“TALKIE” PICTURES

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 83, 2 January 1930, Page 17

“TALKIE” PICTURES

TO BE MADE IN NEW ZEALAND EQUIPMENT ARRIVING IN TWO WEEKS Fox Movietone pictures arc known the world over. They have in the past years become the sign manual of one of the largest and most enterprising organisations associated with moving pictures. There is scarcely a theatre showing “talkies” which does not commence its programme will) the "Fox Movietone News,” bits and pieces of people, places, and events with the natural sound accompaniments. Fox hits been operating witli a sound equipment for some months past in Australia and those who attend theatres regularly now know these by the “Kookaburra” sign which heralds the Australian section of the “Fox News.” It is the desire of tlie management to include New Zealand in the world series of “Fox Movietone News,” and to that end Mr. Stanley S. Crick, chief Fox representative for Australia, arrived here from Sydney on Tuesday. Operations in Australia. “We have been at work on talkie snapshot subjects for some time in Australia,” said Mr. Crick. “Naturally we commenced with the easiest and most obvious subjects. We have taken the races here and there. Doubtless you saw the picture of the Melbourne Cup?” “Yes, and heard somebody shout, ‘Good old New Zealand’ when Nightmarch won!" “Well, that was our contact man, Harold Guinness, a New Zealander. That was not ‘arranged’ either. He was so elated to see a New Zealand horse win the great event that he had to express himself." “Then we have done the wool sales, a wine-testing demonstration, the great radio-telephonic event when Colonel Angwin (in London) and Mr. Fisk (in Sydney) carried on a communication, which was faithfully recorded from the screen. You have also heard Australia’s new Prime Minister (Mr. Scullin) speak, so that you were able at one ami the same time to see the fine type of man lie is, and how he speaks. Incidentally, he spoke on immigration and its value to the nation, but remarked that the time was not opportune for immigration from England to Australia owing to the prevalence of unemployment. In the case of a Prime Minister we usually make three records—one for local consumption, one for England, and one for the rest of the world —as the various peoples have to be interested from different angles.” ■ Operations in New Zealand. "We are going to exploit Zealand. We hope to take sound or speaking pictures of your leading statesmen. We will certainly take new pictures of your famous resorts, such as Rotorua, Walrakei, Taupo, Tongariro, the Waitomo Caves, and the glaciers of the south, and weave into them natural sounds that will give them a human note. For example, when we are taking some of the pictures at Rotorua and Ohinemutu we will arrange for the Maori girls to sing some of their songs, and do their graceful poi dances, so that the public will not only be able to see the rhythmical grace of the girls, but will hear the swish of the plu phi and the tapping of the pois. Such pictures have a universal appeal. They will be appreciated as much in Melbourne as in Moscow, and will be enjoyed as greatly in Calcutta as in Tokio, New York, or Oshkosh. The songs and the dances of a people—any people—are always in demand. “Then our talkie truck will probably go to Ngaruawahia in March for the big Maori canoe racing carnival—in fact, wherever there is something of interest occurring we hope to be on hand to see and hear it.”

' Apparatus Explained. Mr. Crick explained that the talkie equipment takes the form of a truck, mounted on a motor chassis. It consists of a camera of the portaole order, attached to which is what is call ed the A.E.O. light for sound-recording, which is acted upon by vibrations registered by a microphone. The variations in the vibrations made by sound, cause this light to flutter almost imperceptibly, yet it is those flutterlngs of light that, are recorded on the side of the film opposite the photographic image. These are at present developed in our Sydney laboratory, edited, printed, and distributed to the theatres. As for the film for overseas, we do not attempt to edit it at all, but send it on to headquarters at New York for preparation for exhibition. “You will be able to judge from this that a great deal of expert knowledge is required in this latest form of film activity. Attached to the truck is tlie staff, consisting of Mr. Ray Vaughan, camera man; Mr. Paul Hance, sound engineer; and Mr. H. G. Guinness, contact man. Mr. Guinness is the man who arranges everything ahead as far as is possible. As it takes between £250 and a week to run the truck there has to be proper organisation ahead, so as to keep tlie plant employed as much as possible.”

Mr. Crick said he hoped to get a record of tlie departing GovernorGeneral (Sir Charles Fergusson) before he left for England, and such other notable people who are in tlie public eye. He is relying to some extent on the co-operation of Mr. A. Messenger, of tlie Publicity pepartment, for a workable itinerary.