PUBLICITY FOR THE DOMINION

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 105, 29 January 1924, Page 10

PUBLICITY FOR THE DOMINION

FILMS TO BE SHOWN ABROAD A trial run of the film recently taken by the Government Publicity Office for release at the Dominions section of the British Exhibition was given at the Queen’s Theatre on Sunday evening. A great improvement is noticeable in the titling of the film, the drawing of the illustrative figures being better, and the titles themselves clearer. There is, however, room for improvement still in this matter, as these films will have to stand comparison with the best of the Canadian and other Imperial work of this kind, and Australia has the advantage of the experience of commercial film production as a guide. The film shown included! Maori pictures of consiedrable interest. Hakas and poi dances, at making, and various kinds of flax plaiting were shown in detail. The titles of these films taken originally for the Science Conference, ar« to be made shorter and more appealing to the public, and this is just as well, as they are too compendious and ponderous in their present form, and are much too long. Maori canoe hurdling, and some excellent films of the hapuka fishing industry were also shown. An exceedingly interesting film is that of the growth of a New Zealand bush town (Raurimu). The virgin bush, then the felling operations, _ the sowing after the burn, the erection of the first whare, and the gradual evolution of the village from the forest, were well capried out, but the English visitor might fall into the. errors of thinking that the process is rather more rapid than is the case. “A day out” at Tauranga certainly gave the yachts plenty of footage, but it also showed the average home of the New Zealand very adequately, and faiilifullv reproduced the public buildings and life of the town. Views of ’Wairakei. and its boiling mud pools were specially taken for the exhibition, and this film is the best yet produced of this wonderful region. The Huka Falls are magnificently shown in the film. Tlie workings of a New Zealand bacon factory are thoroughly set out in another film, the titles of which most nearly approach the ideal of any Government film yet released, as they are bright, with an occasional touch, of humour, and the drawing of the sketchy forecasts is good. Altogether there will be dispatched to the exhibition 35.000 ft. of film. A feature of the slides now being prepared for lectures while the kinematograph is otherwise employed is the colouring, which is tasteullv done and in more natural colours than, is usual in work of this kind.