
leader the title and index number of the subject. Cards should be
kept in each can with the subject
and there should be a label on
the can itself. Sometimes the reels themselves are labelled. But
none of these things is sure, for films can be put back in other