Talking Picture in India

Talkies, talkie studios

Wilford Deming Jr.’s write up on the situation of talkie production in India in 1932 is reproduced from ‘American Cinematographer’ in Cinema Vision India. The initial reconnaissance of the studios in India, Deming states, gave him a sense of its antedated existence compared to his own experiences in film industry. Blindest groping for fundamental facts was especially true of the laboratory processing of sound films. Mole Richardson lights proved to be of little use, due to the flat lighting practiced in Indian studios. Deming also takes note of the hindrance effected by the familial ties in the organization of studios. The relatively high humidity in Calcutta renders the microphones a lot nosier. Deming considers dynamic microphones to be a solution for year round operation in India. The microphone, Deming states, was received with complete indifference in India, and the in the films he worked on, practically no retakes were necessary due to the addition of dialogues. Barring unfortunate internal fall outs, the future of Indian talkie industry, according to Deming, looks optimistic.

Wilford Deming Jr.

Cinema Vision India

Cinema Vision India, Vol.1, No.2, April 1980, pp.19-21

1980-04

The Media Lab

jpeg

Eng

Document