“MOVIE LINGO”

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 June 1922, Page 7

“MOVIE LINGO”

NOT AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS. “Where’s the grips?’’ asked the direc or. “It isn’t a disease, or a collection o t—or even luggage—that he’s lookin: or,” Helen Chadwick, leading woman, ex dained to her studio guests. “He ua!; vants a stage hand.” ‘Kill that chair!” called the directo “He just wants the chair taken away,’ aid Miss Chadwick. “Gotta have more atmosphere thai his,” continued the director. “Oh, there’s plenty of air,” Miss Chad vick whispered. “He dosen’t think ther ire etiough extra people to create the im iression he’s after.” “Those rushes last night were rotten.’ the director was shouting again. “Bu vhat can you expect with nothing bu i crank turner, a bunch of' camera lie ind a star who’s always mugging hersel o death?” “He isn’t feeling so cheerful this morn ng,” Miss Chadwick smiled. “He say he first prints of the scenes taken yes erday weren’s good, and he’s blaming i >n everybody except himself. He say lie camera riian hasn’t any art, that he’, ust a inechainc; that the extra people an rying to pose in front of the camera al he time, and that the star is over-doinj xer facial expressions.” “Where’s prop’s?” yelled the director “That’s the property man,” said Mis lhadwick. “Ac for n.c T’m enneerned.” the leadin

man observed during a moment’s lull. “I think there were too many irises anc not enough fade-outs in that stuff yesterday.” “An iris means to increase or decreas< the size of the picture by opening or clos ing the shutter of the camera,” hurriedlj whispered Miss Chadwick. “Of course you know that a ‘fade-out’ is where n picture is made to vanish by decreasing the amount of light.” “It wouldn’t have done any harm to’vc panned that boudoir scene,” lisped the ingenue. “She means that they should ‘panorama’ the camera,” Miss Chadwick said. “That is, to turn it sidewise while it is being cranked, in order to get in several parts of a scene in succession. “Anyone who does a ‘bit’ doesn t get screen credit;. that is, get mentioned by name in the picture, she continued, as the company was waiting for the “shooting,” which is the movie way of saying photographing to begin. “Motion picture folk always call a studio a ‘lot.’ A ‘location’ is any place where pictures are taken away from the studio. A ‘continuity’ is nearly always used in preference to scenario. Anyone who is ‘camera wise’ knows how to behave before the camera in such a way as to be prominent in the picture. “W.e never tear down a set; we ‘strike’ it. A ‘wild piece’ is a portable bit of scenery. A ‘full-shot’ is when the camera takes in the full scene. I guess you all know about ‘close-ups.’ ” “Hit her with the ash can ! What s the matter there? Hit her with the ash can 1” roared the director. Miss Chadwick’s guests ducked involuntarily, as the set flooded with light. “That’s nothing,” Miss Chadwick con eluded, smiling, as she herded her party on toward the next set. “The ‘ash can is a special big light. He just wanted those big lights turned on.” “Oh!” said her guests.